Wisconsin District News

A Tremendous Move of God
at the 2010 Wisconsin Ladies’ Retreat

The 28^th Annual Wisconsin District Ladies’ Retreat was held at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton May 6-8. Over 900 ladies packed the conference center to hear two outstanding women of God:  Donna Linville, international speaker, singer and musician and Janice Sjostrand, a career educator, guest lecturer at the University of Arkansas, and motivational speaker for various venues throughout the United States.

I will not be a Bitter Old Hag

Too often the hardships we encounter throughout life are securely hid in our heart and never surrendered to God. Maybe we are ignored by the pastor’s wife, or our child was not recognized, or we allowed a failure to take away our vision. Maybe the stress of cancer treatments caused a vacuum in our spirit from which we never recovered. God sent Sister Donna Linville Friday morning to talk to the ladies about why they must not let the trials of their faith, not for one moment, make them bitter, lest they end up lukewarm and sitting, as Sister Linville said, “in a pew like an egg shell without a yoke.”  We must get it settled today in our spirit that we will not become a “bitter old hag.”  Truly, the decisions we make today will lay the foundation for who we become tomorrow.

And there must be a fire burning inside that says, “I will not be intimidated by demonic activity.”  There will be temptations. There will be “lions” waiting to attack when we are the most vulnerable. There will be storms and trials of our faith that may shake our foundation. But, she said, “There has to be something that settles in our spirit that we will live this until we die!” We know these battles make us strong and valiant. So it is best to praise the Lord rather than absorb oppressive emotions into our human spirit. If we want to end up exuberant, we have to develop the habit that we will not give any thought to the images planted in our mind by the devil to drag us down and steer us off course. We must settle our life’s journey at the altar. There, at the altar, the Spirit of God will energize and lift us above the cloud.

Say Yes to the Lord

In the last session Saturday morning, Sister Linville had the ladies in stitches. She wanted to make the ladies merry before she gave her short, but purposeful message before they departed. She related some hilarious moments in her life, like the time she and her brother hid from their father the culprit who damaged his new Buick. They had travailed at the altar so powerfully for God’s intervention that their mother could not get over how spiritual they had become. It was not until their father was in his 80’s that he discovered the truth and who covered up for them.

Then Sister Linville presented a short and powerful message on the beauty of obedience. More than “not sinning,” she said obedience is an overwhelming urge and desire to walk in the center of God’s will through surrender.

When we say yes to the Lord, He will take us out of our comfort zone and bring us to a place where we will need to replace our appetite in the things of the flesh with an appetite in the things of the Spirit. To do this will require a change in our lifestyle, and it will take discipline and hard work and boundaries to force us into a greater path.

Everything is divinely orchestrated by Jesus for those who say yes, and He will establish their coming and going. People who say yes to Jesus are people who give in to the guidance of the Spirit and divine order of God. They are people who have learned not to see their daily routine as mundane moments. They willingly yield to the desire to be directed and guided by Jesus in pursuit of the divine lessons and appointments that He has in store for them. They may not understand the divine order of God and are not always living happily, but they refuse to turn back.

You are So Wonderful!

Judging from the title, I imagine you are thinking this segment of the article is going to be about how wonderful our Lord is.  But Sister Janice Sjostrand had another message as she ministered in music Friday night. In a spectacular demonstration of the Spirit, she ministered the love of God in a very special Mother’s Day message. Her message from the Lord: “You are so wonderful.”

She started out singing love songs from the Lord to the ladies, ushering in a most sweet presence of the Lord—“What a wonderful world”… “You are so beautiful to me” (as she whispered, “don’t be so hard on yourself”)…”You are so wonderful,”… singing “You go beyond His highest hopes and fondest dreams. You are everything He bled and died for. Everything He loved and hoped and cried for.” …“Somewhere over the Rainbow…” She spoke of Jesus Christ’s tenderness for us, and because we are complete in Him, we do not have to feel the absence of anything! She said a lot of women do not know how to accept love and find it hard to believe a Prince, so perfect, would want to put His arms around them. But He does. And He did.

Then came the beauty treatment, the beauty for ashes. The treatment only works if we lay down all our “I have to’s” in our relationship with Jesus—the feeling that we have to work—and let God do what He wants. And He wants to soothe some of the calloused places in our heart. She said the way we treat ourselves is a reflection of how we let Him treat us! He is not interested, she said, in our physical self nearly as much as He is interested in how we adorn our inner self; our attitudes, she said, reverberate back to Him.

But Sister Sjostrand did not come to preach, she said. Instead, she came to serve “a beautiful Bride who is getting ready for a wedding.” She was called to “reach the things we are not aware of,” to put on the “finishing touches” so that we might be adorned for the King. And so she asked, “Are you happy? Have you been robbed of the blessed and blissful state of ‘it is well between me and my Groom’ by circumstances in your life?  If you are worn down by bitterness or anxiety over what your life has dealt you, then you have missed a love affair of a lifetime!”

