Have You Been Desperate for Jesus Lately?

In a recent prayer time of mine, I found myself on the floor and reaching out as far as I could. In my spirit, I was remembering the woman with the issue of blood, how she fought through the crowd to get to Jesus, just to touch a piece of His garment. She knew if she touched it she would be made whole. So she fought through desperately to get to Him because He was her last hope. Another woman, I thought of, was the woman who came into the private party, where Jesus was sitting with the Pharisee and this woman had to know that she was not worthy, the word says that she was an especially wicked sinner. In knowing that, it had to take a lot of courage deep within her to walk into that room nervous, scared, and shaking, she approached Him crying, and maybe with the thoughts of, I know I am not worthy to come to Him, but I am going to go and bring what I know is worthy and costly and give it to Him. As she walked in, eyes glared at her and she pushed past all that, keeping her eyes on Jesus, going straight to His feet and she began to anoint Him. ( Luke 7:36-50 & Luke 8:43-48)

As I lay in the floor thinking of these women and their desperation for Him, I asked myself this question, when was the last time I was so desperate for Jesus, that I didn't let anything stop me from getting to Him. These women just had to worry about the physical aspect of getting to Him, pushing past crowds, the negative voices, and the stare of a pharisee. We have to push past the spiritual to get to see Him, letting all the weights down. He is waiting on us to lay our weights down, to come to Him in our spiritual nakedness and say, I know You know all that is wrong and I know You still love me, so I am coming to You not holding anything back, You look upon me, get out what is wrong, cleanse me, but I will not leave until I have an encounter with You Jesus. He waits on us to push through, so now my question to you is this. When was the last time you were desperate for Jesus? We serve an Almighty God who desires to be with us, you know that is interesting to me that the God who created heaven and earth, the God who owns the earth and all that is within it and the dirt underneath, would desire to be with us! That is so awesome, to have this Father! (Psalm 50:10-12 & 1 Cor.10-26)

I want to encourage you to fulfill God's desires and go to Him, push everything aside whether its voices shouting, you can't get to Him, push past that and think on the woman with the issue of blood or the fact that there is sin in your life, ask forgiveness and push past that. Think of the woman who walked into a place where Jesus was and all eyes were staring at her for who she was, the sin in her life.

These women pushed past a lot in the physical realm to get to Him, let's push past in the spiritual realm to get to Him and just like these women, who left His presence never the same, we will never leave the same, you absolutely can not have an encounter with Jesus and not leave changed.

Finding ourselves in Battle

Have you ever found yourself in a spiritual battle and feeling overwhelmed? Upon reading Joshua, I discovered that GOD revealed a plan to use during the battle.

Joshua 1:7-9, (amplified bible) Only you be strong and very courageous, that you may do according to all the law which Moses, My servant commanded you. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua was getting ready for battle, he was nervous because this was after the death of Moses and he was called to step up and be the leader. GOD then revealed a plan for Joshua to follow and that plan is part of our inheritance as a blood bought child of GOD, what HE revealed to Joshua is ours also.

Take the word, read it, and not only read the word, but study and not only study, but meditate, think on it, get it in you. Live by it, and let the word govern your life and your decisions! Don't turn from it, neither to the right or left but stay with it no matter what you have to stand for or how ridiculous you will look, don't turn from the word. GOD revealed it would take courage, boldness, and strongness! Whether we are coming against something in the physical or in the spiritual.

GOD revealed blessing in doing what HE said: Your way will be prosperous, You will deal wisely, and You will have good success. Now who wouldn't want to know that no matter what you come against if you will follow GOD and HIS ways, that your outcome will be good. You could face anything if you knew the outcome would be victory. Joshua followed GOD and HIS voice and he had victory every time, but every time he sought GOD and done exactly what HE said. The next battle we find ourselves in, no matter what it looks like lets follow GOD and HIS voice, refusing to turn any other way, than what we will have is, our way will be prosperous, we will deal wisely, and we will have good success!!

