Roll Away Your Stone

Do you have a huge stone that is holding you back from the fullness of the destiny God has prepared for you? We did. Praise God.....the gift of the death and resurrection still can roll away that huge stone.

Let me tell you a little about our story. A little more than three years ago my husband recognized that he could not set himself free of an addiction to alcohol. He had been battling alcohol for most of our married life. I had asked him to go to America's Keswick but he always had the same answer........He just could not go away for four months and leave his job.

But God is good and with all my heart I believe God wanted to see Glenn healed even more than his children or I.

The alcohol was keeping him from a rich relationship with God. It was keeping all of us from the destiny God had prepared for us. God had a future planned for us. The plan was good and was filled with hope. (Jer. 29:11) I believe God allowed things to get so bad that Glenn had those four months available without any work to go to.

Months before God had told me I would not have to go through this any more. I didn't know how but whatever it would take, I was ready.

Glenn entered Keswick in March of 2008. The Spirit of God began to work. I have a journal of his time at Keswick that is marked with anger, resentment, bitterness, tears of fear, worry, then tears of praise, joy, thanksgiving and more praise. While at Keswick Glenn was fed the Word, the Word, the Word. The things of the world did not distract him; he was set apart from the world for those four precious months. Our Pastor, his wife and a team of intercessors faithfully prayed for Glenn and me. I joined the Women of Character and through that was directed into the Word, the Word, the Word. I believe the Word is true. The Word is never returned void. The Word began to tear into that huge monster stone that was literally killing Glenn and our marriage.

Passover came on April 19. I cleaned our home and asked the Lord to clean Glenn and me. The intercessors and I proclaimed the power of the blood of Jesus our Passover Lamb who paid the price so that death had to pass over.

Death did pass over. Soon after when I saw Glenn he told me that he wanted Jesus to fully be Lord of his life, not just his Savior. He understood the difference. Praise God!! He was making progress. On June 8, 2008 we celebrated Pentecost and with all of my heart I believe the Word washed Glenn and that stone broke into tiny pieces. When he came home in July he was one new man, filled with the Word of Truth and committed to staying faithful to the reading of the Word. There continues to be no greater joy for me than seeing my husband reading and walking in the Truth.

The Word is the not-so-secret reason America's Keswick is a place where God is free to speak to hearts and transform lives.

Is there a stone separating you from the destiny God has prepared for you? Don't wait another day, another hour, another minute. Get into the Word. As one of my favorite authors, Dutch Sheets said, "God never intended that Adam should function intellectually apart from His influence and instruction. Jesus is called the Logos, the Word of God......He is God's message to us."

May I encourage you to submit yourself to the Word, dear one, for the Word will set you free it can still roll away your stone.

Patricia L. Wenzel
Graduate, Women of Character

Suggested reading:
The Word of God: Roll Away Your Stone, Living in the Power of the Risen Christ by Dutch Sheets, Bethany House

DIGGING DEEPER
James 2:10,11
For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

UPCOMING EVENT
May is fast approaching and we will be hosting our 3rd annual Family Freedom Walk on Saturday, May 7th. You can help in two ways. 1. walk - call guest services to obtain a walk package, solicit sponsors and come to the walk. 2. (this is a fun one) Sponsor Victory Call for the walk. We are having a friendly competition between the 2 groups of devotional readers (Freedom Fighters and Victory Call). Our goal is to raise more funds by the Victory Call team than the men raise for the Freedom Fighter's team. Last year Victory Call subscribers raised $760.00 and Freedom Fighter’s subscribers raised $725.00. Victory Call WON! In reality, the Addiction Recovery ministries won because together we raised $48,968.65.

If you would like to join the fun, simply go to this link on our website https://01.secure.elexio.com/donations.aspx?id=366346&websiteurl=http://www.americaskeswick.org&siteid=2184 fill out the information and indicate in the "DESIGNATION" area : Family Freedom Walk: Victory Call or if you prefer make your check out to America's KESWICK and put in the memo line: FFW/Victory Call and mail to : America's KESWICK 601 Route 530 Whiting, NJ 08759. ALL DONATIONS MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, MAY 7th at 2 PM in order to be counted for our TEAM. We’re in the lead, ladies! Let’s keep up the good work!!