Sunday, September 21, 2008

Our second meeting was wonderful! Unfortunately, we had fewer people than we expected due to power outages in the area. Many of our members were without power for several days. Fortunately, power is gradually being brought back on all over Ohio. The wind storm last Sunday was quite a doozy. It was called a dry hurricane. Never heard of such a thing, but I can now say I've experienced it.

At our meeting this week, we watch a video by Beth Moore called "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things". We watch session 4. What a powerful video. It was called "Wise Up".

Hebrews 10:24-25 says
24
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let
us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one
another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (NIV)

We need to encourage one another because the of Christ is approaching. As we get closer there will be more challenges for us. This is because Satan tries to keep us from each other. This is one the main reasons we need Mom2Mom!! We are here for each other. We can support each other. It doesn't matter what you are going through. Someone has been through it. Be it depression, addiction, divorce, or anything else life throws at us. We need to be here for each other. Satan uses everything against us to try to keep us from relationships with other women.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (NIV)

1 John 1:3, 7
3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (NIV)

2Timothy 1:13-14
13What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

What do these verses mean? They are talking about the relationships we have with other people - the non-sexual relationships. It's talking about koinonia - fellowship with others. What is the deposit that 2Timothy is talking about? They are what we give to others when we are in relationship with them. For example, the Holy Spirit is a deposit from God - a very good deposit at that. We can also get not so good deposits from other people - these are words that we might say, actions that we do for and against a person. We are called to love each other and not make meaningless deposits.

How many best friends do you have? How many friends do you have that are just acquaintances? It's okay to have these superficial friends, but you need to have the close friends. They are the ones who leave good deposits in our lives - encouragement, love and respect for ourselves, happiness.

Beth also goes on to say that we need to ask God to rid us of the bad deposits in our life. The disrespect we have for ourselves, our children, our spouses. These bad deposits are what Satan uses to bring us down and cause the depression that we feel.

We were created to need God and to have a relationship and fellowship with God. We need to know that we are beautiful, smart, and talented.

Romans 5:8
8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is the ultimate deposit that God has given us. We will always be sinners, but God loves us and wants to have fellowship with us. He wants Koinonia with us. Nothing that you do can make God want to leave you.

Matthew 15:13
13
He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.

The deposits in our lives that are unhealthy can be discarded from our lives. The way to do this is through prayer. God will cleanse you of these unhealthy thoughts, feelings, behaviours, but we must ask for the help. He won't force it upon us.

I pray that these notes from Beth Moore's study have blessed you as it blessed me and the other women who saw it. Of course there was much more to this study. I am only givng a synopsis of a portion of the Bible study. I encourage you to go to the library and borrow it. Or better yet, get a group of women together and watch it as a group. you will get so much out of it.

Until next time, have a blessed week! May you have Koinonia with God and with those around you. Pray for cleansing and spread good deposits into those near you.

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