I love this simple, beautiful hymn. Although this is a hymn that seems to be sung with children, it’s a hymn that I love because there are so many times I need a simple reminder that “Yes, Jesus loves me.” Why is it so hard sometimes to grasp this truth?

1 John 4:9-10 says, “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might love through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” God loved me so much that He sacrificed Jesus, His Son, for me. And this has nothing to do with me and my love for Him, because He died for me when I was nothing but an unrepentant sinner.

When I sit and meditate on this, it is just too overwhelming and difficult for my brain to comprehend because apart from Jesus, I’m nothing; I’m unworthy and I’m a sinner. Yet, Jesus loves me! He loves me and hears my prayers…all of them.

Have you ever felt that because His gift of salvation is so huge that some prayer requests are too minor to bring before the throne of God? Why bother God with the small stuff in my life when there are so many huge struggles and problems in the lives of others? Well, it’s because Jesus loves me and He wants to hear from me. You can’t have a deep loving relationship with someone if you aren’t communicating with them on many levels and this is true…even more so….with our Lord.

Phil. 4:6 says “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.” We are to lift all our concerns to Him. An important key component to our prayers is in our giving thanks for whatever God is doing in our lives…the blessings and the struggles. He is never too busy to hear my prayer, no matter how big or small.

Ps. 66:17-20 “I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.” Praise God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Thank you Jesus! YES, Jesus loves me.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 38 years, have 2 married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and two granddaughters and one grandchild on the way! 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.

“Whatever I tell you in the dark: speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” ~~Matthew 10:27,

Fellowship: I think often we associate fellowship with food, and that can be a component of biblical fellowship, but it does not constitute it.  Food is not required for fellowship. 

Our verse for today reminded me of two very dear friends of mine.  Two women, vastly different but with this in common – they speak often of the Lord and what He has been teaching them.  I can’t remember a conversation with either that they did not refer to the Lord in some way.  One woman, my mentor-Joanne, taught me in words and actions what it means to love Jesus.  The other woman, a close friend -Sherrill, has taught me that in spite of life’s circumstances and a broken heart through the recent loss of her husband, Jesus is all she needs.  These two women have demonstrated Matthew 10:27 to me.  What Jesus has spoken to them in the dark they have shared in the light. 

Isn’t that biblical fellowship?  Sharing life!  Sharing what Jesus has spoken to you, has taught or is teaching you.  Sharing in another’s walk with the Savior can inspire, teach, encourage, admonish and challenge us. 

In many ways, that is what Victory Call is about.  What we hear we share.  I, for one, can attest to the fact that God has much work to do in my life yet and I am thankful that He continues to lead, teach, guide and change me.  I am committed to speaking that in the light.

Are you sharing with others what God is teaching you?  What is Jesus whispering or perhaps even shouting in your ear?  Speak it in the light.

Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the ministry team at America’s Keswick.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study.  Diane has been married to her husband John over 27 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

When my children were toddlers, one of their favorite toys (and mine too) was a plastic sphere-shaped toy designed to teach them how to sort things by their shape.  Together we had extra fun with it by trying to fit each of the different shaped objects into its corresponding opening within a certain amount of time.

Every once in a while one of the kids would attempt to fit a shape into the wrong opening.  For example, my son might try to fit a trapezoid shape into a place designed for a rectangle.   Try as he might he couldn’t get the rectangle to take in the trapezoid.  He’d turn it over and around, again and again to no avail.  You can imagine his level of frustration as his sincere efforts failed. 

My daughter would occasionally jump in and offer him a different piece -sometimes it fit and sometimes it didn’t.  (They eventually got quite good at it!)  Gently I’d encourage them to examine the shapes a bit more carefully.  Within a moment or two the shapes would find their proper home.

Once in a while they would resist my help, ignore the game’s specific design, and attempt to force a shape where it obviously did not fit.  As hard as it was, I’d leave them alone to figure it out on their own.  Sometimes they’d ask for my help but other times they’d stick it out and eventually get them all in.  Each time was like the first time for them and with great enthusiasm and delight, they’d clap their hands.  Then they’d pop it open, dump all the shapes out on the floor, and start all over again.

Isn’t that just like us?  God created, gifted and shaped us all to be uniquely different.

There is no other human being on the planet whose inward parts are shaped, formed and molded to be expressly like yours or mine.

So tell me, why do we spend so much time trying to be like someone else?  Why do we so harshly judge those who are different; who don’t fit our specific mold of what a “proper church lady” looks like?  God has given all of us something – talents, gifts and abilities – that He, Himself, intended to enjoy in relationship with us for His good pleasure. 

That means I can be this goofy, crazy, serious, sometimes pensive, loud, outspoken, creative, dancer, writer, to the glory of God, fitting ever so rightly the shape He alone designed for me.  I can homeschool…or not; dance…or not; wear pants…or not; wear my hair long…or not; wear jewelry…or not;, dress up for church on Sunday…or not; wear a tie…or not;…and so on and so forth.  I can do all that or be all that and not offend God as much as I might irk another brother or a sister.

