Words Just For
Women A Collection of Messages Exhorting Christian Women in Ministry
Queen E. F. Phillips
Words Just for Women Reprint edition of archived messages delivered by Queen Phillips Š2007 by Queen E. F. Phillips All rights reserved. This is a complimentary publication compiled solely as a NOT-FOR-PROFIT publication. No portion of this book or its content should be revised and reprinted. Credit must be given to the copyright owner. Contact the publisher via email at: qfphillips@peoplepc.com or qfphillips@majesticpublications.com
Official website: www.majesticpublications.com
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WORDS JUST FOR WOMEN A Collection of Messages Exhorting Christian Women in Ministry
By Queen E. F. Phillips
www.majesticpublications.com Houston, TEXAS
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Preface The rise of women in leadership within the Kingdom of God is amazing. But it’s not surprising because since the beginning we were included in God’s plans and purpose. This is also evidenced during Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 8:1-3). Although women are now on the frontlines in ministry and Kingdom building, the need for encouragement is even greater because of the rise in opposition to the move of God among women who have surrendered as vessels of honor for the Master’s use and glory. Many of us have been called into the ministry as Christ’s representative here on Earth to work alongside our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ. What an honor and a privilege. Each day I’m personally thankful that He chose me to partner with Him in carrying out His plans and purpose; therefore, I am committed to doing my best to represent Him well. I am also excited about my sisters who are committed to the work of the ministry, and the advancement of the Kingdom of God. It is my prayer that you continue; and that you not become weary in well doing for in due season you shall reap if you do not give up. I also want to encourage those of you who are reluctant to make a commitment to the ministry for whatever reasons. Get involved. Get excited with me! Reflecting on my years of struggling with the call to leadership, spiritual encouragement and mentorship were scarcities. Now I realize that the messages I delivered years ago (most of them during Bible College in my early years of ministry development) were actually for my personal encouragement. Being thankful for the insight and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, I compiled this FREE e-Book, Words Just for Women from a few of those archived messages to encourage you in your work in the ministry. Let me know if this eBook encourages you. Feel free to email me at qfphillips@majesticpublications.com.
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Table of Contents
Preface ........................................................................ 4 The Need for Responsible Women ................................... 6 Constrained by Gratefulness........................................... 15 Shouldering Responsibility ............................................. 21 Searching for Unsearchable Riches.................................. 25 On the Move ................................................................ 29 About the Author .......................................................... 38
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The Need for Responsible Women in the Church Scripture: Judges 4:4-9
I
read
Houston Couples
an
article
in
Chronicle, Share
the
the
“When Pulpit”
(Husband & wife clergy team sharing the ministry): In an interview with the reporter, they
discussed
how
they
share the counseling appointments, how they share the Christian education duties; yes, they even share in the preaching. And one of the wives said, “What we offer a church together is more than we could offer separately.”
Now I’m NOT focusing on should
women pastor or not; I’m NOT focusing on whether or not women are called to preach. My emphasis is on sharing in the ministry.
All are not called to pastor, everybody is not called to preach, but we all have individual gifts for ministry, and we all can share, or should I say, work together in the ministry.
Local
churches
need
women
who
will
accept
and
responsibilities in the church’s ministry and be effective.
share And in
order to be effective, there are some qualities we should possess. Deborah is a perfect example.
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The book of Judges takes its name from the rulers of Israel during the period from Joshua to Samuel. The Bible says that the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua but after the death of Joshua and
their
fathers
of
that
generation,
there
arose
another
generation that knew not the Lord nor the works He had done for Israel. Now they did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forsook the God of their fathers and followed and served Baals—the gods of the people around about them. And therefore they provoked the Lord to anger. So those nations that their fathers did not drive out as God had commanded became enemies (Ref. 2:10-14).
God
allowed them to oppress the children of Israel.
Nevertheless, God being merciful, raised up Judges which delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors each time they cried out unto God. Think about this: How many times have you cried out to God for help and he came to your rescue. Therefore, the primary responsibility of the judges was to bring the people back to God through military deliverance.
It’s important to note here:
This
military deliverance in the natural was prophetic of the militaristic need for deliverance in the spirit realm.
There is a constant
conflict or war between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:17).
In this fourth chapter of the book of Judges, we have a detailed story of Deborah and Barak sharing the responsibility of carrying out God’s plan to deliver Israel out of the hands of Jabin, king of
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Canaan and Sisera, the captain of his army.