Live Life

So many things happen in the Summer. It is hard to keep it all together. The kids are out of school and then you go to camp. The next thing you know, you're shopping for school clothes. For me I seem to get lazy, but life keeps on going really fast. It's on days like today that I realize that I shouldn't be lazy, but I also shouldn't miss out on life by getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world around me. We all should cherish every moment that God gives us to live. It's Satan's job to get us distracted. Sometimes we become so focused on preparing for the future, that we forget that we live in the present. I would encourage everyone to enjoy the simple pleasures of everyday. If you spend all your time preparing for the future you just might miss out on the daily blessings God has for you. In James 4:14 The Amplified Bible says, "Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]." Life is too, short. Live it, don't miss it!

Mother's Day Banquet

The Mother's Day Banquet was a huge success. Thanks to all those who help especially Bro. Daryl Weatherly and the Men's Ministry!

Who is at work?

While reflecting on the story of the children of Israel being delivered from bondage in Egypt, I began to see something different. I've heard the story in church and saw the movie on t.v., but I never saw it in this light. In Exodus 7:1 I discovered that Moses was to be God to Pharaoh, and Aaron was to be the prophet. A prophet is a person that brings the word of God to the people. Aaron was not bringing the words of Aaron or even the words of Moses to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. He was bringing the Words of God. Moses and Aaron would go before Pharaoh and his wise men and magicians and tell them a message from God and then do a sign. The wise men would then produce a counterfeit sign. This happened three times, but the fourth time Aaron, through the power of God caused lice or gnats to come upon the land and the magicians and wise men could not produce. How did they respond? They said, "This is the finger of God(Exodus 8:18,19)."

These men might have thought that Aaron was doing these great signs and wonders through his own power just like they were doing. When they were stumped they realized Who was really at work. How many times have we been in the same position as the magicians and wise men? We try to out do God in our own power. We think, "I got this," but we really are making a mess and can't produce what God can. We need to learn to yield ourselves the the power of God like Aaron did. We need to recognize Who is at work just like those magicians and wise men. Lord help me to realize that You are at work in my life. Lord remind me to yield myself so that You can operate through me. In Jesus name I ask this, Amen.

The Month of May

I Just wanted to share some of the upcoming events for May.

This year our Mother's Day Banquet is sure to be very special. It will be held on Friday May 9, 2008 at the People's Trust Bank Banquet room. The men of the church have eagerly taken on the duty of hosting and serving the women of our church at this event. All mothers and all daughters are cordially invited to attend this special time of celebration of women. We need to get a number so the men can plan for this event, so I will be posting a sign up list and making announcements at church. All women of all ages are invited.

As the month rolls on the ladies retreat gets closer. The deadline for the discounted registration fee is May 1, 2008. I will also post a sign up sheet for this and have registration forms available for all those interested in going. I would like to encourage all our women to attend this time of refreshing. If finances are an issue please see me and we will provide you tuition in a discrete manner. I feel the Lord really has something great in store for all of us. As the day gets closer I will call a meeting to discuss travel to and from the retreat. Hope to see you all there.

Brunch

Ladies, don't forget about our brunch in the morning at 10 am. We will have food fellowship and plan events for the next 3 months. Hope to see you there.

Alabama Ladies Retreat

The 2008 Alabama Ladies retreat is fast approaching. The dates scheduled are May 16 and 17, 2008. The theme for this years retreat is A Continual Feast...A Continual Celebration. The special guest speaker is Cathy Payne, International Women's Ministry Director. I would like to encourage all of our ladies to go. The pre-registration cost is $40.00 and is due by May 1, 2008. If you have any questions contact me. I am looking forward to this great time of ministry for women! Hope to see you there.

Does God Hear Me?

