Battle

Got Sword?

May 4, 2020 by Aliene

You are God’s child. As his daughter, you can walk in the assurance that He can help you today with whatever battle you face—no matter what it is.

The battles we face in life go far beyond what we can see. The enemy of our soul is behind the evil that wounds us and leaves us with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy. God wants to release his potential within each of us so we can walk in our authentic identity and bring the love of Christ to others. However, Satan, the enemy of our soul, would love to shut down our heart. When that happens, our world suffers and we all lose because every woman is created to bring value to this world.

God’s answer is to armor up and fight the war against the enemy God’s way.

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17, emphasis mine).

God’s Word is our offensive piece of armor in the battle against the enemy of our soul. Jesus drew from the scriptures to defeat Satan’s manipulative tactics of temptation so he could stand firm (Matthew 4:1-11). You too can walk in victory, as you “take the sword with you” through memory and speak it out loud like Jesus.

Memorization allows us to have direct access to life-changing truths anytime and anywhere.

Got sword? Godly girl power flows from a woman geared up with God’s Word. Defeat the enemy by dedicating five minutes each day to memorize God’s Word.

“I was 28, married, great job, loved the Lord, had just gotten back from another overseas mission trip, and was at the end of the first trimester of my first and long-awaited pregnancy! Life was great, and it was easy to say “blessed be the name of the Lord.” I meant it with all my heart, but it was easy because my life was easy.

A week after seeing my baby move around on the ultrasound, I was completely and utterly devastated when my baby’s heart stopped beating, and I would go in the hospital as a pregnant, hopeful, future mommy and leave empty-handed and heart-broken. This was my first brutal taste of suffering in a sinful world.

All of a sudden, I was forced to face what I had been taught, studied, and believed. Was God really sovereign? How would this be worked into good?

At the same time as this deep sorrow, I also was experiencing the abundant grace of the Lord and the peace that passes all understanding that I had read about and sung about all my life. I had experienced a valley, and there was no going back to who I was before. I felt that I was experiencing such an intense growth spurt as well as a new level of attacks from the enemy all at the same time.

When we are walking through suffering with the Light of the World, Satan hates the glory that the Lord receives as we cry blessed be the name of the Lord and show Christ to the world. The lies of the enemy are crafty. He would want me to believe this was my fault. He would want me to withdraw in shame and sorrow without hope and cover my light. He wouldn’t want me to share with the world the reason for the hope that I have and why I can in my pain lift my hands to my Lord and rejoice.

There was a battle going on and I was a new warrior.

I sought the wisdom of a well-respected friend and asked her to mentor me through this process, and the Lord used this Titus 2 relationship to change my life. We gathered on a regular basis to pray, study the Bible, and read through a book together, but there was one thing in particular that the Lord taught me through her that stands out above all else. She encouraged me to meditate on scripture and to memorize it. I had grown up in church and had memorized verses here and there (and of course knew the key gospel verses), but memorizing chunks of scripture at a time was a daunting challenge. She encouraged me to pick a book of the Bible and just go for it one verse at a time.

I, of course, was flooded with excuses of limited time and poor memory, but she said to me, “if I can do it, you can do it.” Well, I humbly gave it a go. It took a little bit to figure out what version worked best for my memory and to find a technique that fit me. I was slow, but it got easier and easier.

Then, the most amazing thing happened!!!! As I carried around the sword in my mind and on my heart, it was suddenly relevant all the time! It was relevant in conversations with friends, coworkers, and it was my weapon in the times when I was alone and the enemy would whisper and seek to discourage.

About six months later, I found myself back in the hospital toward the end of the first trimester of my second pregnancy. What appeared to be another devastating miscarriage ended up being a sub-chorionic hemorrhage that would resolve, and eventually, I would give birth to my little boy. However, while laying in the hospital waiting for the ultrasound, I thought I had lost him. I remember so clearly praying that the Lord would give me strength and grace to get through this again.

