Happy New Year...Friday

1/1/2016

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year

from all the writers at

Women's Focus Ministries

 

 

Giving Thanks Is Your Password...Thursday

12/31/15

Giving thanks is like the password to enter, so come into His city with great thanksgiving. Go through, the Temple gates with songs of joyous appreciation and a heart overflowing with gratefulness.  

And come into His courtyard with praise. Enter into His holy place with an offering of worship, adoration and devotion. Demonstrate your love for Him by bringing Him songs of honor. Give Him glory and bless the name of the Lord.  

Be thankful and say so to Him. Give Him thanks and praise His name. Thank Him and worship Him.

Psalm 100.4

 When was the last time that you intentionally entered into the presence of God just to thank Him for His numerous blessings?  

There is so much to be thankful for; our redeemer and the salvation of our soul; the air we breathe; the natural beauty of creation around us; our miraculous bodies with the blood that carries oxygen in our veins and the tongue that transports our food.  

Just look at yourself in the mirror you will realize that there is no one like you among the seven billion people on earth today. You are unique and custom made, designed by God himself.  

Just take few minutes to give God thanks for all His work on your behalf.

Written by

   Brother Thomas Ukwute, Nigeria

Edited by

    Jody Ward

I GAIN NOTHING WITHOUT LOVE... Wednesday

Devotional for 12/30/15

Today I began to really take note of the reason for the things that I choose to do. I love the Lord, I love His Word and love to serve Him in any way I am able. The clincher for me though, is when I do set out to serve Him, are my motives truly pure??? When I am helping someone, or serving at church or even praying for someone... am I doing it fully unto the Lord?  Am I doing it for a pat on the back? Am I doing it to feel good about myself??? These are all legitimate questions for me. I know I always set out with my heart to please God, but sometimes I can lose sight of the total purpose in the midst of the serving.

 

I think even the Pharisees' motives at first were somewhat for a worthy cause, but we know their hearts were far from God. They went through the motions, because that is just the way it was for them for years and years. That is the way they were taught and they allowed their flesh to have dominion in their heart.

                                                                                                                                                           

 

My point is, that if what I set my hand to do, whatever that may be, God has called me to do it fully unto Him with His pure love. If I am not walking and serving with His love, then I may as well not do anything at all. No-one will benefit and it will be all in vain.

 

You see His Word tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:3 "Even if I give away everything that I have and sacrifice myself, but have no love, I gain nothing." The bottom line is that I must be sure that I am fully on board with the Love of Christ or I may as well hang it up.

 

The good news is that when we do serve the Lord with His all consuming love that His love never fails!!

In His All Consuming Love,

Sandy Billingham

RESOLUTIONS...Tuesday

12/29/15

In a few days it will be the beginning of a new calendar year and the debate continues: “to make New Year's resolutions or not to make them.” There are sound arguments for both sides of the controversy. Some would say that by making these promises we are only setting ourselves up for failure and possibly sending ourselves into a downward spiral. Changing negative habits isn't easy and personal willpower is a fickle friend. On the other hand, never attempting to improve one's character and behavior could lead to an unwanted setback in our earthly sojourn.

 

Perhaps there is a Godly balance or perspective to this dilemma. The Lord has created our planet with predictable seasons and cycles. We can always look forward to winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each morning the sun rises, blessing us with a new day. Faithfully each evening the same sun sets, providing us with a period of sacred rest from our labors. We are born as infants, and then progress through childhood, adulthood, and finally old age. Psychologists have even mapped out the mental and emotional phases of development which correspond with the physical chronological stages of human progression.

 

It is evident that seasons, passages, and stages are a natural God given phenomenon in our world and personal lives. It appears too that we have an innate desire to improve our lives and conditions. It seems likely then, at the start of a new year that we would begin to think about our individual goals, dreams, and aspirations. The Bible declares that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus.
 
 

The Word also tells us that... 

“He who began a good work in you will
carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

(Philippians 1:6) Romans 12:2 advises us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, or changing the way we think. To find out God's thoughts it is important to read His love letter to us.

