September 30, 2013

   

Moments that rock your faith

She was nine when her father died. Today she found out her marriage was ending. She has five children to raise with no father. The phone rang just now, and she found out she has breast cancer. She is struggling with forgiveness from a devastating hurt in her past that no one need go through. And she was so excited about her first baby, but soon after finding out about her pregnancy, she miscarried.

These are real women in the midst of life-altering moments. Moments where their faith is tested because the world as they knew it no longer exists. Their faith is literally being rocked to its very core. It's in these moments that we feel like running for our lives with hands over our eyes so as to hide our fear and shut out the world.

The problem is ... we can't hide. We can't make it all go away or shut out the world. We CAN run though. But run to what? We can run, searching for that which we think will make everything better, or we can try running away. The problem is the thing we're running from will simply meet us where we stop. What will we do? There will always be moments of uncertainty, when our reality isn't what we wanted or expected.

We can choose to try something different. We can run, but not away. We can run toward. We can run into the very arms of the One who is always with us. The One who promises never to leave us or forsake us. The One who actually has the power to carry us through our moments of deepest darkness. We can run to Jesus, and in doing so learn to live fully ALIVE in Him in the midst of our deepest fears.

This is our sixth and final week of our ALIVE series. The week when the rubber meets the road and faith is put to its ultimate test. These moments are the ones that determine what we truly believe, and it's in these moments that we can dare to live fully ALIVE in Him!

There is a verse that has become my "9-1-1" call over the last decade. It's my emergency scripture. The verse I go to when my world is being rocked. It's Psalm 91:1. Read it below.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

 will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

The Lord has shown me some powerful things in this short little verse. First of all, there are two names of God in this verse, "Most High" and "Almighty."

Most High is from the Hebrew word Elyon. It refers to God being the supreme and sovereign ruler of the Universe.Elyon is in charge.

Almighty is from the Hebrew Shaddai, which means all-sufficient and all-powerful. Shaddai makes the impossible possible. He is the supreme satisfier. He is the One who desires to bless us beyond our wildest imaginations.

Let's take a look at a few other words in this verse.

• Dwells - to stay or remain at all times
• Shelter - hiding place, secret place
• Abide - to cause to rest or take refuge
• Shadow - shade or protection

This verse illustrates that I am to stay with and take shelter in or hide in the Most High -- my sovereign, 

in-control God. In doing this I find rest in being close to (in the shadow of) my all-sufficient and all-powerful God.

How can I live fully ALIVE in Him during the"emergency" moments of my life? I can practice this mindset and choose to default to this way of thinking in the midst of my struggle. I can remember that God has a plan for my life and for those whom I love. I can choose joy in the midst of my struggle because I can choose Jesus and Jesus is joy!

Is this an easy journey? No. Jesus never promised us easy, though. In fact, John 16:33 says the opposite.  

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Oh how I wish life were easier, but it's not. It's full of twists and turns and ups and downs, good days, bad days and all in between. The key to living fully ALIVE in Him is the reality of knowing that Jesus did conquer death and in doing so He overcame everything in the world and lives victoriously in Heaven with His Father.

Women with cancer, women with marriages that need fixing, depression, single moms doing their best to make it on their own, women with all sorts of hurts ... all of these things shake our faith, but Jesus has the power to help you and me live with confidence and joy in Him! Will you choose to run to Him and not from Him in your struggle, and in doing so learn to live fully ALIVE in Him?

You make known to me the path of life; 

in your presence there is fullness of joy; 

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Psalm 16:11

Below are five practical steps that can help us when the earth shifts and we don't know what to do.

 

  

Recognize that God is in control of your situation.

  

Rely on Him to get you through. Don't run away in fear, anger or frustration; lean heavily into them.

  

Refuse to give Satan a foothold.

  

Remain close to Jesus (under His umbrella of protection).

  

Rejoice in knowing that Almighty God is with you and will see you through.

Have a wonderful, joy-filled week and remember to always seek to live fully ALIVE in Him ...

 

Jacqueline C. Heider

Director of Discipleship & Women's Ministry 

September 23, 2013

  

 Are You Speaking Life or Death?

Psalm 16:11 

You make known to me the path of life;

 in your presence there is fullness of joy;

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This week we're going to focus our attention on a tiny little part of our body that can impact us in enormous ways. In fact, it's so powerful that it can be a matter of life and death. This small, yet very significant apparatus can lead us to a live fully ALIVE in Him or cause us to feel weak, small and kill all confidence and joy. What useful, yet destructive weapon am I talking about? You guessed it ...the tongue!

Proverbs 18:21 says ... Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.

We can speak life and joy into our hearts and the hearts of others, or we can speak death and destruction. The choice is ours!

