August 2009 Issue of Divine Inspirations Magazine

|Kim Potter|

FFFEEEAAATTTUUURRREEESSS Recapturing My Joy! Citizens of Heaven Success: God’s Way Congregation Dance A Promise is a Promise Is Your Marriage in Order? Charged With Authority to Ministered

to Two Kingdoms (Continued)

God’s Revelation to His CREATION

PPPOOOEEETTTRRRYYY CCCAAAFFFÉÉÉ Fatherless No More Another Level Poem: Spiritual Irony Have You Ever? LORD I WANT TO LIVE HOLY

IIINNN EEEVVVEEERRRYYY IIISSSSSSUUUEEE The Biblical Teacher The Reality Corner D.I.V.A.S. Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries Debt FREE Living A Word in Season Marriage for Today Beauty on the Go

DDDEEEVVVOOOTTTIIIOOONNNAAALLLSSS VISION Who or What sits on the throne of your Heart? LIVE with Purpose

RRREEEAAADDDEEERRR SSSPPPOOOTTTLLLIIIGGGHHHTTT Christine Pembleton

|“His Rain in Due Season”|

|A New Thing Ministries|

DDiivviinnee IInnssppiirraattiioonnss MMaaggaazziinnee J u l y 2 0 0 9 | V o l u m e 2 | I s s u e 8 www.divineinspirationsmagazine.org

[email protected]

http://www.divineinspirationsmagazine.org/�

mailto:[email protected]�

contents

CCCOOOVVVEEERRR Kim Potter Bio .................................................................................................... 4 His Rain in Due Season K. Potter ................................................................ 5

FFFEEEAAATTTUUURRREEESSS Recapturing My Joy! F. Thompson ............................................................... 7 Citizens of Heaven Dr. L. A. B. Marino ............................................................ 8 Success: God’s Way S. S. Jones .................................................................. 10 Congregation Dance J. Riley ...................................................................... 14 A Promise is a Promise B. M. Horton....................................................... 17 Is Your Marriage in Order? R. T. Sells ................................................... 19 Charged With Authority to Ministered to

Two Kingdoms (Continued) S. M. Liberty ................................... 23 God’s Revelation to His CREATION M. Mills ................................... 28

DDDEEEVVVOOOTTTIIIOOONNNAAALLLSSS VISION D. D. Savage .............................................................................................. 11 Who or What sits on the throne

of your Heart? M. Pumphrey ............................................................. 11

LIVE with Purpose T. Payne ......................................................................... 29

IIINNN EEEVVVEEERRRYYY IIISSSSSSUUUEEE The Biblical Teacher C. Togle ..................................................................... 32 The Reality Corner J. G. Taylor .................................................................... 36 D.I.V.A.S. M. Davis ............................................................................................... 38 Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries T. Lewis ..... 39 Debt FREE Living F. Kynard ........................................................................... 41 A Word in Season S. Avery........................................................................... 44 Marriage for Today M. & T. Fox ................................................................. 46

Beauty on the Go K. Laws ............................................................................ 48

PPPOOOEEETTTRRRYYY CCCAAAFFFÉÉÉ Fatherless No More D. Dial ........................................................................ 30 Another Level S. Bowden ................................................................................ 34 Poem: Spiritual Irony J. Bruenig ................................................................ 44 Have You Ever? C. Streamer .......................................................................... 49 LORD I WANT TO LIVE HOLY B. Whitney ............................................. 50

RRREEEAAADDDEEERRR SSSPPPOOOTTTLLLIIIGGGHHHTTT A Guide to Empowering Women to Create a Happy,

Lasting Marriage C. Pembleton ........................................................ 16

If this magazine blesses you, email us at [email protected] with your comment or response; please indicate the article or writer. This publication is copyrighted and the articles are protected.

