TEAMsupport - Jesus Is the Reason for the Season

Diane Stivers
Family Ministries

The holidays are here! May each of you be blessed as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus.  This is a time when families build memories while spending more time together.  It can also be a very stressful time. All families have weaknesses and challenges. Take the time to express to your family your love and appreciation. Appreciation is one of the deepest human needs. Everyone wants to be accepted and to feel they are a vital part of the family. Gifts are a great way to express our love and appreciation, but open compliments and positive communications are gifts that last a lifetime. Remembering the good times can give us strength to endure the tough times. Families have their own traditions and activities that are expressed during the holiday season that carry over from generation to generation.

I want to challenge each one to remember that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Incorporate Him in your traditions as you come together as a family. I am a strong believer in the old adage that says, “The family that prays together stays together.” Take advantage of the time you spend with your family this season and build memories that will unite and strengthen you as an individual and a family member.

TEAMsupport

Diane Stivers
Family Ministries

Are you on the Verge of a Miracle?

What is a Miracle?  I define it as an act of God; an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature.  When I think of a miracle, the first thing that comes to my mind is being born again.  In John 3:1 Nicodemus questioned, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”  Spiritual birth is an act of God and, therefore, it must be a miracle. 

The second thing that comes to my mind when I think of miracles is the birth of a child.  It is a miracle that does not occur without warfare (defined as a struggle or conflict – sometimes vicious and unrelenting).  In the beginning of a pregnancy there are minimal outward manifestations that a miracle is taking place within her.  Similarly, spiritual warfare often starts as a small thing.  In 1 Peter 4:12 we are told, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you.”  When we are going through spiritual warfare, many times it feels like we are totally surrounded by things strange or unfamiliar to us.  We do not recognize what is happening to us and at times we fail to recognize that it is warfare.

As one develops along in their pregnancy their body begins to take on a form they are unfamiliar with.  There is evidence that something new, or transformational, is happening to us.  One day you get up and realize, “I haven’t seen my feet for a few days.” I know they are there because I feel them but I cannot see them. 

The birthday of the miracle has arrived and this soon-to-be mother is more miserable and in great pain because the deliverance is at hand.  The labor begins with contractions.  At first, they may be mild and inconsistent with time, but as the day goes on they become regular and more intense.     

Comparatively, the enemy knows his time is short and he will fight until the end but we know that he has already lost and we are the victors and not the victims.  The enemy sends out his darts and they are piercing, but you are on the brink of your miracle and you must do one more thing.  You have finally reached the stage where the doctor says, “You are ready to push.”

Philippians 3:14 – “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Finally, it’s time to push forward – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13).

A beautiful baby is born! You have just been given a miracle in spite of being surrounded by pain and agony. There is no way to explain this beautiful baby except by confessing, “It’s a miracle!”

If you feel as though you are due for a miracle, recognize that you are in spiritual warfare.  The enemy is losing, and your miracle is on its way.

TEAMsupport

Diane Stivers
Family Ministries

FATHERS, STEP UP TO THE PLATE!

“What this country needs is a few good men - husbands and fathers who are
 willing to lead the households with manly resolve and Godly vision.”
Phillip Lancaster

The first obligation of a father is to love the Lord - “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

The second responsibility of a father is found in Ephesians 5:25 & 29 - “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it; (29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church.”

A third and vital step for fatherly responsibility is in their relationship and teaching of their children - “And ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurturance and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).  You can demand obedience from your children, but respect must be earned.  Men and fathers, God has given you the responsibility to lead your home spiritually; to give your children a biblical foundation to build on.  The church, as well as society, is in desperate need of men who will be family men and family leaders.

A Tribute to My Father:
My father loves the Lord with all of his heart.  He loved my mother deeply and since she has gone on ahead of him, part of him seems to be missing.  He has earned the respect of his children (all ten of us).  When I walk into the room and make eye contact with my father, I can see the love in those eyes.  He can speak only a few words due to his failing health.  When he puts his frail arms around me, pats me on the cheek, and tries to voice the words “I love you,” I know I am so blessed to have him as my father.

Building Family Memories

Diane Stivers
Family Ministries

At a tender age, when the young minds are like a blank canvass, is such a vital time to inspire and educate children.  Taking the time to create special moments will help your relationship with your children to be concrete.  Circumstances (or people) can sometimes take away your material possessions, your money, or even your health.  No one, however, can ever take away your precious memories. 

My first memory of experiencing the presence of God was age four (4).  My mother and father would sit on the front porch in the evening while the children would play in the yard.  When it was too dark to play, we would gather on the porch and have a family devotion.  My dad would read a scripture, then mom would begin singing and we would join in.

One particular song that my mom sang was “Only a Tramp.”  As we sang, I remember such a sacred and special feeling.  This song was about the Rich Man and Lazarus.  I went to church and the Pastor’s sermon was taken from Luke 16:20 - “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores.  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died and was buried.” 

I recognized the sermon because my mother had sung the song to me.  As I grew, and as my relationship with the Lord grew, I have always been able to identify the presence of God because it is the same presence I felt at age four (4) sitting on the front porch with my family during family devotion.

TEAMsupport

Paulette Ramsey
Michiana Family Ministries

Family – they are the ones we love the most and often times cause us the most heartache.  When God instituted the family, His intention was for us to live together in harmony and to complement each other.  Of course, Satan had a different plan - even in the beginning, he tried to drive a wedge between Adam and Eve.  In spite of their sin, they remained together.  When children were born into the family, Satan rose up once again and attempted to destroy the family through the murder of Abel by Cain.  He surely must have felt that he had won the victory, but God intended for the family to continue as a unit of togetherness.  From the beginning, Satan’s plan has been to destroy the family.  I declare, “God is Greater” than all the forces of evil that come against our families in an attempt to destroy them.  We must stay in constant prayer for our families and always be on guard for those God has entrusted into our care.  We are sometimes overwhelmed with the responsibility that comes with a newborn baby.  However, consider the opportunity we have as parents and grandparents to share in and shape the very life of another human being; to teach them by word and example of the goodness and faithfulness of God. 

For many years we have heard, “The family that prays together, stays together”.  This year, I am asking us to make each Monday a day of prayer for our own families (as well as all families).  Pray throughout the day for them.   Let us ask God for blessings upon our families in the following areas: 

• To live together in harmony 
• To pray together
• To eat meals together (as much as possible)
• For restoration of broken relationships
• For forgiveness and reconciliation

I am praying for and declaring this to be the year of restoration, reconciliation, healing, and forgiveness in our families.