A Woman of Kingdom Commitment

This week is the last week of our book study by renown preacher, Dr. Tony Evans and his daughter, Chrystal Evans Hurst, Kingdom Woman, Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities.  A Woman of Commitment is emphasized in the last session of a group book study I am facilitating.

This week’s focus is on the poor widow woman in the Old Testament 2 Kings 4. Not much is revealed about her, but what we do know is that she knew where and who to ask for help in her time of need, the local Prophet Elisha. 

Women seem to be able to achieve the most out of life and be skilled at managing life’s situations simultaneously, amid achieving the results. Yes, we all know, life is about ups and downs. Life can throw some serious curve balls in our direction. Overwhelmingly, these types of scenarios can cause many women to just throw in the towel.

Our study of the woman in 2 Kings reveals some important ways in which we too can achieve positive results in the midst of seemingly negative situations with positive outcomes.

Revealed through her commitment is:

Ø  That she obeyed the instructions of the Prophet Elisha.

Ø  Through her obedience and faith God’s blessings were not limited.

Ø  God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Ø  Even in the midst of terrible situations, God will have his faithful minority, his remnant (2 Kings 19:31). God desires courageous men and women to proclaim his truth.

Ø  Living without smudges is possible but that’s not God’s plan.

I admonish you to remember to always trust God through the challenges of life and follow Gods instructions as he changes you into a woman of commitment. Who are you committed to?

A Kingdom Committed Woman, 

Minister Sylvia Joyner

A Kingdom Woman Excelling in Excellence

This week is the story of Ruth illustrated by renown preacher, Dr. Tony Evans and his daughter, Chrystal Evans Hurst used in their book, Kingdom Woman, Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities.  A Woman of Excellence is emphasized in the second session of a group book study I am facilitating.

In today’s lesson, the women highlighted are Ruth and Naomi, their story is revealed in the book Ruth. Two themes emerge as we study Ruth’s excellence. Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi as a daughter in law and friend is a great example of love and loyalty.

Excellence as defined by the authors as  the state of called to a higher standard which is not set by the standards of the world but by God.

Common among all people is a desire to receive excellent service but many fail in giving excellent service. Yet a Kingdom woman understands that her unique position calls her to a higher standard than what the culture has set. She knows that God has ordained her for destiny of excellence.

Excellence should always be your representation and presentation portrayal as a kingdom woman. Proverbs (31:10, ESV) reminds us that the excellent woman, or excellent wife, is a rare treasure of the highest value: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.”

Paul, the apostle, reminds us also that all our lives should be marked with excellence: Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more (I Thessalonians 4:1).

Excellence doesn’t mean perfection. It means doing all you can with all you have at that moment. It begins with thinking differently about yesterday. Too many have missed the mark of excellence, because they continue to live in yesterday. The key to moving forward in excellence is to learn from yesterday, but don’t live in it.

Gleaning this wisdom from the Apostle Paul, getting yesterday out of today, have a tomorrow focus: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on….”

Dwell on excellence.

A Woman of Excellence,

Minister Sylvia Joyner

A Kingdom Woman: Framed by Hope

This week the story of Cinderella and the “bent” woman in Luke 13:11 is illustrated by world renown preacher, Dr. Tony Evans used in his book, Kingdom Woman, Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities.  A Woman of Hope is emphasized in the second session of a group book study I am facilitating developed by Dr. Evans and his daughter, Chrystal Evans Hurst.  

Common thread running between the two stories is that each woman in her unique situation was stuck, locked into situations that seemed impossible to break free from. In Cinderella’s case forever searching for her prince from a distorted position of identity. The “bent” woman in Luke 13:11 as well, envisioned the world from a distorted position because of a “bent” perspective. Each of their stories reveals how easily it is to live like slaves in hostage situations and become hopelessly trapped. Perhaps this describes you in some way. Maybe you have desired a better future for yourself and your family. Or it may be that you met your Prince but he was really a frog. Remember the woman at the well, she too thought the well which she was drawing from would satisfy her thirst. 

Are you able to identity with either woman? As Pastor Evan recounts, too many women have given up on God. We have kept a running log of the years passing by and it seems as if our prayers will not be answered, and we have decided it’s too late. Point taken is that we miss out on God’s plans for us because we have stopped looking and hoping that things will change.

Furthermore, Cinderella and the bent woman in Luke 13:11, give us glimpses into how one can live lives of bondage, emotional bondage, spiritual bondage, or even physical bondage. Without a proper perspective of who we are, as seen with the physical position of the bent woman suffering for 18 years. She was only able to view herself and the world from the ground up.

Many women today view their selves and the world from a distorted position.

All hope is not lost, Jesus knows right where you are, and He knows how long you’ve been there. A key aspect of your life as a kingdom woman is tied to how you view and respond to Jesus.

Jesus, your Prince and Redeemer has found you. So, don’t give up. Stay hopeful.

Blessings,

Minister Sylvia Joyner

Becoming a Kingdom Woman: Part One, Your Essential Value

Hello…

Take a hundred-dollar bill.  Walk on it. Crumple it. Sneeze on it. Spit on it. Tear it in two...it never loses its value and neither do you! This is one of the illustrations world renown preacher, Dr. Tony Evans uses in his book, Kingdom Woman, Embracing Your Purpose, Power, and Possibilities.  A woman's essential value was the point emphasized in the first session of a group book study I am facilitating developed by Dr. Evans and his daughter, Chrystal Evans Hurst.

