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What is prayer? Why do we do it?

Prayer

noun

1. a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God 

Our guest speaker Natasha spoke about one of the most common actions used by people all over the world; prayer.

Pray is simply a two way communication with God, prayer varies in length; what makes it different is often the types of prayers we pray (prayer of thanksgiving, worship, prayer for healing, prayer for help and comfort)

We spoke about how in order to feel the full force of prayer, we need to allow ourselves to be emotionally connected to God.

Sometimes words aren't always needed when praying, as long as we have God in heart and mind, He knows we are communicating with Him, whether if that's the groans we make to Him after a long day at work, or motivation to continue powering through an intense work out, or even a moment alone in silence.

We also spoke about the need to STOP 'scheduling God' into our lives - that's when prayer starts to become like a mundane and fruitless routine. Prayer is spirit-filled, and the beautiful thing about prayer is that it can be done ANYWHERE and at ANY TIME - God is always there with us so why do we need to book an 'appointment'? 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says:

pray continually

Yes - continually; the good times, the bad times, moments of doubt, confusion, happiness - always pray!

Luke 18 1-14 speaks about the power and and persistence of prayer! 

In this text we can learn much about ourselves from our prayer life. We will also find that Jesus has much to teach us about the kind of prayer befitting the saint who awaits the coming kingdom. We should consider carefully these words spoken by our Lord and recorded under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by Luke for our instruction and edification so that we may live in a way that is pleasing to Him, by His grace.

Natasha left us with a burning question that we thought to ask you too:

If Jesus was to come in 2 days, would you pray more than usual? 

As a believer, it's important to make God's voice the most important one you listen to. 

Thank you for reading - God bless you!

*WE HAVE A FREE SPRING BRUNCH IN A FEW WEEKS AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED! :)*
Details to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ladies-who-fellowship-spring-brunch-tickets-22592347319?ref=enivtefor001&invite=OTU5NjQ1MC9sYWRpZXN3aG9mZWxsb3dzaGlwQGdtYWlsLmNvbS8w&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=inviteformalv2&utm_term=eventpage

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xxx

Valentines meeting: Character and Reputation

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favour rather than silver

and gold.

Now, character is one thing; and reputation is another:

Character

1 John 4:8 ESV / 311

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

It goes back to a meeting we had last March, and we highlighted characteristics of God and what He represents, there has to be a link between us and God is we truly call ourselves Christians. It’s cliche but also important to ask ourselves; WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

Hebrews 13:8 ESV / 269

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

In moments of happiness, sadness, triumph, loneliness; he still remains the same. How faithful enough are you to remain in a positive mindset like Jesus when things are turning into turmoil

2 Peter 3:9 ESV / 226

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

How many of us can say that we have this characteristic? One of the biggest trials of being a Christian can be forgiveness! - use example of woman who forgave man who murdered her son.

Question: does anyone have any bible verses or stories they think of when hearing the word 'character'?

- David and King Saul, what distinguished them was their character 

- David ran to all these women and always came back to God

How do we know when to come back to Christ when we have fallen out of character?

- if you don't believe in God and believe that you won't go to Him, He won't rescue you!

- spirit vs flesh

- Sometimes we have to be vulnerable in order for our character to come out

- Trials produce character 

-Be loving to people that try to damage your character 

Verse 15:: foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. 

Reputation

Proverbs 22:1 ESV / 197 helpful votes

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.

What’s in your heart? Are you idolising materialistic things, your job, your friends, or are you giving all glory and honour to God?

1 Peter 2:12 ESV / 101 helpful votes

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

From the Jewish perspective, Gentiles were often seen as pagans who did not know the true God. During Jesus’ time, many Jews took such pride in their cultural and religious heritage that they considered Gentiles “unclean,” calling them “dogs” and “the uncircumcision.” Gentiles and the half-Gentile Samaritans were viewed as enemies to be shunned (see John 4:9; 18:28; and Acts 10:28).

Gentiles were long seen as enemies of the Jewish people, yet Christ provided good news for both Jews and non-Jews. Paul praised the Lord’s goodness in his letter to the (mostly Gentile) church in Ephesus: 

(Get someone to read)

"Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups [Jew and Gentile] one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:12–14).

Let the light of Christ shine in you, even against the people that are proudly proclaiming negativity and are enemies of your progress, it will rub off on them and hopefully give them the spirit to reach out to Christ!

