“So Elijah, what are you doing here?” 

“I’ve been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,” said Elijah. “The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.” 

Then he was told, “Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.”  A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.

When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?”

Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”

God didn’t bother answering Elijah’s complaints.  He just gave him his new assignment, and that assignment gave Elijah a new lease on life.  God’s word will give you a new lease on life too.  Please know that God longs to speak to you in the place of His presence.  (Heb. 12:18-23)

Everyone can learn to recognize God’s voice.  It is not something for just the spiritual elite.  Recognizing God’s voice is the natural result of a familiar and loving relationship with Him.  As you spend more and more quality time with the Lord, your spiritual ear will become increasingly more fine tuned.  Just as a mother recognizes the cry of her own child because of familiarity rather than some mystical bond, so is our ability to hear and recognize God’s voice. Spending quality time with the Lord is the number one means by which you develop a hearing ear.  There are a couple of other things that will help you to recognize God’s voice.  One is…

• Stillness (Psalm 46:10; 1 Kings 19:12) “Be still, and know that I am God.”  The word “know” here comes from the Hebrew word that means to know by observing and reflecting and experiencing.   The Word commands us to be still and observe, reflect and experience God’s nearness.  That can’t be done on the run. Still your heart and thoughts before you come into His presence.  Don’t allow the frantic pace of life to carry over into your devotional times.  The rush of life will cause static in your receiver, and you will not be able to discern the prompting of the Lord.  Background noise is a problem for lots of us when it comes to hearing God’s voice.  God does not always want to use gale force winds, earthquakes and fires to speak to us as Elijah learned. Quiet your heart and mind so that you can hear the still small voice of the Lord.

• The Word (Heb. 4:12-13) The Word of God is literally that…it is words from God. If we want to sharpen our hearing skills we need to cherish and mediate upon the Word of God.  It will prepare us to hear His voice. What is meditation?  It’s like worry, only positive.  You sit and think about all of the wonderful possibilities and applications of the word to your life.    When you spend much time in His written word, you begin to recognize the cadence of His spoken word, like being in the Philippines, helped me to understand the accent.  Spending time with God’s written Word helps you to recognize and understand His spoken word.  So does…

• Praying in the Spirit.  (I Cor. 14:15)  This will help our hearts to be tuned into the presence and voice of our Lord.  It is an exercise that will help us to hear and recognize God’s voice.  Again, it is like tuning in a radio dial.

• Expectation.  (John 14:12-14) As a child jumps into his father’s arms with full expectation that he will be caught, so must we have that instinctual trust that our Heavenly Father wants to speak to our hearts, every day about every situation.  Expect it and it will happen. But your faith needs an element of patience.  Patience trust God’s methods AND his timing.  Do not allow yourself to become frustrated by what may seem like a lack of progress because frustration acts like static and makes it more difficult to recognize His voice.  Frustration does not limit God’s ability to speak, but it does limit our ability to hear Him. 

Only God could take a frustrating computer day to make a point about us in our marriages:

The “Control” key: Remember who really is in control – God.  See all the hollering at the computer and throwing my hands up in frustration didn’t do a thing.  It was when I relinquished my so-call control and submitted to hitting the control key, was when a signal was sent to the internal part of the computer to trigger something inside to have it respond.  So it is in marriage.  We can holler, throw temper tantrums and throw our hands in frustration when our husbands are not responding they way we want them. Problem is, until we recognize God as the head of our marriage, all the external commands that we put on our husbands will cause him to do exactly like the computer — freeze up.

The same God that created us and loves us as His daughters, is the same God that created our husbands and knows how to touch an internal part inside to have him to respond.  Not to manipulate to get our way, but instead surrendering our plans and emotions to those of our Heavenly Father and have His will done.  God created our husbands to love us, protect and provide for us and He knows exactly how to trigger the response that will best bring glory to Him.  By relinquishing the control or hitting the control key, we are asking God not to make our husbands do what we want, but more importantly have our husband to receive direction from God Himself.  In the long run, isn’t that what we really want our husbands to do?

Father, in your Name Jesus, forgive me for not being mindful that You really are in control of every aspect of my life, including my marriage.  Lord, I’m sorry for wanting things to go my way instead of seeking what Your way is.  Father, I want my marriage to glorify you and so Lord, I lay down every tendency to control or maneuver my husband and ask that You speak to his heart, You guide his decisions and Lord, my heart trusts in You and magnifies You for what You are about to do in me, my husband and our marriage.  In Jesus Name.

Join us next time for the next “button” ALT.

