grandmothersofhope

Written by: Sister Edna Ellison

When I was a child, my grandmother nurtured and reared me. That included going to church, participating in Sunday school, and singing in the youth choir. The lessons that I learned as a child have never left me. For instance, in vacation bible school and in Sunday school we had to memorize scriptures. To this day, those are the bible verses that I know by heart. Some of those scriptures are Psalm 100, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing, know ye that the Lord is God, it is He that has made us and not we ourselves.

Written by: Sister Rose Bryant

In the realm of spiritual warfare, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers to equip themselves with the “full armor of God” in order to stand against the schemes of the enemy (Ephesians 6:11). Among the pieces of this divine armor, the helmet of salvation holds a significant place as a symbol of spiritual protection and assurance. When a soldier suited up for battle, the helmet was the last piece of armor to go on. It was the final act of readiness in preparation for combat. This article will explore the meaning and significance of the helmet of salvation, drawing from biblical scriptures to illuminate its importance in the life of a believer.

Written by: Sister Patricia Smith

The Shield of Faith is part of the Armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-17. After summarizing the gospel and giving the Ephesians various instructions, Paul concludes his message by saying, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:10-11). But about the shield of faith, Paul writes, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The ESV translation puts it this way: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Written by: Sister Maxine Shackelford

Ephesian 6:11-13 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Putting on the whole armor of God comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (Ephesians 6:15, that will be discussed in this article,) the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which will be discussed in the next three month’s articles.

Written by: Sister Joann Greene

Paul addressed the Ephesians who were rich beyond measure in Jesus Christ, yet they lived as beggars, and only because they were ignorant of their newly found wealth in the relationship that they had in Jesus. (The epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians (KJV-New Testament).

The purpose of the breastplate of righteousness is to protect yourself against sin and the enemy’s attack. (Ephesians 6:14-20 KJV).

Written by: Sister Edna Ellison

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter of Ephesians while he was under arrest in Rome. Paul most likely took note of how the Roman soldiers were dressed. The belt was crucial in holding the other pieces of their armor in place. Also, their belts were used to pull their tunics up for more freedom of movement.

Written by: Sister Myrtice Robinson

In a time as this time upon the earth, Christians need to know how to fight spiritual battles God’s way. “Therefore, we must put on the full Armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18.

Written by: Sister Maxine Shackelford

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things There is no law.” Galatians 5:22 ESV

As December brings an end to this year, the seed of the Spirit, Self-control brings an end to the Grandmothers of Hope’s series on Practicing the Fruit of the Spirit, which is one of the most Important fruits to possess. When pondering self-control, I thought of a time in history in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, where God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin engaged to be married to a carpenter named Joseph, a descendant of David.

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Written by: Sister Joann Greene

The Galatians, having launched their Christian experience by faith, seem content to leave their voyage of faith and chart a new course based on works. When Paul returned from Jerusalem, he was somewhat disturbed to find the Gentiles were not following the gospel of faith. In that gospel of faith was the fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness is a slice of that fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV).

We, the Grandmothers of Hope, have set our hearts to live in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25-26 (KJV) states that “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

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Written by: Sister Brenda Wider

Lord, we come before you thanking you for your faithfulness, gentleness and self -control. We’re asking you to forgive us of our sins as we come before you thanking you for all you have done. We thank you and serve you because we know you are a faithful God who loves us and wants the best for us. Delight in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart as stated in Psalm 37:3-4. In your faithfulness, you give us grace, mercy and love that is why we should always show gratitude to you for your faithfulness. No matter what we go through we should always remember your love and faithfulness to us in all things. Psalm 89 says, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”

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