Divine Inspirations Magazine © 2009 All Rights Reserved

Greetings! Recently I heard a sermon that caused me to reflect on “who I am.” I now realize where my identity lies after hearing this sermon. I am a Child of the Most-High God, Amen! God has given me a new identity. I am more than a conqueror thru Christ Jesus. I am victorious and can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me. I love it, knowing your identity gives you a boost into where you can go. Seek the face of God today and find your identity in Him.

I am so excited about this issue. The writers keep getting better and better every month with their inspired words. If you are being blessed by Divine Inspirations Magazine, we would love to hear from you. You can send us an email to [email protected].

We need you to help us spread the news of Divine Inspirations Magazine. Pass to your family and friends, they can subscribe to our mailing list by sending an email to [email protected].

Advertise with Divine Inspirations Magazine $25.00 for a full page per issue. We ask that you support our advertisers. Donate to Divine Inspirations Magazine via our website www.divineinspirationsmagazine.org.

As always, we welcome your feedback and comments.

Blessings!

Qualita Pendergrass Senior Editor/Publisher

“Living the Abundant Life”

Divine Inspirations Magazine





Divine Inspirations Magazine www.divineinsirationsmagazine.org

KKKiiimmm PPPoootttttteeerrr BBBiiiooo Kim Potter was ordained through Norvel Hayes Ministry many years ago. In 2002, she founded Fresh Outlook Magazine. In the following two years, Fresh Outlook Magazine became the first Christian magazine in Wal-Mart as well as many additional newsstand markets, just as the Lord told her it would.

In 2007, Kim suspended the printing of Fresh Outlook magazine due to some challenges, yet continued the work of ministry through online and printed motivations as well as speaking at conferences and meetings nationwide. What

began with a few dozen readers has grown to over 10,000 readers each day. Thus, “A New Thing Ministries” was born.

During these challenging times, Kim’s faith has only become stronger and she is even more certain of who she is in God and who He is in her.

Kim’s message is a message of hope. She speaks to the heart of women who have become discouraged and disappointed by the circumstances they may face in life, imparting to them the desire and ability to stand against all odds and see themselves as victorious and able to overcome every obstacle through God. She encourages people to press into God and discover that He is who He says He is. Her very life is a picture of God’s grace and unfailing love and declares that nothing is impossible with God.

Kim’s anointing comes from intimate times spent in the presence of the Lord. Nothing is more precious to her than the times she spends in the secret place with her God, from this place of oneness with Him, her anointing flows.

You may sign up for the daily motivations at www.anewthingministries.com.

http://www.divineinsirationsmagazine.org/�

http://www.anewthingministries.com/�


HHHiiisss RRRaaaiiinnn iiinnn DDDuuueee SSSeeeaaasssooonnn

K i m P o t t e r

The season we find ourselves in as the Body of Christ is the

most exciting season I have ever. God’s timing is always significant. God appoints every season in your life for a specific purpose. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven. I firmly believe 2009 to be filled with purpose for God’s covenant people.

Even the year, 2009, has significance and purpose. The number 9 has great significance in the Bible; symbolically it has three distinct connections. The number 9 symbolizes fruitfulness, finality, and prayer. I believe God has shown me that this year our prayers will bring the presence of the Lord, the presence of the Lord will bring rain, and His rain will bring fruitfulness, which brings all things to completion, and to its fullness and finality.

Lately, God has been speaking two things to me; one is rain and the other is due season. As I have sought the Lord concerning these two subjects, I have discovered you cannot have one without the other.

In the natural, we have four seasons; winter, spring, summer and fall. In the spirit we have an additional season, it is called “due season.”

Many times in our life we may think that due season will never come, that the word God has spoken to us will never come to pass, but we know that is not true, Isaiah 55:11 says “so shall My word be that goes forth out of my mouth, it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the

thing whereto I sent it.” God is a God of His word; He always keeps His word, it is impossible for Him to lie.