We see this was a
powerful nation, for the Bible says he had 900 chariots of iron. Yet, they were no matches for our God!
And for 20 years Jabin
had made life unbearable for the Israelites.
In Judges 4:4 look at Deborah with me, the only woman in the line judges; a perfect example of a responsible woman committed to God’s call to leadership.
First, we see that Deborah was a “prophetess.” responsible to God.
So, she was
Next, we see that she was the “wife” of
Lapidoth. Therefore, she had to be responsible to her husband and the affairs of her home life.
Then the Bible says that Deborah
judged Israel at that time; so she had TRIPLE responsibilities—to the people, again to God, and to her husband.
Here, we have a
woman in leadership that took on responsibilities assigned to her.
Now let’s consider Deborah’s qualities and how she shared the responsibility of judge and worked together with Barak, and why it was effective.
#1 – Deborah was led by God. Deborah was obedient to the voice of God. There is no question of her divine leadership because she prophesied to Barak that God would deliver their enemies unto them.
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Women, in order to be effective in the ministry we must be spirit-filled. We must be led by the Holy Spirit and obedient to him. The bible says in all the ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:6).
#2 – Deborah had initiative. Initiative was a characteristic that Deborah possessed. She made the first move upon hearing the voice of God. It was custom for the people to come to the judge for counsel and judgment, but the Bible says Deborah sent and called Barak. She didn’t wait for him to come to her. Women, sometimes we must make the first move to initiate what God lays on your heart in the work of ministry. Go to the pastor and say, “Pastor, I would like to work with the children’s ministry. Pastor, how do you feel about me organizing an outreach program for mission ministry?”
Let him know that you
are willing to accept responsibility in the ministry of the church. Now, with the acceptance of responsibility should be commitment.
#3 – Deborah was supportive. Well, how was she supportive?
After Barak was aware of the
assignment, listen to what he said, “If you will go with me, then I will go, but if you will not go with me, then I will not go.”
What was he saying? I want your support; I need your support, Deborah. Your presence means so much that if you don’t go, I’m
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not going. Deborah’s going with him represented the presence of the Lord.
Of course, not all men are as outspoken or honest as
Barak about wanting our support. But Barak believed in the call of God on Deborah and respected her as God’s anointed and appointed.
You see, some men try so hard to live up to the
responsibility of being the one in authority so rather than say, I need, or I want your support and encouragement, they try to do everything themselves—take on all the responsibilities in the home and in the church. However, to the brothers I say, listen. It is not a sign of weakness to admit you need a woman’s support. Genesis 2:18 say, “And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”
So
Deborah gave Barak the support he needed by going with him to Kadesh.
#4— Deborah had courage. She was a woman of courage.
She placed herself in a
dangerous situation—war. She risked bodily injury and even death but went anyway.
Without a doubt, she trusted God. Women,
today we must have that same kind of courage as many do who fighting in physical wars today. But courage is also needed for the spiritual war going on.
We must keep the faith.
Remember the
Lord is our strength. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid for the Lord your God will not fail you nor forsake you.
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I challenge each of you today.
We need more Deborah’s in the
church. There are times when the job becomes too much for the pastor or one or two persons in the church. It is then that we must unite, share the responsibility of ministry by working together as Deborah and Barak did. We need women with initiative. Women who will be leaders; and yet respect the shepherd of the flock the one in authority as delegated by Christ.
Responsible women will
be supportive. Responsible women in ministry know to trust in the Lord. We are courageous women who keep working to get the job done in spite of opposition. opposition.
Oh, yes!
There will always be
There will always be someone against the good you
are trying to do. But don’t stop. Keep working! Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Conclusion The story of Deborah and Barak ends victoriously with the praise and honor accredited to God.
They shared the responsibility. It
was effective because for the first time in 175 years the tribes of Israel united in action.
As people of God must learn to work together.
Maybe you are
saying I’m not a woman, or I don’t have a leadership role in the church; let me remind you that there is a place, and a need for you to work. There are no excuses for being irresponsible.
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Both men and women must be willing to accept the responsibility that has been given to each of us by Jesus Christ. That’s building up the kingdom, making ready for His return.
I am reminded of the story of certain nobleman (Matthew 25:14-30 TLB) that went away into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
But before he left he called each of his
servants in and gave them a certain amount of money to manage and invest. (Now stewardship is a great responsibility!)
