Author: America's Keswick

The purpose of America's Keswick is to model and teach Biblical victorious living in Christ Jesus, to provide an environment in which Biblical life transformation takes place and to foster active personal involvement in the local church.

The Baton (Part 1)

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The Baton (part one)

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

The Pastor of my church had given me a chapter to read from the book, Already Gone by Ken Ham, Britt Beemer and Todd Hillard. The chapter was entitled “Sunday School Syndrome” and discussed the belief system of today’s 20 somethings who had attended Sunday school regularly. There was a survey taken of 1,000 twenty-somethings, who attended church as teenagers, and they were asked if they had attended Sunday school. 61%said yes with 39% saying no.

To quote what was written in the book, “That’s about what you would expect, isn’t it? After all, not everyone is committed enough to make the effort to get to Sunday school, right? Only those who are more concerned about the spiritual and moral health of their kids, right? Because we all assume that Sunday school is good for them, correct? The ritual is so interwoven into American church life that it’s hardly worth mentioning, right? Wrong. Sunday school is actually more likely to be detrimental to the spiritual and moral health of our children.”

I can’t get into all the things that this chapter stated but questions like “Does the Bibles contain errors?” were asked. The percentage of 20-somethings that said yes was 39%. How would you like to hear “I don’t know” after asking, “Do you believe you are saved and will go to heaven upon death?” Biblical stories like what happened in the Garden, at the Tower of Babel, the Flood and the story of Sodom, Gomorrah and Lot’s wife seemed not to be a help to these 20-somethings but it was not detriment either.

The authors of this book apparently did some research on the Reformed Baptist Church’s website and gave a quote about youth pastors and youth ministry and used enough of it to make their point but I went there as well and found out what was written in its entirety. “Eradicate youth ministry as we know it. This is by far the most radical suggestion/solution, but I think a necessary step if we are to have much hope in stemming the tide. It seems as if we are always trying to fix what is broken with youth ministry.

Has it crossed anyone else’s mind that maybe youth ministry shouldn’t be fixed because youth ministry IS a major part of the problem?! If youth pastors are spending all of their time ministering to teens, training youth leaders, planning activities and preparing lessons for youth group, then when will they have time to train parents? And isn’t it odd that the very pastors we are now asking to train parents are usually young men in their 20’s who have little to no parenting experience, especially of teens. [I do believe that anyone can share biblical principles on an issue, even without corresponding experience!]

As long as youth pastors and youth leaders continue to teach, disciple, mentor and train teens why would parents have any motivation to fulfill their responsibility? I think everyone would agree that Deuteronomy 6:4-10 & Ephesians 6:1-4 is commanding parents to teach, train and disciple their own children. If we believe this, then why would we even develop and offer a “ministry” that would directly contradict Scripture!? Why would we give parents the option of abdicating their God-given, biblical responsibility? I believe it is time to put the ministry of the youth back into the hands of those to whom God gave it – the PARENTS of the youth.”– Quoted from the Reformed Baptist Church’s website.

This last sentence spoke volumes to me in terms of us…men, fathers, husbands and the spiritual heads of our homes. Are we practicing a measure of apologetics in our homes? What are we doing to guide our children to use those spiritual weapons that would help them defend the faith? Here is what my Nelson’s Study Bible had to say about the verse I have used today.

“Verse seven comes right out and says: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” God regards the direct education of children by their parents as vitally important, with that education to be founded first of all upon the words of God. And when we as fathers have that intimate relationship with God, as in Genesis 18:19, “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” Our Heavenly Father will be motivated to accomplish His purpose for us and our children with genuine righteousness.”

I will wrap this up in part two. Until then, think about these words from Susannah Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley: “The parent who studies to subdue self-will in his child, works together with God in the renewing and saving of a soul. The parent who indulges it, does the devil’s work, makes religion impractical, salvation unattainable, and does all that in him lies to damn his child, soul and body forever.” — — Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a frequent Freedom Fighter contributor

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 21; Ecclesiastes 7-9; 2 Corinthians 13

Great Quote: Satan does not tempt us just to make us do wrong things — he tempts us to make us lose what God has put into us through regeneration, namely, the possibility of being of value to God. He does not come to us on the premise of tempting us to sin, but on the premise of shifting our point of view, and only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil. — Oswald Chambers

