14 (or more) verses on Love – Part 3
1. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God ; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…. if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us…. We love, because He first loved us.” 1 John 4: 7-8, 12, 19 2. “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also ; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. “Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. “Treat others the same way you want them...
Read More14 verses on Love – Part 2
1. “AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.” Mark 12:30 2. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments…”He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” John 14:15-21 3. ” …Abide in My love. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love ; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:9b-10 4. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. By this we know that...
Read More14 verses about Love – Part 1
1. “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16 2. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword ? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans...
Read MoreBlooms of Grace
Evening Primrose is a beautiful flower with a very interesting characteristic…it only blooms at night. I was recently blessed to witness this event one beautiful, albeit hot, summer evening. In the dusk of the evening, I watched with excitement each bud slowly open, layer by layer, into a full and vibrant yellow blossom. Each of us in attendance at the event tried to guess which one would open next. We then watched with amazement as the flowery scent attracted a hummingbird thirsty for the sweet nectar that each bloom provided. As I watched the wonderful workings of God’s creation, I wondered, “What made that first bloom open and what was the signal for each additional bloom to open?” My mind affixed upon the order in which each bud opened and...
Read More5 Love Languages
What happens to love after the wedding? We all know that as times goes by we seem to lose focus of the relationship we had at the beginning with the one we love. Tons of books are written on this subject. Television and radio talk shows deal with it, the internet is full of advice and our parents and friends have a lot of advice. Keeping love alive in our marriages is serious business. With all this help available, why is it so few couples have found the secret to keeping love alive? How can couples attend workshops or seminars on communication, hear a lot of wonderful ideas, return home, try two or three of the ideas, feel it’s not working then give up on all the other ideas they heard? The problem is that people speak different love languages. Not...
Read More5 Reasons/ 5 Ways
5 Reasons to Share FWNL with Other Women 1. Encourage Other Women 2. Spread God’s Word 3. Share God’s Love 4. Shine God’s Light 5. Help FWNL Grow as a ministry 5 Ways to Share FWNL 1. Share your copy of FWNL 2. Tell someone about our website: FWNL.org 3. Add friends and family to our mailing list 4. Mail it out to your community 5. Use FWNL as part of your outreach (such as welcome baskets, or women’s jail ministries, etc.)
Read MoreYOU SNOOZE YOU LOSE
It’s 8:05, and the alarm clock has been snoozed for the absolute last time. Mama jumps out of bed and realizes that she had better get a move on if they are all going to make it to class and worship service this morning. Mama flies down the hall to the children’s rooms. “Tommy, time to get up” next she heads for the girl’s room, “girls time to get up, rise and shine”. Mama then dashes to the kitchen, turns on the coffee and sets out cereal bowls and glances over at the time, she does a double take and then realizes they only have 20 minutes now! What happened to the time? Tension fills her body and she dashes to the rooms again, “kids get up, we’re going to be late”. Mama runs back to the kitchen and put’s the cereal and milk out and heads...
Read MoreEvery Girl: 5 Faith Builders
“Please, God, give me a strong faith. In Christ’s name, amen.” When I first became a Christian, I picked up my Bible and read of people like David, who single handedly killed the most intimidating warrior of his time. I would turn away from my study of such men and women, wanting a faith like theirs. So, I would close my eyes, bow my head, and pray for God to give me a strong faith. Days, weeks, and months would pass by, and guess what? I still felt trapped inside of my own timid, halfhearted, wavering faith. If you find yourself at times asking the same prayer, and following the same endless cycle that I did for so long, then please, listen closely. Jonah had to sit inside a dark whale for 3 days to grow his faith. Daniel had to lie in a pit of...
Read More5 Worn Pieces
In keeping with the theme of ‘5’, let’s look at the 5 defensive pieces of God’s armor that are worn. God’s Armor, or the “Armor of God”, not meaning what God wears, but what we as His children are told in Ephesians 6:11-24 to put on ourselves to fight and win against Satan and his powers. From the above mentioned verses we can identify those pieces of armor as….the Belt or Girdle of Truth (verse 14), the Breastplate of Righteousness (verse 14), the footwear of the Gospel of Peace (verse 15), the Shield of Faith (verse 16), and the Helmet of Salvation verse 17). It’s easy to see why the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to use this analogy. As a prisoner, Paul was with the Roman soldiers constantly, and Christians of the day were also very...
Read MoreNew Year!
2012 is here! And though there are times when I am surprised by the date, I am excited for the year ahead. Mostly I am excited about the possibilities for FWNL in the year ahead. Please be praying with us as we seek to grow… grow the newsletter? YES! But mostly help other women grow closer to God. Whether you don’t know anything about God and his church, you are a new Christian, you are a mature Christian or somewhere in between, we desire to help you grow spiritually. How you can help us grow (thereby help others grow.): Pray!!… About all of it!! Check out the Up and Coming Section. This section gives you information about article submission as well as other ways you can be involved. Consider being a financial supporter of this...
Read MoreEvery Leaf
With the sweltering, three digit heat-filled days and ground cracking drought of the 2011 summer, the refreshing cooler temperatures of the fall season will be gratefully welcomed. Not only for the relief from the heat, but because of the beautiful transformation that will take place right before our eyes. The trees are especially amazing! They become so brilliant with rich, beautiful colors! It reminds me of the awesome power of God’s creation. EVERY LEAF in every tree is unique, different, and special in its own beautiful design. It’s as if God painted each one individually. I don’t understand how anyone can deny His existence when beholding such a sight. But, as incredible as the creation of the season of fall is, God’s creation of us far exceeds the...