Therefore, perhaps instead of setting up hard and fast resolutions which may be difficult to keep, we might simply use this time of year to ask the Holy Spirit for direction. As we pray, praise and worship, and read God's word we can listen for those gentle promptings from the Lord. We can take baby steps and make small changes which will cause our daily lives to be more pleasing to our Savior. Asking God for grace and strength to carry out those adaptations will enable us to succeed. Then we can give Jesus all the glory for the work He performs in us.

Written by Cathy Friberg
Shared by Corinne Mustafa

 

A Lesson from The Beatles.....Monday

“We've got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it.” ― John Lennon

Reading the above quote on Christmas day, I realized that John Lennon was not the only person to share this truth so eloquently. Still, three things really interest me about his reflection.

First, John Lennon was protective of his private life - yet this quote is very personal.

Second, his life was messy and complicated, but these words reveal his awareness of someone vitally needed in his life.

Third, this quote from a pop icon is a reminder that God uses whoever He wants to reach the world with His truth.

Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Philippians 2:4 CEB

Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 AMP

Dear Lord, as we come to the end of a calendar year, please prepare our hearts and minds to see You and recognize Your Truth everywhere we find it. Please help us to remember not to judge others but to be willing watering cans - quick to pour out kindness and friendship to a hurting world. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

The Beatles perform "HELP"

DWELLING PLACES... Sunday

Devotional for 12/27/15

My dwelling place is filled with the warmth of the holiday season still -  lovely decorations, wonderful foods, great company.  Our home is not a castle, but it is certainly comfortable.  The tree is lit with the warm glow of Christmas lights with intricate ornaments interspersed between the boughs of green.  The gifts have already been opened and either put to use or tucked away.  Our satisfied tummies bring relaxation and the occasional nap.  We visit with our family from out of town, and in the evening we struggle to remain awake to hear one more funny story, share one more life happening, or finish playing a game before it is lights out.  Because we know tomorrow it comes to an end as our visitors all will leave, going their separate ways back to their own dwelling places.  

God's dwelling place in heaven is far more awesome than anything we can imagine here on earth.  The pictures we have on cards or in books are often inaccurate - cherubs lying around on clouds strumming harps are not likely what we will really find there!  We have been given glimpses of heaven in the Bible - angels praising God, unusual beasts full of eyes and wings proclaiming God's holiness, golden lampstands, a sea of glass, and brilliant light from the glory of God.  But no words or pictures that we have can actually fully describe his dwelling place in all its splendor and majesty.  

The most amazing thing of all is that God sent his Son from that glorious place to dwell among us!  The Lord took on flesh and came to earth as a tiny baby, and grew up WITH us humans on this planet.  

John 1:14  "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us."

He has experienced the same things that we have in our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly - joys and sorrows, glory and rejection, life and death.  He joined us in our dwelling place and paid the price for our sins to redeem us and to guide us to His holy dwelling.

Exodus 15:13  "In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.   In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling."

Dear Father in heaven, thank you for sending your Son to dwell with us for a time so that we might live eternally in your holy dwelling place, which is beyond our comprehension yet greatly anticipated.  May we share the Good News with others so that they too might understand that their sins are forgiven, and that they might also dwell with you forever in heaven.  In Jesus name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Merry Christmas - This Baby Changed Everything...Friday

December 25, 2015

From all the staff and writers of 

Women's Focus Ministries

Corinne Mustafa, Jan Andersen, Mary Wilkins, Sandy Billingham, 

Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward, Kelly Dobyns, Carol Steficek,

Amie Spruiell, Cathy Friberg, Catherine Craig, Lynda Kinnard,

Kathy Bireley, Terri Baker, Jackie Gilmer

And may you receive His gift and keep it close

to your heart and mind today 

and during all the days to come.

Here are two  sweet and beautiful songs

about the miracle we are celebrating today!

Grace Is the Glue...Thursday

12/23/24 

And in a powerful way, the apostles gave their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. They told their story, their account of the events, and of how the Lord Jesus was truly now alive. They duly-gave all the details and delivered their testimony with strength, ability and energy.

Great grace rested richly on them all and was powerfully at work in them all. God greatly blessed His followers with loving-kindness, favor and goodwill.

Acts 4.33

The difference between the ordinary and the extra ordinary, is grace.