And it
came to pass that when he returned from his journey, he called his servants to whom he had given the responsibility of investing his money.
The first servant came in and said, “My lord, I invested the money you gave me and it earned a great amount of interest.” The king said to his servant, “You have done well, you have proven to me that you are a responsible servant.”
The next servant came in and said, “My lord, the money you gave me to manage, I invested it and here is the profit that was gained.” The king also said to him, “You have done well; did what I told you to do. You are a responsible servant.” Now when the last servant came in, he said, “My lord here is the money you gave me. I kept it hidden away. I was afraid to invest; I told you to do and you knew I was coming back. You are not a responsible servant. So
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the king said to his servants, take that money from him that was irresponsible
and
give
to
my
servant
that
accepted
the
responsibility and did his best.
I encourage you today; accept the responsibility and be blessed! Don’t you want to prove yourself responsible to the Lord? I do. If you want to prove yourself responsible to God, take the initiative to share the love of Christ with someone; be respectful;
give
honor and praise to His Holy name. Be supportive of one another.
Romans 15:1 say, “We then that
are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves. Encourage one another. Be courageous stand up for what is right. Be bold enough to tell sinners about Jesus. Tell them the story— Over 2000 years ago they marched Him up to Golgotha’s hill after beating Him, and placing a crown of thorns on His head mocking His kingship.
Yet, He carried the sins of the world on His
shoulders; they hung Him high and stretched Him wide. nailed His hands and feet to the cross.
They
They pierced Him in His
side. I see blood streaming down! The blood was shed for you and me. He proved himself responsible to His Father because He never said a mumbling word. Oh, praise God! On the third day He got up from the grave!
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He resurrected Himself! He arose with all power in His hands. I’m glad today!
Are you glad that He lives and because He lives we
can face tomorrow?
He paid the ultimate price for us to accept our responsibilities. We must accept responsibility and work together to finish the work Jesus showed us how to do—Kingdom building.
And when the
work is complete, when the King of kings and Lord of lords returns, and calls His servants to see if we have been responsible—if we’ve done what He told us to do, I don’t know about you but I want to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler of many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”
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Constrained by Gratefulness to Serve Scripture: Luke 8:1-3
Giving and helping are two words that best describe serving. Giving of self—my talents,
time,
gifts,
abilities,
and
resources in helping others.
The levels of commitment in serving and the quality of service provided are plumb lines for measuring the depth of one’s gratitude.
For an example, when you
dine in a restaurant the attitude of the wait-staff
serving
your
table
reflects
his/her
gratitude
and
commitment to serving. In many instances tips are given based on the attitude of wait-staff.
Usually, a positive attitude reflects a
higher level of commitment to
provide quality customer service
rather than mere duty. Would you agree?
From a Christian perspective, whether in church or on a job, an individual can either serve out of job obligation, religious duty, or genuine dedication and heartfelt gratefulness for the opportunity to serve others.
Personally,
I am obligated to serve Christ because of all He has
done and continues to do for me. Moreover, I’m indebted to serve
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out of dedication and extreme gratitude. My motivation is my personal relationship with Him—I love Him! In other words, I choose to serve Christ. I choose to follow Him—I choose to obey Him as my Lord. I choose to make myself available to Him for His glory. You get the picture; right? Serving is a choice.
That’s why no one has to coax, bribe me, or negotiate with me to work in the ministry of the church. No one has to beg me to praise and worship Him! My gratefulness constrains me to serve and exemplify excellence in service. I’m certain many of you reading this share my sentiments too.
I was drawn to the gospel of Luke concerning women who ministered (served) to Jesus during His earthly ministry (Luke 8:13).
Luke has been recognized as recording the most complete
representation of the life of Jesus. He portrays Jesus as an actual Person who came to seek and save that which was lost. This is illustrated throughout Luke’s recording of Jesus’ ministry as He healed people, befriended sinners, and liberated the oppressed. Luke is especially noted for his interest in the various classes of people. Many women are identified and have come to be known only through Luke’s account.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Luke informs his readers about women being followers of Jesus—ministering and providing for Him
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of their property and personal belongings (Luke 8:1-3). It is clear that these women were believers whose lives had been touched and changed by the Master. Moreover, because of their gratitude, they chose to serve Him. They chose to follow Him—to give of their substance (money and possessions).