This time was different though- I had my sword!

I had the first few chapters of James already in my head and was able to meditate on it while laying there feeling anxious and afraid. GAME CHANGER! WARRIOR!

Wise women train hard for the race of a life that glorifies God by gearing up with God’s Word.

For me this was the beginning of a marathon of different trials, but the Lord is teaching me to fuel up with His word and run hard. He is teaching me how to prepare for battle!

My next 7 years would include more miscarriages, an overseas move, the sudden death of my mother, and many other ups and downs.

No matter the season, whether mountain or valley, studying the Word and memorizing the word will always produce fruit that glorifies God and points others to the Light of the World.

This is a battle, ladies, and we shouldn’t wait another day to evaluate our training plans! You can do it and you must!

Run hard and carry your sword! If I can do it, you can do it!”

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Battle Ready

March 5, 2018 by Aliene

Are you getting ready to face a battle? Today’s devotion is just for you.

Safely on the other side of the Jordan, the Israelites set up a base camp at Gilgal. Before the Israelites moved out from their camp to capture Jericho, they had to take care of some family business to prepare them for battle. Circumcision reestablished their identity with the covenant God had made with Abraham. Eating the Passover meal, the Israelites celebrated God’s mighty power to deliver them.

I believe God wanted them to remember in the days to come, inside the heat of the battle, that God was with and for them.

The Enemy Wants Us to Believe We’ve Been Abandoned

Adversity never means Jesus has abandoned you. But beware—that is exactly what the enemy wants us to believe. The enemy of our soul capitalizes on catastrophe by whispering sinister lies in our ears: “If God really loves you, he wouldn’t allow this to happen. He has abandoned you.” Or even worse: “There is something wrong with you, and that is why all this has happened.”

Are you walking through a battle? Do you want to shout at the top of your lungs, Jesus, where are you?

Or do you look around at our world and ask, Where is God if there is poverty, sex trafficking, and abuse of women that abound in this world?

Jesus, where are you? I’ve experienced that silent scream in my soul. How about you?

God Is with Us in Battle

When faced with adversity, we sometimes feel God has abandoned us. But God’s Word assures us that he will never leave us and he is with us. The world is a battlefield where brave hearts make a difference.

Which voice will we believe?

How Communion and Baptism Help Us Remember

Much like Passover and circumcision, communion and baptism are respectively two disciplines of the Christian faith designed to help us remember God’s faithfulness and our identity in Christ in the middle of our broken world filled with battles.

Communion is a wonderful way to remember our new covenant position. On the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion, the disciples celebrated the Passover with each other. The events that followed would test their faith. Jesus wanted them to remember that he was the Passover lamb and that his death would bring victory.

Baptism is the public outward sign of what Christ did inwardly the moment you became a Christian. When you became a Christian, Jesus circumcised your heart by the Holy Spirit and made you dead to sin but alive to Christ (Romans 2:29). Just as circumcision did not make Abraham righteous (Romans 4:11), baptism does not make you a Christian. In baptism, we identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. We are saying publicly, “My identity is now in Christ. My old self was crucified and he lives in me. Through my faith and reliance on the power of God, I can now live for God.”

The Lord told Joshua, “’Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day” (Joshua 5:9).

Egypt symbolizes slavery to sin and shame. The word reproach means in Hebrew a taunt, a scorn, resting upon condition of shame, disgrace. The Bible says that Satan accuses and taunts Christians day and night and fills them with shame (Revelations 12:10). The enemy can use battles to shame us telling us that there must be something wrong with us.

Condemnation is never from God. Christ rolled away our shame through his sacrifice. If you feel like a bad Christian, Satan is trying to make you feel defeated by accusing you. Open your mouth and say, “Jesus rolled away my reproach, and your tactic to make me feel unworthy to be a Christian does not work anymore.”

Brave heart, it is during the battle that you need God the most. Shame is toxic because shame separates us from our mighty God!

