Author: Jana

What Are You Battling and Why?

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The world, the flesh and the devil.

I have heard three very powerful concepts lately. First: Graham Cooke talks about how “in the Kingdom we fight from victory not towards it.” Second: another devotional talks about how weary we become when we battle the world, the flesh, and the devil. And finally the Lord is giving me a revelation out of Psalm 19 about the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouths. Stay tuned as we unpack all three of these and how they are related over the next few days.

For today, I want to sit in the reality of the sufficiency of God in our lives and in our moments. If Christ is victorious, then why do we live such defeated, helpless lives? If God is for us, then why do we live as if we are abandoned and alone? If the Holy Spirit leads us into truth and comforts us, then why do we talk more about our world, our flesh and our enemy than the presence of God? 

This morning my soul groans to be swept up into the arms of God to see the greater reality of Him. Either He is, or He isn’t. If He truly IS, then everything about our lives is changed because of it. If He IS NOT, then indeed our lives are as bad we say they are. It is our trying to live between these two statements that is killing us.

Today, let’s realign ourselves with the Truth. He is a warrior God, Almighty is His name. He is victorious over the world, our flesh and the devil. We are on the Winning Side. We are not the conquered captives, hanging our heads in shame. We are the valiant ones charging forward in the name of God, in the shadow of His wings. Be still and KNOW that He is GOD over all. Even your world, your flesh and your devil.

WGR Spring Class 2011

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This is a great place to go deeper into relationship with Jesus and other women. Both seem scary we know. But this is a place where we talk about real life topics and look for God to show up in the middle of our lives.

The class is for all ages and does not require perfect attendance. Or homework. Join us in person at Fellowship Church every Tuesday night from 7:00pm – 9:00pm (childcare is provided for those who register).

Or join us online LIVE. Our next session begins February 1, 2011 and goes until May 2011.

Can’t make them all? No worries. Just come when you can.

Don’t forget you must register below in order to have childcare throughout the session. Wanna know more about what the WGR Class is all about? Click Here

Under the Rock

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We all feel the weight and pressure of our lives. It comes in waves. It comes in a crash. Or it comes one proverbial straw at a time until we finally buckle under the weight. But regardless of the reasons “why” we get weighted down — lack of boundaries, not taking care of ourselves, or spiritual attack — there is  a “who” to rescue us.

I texted this to my friend last night, “Please pray for me. Really under a rock.” And as I hit the send button I heard the Spirit say, “I am your Rock.”

Moments later, my sweet friend relayed what the Spirit had told her: “Uh…don’t know if this is a word for u but he keeps telling me HE is the rock. Is he perhaps covering  u and/or trying to make u be still? He tells me he is the only rock that has any power in ur life.”

Who knew that you could pack such a spiritual punch in a text?!  The only Rock with any power.

Our whinings, our to do lists, the people who frustrate us have no power except the stories that you and I create about them. They are illusions. Dare I say it, drama created to keep us stirred up. All this time we run here and there only to find that our feet rest on the steadfast might of God. God’s power is the Rock we stand on forever, regardless of the circumstances.

Now what my friend didn’t know  is that I had just listened to the song, “Hide Me in You.” Think God is trying to tell us something?

Rock of Ages, cleft for me. And you. Forever. Hide in the Rock today.

Hide Me in You (Unmixed)
Hide me inside You
Inside Your great heart
In the cleft of the Rock
In Your side

Brother and Ransom
Your nailed pierced hand
Covers me
As you pass by

All the mountains quake at the sight
When Your glory passes by

Let me hide
In the cleft of Your side
My shelter, my refuge
Let me hide
In the cleft of the Rock
Hide me, hide me in You

Hide me inside You
Your name’s my defense
The Rock that was opened for me

Jesus, My Savior
Your sin broken heart
Has poured out mercy on me

All the mountains quake at the sight
When Your glory passes by

Let me hide
In the cleft of Your side
My shelter, my refuge
Let me hide
In the cleft of the Rock
Hide me, hide me in You

© Jana Spicka
Real. Life.

True Beauty Boot Camp

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This is a powerful message specifically created for the image and beauty struggles of middle school, high school and college students. It has hands on activities, multi-media, goody bags and a power packed time for truth in this corrupted culture. It’s fun, confronting and freeing all at the same time.

This is a private event and not open for public attendance.

