Our Christmas Soirée! [PHOTOS]

A few snaps from our gorgeous evening!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LWFITC!

Indeed! It's been a year since LWFITC launched. On the 17th November 2014, 3 ladies interested in Bible study and gaining a bigger and clearer perspective of God gathered together at a pancake house based in Holborn. We spoke about our purpose, we didn't know what this would turn into; but we knew it would be fruitful and a beautiful journey.

Over the course of the year Ladies Who Fellowship In The City has been in existence, we've been so blessed to grow in number, have guest speakers, testimonies, breakthroughs, friendships, sisterhood, and much deeper rooted faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

It's not always been an easy journey, but it's been so so worth it. No one to thank but God for imprinting the vision, and guiding us throughout.

We marked the blessed year of LWFITC with a weekend retreat in Rugby. Our guest speaker spoke to us about love and fruits (will post full audio link in next blog post).

We prayed, read, spoke, laughed, and left feeling so blessed and enriched. God bless fellowship, forever! Some photos from the stunning weekend:

The things we’re not talking about in the church [meeting number 20!]

This meeting was very energetic, intimate, vibrant, and honest! We each delved into conversation under important topics going on in the church but not openly spoken about. To be honest, sadly, this conversation could’ve gone on for a while. And that’s the bad part about it. Why are certain topics being avoided when it’s sermon time in church? Problems such as:

Money, Abuse, and the more in-depth talk which was also on fornication. Notes on fornication:

Fornication

The Bible repeatedly instructs God’s people to “flee fornication.” For 2,000 years, the word translated “fornication” in Scripture has been understood to include the prohibition of sex prior to marriage. The dictionary definition is clear: “consensual sexual intercourse between two persons not married to each other.”

A Privileged Experience

God designed the physical union of a man and a woman as a privileged experience within the bounds of marriage. The Lord intended marriage as a secure environment for raising children and a uniquely meaningful union that symbolises God’s committed relationship to us (Ephesians 5:32).

If there was nothing wrong with premarital sex, then why was Joseph determined to divorce Mary when he discovered she was expecting a child prior to marriage?

If there is nothing wrong with premarital sex, then one could conclude there is nothing wrong with having children out of wedlock.

Obviously, those who would suggest the liberalisation of the biblical standard are ignoring the clear teaching of Scripture, conforming to the values of the world, and yielding to the desires of the flesh. As Jesus said, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

The Church’s Responsibility

 The church has a responsibility to practice discipline in regard to flagrant, known sin.

This is especially true for those in leadership. We are to gently confront believers who are known to be living in sin and encourage them to repent.

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautioned us not to attempt to remove a speck from someone else’s eye without first examining ourselves to make sure there is not a log protruding from our own. Later, He explained that if the person living in sin doesn’t repent, then the believer is to take two or three others to confront again. If the backslider still refuses to change, the issue is to be taken to the church (Matthew 19:16-17).

The shepherds of the flock are then to confront in love and encourage restoration to Christ. If the offender still refuses to repent, he/she is to be treated as an unbeliever.

Removal Option

The Apostle Paul instructed the Corinthian church to remove from their fellowship a man who persisted in living in incest, warning, “With such a man do not even eat” (1 Corinthians 5:11). 

This does sound quite harsh in the times that we are living in that seems to tolerate everything, but they work very effectively—often in the first stages.

God designed the church to consist of people who are “called out” from the world. 

We are to live separate and holy lives. 

Unless we practice some measure of church discipline, the church is in danger of simply reflecting its culture rather than transforming it.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus said if salt loses its saltiness, it is good for nothing except to be cast out and trodden under men’s feet. This is the present-day danger all church leaders face.

May we have courage to point others to the truth instead of settling for the path of least resistance. Amen!

Thank you for reading, God bless you.