Prepare for Battle by Standing in Truth

Gilgal means a wheel or rolling. Joshua and the Israelites will retreat to Gilgal again and again. We must continue to meditate on the truth of who we are in Christ to renew our minds and to be transformed. We do not learn it once and rest. We remind ourselves repeatedly so that when the attacks come, we can stand in the truth.

Remember your baptism and all that it symbolizes. Celebrate communion often and see it as an opportunity to remember who you are in Christ.

When faced with a battle, you can be a Christian and still struggle with your identity in Christ. Although God sees you as a new creation and in complete right standing with him, you may believe something completely different. Our actions will always follow our belief system.

Remember your new identity through baptism and communion. Christ, your Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. His blood of the new covenant was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins. You have been raised to new life.

After the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River, the manna went away and they ate the fruit of the land.

Take another look, a good look, at your new covenant position in Christ. The same Holy Spirit that empowered the early church is on the table. Your new identity is in Christ. In Christ, you are God’s child. The power and penalty of sin have been destroyed. God has made you an eagle . . . and you are meant to fly (Isaiah 40:31).

Nourish Scripture: Joshua 5

Got Sword?

September 10, 2017 by Aliene

You are God’s child. As his daughter, you can walk in the assurance that He can help you today with whatever battle you face—no matter what it is.

But like an unexpected wave, life’s battles can take us by surprise and we might find ourselves fighting for air instead of forging ahead in our God given-purpose. If that is you today – do not quit! Reach for the armor of God. Putting on the armor is proactive and requires action on your part.

Facing a battle?

You are not alone.

Find inspiration through Brooke McGee’s story to BE PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE. Gear up for battle with God’s armor to gain godly girl power. Find confidence in the middle of your storm.

Brooke’s Story

All of a sudden, I was forced to face what I had been taught, studied, and believed. Was God really sovereign? How would this be worked into good?

He would want me to believe this was my fault.

He would want me to withdraw in shame and sorrow without hope and cover my light.

He wouldn’t want me to share with the world the reason for the hope that I have and why I can in my pain lift my hands to my Lord and rejoice.

There was a battle going on and I was a new warrior.

I sought the wisdom of a well-respected friend and asked her to mentor me through this process, and the Lord used this relationship to change my life. She encouraged me to meditate on scripture and to memorize it. I had grown up in church and had memorized verses here and there (and of course knew the key gospel verses), but memorizing chunks of scripture at a time was a daunting challenge. She encouraged me to pick of a book of the Bible and just go for it one verse at a time.

I, of course, was flooded with excuses of limited time and poor memory, but she said to me,”if I can do it, you can do it”. Well, I humbly gave it a go. It took a little bit to figure out what version worked best for my memory and to find a technique that fit me. I was slow, but it got easier and easier.

Then, the most amazing thing happened!!!! As I carried around the sword in my mind and on my heart, it was suddenly relevant all the time! It was relevant in conversations with friends, coworkers, and it was my weapon in the times when I was alone and the enemy would whisper and seek to discourage.

About six months later, I found myself back in the hospital toward the end of the first trimester of my second pregnancy. What appeared to be another devastating miscarriage ended up being a sub chorionic hemorrhage that would resolve, and eventually, I would give birth to my little boy. However, while laying in the hospital waiting for the ultrasound, I thought I had lost him. I remember so clearly praying that the Lord would give me strength and grace to get through this again.

This time was different though- I had my sword!

I had the first few chapters of James already in my head and was able to meditate on it while laying there feeling anxious and afraid. GAME CHANGER! WARRIOR!

For me this was the beginning of a marathon of different trials, but the Lord was teaching me to fuel up with His word and run hard. He is teaching me how to prepare for battle!

My next 7 years would include more miscarriages, an overseas move, the sudden death of my mother, and many other ups and downs.

No matter the season, whether mountain or valley, studying the Word and memorizing the word will always produce fruit that glorifies God and points others to the Light of the World.

Run hard and carry your sword! If I can do it, you can do it!”