When times of weariness and discouragement come, we must renew our mind to the Word of God and remind ourselves of the words that God has spoken to us personally. As people of faith, we must expect God to keep His word, as we develop that expectancy, God is obligated to fulfill our expectation of His Word manifesting in our life.

Just before due season comes, we are in a season of waiting. Psalms 104:27-28 tells us “these all wait for You, that You may give them their food in due season. You open Your hand, they are filled with good.”

God again confirms His word concerning due season in Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary in well doing, for in DUE SEASON, we will reap if we faint not.” This is where we are now. We have stood in faith for our promise. We have refused to back off His word, although we have at times grown weary, we have continued to stand, knowing He who promised is faithful. Now, due season is here.

You may ask “How did we get to due season?” Our prayer has brought us here. Our prayers to God have produced awesome results, just as the Bible has promised us it would. Prayer brings us into the presence of the Lord and His presence brings rain. When we are in the presence of the Lord, we have come face-to-face with God. Being in His face brings blessings. Proverbs 16:15 tells us that “in the light of the King’s face is life and His favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.” Rain, therefore, is often the first sign of due season.

Just as rain must come down on our natural seeds to empower them to grow – it is the rain of His presence that causes the seeds of the Word of God to spring forth and produce a harvest in our life. Psalm 68:7-8 says “O God, when You sent out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness, the earth shook, and the heavens also dropped rain at the presence of the Lord.” When the presence of the Lord comes, He comes



with a refreshing and when He releases spiritual rain, He releases substance. That substance may be a thought, an insight, a witty invention, it may be your way out of a situation, it may be finances, healing or restoration, whatever it is, it carries great power and awesome results.

His rain also confirms your inheritance at times when you have become weary – it releases a new confidence in you. Psalm 68:9-10

It was when God began to speak to me about due season that He also began to talk with me about rain. He led me to have the partners of our ministry ask for the former and latter rain together and to ask for it to come now. As I sought the Lord about this, my spirit was stirred, and He began to give me insight concerning the season we are in.

First-of-all, rain represents the blessings of God, an empowerment from God to succeed; it is literally an anointing to succeed and prosper. When God was saying “ask for rain,” He was talking about spiritual rain. The former rain, as I understand it, was the time before Pentecost. The latter rain began at Pentecost and continues to this day. We are walking in a time when the latter rain is available to us.

In this season, God is saying that He wants to pour out the former and latter rain together, if we will only ask for

it. Zechariah 10:1 tells us to “ask the Lord for rain in the time of latter rain. The Lord will make flashing clouds, he will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.’”

Therefore, we see in scripture that we are supposed to be asking for the rain, the former and latter rain to come

down in this season. Joel 2:23 says “be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the former rain faithfully. And He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former, and the latter rain in the first month.’”

There is a time, scripturally, when the former and latter rain is destined to come down at the same time. We are in that time. I know that with every fiber of my being. When the Bible says “first month” it does not mean January, it literally means “the beginning time.” The beginning of a new season – we are there, we have come into that time, that time of a new season and a new thing in God.

The Bible says that God gave the former rain moderately, if you study the scriptures you will find that God gave the former rain to those who qualified according to righteousness. They had to qualify and not everyone received the former rain. But we are qualified through the Blood of Jesus; we are made righteous through Him. We are in a position to receive the former and the latter rain, this outpouring of blessing. We have been placed in that position through the Cross of Christ and the Blood of Jesus.

It will be just as Joel 2 tells us; “our threshing floors shall be full of wheat. Our vats shall overflow with new wine and oil and restoration will begin.” But what does all that mean to us today? It means our checking accounts and savings accounts will be filled to overflowing. God will restore all that has been stolen from you. Your business will see increase and no more decrease. Your ministry will flourish – everything around you will be producing a harvest and God will bring souls into the Kingdom of God. It is an awesome time, a time of celebration!