1. God uses problems to DIRECT you.
Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.” Proverbs 20:30

2. God uses problems to INSPECT you.
People are like tea bags… if you want to know what’s inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? “When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience.” James 1:2-3

3. God uses problems to CORRECT you.
Some lessons we learn only through pain and failure. It’s likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something – health, money, a relationship – by losing it. “… It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws.” Psalms 119:71-72

4. God uses problems to PROTECT you.
A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management’s actions were eventually discovered. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…” Genesis 50:20

5. God uses problems to PERFECT you.
Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you’re going to take with you into eternity. “We can rejoice when we run into problems …they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.” Romans. 5:3-4

God is at work in your life – even when you do not recognize it or understand it!  But it’s much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him!

A holistic approach to our whole body, soul and spirit obviously incorporates the development of the whole person. Just as physical illness can leave us feeling emotionally drained, mental stress or emotional uneasiness can cause physical symptoms such as tiredness or sickness. A lack of wholeness in any area of our life ultimately spills over and affects how we minister. We know this.  This isn’t some new revelation straight from the throne of God.  But even if we know it, are we truly living it?  Are you?  Are you putting things in place in your life to insure to take care of you…all of you?

Cause here’s the good news…the contrary is also true.  As you nurture any one aspect of your being, the other aspects are enhanced as well. It’s a gift to yourself that keeps on giving.  And as you take care of any one part of yourself, it spills over and positively impacts your ministry. There’s lots of research that substanitates the claim that improving our health results in increased motivation and productivity. In short, striving wholeness in your body, soul and spirit will help you gain the necessary energy to meet ministry’s challenges.

I know that we normally focus on the more spiritual aspects of our development, but I want to challenge you to day to take care of the whole you.  Develop yourself physically.  Develop yourself mentally.  As you do it will foster positive dhange and integrate health into your ministry.  It’s my prayer that we all become healthier vessels through which the ever-increasing healing power of the Holy Spirit will flow to others through you.  Working on this myself…chris mcquay

Vacations are great.  In fact, they’re wonderful.  But unfortunately, we can’t all take a trip to the mountains every time life gets overwhelming.  We can’t say, “toddles” to jobs and responsibilities when things get rough.  But there on the deck of a mountain cabin with temperatures ranging in the 90′s with 90% humidity, God showed me ways to refresh our spirits, like taking a drink of a cool glass of ice water on a hot summer’s day.  He gave me simple things that we can do to  help make each day worth living.  Unfortunately, He didn’t give me 3 easy steps to a better life.  I wish.  But He did point out problem areas that tend to drag us all down, and simple ways to fix them. 

I’m always excited when God gives me a word or a sense of direction.  But I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a curriculum.  It took many more hours of prayer, thought and meditation on God’s word, but I believe these lessons will be life changing…for all of us.  This is my last day in the mountains, and as I type this introduction I only have a sketchy outline of what we’re going to do this fall.  But it’s enough to know that it will be “Simply Refreshing.”

Your life is probably like mine, already so overwhelmed with family, career and ministry responsibilities that you don’t need to add something else to the calendar.  But I’ve found that a lot of women today are so busy rushing about taking care of everyone else’s needs they don’t have time for their own needs.  Even though women are more educated and capable than ever before, many of us still lack confidence, and struggle with feelings of failure and isolation.  In talking with women, here in the states and overseas I found that many need healing from wounds of their past, a sense of value and connection.  Women need to feel like they belong.  What about you?

Do you feel the need to be connected to a community of women who care about you?  Do you want people to accept you as you are, not a plastic version of the politically and spiritually correct woman that has been forced on us by religious circles and secular media?  Heart to Heart was created to be a small group ministry to help women to connect in this fast paced and stressed filled world.  It was designed to empower women through love, sharing, prayer and the ministry of the Word.  It was developed with you in mind! This term’s “Simply Refreshed” will help you to step off the treadmill of life to embrace a simpler and more revitalizing lifestyle. 

The doors open at 7:00, and as you walk in you’ll be greeted with a friendly smile and a bit of pampering.  You’ll find the room decorated with a “refreshing” theme.  You can stop at the coffee bar for flavored coffees or specialty teas and/or chat with women at the “simple” refreshment tables or you can choose just to sit and relax listening to the musical theme for the evening.  The meeting begins at 7:30 with a opening prepared by one of our small groups.  You’ll never know what they are going to do.  It could be a game, a skit, a song or prayer but it will be something that will introduce the “Word” for that night.  With your notes for the teaching, you’ll receive a devotional guide for the coming week that will help you explore a Biblical virtue that will help introduce the following week’s lesson.  After the teaching, you’ll then break into your small groups to discuss how to apply the Word to your life, and share your own testimony, concerns or needs.  Small group time will close with a season of prayer. By dismissal at 9:00 it is our hope that you’ll be refreshed by the ministry of the Word, the fellowship of great women and presence of our loving God.