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!  There is a balance to what I’m saying, a time and a place for everything under the sun.  Period. 

My challenge is this:  Will I dare this year to focus more on my own heart before a holy and righteous God than I will on any other thing?  Will I bravely endeavor to go where I have not gone before in relationship with the Savior of my soul?  Will I run, laugh, leap, dance and pray with the abandon of one who is in love and loving it every step of the way? 

Hey, I’ve got an idea!  Why don’t we go there together?  Take that first step with me.  Allow God to give you new legs, new arms and new feet to praise Him!  If you decide to go there with me, meet me at the merry-go-round with your dancing shoes on!

“And He took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.  And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”– Acts 3:7-8

Stephanie

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

 

 

There have been times in my life when I just couldn’t see any blessing because of the trial I was going through. Trials, disappointments, pain, suffering, illness…they all have a way of robbing us of our joy and of our vision of the blessings that God continues to give us even in the midst of our chaotic surroundings.

At the time when my teenage sons began their downward spiral into addiction, I sank into a depression. My eyes could see nothing of joy, peace or goodness in my sons’ lives or mine. All I saw was gloom and doom but that’s not to say that there weren’t blessings in my life. I just chose not to see them and instead chose to focus on all the negatives in my life. All that accomplished was more negativity and more heartache.

As I saw my need for God in my life and began to read and study Scripture, I began to recognize my sinful attitude. Phil. 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” There are two words in the middle of that verse that are very easily over looked — “with thanksgiving.”  We usually skip over those words because we think we can’t find anything to be thankful for when our world is falling apart. There is even some part of us that wants to be wallowing in self pity. But even in the direst of circumstances, if we look, we will find God’s blessing.

For me, I began to look for any blessing I could find and then give thanks for it. Sometimes the blessing would be a smile on my son’s face, or that my sons were home and safe for the moment. I began to look at these sometimes fleeting moments as gold nuggets of blessing that I would hold in the palm of my hand, close my fingers tightly around it and just saver my blessing. There were times when it felt like there was only a gold crumb in the palm of my hand but it didn’t matter to me. I was holding on to that crumb and thanking God for it. There were times when my little crumb of blessing had to last a few days. But my attitude began to change – slowly. I guess it’s that old adage of an “attitude of gratitude.” There really is something to cultivating an attitude of gratitude. But it is something that you must consciously choose.

What is your gold nugget of blessing in your life today? Even in your pain, suffering, trial or sadness…they’re there, please don’t miss them. Search them out, hold them in the palm of your hand, saver them, and then praise and thank God for them. Soon you will be finding more and more gold nuggets of blessing. Choose to look for your blessing today.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 38 years, have 2 married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and two granddaughters and one grandchild on the way! 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 reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.   Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, “If I were any better, I’d be twins…Wanna see my scars?” I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter,” he replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or…I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked – He continued, “..the paramedics were great.  They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read ‘he’s a dead man’. I knew I needed to take action.”

“What did you do?” I asked.  “Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said John. “She asked if I was allergic to anything ‘Yes, I replied.’ The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Gravity’.”  Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude… I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.
 
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34.

Lynne Jahns
Christian Counselor

 

 I use to work at Asbury College.  One year a residence hall was not open for over a month after classes had started so the students were spread out all over the place and not necessarily in the best of accommodations. My staff and I made Attitude is Everything our theme for the year. We purchased T-shirts and made signs all around campus and the residences. See, we could have let this situation get the best of us, or we could choose to make it an adventure and something to talk about. It worked for all of us, not that I ever want to go through that again with a large number of students, but we all learned a lot about ourselves and not letting situations get the best of us.

The other day this story arrived in my mail box – it fits, so I share it here. John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!” He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” He replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or … you can choose to be in a bad mood – I choose to be in a good mood.” Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or…I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or… I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. “Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “Yes, it is,” he said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.”

Lynne Jahns, Christian Counselor

I think most of us could say and do say “Lord I want more of you.” This has been part of my prayer life for some time. I want to know God more intimately. I love God but I don’t think I love Him near enough. I want to always be in His will and I would love to hear clearly from Him when I’m confused about which way to go. I don’t think I’m alone in having these desires.

I believe we do hear from God in various ways and through various means. The problem is even if we did hear the very voice of God we would still question. Reading in the book of Exodus I would say we are in pretty good company.

Exodus 33:12-14, 17-18  Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”   And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Moses actually spoke with God!!! God gave him the awesome task of leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. Moses knew he had this task to do; God has told Him but he still wondered who God was going to send to be his right hand man…just hearing God’s instruction was not enough to give him confidence. Moses believed he found favor with God but he still wanted to know God more intimately. He was not satisfied and hungered for an even deeper relationship with God. This is hard to understand! Moses actually was able to speak to God and hear His voice. YET, it wasn’t enough… he wanted more. It is true that the closer you get to God you just hunger to be even closer.