Psalms 65:9-13 says “You will visit the earth and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water. You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows. You make it soft with showers. You bless its growth. You crown the year with goodness and Your paths drip with abundance. They drop on the pastures of the wilderness and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks. The valleys are also covered with grain, and they shout for joy. They also sing.”

Harvest is a time of joy, singing, and celebration!



It is not only a time of rain and seeing your seeds mature, but it is also a time of gathering in our harvest. Deuteronomy 11:14 confirms this; that I will give you the rain of your land in due season, the first and the latter rain, that thou may gather in thy corn and thy wine and thy oil.

When the rain of due season comes down, it will be the former and latter rain together and it will cause you to not only see with your eyes, but to gather in corn, wine and oil. When the Lord first led me to this scripture, He said to me “there is something about the corn, wine, and oil.” As I studied the symbolic meaning of these words, I understood what He was saying.

The corn is a symbol of harvest increase and blessing. The wine is a symbol of teaching and blessing. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and the anointing. Oh my! I saw what He was saying, He was saying that in due season, He will cause it to rain on our seed and it will produce a full harvest of increase and blessing (corn), teaching , revelation of His word and blessing (wine) and the Holy Spirit and His anointing (oil). All this is available to us during due season.

During the time I studied this revelation, I received two different prophecies from two different people. Yet, both were saying the same thing. They were saying “if you believe it, you will see it and walk in it.” It reminded me of the passage in 2 Kings 7, where Elisha said ‘by this time tomorrow, a sea of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel”’ and one of the officers said “if God were to open the windows of heaven, even then it wouldn’t happen.” Elisha replied, “it will happen, you will see it, but you won’t eat of it.”

I strongly feel it is the same in this season – if we believe the word of the Lord, it will happen – if we do not, we will see it raining the blessing of due season on others but we will not eat of it.

The doubting officer talked about the windows of heaven opening, that is exactly what happens when the rain comes – the windows of heaven are open over you and

it begins to rain. If you can believe that we are in due season and that the latter and former rain are pouring down on you – you will live under an open heaven.

It is my prayer for you that the remaining months of this year be a time of living under an open heaven, living under the cloud of His presence, and basking in His favor which brings true wealth. May you know that you are indeed in due season and the rain has begun. The latter part of 2009 will drip with His abundance, for He has indeed released the former and the latter rain together and due season has arrived.

RRReeecccaaappptttuuurrriiinnnggg MMMyyy JJJoooyyy!!! F a i t h T h o m p s o n

It is great to have Vision back! I began to lose my vision about five years ago when my marriage ended. I had the love, support, and encouragement of my friends and close family members, but felt a sense of loss without my significant other in my life.

I have had to search, seek, and rediscover the wonderment that I had previously used to approach each day. I can honestly testify that I have re-found my joy and it was not through another partner, but a reawakening of the many gifts that God has deposited within me.

If you have a moment, I would like to share with you the five steps that returned me to my joy.

Step one: I recognized that my current communications with myself was not working. I was lying to myself and using humor to cover hurt. I began to spend time alone and learned to listen as the Holy Spirit attempted to help me see me. I saw that I had imperfections, unrealistic



expectations of the people around me, and righteous indignation that it had to be my way or the highway.

Step two: I learned to identify and speak aloud the things that I loved about God’s creation. I love my sense of wonder. I love my ability to love. I love my laughter. I love my brain. I love the way I rise to meet strangers and tap into their personality. I love my speaking voice. I love to praise. I love to stretch my body each morning and give thanks that the pieces all work. I love to help others.

Step three: I accept the fact that I am a person that needs contact. I am not speaking in the sexual sense of the word, but more so, in the spiritual sense. I need to reach out and feel that I am making a difference for someone. I need a hug from a friend and someone not yet identified as such. I need to feel the sun on my face at least twice a day. I need to connect with those around me who are trying to make the world a better place. I need to feel that I am using all of my gifts in the way that the Master designer planned.