Follow us on twitter: @fellowshipladys

Instagram @ladieswhofellowship

 or email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com

xoxo

Meeting number 19 notes..: FEAR

The writer of Hebrews was addressing Hebrew believers who had tasted fear. They were exhausted, their friends and family had been imprisoned or killed, and they were wondering if living for Jesus was worth it. They were scared for their lives and families.

They were weary.

In just a little while, He who is coming will come and will not delay... But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back. — Hebrews 10:37-38, emphasis added).

Let those words haunt you. I shrink back a lot, and it haunts me too. We all are plagued with inner wars:

“I shrink back because I’m afraid.”

“I don’t trust myself.”

“I’m confused because I’m not exactly sure what it is He wants me to do.”

“I don’t know for sure that I can do what God wants me to do.”

“I’ve already got too much to do right in front of me.”

I don’t know what it is for you, but I bet that in some way, in some place in your soul, you are shrinking back. Even though we were saved and have God with us to live our callings, we all are shrinking back. So let’s go there.

Why are you shrinking back? Why are you afraid to live your calling? Where do you feel the most resistance?

PHYSICALLY?

“I can’t neglect other responsibilities.”

“It’s really not a big deal.”

“I’m too young or old.”

“I am not 100 percent sure this is God’s will.”

EMOTIONALLY?

“It feels lonely.”

“I can’t control what is going to happen.”

“I am scared I’ll fail.”

“I am not a leader.”

RELATIONALLY?

“What if God takes someone I love?”

“I’ll look foolish.”

“If I do this, I will let people down.”

“My family doesn’t understand.”

“People think I’m crazy.”

“My life will look different than my friends’.”

SPIRITUALLY?

“I am not good enough for God to use me.”

“I can’t even pray right now.”

“I don’t know if I trust God’s plan for me.”

“Do I really believe God is real?”

“I am stuck in sin.”

“I don’t think God even sees me.”

“Is it worth it?”

“What if God doesn’t show up?”

“What if I am misreading God?”

So do the work. Ask yourself, why are you shrinking back?

Fight Fear

"I shrink back because I’m afraid. I am afraid of what I will lose."


We have to deal with fear because it is possible that it will make us miss the best parts of life.

We all face fear. But we must kill fear like it is the devil, because it usually is. We do not belong to the one who shrinks back; we belong to the One who moved through His blood and sweat and despair and fear and reluctance in the garden of Gethsemane and said,

Not My will, but Yours be done. I belong to You and I will live for You and die for You. — Luke 22:42

He walked headfirst into His death.

So fight with me.

Fight Uncertainty

That little voice in your head that's telling you you're not good enough? Rebuke it!

Fight Distraction

We spoke about the importance of shunning things that are not good for us that will try to get in the way of the assignment we fear that God has called us to do.

All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial. — 1 Corinthians 10:23

OUR MISSIONS

Just thought we'd remind you of our missions at Ladies Who Fellowship in The City : ..:

- To bring more women closer to Christ through fellowship and evangelism
- To make fellowship a movement worldwide; no matter what background/walk of life you come from!
- To grow fully in spirit and truth, knowing that the Christian journey doesn't have to be spent alone

There is no such thing as a 'perfect' Christian..none of us are perfect. We are choosing to live Godly lives, reaching deeper into our purpose on earth, and adding our gifts and talents to the kingdom.

It all starts with building a relationship with God, then the rest shall follow. How do you build a relationship with God? Pray. Talk to Him. Read. Study Him. Fellowship. Share thoughts/feelings and questions with others. Fellowship with us! :)


Proverbs 31:29-31New Living Translation (NLT)

29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”

aaand for the people reading this for the first time, below is an intro of what LWFITC is about!..:

Ladies who fellowship in the city is about women joining together every fortnight to discuss the word of God and curiosities we have. We began in November 2014 with a vision from God to bring a community of women together who have curiosities about Christ and want to gather with other like-minded women who are also on a journey with God/want to get to know more of Him.

All of our meetings have been so warm, friendly and powerful; from guest speakers, to some ladies openly sharing their testimonies, to overall growth in spirit and knowledge of the Word! Amen!

