January 2012 Be Connected Newsletter
WELCOME by Jan Langbridge
WELCOME to a brand NEW YEAR!
No one has ever been this way before. As every day dawns it will be full of surprises and opportunities God has prepared for us. No doubt there will be some challenges there as well, so that we will be stretched to deal with them.
Remember David’s words in Psalm 8 “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” If we need some encouragement during this year we just need to take a peek at the glorious display of stars He has set in the sky. God is certainly never far from us.
Let’s trust Him to carry us through this year ahead.
Jan
BE INSPIRED by Cecelia Orford
Recently while enjoying the holiday rest I picked up a book I bought a long time ago but never had the time to read. "A woman and her God" authored by Beth Moore and other extraordinary women. Jill Briscoe authored chapter 2 on "A women's role: Ministering like Jesus". I thought I might share some of her chapter with you.
Jill's main point of the chapter is taken from James 5:11 "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Jill points out that Jesus had a heart for women and treated women very differently than they were being treated by the people of the day. He often spoke with women and many of the events documented in the New Testament involve women as one of the leading characters. He also told parables with women as the main character. Jesus broke the norm as women were often seen in a simlar standing as children and slaves in society.
The story of the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 is one in which we may all take encouragement. This woman had made some bad choices in her life, yet Jesus used her mightily. In fact the whole town came to know Christ through her encounter with Jesus. This woman came to know Christ personally, she caught His vision, passion and mission, and then shared it with others. Jesus had a driving passion to reach out to the unsaved. John 4:35 "Open your eyes and look at the fields. They are ripe for harvest." There are many people needing to hear the wonderful news of Jesus, about his saving grace and love.
God has a plan for each of us. He wants us to "come alongside those who do not know Him". So how are we going to do that? Some people are naturally good at sharing Jesus with others, for the rest of us this is more challenging. God made each of us as we are, with our individual gifts. The woman at the well probably thought she had nothing to give anyone, let alone the saving news of Christ. She had many strikes against her, she was a sinful woman, she had made some wrong choices, but Jesus himself invited her to drink from the living waters and worship Him. How could she not share this?
God invites us to worship him and drink from the living waters. We too can share in his vision, passion and mission. He purposely made you to do this in your own way. You are a woman who Jesus loves and calls to minister to the lost. This is an important ministry. Start right where you are, reach out to women in your street, work, shops, mother's group, playgroup, kindy, school, spa - anywhere.
Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
CALENDAR
What's on in 2012?
February 2012 Thursday 9th 7-9pm.
Be Inspired Coffee Cafe with Naomi Reed at Acacia Ridge Presbuterian Church. Register early as this is a popular event and seat are limited.
Naomi's topic is "When we struggle with comparison, Jesus says "You follow me". Naomi will be speaking about our struggle with comparison, when look at other people and think we'd be better if we were more like them - if we just had their gifts or opportunities - maybe we'd be more loved or useful. Naomi looks at John 21, Psalm 139 & Rom 12 to remind us that God has made us like this - just how we are, on purpose. God wants us to grow into his image, not into the image of the women down the street (or the one at church who has all the gifts we don't have).
RESOURCESIf you would like audio or DVD of past events, podcasts are available online and orders can be made for DVD copies on our website www.wmpcq.com