It is so easy to become anxious or angry and let our tongues loose in frustration. This type of behavior harms others, causes heartache and pain and can lead to irreparable  damage in relationships. Those types of damaging words not only hurt others, but can also be destructive to our own sense of well being.

So what types of words should we be using?

God's Word supplies the answer for our question. After all,God's Word is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword ... Hebrews 4:6  

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

We should be speaking that which is good for building up and is grace-giving. If it is destructive, sarcastic, hurtful or ugly, don't say it! If it imparts grace (favor, sweetness, that which affords joy and delight), use it.

What do we do if someone needs to hear "the truth"?

Ephesians 4:15 - Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

This verse states that though we may be called to speak truth into a person's life, we are to do so remembering to let love be our guide.

This reminds me of Philippians 2:3-4 which says, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Yes, we are called to speak truth to those around us, but we are to do so in a way that God can work in their hearts and bring about change. We should not speak the truth in order to prove ourselves right or so that we can get some vain satisfaction, but rather in order to point them to Christ, thus allowing the Holy Spirit to do His job of changing and renewing. And remember, always pray beforehand. Just because you know what the truth is doesn't mean that God wants you to share it every time. He may give you restraint and ask you to say nothing, or to pray and let Him take care of it.

What type of "self-talk" should we be doing daily?

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

As women we talk to ourselves all the time (sometimes out loud, but always in our heads). It is of utmost importance that we maintain positive, life-giving self-talk. If we are constantly talking to ourselves negatively, then that is what is going to spill out onto others as well. Negative self-talk also robs us of remembering who we are in Christ. 

Words of life are a joy and delight. They make us ALIVE in Him and cause us to shine brightly in a world that is full of hate and destruction. Below are some verses I pray will help you this week as you seek to live fully ALIVE in Jesus' presence through the words you speak to yourself and to others.

Psalm 16:24 - Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

James 1:19-20 - Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Luke 6:45 - The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 

Take time each day to be still before the Lord and allow Him to nurture your heart so you can speak words of joy and delight to others.

In her book Me, Myself and Lies, Jennifer Rothschild puts it this way:

"The Holy Spirit will not shut down the noise of our busy world to counsel you. He won't try to silence all the racket in your thought closet to be heard. To hear His counsel, we have to quiet ourselves and truly listen."

 

Quiet your mind today and allow the Holy Spirit to speak words of life into you. Then you'll be ready to speak words of joy and delight to others.

Have a wonderful, joy-filled week and remember to always seek to live fully ALIVE in Him ...

 

Jacqueline C. Heider

Director of Discipleship & Women's Ministry 

September 16, 2013

Waiting with Hope 

Psalm 16:11 

You make known to me the path of life;

 in your presence there is fullness of joy;

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Waiting is a part of life ... We wait in line. We wait at the doctor's office. We wait for packages to arrive. We wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas and our next birthday to come. Waiting is as much a natural part of life as breathing! So much so, that we wait to take our next breath! So if waiting is a natural part of life, why is it so difficult?

Well, as you know, the culture we live in is a fast-paced, fast food, swipe-the-card-and-go kind of place. We don't have time to slow down, much less wait! Waiting is an inconvenience. From the time we're born, we don't want to wait. Think about a baby. Does a baby wait for its milk with any semblance of patience? Absolutely not! A baby doesn't wait for its food any more readily than we wait for a turn in the drive-thru lane at Chick-Fil-A.

But sometimes the type of waiting we have to do is even more important than waiting to fill our bellies! Sometimes the waiting is for deliverance from something that is incredibly difficult.

No matter what we're waiting for, rather than becoming frustrated, anxious, and impatient during our wait time, isn't there another way we can live? Rather than allowing our wait time to capture our joy and rob us of freedom, can we possibly use it as a time to live ALIVE in Jesus' presence? Can we learn to wait well, even though we desire constant motion? I believe the answer is found in Isaiah.

Read Isaiah 40:31

... but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

they shall walk and not faint.

In this verse we can discover three truths about waiting that will give us something "to do" while we wait. God literally gives us three verbs (just to remind you ... a verb is an action word.) I love that ... God's Word is full of amazing paradox that lead us to truth and make us ALIVE in HIM! Let's look at these together.

But they who wait (Qawah)... this word is a verb that means to wait for, to look for, to hope for, to bind together by twisting (as in a strand of cord or rope). It also relates to depending on and ordering activities around a future event.

And who are we to wait or hope for (i.e. bind or twist ourselves around)? This verse says we are to wait (Qawah) for the LORD. The word LORD in this passage refers to Jehovah.

Jehovah is the One that is absolutely self-existent; the One who possesses essential life, permanent existence (Nathan Stone, The Names of God). Jehovah is the perfect, permanent, present One.

This tells me that while I'm waiting, I am to twist or bind myself around the LORD. The One who is perfect, permanent, and always present. Now that is worth the wait, isn't it?