While reading Job this morning I saw something really interesting. I had been struggling to understand chapter 35 and God gave me a revelation. Elihu, Job's friend was speaking about people crying out to God in vain. Have you ever felt like your prayers were going no higher than the ceiling? I have. I some times feel like they are just bouncing off the walls. It is in those times of seeking a breakthrough that we can get really frustrated and not even want to pray anymore. After all, does God even hear me? I think if we will look at this passage (Job 35:9-13) we can get insight into how to touch God and make Him hear us.

First we should look at what doesn't work. The passage says that people cry out during times of oppression. This is true of everyone born again or not. How many times do you see people around you in trouble calling on God for help? When people get distressed the say things like Oh, God! or Jesus! or Oh, my Lord! People treat a holy God like something that is common. That is the point that Elihu was trying to make with Job and his friends. People can call on God all day long, but because of pride and disrespect God is not obligated to hear. He knows us and knows the intent of our heart. He knows when we are full of pride and when we are humble and broken. We should be careful not to approach God with pride but rather with humility.

After we realize that our pride is most likely the thing standing in the way of God even hearing our prayer, we should look at what gets His attention. In verses 10 and 11 we see what captures the heart of God. We first should acknowledge that God is our Maker. He has created me and you and we should give Him credit for His creations. Next we should realize that He gives us reasons to sing and again give Him the credit for it. Last we should realize that it was and is God who gives us wisdom and who also teaches us. The verses say that He taught us more than the beast of the earth and that He made us smarter than the birds. Again we should give God credit for what He has done. When we give God credit for all that He does we are giving Him praise and worship. That is the key to getting God to listen.

When you find yourself in a place where you feel like God is not listening, take a look at your approach. Did you praise and worship Him? Did yo come in with humility? If you find that you opened up with pride or self worship then take a step back, repent, and let humility flood over you. You'll most likely find yourself broken before God with His undivided attention.

Shopping Trip

Ladies, it's almost time for our shopping trip. Bring you appetite because we're going to eat at Olive Garden. Hackleburg ladies meet at the church at 9:00. Hamilton ladies meet at the Bama Food Mart at 9:15. We can all meet at the food court at the mall and go from there. Can't wait to see you.

On The Brink

As I re-read the story of Jesus' first miracle, turning water to wine, I had the same question come to mind that I always do. Why did He say, "My time has not yet come?" That is something that has puzzled me for years, because His next statement is bring me those water pots. I feel God gave me a revelations about this story that I've never thought about or heard preached.

I'll set it up for you. Jesus, His disciples, and His family were at a wedding. It must have been a huge affair because they ran out of drinks. Mary said to Jesus, "they are out of wine," as if she wanted to know what they could do about it. Jesus then tells her, "what does that have to do with you and Me, just leave it to me." Then He says it, "My time to act has not come."

The next thing to happen was key to the miracle happening. It was Mary's response to "It's not time." She told the servants to do what ever Jesus told them to do. Mary's faith was put to the test. She had been told, "no, not now," and she responded just like God wanted her to respond. She basically said, "get ready, because when it is time ,He will do something great, and He may want our help."

What do we do when God says, "It's not time?" Most of the time we get negative, and speak out of fear rather than faith. It's hard not to. Our flesh is naturally negative. We should be like Mary and say, "Okay God. Your the boss. Let me get ready for when the time comes for my miracle."

We need to realize that just before Jesus said, "not now," He said, "I'll take care of it." Sometimes we forget that God said that He would take care of us. We get so caught up in what is happening all around us that we forget about God's provision.

Jesus was just moments from performing His first miracle, but no one knew it at that moment. I think that the miracle happened because Mary didn't freak out and get negative. Who knows? You might be on the brink of your miracle. It might be moments away. Don't push it away with negative fear filled words. Remember God knows what you need and He said that He would provide it. Just wait on Him and be prepared! It might be today!

