November 22, 2024

Girls with Swords: Chapter 8 – “Warnings” (pages 134-137)

May 16, 2013 by

JesusLife

Jesus’ life fulfilled the Word of God.

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  Each day He arose with God; He knew what was ahead.  He knew what God’s will for His life was.  He prayed God’s will for His life.

Luke 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  After reading this verse in the Bible, I am awed by Jesus’ prayer.  ‘This cup’ is the terrible agony Jesus knew He would endure.  ‘This cup’ was separation from God so that He could die for your and my sins.  This is what Jesus prayed for.  I know we bloggers have been asking a lot of questions this week, but let me pose another one to you today:  When was the last time you prayed God’s will for your life over your own desires?

As Lisa explains on page 136, our Father gave us Jesus to be the example of how to live what we speak.  There will never be anyone who will be perfect—as Jesus is perfect—but we can all strive to live a life pleasing to God as Jesus did while He walked the Earth.  Jesus lived out God’s will for His life.  We can lay down our plans at Jesus’ feet and strive to fit into God’s plans.  We can find God’s will for our lives by reading the Word and praying to God.  One thing I have learned in doing this is that God surely has created us to share His love through the ends of the Earth.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I think one of the greatest things about reading the Bible is it lights a fire in my soul.  In reading, I find this huge desire to share God’s truths with every single person in the entire world.  When telling someone this once, the response was, “Oh no, at trick-or-treat time you would totally be one of those people that hand out tracts instead of candy!”  My response: “Absolutely, inside the tracts are the words people need to find God.” Do you desire to be the tract lady for Jesus, giving people His words they are in desperate need of?

Isaiah 55:8-11 in its entirety is absolutely beautiful, let us focus though on verses 10 and 11:

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

What words are we using when we fearlessly share the saving grace, love, and power of Jesus Christ with the lost and the hurting?  When we use God’s words instead of our words there will be victory every time in Heaven.  We know it is truth that God’s word shall not return to Him empty.  The words He sent out will fulfill His plan and not return void.  It is our job to be the messengers.  We are called to make God’s word known to others.  This means we must know His words.  We must not only know how to speak them to others, but we must also know how to live out God’s words with our actions.

We are the only Jesus some people will ever see.  That is not something to take lightly.  That is something to remind ourselves of daily.  When you are at home, at school, at work, in the grocery story, at the mall, (insert other here)…be Jesus.  Someone is always watching.  Let them see Jesus through you, let them see the TRUTH.  When you are a princess-warrior-in-training for the King of Kings, your actions matter just as much as your words matter.  Both are used to bring others to our Father in Heaven.  Others must see Jesus in us; we cannot get in their way from finding Jesus.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Let His words transform your actions to line up with what He is showing us to do.  We know what to do through His word, through prayer, and through Jesus’ life.  Let’s thank God for giving us the Bible, giving us access to Him through prayer, and giving us an amazing example of how to live a holy life, through His son, Jesus.

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Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Holy Word.  Thank You for giving us the privilege of prayer where we can meet with You and hear from You.  Thank You for giving us Jesus’ life as an example for us, daily.  Thank You for giving us the desire to fulfill Your will for our lives.  Lord, I ask that You give us the strength and desire to lay aside our plans, and to fit into Your will for us. Lord, we give You glory for all You do in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter.  You are an amazing Savior!  Amen.

Lisa has one more question for us, and I encourage you to journal about your answer: “Do you want to do His will so all that was written of you will be something to behold?”  (Page 137) ~SELAH

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If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 8 – “Sword of Words” (pgs 129-134)

May 15, 2013 by

What are we doing with our words?

In the world we live in today, the power of our words means more now than ever; the power of the Scripture means more than it ever has, and the impact of its words will reach further than ever. I can honestly say that I have always known that there is power in our words; there is strength behind what we say and strength behind how we say it. That strength can have either a positive or negative impact.

Proverbs 12:18 NIV

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

I’ve seen well-intentioned words hurt, and I’ve heard well-intentioned words lead someone astray. We don’t do it on purpose, but when we aren’t intentional about what we say and how we say it, the interpretation of those words can become skewed, even in a conversation between only two people.

“Far too much is lost in interpretation when we pass the words through the filter of earth rather than fashion the earth with the words of heaven” — Lisa Bevere (page 129).

Are we allowing our words to become earth-based? Are we allowing them to become catchy or cliché?  Are we trying to make the sacred words common?  Are our words lacking wisdom and hurting instead of healing?

The Bible was not only given to us to help us grow closer to God, to help us understand God’s love for us, to teach us the history and to give us a guide in which to live our lives; but it was given to us  for us to share it with others.  We must retain the power it holds.  We musn’t allow the filter that the world has placed on it to lessen the power it holds.