The ingredient that produces excellence in a man, is grace. The power that accelerates a person to prominence, is grace. The glue that holds the creative idea and the productivity together, is grace. The hard work and prosperity, is grace.

The pillar that holds together the faithfulness, the anointing, the unction and passion of the Holy Spirit is grace. The unlimited progress in the fulfillment of our destiny, is grace.

The overall materialization of the success, the excellence, the productivity, the prosperity and the prominence we expect and hope for, depends on the release of God's great Grace upon our lives.

May the the Lord release on you the great Grace that will power total restoration and provide unlimited access to the treasures of heaven, in Jesus name amen.

Written by Brother Thomas Ukwute, Anchor of Hope, Nigeria

        Edited by Jody Ward

"God's Love Has No Boundaries!"...Wedmesday

12/23/15

What does it really mean to love someone unconditionally? One definition I read said; "love  without conditions; complete love; affection without any limitations; not expecting anything in return or in other  words loving that person even when you know that it may never come back to you."

Those are all classic definitions of what it really means  to love someone unconditionally, in which  I  realize I have a long ways to go. I guess I am a slow learner but I am  certainly willing for the Lord to teach me how, and  show me more how to apply that in my life. I truly want to walk that kind of love out in a tangible way.

We are to walk  in the image of our Heavenly Father, and that is fully how He loves each and everyone of us. He doesn't look at us with all of  our weaknesses but sees us as  His beautiful sons and daughters.  He always stands before us with open  arms, no matter what we have done in the  past or about to do in the future.

His Word tells us  in 1 Corinthians 13:7-10 (Phillips New Testament)  

"Love knows no limit to its endurance,  

no end to its trust,  no fading of its hope, 

it can outlast anything. It  is, in fact, the one thing 

that still stands when all else has fallen."

That is how our Jesus loves and as we draw closer to Him and become more intimate with Him, we can love as  He loves. 

God's Love will never fail us and forever has no boundaries! My prayer today is, "Jesus, teach me to love just like you all my days."

In His Never Failing Love,

Sandy Billingham

God Has Been Born as a Human Being...Tuesday

12/22 /15

And she brought forth her firstborn son, 
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger;
 because there was no room for them in the inn.  
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, 
keeping watch over their flock by night.
 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, 
and the glory of the Lord  shone round about them:

and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you 
good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, 
 which is

Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:7-11

*****************************************************

The title "Christ the Lord" would probably have been said as "Messiah Adonai" in the Aramaic that these shepherds spoke. This is a not-so-subtle intimation that this newborn child was not only the promised Messiah, but also the One known as "the Lord" in the Old Testament. The angel is not merely announcing the birth of a special baby in Bethlehem but that God had been born as a human being

Behold, a virgin 
shall be with child,

and shall bring forth a son,

and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,

God with us.

Matthew 1:23

 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,

 (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)

full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

****************************************

Matthew's account is plain and straightforward, as if he were laying out the facts in a court case, and in a way, he is building a case for the reader—particularly the Jewish reader—to accept Jesus as the Messiah. He takes great pains to present the facts that will show that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 to the letter. What is more, this is an event in which Jesus Himself is passive, having no active part in the fulfillment of the prophecy. This, of course, increases the improbability of its achievement by human manipulation.

Shared by 
Corinne Mustafa

The Price We Pay...Monday

12/21/15

This is Christmas Week! There are so many things to do before we finally settle down for the special day. While searching for just the right gift, or flying through the supermarket, you are in good company. As we try to finish our shopping, most of us, no matter what our plan or our budget, take a look at the price tag in order to decide if it is worth what they are asking.

When I am considering a gift, fingering the price tag, I often feel this tugging inside of me, reminding me to consider the cost. We all know that the price tags have been switched in this world. Those things that are truly valuable: honesty, loving care, faithfulness, time spent together, and listening are all in the discount bin. Heavy on our wallets are the material things that can be broken or stolen and that do not matter in the long run.

I admit it is easier to buy my loved one a beautiful gift than to make the effort to carve out time with them in the middle of my busy life. But that’s the way of it! It costs us something no matter what we do. May we all pay attention to the price we pay this season.

Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich;

restrain yourself!

Riches disappear in the blink of an eye;

wealth sprouts wings

and flies off into the wild blue yonder.

Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money;

buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight.

Proverbs 23:4-5, 23

 (The Message)

Dear Lord, please show me how I may be a blessing to someone today. Please do not let me cause any harm or be a stumbling block to others. Please give me eyes to see and a heart that understands how to pay the right price this Christmas. In Jesus name, amen.

Written by Mary M. Wilkins

The Newsboys perform "All I Want for Christmas"

CHILDBIRTH PAINS... Sunday

Devotional for 12/20/15

Can you imagine how Mary felt as she and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem when the birth of her first child was imminent?  She even may have been having some early labor pains as they approached their destination.  All this was occurring while traversing the rough terrain on foot or on the back of a donkey.  Then there was no room at the inn, but they were allowed to bed down with the animals - quite the birthing room!  Yet in the end it was all worth it as the Savior arrived and angels proclaimed his birth.

Our lives go through much the same pattern.  Life on this earth is hard.  We are constantly bombarded by difficulties along the way.  Sometimes our emotional or physical pain is so great we groan and cry out in anguish.  Thankfully we have the confidence that the Holy Spirit is with us every step of the way until we arrive at our destination.  No matter what we go through or how many times we falter, as we remain faithful to God, we are forgiven and adopted into Christ's family and inherit eternal life with Him in heaven.  It is all worth it in the end!

Romans 8:22-23  (NIV)  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 

Our world is going through similar things.  As we approach the second coming of Christ, things will continue to get worse on this earth. Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes, darkness and difficulties will intensify.  Our world is groaning in labor pains as it awaits the glory of Jesus' return, to be accompanied again by angels. 

As we continue on our journey may we always keep our eyes upon Christ! 

Dear Lord in heaven, we know that in this world we will have struggles and pain at times.  Help us to remain faithful in our footsteps along the journey.  This week as we approach our celebration of your birth once again, keep our eyes focused upon you, the heart of Christmas.  Help us also to point others toward the greatest gift at the manger.  In your name we pray, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

Celebrate Life...Friday

December 18, 2015

The Birth of Jesus

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while  Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.  So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,  “Glory to God in the highest heaven    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.  On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Luke 2:1-21

(NIV)

What an incredible life we have due to the birth of our Savior.  No, life on earth is not all sunshine and smiles every day, in fact during the current times it is filled with much sadness, heartache, and uncertainty.  Along with the world problems, we each have our own life challenges that disrupt the flow of our peaceful daily life.  The one constant and for sure light that we have is Jesus Christ.  He is the joy of our world and the reason for celebration of life no matter what the circumstances.

All I am certain of at this time is that I need and want to see Him in all of my moments.  He is our gift, not only for the Christmas season but every single day.  I have to put Him first and foremost in order to keep my life on the correct track; the only track that I care to journey on through.  I have had my share of trekking along to my own tune and it has never worked out for the best.


From here on out I will be celebrating the life of Jesus every single day… as He is planted in my heart permanently.  When I come to a bump of unpleasantness my heart will direct my mind to pass that little obstacle right along to my constant and sure companion.  He has got this for me, for you and for everyone…all we have to do is believe!  Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!!   The glorious birth of Christ has given us all the gift of a life to be celebrated with genuine heartfelt joy!!   Amen.

Written by
Kelly Dobyns

Love That Endures...Thursday

12/17/15

For one brief moment I abandoned you. In a quick burst of anger, I rejected you and hid My face from you, leaving you to feel deserted and alone.

But I love you with a love that endures the ages and loves you forever. With enormous compassion I will gather you back to me. With great mercy, I will forgive and protect. With kindness, I will bring you to Me. With tenderness, I will embrace you again.

That is what I say. And I am the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54.7-8

When you wake up feeling alone and disconnected because of the challenges in your life life, when you are in the dark valley under the shadows of your situations and it becomes hard to see, that is when you need to rest on the wing of His promises.

“He, Himself said I will never leave you nor forsake you." Heb 13.5  and, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30.5.

May the Grace of our Lord strengthen and uphold you through this moment of uncertainty. May you receive the strength to stay on course, no matter the pain or pressure, until the light breaks through, in Jesus name, amen.

Written by 

Brother Thomas Ukwute, Nigeria

       Edited by Jody Ward