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil….. take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:13 & 17, emphasis mine)

Take the Sword with You

Got sword? Godly girl power flows from a woman geared up with God’s Word.

In this week’s podcast Brooke shares an effective strategy to memorize God’s Word in 7 simple steps. Listen to the podcast, and discover how to “take your sword” with you to be strong in any battle you face. We will tackle every piece of armor and discuss what it means to “put on” the armor of God in our Facebook Live on Wednesday…. See you there!

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Want more? Learn how to apply the Nourish Bible Study Method and develop a deeper connection with God’s Word by downloading Nourishing Your Heart.

Godly Girl Power

July 10, 2017 by Aliene

For the battle you face today, brave heart, God’s strength is sufficient. His perfect love is a powerful force. His all-surpassing mighty power is much greater than worldly power.

Allow God to guard you by letting him guide you. His unfailing love will see you through.

Women make the greatest difference in this world when they experience God’s unconditional love and live confidently, fulfilling God’s purpose for their life. This is not easy. In a world that teaches us to depend on sources other than God, it’s easy to become co-dependent and lose our identity.

I know this—I’ve been there. This is what I’ve learned in my journey of breaking free from co-dependency: to walk in our purpose, we need to plug into Godly girl power.

What Is Godly Girl Power?

Godly girl power is God’s all-surpassing power. This is different from worldly power.

Worldly power is outward control dependent on other people and things and focuses on self.
Godly girl power is the inner strength of a woman led confidently by God to walk in love and live for his glory no matter what circumstances she faces. Love is the most powerful force and that is what Godly Girl Power is all about.

Paul taught the Ephesians about God’s all-surpassing power:

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:16)

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

Standing in God’s Strength

When faced with a battle, we can be tempted to put on the armor of the world, to fight with the world’s battle plans. We try to take the reins of life, fighting our way to take power the world provides to fix things. During past battles, we learned those old coping mechanisms for survival like manipulation, control, self-reliance, seeking power from people, people pleasing, performance, anger, and unforgiveness.

These are just some of the worldly ways we sought to find power from external sources when we felt powerless.

But now we belong to Jesus, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. He invites us to receive his power by standing in his mighty strength (1 Peter 2:18–25).

Sharing the gospel is our precious privilege but one that the enemy of our souls would love to shut down. If he can get us so wound up and worn out fighting our battles the world’s way, we may become so discouraged, distracted, and directionless that we stop sharing the Gospel altogether.

Christianity that requires courage instead of Christianity that demands comfort calls to us stand in the strength that only God can provide.

God Is Your Defender. You Are Not Powerless.

Which will you choose? Will you stand in God’s mighty power . . . or survive by trying to take worldly power? It’s such an important choice. You see, whatever source you see as your strength will control your life. God’s power is agape love—and his unconditional love is the most powerful force in the world.

Nourish Scripture: Acts 20:16-36

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to learn how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life.

Godly Girl Power

July 3, 2017 by Aliene

Hey there, Braveheart,

Yeah, that’s you! Happy 4th of July! Hope you are having a great start to your summer.

Starting next Monday, we will kick off a new series called Godly Girl Power. For the next ten weeks, we look at Paul’s words to the Church at Ephesus as we walk through Acts 20:16-26 and the book of Ephesians.

So, what is godly girl power?

Understanding Godly Girl Power

Godly girl power is God’s all-surpassing power. This is different from worldly power.

Worldly power is outward control dependent on other people and things and focuses on self. Godly girl power is the inner strength of a woman led confidently by God to walk in love and live for his glory no matter what circumstances she faces. Love is the most powerful force, and that is what Godly Girl Power is all about.

Paul loved his church family in Ephesus. Under his care, he encouraged them to stand in God’s strength.

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)

Life can make you feel powerless sometimes when a battle is at hand. We can find all the strength we need by standing in the strength that ONLY God can provide!