Hebrews 11:3 NIV

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

When I read this quote by William Booth I said “wow!”  “In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without a hell” (William Booth, pg. 133).

I don’t believe that we are intentionally creating this reality, but I do believe that we are unintentionally making this statement true. When we say things, are we saying them because they sound good and will grab the attention of others? Or have we passed what we are going to say through God’s filter?  Have we asked His advice about what to say and how to say it?  Have we sought out His Scripture?

Ladies, we need to be aware of our words. I know that this needs to be a goal of mine, too.  I am not always intentional about what I say. I always tell my kids to think before they speak. Not only do we need to apply this to our lives, but more importantly we need to pray before we speak.  We need to run our words through the Heavenly filter.

Let’s Pray:  

Dear Heavenly Father, our words can do harm as easily as they can do good. Lord, touch our hearts before we speak as a reminder to pray about what we are going to say and how we are going to say it. Your words hold power that we want to retain. Please help us to use our words to heal and not hurt, to draw ourselves and others closer to You and not to lead them astray.  In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

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Girls With Swords: Chapter 8 – “Sword Words” (pgs 121-125)

May 13, 2013 by

Click HERE for this week’s reading assignment

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Part 3 – ARMED

 It’s time to break camp, Warriors!  We have been called. We have been trained.  We have been forged into a weapon to be used against the forces of darkness.  We are “ministers of hope whose words are seasoned with salt and light and sound foreign in a world peppered with darkness” (Bevere, p. 121).  How is it that we have these sword imageries and our weapon is one of ‘words’?  Have you ever stopped to think that the words coming from your mouth directly reflect the heart inside your body?  That is pretty powerful stuff.

Lisa tells us that “words are invisible, but if misused, they can prove deadly.”  Have you killed someone with your words?  Have you left walking wounded?  It’s time we thought about this for a little while, take stock in our words and let the Holy Spirit reveal areas of our speech we need to work on.  Take time to do that now.

(pause)

My Bible tells me that we were all created with one language in the beginning.  We spoke the same language as God, the Father.  We knew His voice.   We could recognize Him as He walked with us in the garden.  I like to think God whistled as He walked in the cool of the day, asking Adam and Eve how their day had been.  I say “we” because we are descended from Adam and Eve…and God the Father.  We are here, now, because of them…back there.  “God has given us His language… He has framed the words in strength and carefully structured each sentence so that every syllable is woven with power and punctuated by promise.”  (p. 122).

I think that makes our words pretty powerful!  They are the words of our Father, they are powerful, and we should be sharing them with the world.  How will we know what to say?  Where will we find the answers to our questions???  2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.  It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.  God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

You have been forged as a SWORD.  Are you ARMED???

I was asked these questions last week, “If the Bible is my guide book to life does that mean I should follow all the ideals set forth?  Do I pick and choose which ones I like and which ones I don’t?  If I do have to follow all of them, how do you translate those stories to apply to modern day living?”  So many good questions from one seeking person.  After our basic training, and now our warrior training, how would YOU answer these questions?

Lisa poses an interesting point:  If we knew we were going to live out the rest of our days in a foreign country we would take the time to learn the language and the culture and learn to communicate.  As born-again believers, we KNOW we are going to live out our days in heaven with our spiritual family.  We need to be learning how to communicate.  Our Father speaks a heavenly and holy language.  We need to learn heaven’s language NOW.  “We lift swords when we lift His Word:  ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21)” (p. 123).

So let’s go back and apply what we have learned in our training.  Let’s use the language we are learning to shine a light for a lost soul.  Give me some Sword Words to support your answers to this person’s questions.

  1.  If the Bible is my guide book to life does that mean I should follow all the ideals set forth?
  2. Do I pick and choose which ones I like and which ones I don’t?
  3. If I do have to follow all of them, how do you translate those stories to apply to modern day living?

This language may seem foreign to you right now.  Or it may come naturally and you have suppressed the sound of the Father’s voice.  Either way, let’s put our hearts together and help this brother out with his questions.  I would like to see how you WARRIORs put your SWORD to use.  Are you ARMED?  We need to light the path, ladies!!!

Our Call to Arms for this week comes from Hawk Nelson and Bart Millard (Mercy Me):

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,  I want to remember Your voice.  I want to hear the language of Your heart coming from my mouth.  I want to be a light to draw others out of the darkness and onto Your path.  Give us the desire to love our neighbors, to share Your words with those around us.  Let our words point the world back to You.  You have given us every weapon we will ever need to survive this world.  Give us a willing heart to take up those weapons and use them for Your glory.  In Jesus’ Holy Name we pray, AMEN.