Most meetings have a plan of what we'll discuss, and throughout we're constantly discussing and sharing views/opinions and personal encounters with God.

Essentially, it's all about forming a close companionship and bond with God. So much craziness is going on in the world so it's beautiful knowing young women m are curious in wanting to know more about God. None of us are preachers but we all want to GROW and make the most out of our lives, as we are living in time of many tests and challenges.

Fellowship is beautiful because you never feel alone - and what better way than getting clued up in the word through several passages in the Bible and discussing each topic it relates to. All women are welcome,  meetings are usually 60-90 mins and based all over central London x

:)

Our first BBQ!!!

Glory be to God our first BBQ was an utter success, surrounded by beautiful women who are curious, on a journey, and know and love God, coming together to enjoy the gorgeous weather, good, food, music, and fellowship!! The topic we discussed is definitely not something the average Mary would discuss at a BBQ, but the topic IS something that MUST be discussed more amongst the Christian community. Please read below, grab a cuppa, and enjoy. :)

LWFITC: Meeting 18               22/8/2015

Title: The power of sin

1.    What is sin?

The scriptural definition of sin is found in the book of James 4:17(ESV) which says, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin”. With this broad definition we can see how things such as procrastination can be classed as being sinful- it fits this definition perfectly! This also means that sin extends beyond being an immoral act, our thoughts; speech etc can also be sinful, verses 11 & 4 cover the areas of speech and friendship with the world being sinful.

·         ¹¹Do not speak evil against one another....

·         ⁴You adulterous people!^[a] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Spiritual adultery- serving more than one God).

2.    What is the origin of sin?

Romans 5:12 answers this question by saying that “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men^[a] because all sinned— So sin came into the world through one man’s act and as a result of it we have all sinned. Sin is so powerful that we are all born inherently with a sinful nature which gives us a tendency towards sin; especially of mind and will. Therefore, we’re either wanting to sin or thinking to sin.  Psalms 51:5 confirms this, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me”.

2b. who is the man that Paul speaks of in Romans 5 and what was the original sin?

Go with me to Genesis 3:1-7(kindly ask people to read for us please). From this chapter we see that it was through Adam that sin entered into the world and his offence was obedience to God’s word (v6). They were very aware of the instructions God gave them to ‘eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden except the fruit of the tree which was in the middle of the garden’ (v3), Eve repeated them to the serpent. Verse 6 tells us the 3 components that led to the fall of man:- 

·         ⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food-(the lust of the flesh)

·         and that it was pleasant to the eyes-(the lust of the eyes- the forbidden fruit looked appealing)

·         a tree to be desired to make one wise- (the pride of life, they wanted to be as “gods”)

Key point: These 3 components are always present when the devil tempts us with sin.

READ Luke 4:1-9

Summary Points:

·        Jesus had just finished fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and was hungry afterwards(v2)

·        The next natural step to take is to something to eat

·        Satan was aware of this fact and knew that Jesus’ flesh was weak at this point

³ And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

·        The first temptation is one of the lust of the flesh because Jesus was hungry and if He had obeyed Satan, he would have appeased his flesh by satisfying his hunger.

⁵ And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

⁶ And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

·        Showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and saying he’ll give him all this power and glory of them was lust of the eyes- the devil wanted Him to see all that He’ll gain if He worshipped him.

⁹ And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

¹⁰ For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

¹¹ And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

·        Tempting Jesus to prove whom he was (as the Son of God, was one if the pride of life. Satan basically said that if Jesus was truly who he says he was, then this little exercise wouldn’t be a problem.

·        *NB: The devil also knows the bible, he quoted Psalms 91:11-12; it is faith that differentiates us from him, unlike him we actually believe the bible it is the source of our life and strength- the Word of God lives in us

¹¹ For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹² They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

This pattern for the devil still hasn’t changed- he tempts us to sin with things that he knows we want and he comes to tempt us when we are at a weak point be it physically, emotionally or otherwise. When we have our guard down, the devil comes to tempt us. 