Step four: I learned that people who disagree with me are not disagreeable people. I learned to fully listen to others and become willing to change my mind when the evidence and arguments suggest that I do so. I have learned that new ideas and concepts do not always come packaged in a way that is acceptable to me. I have learned that I have had the most exciting times with people who look, think, and act differently than me. I have learned to fully understand, recognize, and accept differences and move on to what we can accomplish as a whole.

Step five: I have accepted that validation is a powerful weapon. Everyone needs to be validated. A Nigerian proverb speaks very powerfully of validation. Paraphrased it states that “I am because you acknowledge I am.” I have embraced that I am a multi-faceted individual and that all the things that God wants to accomplish must come through me. I am God’s eyes, hands, and feet. I can move because He moves within

me. I can see because He is. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. I am because God is!

I cannot guarantee that these five steps will work for you. However, I can promise that as you begin to recapture your love affair with God’s creation you will reap the priceless reward that we all deserve: a long-term, joyful, loving relationship with yourself! Thank God for the vision!

CCCiiitttiiizzzeeennnsss ooofff HHHeeeaaavvveeennn A p o s t l e D r . L e e A n n B . M a r i n o , P h . D . , D . D .

In Philippians 3:16-21, we learn that we are "citizens of heaven." We do not hear about this phrase that much today and I believe it shows in our world. Today the debate is about secular laws and legislations worldwide. Many believe the secret to

becoming a more Christian world is to change the laws. I have noticed, however, that the laws for the most part are not changing. Where they are changing, the laws keep getting worse and continue to create values opposite to those of heaven. My mom (who turns 69 in November) has confessed to me that she's seen laws pass and issues come to political forefronts that she never imagined, let alone they become crucial platforms for electoral candidates and legislative bills. I think many of us are feeling much like she is about the modern political scene: reacting with a combined state of shock, horror, and confusion.

As disturbing as this may be to many, we should not worry. Jesus told us these times would prove to be horrible and immoral. We know that the end of all things is near, and that all these matters will eventually be handled. There is one question, however, that remains: how do we live with all that is going on around us?



The answer: we live as citizens of heaven.

Philippians 3:16-21 says: "Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now I tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, Jesus according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." (KJV) Citizens of heaven get in line with the Scriptures and mind Scriptural things! Too many today try to balance the finer art form of living partially in the world and partially in the Kingdom, seeking the benefits of both, but receiving the benefits of neither. We are not citizens of this world! While our countries of origin and being acknowledge us as citizens of that land, we belong to a better country! Our true citizenship lies in heaven! This means we have the great honor and benefits as citizens of heaven - but it also means we have responsibilities. As citizens of heaven, we must remain strong in Christian principles. We do not engage in gluttony, greed, excessive consumption, selfishness, evil, secret societies, or deeds, and that we reflect the precept of good stewardship with all God has given us in terms of food, finances, and natural resources. How are we all doing? Are we reflecting these examples of the glory of heaven in our lives daily?

Citizens of heaven are a continually thankful people, recognizing the continual goodness of God working in our lives through us, for us, and in us. Are you aware of the continual work God is doing in you and in our world? While there is no doubt times are difficult, God is working in so many ways all around us, and all we have to do is see His hand to sense hope. No matter what god others

may claim or may pray to, we can always declare with joy, "I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Thy Name." (KJV) Being thankful is such a powerful witness because it lets all know God is good rather than telling people God is good and then grumbling or complaining all the time. All will believe our witness as a thankful people so much more than a complaining lip-service.

Citizens of heaven also remember those who are in need: “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given He will pay him again.” Proverbs 19:17 (KJV) How much effort do we, as citizens of heaven, make to meet the needs of others? All of us can donate to a clothing drive, contribute canned goods to a food bank, or lend a helping hand to someone who is in need. Part of being a thankful people indicates we will give to others. It is absurd to talk about the goodness of God, but never share what God has done with us with those who have nothing.