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If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 7- “Pressure” (pages 115-117)

May 9, 2013 by

As Lisa tells us about her “doubtful moment” it brings me right back to one of my very own doubt-filled moments….

It had been several months after my very last therapy session.  I knew in my heart of hearts that I was healed, but as I stepped into my counselor’s office that day, the doubt that had been filling in my heart since the last time I was in that room followed me in.  Even with a beautiful sign from God’s heart to mine that I truly was healed and made new, I still somehow let doubt get in the way.  As I was explaining all of my doubts my dear counselor asked me a simple question, “What are the things that you know that you know that you know are true?”

I am safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

I am loved. (John 3:16)

These were the only thoughts that I was able to muster up, but somehow they proved to be just enough!

Each truth above comes from God’s Word.  Apart from Him we have nothing, we are nothing.  God’s Word is our source for confidence.  He is our Source for power and protection.  He is our all in all.  He is our portion forever and ever.  He is all we ever need and He has come to RESCUE YOU AND ME from doubt and all of the hardships of life!

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Knowing the truth is just not enough to keep the doubt away.  I have found that the more we “know” something, the more Satan tries to convince us that we don’t know anything at all.  Prior to this moment in counseling I had found the more confidence I had, the more doubt consumed me.  How does that even make sense?  It makes sense because my confidence used to come from the wrong source.  Think to yourself, do you find confidence from the shifting sands of circumstances or do you find confidence in our Mighty Rock?  It is still a struggle from time to time for me to let go of the false advertisements for confidence we find ourselves surrounded by in our world.  We think we know what we need—the best make-up, the finest clothing, the right man, the popular friends—the list goes on and on.  These false eye-catching traps just leave our hearts filled with doubt.  Truth be told, even the best this world has to offer will never give us the confidence that we can find in God alone.  Again, I know this is true because Scripture backs it up!

Proverbs 3:26 assures us, “…for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.”

We can have confidence in God because of His Word! When we fill our hearts with God’s truth, His confidence seeps into every crack and crevice of our soul!  God’s confidence in us will enable Satan’s lies to stay tucked under our feet as we press on in our journey with the Lord of our lives!

It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put His hand on you for something special.  When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words.  Something happened in you.  The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.  (1 Thessalonians 1:5 MSG)   

Knowing God’s Word will not suffice in the spiritual battle at hand.  I know this personally. Since I have started this study, God has been using many hardships to show me just how true it is that knowing scripture is not enough, and we must be trained to use it.  God’s Word is our training manual.  Everything we need to know is found in His Word, not the lies of Satan.  Our sword must be filled with the truth—God’s truth—which has the power to strike down Satan’s consuming lies and doubts.  As a princess warrior in training, we cannot let doubt consume us.  We must empty ourselves into God so that He can consume us.

The more we know who God is, the more we have confidence from Him in who we are created to be.  No two princesses of the King are the same.  We are all created for a unique and important purpose.  It is time to wash away the doubt caused from past hurts or maybe current hurts and hold tight to God’s promises that will never shift.  It is time to call out to God…He promises to answer.  All we must do is empty the doubts that have been filling up our hearts at His feet.  When we seek God with our whole empty heart, He will fill our hearts with HIS blessings.  No more room for doubts, only His love.

When I left therapy that day, I was supposed to write what I knew on a rock, to remind me of the solid hope I have in God alone.  I never did find a rock big enough to write down all the truths God has reminded me of since that night as I spent some time seeking Him.  Spend some time today thinking about the truth that you know that you know that you know God is craving to fill your heart with.

(From Christi & Colleen Dent:  Here is your Rock, Diane!  We made this especially for YOU!)

Rock_Diane

Let’s all echo Lisa’s prayer for us on page 117:

Dear Heavenly Father,

May we, Your daughters, be one with Your heart and heaven’s purpose.  May our very lives be an intricately woven expression of all that You long for us to live, touch, see, hear, and have.  Make us one.  We submit to Your process.  Have Your way in the fiery forge and in the baptism of water.  Shape us into something so fierce and flexible that every facet of our lives would declare Your love and power to save.  In Jesus’s name, Amen!

Thank You Jesus!

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Day 4 of our Anniversary Celebration!

Well, have you enjoyed our week long celebration so far???  We sure have!  I can’t wait to tell you what our next giveaway is! Another exciting gift!!