God is Always At Word Around You (Part 9)

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God is Always At Work Around You (Part 9)

“He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in His eyes.” 1 Samuel 3:18

Today is the Lord’s day and we are spending it in a place of absolute beauty — Bermuda! Sorry guys — someone has to do it! We are staying at Willowbank, a Christan retreat center on an island made by our Creator God. I believe it is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

We have talked about this subject before — in fact, eight times now. But I was reminded of another principle of God’s always being at work around us as I read STREAMS IN THE DESERT (9/17). The principle is this: I can see God in EVERYTHING! Listen to the words of Hannah Whitall Smith, a popular Keswick speaker back in the early days of the ministry:

If I see God in EVERYTHING, He will calm and color everything I see! Perhaps the circumstances causing my sorrows will not be removed and my situation will remain the same, but if Christ is brought into my grief and gloom as my Lord and Master, He will “surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)

To see HIM and to be sure that His wisdom and power never fail, and His love never changes, to know that even His most distressing dealings with me are for my deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised!” (Job 1:21)

SEEING GOD IN EVERYTHING is the only way that will make me loving and patient with people who annoy and trouble me. Then I will see others as the instruments God uses to accomplish His tender and wise purpose for me, and I will even find myself inwardly thanking them for the blessing they have become to me. Nothing but seeing God will completely put an end to all complaining and thoughts of rebellion.

I really needed this reminder today. How about you? God is always at work around us — even in our circumstances. Can you see Him today? Will you look for Him today, my brothers? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 20; Ecclesiastes 4-6; 2 Corinthians 12

Great Quote: “Christian righteousness is the confidence of the heart in God through Christ Jesus. Such confidence is accounted righteousness for Christ’s sake. Two things make for Christian righteousness: Faith in Christ, which is a gift of God; and God’s acceptance of this imperfect faith of ours for perfect righteousness. Because of my faith in Christ, God overlooks my distrust, the unwillingness of my spirit, my many other sins. Because the shadow of Christ’s wing covers me I have no fear that God will all my sins and take my imperfections for perfect righteousness”. Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians, 1538

It is not to late to enjoy a day of golfing fun and fellowship at Hanover Golf Club on September 29, 2009 to benefit the Colony of Mercy Addiction Recovery Ministry of America’s Keswick. We will have a 7:30 AM and a 12:30 PM shotgun start. There are still some openings for either start time. Call Stan Marsh @ 1-800-453 7942 x 32 for info or to make your reservation.

Can You Pray This?

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Can You Pray This?

“Lord, teach us to pray …” Luke 11:1

From time to time I have shared with you prayers that have been written by men who deeply love God. This morning I want to share one that is very convicting.

Lord,
today I choose to spread light and not shadows,
grace and not pain,
love and not apathy,
peace and not anger,
deep delight and not sharp sorrow.

I choose to stand on the rock and not the sand,
to glory in YOU and not myself,
to lift others up and not push them down,
to leave boasting to those with
more reasons to do it than I.

I choose to revel in thanksgiving rather than
discontent,
to foster a sense of enoughness rather than moreness,
to be attuned to needs and not just desires.

Here, I offer my heart and my longings,
my dreams and my priorities,
my goals and my habits,
my choices and opinions.

So in the strength that you offer,
and by the grace that you give,
I offer my “yes” to you.
Here it clearly
Nothing and no one above you.
That is my pledge today. — from A HEART EXPOSED — Talking to God With Nothing to Hide by Steven James (published by our good friends from Revell)

That is my prayer for today — for me! How about you? Can you pray this today? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 1; Ecclesiastes 1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Great Quote: A sacrifice is a gift of the essence or the product of our lives. It may be a gift of our time, a gift of our talent, or a gift of our treasure. Whatever shape it takes, it is a sacrifice given with no regard for a return on the investment. John Garmo

Is There Good in Temptation?

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Is There Good in Temptation?

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man …” 2 Corinthians

Here’s another great devotional from the Freedom Fighter archives. We all struggle with temptation which is why Oswald Chambers teaching is so powerful and necessary:

The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.



A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.

Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.

Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else–what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations–He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16 ). — from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST



We all battle temptation — but THROUGH CHRIST we can be victorious. Praise the Lord! — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 30-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

Great Quote: We talk of the second coming, while half the world has never heard of the first. Oswald J. Smith

How’s Your Battery?