For the rest of these notes, please email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com for the full copy!

Many thanks and God bless,

#LWFITC
Twitter: @fellowshipladys
Instagram: @ladieswhofellowship
Facebook: facebook.com/ladieswhofellowship

xoxo

Meeting 17! Lovely intimate meeting with 2 important messages

Do You Ever Feel Too Needed?

Philippians 2:3 says to regard others more than yourself. The Holy Spirit wants to develop in us a desire to prefer others and meet their needs. However, living this way can sometimes be tiring. Let's face it - we all have days when we don't want to go out of our way to help someone else.

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Sometimes we feel overwhelmed trying to help others the way we think we should. At times it seems all of our family members need us, our employees need us, our friends need us, and they all need us in different ways.

Where are you all needed the most and what is usually demanded of you? How do you deal with it?

Do we ever feel too needed? Yes! And it's OK if you do too. We all feel overwhelmed from time to time. But we must remember that God gives us grace to do whatever He's asking us to do.

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17)

When you feel weary trying to meet the needs of others, go back to Philippians 2:3 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Humble yourself before God and He will strengthen you to be there for the people in your life that He's asking you to help.

Does anyone go to certain parts of the Bible for guidance?

Jeremiah 29:11

Prayer Starter: God, I want to obey Your Word and regard others more than myself. When I'm struggling, lacking a desire to help others and feel overwhelmed, give me Your grace and strength to love and help the people You've placed in my life.

And then, we spoke about..

LOVE

God is love but what Bible verses stand out about His love?  What are your favorite Bible verses?  Here are mine followed by a personal commentary.

Ask each person what love means to them

God is Love

God is love and that is so clear, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.  Let me show you why God’s loves is displayed in His Word, the Holy Bible and what this love of God means to me.

Romans 5:6-10 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

These verses are so rich in love.  God’s love is no better displayed than on the cross because Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and enemies of His.  Certainly I would die for my family but for someone who was my enemy?  That is exactly what Jesus did for us.  The wrath of God we deserved was placed on Him Who didn’t deserve it so that we would get what we didn’t deserve (grace).  This proves that love is not a feeling or an emotion but it is active in His blood shed for us.  Love is a verb and it’s what you do, not what you say or what you feel.  That is the consummate action of God’s love.

First Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

If you think you can love like this, forget it!  It takes the power of God through the Holy Spirit to love the unlovable.  That is what God did.  He loved us first when we were unlovable.  When Paul uses the word “is” this word is like the mathematical use of the equal sign.  So think of this; love is equal to patience.  Love is equal to kindness.  Love is equal to humility (in not boasting or envying others).  Love is not acting in arrogance or rudeness.  It’s not irritable or resentful, even though I am at times.   It doesn’t rejoice in sinful activities but rejoices in the truth.  Finally, love bears all things (puts up with people), believers all things (gives people the benefit of the doubt), hopes all things (expects the best in all situations) and endures all things (like when people are rude to you, irritate you, resent you, brag to you, or envy you.).  Even though these are things that we should be emulating, these are impossible in our own strength and their source is God, therefore they reflect the love of God and God is their source.

First John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

This verse shows us the source of love…the source of all love!  It is God.  God is not only love but “love is from (or originated) God.”  John chapter four is one of those chapters where I often hold against a person that professes to be a Christian but doesn’t act loving at all.  John flatly says that if a person has that love, then that person shows that they have been born again and that born again person, by displaying such love, obviously knows God however “anyone who does not love does not know God” (1 John 4:8a).  If someone says they are born again and that they know God but hates their brother or sister, then he or she is a liar because it’s not hard or really, really hard, it’s impossible to claim to know God and love God and hate your brother (1 John 4:20).  John says that person does not have eternal life in them (1 John 3:15).

Luke 6:35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

The most God-like love is to love your enemies.  Not only to love your enemies but to do good to them and then lend to them and not expect to be paid back.  That paying back will come at Christ’s return and you will receive a hundred fold for what you give (Matt 19:29). 