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Famous verse and very well needed! We face daily trials and tribulations so constantly need to cling onto God in times of warfare. Spiritual warfare is a biggg one, feeling like you're constantly being attacked and you remain in the mindset of 'should I do it?' Or 'should I not?'

But in the end the choices you make as a Christian will determine who you are in, and whether you've chosen to follow His ways

What 3 things can I do to enhance my character?

If I left this earth, what can be said about my reputation? How did I impact the lives of others?

Thank you for reading ladies, any further questions don't hesitate to email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA FELLOWSHIP!

Social media used productively...is excellent! Too celebrate our 500 followers, ladies who fellowship had an online Twitter Q&A on our page.

It was so refreshing seeing ladies come together on the timeline and express their views based on the question put out there to them. 

The main question in the Q&A was:

How do we eradicate the fear of 'being judged' by others in the church?" with the hash tag #askLWF

Fellowship can be done in so many different ways; social media being a big part of that - we'll definitely be doing more of these in the future as it's important for us to come together and speak about what affects us, and how we can overcome as women on a journey with Christ.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter is you haven't!

>>>>>>> @ladyfellowship

We also received an incredible email response from our fellow sister Nneoma:

The first issue as the question rightly identified is that there's a "fear" of judgement in the church. However, the Bible in 2 Timothy 2:7 tells us that the spirit of fear is not from God, but that he has given us "the spirit power & of love & of a sound mind". So the first thing that we need to do in response to the question is cast down that spirit of fear and bring it into captivity & to the obedience to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Secondly, people in the church need to have their mind renewed by the reading of God's word on what judgement actually is. I believe that it is the common misconception of judgement that causes and spreads the fear of it. 

Contrary to ideal belief of judgment being wrong, the Bible in (Matthew 7:1-5), actually teaches us how to judge people. Matthew tells us that the way to do this is by first dealing with personal sins in our own lives so that we can see clearly in order to point out the sin in our brethren's life for them to deal with. So in the church we are charged to judge each other righteously (John 7:24), which means according to God's standards and rules revealed in His logos word. 

Additionally, the next issue with this is that if we as believers judged ourselves then others wouldn't have to. (Read 1 Corinthians 11:31). The Apostle Paul goes on to tell us in 1 Corinthians 13:5 to examine ourselves to prove that we are still in the faith- that is to say, to see that we are still in right standing with God's word and His perfect will. 

Remember the world is already judged, so that's not our job. 

In most of my experiences, what most people class as judgement is actually correction. For example, i have been in a situation where an old friend of mine suddenly picked up smoking as a new habit. I talked with her & advised her to quit because smoking kills. It's sad to say that she didn't take the sound advice very well & felt like I was judging her by merely correcting her of something she already knew was wrong. In this day and age some people might class what I said as judgement but did I judge her or did I just read out what the packet of her cigarettes says? Also is it "judgement", if it is the absolute truth? 

It has become a cliche in the church to say "only God can judge me", but people don't truly understand what that means. God's judgement is FINAL & JUST! This should put the fear of God in us. 

Therefore, it is better to have someone judge us here on earth whilst there is still time to change; than have the holy & righteous God do it. The great benefit of being judged is to be corrected as it says in 1 Corinthians 11:32: “... when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” This is the ultimate reason why we should receive righteous judgement within the body of Christ. Let us be reminded that The Lord chastens(corrects) who he loves, so also are we to correct people out of love. If I didn't love my friend I would have left her to smoke until it eventually kills her, after all it doesn't affect me right? But that should not be our attitudes as Christians & as preachers of the Word, we are to tell people in what ways their lives are wrong; whether that truth is welcomed or unwelcomed.(G. Craige Lewis). For when we do this as the Bible says we save people from the fire(Jude 1:23). 

Arise - second meeting of 2016

 

“While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 

It's not a dead situation. God can help us to arise and overcome

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 

It's important to have friends that can grow with you and build you up in fellowship. 

Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 

When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

The power of the tongue, God has the final say 

 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.”

With Jesus, there is peace. 

Believe in where He wants you to be. Live! This girl was dead and had a new life when Jesus said ARISE

Mark 5:35-42 NKJV

http://bible.us/114/mrk.5.35-42.nkjv

- arise spiritually, arise in faith, in work, in every part of your life

- write a book full of blessings

- when God is blessing your neighbour, he's in your neighbourhood!!