At some point, all women, whether centuries ago or today need to be cured of something (physically and emotionally), comforted and shown compassion. I don’t know what your specific needs are, but I just believe some of you have had a life-changing experience with Christ; and as result, your gratitude constrains you to serve Him at all cost.
Perhaps, many of you have been cured like Mary Magdalene; you have been delivered from demonic spirits that tried to destroy you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. (Ref. Luke 8:2).
Maybe like the widow woman from Nain whose only son died, you have been grief stricken to the point of despair, but Jesus saw your tears, had compassion on you, comforted you, and restored your dreams and hope (Luke 7:11-16).
Perhaps, like the woman with the issue of blood for twelve years, you may have had a condition that drained you emotionally, physically, financially and mentally. But out of desperation you
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pressed your way and received a touch from the Master (Luke 8:43-48).
Perhaps, like the woman that was bent over for 18 years, you too may have been bound and bent over in depression, oppression and disappointments caused by life’s challenges, but Jesus heard your despairing cry and lifted you up and said, “Woman thou art loosed!”
Now, you are bound to serve Him because you are
eternally thankful (Luke 13:11-13).
Although our situations, circumstances, and conditions may be different, our hearts join in harmonious gratitude for the things Jesus has done! The most important of all, we are grateful to God the Father for giving us His best—eternal life through faith in Jesus the Christ, and the privilege of serving as His representatives on earth.
Therefore, it is our reasonable service to present our body as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted, consecrated, and well pleasing unto Him. In essence, we must give our best in service. Our best service to the Lord is demonstrated through “giving” and “helping” people.
The highest level of commitment is serving to the point of presenting your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. This kind of commitment to serving will separate the godly
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women from the golden girls, and the consecrated vessels of honor from classy-trashy girlfriends.
There are personal requirements that may cost you for giving your best in service to
Christ. In John 12:26 Jesus says, “If anyone
serve Me, he must continue to follow Me [to cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying]…”
Hello!!! My sisters, everybody just ain’t that grateful.
For many, the price is too high, especially dying to the flesh daily!
You see, some view serving as a means for receiving tips— applause, recognition, awards, accolades, praise and honor. To serve with a “what-can-I-get” mindset reeks of foul motives in the Kingdom of God. As women of God, our desire to serve should be driven by loyalty to the King and a heart overflowing with gratitude.
Serving Christ requires continuous fellowship through follow-ship. Serving Christ also requires commitment to becoming Christlike in character and conduct. There is a standard to uphold as Christian women serving Christ.
According to Romans 6:18-22, we have
been set free from sin and have become servants of righteousness. And, because we have accepted Jesus as Savior and serve Him as Lord, God the Father honors us according to John 12:26.
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My sisters, I encourage you to continue serving the King of Glory! He is Lord. How do you serve Him? By offering your best through acts and expressions of worship—giving Him glory through your godly lifestyle, and by helping others according to Matthew 25:3540.
Finally, if I serve Him, I must worship Him.
The two become
synonymous.
I cannot worship Him in spirit and truth without
serving Him;
I cannot serve Him with the highest level of
commitment to excellence without worshiping Him. So then, I am constrained by gratefulness to serve Him as my Lord, and to worship Him as my King.
My sister, are you constrained by gratefulness to serve? What an honor!
I am so grateful! Are you?
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Women Shouldering the Responsibility of the Church’s Ministry
“And the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). It is upon this scripture that we gain insight into the woman’s place and purpose in God’s plan. She is to be with the man and a helper that is suitable for him working together as God’s representatives in the earth.
The church, like the family is an institution ordained by God with divine order.
And since God has put men in the church, just as
they are in the family, they should not be alone.
The women
should be with them, assisting them, supporting the church and shouldering the responsibility of the church ministry.
Assuming responsibility of any kind is an enormous task and is important to the operation, and oftentimes the survival of an organization, business, and certainly the home.
However, the church’s ministry is of even greater significance because lives and souls are dependent upon it, and we are accountable to God for how we handle His business.
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careful consideration and time must be given to how we should assume the responsibility of the church ministry.
The Bible tells us, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25; Luke 11:17).
The biblical principle set forth here is that there must be unity and order in any realm of rule and government, and that the power and authority of that government is effectively demonstrated through the strength of unity.
