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Trust

May 302011

Submitted by: Muriel Gregory

Self proclaimed prophet Harold Camping predicted that the rapture would happen on May 21, 2011. As I am writing this May 21st has come and gone and I am still here and since you are reading this you are still here too. The rapture did not happen or else we have done something terribly wrong. [insert smile] In Old Testament times, a prophet who made a false prophecy would be stoned to death. Given that option, I feel confident saying that most would pray and research scripture more before prophesying to the people.

So what went wrong with Harold Camping? Many things went wrong. First and foremost Jesus told us that we would not know the time or the hour of his second coming (Matthew 24:42). Second, he probably relied on his own understanding of the times (earthquakes, wars, tornadoes, etc…). The Bible is very clear on that and even warns us about it. Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.”

This verse has given me peace at times when I had no peace and calmed my anxious thoughts. We do not know much and rarely understand what is going on around us but this much we know, trust in God and submit to Him and He will make your path straight. I do not know about you, but I do not need to know the hour of His coming as long as I know that He loves me so.

Praying for Your Children- Prayer Points

Prayer Points

May 132011

Submitted by Kathy Walls

Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. (Proverbs 31:28-30 NIV)

Abraham Lincoln once said “No one is poor who has had a godly mother.”

While Jesus was at Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman cried out to Him saying “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David, my daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” The woman knelt before Him and said, “Lord, help me!” Because of her great faith, her request was granted and her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:21-28)

The widow at Zarephath was obedient to God and provided a room and food for Elijah even when she was sure she didn’t have enough to feed herself and her son. No matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. When the widow’s son became sick and died, Elijah prayed for the boy and his life was restored. The woman knew that the Word of the Lord was truth. (1 Kings 17:8-24)

Both of these women loved their children and wanted to provide for their needs. Godly mothers not only want their children’s physical needs met, but want their spiritual needs met as well. The greatest thing godly mothers can do for their children, is to pray for them. We are instructed to pray about everything without being anxious and with thanksgiving. (Philippians 4:6-7) Prayer is not telling God what to do, but partnering with God to see that His will is done for our children. He loves them even more than we do. Pray they desire to know God and that they desire to have a repentant heart, one in which there is no rebellion. Pray they have a heart for God’s Word, because they can’t know God’s ways if they don’t read His Word. It is important to communicate to our children what God means to us, how He answers prayer, and how we anticipate what He will do in the future. Leaving our children a spiritual inheritance is so much more important than a monetary inheritance. We must live Jesus! (Psalm 78:5-7)

Dear Lord,

Thank you for all mothers and especially godly mothers. Please pour out your Holy Spirit upon them. Bless our mothers as they pray for their children to develop a heart for God, His Word, and His Ways. May they grow in the wisdom and knowledge of you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.

The Temple Veil

Prayer Points, Seasonal teaching

Apr 152011

Submitted by: Jane Ahl, PWOCI Prayer Coordinator

Matthew 27:51 says, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” This was no minor miracle with the tearing of such a strong and thick curtain, yet it was not intended to be merely a display of God’s power but was meant to teach us something. The old law was being put away like a worn-out priestly garment, torn and laid aside. When Jesus died, the sacrificial system was completely finished, finding its fulfillment in Christ. So the very place where sacrifices were made to God was marked with the evidence of the system’s demise. The tearing of the veil also revealed the hidden things of the old system. The ‘mercy seat’ could now be seen and the glory of God shone above it. Through the death of Christ we have a clear revelation of God, for He was “not like Moses, who put a veil over his face”(2 Cor 3:13). Life and immortality are now brought to light and things that had been hidden since the foundation of the world have been uncovered. The annual ceremony of the Day of Atonement was abolished. The blood atonement which had been sprinkled within the curtain, had now been offered once for all by Jesus. The blood of bulls and lambs was of no importance, because Jesus had entered behind the curtain with His own blood. Now direct access to God is permitted and has become the great privilege of every believer in Christ. We may now approach the throne of grace with boldness. It also teaches us that with the tearing of the veil, God is saying to us that He will no longer make His dwelling in a building made of stone, but in human hearts made of flesh. This is why Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “I will live with them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Can you see the mercy seat? Have you approached the throne with boldness? It is there for you.