A kingdom woman as defined by Pastor Evans and his daughter, is a woman who positions herself and operates according to the rule of God over every area of her life. Her thoughts, actions, speech are governed by the value system God has ordered and not by the world’s standard. A kingdom woman understands that God’s way of doing things undergirds how she prioritizes her home and family, organizes her life, decision making, chooses investments, and develops skills all stem from her advancement in God’s Kingdom. Illustrated as our modern-day example is the Proverbs 31 woman.

These prioritized values dictate the course of action subsequently taken. Choices is where your mental weathering will lead you. The choices we make form our character. The Proverbs 31 woman chooses to be a woman of value. Her worth is the value she uses to navigate through life with.

The question is what makes or shapes her into a woman of value?  Shaping the Kingdom Woman’s value system is the Proverbs 31 woman. Not by any means is she the model of perfect woman, pointed out is that she understands the seasons of change in her life and prioritizes those events accordingly. Too many times we (woman) fear the changes in our lives and fail to recognize those times as spiritual opportunities by which growth can be utilized and God can be glorified.

You too can be a woman of value. It begins with a good healthy dose of “fear the Lord” a woman who fears the Lord will receive the praise that is due her. Her reverence determines her actions, thoughts, words, and priorities. So, you see its not what we do that gives us our value, it is who we fear.

God Bless, join us this week as we continue with the hope that shapes a Kingdom Woman’s life.

Blessings,

Sylvia Joyner

Expect The Unexpected!

The Bible records that Jesus appears to His disciples after His resurrection in John 20:19-31. The Disciples were, John tells us, locked in their room "for fear of the Jews." Respectively we understand their initial fears of the Jewish leaders and subsequent joy when they laid eyes on Jesus. John accounts for us their waning emotions and differing responses, both believing and disbelieving.

When was the last time you expected something unexpected? An old friend came by to visit...a gift of money...a promotion on your job...Jesus showed up...and the list goes on. Change is painful. We too are not immune from the same responses the disciples encountered. What happens to us is about us. Even so when change happens, Jesus still reminds us as He did the disciples, "Fear not."

But the greater question is how do we respond when change happens to us? Even when the command given from Jesus is "fear not". Is your response still fear, doubt, disbelief to these changes? What would it take for you to not fear change when it presents itself?

The disciples as you recall had just experienced the death. burial and resurrection of their Savior, Jesus the Christ. Can we blame them for being afraid for believing that the same thing would happen to them as well? What can we learn from their responses when Jesus shows up? How will you respond to the presence of Christ in your life? Yes, change is painful!

Remembering this, Jesus appears to the disciples not just to appear but that they would believe. Believe that He is a risen Savior!

Can we say this about all unexpected changes in our lives? That when these changes appear, they also come that we may believe? Believe that Jesus presence in our lives needs a response. Yes, change is painful, but a necessary part of helping us respond to the presence of God in our lives.

When will you see Jesus?

Making Sense of Your Stuck Days....

Hello....

Have you ever felt stuck, in a rut, just not feeling it anymore? Some even refer these type of days as Monday Morning Blues or ...but not all stucktiveness began or end on Mondays. They draw themselves out to Tuesday Morning Blues, Wednesday Morning Blues, or nights, or at anytime...you get the picture, rt.?

What about you? What has you stuck? What is your Monday Morning Blues? What are you stuck on?

Well....don't beat yourself up just yet. I"m here to let you know we all have experienced these kind of days. I refer to them as stuckinarutbasementbluesnowayoutwhydoIfeelthisway? Ok, Ok...no its not a typo. Wrote like this to show you this is how I experience the stuck days.

Now that you know, others experience these stuck days too, how to unstuck ourselves? As I mentioned in the title of this post...first make sense of it. What motivates you? How, focus on what it is you like to do. My like to do is writing. On occasions I too get stuck.

I've found if I can remember how writing motivates me to express myself I can began the process of getting back on track. Making sense for me begins with morning meditation or time with God, turning the T.V off, turn radio on my favorite radio station, sit down, listen to my own thoughts, pick up pen, get the paper out, and began to write, and it may not make sense in the beginning, but as I continue to pen my thoughts they become stronger and things, thoughts, ideas began to come together. 

What I've learned consistency is the key to my day and life. If I'm stuck, or just not feeling like me, its usually because I have disconnected myself from my consistency. But not all hope is lost, begin again.

Isn't that the essence of whatever has you stuck is to just begin again...like the Nike commercial says "just do it."

Now you find your making sense of each day...what motivates you-think on these things-your aspirations...journal them...pray about it and began the process, make it your daily routine and watch your day began to turn from stuck in a rut to standing in your purpose.

I agree it is not an easy process, but it is doable. To be successful in any area of one's life requires our presence...we must be willing to show up and participate. Otherwise, nothing ever gets done and we will always find ourselves living our lives in the stuck days.

Remember this word: Be still and know that I'm God (Psalm 46:10).

God Bless,
Sylvia Joyner