Guest Speaker: Dr. Rita Twiggs

(2 Kings 4: 8-17, 18-23, 27-30, 32-38 )

The 2006 Women's Conference got off to an energetic and vibrant start with the message delivered by our guest speaker, Dr. Rita Twiggs of T.D. Jakes Ministries (Dallas, TX). She began her message by reminding us that this is a day that God has sanctioned, and that when we hear His word, we should not take it lightly. Dr. Twiggs then read the story of the Shunammite woman and her son. (2 Kings 4: 8-17, 18-23, 27-30, 32-38 ). She was a woman of great faith, and knew of the promises of God. God promised her a son, and that her son would bring her many blessings. However, one day, her son took ill while working in the field and shortly after he was brought to his mother, he died. She took her son to the man of God (Elisha) so that he could restore him to life (which he did). In doing this, the Shunammite woman exercised her faith and trust in God. The woman's attitude was like the prayer of the aged man in Psalm 71.

• "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame." (Psalm 71: 1)
  
  
• "From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you." (Psalm 71:6)
  
  
• For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together.
  They say, "God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him."
  Be not far from me, O God; come quickly, O my God, to help me.
  May my accusers perish in shame; may those who want to harm me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
  But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. (Psalm 71: 10-14)

We must always remember that the God of the mountain is the God of the valley!

Today, God gives you a key. God can deliver suddenly when we ask Him to "make haste" on His promises. Dr. Twiggs reminded us that God is not a God of mediocrity. He is a God of excellence. And although the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy, Jesus has come to give us God's promise of peace and abundant life. Jesus came to remind us that we don't have to live in lack.

The Shunammite woman in our text today knows that she needs not live in lack. She is a covenant woman. Rather than have a pity party about her situation (wallowing in despair as a pig wallows in mud), she relies on the promises of God and has the attitude of the sheep (knowing that she is above 'wallowing in mud/sin/despair'). "Baaaa... I'm better than this!"

One way to overcome the "pig" mentality, is to take inventory of what you have. The "Already" state that you're in, where you praise God for the things He's already given you. Consider them Divine Leftovers. Everything that you've been through, God has brought you out of, and through it all, you still have a little 'oil' left over. Dr. Twiggs used the analogy of how even spaghetti seems to taste better 'the 2nd time around'. You still have something to show after your trial. Heat up the leftovers! God will give you more! Give to others through your testimony, and God will give back to you. God expects you to give a full account of His investment in you!

You are Great!

God called the Shunammite woman great. "Be perfect now, walk before me", "Take up your bed and walk". God will take you where you need to go, because he sees that you are great. God sees the finished product and knows exactly what He plans to do with you when he's done.

Dr. Twiggs used an analogy of a chocolate cake. We all know what ingredients belong in a chocolate cake. Eggs, flour, sugar, chocolate, oil and water. God knows the ingredients that make us great. He puts us in the bowl with the things we need. Integrity, righteousness, compassion, love, etc. Just as pepper and tobasco sauce do not belong in a chocolate cake, things such as pride, arrogance, hypocrisy, and all manner of sin, do not belong in a creation of God. So as we go about our lives, God puts us in situations and circumstances that will perfect us. He puts us in the midst of those who will force perfection in us, and remove those ingredients that don't belong in His "chocolate cake".

However, as with the chocolate cake, in order for the work to be completed, it has to be put in the oven. We as children of God must go through the "furnace of perfection". The trials we experience teach us and help us to become perfected. Furthermore, as a chef knows how long to bake a cake, God knows how long to leave us in that "furnace of perfection". He leaves us in just long enough for us to become the best we can be. If a chef takes a cake out of the oven too early, the cake falls. The same thing would happen to us if God didn't allow us to completely experience the trials that bring us to our next level of development.

Being an Effective Servant of God

Greatness is being the servant that God wants you to be. Humble yourself to God's will. Dr. Twiggs used yet another analogy, comparing us to a towel. A towel can only be effective if it has the following characteristics:

• bendable - A towel has to be flexible, and in the same way, we as Christians must be flexible to do what God needs for us to do in building His Kingdom.
  
  
• dependable - A towel is always where you put it. It doesn't run around the house saying "Catch me if you can!". As Christians, we must be dependable. So that when God needs to use us, we will be in position.
  
  
• sendable - A towel has to be portable, and as Christians, we must be willing to go anywhere God sends us. As God promises us, "I'll be with you and you'll be effective". For as it's often said, "If Jesus goes with me, I'll go! Count on me!"
  
  
• mendable - When a towel is damaged, it can be repaired. As Christians, we must be resilient, almost like the egg-shaped "Weeble". Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down and towels don't complain. Don't allow your feelings to be hurt. Be encouraged, and by reading and applying the Word of God, you'll find the strength and be able to encourage, heal and edify yourself.
  
  
• expendable - Even towels need to have a time of refreshing and renewal. As Christians building the Kingdom of God, we can't be 'in the spotlight' all the time. Various members of the body of Christ will be called to minister at different times. When it's not your time to minister, take that opportunity to become refreshed and renewed (like a towel being washed and prepared for its next use), so that when the spotlight does come back in your direction, you'll be in position and prepared to serve.