The Bowling Trip

I had a great time with all of you bowling and eating. I hope that we can do things like that more often. I want to see us draw closer together as a group. As we get closer we will become more effective in ministering to others. God Bless you all and I look forward to the shopping trip. I don't think I'll get lost in Tupelo (Ha! Ha!).

Up Coming Events

Our next Laidies outing will be March 8, 2008. We will be going shopping at Tupelo, MS. I will post more details soon.

Intimacy With God

In Ezekiel 2:1,2 we see a portrait of an intimate relationship with God. It begins with Ezekiel on his face before God and then God speaking to him. God actually addresses Ezekiel as "son of man." How does God address you? Does God have a special name that He calls you? Are you intimately acquainted with God?

As I sat and thought of this, I began to see that Ezekiel and God were pretty intimate. God knew just what to say to Ezekiel to get his attention, and Ezekiel also knew the voice of God. As the book of Ezekiel progresses it unfolds like and autobiography of Ezekiel and God. It is really awsome.

I desire to be that close to God. I would like to have an autobiography of my life with Him, but what does it take to get to that place? The key is to become intimate with God. Webster's Dictionary defines intimate as closely acquainted, familiar; private, personal. How many of us are truly that way with God?

Many people see God as untouchable. They ask Jesus to come in and take away their sin but cower in fear of the Father. They place Him on a great throne and are afraid to approach except in extreme distress. They view God as a great authority figure like the president. He is someone of great power that cares for their wellfare, but they will never sit down to a meal with Him and share their day with Him because He is too, great.

God is great, but He also desires to have the daily chats about your day. He is like your best friend, mother, father, and spouse all in one. He wants to chat with you to get to know you, but mostly He wants for you to get to know Him, after all, He knew you before you were formed in your mothers womb (Jeremiah 1:5). The difference in people and God is that no matter what happens between you, He'll never leave you. If you get mad and say ugly things to Him, He is still there. When your world is crashing down, He is there. When you are having the time of your life, He's there. The Amplified Bible says it this way in Hebrew 13:5b, "for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]." We have a mighty God Who loves us unconditionally.

As I read the Bible, pray, fast, and worship, I begin to see just Who God is to me. It builds my desire to spend even more time with Him. As the intimacy grows so does my hunger for more of Him. One day we will have that autobiography about our life together. You can have that too. Remember, if you are going to put God on the throne, you have to be willing to crawl into His lap.

Effective Witnessing

Have you ever had trouble witnessing? I have! What do you say? How do you do it? Where do you do it? Who do you talk to? When is the best time? Why should you do it? As I was studying this morning I looked at some really good examples.

John 1:35-51 gives a real and effective witnessing experience. It shows how some of the desciples became disciples. It show different ways to approach people. It also shows tools that equip us for witnessing.

What do you say? John the Baptist said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!"(John 1:36, Amplified) It wasn't a lot spoken, but it touched the lives of two of his own disciples. These two decided to follow Jesus from just those words. One of the two, Andrew, went and told his brother Simon about Jesus and led him back to meet Jesus. I would suggest that you keep it simple and tell what you know. That is what these men did.

How do you do it? Let Holy Spirit lead you! God knows just the word or words that can impact a person to the point of making the decision for Life. We see this in how Jesus responded to each one that He came into contact with. For His first two disciples, all it took was showing them where He was staying. For Peter it took the opperation of the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus used the word of knowlege and the gift of prophesy to tell Peter who he was and who he would be. Some may say, "but He was the Son of God!" We are too(John 1:12)! Jesus was a fleshly man opperating in the power of Holy Spirit. We are called to do the same. Jesus also used the power of Holy Spirit to get Nathanael's attention. If we will be sensative to Holy Spirit, He will tell us exactly what to say and how to say it.

Where do you witness? Some people think that witnessing is something you do at church. Wintessing is actually something you can do anywhere. You might be at work ,at Wal-mart, at a neighbors house, at a ball game, or even at the police station. You are not limited to a particular place. Let Holy Spirit be you guide. He'll set up the place for you.