In other words, there must be unity. We must all work together to be effective in the Kingdom of God. We must all use our God-given abilities, talents, and gifts to accomplish God’s work. When each of us assume our individual responsibilities, then shouldering the greater responsibility should be easier on the leader God has set in place. Being unified and following the order of responsibilities will make a difference in the effectiveness and the growth of the church’s ministry.
Throughout the Body of Christ today, Christian women give testimony to the power of unity, and working together with a common goal in mind. Every local church needs committed women to help shoulder the various areas of responsibility that are essential
to
the
operation
of
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church
ministry.
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May I remind you from Old Testament times throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry to the early Church, women have assumed responsibility for God’s work. Women such as Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. She assumed the responsibility of helping Moses in leading the Israelite women in praises to God for the victorious crossing of the Red Sea.
Miriam, along with her brothers, is
recorded as leaders God provided to bring Israel out of Egyptian bondage.
Remember Esther? When her people faced annihilation they were saved because she assumed responsibility at the risk of her own life by going to the king for her people.
And Deborah, who shouldered the responsibility with Barak in delivering the Israelites from their oppressors.
In the early church women like Phoebe and Priscilla worked with Paul and other men in the church.
Phoebe, one of the first deaconesses of the Christian church was highly commended by the apostle Paul, as being his helper as well as the helper of many. Priscilla worked with her husband, Acquila in the ministry, and shared the responsibilities. should
come
as
no
strange
thing
responsibility in Christ’s ministry today.
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for
women
Therefore, it to
shoulder
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The truth is, women bring an added flavor to ministry that would be missing if men were left alone.
So men, today I pray that you find encouragement in knowing that you
are
not
alone,
but
the
women
are
shouldering
the
responsibility of the church ministry with you because it pleases the Lord to have His children unified as we work to advance the Kingdom of God.
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Young Christian Women Searching for the Unsearchable Riches of Christ in Daily Living Reference: Job 5:7-9; Colossians 3:1-3
To obtain anything of value in life you must first have a desire to achieve goals, and reach dreams along
with
determination
and
stamina to “go for it” —this signifies diligently
searching
to
find
the
available means or resources needed in order to attain.
When I think in terms of treasure hunters and archaeologists, and how they sometimes spend years digging and searching for treasures and artifacts, four basic things of great worth comes to mind:
Commitment
—
Searching
diligently
requires
a
level
of
commitment that says I will not give up despite the obstacles, disappointments and uncertainties that come.
Unfortunately,
commitment is not high on the list of priorities today. This is most evident in relationships. How so? Namely because in today’s society the highest level of commitment is to pleasing self with tangible and visible things.
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However, searching for the riches of Christ means denying self to help others with the promise of being rewarded with spiritual treasures.
Faith — Searching requires faith in action— that says I believe in what I’m looking for, and I believe it’s here. I believe I can find it, and I will find it. Therefore, my hope is alive despite the energy and the time it takes to search.
Purpose — Searching requires having a sense of purpose that says my search is not in vain— what I’m searching for is of value and importance despite the criticism and negativism I encounter. Purpose is a term that has really hit the word billboard in the last few years.
It appears that everyone is searching trying to find
their purpose.
However, we don’t have to search to find our
purpose because it is already within us.
What we should be
searching for are the hidden riches and treasures of Christ, and when we find those things that are valuable and important to Him, our purpose will be revealed in the hidden treasures. Even the unpleasant experiences we encounter in life can be hidden treasures (Isaiah 45:3).
Fulfillment — After the search is over its overwhelming affect, the fulfillment and satisfaction it brings says I found it! thought it was impossible but look at the outcome.
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You
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It was worth it all. From this perspective it’s no wonder Jesus say, “Seek and you shall find, for he that seeks finds…” what?
Find
His unsearchable riches—commitment, faith, purpose, and
fulfillment—all that only He could supply.
He knew if we searched diligently we would find ourselves committed. He knew if we searched we would find our faith being exercised. He knew if we searched we would know purpose and could live a meaningful life, and more important, we would be fulfilled.
In essence, we would be complete in Him, lacking
nothing. Yet, we must search diligently to find His riches in glory.
To every young Christian woman I encourage you to go on a treasure hunt. In fact, all of us should be searching daily for the riches (spiritual wealth) of Christ that far outweighs silver and gold.
