I have a confession to make. The past few years I have tried to be very intentional about how I spend my time during this season. Let's be honest...things can get crazy. And since I've come to know Jesus more deeply my heart has longed to make this season more about Him and less about me and my to-do list. However, EVERY year, around this time, I freak out. Mostly in my head, but sometimes in ways visible to others. Yesterday was my freak out day. I actually texted my husband with a list of a all that I needed to get done in the next few days. That feeling of being overwhelmed and panicky had crept in. The truth is, even when we are intentional with our time, the busyness of this season can get the best of us. I have to constantly be on guard and remind myself to focus on the reason I celebrate in the first place: Jesus, Immanuel, God is With ME! And the best way for me to remind myself of this? MAKE ROOM. Make room in my routine to sit, read, pray and reflect. Make room in my day to take a 10 minute walk outside, take in the fresh air, and listen for God. But we have to MAKE room, it doesn't just happen on its own, does it? Jesus came to change the world, to flip everything that was expected completely on its head and show us love in a way we never would have dreamed up ourselves. Friends, Jesus came to change the world, but has he changed YOUR world? Has He changed the way you spend your time? Has He changed the way you view people? Has He changed the way you view your trials? Has he changed the way you look at times of waiting? Has he changed how you view yourself? Make room. Make room in your life and heart for Him to change not just the world, but YOUR world. This takes time, intentionality, and in many cases a firm and steady grip on the peace He offers when the world all around us wants us to do MORE. As you make room in your life to draw near to Jesus this Christmas, it is our prayer that you allow Him to take up residence in your heart, and change your world completely. Take time to enjoy the song below and reflect on its amazing words and message. "And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart." Ezekiel 36:26
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How is your heart doing this Christmas season? Frantic? Stressed? Peaceful? Rejoicing? This past Wednesday, we took time at our monthly gathering to center our hearts on Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. If you weren't able to join us, we wanted to invite you to join us in accepting the peace God has waiting for us. Set aside 15 minutes to abide in Christ. Start with this video... Read: Isaiah 7:14 Prophecy about the birth of the Messiah, Emmanuel Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Matthew 1:18-25 The birth of Jesus the Messiah, Emmanuel 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. John 14:15-20 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit- who is with us and in us now. 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Revelation 21:1-3 God with us in the New Jerusalem 1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. God promised he would come down to us through the birth of His Son Jesus, Emmanuel. His promise came true when God himself came down as a tiny baby to live in flesh here with us. Jesus was crucified, died, and then defeated death by rising to life again. When he went back to heaven to sit next to God the Father, he didn't leave us alone. We still have an advocate here with us always--His Holy Spirit living inside all who believe. And, God promises to come again, and live WITH us for eternity!
We are not alone. God understands us, has amazing plans for us, and loves us beyond measure! Consider these reflection questions: What about this scripture is speaking to you? How does the truth that “God is with us” encourage you? During this Advent season, how will you respond to these Truths? In what ways will you specifically worship God for sending his Son? Dear friends, as you abide in Christ and connect with your family and community this season, we wish you all the peace and joy that God has waiting for you. In this season of giving thanks I wanted to share with you one of the things I am most grateful for this year... my partners in prayer. Each week I get to unite with two precious Jesus-loving friends with the focus on praying together. We share what's been happening in our lives... struggles, joys, ways we see God working in our community... and we pray over those things. It has been exactly two years ago that Kaylee and I started praying. When I look back, I am amazed that soon after we started praying together, God started moving... I mean, really moving! Over the last two years, we have experienced the amazing power of prayer and how huge it is in drawing our hearts closer to the God who wants a deep relationship with us. Are you yearning for a deeper relationship with Jesus? Do you long for a close relationship with someone else who loves Jesus too? Find a prayer partner. If you have no idea who that would be, pray about it. If you ask God to guide you, we are certain He will send someone your way. We cannot express how powerful and important this could be in your life. "If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them." Matthew 18:19-20
One bit of advice... keep it to one or two friends. There are a number of reasons for this, but practically speaking, it will be much easier to find time each week to pray together. In person, over the phone, even over text or email. Give it a try! We are certain you will never regret it, and next year at this time it will be one of the things you are most grateful for. What comes to your mind with the word Gratitude? Maybe a list of blessings or something you can give thanks for? Of course it makes sense that we thank God for special people in our lives, memories, things that provide us comfort and joy, and even skills we possess. But how about being thankful for trials? At our gathering this past week, we looked to God's Word to see just what He says about giving thanks. He speaks to us through Paul in 2 Corinthians 12: 5-10: 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul begs God three times to take away his thorn. Makes sense, right? Isn't that what we would do? Lord, please heal my child's ear infection. Lord, please take away this conflict with my mom. Lord, please give me relief from this stress at work! But Paul continues and says he "delights in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (verse 10). Paul, what? You're strong when you are weak? See, God had already told him that His power works best in weakness (v 9). And certainly the Lord's power is greater than ours, right? And so, we can learn that in trials and in our weakness, we can and should be filled with thanksgiving. It is through those weaknesses that we seek Him, become more like Him, and our Lord is glorified. Maybe you're in the middle of a hardship now and all this seems nice but not really possible. Remember Jesus. He too prayed to God three times, asking God to 'take this cup from me' before he was tortured and killed on our behalf. 36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. God understands every single thing we are going through in times of rejoicing and times of great pain. We can trust Him, fix our eyes on His Son, and know in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).