In response God promises that His Presence will be right there beside Moses every step of the journey so he will never be alone. God also promises to give rest to Moses. What a deal!

Moses wasn’t satisfied. He wanted still more of God! And in verse 17 Moses boldly asks “Show me your glory!”

If Moses can boldly ask for more of God there isn’t any reason why you and I can’t boldly ask for a deeper relationship with Him, or to hear from Him. But no matter how much deeper and richer our relationship will grow, I don’t think we can ever truly be satisfied this side of heaven. I can only imagine that when we see Him face to face in glory, it will only be then that our longing for a deeper relationship will be satisfied.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

I look forward to the day when hunger for Him will be filled to the max!

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 38 years, have 2 married sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons and two granddaughters and one grandchild on the way! 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.

Colossians chapter 2 has much to say about how to be built up in Christ.  As I go through this chapter we will look at what will and what will not build us up. The first thing that Paul makes reference to in verses 1-3 is prayer. I am thankful for his honesty in saying that he prays for those he knows and does not know and he admits it is a great struggle for him. Although I can relate to the struggles of keeping a strong prayer life in place, this is not a pass for us. Paul is not saying prayer is hard so just let it slide. No, he is saying prayer is a struggle I have on your behalf. He knows there is a benefit to praying and to keep on praying.  This is a call to continue to struggle in prayer.

Paul also shares what it is he is praying for. He is not mindlessly going through a list but praying that which is most important for those he prays for. Although it would be nice to pray that those at Laodicea have a blessed day and that God would bless them, he goes deeper then that. He prays for their encouragement, that they would be knit together in love. And here is a mouthful, “that they will attain to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (vs. 2-3).

WHEW! Now, we do not want to be wordy for words’ sake while praying. But look at those verses and see the depth of what Paul wanted to pray for others.

Have you and I ever struggled in such a positive way in prayer as Paul did? This should encourage us to be in the Word and to use Scripture to help us pray according to God’s will for others. Here we have a wonderful example of how to be specific for those we pray for. “God bless the missionaries” was ok, I guess, when you were a babe, but I hope you are praying differently today! If not, this is a great guideline. This will not only build up others but you yourselves will be built up in Christ through your labor of prayer.

Kathy Withers

Kathy’s on staff at America’s KESWICK in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 26 years.  They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has previously served as a Teaching Director for Community Bible Study. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.

 

Recently we have been working our way through the book of Revelation in Sunday morning service.  One morning in May, Pastor Steve Cassarino was preaching on Revelation 16:17-21. I found a couple of his comments struck me and I immediately thought –  VICTORY CALL!

On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.” It marked a time of abundant grace and a time since with Jesus calling His chosen ones to repentance and Himself.

In generation after generation since the cross, many, many have bowed the heart and knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
But it will not always be so.  Time will run out.  There will be a time when it will be too late to repent. 

Revelation 16:17-19 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”  And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.   The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

A voice from the throne (likely Jesus) saying “It is done.” Great and terrible events mark the seventh bowl judgment. I’m taking them right from the text.

— Flashes of lightening
— Rumblings
— Peals of thunder
— A great earthquake, greater than any known to man to date
— Cities fall
— Islands – gone
— Mountains – gone
— Great hailstones

Yet, in spite of it all… people absolutely refuse to repent and curse God.

Time will run out. There will come a time when repentance is no longer possible because the grace of God will be removed and all that remains will be the hardened hearts of men – cursing the very One who created them giving them life and sustained their very existence.

Why are we so unwilling to stand erect as a notable barrier between family and friends and the fiery gates of hell?  Is it fear or unbelief that renders us motionless?

I hope your heart is challenged to boldness, and I hope mine is, too.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the ministry team at America’s Keswick.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study.  Diane has been married to her husband John over 27 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

Not too long ago a friend sent me the following story in an email. I almost didn’t read it. But then I decided to take a moment and I’m glad I did. The story isn’t profound, but it is, in its simplicity one which I think we could all bear reading.

The Fern and the Bamboo

One day I decided to quit…I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality…. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

“God,” I said. “Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”
His answer surprised me.

“Look around,” He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

“In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

“In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit; the same in year four.

“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.
But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

“Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

“Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

“Your time will come,” God said to me. “You will rise high.”

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned.

“Yes.” He said, “Give me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life.
-Author Unknown

Dear sisters, all too often we forget that God is up to something in all the details of our lives. Let’s choose today to trust God and trust that He knows the end from the beginning and everything in between. He’s doing a work and He is more than faithful to complete it!

“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”  ~ Philippians 1 (NKJV)

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