Women's Ministry

2 Corinthians 6:18:  "And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty. You are God's Masterpiece Ephesians 2:10:  "We are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." NLT NIV— "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."   We are God's masterpiece, handiwork, workmanship.  What a fascinating thought!  A masterpiece is something carefully created by a Master and it has great value, especially to its Creator.  A Masterpiece is a work done with extraordinary skill; it is a work of art.  You are the Master's piece (portion).

Imagine an art gallery full of beautiful portraits.  You admire the handiwork of the artist as you gaze at paintings elegantly mounted in beautiful frames.  You marvel at the originality of each as you walk through the gallery.  Suddenly and unexpectedly, you discover your portrait and at the bottom of your portrait is the Master's signature.  We are in God's gallery.  You are surprised because you may fell like it is impossible to measure up to today's standards.  You sometimes may feel like an abstract painting. 

Don't allow the artificial measurements of society to define who you should be.  Listen to your Creator.  You are the Master's creation.  He sees great value in you.  Art usually reveals the heart of the painter.  It is a picture or visual image of the painter's heart.  We are a work of grace (God's riches at Christ expense).  God's grace saved us even when we were dead in sins.  God understands you when no one else does.  Ephesians 1:6—He made us accepted in the beloved.  That's Grace.

Every now and then Father has to do touch-up work in us to get us to that place of overflow.

God is concerned about ever little intricate detail of your life, your hopes, dreams, visions, failures, successes, fears, family, health, wealth.

The Scripture goes on to say that we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works … `We were born anew or born again to do good works.  Gossip is not a good work…

The new man is a new creation.  Old things have passed away behold all things have become new (2 Cor 5:7).  It is a new birth.  In Christ Jesus, that is, on the account of what He has done and suffered.  When God looks at us, He now sees us "in Christ." In Him we live, move and have our being.  He sees us through the precious blood of Jesus.  He no longer sees our past repented sins; He sees us holy and without fault.  Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can come fearlessly into God's presence and be confident that He welcomes us as His child. 

We have a divine connection.  In Christ we are part of God's family.  In Christ we have an enduring and intimate relationship with God.  In Christ we have access to the incredible power that raised Him from the dead.  In Christ we experience His unlimited resources.  In Christ we have wisdom and understanding.  In Christ we have endless treasures and a glorious inheritance available to us.  In Christ we were created to do good works.  Eph. 1:3—God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

We have been chosen, adopted, forgiven, anointed, accepted, graced, and gifted.  We have no excuse.

There are no limits to what God can do in you and through you.  There are unlimited ways you can contribute to God's work here and abroad.  It's in you by the Spirit of God to succeed.  He has saved us that we may show forth the character and praises of Him who called us from darkness into His marvelous light.  Though we are not saved because our good works, yet we are saved that we may perform good works, to the glory of God and the benefit of man.

You have great value and God will give each of you a life full of purpose.  You were designed to do the good work He has planned for you.

Which God prepared in advance for us to do.  God wants a response to what He has done.  He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do.

Cultivate an intimate relationship with Him.  James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you".

God has planned for us to live a holy life.  According to Ephesians 4:23, 24, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes.  God is looking for us to display our new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness—righteous, holy, and true.  We must allow the Holy Spirit to control our thoughts, attitudes and actions.  Find out what pleases God and do it.

Have healthy relationships—God's design is for His people to live together in unity and peace.  This is one of the good things He has planned for us.  Healthy relationships are one of the most powerful testimonies we present to those who have not yet become followers of Christ.  Love one another…Eph. 4:2

Stand firm in Spiritual Warfare.  Another one of the good things God has planned for us is to stand firm in spiritual warfare.

Eph. 6:10-12:  "Finally, be strong in the Lord and His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

As Christians, we will encounter attacks from our spiritual enemy, often through temptation.  But we must use God's armor to resist Satan's strategies and tricks.  God's armor…David couldn't fight in Saul's armor.

In conclusion, you are God's beautiful portrait.  God takes great pleasure in calling you His masterpiece.