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How’s Your Battery?

See Genesis 32:22-30

One of my favorite Keswick convention speakers was the late J. Sidlow Baxter. He was the author of a very well known commentary, EXPLORE THE BOOK. I love the way he teaches victorious Christian living in such a practical way.

Today’s devotional is from HIS VICTORIOUS INDWELLING — Daily Devotions for a Deeper Christian Life (Zondervan)

Far too many Christians live their spiritual life on the “battery system.” Lest that sounds a strangely peculiar idea, let me explain what I mean.

I can dimly remember how, when I was a little boy, my dear mother sometimes took me to a town, where, if I remember rightly, about that time there was a change-over in the street car system. The older type of street car used to run on the battery system. There was an electric battery on the front or rear platform of the car, and so long as the battery was “alive” the car would run; but as soon as the battery was exhausted, the car would stop dead. It was far from satisfactory, hence the change-over.

There are Christian believers who seem to run their spiritual life and service on that system. They go to a [conference/retreat] on the deeper life and when they return home, they are altogether different — for three weeks! Or they read some epochal Christian biography, and as they close the book they say, “Ah, life can never be the same again” nor is it — for three weeks!

Or they have an all-night of prayer. Things have been going from bad to worse with them, so they bring things to a crisis. While others sleep, they wrestle on their nocturnal brook of Jabbok (Genesis 23:22), and when the sun rises they are transfigured — for three weeks, after which they lapse again to the dull average. Why? Because they are resting on a CRISIS instead of on CHRIST.

The Christian life was never meant to be run on a battery system. It was meant to run on the electric current principle. You know what that is. Put simply, it is just this: continuous CURRENT through continuous CONTACT. You and I have no power over the current; but we do have power over the contact; and when, by regular prayer-times, daily meditation in the written Word, consecration to Christ, and separation from unworthy ways, we maintain the CONTACT then the heavenly CURRENT, the Holy Spirit, the life of Christ, is continually communicated to us.

So my brothers, are you running off a battery system, or are you connected the Source? Think about it. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10

Great Quote: The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. Barbara Johnson

What to Renounce …

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What to Renounce

“We have renounced the hidden things of shame …” 2 Corinthians 4:2

I shared this particular passage with you back in September of 2007, but it bears repeating. I trust that the Spirit of God will speak to your heart today as He did to mine as I re-read it from Oswald Chambers’, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST.

Have you “renounced the hidden things of shame” in your life— the things that your sense of honor or pride will not allow to come into the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? Then renounce it as soon as it comes to mind— renounce everything in its entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness about you at all.



Envy, jealousy, and strife don’t necessarily arise from your old nature of sin, but from the flesh which was used for these kinds of things in the past (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-3 ). You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.



“. . . not walking in craftiness. . .” ( 2 Corinthians 4:2 ). This means not resorting to something simply to make your own point. This is a terrible trap. You know that God will allow you to work in only one way— the way of truth. Then be careful never to catch people through the other way— the way of deceit. If you act deceitfully, God’s blight and ruin will be upon you. What may be craftiness for you, may not be for others— God has called you to a higher standard.



Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest— your best for His glory. For you, doing certain things would mean craftiness coming into your life for a purpose other than what is the highest and best, and it would dull the motivation that God has given you. Many people have turned back because they are afraid to look at things from God’s perspective. The greatest spiritual crisis comes when a person has to move a little farther on in his faith than the beliefs he has already accepted.



Brothers, is there something in YOUR life today that the Holy Spirit is placing His finger on right now? If so, do what the passage says: Renounce it, and by faith, live in the victory He has provided for you through Jesus Christ. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

Great Quote: “My peace I give unto you”; it is a peace all over from the crown of your head to the sole of the feet, an irrepressible confidence. “Your life is hidden with Christ in God,” and the imperturbable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you.” — Oswald Chambers

Please check out this week’s STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT from George Hutchison. It is very timely: http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/ Thanks for checking it out!

After Surrender — What?

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After Surrender, What?

“I have finished the work which You have given me to do.” John 17:4

Did you ever stop to think how many things we SING that we really don’t mean? Think about it next time you crack open your hymnal, or sing a song from the wall — do you REALLY mean what you are singing?