How many of you struggle with taking care of your body physically?  If you are like me, you want to, but maybe you just don’t know how to get started!  You don’t know the first thing about eating healthy, or what exercises may be right for you, and so on!  Well, we want to bless one lucky winner with a ONE-HOUR SESSION with Wellness Coach / Fitness Designer Crystral Breaux!!

Breaux Announcement

I am so VERY EXCITED about this giveaway.  Crystal is new to Girlfriends Coffee Hour, but she is not new to wellness, fitness, or blogging!  She not only blogs for GCH, she blogs for CreatedWoman.org, as well.  She offers some amazing wellness tips and fitness advice in both blogs!  Beginning in June, Crystal will begin taking your personal questions and answering them on her blog right here on Girlfriends Coffee Hour!  No matter what your question is about (food, or fitness, etc.) she will address them on our At Home with GCH blog the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

The question of “where do I start” is just one “comment” away!

All you have to do to enter this drawing is read today’s blog and then make a comment below in regards to what God spoke to you in today’s blog!  That’s it!

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 8PM CST TONIGHT.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE, ON MAY 11th.
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Girls with Swords: Chapter 7 – “Pressure” (pgs 112-114)

May 8, 2013 by

 Day 3 of our Anniversary Giveaway

is listed at the bottom of this blog.

 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:2-8 (NKJV)

Pressure. We can all relate to this word, this feeling, this state in life. I truly enjoyed how Lisa broke this scripture down into separate parts. When pressure enters our life and minds the last thing we think to do is “count it all joy,” I know that I don’t. Joy is often times the last word I would use to describe myself. When I’m dealing with the topic of joy I look it up each time, because it is so much more than a simple three letter word. This statement is one of the many that I found about joy.

“Joy is something that is unaffected by circumstances. It is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. Joy is deep. It is a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope.”

I have to remind myself that joy isn’t about being happy, it doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy. What it means is that I am going to accept my situation for the time being, and walk in the joy of the Lord. Pressure and joy are not two words that are normally paired together in this world. I also have to remind myself that I only live in this world, I don’t think like it.

“You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors…” (James 1:3, MSG).  Basically I understood this to mean that when life is hard, when obstacles are placed in our path, or when we place obstacles in our path, the strength of our faith will be shown. This is a hard realization for me, especially when my faith is not as strong as it should be. But I learned something a long time ago—just because I wasn’t where I thought I should be at a certain time doesn’t mean that I cannot grow to be that person. Just because my faith-life wasn’t strong during a time of pressure doesn’t mean that it never will be.

We have to remember that a sword didn’t start out strong. It took work; in most cases, it took a lot of work. “God wants us to thrive whether we are under pressure or free floating” (page 113), and in order to thrive in all situations we must be prepared, we must be tempered.

TemperedDaughtersl.jpg

We have trials. We have pressures. We count it all joy. We exercise our faith. We ask for wisdom when we need it. We work towards becoming the women that God created us to be. And we do all of this with God by our side, with God directing our paths, with God holding us up.

When I was reading these scriptures in my study Bible, this note was given:

“The potential a Christian woman has for maturity relates to the realization of her God given destiny. She is striving to reach a goal that only God can enable her to achieve.”

In order for us to be the warriors we were destined to be, we must be willing to face our trials and be willing to accept the pressure and accept it with joy in our hearts.  Joy isn’t happiness, it’s the knowledge that we are where we need to be for a season in order for us to be formed into the woman He wants us to be. We are being tempered by God so that we can withstand any level of pressure, so we can continue to fight for the Kingdom despite the battle.

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Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, each day we face the pressures of life; each day we walk our journey.  Some days we walk with faith that could deal with anything and some days it feels like the smallest thing could crush us, but always despite the circumstances You are with us! You are right next to us with Your hand on our lives. Lord, we are told to count it all joy.  Thank You for this joy that surpasses all situations. Thank You for the gentle reminders of this gift, and thank You for the grace You offer when our faith and joy is not where it should be.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray.  Amen.

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Day 3 of our Anniversary Celebration Week!

Are you ready for another giveaway????

Today’s giveaway is something that I wish was around when I had little ones at home!  I’m telling you, I remember days where I honestly wondered why God chose me to be a mom!  I remember going to bed at night crying my eyes out, thinking what a horrible mom I had been that day!  And then the next day, I wake up to two little girls who jump in bed with me, and we all begin to giggle from all the tickles!!  And I start another awesome day of being a Mom!  Being a mom has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I am so forever grateful for the wonderful children (and grandchildren) God has given me!  I am truly blessed!