What happens as I wait? This passage says my strength shall be renewed.

Renew (chalaph) means to change, substitute, alter, change for the better, to show newness. 

As I wait (bind myself to the LORD, Jehovah), I exchange my imperfect, failing, human strength for Jehovah's perfect, always present, life-giving strength.

And then what happens? Another action verb in the text answers that question. It says ...

... they shall mount up with wings like eagles. Mount up (alah) in that sentence meansto cause to ascend, to go up, to spring up, grow, shoot forth, to be carried away, be led up.

As I bind myself to Jehovah and gain His strength, I am led to a higher place with the Lord. I worship and grow with the Lord. In essence, I soar! Talk about staying in motion. Who wouldn't want to fly?

These principles are true as I wait in line or on the phone, as I wait on my kids or on the laundry to get done. But these principles are even more powerful as I wait in the storms of life.

I was curious as to why the text specifically used the analogy of an eagle. So I discovered something interesting about the eagle. When flying in a storm, the eagle doesn't actually flap its wings, so it basically uses no energy. An eagle flies into the wind of the storm and allows the motion of the storm to cause him to soar. The wind actually comes up underneath his wing span and is the force or energy for the eagle's flight. The eagle has learned or perhaps just knows instinctively to use the storm - to embrace the storm.

Eagles soar at extremely high altitudes, as well. Oh, don't you see the picture? We are the eagle and the storms take us higher and higher with the Lord. They cause us to wait, yes, but we wait in hope as we bind ourselves to Jehovah and are transformed into creatures that are free and fully ALIVE in Him!

• What are you having to wait on today?
• Is your patience lacking because of the "little"things?
• Are you tired and weary, needing your strength renewed?
• Have you received some news that has caused you to feel anxious or fearful?
• Won't you wait on (bind yourself) to Jehovah, exchange your strength for His, and soar today?

If you would like some verses that will help you worship as you wait, click here.  

*The Wait/Hope,Renew,Soar graphic was taken from Girls Love Chocolate by Susan Cady 2009.

September 9, 2013

  

Psalm 16:11 

You make known to me the path of life;

 in your presence there is fullness of joy;

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

So Ya' Had a Bad Day ...

Do you ever have days when everything just seems to go wrong? Those times when it seems that everything you try to do is difficult or impossible, or those times when things you say either come out wrong or are interpreted incorrectly? What about those times when things are just stressful - the oven dies in the middle of cooking dinner and you have guests coming over for dinner in an hour. You have an appointment and your car breaks down. Your boss gives you a project on top of the project you're already trying to complete and wants it right now! One of your children is sick on Bible study day and you really needed some God time and some loving encouragement from your class.

These types of moments are what I call everyday frustrations, or small anxieties of life. These are days when my patience is tested to its very limit; days when, if I'm not armed for battle, I'm going to end up being like Attila the Hun to those around me and I won't have a chance of living fully ALIVE in Jesus! Can we say UGLY?! Oh yes, we all know what I'm talking about, and let's be honest, we've all had those days whether we'd like to admit it or not!

So here's the question: How, in the midst of those small anxieties of life, do we exemplify fullness of love, joy, and peace and not become what my sweet daughter calls a"mean ol' thingy!"? (You'd have to actually hear her say that statement to appreciate it, but you get the point!)

First of all, we can remember that we are dearly loved by our Covenant God.

In her book Jesus Calling, author Sarah Young says this on the devotional for September 11:

No matter what is going on, you can rejoice in your love-relationship with Me (Jesus). This is the secret to being content in all circumstances.

Jeremiah 31:3 - I have loved you with an ever-lasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

Secondly, we can remember that God is sovereign over all things. Because of this we can willingly accept what He has for us each day.

Back in July our wonderful Pastor McKinley gave an acrostic that really impacted the way I begin my day. He said to "PACE" yourself as you pray.

• P = Praise God (with hands raised high)
• A = Accept what God has for you each day (with hands wide open)
• C = Commit your day to God (with hands facing down)
• E = Expect God to work (with hands wide open)

I love the "accept what God has for you each day"portion of that acrostic because it reminds me that I am to open my heart and my hands to God every day, remembering that nothing touches my life that isn't first filtered through the very hands of God. That gives me great comfort and peace.

Next I can remember that I am to be thankful and rejoice in all circumstances - God's formula for joy and peace.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Philippians  4:4-7 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Did you notice the words rejoice always and the word thanksgiving in these passages? That is, thanksgiving in all circumstances.

These verses remind us that we are to be in a continual state of prayer - especially when things get frustrating! And the Philippians passage tells us that we are not to be anxious. So when we rejoice, thank, pray, and guard against being anxious, do you see what happens? Peace guards our hearts - and our minds - in Christ Jesus.

That passage goes on to say in verse 8 that I am to think on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, excellent, and worthy of praise. This is the opposite of what I do when I am fretful, frustrated, and anxious.