There can be no greater privilege than to be the sons and daughters of the Most High God. 

So God’s love is like this: He loved His enemies first (us) and then did good to them (us, by Jesus’ death) and lends to us all that we have (with no requirements to pay back) because “He is kind to the” ingrates like me and like you and even kind to “the evil,” which means all human beings.  

God is love in ways that I cannot even describe.   He loves you and wants to save you but you must repent and confess your sins and then believe in Him by trusting in Jesus (Rom 10:9-13).  Do this and you too will be a son or daughter of the Most High God.

Part 2 of meeting no.16: Where you are in Christ

When we discover who we are in Christ, we will often face attack from outsiders and need to continually remember that by His stripes, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)

Good has given us salvation and will therefore not leave us in bondage. In order to get into this closer relationship with God, we need to get to know Him for ourselves.(How Do I Get To Know God Better?: http://www.gotquestions.org/know-God.html )

John 17:3New King James Version (NKJV)

3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Edith stressed the importance of not waiting to die in order to have eternal life. Deliverance is in the word.

Hebrews 1:1 (ESV)

The Supremacy of God's Son

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,

We need to remember the importance of growth and journeys. Rather than constantly looking at others and what they're doing, we must remain focused and also to look at how far God has brought us!

Great message from our guest speaker and sister Edith. 

"I won't go back, I can't go back to the way things used to be, before Your presence came and changed me."

Part 1 of meeting no.16: The road to Emmaus

Step-to-step of how we started our meeting! Many thanks to our sister Rae for delivering such a great message <3

Introduction

• The bible tells us not to be ashamed of our testimonies, that our mouths should speak of his righteousness and we should speak of his name to our brothers and in the midst of a congregation to sing of his praises. What testimony do you have in the last week or so? Describe your testimony in a couple of words.

SUMMARY

Luke 24:13-35- Finding God on the Emmaus road

Cleopas and a companion of his (disciples of Jesus) were walking to Emmaus following the day after Jesus had risen from the dead. On their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem they were talking about things that happened. As they were walking Jesus appeared to them they were kept from seeing him, and did not recognise him.  Jesus asked them what they were talking about and why were they sad. They were surprised as to why this man had not heard of the things that had been happening for the last couple of days. Jesus asked them what things and they told him of Jesus Christ of Nazareth- the things that had happened to him. Jesus responded by “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself”. They then drew close to the village to where they were going and then continued as if he was going farther. Cleopas and his friend asked Jesus to stay with him. When they were at the table, Jesus broke bread with them and gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they realised the man they were speaking to was Jesus. They asked each other “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us”. So they rose up and returned to Jerusalem and told the other disciples that Jesus had risen.

• The background of this is that Jesus had died and risen. It was the third (Underline the third day in day)-completion, Jesus had done it he had completed what he set out to do.
• Emmaus (underline this word) has several meanings. Its thought to be a Hellenized version of the Hebrew name Hammath. The name Hammath comes from the root חמם(hamam), meaning to be warm. Greek meaning is said to mean warm spring. root-verbחמם (hamam) means to be hot or warm, and that usually in the physical sense. Emmaus means hot springs.
  

  • The spiritual (Greek) meaning Emmaus means “earnest longing”.  During their walk to the town they had a longing to understand what the man was saying to them-discussions and questions. They wanted to know more.
  • It was town 7 miles away from Jerusalem (Underline the 7 miles away)-completion and perfection (
• They had lost hope, being sad and walking downcast (depressed, melancholy, gloomy, dejected meaning in greek). They’re walking away from everything that God was doing in Jerusalem (Jerusalem was the centre of all what was going on as believers). They believed the saviour had died and was no more. They thought the man who appeared to them was a stranger
  