*****

“Psst—over here! I’m hiding out in the laundry room eating dark chocolate. Got a sec? Good. I was wondering, is it just me, or do you sometimes find it really hard to be a mom?  Faith Bogdan never planned to have children, but within six years, she had four. Who Are All These Children and Why Are They Calling Me Mom? is the story of Faith’s journey to fully embrace unexpected motherhood as, little by little, God revealed the heart issues that prevented her from relishing the role He’d called her to fulfill.  Whether you’re a mom to tots or teens, Faith offers real hope for change and concrete guidance to help you navigate the joyful, messy, and sometimes overwhelming challenges of motherhood.”

We are giving a signed copy of Faith’s book to not just one, but TWO blessed winners in today’s giveaway!!  All you have to do to enter is read today’s blog, and post a comment below about how this blog spoke to you!  That’s it! Easy-peasy, huh?  If you don’t want to wait until the giveaway is announced, and you want to order your copy of Faith’s book today, just click on the picture to be taken to our Amazon link.
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 8PM CST TONIGHT.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE, ON MAY 11th.
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Girls with Swords: Chapter 7 – “Forging A Sword” (pgs 105-106)

May 6, 2013 by

 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GCH!!!

Today is the first day of our week long Anniversary celebration!!  Want to enter our contest to win some fabulous prizes??  All you have to do is read the blog below, and then leave a comment about it!  That’s it!!

Today’s Prize:  A box of lovely goodies:  “21 Days – Your Journey to Enjoying Everyday Life” by Joyce Meyer, a Coffee Mug by Dayspring (also includes a Gift Card to Dunkin’ Donuts), a book by Wendy Anderson Halperin titled “Love Is”, and a couple of extra little goodies that we will surprise you with!!

Anniversary Prize 5_6_13

Only ONE WINNER will be chosen EACH DAY FROM May 6th to May 10th.  DEADLINE FOR TODAY’S ENTRIES:   8PM Central Time Zone.  Each day we will post a new prize!!  ALL WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SATURDAY, MAY 11th, ON OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY PAGE.

 

And now, onto today’s blog!

Click HERE for Chapter 7 Reading Assignment

 

This week we begin learning what it takes to “forge a sword.”  These are words that are not used often in our society.  I had questions, so I did some research.  The word forge is a verb for a process, much like the word mold is.  The dictionary defines these words for us:


Forge_Mold.jpg 

We are familiar with molds when we want to make uniform soaps, candles, and yes, CHOCOLATES.  If you have attempted to make any of these items even once you will have learned some very important facts to make the end product the best it can be.  The product has to be melted, or softened from its original form and poured into the mold to obtain the desired shape and size.  But that is not enough.  The mold has to be shaken, dropped on a table, etc., to remove all air bubbles from the finished product.  These bubbles can cause the product to crack, fall apart and ruin the end result.  If you have done everything exactly right, you will end up with many, many identical soaps, candles, and yes, fewer chocolates.  🙂

If you want to make soap, you melt and pour soap.  If you want a candle, you melt and pour wax.  If you want chocolate – well, you get the picture.  When you forge something, you take separate metals, heat them to a molten liquid, burn off the impurities (anything that isn’t metal) and prepare to meld them into your final product.  This intense heat leaves a liquid virtually free of imperfections and no “bubbles;” the original metal is not changed from what it originally was, but is so much more useful now.  According to my research, forged products are 15% stronger than molded products.

By this time you are wondering what all this has to do with you, me, and our study.  Did you know that the first mention of forging was in Genesis 4?  There was a man who forged tools out of bronze and iron.  The forge was used since the beginning of time to make useful tools and God uses that same process to make us useful in His Kingdom.  The prophet Isaiah uses this terminology and applies it to the Christian walk as God’s plan for His people.  Look at these verses in Isaiah 54 and see what God revealed to him about the people of Israel and later for you and me:

13 All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace.

14 In righteousness you will be established:  Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear.  Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.

15  If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you.

16 “See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work.  And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;

17     no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.  This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord. 

God has placed a protective covering over his people.  A holy promise to protect, restore and vindicate any wrong done against us.  He has forged us to be strong and durable and fit for our work here on earth.

This is the work God wants to forge in our hearts:

 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.

“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.

I will be their God, and they will be my people.

 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’

because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

          Jeremiah 31:33 and 34

Jeremiah says that in the end, we will all know the Lord.  Every one of us.  If we have made the commitment to follow Jesus, it’s time to submit to the original Blacksmith and let Him forge you into the character He needs you to be.

Lisa says, “The process of making a sword is a whole lot like the process of making a life” (page 105).  What kind of life do you want to be known for?  I want to mix my life with God’s teaching and let Him make me what He needs me to be.  How about you?