The purpose of prayer is to commune with God. For working mothers, prayer is a necessitity. We have ourselves, husbands, significant others, children, family members, our church, government officials, and the world to pray for, just to name a few. Sounds like a lot doesn’t it? It is possible that you may be thinking, “Where do I fit in time to pray?” If prayer isn’t already in your schedule, here are a few tips:

When you awake in the morning before your day starts, take time to pray. It is at this time of day that you are able to worship God and give thanks for all his blessings. Even when things are going rough, starting the day with prayer will change your attitude, mood, and help you face any obstacle that comes in your path.

While you’re driving is another time for prayer. Turn off the radio or CD player and just spend a few minutes with GOD thanking him for safe travel and praising his name for allowing you to have the ability and freedom to go where it is necessary and having the means to do so.

If you are blessed enough to have access to the internet, and are fortunate to receive an email with a prayer, take time to forward it to some people. Each time someone receives your email, a prayer will be said as they are reading your email.

This month our church has been fasting and praying, and it has changed the way I think and look at life. As I’ve been praying for my family and others, I’ve also been praying for the people of Haiti. I can’t think of a day in my life that I’ve been without food, shelter, or clothing. These are just some of the simple necessities of life and sometimes we forget how good things are and start to complain that we may not have this or that. But if we are thankful for the small things, the things that we take for granted on a daily basis, we can say that we are truly blessed, and God is good all the time and all the time God is good!

When we began this adventure called 
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or 
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we 
would need each other. 
Every day, we need each other still. 

It seems like when you’ve given the very last drop of your blood, someone comes along and complains about the color or texture. What is it that’s often said? Oh, yeah…they add insult to injury. When you’re seemingly at the end of yourself, someone comes along and complains, making it all even more difficult. David complained, “They kept confronting me in the day of my disaster” (Psalm 18:18). Even with a healthy self image, criticism still hurts. One of the reasons criticism is so difficult is because it often comes from people who are least qualified to give it. They don’t have the whole story. They don’t know all that you’re going through. And it’s usually the most flawed individuals who think it is their right, no, their responsibility to raise serious attacks on you, your family or ministry. Oh, yeah, and they don’t seem to know the rule about sandwiching constructive criticism with praise. It’s hard enough to take criticism when it’s given with consideration and love. But some of the stuff with which we have to deal is vague and downright harsh. So how do you deal with it? Not easily, that’s for sure. But here are some things I found help.

Pray Honestly. Just as Jesus was honest in the garden with all that He was feeling, tell your Heavenly Father exactly how you’re feeling. Don’t “sugar coat it.” God can take it. Don’t unload your initial reactions on your spouse. Take your fears and pain to God first; let Him calm your heart. Find a confidant, someone with whom you can be honest, who will listen and pray with you, and most importantly keep your confidence. Long distance friends can often help. Once you have a little perspective, share it all with your spouse. You don’t want to back up the truck and dump your concerns on your spouse. But with wisdom, and perspective from God and a friend you may want to reveal how you’re affected by the criticism. When is the proper time to open up? There are no easy answers or formulas to follow. God knows and He will let you know the proper time as you wait on Him.

Share. Ask your spouse what he thinks about the criticism. You don’t have to know all the details. Let him know that you are not asking him to fix anything. Tell him what you need from him. It might be sympathy, understanding of how fragile you’re feeling right now or prayer. If you do want advice, ask for it. But give parameters, boundaries, guidelines to help him understand what you need.

Be Open. There may be a kernel of truth in what has been said. Before you reject it out of hand, look for the one point, the one thing that may be true. Look beyond your pain, the words that were used, or the attitude with which it was said. Ask God if there is an element of truth. Ask your confidant. Ask your husband. If there is an element of truth ask God to help you to change. Look to Him for an action plan. If there is absolutely NO TRUTH AT ALL…everyone concurs…then reject it all out of hand. Forgive the person for their criticism and MOVE ON. Let it go.

Hold On To Hope. Remember Joseph? “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20). Joseph saw beyond the difficulty to see the guiding hand of God through it all. Of course He had the benefit of hindsight. But it’s a good lesson to remember. God can use everything… even our critics… for our good. The stones thrown can be gathered and used to build a stronger relationship with Christ and a more enduring marriage and ministry. You go girl. You’re God’s favorite daughter. Keep that in mind the next time the critics come out to play.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.   Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:8-14 NKJV

Angel called it, ‘Great joy’

I don’t think we understand joy? Our culture defines it as intense and jubilant happiness, pleasure or satisfaction. But it’s hard to have “jubilant happiness” in some of the really difficult situations we experience in this life. Know what I mean? How on earth do you have euphoric, frenzied, overblown bliss in times of loss, pain or extreme pressure? I don’t think you can. But that’s not a problem, because that’s not what Biblical joy is all about. It has very little to do with our situations; it has everything to do with God. It’s holy and pure. It rises above circumstances to focus on our sovereign God.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again-rejoice!