We are searching for substance in our lives that will make a difference in our homes, our churches, and our communities. We are searching for the riches of Christ that are oftentimes hidden in dark places so that when found we will know the power and majesty of God; and yet, these same riches may be in plain view so that we can reach our highest potential as He continues to perform His good work in us.
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Wow! No wonder Paul says, “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his
judgments and His ways past finding out.”
He marveled at the
wisdom of God as he wrote about God’s revealed plan and promise of Israel’s restoration.
The depth of His riches in wisdom and
knowledge are too high for us to fully comprehend. This is why we must search and seek after Him with our whole heart; trusting Him completely as our all-knowing, all-powerful and ever-present God.
Finally, gleaning from Job 5:7-9, I say to you who are reading this now, understand that the pain and sorrow that this life will bring may seem unbearable; yet you must keep searching. Like Job, lay your cause before Him, trust His every Word.
For we know it is
God who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number; and so we will keep on searching day by day— for when the search is over in heaven will all our treasures be.
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Women on the Move Establishing a Godly Lifestyle
It is a well known fact that women of today are definitely on the move.
My
observation of women in all walks of life causes me to ask some questions: What are we doing? Where are we going?
Many women are on the move building their careers; climbing the corporate ladder
to
competitive marketplace.
success, and
striving
successful
to in
be the
Others are over zealous
about equality; and so, they are busy fighting and protesting to gain and maintain equal rights. Yet, other women are fascinated and intrigued by power and control;
so they are on the move
seeking leadership positions in government and politics.
The list
can go on and on.
Please understand me clearly; it is absolutely nothing wrong with women striving to achieve goals and to be successful in life.
However, another very important question come to mind: What is priority? As women, I’m certain each of you reading this realizes we play an enormous role in our society.
Without a doubt, we
know that we have much to offer our country, our communities, our churches, and most importantly, our homes.
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It has been said that there is something in a woman beyond all human delights: a magnetic virtue, a charming quality and a powerful motive. If this is thought of women in general, imagine the impact godly women could have. Imagine the results we could produce.
Why? Because spiritual movement—the Kingdom of
God— is our priority. Consequently, we can proclaim that we are women on the move establishing a godly lifestyle.
First, we are striving to please God by living a life of faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him… (Hebrews 11:6a). In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, “But first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
In other words, before becoming obsessed with a corporate ladder climb to success, first stir up the gift of God within for the work of ministry. It may be revealed that it’s in your workplace.
Oftentimes, the marketplace is your ministry. Also, before fighting for equal rights, first recognize and accept God’s divine order. Whether we like it or not, God’s divine order is this: Christ is the head of every man, the head of a woman is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. (I Corinthians 11:3).
This scripture
establishes divine order and protection. Where there is no unity,
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order
or
structured
protection,
everyone
is
in
danger
and
vulnerable. Then what purpose does equal rights. As a matter of fact, God’s justice ensures us of equality. He says there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Instead of being caught up in the power of politics, first get caught up in the Spirit and have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Follow His direction and guidance; be under His control. As godly women we must not feel inferior nor be intimidated by the women of the world. But find courage by remembering the biblical role models.
Just for a moment, think of the possible consequences if the women
of
Acts
supplications.
had
not
continued
with
one
accord
and
They would have missed out on the powerful and
wonderful blessings of God.
But they were on the move!
They were right there with the
apostles and other disciples. They moved with them to the upper room and waited for the Promise. And so, we must be motivated to stay on the move so that we don’t miss out on the next mighty move of God in the Earth.
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Now let’s take another moment to face some facts about ‘moving’ and ‘establishing.’
Fact #1—Anything of value and importance must have a good solid foundation. And foundations aren’t built overnight. time; it requires perseverance,
It takes
consistency, and commitment to
the cause.
Fact #2— No one living a meaningful and purposeful life, in pursuit of achieving goals can reach them standing still (doing nothing). action.
Again, it takes courage.
It requires motivation and
Theses same principles and requirements apply for
establishing a godly lifestyle; for it has everlasting value leading toward an eternal purpose.
Nevertheless, there are steps to take, moves to make and guidelines to follow. Let’s focus on the moves that must be made in order to establish a godly lifestyle.
The very first move is made in the heart. We must open up our heart to God that He might come in. honor with lip service only.
God takes no pleasure in
In Palms 51:16, the psalmist says,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these O God, You will not despise” (NKJV).
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James says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). And when we move toward God in our heart, we take another step and confess our sins to Him. “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:10).