Our Heart for Unhindered

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This is the Lord’s mission statement. It’s what He’s always doing. And this is our desire for the women who are part of Unhindered 2.0.  Don’t miss an amazing day with the Lord as we press into His freedom, His favor, His comfort, and His beauty for us. You can still register here.

Isaiah 61:1-3

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

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Soak in this amazing prayer today and realize that you are an indispensable part of Christ’s body, working out His love around you.

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

Pot Full of Promises

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It was a really stunning moment. I was considering lots of decisions that needed to be made. I felt like my back was against the wall and I had to choose: would I react out of fear or faith? Fear would have me grasp at straws, trying to cover my bases. Faith would have me walk in boldness, simply trusting God to provide.

My answer came through a three-way conversation.

Charis asked me, “Is there really a pot at the end of the rainbow?”

“Nope,” I said.

“Why do people say that, then?” Charis questioned.

Instead of focusing on the legend, I had her retell the story of the first rainbow. We talked about Noah and the rain and the bow in the  sky.

“Why did God give Noah the rainbow?” I asked her. 

“Because it showed God’s promise that He would never flood the whole earth again. The rainbow is a sign of promise. So why would people look for gold?” Charis asked.

And my mouth said out loud what only God could have spoken: “Because people would rather have a pot of gold than God’s promises.”

Did you hear that? the Spirit prodded.

“Yes, Lord. I do that. I want a pot of gold instead of Your promises. Forgive me. Instead I choose Your love, Your promises. I choose You.”

What are you working for? Believing in? Depending on?

Take a Deep Drink of God

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No matter what I do to store up my intimacy with God – beach trips, revelations, journalling – my heart gets depleted. It is much like when I stockpile my pantry. Eventually all the food is consumed. It is the same with my “moments” with the Lord. Eventually the demands and needs of the day consume my warm God thoughts, my cups of His love, my bins full of truth.

But neither are futile.

This is why we must come again and again to the Table of God. You see His brilliance in the depletion because it is not the assurance of eating He desires for us, but the assurance of our hunger. He is glad when we hunger and thirst after Him. For then He gets to satisfy us just as He promised.

Take a long,  long drink of this song. It will slake your thirst. At least for today. Smile.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6

Divine Romance
The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied

by Phil Wickham

Being Still or Doing Nothing?

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“Be still and know that I AM God.” Psalm 46:10

Be. Know. I AM.

These are active verbs, especially when God Almighty is in the equation.  It came fresh to me yesterday when I was watching a scene from the new Karate Kid movie.

The student, Dre, asks Mr. Han, the master, when he would be taught all the moves so “he could control other people.” 

The master aptly replied, “The only person you need to learn to control is yourself.” 

Ouch. Let that one soak in a minute. Think about how much time you try to convince, cajole, manipulate, or arrange others for your benefit. Instead, consider how pressing into control yourself, your attitudes, your actions, and your beliefs could impact others for good.

They continue on in their teaching and Mr. Han attempted to explain the power of being still in your heart and in your mind.

Incredulous, the 12-year-old student balked, “You want me to beat those other guys by Doing NOTHING?!!”

Mr. Han looked at his student intently and said,” Being still and doing nothing are two totally different things.”

Add in the God factor to this statement, and you have a profound truth. Being still and knowing that GOD is at work  is different from you doing nothing but whining, quitting, and coping.  Being still and knowing God is for you generates a superpower hope and confidence while doing nothing only exposes your own weakness and inadequacies.

Being still and knowing, experiencing, believing, embracing, leaning on the Great I AM is a life changing point of origin.

Doing nothing is, well, full of Nothing. No God. No hope. No life.

Get busy being still. It will change everything about your Life.

True Intimacy Marriage Retreat – January 2011

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True Intimacy Marriage Retreat

Do you wonder if there are ways to connect more deeply with your mate? Do you long for more intimate connections on every level, emotionally, physically, spiritually? Well so does the Lord. He longs for the two of you to experience intimacy with Him and each other.

This retreat is a time to explore ways to make that connection real.

Whether you are barely speaking, or deeply in love, the intention of this retreat is to help us connect our marriage to God’s heart.

With all that pulls against you and your marriage, this time away is a chance to discover new ways, new habits, new beginnings that help you grow closer together.

“Perfect love casts out fear.” We want to learn how to live in this place for a lifetime.

To hear a testimony from a previous attendee check out the video

Retreat price includes two nights lodging in private suites, 4 meals and teaching sessions.