What is a thorn in your life that you could start thanking God for? What is a past thorn in your life, that when you look back now, you can see the blessings that came from it? Have you seen the sunrises and sunsets lately? They have been spectacular! I was able to capture one sunrise recently. The colors were so stunning I had to stop what I was doing at 6:30am (coffee!), grab my phone and capture the moment. Of course a picture does not do the real thing justice by any means, but wow! The heavens proclaim the glory of God. Reflecting on the beauty in the skies lately and on these verses, I am amazed at how God shows us himself wordlessly through His creation. In amazing ways! The skies shout His praises with the colors they display. Then my thoughts turn inward. If I am made uniquely different from creation, in God's image (Genesis 1), how much MORE should I be able to display His craftsmanship and proclaim His glory?! It sounds so easy, but my sinful self fights against it. Once again, I am reminded of my need for Jesus. I invite Him in to help me and fill me. He happily, joyfully, rises up in me and covers over my sin so my Father can see His glory in me. "My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." Galatians 2:20 At our last gathering, we talked about the conclusion of Ephesians where Paul is encouraging the church at Ephesus (and us) to "be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people" (Ephesians 6:18). We had a great discussion about making time for the Lord and barriers that sometimes hold us up. God tells us in Scripture that He wants us to pray to Him. He gives us story after story both in His Word and in the testimonies of prayer warriors around us, that He is faithful in His promises. And yet, do we truly believe in and participate in prayer? If we want to draw on the power of God, it is worth considering the current state of our personal prayer lives. I recognize that there are times when I become complacent and only "talk to God" in between "life". This means my prayers sound more like a laundry list than a conversation. Am I doing all the talking or am I leaving room to listen? And if I am being honest, I still experience doubt that God actually wants to answer my prayers. My little prayers?! Doesn't He have better things to do? But, the reality is that He uses every little bit of prayer both to increase our faith and to give glory to God. When we pray, He gets to answer. What a testimony! John 15: 7-8 says, "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." It WILL be done for us and it is to the Father's glory! Am I praying with a submissive trust to God's will expecting that He will respond? I'll leave you with this parable that Jesus told his disciples "that they should always pray and never give up" (Luke 18:1). We are praying boldly for all of you and our community and can't wait to gather again. One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” It was so good to see many of you at our Gathering last week as we read and discussed Ephesians and talked about the power of prayer. We can't wait for our next Monthly Gathering on November 6. Our Gatherings during the school year are every first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Join us! At our Gathering last week we introduced our next group study that starts TODAY. We will be reading a devotion plan on Isaiah using the free First 5 App. This study on Isaiah starts today, so download it and get started with us! To become a part of our group on the app so we can share comments and questions with each other, use the group code 7502 (Abide - Isaiah). Did you know that Isaiah is full of prophecy about the Messiah, and Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies in perfect order? We can't wait to learn more about Isaiah and how it points us to true life in Jesus Christ. Below is a verse from Isaiah that has been speaking to our Abide leaders in a significant way over the last few months. For I am about to do something new. Join us as we continue to encourage each other in abiding in Christ daily.
Download the First 5 App and join us today! Ephesians 6:18-24: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. As Paul ends his letter to the church in Ephesus, he encourages them to the keep "praying always" (Ephesians 6:18-24, NKJV). Clearly, prayer is one the critical components of Christianity, yet many believers seem to regard prayer as an occasional luxury. (John MacArthur, p. 89) As I reflected, I realized that I absolutely used to think that! I thought that it didn't really matter if I prayed because God was in control of everything anyway. What is my little prayer going to do? Surely God has more "important" things to deal with! I realized though that these thoughts were coming from a place of arrogance and lack of trust. These thoughts meant that I could handle things on my own and didn't trust that God would really make a difference. I learned something else this week too from John 15:7-8. "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." God wants us to trust Him and pray to Him. He wants us to ask. It isn't because He doesn't already know what is going to happen, but so that He can respond to our requests. He wants to give believers what we ask Him for. It is through this that he is glorified! His faithful response to our prayers increase our faith and give testimony of God to others. He is like an earthly father who wants his children to go to him and rely on him. "When we work, we work, but when we pray, God works." - Unknown Consider these questions honestly and share your thoughts in the comments below. 4) How does Luke 22:39-46 contribute to your understanding of prayer as a weapon in our war against Satan? 5) Clearly, prayer is one of the critical components of Christianity, yet many believers seem to regard prayer as an occasional luxury. Why? 7) What do the quotes on p. 90 and, more importantly, the Scriptural texts studied in this lesson, teach or remind you of as you contemplate your own habits of prayer? As we close our time together studying Ephesians, consider if you are fully trusting God? Is His Word, the Bible, your truth? It is OK to wrestle with the question of who God really is to you. He invites us into this conversation with Him! He is waiting with arms wide open to give you "every spiritual blessing in Christ: (Ephesians 1: 3).