  • Look to verse 19-24. The way they were talking about Jesus they did not really believe that he had resurrected. This is why were so discouraged because of vs 21, because they thought Jesus would save Israel in the way they expected, the last thing they expected for Jesus is to suffer. Looking for someone to save them from the oppression of Moses etc
  • Have you ever lost hope- how am I going to make it? Had the most wonderful experience but if I can just have you, have a desire/a longing? If you can just appear in my life
  • The hope is that you’re going to show up and satisfy the longing. The men were sad and had lost hope, but Jesus still appeared
  • Why did Jesus show up to the two men? He is pursuing and seeking them
    

    • Psalm 14:2- God is looking down from heaven, to see if there are any of us who’ll seek him
    • Luke 19:10- Jesus told us he came down to seek and save those who are lost. The men were lost and had lost hope walking away from everything God was doing in Jerusalem.
    • Luke 15:8-10- the parable of the lost coin. Woman searching for her lost coin, if she loses one coin would she not search over. Same as God who continues to pursue and try to find us
    • Luke 15:20. The parable of the lost son. The lost son was a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion. The same here in this story the two men were a way off from Jerusalem were things were happening but Jesus still saw them and turned up.
    • Ezekiel 34:11- God says him himself will search for his sheep (us) and seek us out

    
    
  • If you'd like the rest of the notes on this message, please email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com

The God of Check up and Check out

(Mental note: What a powerful title!)

First reading was taken from the book of Samuel 2:6.

2 Samuel 2:6 (NIV)

6 May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness, and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this.

From this passage, we see that God’s capacity is greater than ours. He giveth as well as taketh. We must take time and caution to be observant and analyse our circles/ relationships, positive or not, and do what must be done. Sister (well Aunty to me haha) Eti then brings up the story of Abraham and Lot (REMINDER - still need to read and learn from this story).

The story of Abraham and Lot demonstrates that the relationship between them was not profitable unto Abraham. We briefly discussed how funny it is that this demonstration of relationship value is between a family member. If Abraham was able to understand that the relationship with his own ‘flesh and blood’ was affecting his blessing from the Almighty; why is it so hard to let go of dead friendships /relationships with people in general.

The next scripture was taken from the book of Genesis 13:14-18.

Genesis 13:14-18(NIV)

14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Here we see that God checked up and checked out that party, allowing Abraham to fulfil his duty. We all have to get a place of importance, but when people are blocking our path, we need to realise that a release needs to take action. If something is causing you more harm, allowing God to check it out. 

Note: Haven’t you ever notice that when you feel a strain on a relationship/friendship, there's like a strange awkwardness. It’s God giving you that swift exit. But as human beings, we want to take the hard road; ‘God please I asked for you to release me from my enemies but sister A has such charisma oh, and brother B always listen to my troubles though he too is part of them at times.’ 

Then, when you're still hanging onto these people that have served their season in your life, expiring and their left-over mould’ is causing you more harm than trouble; so you then have to leave the relationship with drama, instead of taking that swift exit God graced you with.

B L E S S I N G

"How much do you want your blessing?" - Sister Eti. When she said this I just had to pause and think. Like when we pray to God, speaking before we're truly thinking and making that covenant with God to bless us and we’ll continue to do ABXYZ; but how much do you really want it?

Most of the time, the blessing which we're seeking, or which is coming our way can't come because of what is around us. For example; you want to get the best grades but you're hanging out with a crowd that is not aiding in your revision progression. You need to allow the things of the world to not hold back your blessings.

- Analyse the foundation of your friendships and let God check it out if needs be. What God has not sanctioned he will not elevate.

- What God will give you is better than what you have already. It seems hard when things are not going to plan but such is life, God is a God of YES where other God’s who we worship (this could be in the form of trusting in the word of man more than faith in God) are the gods of maybe/no.

Food for thought

The 5 friends we need in life:

The Collaborator - Understands your vision, connecting with your purpose

The Confronter - Confront your stupidity

The Coach - We don’t need a title to pour out a type of wisdom.