These truths are what God brings to the mixture to be forged.  You and I have a choice to join Him and face the refining fire. Attacks are not fun.  Pounding surely hurts and bruises.  Fire is hot!  Water is healing.  Pressure makes us experienced and strong.  Our finished product will be one strong, mighty warrior for the Kingdom of God.  Prepare your heart for the truths coming at you this week.  Do not be surprised if the fiery arrows increase.  Smile…and purpose in your heart to become a stronger warrior and stand.  God has promised the victorious ending.  We get to watch it unfold around us.

Our song to start the week is from the Crabb Family and the Gaither’s:  Through the Fire

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, King of Kings and Lord of Lords!  We praise Your name above all names.  We thank You for loving us enough to want to forge us into a unique creation and not just a molded image like so many others.  We want to be strong, we want to be taught, we want to endure until the end, we want to be victorious.  Father, we submit our lives to the refining fire of Your love.  Remove the impurities and make us strong.  We want to be forever known as ONE with You.  Let the forging begin and fit us for Your service.   AMEN.

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If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!

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Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 – “Becoming A Warrior” – “Saul’s Warrior Son” (Pgs 90-98)

May 1, 2013 by

I never used to look at the term soldier and warrior as two different people, two different meanings, but after the past few weeks I am noticing a significance difference. While a soldier isn’t less important, less needed or lower than a warrior, a warrior possesses traits I want to strive for. I want to be a soldier that matures into a warrior. I want to “sign on to be more than a soldier”. I want to be tempered until I am the warrior God designed me to be. I looked up the term tempering because to be honest I’ve only really heard it in reference to chocolate (which I feel is one of God’s food choices for us women warriors).

Tempering may refer to:

Like Lisa said “the processing of tempering may not be pleasant or quick”.  But imagine the outcome.  Imagine being the warrior woman who not only sees what our enemy is doing, but one who can follow God’s lead into battles with his promises in our hearts.

2 Kings 6:16-17

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”  And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

Romans 8:31

 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Imagine walking into battles without the “blinding fear” that has stopped us in the past. Imagine walking into battles, big and small, private and public, wanting to give our all, wanting to be an example for others, wanting to be different than those around us.

The example of Elisha instructing the King not to slaughter his enemies, but instead to honor them and gift them with a feast was surprising to me, but it made sense. A warrior isn’t quick to teach a lesson, they aren’t quick to avenge a wrong done. But in the right situations they are compelled to offer grace, and compassion. They are compelled to show God’s love, they are led by God to do what is needed when it is needed, whether it is to offer grace, or to stand up and fight.

When we see a “lion with a lamb in his mouth”, when we see an area where we can make a difference, an area where we can bless others, an area where God’s love can shine through us, we as warriors need to seize the opportunity. We need to face each day, each task, and each battle with the perspective of more than just a soldier; we need to face these with the perspective of a warrior. We need to allow ourselves to be tempered.  We need to step back and allow God to mold us into the warriors He desires us to be, and to be the David’s and Jonathon’s of our time.

Let’s ask ourselves ladies: 

MoreThanASoldier.jpg

Let’s Pray:

Lord I pray that we walk with Your promises in Romans 8:31, I pray that we believe that no one, or nothing can be against us when You are for us. I pray that You open our eyes to see those standing behind us when we need it.  I pray that we become more than soldiers, and that we desire to be more and do more. Thank You Lord for this task, and thank You for Your guidance.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

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Girls With Swords: Chapter 6 – “Becoming a Warrior” (pgs 81-84)

April 29, 2013 by

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR READING ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK.

Why don’t we send our children into battle?  Why are we so shocked and disturbed when we hear of countries that DO send their children into a war zone?  I believe it is hard enough to send an adult off to do battle.   I cannot imagine looking my innocent, naïve children in the face and sending them off to face a vicious enemy.  I have a responsibility to train my child, teach them the things they need to be successful, develop their knowledge until they are mature.  God doesn’t expect us to fight our battles untrained either.

This week we move from just being a soldier in armor and carrying our swords to developing the heart of a WARRIOR.  Did you know there is a difference?  I did some research on characteristics of a warrior and found some words that made me think.  What do you think of when you hear these words?

Commitment                   Determination                                Willingness to Succeed

Prepare bodily                 Prepare mentally                           Ability to Adapt

Will Power                       Driving Force from within           Push limits beyond expectations

These are not casual words.  They are ACTION words.  They are words with character and strength, experience and wisdom.  Our children do not possess these characteristics yet.  It takes experience and the guidance of a caring parent, teacher, or counselor to bring about this kind of maturity in a person.  SO…there’s the word…MATURITY.  To become a WARRIOR we must develop maturity.  Not just in life experience, but in Spiritual Matters.  We ARE Spiritual Warriors.  Some of us are on the front lines and some are still back at the tent waiting our turn.