Read MoreSalvation and The Church
It was God’s plan to provide a means of redemption for man’s soul. He gave His only begotten Son that mankind through that Son, might be saved. The shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross makes that possible. On the day of Pentecost when the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was given to the Apostles in Jerusalem and the first gospel sermon was preached by Peter, the church was established when those who were pricked in their hearts were baptized for the remission of their sins and were added to the church. (Acts 2:38,47, KJV). We read in Ephesians 5:23, that Christ is the Head of the church and He is the Saviour of the body, and Colossians 1:18 says “Christ is the head of the body, the church.” If we are part of the body, then we must be part of the...
Read MoreSisterhood
Sisterhood by Pam Savage A physical sister is a gift indeed A sister in Christ is a blessing we need Someone who shares the Christian walk Who knows when to listen and when to talk She will know your burdens & your cares She will lift you up when her love she shares A Christian sister is precious in God’s sight In her, all will see His shining light She knows God’s word is a priceless treasure The “only” standard by which to measure Christian sisters will teach their children His word, morning, noon & night For they know this is the only way their little lives will turn out right Serving others is always on her mind Searching for ways to be loving, caring & kind The bond of Christian sisters is like no other Together we strive to be a Godly...
Read MorePriscilla
Priscilla is one of my favorite Bible characters. We don’t know a lot about Priscilla (also called Prisca), but what we do know leads me to believe that she really loved the church. One interesting thing to note is that she and her husband, Aquila, are always mentioned together. In Acts 18:1-3 we are told that Priscilla and Aquila allowed Paul to live and work with them when he had first come to Corinth. Paul was well known for his persecution of the church in the early days, so this hospitality and openness from Aquila and Priscilla is truly something to take note of. This friendship grew to the point that Aquila and Priscilla willingly risked their lives for Paul. We don’t know what it was exactly that they did, but Paul thanked them for it in Romans...
Read MorePrecious Crimson Stream
Precious Crimson Stream By Kristin Haden Sweet escape. God, I want out. I deserve to be vomited out of your mouth. Indecisive at best, flat rebellious at worst. I’m a wretched sinner, Lord, but You loved me first. Can I still be redeemed? Is there any grace left? Oh merciful God, take this load off my chest. For I am too weak, too small, and too quiet to resist, fight off, band together in riot. But if God is for me, who can be against? Perhaps all this time I’ve been riding the fence. I choose this day whom I’ll serve no longer. “Get thee behind me, Satan!” My God and I are stronger. Now I remember what my knees are for. It’s been a while since I was down on this floor. Well, here I am, Lord, exhausted, worthless, broken. But I fully believe every...
Read MoreLooking in the Past and Looking to the future
It may seem like nothing is going is changing on FWNL because the front page has not changed. However, there is a lot going on in the “PAST”. We are uploading posts from previous issues and dating them to corrispond with the time they were published. So if you take a little time to research the “PAST” you will find a host of new posts. May you be blessed and encouraged by these articles rather you are reading them again or for the first time. We have also created a new page titled “UP and COMING” that tells what we have planned for the FUTURE, Lord willing. You can find upcoming themes and article submission dates as well as some other areas in which you could be a part of FWNL. Please check it out. May you all have
Read MoreTo The Chosen Lady
“The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth.” 2 John 1 Do you realize that the book of 2 John is addressed to a lady? I didn’t realize this until just recently. I want you to read through the whole book (don’t worry it is only 12 verses) imagining that it is addressed personally to you. John obviously knew the recipients of this letter very well and wanted to encourage them. How does reading this book in this way encourage you? Some scholars think that the “lady” might be a reference to a church and the “children” a reference to the members of that congregation. Read through the book again. How does this change your perspective? On the following page is a short 3 day study...
Read More3 Day Study of 2 John
“And now I ask you, Lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments…” 2 John 5-6 Day 1 John wanted to encourage this lady by reminding her of the basic commandment to love one another. I don’t think that she had stopped doing this…John just wanted her to continue loving and to love even more. Now how is it that we do this? By walking according to God’s commandments. God knows what is best for us and what is best for others. So if we follow God’s commands, we will be giving others the best of ourselves and the best of God. To do this, you must love with your whole self (Luke 10:27) and sincerely (1 Cor. 13). Let us...
Read MorePrepare Me Oh Lord!
Sunday – The Lord’s Day O God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the rest of this week and the rest of my life in your presence. Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me. Monday – Wash Day Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility throughout the rest of this week. Psalm 51:2 – Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Tuesday – Ironing Day Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others. Mark 12:31 – Thou...
Read MoreA Promise Kept
How many promises have you made? Well, probably a lot in your life, but here is another question to consider. How many promises have you kept? In the Bible, there is a lady named Hannah, who made a promise to God. Hannah could not give birth to children (1 Samuel 1:5). This made her terribly unhappy. Weeping, she went to the temple and asked the Lord to give her a son. Then she made her promise. She told the Lord that she would give her son to Eli, who was the priest, to work in the temple (1 Samuel 1:11). When the Lord heard her prayer, he gave her a baby boy. She called him Samuel “…because I have asked him of the Lord,” (1 Samuel 1:20). She kept her promise and gave Samuel to Eli the priest when she had weened him (1 Samuel 1:23-24). I think it was...
Read More