Scripture Memory Team Verse 22 – November 15, 2015

November 19, 2015 4:20 PM 0

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Ephesians 4:23-24
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
Put on your new nature, created to be like God—
truly righteous and holy.

The struggle is truly real. I hear and see folks use that phrase sometimes and it is usually over something that is NOT really serious or a true struggle. However…the daily struggle to walk in the Spirit and live righteous and holy lives is indeed serious and very real. The only way we can put on our new nature is to renew our thoughts and attitudes – every day and often every hour or in moments.

I’m in the middle of a Bible study by Priscilla Shirer entitled “The Armor of God.”  Below is an excerpt – in fact my memory verse for November 15 came from my time in this study.

All day, every day, an invisible war rages around you —
unseen, unheard, yet felt throughout every aspect of your life.
A devoted, devilish enemy seeks to wreak havoc on everything that matters to you:
your heart, your mind, your marriage, your children,
your relationships, your resilience, your dreams, your destiny.

But his battle plan depends on catching you unaware and unarmed.
If you’re tired of being pushed around and caught with your guard down,
this study is for you.

The struggle is real and so is the enemy. However, there is a Savior and His Name is Jesus. And He is REAL and he really cares for you and will make a way for you to have a renewed heart and mind from any and all negative talk and strongholds.

Blessings to you today!

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Scripture Memory Team Verse 21 – November 1, 2015

November 2, 2015 4:27 PM 0

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Galatians 5:25 – NKJV
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 (AMP)
If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit,
we must also walk by the Spirit
[with personal integrity, godly character,
and moral courage—our conduct empowered
by the Holy Spirit].

My pastor, Dr. Jim Perdue has been preaching through the book of Galatians and the simplicity of this verse jumped out at me a couple of weeks ago as he completed the sermon series. I made a mental note to consider this as a memory verse, so here it is. What I believe this verse means is obvious; however, daily living it out is not as plain. Basically if we belong to Christ and live in His Spirit, then our lives should reflect the same.  I especially love the Amplified version of this verse, seen above in BLUE.

I was in the marching band in high school and we had to “keep in step” all the time. If one of us got out of step it would be obvious to those in the stands, and even more evident to a judge if we were at a competition! Regardless of whether we were just out on the ball field rehearsing or trying to win yet another competition…keeping in step mattered. The same is true in our daily lives. Keeping in step matters every day. Whether we are just at home doing laundry, going about our simple routines…or if we are at church teaching or leading a group of people in Bible study, we must walk in His Spirit.

The best news is that we aren’t left to keep in step in our own strength. His Spirit indwells us…Spirit with a big capital S! As a child of God the Holy Spirit equips me to live the Christ life, to walk in Him, to keep in step. And when I stumble and falter, or even fall flat on my face, that same Spirit is there to pick me up and keep me focused and in step. I’m thankful today that I live in His Spirit and that Jesus enables me to walk in the Spirit and that He orders my steps and lights my path!

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Scripture Memory Team Verse 20 – October 15, 2015

October 16, 2015 11:29 AM 0

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Psalm 119:147
I rise before dawn and cry for help.
I have put my hope in your word.

There’s something mighty special about the wee hours of the morning before the day breaks. The anticipation of a new day, fresh and clean without any mishaps. Now I will be very clear here – I am not a morning person.  Oh, I’m up early getting ready for work…but I’m just “up.” My mind really works best in the evening. Actually dusk is my favorite time of day, a time to unwind and reflect over the day’s blessings (and yes, the day’s mishaps). In fact my husband and I enjoyed sitting in the swing out by our pond yesterday evening with a nice fire in the firepit to enjoy the chilly fall weather. 

This passage taken from the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, talks about rising before dawn and crying for help. The basic theme of Psalm 119 is the practical use of the Word of God in the life of the believer. This verse confirms that. The psalmist knew where to go for help and where to place hope. There is no better place to put your hope than in the unfailing word of God.

Whether you love the daylight of dawn or the darkness of dusk, crying for help that can only be found in the word of God is wisdom. I love the quietness of time in prayer and the Word of God early in the morning. It is the best way to start any day. But I can tell you that Our Faithful Mighty God never sleeps or slumbers and you can cry for help at any moment of the day, and He is there.

The most important thing to affirm in this passage is that you know that your hope can find a resting place in His Word. My paternal grandmother, Mary Ruth Maloy, loved this hymn, “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place.”  I love it too and I’m thankful she shared it with me.

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever-living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I came to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation through His blood.

My great physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.

Cry out to Him, Rest in Him, Hope in His Word,

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Scripture Memory Team Verse 19 – October 1, 2015

October 1, 2015 11:28 AM 0

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Psalm 12:3 (HCSB)
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips
and the tongue that speaks boastfully.