So what are YOU going to do this week when you're "having a bad day"?

• Will you storm off in frustration?
• Will you worry yourself and get into a frenzy thinking about your long to-do list?
• Will you come unglued when the oven goes out or the car breaks down?
• Or will you remember God's unfailing love, His sovereign rule over all things, and His formula for peace - thankfulness and praise?

Psalm 30:11 says,You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.

Let's choose rejoicing, thanking, and praying so we can dance before the Lord, ALIVE in His presence!

 

Jacqueline C. Heider

Director of Discipleship & Women's Ministry 

September 2, 2013

  

Psalm 16:11 

You make known to me the path of life;

 in your presence there is fullness of joy;

 at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Last week we talked about the benefits of living in Jesus'presence. This week we're going to begin looking at "how"we can make Jesus a reality in our lives daily.

Because life is made up of many different moments and experiences, we can look at this from lots of angles. There are ...

• Regular, everyday moments (some good and some just in-between or "okay")
• Moments of everyday frustration, impatience or small anxieties of life
• Moments of waiting or exercising restraint (in the good and bad)
• Life-altering moments where your faith is truly tested and you're rocked to your very core

Whether you're facing the good, the bad or the in-between, the goal should not be getting to the "end result," but rather living fully ALIVE in Him in the moment. Otherwise, we spend our lives frustrated and devoid of joy, simply waiting until the storm passes or the next phase of life begins. God did not intend for us to live our lives like zombies going through life like dead women walking. His plan is one of life, joy and peace in the midst of it all!

Today, let's focus on those regular, everyday moments (the good and in-between or "okay" moments). Now you may be thinking that it's odd to have to learn how to be fully ALIVE in Him when things are going well, but actually it is in those moments when it's often the most difficult to remain in Him.

Read the following verses and think about your everyday life.

John 15:4-5 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

The word for abide in these verses is meno. It means to stay, remain, continue, dwell, be present.

According to this verse, I am to dwell with, stay and be present with the vine, Jesus, because apart from Him I can't do anything.

Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The word for walk in that verse is peripateo, which means to make one's way, to progress, regulate one's life, to conduct one's self.

This tells me that I am to go about my everyday life "by the Spirit." And what does that mean? From this verse it means that if I am going about my day in the Spirit, I will not gratify the desires of my flesh. So the Holy Spirit will convict me of sin and help me to walk about my day living ALIVE in the Spirit and not the flesh.

But what else is the Holy Spirit to do for us as we walk (peripateo) about our daily lives?

• John 6:63 - God's Spirit is life-giving
• John 14:26 - God's Spirit is the comforter and teacher
• Romans 15:13 - He is the giver of Hope
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 - He gives freedom
• Psalm 51:11 - The Holy Spirit manifests God's presence in my life
• Romans 8:26 - He is our helper and interceder
• Galatians 5:22-23 - Lists the results of the Spirit in our lives

So I am to go about my days (good and in-between days) in the very presence of God receiving life, comfort, wisdom, hope, freedom, help and producing all kinds of fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control).

In light of all of this, don't you think that if you are including the presence of God in your joyful moments that your joys are going to be doubled because you're remaining in HIM? I do!

And for those "okay" times, don't you think doing this will add a little life to those moments too? Definitely!

Below are some practical ways that members of our Sweet Connections panel shared that can help you live fully ALIVE in Him in those everyday moments of life.

Casey Willis shared that rather than having one specific prayer time each day, she liked to have an open-ended prayer time with God. As she goes about her daily life, she talks to God as though He is standing right beside her. She also tries to choose "the better thing" described in Luke 10:41-42 as she goes about her day, remembering to reflect on God's Word and the power it has in her life!

Caroline Daniel worships God in nature and with praise music as a way of remaining ALIVE in HIM. Worshiping this way ushers her into the very presence of the Lord and is a reminder that He is with her always!

Suella Jones loves to serve others, and in doing so she finds herself in the arms of Jesus. There is no greater joy than helping others by showing them God's love. This brings Suella enthusiasm and energy as God continues to use her at any age and stage of life!

Leigh Ann Keels says that God's Word is a constant reminder to her that Jesus is with her. She has seen God use His Word to minister to her in the good times and the hard times. Memorizing and meditating on a specific verse helps her remember that His presence is there!

Questions for you ...

• What do you do in your daily life to focus your thoughts on Jesus, especially when things are going well?
• Will you remember to include Him in ALL that you do by inviting Him to be a part of your everyday life?
• What will you do today to live fully ALIVE In Jesus'presence?

Next week, we'll look at the everyday frustrations and small anxieties of life and discover how we can all live fully ALIVE in HIM during those life moments as well.

   

Jacqueline C. Heider 

Director of Discipleship & Women's Ministry