How many of us have sung together:

I surrender all!
I surrender all!
All to Jesus I surrender!
I surrender all.

What happens after we surrender all? What does that look like? Well I think that Oswald Chambers addresses this quite profoundly in the September 13th reading from MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST

True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me . . . and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28 ). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself . . . ” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and (Philippians 4:19).

Surrender for Death. “. . . another will gird you . . .” (John 21:18 ; also see John21:19 ). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” ( Romans 6:5 ) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.

So, my brothers, are you willing to take the next step after singing I SURRENDER ALL? — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

Great Quote: When you can help someone, don’t expect your pastor to do it. Anonymous

I Just Don’t Get It — My sin and HIS Unfailing Love

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I Just Don’t Get It — My Sin and His Unfailing Love

“For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.” Psalm 51:16
I really don’t get it — I am thick-headed. He wants me to see MY sin. But He wants me to understand His unfailing love. You need to purchase this book if you purchase no other one that I have recommended to you. It is a must-read, must-keep, must read over and over again.
Listen to this powerful description of my sin and HIS unfailing love:
I wish I would live with YOU in view;
Eyes to YOUR glory
Ears for YOUR wisdom
Heart for YOUR grace.
But I live with ME in view.
Eyes to MY kingdom
Ears for MY opinion
Heart captured for MY will.
I know I was made for YOU,
I know that Hope
Meaning
Purpose
Identity
My agenda for every day,
is to be found in YOU!
But I want MY OWN kingdom
I love MY OWN glory
I define MY OWN meaning
I delight in MY control.
I know YOU are not fooled
by my burnt offerings.

There’s a war that never ends;
The battleground is MY heart.
It’s a moral skirmish
Between what YOU have ordained
and what I want!
So I don’t find pleasure in YOUR glory,
I don’t delight in YOUR law.
But my heart doesn’t rest;
I KNOW there is a better way.
I know YOU are God
and I am not.

MY sin is more than
Bad behavior
A bad choice
Wrong words.
MY sin is a violation of the relationship
that I was meant to have with YOU.
MY sin is an act
Where I replace YOU
With something I love more.
Every wrong that I do
reflects
a lack of love for YOU,
Reflects
a love of SELF.

Help ME
to see
to acknowledge
to weep
And say,
“Against YOU, YOU only have I sinned
And done what is evil in YOUR sight.”
And then help me to rest
In YOUR mercy
In YOUR tender mercy
In YOUR faithful love,
Even as the war goes on! — From WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations on Mercy and Grace by Paul David Tripp (Crossway)

You can purchase this at the Keswick online Book and CD store: http://www.americaskeswick.org/store

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 19-21; 2 Corinthians 7

Great Quote: Most of us know perfectly well what we ought to do; our trouble is that we do not want to do it. Peter Marshall

Tapped on the Shoulder

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Tapped on the Shoulder

“Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’”
(Jeremiah 1:4-5)

Not often enough can I say, “The word of the Lord came to me.” Yet, that is what Jeremiah remembers. The truth is, that word comes to all who are in a relationship with God. He still speaks to His own people: through the scriptures, through circumstances, through other believers.

When the word came to Jeremiah, it was a very specific word. God told Jeremiah that he was not an afterthought. Before Jeremiah was even born, God knew him and had a plan for him. God set him apart. One could say that Jeremiah never had an opportunity to be a rebel. He was set up by God from his pre-natal days. What a way to think about life. Instead of thinking we are accidents or unplanned surprises, let’s think of ourselves as products of God long-range planning.

The God who has formed Jeremiah also calls Jeremiah to speak in God’s name.
Jeremiah’s response is that he is not qualified to speak for God. Have you ever felt that way? Perhaps we should leave the speaking to other people. “God could not possible use us,” we say. In fact, Jeremiah says he cannot speak for God because he is only a child (verse 6). However, if God has decided to use you, you dare not tell Him he cannot.

The God who calls us delivers us from our fears. Both for Jeremiah and us, the call is not to go into the world with our own words. God put His words in Jeremiah’s mouth and he’ll do the same for us. Our effectiveness comes not from our cleverness or education but, rather, from our having been given God’s words.

The most disturbing part of the account of Jeremiah’s call is in verse 10. It appears that Jeremiah is to go to people and situations and tear them down. Be deliberately offensive? Actually, we are not only to be firm and address wrong (tear down) but to encourage, motivate, and to stimulate, building people up.