In this Psalm, David is crying out to God for deliverance from folks who were double-minded and used flattery to deceive. According to Dr. Thomas Constable’s notes, David placed confidence in the promises of God to deliver those who look to Him. Can we just go ahead and say this verse sounds a bit harsh? Cutting off flattering lips and boastful tongues? Hyperbole, yes, but it spoke to me and I pray it sticks (to the roof of my mouth and deep in my heart.) 🙂 

My friend Patsy Randall and I are team-teaching women’s bible study classes on Sunday afternoons. We are both in the same season of life, moms to grown sons, and both of us are also grandmothers…to our great delight and joy. We are just finishing up Jennifer Rothschild’s Hosea Bible study, and getting ready to begin The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer in a couple of weeks.

But we’ve already decided we are going to begin the New Year of 2016 with a study by Karen Ehman called “KEEP IT SHUT!”  We may as well just go ahead and say that title isn’t very soft or appealing either…however, it is a discipline that I crave and I know Patsy does too.

Today the author Karen Ehman has a list called “7 Tips to Stop Shooting From the LIPS!” Woohoo! Don’t you want that list? If so, there is a free printable for you to download at her website and can be found at this link: 7 TIPS TO STOP SHOOTING FROM THE LIPS  I’ve already printed mine and so has Patsy!

My mouth sometimes gets me in a heap of trouble – yes it does! Yesterday was one of those days. Mrs. Ehman says “we have to make the choice every day to put away the verbal ammunition and restrain our words.” Some days we make it, some days we don’t. God is faithful and by His Spirit and armed with the truths learned in His Word, we can overcome!

Blessings to you today!

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Scripture Memory Team Verse 18 – September 15, 2015

September 28, 2015 9:57 AM 0

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Psalm 91:14-16 (NLT)
14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

What a glorious group of promises from Psalm 91 – which happens to be one of my favorite Psalms. I want to break this down into all the “I’ wills.”  Note the verse begins with THE LORD SAYS – so when He says…we believe and trust!

  • I will rescue those who love me. Do you love Him? Have you ever needed rescuing? From a situation, from a relationship, from your own self? He will rescue those who love Him. That’s a promise.
  • I will protect those who trust in my name. Have you ever needed protection? How about every day? Of course we all do from the enemy of our souls. But then often  I need protection from my own thoughts and mouth (speaking before thinking) which takes me back to my April 15 verse from James 1:19 about being slow to speak.
  • I will answer. This is sometimes harder to understand because we don’t know when He will answer. Sometimes the answers are:
    • Direct
    • Denied
    • Delayed
    • Different
      B      ut the promise is there – HE WILL ANSWER. Wait in faith.
  • I will be with them in trouble. Trouble comes calling to all of us in our lives. It could be of our own making or we could be completely blindsided by trouble. God is with us and He promises that.
  • I will rescue and honor them. God will rescue us and He is always on time. Trust in Him.
  • I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation. A long life and salvation. A life here and eternal life there. The greatest promise of all.

STANDING ON THE PROMISES!

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Scripture Memory Team Verse 17 – September 1, 2015

September 10, 2015 4:23 PM 0

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Psalm 119:57 (NET)
The Lord is my source of security.
I have determined to followed your instructions.

I’m continuing my seasons theme this year with verse 57 from Psalm 119. We are very close to Autumn on the calendar and I’m in the Autumn season of my life. This is a season I am relishing with JOY.  This joy includes witnessing the faithfulness of God in my life…the security and contentment in a beautiful marriage of 38 years to my best friend and the love of my life…the anticipation of retirement in a few years…the gift of having both my parents alive and well and living nearby…the delight of my grown sons and their wives all living for Jesus and taking care of their families and always the sheer JOY of my life…I am Gran Jan to FIVE AMAZING GRANDCHILDREN!

Chapter 119 in the book of Psalms is the longest in the Bible with 176 verses.  It is so beautiful to me. I love that verse 57 also represents my current age of 57 years. [That number will help me remember it as a I continue to memorize scripture as part of this “team” with Living Proof Ministries.]

The theme of seasons applies to me here now because I KNOW without any shadow of doubt that the Lord is my source of security. Why can I say that? Because I’m older and this assurance from living a long time and experiencing God’s faithfulness in the journey. Being able to look back and see God’s Hand and His plan is a gift. And the second part of the verse says I AM DETERMINED to follow His instructions. Yes I am! Because I know that He is good and faithful and His plans for me are true and perfect.

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First Days of School Days – 2015

August 25, 2015 3:06 PM 1

All my grandchildren have returned to school. The two littlest ones are actually going to pre-school, but all five of them are in “school.” I am writing this post for the sheer JOY of having these pictures all in one spot so that I may look back on them one day. This blog is all about these great and wonderful blessings called grandchildren, Gran Jan’s JOY. They make me smile from the inside out. Just thinking about them can stir my heart.

My prayer for them this school year is that God will:

  • guard their hearts,
  • protect them from bullies,
  • keep them safe and well,
  • help them stand strong,
  • help them be kind to everyone,
  • help them have friends and be friends,
  • help them be a blessing to their teachers and…
  • instill in them the character of Christ and that the plans He has for them will begin to take shape.

ZEKE1-Zeke

MADIE1-Madie

JACKSON1-Jackson

EMERY1-Emery

ABE1-Abe

Amen and amen, in the Mighty Name of Jesus!

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