She recalled Daniel who lived his entire life in captivity from the age of 17. Though he learned the culture and the language, and lived according to the laws of the land, three times every day, he bowed himself to an open window and let his soul go free. “And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own…” One day Daniel heard a voice say, “Oh, Daniel, greatly beloved.” Then she asked the ladies to say the same words that were spoken to Daniel, calling out their own name. As she sang the words, “Oh, how He loves you and me. He gave His life. What more could He give…,” she whispered, “Let Him hold you.” Suddenly, in the stillness of the moment, there was heard the sound of weeping, as tears are the agent for cleansing, and she softly asked, “Does He know where you are? I come to tell you, yes.” She asked the ladies to close their eyes, and like the angel said to Daniel, she asked them to whisper the words, “Be strong!” to themselves.  To those who long to be the Bride Jesus sees in them, and for those who are weary and spent, she asked them to put their hands upon their heart and say, “Peace.”  “Jesus, how I trust you. Precious Jesus, oh for grace to trust you more…”

As the volume of her delivery increased, corresponding to the heightened presence of the Lord that filled the banquet hall, Sister Sjostrand declared with passion and anointing, “Jehovah abides here.” It seemed there was a “rushing mighty wind” as it filled all the hall where we were sitting, like on the Day of Pentecost. She declared, “We are the temples. We are standing… adorned and waiting on holy ground. The angels cry holy to the Lord.” Then quickly, “Glory, glory Hallelujah…His truth is marching on.” And the drums burst into the quiet with the Army of the Lord shouting praises to their omnipotent, almighty King. Then there arose a crescendo of sound as the temples of the Holy Ghost, gathered there in one accord in one place, began to praise and worship their King. Spiritual pandemonium broke out as Sister Sjostrand shouted, “I present to you His Majesty, the Lord God Almighty!”

An awesome experience, one that I shall never forget.

By Carole J. Keller, Section 2 WDN Representative

LADIES RETREAT: the name just doesn’t quite fit. Every time I attend this event I am spiritually renewed and … physically worn out. Not to be out done, this year was one of the best “retreats” I have attended. The event took place in Sheboygan at the Blue Harbor Resort, right on Lake Michigan May 7-9.

Blue Harbor Resort

There is absolutely no way to put into writing the awesome words God spoke to us through the speakers and singers, and through the interpretation of tongues. God is so real and so awesome. I wish every lady in the state could have attended.  New this year, were the breakout sessions on Friday afternoon. Instead of having the usual banquet, you had the option to attend three sessions or have free time to walk on the lakeshore or tour the city and shops or both.

There were three breakout sessions. Bro. Coon taught on “Finding Balance in Family”. We live in a ‘kingdom of thingdom’ where Satan is trying to wear out the saints: fatigue.  We need to stop trying to do “spiritual stuff through human energy”. Being busy for God is not the same as having a relationship with Him.  We have to find a balance.  Sis. Cindy Miller also led one of the breakout sessions “Understanding Yourself”. There was so much covered in this lesson that I am going to just recommend purchasing her books “Character Counts” and “I Don’t Want a Divorce”. The third session, “Recovery After Divorce” was taught by Sis. Karla Gordon. Using her own story she ministered to ladies who need hope after the negative affects of divorce.

Sis. Cindy Miller

Our evening speaker was Sis. Cindy Miller. Her message Thursday night was “Time to Live Generously for God”. It centered around, Mark 12:41-44, the story of the widow who gave her whole livelihood. She encouraged us to focus on what we want to be and train ourselves to be that. Someone who is broken (temporary state) can be fixed. Allow God to do open heart surgery. God wants us to “love God and love people”.  He is not worried about how much we are being loved. He is concerned about how much you are loving. Five points she made were 1.) He is God, I am Not 2.) How you sow is important 3.) Do it all for Him! 4.) We have to trust God 5.) If you complain or do something grudgingly there is no blessing. We need to be a cheerful giver of our time, energy and finances.

Ladies praying around the altar

Friday night’s message was centered on having faith and being faithful in everything that matters. Jesus avoided the ‘religious’ people. We need to be spiritual, NOT religious. Each person Jesus healed he healed in a different way. There is no one formula to receive a healing or a miracle. Put faith in God, NOT a formula. As she said, “Faith is how we come to God, God does … the miracle”. Sis. Miller told of her testimony of the trials she went through for three years. Many and most areas of her life were affected: family, church, health, dog, car, etc. She pointed out that faith is not ‘positive thinking’. “Faith is not just talking the talk. It is walking through it.” “There is great power in accepting your situation.” Say to God, “You’re God, I’m not, whatever you choose to do my life is in your hands.” If you can grasp this statement, you have just held a powerful freedom from God!

The Gordon Sisters

The Gordon sisters ministered to us in the morning sessions. Coming from all areas of the world, they celebrated Jesus with songs and sharing from their own experiences in life. Here are a few quotes from their messages on Friday: “Fear is a choice … God strengthens us if we choose not to fear.” “No matter what we go through it doesn’t change God.” “Choose to trust God … Why not, it’s so easy.” “Don’t tell God how big your problem is; tell your problem how big your God is!”

