Notes from Women's Breakfast...

I heard a devotional at the Women’s Seminar  in Philly this past weekend.  It was shared by Corrie ten Boom. "Corrie" ten Boom was born in the Netherlands, in 1892, and grew up in a devoutly religious family. During World War II, she and her family helped many Jews to flee from arrest by Nazi authorities. Betrayed by a fellow Dutch citizen, the entire family was imprisoned. Corrie was the only one in her family who survived. Almost immediately after her release she started a worldwide ministry to share the gospel and she travel to over 60 countries.  She continued this ministry into her mid 80s finally having her first home in California. She continued to answer God’s call on her life and wrote and  did 5 films she felt the Lord was calling her to. She tells her story in the book: The Hiding Place.

This devotional was about our lives likened to a garden.  It was written by

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. His sermons and writings were shared in churches around the world.  He started preaching at age, 20 Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification.

The garden is very special to me.  Many memories even from childhood Spent time with aunt and uncle who were farms in early teens first time away from home.  My sister and I were given a chore to work in the garden pulling weeds.  We quickly tired of the chore and even made up a song.  We’re not going to work were not going to work were not going to work no more. But that early experience digging, pulling, time in the earth had an impact on me. Also I grew up in military family and had the opportunity to explore many of the US national parks and local parks what beauty there.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalm 19:1

God was revealing Himself to me in His Creation.

Here is the devotional reading and some scriptures I chose to describe each section. I pray it is an encouragement to you. Debbie

From Spurgeon's "Faith's Check Book"        242-Plentiful Refreshment
            "Their soul shall be as a watered garden." (Jeremiah 31:12)
Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation; no longer a wilderness but a garden of the Lord! Enclosed from the waste, walled around by grace, planted by instruction, visited by love, weeded by heavenly discipline, and guarded by divine power, one's favored soul is prepared to yield fruit unto the Lord.

Oh, to have one's soul under heavenly cultivation

Psalms 1:1-3

No longer a wilderness

Jeremiah 2:6  

Ephesians 2: 1-3 

But a garden of the Lord

Genesis 1:11-21

Genesis 2:8-9

Hosea 10: 12b

Enclosed from the waste,

1 Peter 2:9

Walled around by grace

Romans 5:20

Planted by instruction
Proverbs 1: 2-7
Proverbs 2:6


Visited by love,

John 3:16  

Romans 5:8

Zephaniah 3:17

Weeded by heavenly discipline,

Hebrews 12:6

John 15:1-8

Guarded by divine power,
Psalm 91:11
2 Peter 1:3

One's favored soul is prepared to yield fruit unto the Lord.
Hebrews 12:

Jeremiah 17:8

Spurgeon Devotional closing:
But a garden may become parched for want of water, and then all its herbs decline and are ready to die. O my soul, how soon would this be the case were the Lord to leave thee! In the East, a garden without water soon ceases to be a garden at all: nothing can come to perfection, grow, or even live. When irrigation is kept up, the result is charming. Oh, to have one's soul watered by the Holy Spirit uniformly -- every part of the garden having its own stream; plentifully -- a sufficient refreshment coming to every tree and herb, however thirsty by nature it may be; continually -- each hour bringing not only its heat, but its refreshment; wisely -- each plant receiving just what it needs. In a garden you can see by the verdure where the water flows, and you can soon perceive when the Spirit of God comes.
Webster defines verdue as: the greenness of growing vegetation; also : such vegetation itself. 2 : a condition of health and vigor.  (Description of irrigation, lush vegetation that follows, areas around rivers)
O Lord, water me this day and cause me to yield Thee a full reward for Jesus' sake. Amen.

All Things... CCPhilly Women's Seminar

This devotion has been taken from “The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings” by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth. 

 March 27

Sound in Body

Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  Hebrews 3:13

As Christians, we have not been left alone to deal with our sin.  God has graciously put us within a group of believers who are called to look out for one another and to stand together against the enemies that would threaten our spiritual strength and stamina.  This family, the body of Christ, is another wonderful provision, a vital means of grace that God has given to help us in our pursuit of holiness.

This is why it is so essential for every believer to be in a committed relationship with a Christ-centered local church.  Because while each of us is accountable to God for our personal holiness, He never intended that we should wage our battle single-handedly.

Is this an admission that we are weak and vulnerable?  Yes, it is.  I am weak.  So are you.  And the prideful independence that keeps us from taking off our mask and getting real before others is the same pride that inevitably causes us to fall into sin.  Humbling ourselves by letting others into our lives and allowing them to help us and hold us accountable will release the sanctifying, transforming grace of God in our hearts.  We need this kind of help from others; they need it from us, as well. 

And not just on Sundays.  For as the above verse from Hebrews 3 suggests, it takes less than twenty four hours for our hearts, any of us, to become hardened or deceived by sin.  None of us can afford to be without consistent, day-in and day-out accountability of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

You and I need the support of our Christian family every day of the week, if we are to make it spiritually.  How could you tap into this necessary resource in the next twenty four hours?  

Calvary Chapel Philly Women's Ministry's 2016 Women's Seminar is April 29 and 30.  The theme verse is: “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God All Things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).  In this day and age when the world does not want to acknowledge that there is a God, they will share at the Seminar that there is a God and that He is All Things to us! 

To register go to http://wm.ccphilly.org/womensseminar/