Who do you talk to? I believe Jesus talked with the ones Holy Spirit led Him to talk with. Jesus was very sensitive to Holy Spirit and His leading. He is our example. That means we should be able to do everything Jesus did here on earth (see John 14:12). Andrew talked to his brother, Peter. Philip talked to his friend Nathanael. So, who do we talk to ? We talk to our friends, our families, and those to whom Holy Spirit leeds us.

When is the best time to talk to people? I think that goes right back to Holy Spirit. He will set up the time and the place and tell you what to say. Just tune in to Him. Jesus talked to people when the opportunity arose. The disciples talked to others about Jesus while it was fresh in there hearts and minds. I think we should follow their examples. Tell people about Jesus while what He is doing is fresh. Don't wait, because you might loose some of the fervor. Also, tell people about Jesus when the opportunity arises. Don't try to make it happen. Just let it happen!

Why should we wintess? Besides the fact that it is a requirement for all Christians (Mark 16:15-20), it is exciting to tell others about the good things that are happening in your life. Think about when you first found out you were going to have a baby. You wanted to tell others. You might have called your mom and his mom and your best friend and a your neighbor. I told just about anyone I came into contact with because it was such a miricle in my life. As that life grew inside of you, you started to "show" outward signs of what was going on, on the inside. That outward "showing" is attractive to others. People are curious as to what is going on. Sometimes they even want to touch it. Oh, if we could only be that way about salvation. If we would share with those around us, what Jesus has done on the inside, what an impact we could make on this lost and dying world. If what Jesus did on the inside, grew to the point that it was "showing" on the outside, people would be curious and want to touch. We have that "new life" growing in us, and people around us should see that. Rather than asking why should I wintess, maybe we should ask ourselves why shouldn't I witness.

If Jesus has done any thing in your life, then you have a story to tell. When you share that story with others, you are being a witness. It does not matter what church you go to. It doesn't matter who you are. Everyone who has asked Jesus in their heart has a story that can touch someone's life. Let's get out there and share! Lord, help me to tune in to Holy Spirit. Help me to be sensitive to what You are saying to me. Let me be ready to act when Holy Spirit sets up a witnessing encounter. Lord, most of all let my words be what you want people to hear, not just what I want to say. Make me an effective witness for You.

In Jesus name, Amen.

The Voice of God

Have you ever wondered about John the Baptist's life. As I was studying my Bible this morning, I began to think about his life. John was born into a time when no one had heard the voice of God for over 400 years. John's father was the first person to hear from God through the message of the angel Gabriel. This was the beginning of God's ultimate plan.

John was filled with the Holy Spirit at around 24 week gestation in the womb. That is an awesome thing in itself. He had specific guidelines to follow. He could not drink wine or strong drink. He is described in Mark 1:6 as wearing camel hair clothes with a leather belt and eating locusts and wild honey.

In John chapter 1 we learn a little about John the Baptist's purpose in life. He was the messenger God had spoken of in Malachi 3:1. He actually heard the voice of God. God let him in on the plan of salvation. He told him that the One Whom the Holy Spirit descended on was the One Who would save mankind from sin. What an awesome responsibility that was placed on and in trusted to this man.

God had a plan for John the Baptist just as God has a plan for all of us. We have to be willing to hear the voice of God, and we have to be willing to obey the voice of God no matter what it takes. If God asked you to do something that the world would view as crazy, would you be a John the Baptist or a Pharisee?

Lord, help me to be like John the Baptist when You speak. Help me to not question the plan You have for my life no matter how crazy it may appear. Help me to heed Your voice and not the voice of the world. In Jesus' name I ask it, Amen.

Welcome!

The Yaweh Sisterhood has moved! Our new director of the ministry is Jennifer Galbreth, and she will be posting weekly and sometimes daily to keep us informed on the Women's Ministries. So keep "connecting" with this blog, so we as women in this community can stay informed.