God calls you to be great because He wants you to be greater! When you have a vision, you can go further. And when you get that revelation from God, you can speak it, expect it and experience it. You can only travel as far as you can see. You can't trust in what man has shown you for your life. You must trust in the Lord. God adjusted the Shunammite woman's perception of Elisha, showing her that he was a man of God, and as a result, she revealed it to her husband so that they were able to minister unto him and make him more effective.

Ministering to the Man of God

There is a disease of familiarity in the church today. Don't make yourself overly familiar with the man of God in your church. Yes, he may be your pastor, and a long-time friend, but always remember that he is a messenger of God and must be treated appropriately. He is your 'spiritual mailman'. As Pastor George Dix always tells us, "God knows our spiritual address.", make sure that you're flexible, in position, and attentive when your 'mailcall' occurs.

In order for the Shunammite woman to minister unto Elisha (by preparing a room, a table and bed for him), she had to operate as Deborah did in dealing with her husband Lappidoth (known to his friends as "Lappi") and prepare her husband's heart to receive the messages she had to give him. Deborah's message to Barak (son of Abinoam) is an example of her ability to persuade and encourage:

• "Then Deborah said to Barak, "Go! This is the day the LORD has given Sisera into your hands. Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?" So Barak went down Mount Tabor, followed by ten thousand men. At Barak's advance, the LORD routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot. But Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harosheth Haggoyim. All the troops of Sisera fell by the sword; not a man was left." - (Judges 4:4-23)

Deborah approached her husband Lappidoth in the same way, making him more receptive to God's word. Nagging didn't work. She in a sense had to keep "Lappi happy" so that he could willingly do God's work. The Shunammite woman used a similar approach in revealing Elisha's true nature to her husband. That way, when the time came, the Shunammite woman and her husband could effectively minister to him, providing him (their 'spiritual mailman') with:

• a room
• a bed - a place to rest ("Read your mail, heal yourself! Get your own cat out of the tree!")
• a stool - ("Stand on the word of God that he delivers to you.")
• a table - he has a people who appreciate him and he will become a channel for your divine harvest. ("Bless the man of God, and God in turn will bless you back 10-fold").

So when dealing with your own "Elisha" (in our case, Pastor Dix), respect him, listen attentively to his word, bless him with your resources and appreciate his role as God's messenger. For by doing this, you've set yourself up for a supernatural blessing! Just as the Shunammite woman gave birth to a son when everyone said the odds were against her, you're about to birth something new! God speaks words of prophecy through your man of God. When your perception is clear, revelation will come to you. As they say, "Work that thang!" It's a walk of faith! When you walk in faith, God will prosper you. Everything that you set your hands to will be successful.

Fighting the Good Fight of Faith

Dr. Twiggs reminded us that you can't go from mountain to mountain by jumping. You must go through the valley to get to your next mountain top. Faith leads to trust, and trust is what you have when God's not saying anything. Like a fighter in the last round of a 15 round match, you don't have time to fall out. You have to fight the enemy and hang in there, putting forth as much (if not more) effort than you did in the earlier rounds. This round is going to determine the winner and this is where your faith really kicks in. Be relentless with God's promises. Stay in your lane, stay focused and don't be distracted. Don't let anyone talk you out of your promise, and fight the good fight of faith. Repeat God's promise and speak it into existence. "It shall be well!"

The Power of Praise

Faith cometh by hearing. "I'm going from 'it shall be' to 'it is'!" The Shunammite woman believed Elisha could bring her son back to life. "God, you said... I'd have a son, and a bountiful harvest." So in her faith, she praised God. Always praise God, for the things He's done for you in the past (a "Because of" Praise), the things He's doing for you now ("Today" Praise), and what He's promised to do for you in the future ("Yet" Praise).

In closing, Dr. Twiggs told a story about a little boy who was promised a bicycle for his birthday, 6 months in advance. The day after the promise was made, he began to thank his father for the bicycle, and each day afterward, his praise and thanksgiving grew stronger and stronger. "Thanks so much for the bike, Dad!" For it is written:

• "Faith is the substance of things not seen and evidence of things hoped for." (Hebrews 11:1) .

The little boy thanked his father so much, that he was given his bicycle before his birthday, far earlier than he had expected. That is how we must be with our praises to God. We can expedite the delivery on the promises God has for us, by praising him frequently and with great fervor. Praising God in advance of your blessing is like putting your breakthrough on layaway, making praise payments in advance so that you may reap the reward in due season. "Pay on it!"

Quotes of the sermon:

"The God of the mountain is the God of the valley!"
"You can't go from mountain to mountain by jumping. You must go through the valley to get to your next mountain top!" - Dr. Rita Twiggs.

Scripture References:

Sunday, September 17th, 2006

• Psalm 23:4-6 - Prayer & Scripture (Minister Cheryl Green)
• 2 Kings 4: 8-17, 18-23, 27-30, 32-38 - "The Shunammite woman and her son ..."
• Psalm 71: 1,6, 10-14 - "In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame..."
• Judges 4:4-23 - "Deborah"
• Hebrews 11:1 - "Faith is the substance of things not seen and the evidence of things hoped for."