And if we make the move and
confess our sins, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
This is just the beginning. Then we must continue to move on into the fullness of God. It is God’s will that we be complete in Him. We know this because Paul prayed for the Ephesians: “That God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthen with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be
able to
comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and that you know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, so that you might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:14-19).
Therefore, dearly beloved, daily we should seek more of God. Our prayer should be Lord, fill me up again and again that I might move into the fullness of You.
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Our next move takes us a step closer in establishing a godly lifestyle. The is a move in our faith to overcome temptation. Our weapon for overcoming temptation is the Word of God. (Jesus showed us how in Luke 4:1-13. “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished” (II Peter 2:9).
This move requires consistency and practice, practice, practice. But can we move in faith enough to believe it and therefore stand on it? If we do, can we admit our weaknesses and not allow the enemy to prey on our shortcomings? In other words, dependency on the power of the Holy Spirit is critical.
Have faith enough to
believe God when He said, “My grace is sufficient for you and My strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9).
If we are to establish a godly lifestyle, we can no longer stand idle and motionless, being passive, ignorant and uneducated in the strategies and tricks of the devil.
I challenge you to put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ref. Ephesians 6:11). We must use every weapon and resource that God has provided for us. According to I John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and
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have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Therefore, move in faith and overcome temptation, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You find yourself much closer to living a godly lifestyle, and excited about it!
Our third move is a move toward obedience to God’s instructions. This is our greatest move in establishing and maintaining a godly lifestyle. This move is progressive. It will determine our eternal destiny. The move toward obedience calls for total commitment, self-denial, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice. No doubt, this move will keep us in motion from now until we depart this life.
As affirmed in Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing that He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Our moving toward obedience means
instituting patterns of holy living.
It is so easy to say this or proclaim that… but, the thing that confirms we are women on the move establishing a godly lifestyle is our behavior,
our mannerisms, our conduct and character.
These are like mirrors that should reflect the image of Christ.
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Apostle Peter says, “…as obedient children… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (II Pet. 1:14-16).
If we are to establish a godly lifestyle, no longer can we do our own thing. We can no longer make up our own rules; we must follow God’s standards. We accept the Bible as the Word of God, and believe it to be infallible.
It is right; it is our guideline.
Therefore, we must live by it. According to II Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine,
for
reproof,
for
correction,
for
instruction
in
righteousness.”
God’s word will not change neither will it disappear.
Jesus said,
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31). Now if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and evermore, then we must change.
Consequently, making changes requires disciplinary moves in many areas of our life.
Yet, we must learn to discipline ourselves and
live in agreement with biblical principles. Even if it’s not a “right” or “wrong” issue, discipline is still required. Apostle Paul says, “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” ( I Corinthians 6:12). In other
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words, sure I could do this, if it is not wrong, but neither is it helpful to me, therefore, I choose not to do it nor will I be controlled by it. This is a move in discipline and self control. And I’ll admit it’s not the easiest move to make. But thanks to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Why? So that we will be given an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I close leaving you with the words of Arthur John Gossip, and my prayer: “It was Christ who discovered and emphasized the worth of woman. It was Christ who lifted her into equality with man. It was Christ who gave woman her chance, who saw her possibilities, who discovered her value.”
Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. We are so very grateful that we have the privilege of partnering with you in Kingdom business. Let us not fail in living up to Your expectations as godly women. And so we’re moving toward You in our hearts. We are moving in our faith to please You. We are moving in obedience to Your Word. Father, we acknowledge that we can make these moves, for we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us. We pray for women everywhere that they too may be able to declare without hesitation as they read this book, we are women on the move establishing a godly lifestyle. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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About the Author Queen Phillips is a licensed and ordained minister of gospel of Jesus Christ, freelance writer, author, poet, motivational speaker, public administrator, and mother of three. She is the founder of Majestic Publications, a Christian online writing ministry. She has a royal anointing that encourages, empowers and enlightens her audiences and readers as she communicates God’s Word without compromise. Queen resides in Houston, Texas with her son, Jonathan David. For speaking engagements send email to: qfphillips@majesticpublications.com or qfphillips@aol.com
Visit her websites at: www.majesticpublications.com www.myspace.com/lettersfromheart2heart. Read her BLOGS at:
www.queenprayshere.blogspot.com, www.proqueenphillips.wordpress.com
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