The Apostle Paul spoke to people in the new churches about becoming mature Christ followers.  He used some pretty strong language as he taught them to “grow up.”  Check out Hebrews 13, Ephesians chapters 4 and 5, and Hebrews 6.  This is the first part of Hebrews 6:

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.  You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.” (New Living Translation)

The basic teachings are very important.  If a believer doesn’t get that right, it doesn’t matter how passionate she is about Jesus.  Once a new believer understands the basic lessons, it is time to practice what was learned and “move forward” toward maturity.  The first five chapters of our book Girls with Swords is “Basic Training” for every good soldier.  Now we will learn to develop the heart of a WARRIOR.  Lisa tells us, “The warrior has a CHOICE.  Honoring what is godly and noble is often the rite of passage when a soldier becomes a warrior”  (page 82).

In our reading, Lisa gives us words a WARRIOR would understand:

Strategy                        Intuition                              Vision

Wisdom                        Patience                               Persistence

Tenacity                       Unified Voice (Unity)        Concerned Effort

Do any of these words pertain to you?  Have you developed any of these traits of a Spiritual Warrior?  If you can honestly say “No,” it’s OK.  You know where you need to start.  If you recognize some of these character traits in yourself, that’s Good; continue to work on the area you are lacking.  The Scripture would not tell us to move on to maturity if it was not a possibility for our lives.  God makes use of every attempt we make to move closer to Him.

Lisa shares, “You should never doubt that what seems a small or insignificant decision or gesture now may very well open a passageway or even empower you in the future” (page 83).  Has anyone ever told you what you actually GET to take to heaven with you, that you acquired while on earth?  Some people live by the phrase, “You can’t take it with you, so USE IT UP.”  I need to share with you that the only thing we carry to heaven acquired on earth is our CHARACTER.  We will be known by our godly character in heaven.

Yes, there will be spiritual babies crawling through the gates.  Yes, there will be spiritual adolescents and, hopefully, some spiritual young adults.  But I hope that each one of us will burst the gates of Heaven wide open like a WARRIOR on a mission for God.  We have a CHOICE to believe, a CHOICE to mature and a CHOICE to live in a way that brings Honor and Glory to God the Father.

Let’s finish our time together with Jesus’ best friend, John.  In 1 John chapter 2 we are encouraged to mature in our faith.  The whole chapter is beneficial, but I want to leave you with this:

“24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning.  If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.   25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.  26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Living as Children of God

28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.  29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.”

Our struggles on this earth are not with other people, social injustice, or anything we can see.  Our struggle is Spiritual and must be fought with Spiritual Strength, Spiritual Might, by a Spiritual WARRIOR.  It’s time to pick up your SWORDS, ladies, and get to training.  Our future maturity and Spiritual Survival depends on it.

Listen to “Greater” with me as we pray.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of our praise.  You alone are great, and we worship Your name.  Father, we will follow You into battle for the souls on this earth.  We want to grow in character as we become more like Jesus.  Give us the spirit of a WARRIOR, the strength to endure to the end, and receive us in heaven as victors of this life.  We love You, Lord.  We are ready to go deeper, be wiser, and learn to be greater.  AMEN.

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If you would like to join us for the “Girls with Swords” Online Bible/Book study, click HERE to be taken to our sign-up page.  Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details.  We hope you will join us!

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Girls with Swords: Chapter 5 – “Scapegoat” (pgs 76-78)

April 25, 2013 by

Every single word that Lisa has written on these two pages of the book have touched my heart in one way or another.  There is so much “good stuff” in this section of the book.  I have enjoyed the whole book so far, and I have really loved this chapter.  This chapter has caused me to look at the Cross in a whole new way.  The Cross as a sword is something I never visualized before.  This idea was all new to me, and it brought something to mind.

We all have a journey to the Cross.  Everyone’s journey is different.  Maybe we can all relate with the scapegoat in different areas as we journey to the Cross.

  • Guilt: How many times have you blamed yourself for an event in your life in which you carry around an immense amount of guilt from?
  • Lonely nights: How many nights have you fallen asleep next to your husband, or at home with your family, yet the loneliness that you feel inside is strong enough to cause you to think you are alone in this world with no one to love you…care for you…or be there for you? 
  • Oppression: How many times have you felt a heavy burden on your heart, one that crushes you to your core causing you to panic and shake the calm life you once lived? 
  • Rejection: How many times did you just want to fit in with your friends, family, co-workers; just to find out that no one wanted to be around you, and when you tried to surprise them you overheard the cruel words they spoke of you that cut deeper than any knife ever made?  The list goes on and on.  There are so many words that are used to describe the scapegoat we once believed we were.

