The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
When I ask a fellow believer, “How’s it going?”, too often I get the proverbial “I’m getting by”. Many times, we find ourselves in survival mode. Just getting by with the mindset of existing or surviving. Going to work, feeding my hunger and paying the bills. Seasons come and seasons go and if I’m not careful I find myself simply maintaining.
Our search for satisfaction can lead us into many different areas. Some are very responsible and seek satisfaction by beingprepared up or financially secure. Others will forego responsibility and live life to the fullest, taking irresponsible risks and hoping everything works out. If we aren’t intentional about where we receive satisfaction, we can end up staring at a successful portfolio or reminiscing of past adventures staring at pictures as a subtle reminder.
The Bible teaches that God wants us to “Thrive, not Survive”, to have life and live it abundantly, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”. This can mean, “Thrive, not Survive”. It seems like a steep contrast to living abundantly how God wants us to live compared to the Thief. If we keep in the spirit of the parable, it would appear that Jesus is comparing the worldly ways to Godly ways. For centuries the Jewish nation was ruled under a heavy yoke of responsibility that led to wearisome conditions.
As Christians we know in our hearts that materialism and sensual comforts will never satisfy, and yet we are prone to wonder. Jesus is the Good Shepard; He will call and lead in the way of everlasting. If we look at destructive ways of the enemy, we see the strategy that can steal our joy. The thief comes to steal our time, he will convince us that being busy about temporal things is most important. He will kill our vision by enticing us with burdensome tasks that will one day parish. He will destroy relationships when we feed into our selfish agenda.
We have a Good Shepard that leads us unto eternal life. He also leads us in eternal works that satisfy our longing soul, and we Thrive, not Survive. We can walk knowing that we can have nice things, but these things aren’t important, being good stewards of our time and efforts will be. We will pursue the vision God gave us and not chase worldly endeavors that amount to nothing. We look to encourage one another and build relationships through the ministry of reconciliation.
Our Good Shepard gave His life, He has become our strong tower for us to run into, He will lead and guide us though the good and bad. Listen for His voice, look for His leading and start to “Thrive, not Survive”. Amen
Written by Rob Russomano: Rob Russomano is married to Terri and serves with her as full-time staff members. He is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and is available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events. You can reach him at rrussomano@americaskeswick.org
Think About This: “Every time you ask for forgiveness, you recognize that the biggest problems you face in life exist inside of you, not outside of you.” – Paul David Tripp
The Daily Bible Reading: Ephesians 2| You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1
This place is beautiful! Great for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Robert Rodriguez
1711813203
The bestest place
Florence Ibrahim
1711601879
Christan true and very clean and good food and speaker blessed bmy soul love it my home and will always come back again again for ever in the lord. Room was so beautiful . They work so hard to make you happy. Will try to bring family member to be... blessed hear also. I support all that they do to help men and woman find god. When I come to Keswick I didn't want to go home . That how happy and blessed I'm. Always pray for all of them daily. So glad I found this blessed placeread more
Ross Fichter
1710505821
Stayed here while we were visiting my in-laws at The Pines Living Facility. Exactly what we needed for lodging -- inexpensive compared to most motels without any loss of accommodations, and very Christ-centered environment. Plus they serve a great... breakfast every morning. No TV in the room, but that was not an issue for us, since there is nothing worth watching anyway. Staff were extremely friendly and did their jobs well. This place is a gem and a blessing to all who walk on their beautiful property.read more
Manuel Chávez Martínez
1709498094
Es un lugar maravilloso para disfrutar la palabra de Dios
Pianista Benjamín Arias
1708802888
Bien
William Dundas
1708697460
This place holds a special place in my life journey. I was Baptised there as I RE-DEDICATED myself. It was Febuary at night, so my review may not give it the right justice. What I can say, there were a ton of relaxing, peaceful locations to... re-connect with JESUS. Obviously, there was a pool, several lake's with benches. Gathering locations to celebrate, and break bread. A very wholesome Resort.read more
Adrian Obrien
1707934719
Spontaneous invite to girl talk! Loved it! Speaker was on point, fellowship and food , how better to start Valentines?
Ivelisse Romero
1707021027
Beautiful place to separate yourself for the Lord. Soo peaceful no technology which I love. Just you nature and God. I was there for a women's retreat.
Jennifer Crabtree
1706843166
A wonderful Christ- and family-oriented place! Beautiful grounds and welcoming staff. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the conference we attended as well as the community hymn-sing. Highly recommend.
Jason Zimolong
1706837733
They've been a 5 star treatment and resort...doing God's work!
Patricia Simpson
1705193514
Peaceful little spot, so close to home 🩵
James Kolchin
1704151396
It's A Good Place To Have Retreats And They Have GREAT FOOD AND GREAT MUSIC
Kaia Leeds
1703475382
This was a very nice place!! I sang here with my school!!
Google Rating
4.8
Based on 427 reviews
America's Keswick Christian Retreat and Conference Center
This place is beautiful! Great for a little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Robert Rodriguez
1711813203
The bestest place
Florence Ibrahim
1711601879
Christan true and very clean and good food and speaker blessed bmy soul love it my home and will always come back again again for ever in the lord. Room was so beautiful . They work so hard to make you happy. Will try to bring family member to be... blessed hear also. I support all that they do to help men and woman find god. When I come to Keswick I didn't want to go home . That how happy and blessed I'm. Always pray for all of them daily. So glad I found this blessed placeread more
Ross Fichter
1710505821
Stayed here while we were visiting my in-laws at The Pines Living Facility. Exactly what we needed for lodging -- inexpensive compared to most motels without any loss of accommodations, and very Christ-centered environment. Plus they serve a great... breakfast every morning. No TV in the room, but that was not an issue for us, since there is nothing worth watching anyway. Staff were extremely friendly and did their jobs well. This place is a gem and a blessing to all who walk on their beautiful property.read more
Manuel Chávez Martínez
1709498094
Es un lugar maravilloso para disfrutar la palabra de Dios
Pianista Benjamín Arias
1708802888
Bien
William Dundas
1708697460
This place holds a special place in my life journey. I was Baptised there as I RE-DEDICATED myself. It was Febuary at night, so my review may not give it the right justice. What I can say, there were a ton of relaxing, peaceful locations to... re-connect with JESUS. Obviously, there was a pool, several lake's with benches. Gathering locations to celebrate, and break bread. A very wholesome Resort.read more
Adrian Obrien
1707934719
Spontaneous invite to girl talk! Loved it! Speaker was on point, fellowship and food , how better to start Valentines?
Ivelisse Romero
1707021027
Beautiful place to separate yourself for the Lord. Soo peaceful no technology which I love. Just you nature and God. I was there for a women's retreat.
Jennifer Crabtree
1706843166
A wonderful Christ- and family-oriented place! Beautiful grounds and welcoming staff. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the conference we attended as well as the community hymn-sing. Highly recommend.
Jason Zimolong
1706837733
They've been a 5 star treatment and resort...doing God's work!
Patricia Simpson
1705193514
Peaceful little spot, so close to home 🩵
James Kolchin
1704151396
It's A Good Place To Have Retreats And They Have GREAT FOOD AND GREAT MUSIC
Kaia Leeds
1703475382
This was a very nice place!! I sang here with my school!!