Phil 4:4 NLT

I know that always being joyful might seem like a stretch, especially during the tough times. If you are talking about plain happiness, it would be downright impossible. But I’m not. I’m talking about a deep down settled joy that comes from knowing who you are in Christ; that He loves you and will always love you regardless of your circumstances or behavior. Now who could love you like that? Jesus, that’s who…and because He does, you can have joy in the most difficult of circumstances.

In Your presence is fullness of joy Psa 16:11b NKJV

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” Romans 4:7-8 NLT

Do you know the JOY that comes from having your past wiped away? Of being delivered from sin?

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 2 Cor 1:9-10 ESV

Jesus, our deliverer, came to save us, to help us escape, to recover and be rescued.

· Do you know the joy of being delivered from sin and shame?

· Do you know the joy of being healed, set free, made new?

· Do you know the joy of being rescued from alcohol, prescription drugs, or any other destructive life style?

· Do you know the joy of escaping out of unhealthy habits and relationships?

· Do you know the joy of being set free from negative thought patterns, thoughts of suicide, hopeless, and despair?

Story of lame man…(Acts 3:1-11)

One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.

The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing. The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. I’m not talking about Christmas traditions here.

Although…I must say Christmas traditions are healthy for families. They establish continuity, create memories, and bring out the best in us. I’m not talking about going through the motions here…fake it till you make it kind of thing. I’m talking about all out celebration of who you are in God…what He has done for you and what he is going to continue to do for you. I’m talking about celebrating CHRIST, this Christmas season. That’s not dependent upon your finances, your difficult family members, or the crazy traffic this time of year. It is dependent upon JESUS!

Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, and in Your favor our horn is exalted. Psalm 89:15-17 NKJV
 
 

A person’s character, not her giftedness nor her title, determines the effectiveness of her ministry in the kingdom of God.  I have used the illustration of a toothpaste tube and our words on a number of occasions, but let’s use it differently.  Squeeze a tube of toothpaste and what comes out?  Shampoo?  Soap?  No, of course not - toothpaste.  When you are squeezed, what comes out of you?  Does love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control flows out of your heart?

If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good!  But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know

what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-

hungry.  He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For    if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church?  He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap. 1 Tim 3:1-7  (msg)

I’d like you to re-read this passage making it gender specific to you.  You’ll see that character traits of women leaders are the same as men.  It’s…

·          Humility / Even though people will say wonderful things about you, don’t believe your own press.  It really isn’t about you.   

·          Respected / A leader must be well thought of in the congregation: someone who is looked up to, someone proven to have sound judgment.  You already have a reputation.  Do you know what it is?  We should have a reputation of being wise, and fair …not thin-skinned.   People outside of the church should also speak well of us.

·          Integrity / A leader should live a life that cannot be spoken against, without lying.  When Daniel’s peers looked at his life, they could find nothing of which to accuse him.  It sounds simple, but in our culture, we were raised with “situation ethics.”   It’s not hard to think that our situation is somehow different and for us it is acceptable considering the circumstances.  But we must walk as if Jesus was walking beside us in front of the whole church.  There are no private moments.  What is done in secret, will be revealed.

·          Hospitable / We should welcome people, be friendly, helpful, and accessible.  We should enjoy occasionally having people in our home.  It is not about how fancy or clean our homes are, it’s about relationships.

·          Blameless Conversations / We need to know how to manage our mouths…I don’t know if control is altogether possible.  But we do need to know when to speak and when to keep silent. Know the difference between prayer requests and gossip.  We need to understand what makes good casual conversation and what should be held in complete confidence.  We need to seek to be sensitive to do and say only what the Father directs us to do and say.

·          Good family life / We should be able to handle our own affairs well, and our families should be examples to the families of our church and community.  Be attentive to your children, earning their respect.  This will require time, quality and quantity.  Reserve a night a week for “Family Night” to do something fun with the children.  Be there for sports games and concerts.  Help with homework and with tears.  Be committed to your spouse and let everyone around you know of your commitment.  Go out on dates, do things that are fun.  Play together and pray together.  Invest in your family.  

·          Serious  / Reverent.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have a sense of humor.  But in our attitude towards ministry there needs to be sense of gravity and dignity combined, a seriousness of purpose and self-respect in conduct.  Too many times I’ve caught myself being flippant when I should have seriously listened to the need.  Make sure that you follow through with your word.  If you promise to call or to pray, do it.

Oh, and by the way…

The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church …They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. No exceptions are to be made for women — same qualifications:

 1 Tim 3:8-11 MSG