Let’s consider Jesus’ journey not to the Cross, but with the Cross.  Jesus knows the pain and the hurt behind each and every word used to describe what a scapegoat represented.  Jesus went through more suffering than our human bodies can ever imagine.  Yet your depression, your loneliness, your hurt, your pain, your guilt, your betrayal, your shame, your (insert others here) were all taken with Jesus on the Cross.  Could you imagine the weight on His shoulders as He fell up Calvary’s hill?  The astonishing part is that Jesus’ innocent shoulders were not the ones meant to carry all of these things.  We deserve all of it, yet Jesus loved us so much that He took what was meant for our cross and sacrificed Himself so that we can be saved and free in Him!

As Jesus approached the spot where He was to be sacrificed, I can only picture Him taking the Cross with the weight of it all and sticking it into the ground.  Then I imagine the Cross as a sword and I know that when that sharp point hit the ground, our world was shaken.  Not for the worse, but for the better.  Jesus IS the ultimate sacrifice.  As I write those words, “Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice,” I begin to tear up because I stand in awe of Jesus and His love for me that He died and rose again, defeating all that was on the Cross, FOR ME, that I may live eternally with Him.  Lisa is right: the Cross is a sword of love.

It is time, ladies, to follow Jesus’ footsteps to the Cross.  For when we arrive, we will meet Jesus waiting to hand us His sword.  As He gives us His power, we must be able to echo His words in our hearts, “Forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  We must forgive ourselves, too.  We must leave all the burdens we carried to the Cross in His hands where they belong.  We must pick up His sword and follow JESUS TO HEAVEN!

Make time to meditate on this Scripture today:

 

Isaiah53_4thru6

Let’s Pray: 

Heavenly Father, how can we find the words to thank You for what You alone have done for us?  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your only Son to die for us.  Lord, some of the ladies in this study may have already traveled to the Cross and found Your healing and have picked up Your sword.  I pray for these ladies, that You empower them to use Your sword and stand firm in You against Satan as You guide them to Heaven.  Lord, maybe there are some ladies who are in the middle of their journey or have not started yet.  Lord, I pray for these ladies that You show them Your paths to the cross, that You give them Your strength to reach the point where they find You and give You all of the burdens that lay so heavy on their hearts.  I thank You for the power of the Cross.  I thank You for guiding us every day to You.  We love You, Lord, so much!  Amen.

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Girls With Swords: Chapter 5 – “The Croise” (pgs 72-76)

April 24, 2013 by

I don’t like math.  I don’t understand it, and whoever invented the calculator is an awesome person.  But I do understand the equation Lisa gave in this chapter.  I understand what it meant for me, what it means for my children, and what it means for all of us.

Moment = Force x Vertical Distance

I can picture standing there…watching His hands being nailed to the Cross; that moment meant so much more than an arm being stretched across a piece of wood, “in a moment the Cross spanned the unfathomable distance between God and humanity, and overcame every force of hostility.” Every person, place or thing that may stand in our way from becoming who He created us to be was taken care of that day; that’s what that equation means to me. It means that nothing placed in my path will stop what God has planned for me.

Ephesians 2:13-16

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation,having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.

on the Cross

Jesus died on the Cross, so we could be the person He created us to be.  God gave His only Son so that we could one day fulfill our potential.

The Cross, out of all the symbols out there, is one that most people recognize.  We were driving to school the other day and my 4 year old little boy said “Mom, I know why there are so many crosses around the church.”  I asked why and he responded by saying “It’s because Jesus died on the cross.”  From this to an elderly gentleman, kneeling in front of a cross in the hospital chapel, praying for his sick wife…to images of the Cross appearing everywhere when tragedy strikes, the Cross spans the distance. This image is a source of comfort, a defense in our times of trouble, a reassurance that everything will be ok in the end.

The name of Jesus is one lever that lifts the world

– Author Unknown

The Cross, and what Christ did for us, brings us together.  The Cross, and what Christ did for us, lifts us up above any attack used against us.  Christ created the bridge needed between our neighbors and ourselves, between races, between genders, between ages, between classes.

“The cross has the power to unify all who are willing to embrace it. In Christ the far off and wandering come near.”

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Cross!  Help us to remember what Your Cross means to us. Your Cross rid us of any hostility that may stand in our way. Your Cross has power that we cannot always see but, standing on Your word, we will walk in faith with our swords held high, knowing that Your Cross, and what Christ did for us on that Cross ensured that we will walk in our full potential.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!

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