You are His masterpiece on display to reflect His glory, creativity and ability, love, peace, joy to all who see you!   
Everyone, as God's masterpiece, has a special work to do.  Eph.4:11-13 tells us that God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well.  The result of every woman serving where God has equipped her is the entire church is healthy and growing and full of love---a genuine masterpiece.

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Prayer and Purpose

"And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."   (Romans 8:27-28)

What is the purpose of prayer?  How does it work out God's purpose in our lives?  If you have purpose, you have a sense of direction.  But, finding our purpose is often not the central issue.  The heart of the matter is yielding to God in prayer physically, intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.

Prayer, when done correctly, encompasses the entire person.  So the purpose of prayer is to get all of you involved.  You cannot pray effectively with your mouth separated from your spirit.  Jesus spoke of the Pharisees in this respect:  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me...' (Mark 7:6).  So it's possible to engage in the ritual of prayer without the devotion of prayer.  but if you really want to be engaged in God's purpose, all of you must be involved in prayer.  For effective prayer involves the whole being--the spirit, the soul, and the body.  It takes the whole person to pray, and prayer affects the entire person as a result.

Something wonderful and supernatural happens to you in intercession when you're submitted to God in your heart and lifestyle.  As you pray, God's purposes are accomplished in your life, because there is a plan being worked in you.  By engaging in earnest prayer to Him, a transformation occurs within you to bring you to the will and purpose of God in your life.

 Those who give all in prayer receive all in the answer.  Whatever you put it is what you get out.  Many times we pray for things, while at the same time, parts of our lives have not been submitted to God.

If He asks us to do something that is not in keeping  with our desire, we often won't do it--but that's where the answer is.  If you pray for a relationship to be healed, and the Lord requires you to appolize, what happens if you refuse? You simply forfeit your answer.  A prevalent practice in the Church today is that we compartmentalize ourselves when we come to God.  We give Him only what is convenient.  But we must give Him everything. The saints of history and the Bible experienced great things from God, and walked in His purpose because they were given to much prayer.

You can't expect to have a flimsy, halfhearted prayer life and simultaneously do great things for God.  It simply doesn't work that way.  The greater the prayer life, the stronger the anointing.  The greater the prayer life, the greater the experience--and the greater the purpose.  God must have wholehearted men and women through whom He can work out His purposes and plans.  But He cannot use people who are halfhearted, inconsistent, or unstable.  That's whey the Bible says in James 1:7 that an unstable person will not get anything from God.  Instability is one of the gravest problems in our churches.  Wholehearted commitment that manifests the purpose of God comes only as we yield to His purpose in prayer.

Purpose involves our ambitions, goals, and aspirations.  But God's purposes are so different from what we are trained to desire or expect.  In Church, we often have major dreams, visions, and illusions of grandeur.  The issue is that some of these dreams and visions have nothing to do with the purpose of God in most of our lives.

Many of us look at other people and see how they have come to a certain point.  As a result, we think that's where we are going.

But do you know where these people have gone?

If you knew the real story and considered the price, sacrifice, and heartache they had to endure to get there, you wouldn't dare think of traveling the same road.  Please do not sit and envy someone's position and power with illusions of greatness.  Pray into your own purpose until your mind, will, intellect, and spirit become conformed to the will of God.

It is then that the purpose of God for you will unfold.

Praying in purp0se is about coming to God without an agenda.  Even if I do have an agenda, I am willing to lay my agenda before the Lord, if necessary.  I must be ready, willing, and able to forget my agenda, if it is not in keeping with His will.  There is nothing wrong with coming to God with an agenda, but always leave it "open."  You can't serve or please God with an adamant, strong-willed attitude.

As you think about all the things you hope to be and become, ask yourself, "Are they in keeping with God's will?"  Many people die angry and frustrated, because they have never said, "Thy will be done."

I challenge you to surrender yourself wholly to the Lord that you may fulfill His purposes for your life, and experience the fullness of His joy.