The Catcher - Whilst you are learning something, they will too learn

The Confidant - They understand your personality, keeping you sane

Written by Olivia-Zara <3 

EVERY female has encountered troubles in friendship, and this word has put so much in perspective! Checking up and checking out is a continuous process, the same way you can love your closest friends, you can also show love to friends that have done you wrong - even though you may not want to be close to these former friends, ensure that no hatred lives in you, and you still love them from afar. Always ask yourself; What would Jesus do?

Check up, check out. The choice is yours!

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xxx

The Proverbs 31 Woman - Meeting 14

Whilst researching one of the most famous verses in the Bible for women, I stumbled across some points of what makes a Proverbs 31 woman:

Being a Proverbs31 woman is not about being “perfect.” It’s about living life with purpose.

Often women believe that Proverbs 31 doesn’t really apply to our modern lives. However, God’s Word stands the test of time. The 10 Virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman demonstrates how, as Christian women today, we can all be Proverbs 31 Women.

Faith – A Virtuous Woman serves God with all of her heart, mind, and soul. She seeks His will for her life and follows His ways. (Proverbs 31: 26, Proverbs 31: 29 – 31, Matthew 22: 37, John 14: 15, Psalm 119: 15

Health – A Virtuous Woman cares for her body. She prepares healthy food for her family. (Proverbs 31: 14 – 15, Proverbs 31: 17, 1 Corinthians 6: 19, Genesis 1: 29, Daniel 1, Leviticus 11)

Service – A Virtuous Woman serves her husband, her family, her friends, and her neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. She is charitable. (Proverbs 31: 12, Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20, 1 Corinthians 13: 13)

Finances – A Virtuous Woman seeks her husband’s approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. She is careful to purchase quality items which her family needs. (Proverbs 31: 14, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 18, 1 Timothy 6: 10, Ephesians 5: 23, Deuteronomy 14: 22, Numbers 18: 26)

Industry – A Virtuous Woman works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God and does not grumble while completing her tasks. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 16, Proverbs 31: 24, Proverbs 31: 31, Philippians 2: 14)

Homemaking – A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. She creates an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for her family and guests. She uses hospitality to minister to those around her. (Proverbs 31: 15, Proverbs 31: 20 – 22, Proverbs 31: 27, Titus 2: 5, 1 Peter 4: 9, Hebrews 13: 2)

Time – A Virtuous Woman uses her time wisely. She works diligently to complete her daily tasks. She does not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord. (Proverbs 31: 13, Proverbs 31: 19, Proverbs 31: 27, Ecclesiastes 3, Proverbs 16: 9, Philippians 4:8 )

Beauty – A Virtuous Woman is a woman of worth and beauty. She has the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. She uses her creativity and sense of style to create beauty in her life and the lives of her loved ones. (Proverbs 31: 10Proverbs 31: 21 – 22, Proverbs 31: 24 -25, Isaiah 61: 10, 1 Timothy 2: 9, 1 Peter 3: 1 – 6)

Our guest speaker Natasha not only touched on many of these vital points in a way that affects our everyday lives as women, but she spoke personally to us in a way that made us forcibly recognise within ourselves what we can improve on to not only be better spiritually in Christ, but better women also.

Proverbs 31:21 - She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet.

We need to be ready to stand bold in Christ when the storm comes. A Proverbs 31 woman has a tick list - why are we sometimes so afraid to possess these characteristics?

Hebrews 13: 8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The same God will carry you through the storm. 

It's interesting how the Proverbs 31 woman reminds us a lot as females of our worth. Deep down many of us know our worth and settle for less than what God has ordained for us. We need to stay headfast and strong in the word, as Proverbs 31 can remind us of our worth daily. 

Aspire to be a better you, and continue to have a deep-rooted relationship with Christ so that you are able to fulfil your purpose.

A question to pray over: What are you doing each day that amounts to you fulfilling your purpose?

Thank you for reading! Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @fellowshipladys and check out our Instagram @ladieswhofellowship