Monthly Archives: February 2016

Day 1 Devotion: Life Speakers

29 Monday Feb 2016

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I am honored to be a part of an amazing church family at Grace Community Church in Salem Missouri.  For National Women’s Ministry Day, Pastor Charissa Morgan challenged us with some great words.  She shares that it is commonly thought to take 21 days to make or break a habit.  She sent us out with a 21 Day Devotional written by her very own co-laborers in her family in Christ.  She is believing that this devotional will be the launching pad God uses in individual lives to catapult each one into a deeper, more meaningful relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I would like to use this platform to share the first 7 days of devotions in this 21 day plan.  I pray you will enjoy each day’s insight from different authors.  You can go to the web page at  gracecommunitysalem.org to learn more about our amazing church family at Grace.

Day 1: Life Speaker 

By Pastor Charissa Morgan

Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”     John 7:37-38 NKJV

Oh the importance of having things in the proper order.  I strive daily to keep that in mind as I use spare moments throughout my time at home, putting things away.  Most of the time, I will have to admit that I do fall short.  In fact, in my home one of the last things to get the proper attention it needs is the pile of clothes that is supposed to find a home in my closet, but often doesn’t get there because of the lack of time that I have to place them on a hanger!  I know there are several of you out there who have that same chair!

These clothes are usually our “Sunday best!” The suit coat, my favorite red dress, the best of the Morgan closet buried in a chair!  As I looked at that pile, I began to think of all the best things God has given to us as children of God.  Have they been buried under a mountain of other less important things?

Women in particular are made to be life bearers.  We are the ones who God designed specifically to give birth, to bring forth life.  But in our society, we are known for being naggers!  I believe the reason is because the life flow that we should be operating from has been cut off because it is suffocating under the mound of other priorities controlling our lives.

Out of our belly should flow rivers of living water.  We are life speakers.  Find your flow again, live in His presence.  Speak life to your families, your work situations, your finances, and your health!

 

True Love

11 Thursday Feb 2016

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IMG_0081.PNGThis weekend we have an opportunity to celebrate love. Historically, Valentine’s Day tends to be a day to acknowledge romantic love, and I am blessed to be spending my 33rd sweetheart day with my husband Dennis.  However, for many it can be a difficult day if they do not have a specific person in their life to celebrate this time with.  For all of us it is a great time to focus on the meaning of “True Love”.

When we think about the definition of love from a Scripture perspective, most immediately think of the “Love Chapter” found in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…..

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NASU

Wow! If this is the definition of “True Love” then it is a tall order for us mere humans. Thankfully, Christ enables us to love this way.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

1 John 4:7-9 NASU

During this Valentine’s Weekend, I want to encourage you to look for ways to allow the love of God to mold you beyond your human ability to show love. Below are three possible areas you could allow love to grow in your life.

LOVE DICTATES ACTION

But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

1 John 3:17-18 NASU

LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…

1 John 4:18 NASU

LOVE IS OBEDIENT

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

1 John 5:2-3 NASU

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Contend and Defend

04 Thursday Feb 2016

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This coming Sunday many will gather to watch Super Bowl 50 played from Levis Stadium in Santa Clara California. As the end of the football season comes this year, I wanted to use some of the basic concepts of the game to drive a very important spiritual point.

From a spiritual perspective, I have recently been praying and studying about the word, “Contend”.  For those of you who read my post in December, “Mary Did You Know”, I shared a Word I received from the Lord that began with the statement, “I said it before, and I will say it again, CONTEND!”  In fact, if I look back over important revelations I have received from God over the years, the word “contend” often comes up.

If we consider the definition of this word from Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it states:

Contend: 1) to strive or vie in contest or rivalry or against difficulties : struggle 2)maintain, assert

Contender: one that contends; especially a competitor for a championship or high honor 1

When we consider these definitions, one can easily relate these two words to those players who will play in the very prestigious game on Sunday. The very basics of the game are all about contending.

Those amazing athletes CONTEND for every single yard as they inch down the field toward the goal line. It is also important to realize that once they push through the obstacles to reach a particular line, they then have to DEFEND so they do not lose that forward progress.

Down the field they go, contending and defending a minimum of ten yards at a time. Sometimes with great effort only progressing ten yards with every three-four attempts, and sometimes with great ease when there is an opening for a quick runner or a wide-open receiver to catch the pass.

Unfortunately, there are also times that the attempts for forward movement are simply blocked. The opposition is too great for the desired breakthrough. It is also possible that the quarterback is sacked, or the runner is pushed back and ground is lost.

Isn’t this a great analogy of our spiritual walk?  Every day we contend for forward momentum in our spiritual maturity as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some days it takes great effort and some days there is more ease. There are also times when we are sacked with a hard hit that knocks us off course and causes us to seemingly lose ground. Other times the obstacles and opposition are so great that we cannot seem to break through.

Jude 3:3b NASU says:

…I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

The word “contend” from this passage in the original language is epagoonizesthai.

“epagoonizesthai – is one of those words used by the sacred writers, which have allusion to the Grecian games. This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It means ‘to contend upon’ – i.e., ‘for or about’ anything; and would be applicable to the earnest effort put forth in those games to obtain the prize.”2

 Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 NASU:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

Both of these scriptures encourage us to contend in our spiritual life the way these men will contend in Sunday’s big game….CONTEND TO WIN!

I often see individuals who contend, but they are not successful to defend the ground that they take. The helmet is a critical part of the uniform in the game of football.  It is also a vital part of the Christian Armor!  In Ephesians 6:17, you can read about the helmet of salvation.  Our salvation gives us access to our identity in Christ and to the promises of God.  This helmet is the protection for our mind, which is essential to defend the ground we contend to obtain.

IMG_0050 Let me ask you a difficult question. Are you contending or are you pretending?  I can assure you that none of the players who are privileged enough to play in Sunday’s game will be pretending.  Shouldn’t we walk out our spiritual life with the same intensity?  Do not let the opposition cause you to be sidelined. Focused on the goal and determine to win the prize!

 

 

 

  1. Contend. 2016. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved from http//Encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/dictonaryhome.aspx
  2. Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.