Jesus, thank you for fulfilling the Law. Thank you for opening up the mercy seat so we can boldly come to the throne of God to worship, and sit at your feet and to be surrounded in your presence. Thank you for the unveiling of what is rightly ours, through Christ Jesus. In Christ’s name, Amen.

A Leader Who Shines is Self-Aware

Leadership Development

Nov 182010

Submitted by Kim Worrell

One prayer request to keep before the Lord throughout your tenure in leadership is for a divine measure of self-awareness. It is a critical component of leadership, and one the Lord clearly indicates will play an important role in reducing conflict on our leadership teams. “Why do you look at the speck o sawdust in your brother’s (sister’s!-added) eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

It is clearly the Lord’s intent that we examine ourselves!

Consider self-assessment in the following areas:

Your Strengths – Be appreciative- not prideful- of areas where God has gifted you. Scripture indicates that  ”to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7) Your gifts represent a calling on your life; they are given TO you, but they are not FOR you. One basic leadership principle is: operate in the area of your strength, staff in the area of your weakness.

Your Weaknesses- A self-inventory in this area helps inform decisions as to the composition of your team. God uniquely designed you as a piece part with a “whole” in mind. “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.“ (1 Corinthians 12: 14) When you seek to go it alone in ministry, you are depriving those you serve of the full range of service the Lord desires to provide through the body of Christ. Are you lacking the spiritual gift of administration? Ask the Lord to arrest your attention on a person gifted in that area to serve alongside you!

Your “Issues:” We need to courageously face any unresolved “issues” in our lives. The enemy seeks to gain footholds in leaders lives, and areas of woundedness can become strongholds if we do not acknowledge them and seek healing. If you lead out of woundedness, you will soon find yourself “bleeding” on everyone around you. You owe it to those you serve to deal with those personal experiences or even past ministry experiences that have left  ”cuts” on your soul. Just as a wounded warrior instinctively favors an injured limb, you will reflexively protect yourself and react with undue focus in those areas where you have not surrendered to the Lord’s transforming power– rather than being open to new things He may be doing or a new direction He may be leading. Acknowledge that there may be a deep work He wants to do IN you as He works THROUGH you….”And we, who are with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Your Priorities- Your season of leadership will be a season of “pouring out.” It is absolutely essential that you protect your time with the Lord and allow Him to pour back into you as well. You will run dry without a fresh infilling of His Spirit! In addition, you must protect your front-line ministry, your family. Your family may be called to make some sacrifices as you lead, and in that, they too will experience God in amazing ways- but God will NOT call you to sacrifice your family. Insure your priorities are not out of order; zealously guard your marriage and your children and cover them in prayer.

A leader should not be self-focused, but she should be self-aware. Periods of purposeful introspection will breed both appreciation of the way God fearfully and wonderfully made you and awareness of those areas where He wants to caution or challenge you. A little self-reflection will insure you better reflect HIM in your leadership. May you be willing to “go there” and SHINE!

A Leader Who Shines...Connects with Love

Leadership Development, Leadership Wednesday

Aug 042010

“Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.“ John 13:34-35 (NIV)

A Leader Who Shines… Connects with Love

Christ had a genuine love for the people He served – us. To serve us – He took the earthly form of a man, even though He was the Son of God. To serve us – He became a sacrifice, although He was a King. Christ is our shining example and model of leading with love.

As disciples of Christ we are called to servant leadership. This is not “naturally” an easy thing to do. We enter this world believing “it’s all about me.” There is some heart work to be done by God and our parents right from the beginning! As we step into leadership we really need to examine our hearts’ motivation. As Christ leads our hearts and minds we lead with the right motivation. Our best source of heart leading material is God’s Word.