Friends, Lesson 11 of our study (Ephesians, John MacArthur) could not have come at a more perfect time for me. Ephesians 6:10-17 is about the reality of spiritual warfare. I kinda felt this week like the Enemy was coming at me from all sides. He knows where my sticking points are and he was hammering them home. Back spasms for no apparent reason? A true test of my patience. Every afternoon and evening busy with games, practices and tournaments? That hated feeling of being overwhelmed, panic was rising up in me. My sweet girl facing crazy stuff at school that no kid her age should be exposed to? A knife in the heart, twisting. Satan knows where it hurts us the most and he targets those places. Trust me, the Enemy is real and I have felt that this week in big and small ways. Then on my day of being most at my wits end I sat down to do this lesson. And you know what I read? No matter how clever, Satan won't win. He won't!! When Jesus comes back he is gonna squash Satan's head with his little pinky toe. Done. And now, while I wait for that sweet sweet moment, God has given me all the tools I need to stand up, point my finger in the Enemy's face and say "NOT TODAY!" So let's dive in. If you haven't already, read Ephesians 6:10-17. If we are walking worthy of our calling...then we can be absolutely certain that we will have opposition and conflict. The good news is that God does not leave His children unprepared or unprotected in this cosmic conflict. This passage is a heartening reminder of all that God has done and all that we must do to win the victory. In Christ, not only can we withstand the devil's assaults, but we can also defeat the diabolical forces that are arrayed against God and His church. The gates of hell cannot stand against us! (MacArthur, p. 77) If we are living a Spirit-filled life we can expect to be in a spiritual battle. But God has given us the defensive and offensive weapons we need to prevail. Did you catch in question #2 what the only offensive weapon is? The WORD of God! That's it! That's the only offensive weapon we need to slay the dragon. Jesus gave us a perfect example of this in Luke 4:1-13. When He was tempted by Satan in the desert, all Jesus did to defend Himself was quote Scripture. "For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires." Hebrews 4:12 Abide Friends, once again it comes back to reading the Word. Because if we're not reading God's Words, they won't be in our minds when we need them in the heat of the battle. This lesson also comes with a word of caution. It is easy for believers...to become complacent and become oblivious to the seriousness of the battle around them. They rejoice in "victories" that involve no battles and in a kind of peace that is merely the absence of conflict. This is the victory and peace of the draft dodger or defector who refuses to fight. They are not interested in armor because they are not engaged in war. If you are abiding in Jesus you should be aware of the battle around you. But don't let it get you down. We win! Use the armor God has provided for you and stand confidently, knowing the One who created you and loves you is behind you ready to fight.
Please take some time for honest reflection of the following questions, and share your thoughts in the comments below. 2.) What protective (defensive) pieces of armor are children of God given in their ongoing struggle with the forces of evil? What offensive weapons are we given with which to wage war? 6.) Read 1 Thessalonians 5:6-8. What should be the Christian's frame of mind? 7.) What does this study teach or remind you about spiritual warfare? How aware are you of the cosmic conflict going on between God and His enemies? 9.) How successfully do you resist (Satan's temptations)? What new ways do you need to put on your armor and stand? Ask God to give you the grace to stand in His strength and to fight as you should. Moving right along in our group study, ladies! The points in this reading can easily be brushed aside as old or skimmed over without taking them to heart. As always, this weeks reading and reflection continued to shape me. Paul continues his writing in the book of Ephesians reminding us that "true spirituality always reveals itself in the rough and tumble of everyday life" (Ephesians, John MacArthur. p 69). In other words, our actions matter. God's two basic commands to us are to love God and love others. Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Remember that in the beginning of his letter to the church of Ephesus, Paul reminds the people how deeply loved and cherished they are as God's chosen sons and daughters. Our calling to love God and others is simply a response to the great love He has given us first. Do you know God's deep love for you? If so, we can trust the words of scripture as our guide. In our text from Ephesians 5:22- 6:9 and again in Colossians 3:18-4:1, Paul teaches that God requires every believer to be submissive in the ways He has ordained and how we can honor God in our relationships. "There are no classifications of Christians. Every believer in Jesus Christ has exactly the same salvation, the same standing before God, the same divine nature and resources, and then same divine promises and inheritance (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; James 1:1-9). But in matters of role and function, God has made distinctions (p 74). Take some time for some honest reflection on the questions below. If you'd like to share your thoughts with us, please comment below. (5.) What do you think it means to submit? (9.) How can authority be a wise and good thing? How can authority be harmful when abused? (10.) Given what you've studied about God's intention for husbands, wives, children, and parents, what encourages you? What convicts you? |
Kaylee & HeatherWe were just two moms who started abiding in Christ and praying together weekly. Find out more about Our Story. Archives
September 2020
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