So, grab a friend and get ready as we uncover God’s limitless strength in this 10-week Bible study on the book of Ephesians. In this study you will:

Learn the difference between godly girl-power and worldly power.
Discover how to plug into God’s limitless source of strength.
Study the entire book of Ephesians using the Nourish Bible Study Method.
Be inspired to live the truth with our weekly podcast audio messages on iTunes.
Gain encouragement for your journey with our resources on our Facebook Page including our weekly video message.

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and like our Facebook page to get ready for a great journey.

We start next Monday! Have a great Fourth of July!

ONWARD!

Biblical Meditation

May 29, 2017 by Aliene

“And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed.” (Joshua 1:8 MSG)

The Importance of Meditating on Truth

God told Joshua to meditate on truth and that same tool is just as effective for us today.

I am not a warrior like Joshua trying to conquer enemies in the Promised Land, but I am a busy wife, mother, friend, and ministry leader with a desire to live in the direction of my God-given purpose. Just like you, I have distractions and disappointments that have the potential to derail me.

In my busy world where my mind is prone to wander, biblical meditation continues to be the tool that gives me the ability to take my thoughts captive so that I can stand firm in my faith.

As an anchor exists to secure a vessel so it ceases to wander, God’s Word secures our heart to Him no matter what waves we may face during the day. In our information age where our minds are processing information beyond capacity, it has never been more important to develop this discipline designed by God to walk in truth.

Biblical meditation is God’s prescription to take your thoughts captive to his truth. Biblical meditation renews our minds, transforms our thoughts, and strengthens our faith so we can stand firm in our God-given purpose.

Changing My Perspective on Biblical Meditation

Meditate “hagah” |Hebrew|: to speak; to imagine; to mutter

The word meditate in Hebrew means to speak, to imagine, or to mutter. So, for our use, meditation means to ponder over God’s truth by reading the Bible during our quiet time. We reflect on truths revealed by prayerfully speaking God’s Word, and return to those truths to remember and renew our minds during the day.

I would like to clarify one important point here: This meditation is not like the kind endorsed by other religions.

We do not empty our minds. On the contrary, we fill our minds with God and his Word by speaking scriptures. This kind of meditation was God’s idea and, when performed according to his prescription, it will renew your mind and transform your relationship with him. In my podcast this week, we will discuss this further.

Taking our thoughts captive to truth sounds simple, but when I first tried to put this discipline into practice I was frustrated. Then the Lord gave me some wonderful insight:

Every time you allow worries to take over your thoughts, you are renewing your mind. Every time you allow your mind to sit and dwell on a past hurt, you are renewing your mind. Every time you replay something in your past repeatedly in your thoughts, you are renewing your mind. Every time your mind churns and churns, overanalyzing, trying to fix or figure things out that only I can control, you are renewing your mind. However, you are not meditating on the truths that will set you free, but on lies that oppress you.

God allowed me to see that instead of renewing my mind on the truths in his Word, I was meditating on lies from the Enemy. I learned I was meditating not only during my Bible study but also during the day. I learned I had the ability to focus, but too often my thoughts were focused in the wrong direction.

Biblical Meditation Is God’s Prescription

Renewing our minds with truth is God’s prescription for shifting our perspective to an eternal focus so we may live a Spirit-led life. Pulling one truth away from my quiet time in God’s Word and allowing it to travel with me during the day has proven to be both doable and life-changing.

Sometimes it is hard to get started on this journey. Our podcast this week on iTunes and the third step in the Nourish Bible Study Method Renew can help start you on that journey.

Jesus drew from the Scriptures to defeat Satan’s manipulative tactics of temptation so that he could stand firm (Matthew 4:1–11). Similarly, God’s Word is our offensive weapon in the battle against the enemy of our soul.

As you face battles during the day, be like Joshua and Jesus. Stand firm by strengthening your mind to the truth in his Word.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 4:17-24

Take the next step in deepening your connection with God’s Word by downloading Nourishing Your Heart today!