On Saturday, after more music ministry, Sis. Karla Gordon gave us our “Marching Orders”. We are to rise up in battle with fire in our eyes. And don’t stop until we get an answer. Keep believing, keep praying and don’t take “no” for an answer.

I could write pages and pages from all that was taught at ladies retreat. I hope you can grasp just a portion of what we learned. Next year’s speakers will be Donna Lindville and Janet Showstrand. I hope to see all the ladies there!

Report submitted by Sis. Loretta Lundt, Section One WDN Representative.
Pictures by Sis. Chappell

(More pictures are available at the editor’s Flickr page.)

Sponsored by the Ladies Ministries of the Wisconsin District UPC, the second annual Holiness Conference was held at Abundant Life Apostolic Church, in Oconomowoc, Friday-Saturday, November 21-22nd. Conference speakers were Sister Ruth Harvey, the National Daughters of Zion Director, CT District Ladies Ministries Secretary, author, and recording artist; and Pastor David K. Bernard, founder and pastor of New Life United Pentecostal Church, Superintendent of the South Texas District UPC, and President of Urshan Graduate School of Theology.

We left the conference enriched and with a greater understanding of why holiness is so vital to our Apostolic calling and anointing. Holiness unto the Lord is about being like Him. While societies change, God’s standards do not. The speakers acknowledged we are living in a world where truth does not matter, but the Church must not be intimidated; it must be salt and light.

On opening night, in a message entitled, “I am the Lord. I Change Not,” Sis. Harvey compared King Manasseh’s transgressions against the Lord to America’s breakdown of God’s laws. Like Judah under King Manasseh, America has done according to the abominations of other nations (2 Kings 21:2). She has set up “high places” (e.g. altar of abortion) like Judah shed innocent blood (2 Kings 21:16). The city set upon a hill has become, like Judah, more evil than some of the heathen nations (2 Kings 21:9) she followed and, like Judah (2 Kings 21:12), stands to be judged for her sins against God’s unchanging laws of holiness. In judgment, Manasseh repented and God restored his kingdom (2 Chr 33:13). So, there is hope that, even in judgment, God will bring revival to America and not forsake His covenant with the people.

Thus, she said the Church needs a greater fear of the Lord in this hour. Those who do not feel holiness is important right now are going down a pathway of deception from which they may never recover! The greatest fear is that the Church will change with the world. Instead of conforming itself to the “image” of God, she feared the Church is trying to conform to the image of the world and losing its saltiness. The anointing will never come by becoming weak and watered down, she said. Now is the time for the Church to turn up the light and stand for truth for the darkness is very great (Isaiah 60:2).

Bro. Barnard preached on “A Call to Die,” which he said was the key to Apostolic revival. He said the Apostolic movement must go back to the Cross and re-consecrate itself to the principles of sacrifice, holiness and obedience to experience revival. Jesus submitted his human will to the will of the Father, he said, and, in this sense, we should follow Him. He said there should be a sacrificial attitude in our lives and that, paradoxically, is the way to eternal life. It may mean to sacrifice goals and dreams; it may mean to be persecuted and ostracized by society, but if we want results, we must follow the path God has called us to.

Using John 12:24 as his text, Bro. Barnard said there is potential for a great harvest in just one grain having life, but it must first fall into the ground. This is contrary to the world’s counsel, which pushes celebrity endorsements and big programs. If we, in our zeal to attract people, somehow relax the teachings of the Bible, it will not stop with one teaching. He feared churches are becoming social centers. Where, he asked, in all of this is the opportunity for repentance, confession, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

He made a distinction between legalism and holiness. While we are under grace, there still are commandments we have to obey! Holiness is dying to sin in the world; it is dying to self-will; it is becoming like Jesus. He said if we take away the commandments of holiness and sacrifice, we will not have the same move of God and, after a while, the Church becomes just another program. Therefore, Apostolics need to go back to their roots and renew their commitment to holiness and sacrifice.

On Saturday, Bro. Barnard presented a two-part seminar on “The Life of Holiness” and “Holiness in Adornment.” He said that while the new birth is necessary to enter in, believers must travel on the highway of holiness to reach their destination. And the first thing to destroy holiness is a root of bitterness, the reason why holiness first and foremost is the attitude of the heart, not outward appearances.

Sis. Harvey taught a powerful message entitled, “What Direction is your House Facing?” Using Abraham-Lot (Genesis 13:11-13) and Jacob (Genesis 33:18-20; 35:1), she taught that the enemy will not always come as a terrorist, but he will get us to turn our direction. When we make alliances with the enemy, it becomes hard to pray until those alliances are broken. Her concluding message was on the devil’s work in society to blur distinctions between the male and female genders and mar the covenant relationship we have with God through obedience. The devil wants to dismantle what God has joined together because a sanctified bride is a picture of redemption. She said, yes, holiness in attire does matter. If we do not have on the proper wedding garment (holiness) we cannot be part of the bride!

To obtain a CD or DVD of the messages, go to www.wiupci.org and click on Media Missions.

Submitted by Sis. Carole Keller
WDN Section 2 Representative