According to Oswald Chambers, “the measure of the words of our public activity for God is the private communion we have with Him.” Our private communion with God through prayer and His Word is invaluable as a servant leader. Through His Word, God shines light into the dark places and fills those places with His wisdom. The Greek definition of the word for wisdom, sophia, includes the content and truth of the Word as well as the application of the Word. Blessedly, the Holy Spirit teaches and reminds us to apply His wisdom as servant leaders. Left to our own understanding, we can tend to puff up ourselves when we gain a little knowledge and a leadership position. 1 Corinthians 8:1 states that to God’s glory, “love builds up” and that the leader “who loves God is known by God.” His is a Name to drop! “Yes, I am known by God!”

Jesus counseled His disciples when they got carried away in their understanding and being name-droppers. In Matthew 20:25-28 He fills them in about how man lords position, knowledge and power over others. Not so with His leaders. He calls us to serve and give as He so lovingly did for us.

If we love God and are known by Him, we will love those we lead and they will know that we are Christ’s disciples.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. Daniel 12:3 (NIV)

The Beautiful Plan

President's Pen, Seasonal teaching

Dec 242009

As I reflect on this special day, I think about how the birth of Jesus Christ set into motion a beautiful and divine, majestic plan of His kingdom reign, which knows no end.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV)

The birth was the point at which Jesus Christ, fully God in the form of man came to live on earth and be with us.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord has said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means “God with us.” Matt 1:22-23 (NIV)

He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Knowing in the beginning that He would need to come to earth to become the redeemer for all mankind who would accept Him.

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil 2:6-11 (NIV)

Christmas Day is the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to fully receive His free gift of salvation. If you are unsure of whether or not you have accepted His free gift, visit our web site where you can pray through the steps of salvation at http://www.pwoc.org/Resources/Resources_Downloads/StepsToPeace.pdf

Jesus is our everything, He is our all in all. His birth announced to the world, that His kingdom has come and that His throne will last forever and ever.

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.” Ps. 45:6 (NIV)

May your Christmas day be filled with the fullness of the beauty of His plan for you, His beloved.

Brenda Marlin, PWOCI President

McWitness

Bits & Pieces, Testimonies

Sep 032009

Posted by Judi Crocker, Ft. Polk

One thing that you will always hear coming from my vehicle is really, really loud worship music, unless the chillin’s are in the car; at those times the volume is kept at an auditory protective level. I LOVE to sing my worship to God, and even to grieve and love and wonder through Christian music. I realized today that people are watching. They are looking and listening to me being who God has created me to be. How did I realize this? I travel through a certain McDonald’s drive-thru rather often on my way to my various activities. (Thankfully, McDonald’s has made the move to provide healthier choices to those on the go). As always, I turned down my music and pleasantly gave my order for some apple dippers and a diet coke. Turned my music back up and joined back in as I curved around to the pay window. As I handed over my card, I smiled and said, “Hello” and joined back in with the worship. And today the girl working the window said, “You’re always so happy and you make me smile.” I responded, “Praise Jesus! Have a great day.” Then I moved on to the get your food window and when the guy saw me, he grinned from ear to ear, “What are you singing today?” I responded, “Worshiping my Jesus.” It has not occurred to me before that these people are paying attention to me. What a blessing that I bring a little brightness to their day and hopefully they are seeing not me, but Jesus in me. How did I know I was living a biblical principle?!

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14 (NIV)

Although the Great commission calls us to go and make disciples, that doesn’t mean we are all going to be Billy Graham. Evangelism starts at home with how you live out your walk.

PWOC International Blog

Trust

Praying for Your Children- Prayer Points

The Temple Veil

A Leader Who Shines is Self-Aware

A Leader Who Shines...Connects with Love

The Beautiful Plan

McWitness

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