You and I are like Jeremiah: planned in the mind of God, called to speak for Him and useful to Him. — Dr. Richard Allen Farmer was our speaker for our Labor Day Weekend Conference. If you would like to order his three part message from the book of Deuteronomy, call us at 732-350-1187.

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6

Great Quote: God is not only the Greatest of all beings, but the Best. All the goodness there is in any creature has been imparted from the Creator, but God’s goodness is underived, for it is the essence of His eternal nature. — A. W. Pink

Somebody Else

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Somebody Else

” … so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.” Psalm 51:4

Today I want to share with you from Paul David Tripp’s book: WHITER THAN SNOW — Meditations of Mercy and Grace (Crossway). It is a powerful teaching on how we so often look to blame someone else for what WE have done. Allow the Spirit of God to speak to you this morning as you read it:

I really wish I could blame
somebody else.
I wish I could place the responsibility
on somebody else.
I would love to point the finger
at somebody else.
I wish I could convince myself
that it was somebody else.
I tried to feed myself the logic
that it was somebody else.
For a moment I bought my argument
that it was somebody else.

There is always another sinner
who can bear my fault.
There is always another circumstance
that can carry my blame.
There’s always some factor
that made me do what I did.
There’s always somewhere else to point
rather than looking at me.

BUT in the darkness of bedtime
the logic melts out of my heart.
In the moments before sleep
the pain begins to squeeze away my breath.
As my mind replays the day’s moments
the conclusion is like a slap.
There is no monster
to hide from.
There is no excuse that holds.
My war is not external,
the enemy is not outside.
The struggle rages within me,
nowhere to point or run.
No independent righteousness,
No reasons for smugness or rest.
I am my greatest enemy
and rescue my only hope.
In the quiet I face it
I cannot blame somebody else.
One more time I close my eyes admitting
my only hope is found in Somebody else!

“My hope is built on nothing less — than Jesus’ blood and righteousness! I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name! Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Praise God that the blaming shifting can stop in my life. Praise God that I can run to the Cross and find my hope in HIM and in HIM alone. — Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICK

God’s WORD for YOU: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

Great Quote: He is the absolute quintessence of moral excellence, infinitely perfect in righteousness, purity, rectitude, and incomprehensible holiness. And in all this he is uncreated, self-sufficient and beyond the power of human thought to conceive or human speech to utter. — A. W. Tozer

You can order a copy of Paul David Tripp’s book from our Keswick Online Book and CD Store. http://www.americaskeswick.org/store Check it out and enjoy some amazing resources.

You can order a copy of Paul David Tripp’s book from the Keswick Online Store: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001
“Heaven and earth may pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” (Luke 21:33)
Our nation will never forget the day that changed our lives forever. Little did we realize how personal September 11th would be for the ministry of America’s KESWICK. Like many ministries, we were getting ready to begin a service of remembrance for our community, staff and the men of the Colony of Mercy. As I was preparing to walk to the Auditorium, I received word that this tragedy had impacted our ministry.
Don and Jean Peterson were actively involved with the ministry. In addition to being conference attendees, both were burdened for the Colony ministry. Don served for a number of years as a volunteer counselor and Jean became a faithful prayer warrior. Seeing Don’s passion and vision for the ministry, we invited Don to serve on our Board of Trustees. He was a man of purpose, determination, integrity and commitment.
The Peterson’s were scheduled to leave for California for a family reunion on the morning of September 11. Arriving early at the airport, they were bumped to an earlier flight. They were assigned to Flight 93 that crashed on a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Several months after the tragedy we heard that a Bible had been found at the crash site. Selfishly we were hoping that it belonged to Don or Jean. When the rescue teams arrived at the crash site, there were only two things visible – a tire and Don Peterson’s Bible. Tucked inside Don’s Bible was a list of men from the Colony of Mercy that he would be praying for during the trip.
Don loved the Word of God. He believed that the Word was true and that it could change and transform lives. How about you? Do you love the Word of God? Are you spending time each day reading, meditating and memorizing the Word? It will change and transform your life. –Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s KESWICKScripture Reading: Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4

Great Quote: You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle … God has to balance privileges with responsibilities, blessings with burdens, or else you and I will will become spoiled, pampered children. — Warren W. Wiersbe