- WAIT, you can't run away from God 

- don't bite the fingers that fed you, God has the ability to take AWAY your appetite

- you have the power to overcome any obstacles you've overcome; stand firm and ARISE

* we try to make as much notes as possible but it's always helpful being present at our meetings, you gain so much more! These notes are only a snippet of the incredible messages we receive through discussing the word :) *

Amen!

For any further notes, and questions please don't hesitate to email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com

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Christian Aid got in touch!

We truly thank God for continuing to get our name out there. World renown charity, Christian Aid got in touch with ladies who fellowship in the city! Big causes such as Christian Aid is such an important movement for humanity. Being invited to their big brekkie was awesome too!

We were given an introduction about the charity, their missions and current work in less economically developed countries that suffer and lack of the basics that we often take for granted in Westernised countries. They do SO much worldwide for the less fortunate despite what religion or background they are from, whilst carrying the true message about loving our neighbours, just as Jesus advises us to do.

(Photo cred: Christian Aid team :))

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

                                                                               1 John 3:18

It was such a warm and inviting type of fellowship, and we truly thank God for organisations like Christian Aid that unify followers of Christ together! God bless fellowship, God bless Christian Aid :) thank you for a lovely breakfast! 

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First meeting of 2016!

Jesus has the authority, victory and power

Revelation 1:18

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death

Question: "What are the keys of death (Revelation 1:18)?"

Answer: In Revelation 1:18 Jesus says, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Possessing the “keys of death” means that the risen Christ has control and authority over death

 In John 10:17–18, Jesus says, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

:: When Jesus died, He died according to His own timing, when He “gave up his spirit” (John 19:30) “A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done . . . complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.”

John 19:29-30 MSG

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead (Mark 15:44). 

“Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.”

Mark 15:42-47 NKJV

http://bible.com/114/mrk.15.42-47.nkjv

Jesus, who has the authority over death, had the unique power to give up His spirit and to rise from the dead. Moreover, He has the authority to release His followers from death in order that they may be with Him forever.

Think of the concept of giving someone “the key to the city.” This key is sometimes a large, key that fits no lock but is symbolic of an honor bestowed. Someone given “a key to the city” is considered welcome and honored within that city. The Bible frequently speaks of keys as representing control or authority over something or someone. This concept makes sense; to possess a master key to a building is to have the authority to open any of its doors and enter any room.

Isaiah 37:2 *read*

speaks of Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah, an honorable man sent on an important errand. In chapter 22, it was written that Eliakim would be given authority and that God would “place on his shoulder the key to the house of David.” By the “key to the house of David,” it is meant that the Lord would place Eliakim in a position of authority. Later, Eliakim becomes the governor of the palace in Jerusalem.

Never be afraid to ask God to provide you with the same key in the area that you wish to have authority over, it could be to have more authority in your household, more responsibilities in your job, more challenges that you know the Lord has equipped you with!

In Revelation 9:1–2,  *read*

an angel is given a key to, or control over, the bottomless pit, and he uses the key to open that pit. Later, an angel is seen locking things in the bottomless pit (20:1–3) *read* Satan casted for 1000 years.

I find that in this day and age through the actions we choose that we have a CHOICE of whether to spend one day in the lord's court or a thousand elsewhere. There's even a song "better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere" - choose wisely!

Eternal life through Jesus Christ is the blessed assurance John describes in 1 John 5:6–13. 

We have a choice. The biggest part of he Christian journey is when we are born again which means to fully accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and saviour, to believe he rose from the dead, and to believe that he will come again. AND to recognise that he has the authority and power over our lives

Jesus having the keys of death means He has the power to release from death those who receive the gift of salvation He offers.

CAN I ASK:: HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JESUS AND GOD, AND WHO WOULD YOU SAY HAS THE AUTHORITY?

The trinity: Jesus is God in the sense that he is the creator 

Jesus was always there

Father son and Holy Spirit 

Jesus: salvation

Holy Spirit: helper

WHAT CAN WE DO MORE OF IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK IN ORDER TO BE GRANTED AUTHORITY?

- knowing the word and knowing who WE are in God

Have a strong relationship with him regardless of the seasons we know where we stand

Our authority comes from Him, not ourselves.

We as Christians are all entitled to have access to the key of authority that God has given to us, are you ready to surrender and give God total control of your life?

"Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere"

- Psalm 84:10

Thank you for reading, God bless you! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email us at ladieswhofellowship@gmail.com

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