Citizens of heaven live for a purpose: the glorification of our God and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are aware that God sends times and seasons into our lives as we go along in the pursuit of heavenly things. Ecclesiastes 3:17 reminds us, “I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.” (KJV) We duly respond in kind, as we are commanded in each season to be faithful and obedient. The season we live in now, worldwide, is an evil season. Everyday can prove to be a challenge. The challenge is not minimized; however, when we concede and give in to what the world wants us to do. Living now, in this time, our purpose is to be Christian in the face of such opposition. It is so vital we live thankful daily, never ceasing to give thanks as we walk through our lives. But, most importantly, it is so vital that we live reflecting the values of heaven, where our true citizenship lies, giving thanks in all things to God our Father.

Apostle Dr. Lee Ann B. Marino, Ph.D., D.D.



Apostle In Office - Apostolic Fellowship International Ministries 522 Bolivar Street Owensboro, Kentucky 42303-3521 USA www.powerfortoday.org [email protected] (270) 925-8487

SSSuuucccccceeessssss::: GGGoooddd’’’sss WWWaaayyy S o n j a S m i t h J o n e s , V P

w w w . S u c c e s s f u l W o m e n . u s

Anyone who has attempted to do anything in life should desire to be successful at it. Many brothers and sisters in Christ may openly claim that they know God’s will is for them to be successful, but based on what? Is it a general feeling, does it just sound good, or have they

found the actual

scriptures that support

God’s position on

successful living? I took this question to heart as I was named

vice president of an organization entitled Successful Women. While the basis of the network is to empower, enlighten, and nurture women of God who are working to accomplish the vision and goals that God has placed in them, it was important for me to determine God’s stance on success.

Throughout time, many Bible scholars have argued that Jesus was poor, and therefore prosperity (or financial success) preachers are sinning against God. Not so, in fact in Proverbs 10:22 (KVJ), we learn that, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow

with it.” Proverbs 3:9-10 (KJV) gives specific instruction regarding first fruits, while Malachi 3:8-11 (KJV) reminds us to tithe. If God had not desired for His children to be financially successful then why would He have taken time to address the subject?

The Word also tells us how to have successful relationships. God works through relationship and 1 John 4:21 reminds us that “whoever loves God, must also love his brother.” Love, my friends, is not an option; according to the Word, it is non-negotiable. I know first-hand how hard it is to love or even remotely like someone who is less than what we think they should be, or who does not act the way we think they should act. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) advises, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Sometimes we should try to see people through God’s eyes, or better yet, picture

God looking at you, when you do not always meet the

mark…daunting thought isn’t it?

God wants us to be successful in the area of health as well. In a culture that embraces the mindset, “if it feels good, then do it,” there seems to be an underlying emptiness in the spirits of mankind. This emptiness has manifested itself in massive tattoos (Leviticus 19:28), alcoholism, drug abuse, over-eating and unmarried sex. Indulging in any activity that does not honor God actually grieves the Holy Spirit and can block spiritual hearing. Every “body” has a purpose: to house the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) and to glorify God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Our visions and dreams should yield successful ends as well. Proverbs 29:18 plainly states, “Without a vision, the people perish.” God did not give us visions and dreams simply to sit on them. We were created to be creative beings, not just live, grow old, and die. Acts 2:17 tells us that God has poured out His spirit on all flesh, not just a chosen few. God gave each of us a vision and the best thing to do is to write it down (Habakkuk 2:2), pray for


http://www.powerfortoday.org/�


http://www.successfulwomen.us/�

http://www.successfulwomen.us/�


guidance, and keep taking steps to achieve what you want.

Achieving total life success is an everyday journey. It will not be easy, but then again, anything worth having usually isn’t.

VVVIIISSSIIIOOONNN D e b r a D . S a v a g e

Habakkuk 2: 2 and 3: Our empowerment word for today is VISION. Vision is defined as eyesight: the ability to see, mental picture: an image or concept in the imagination, an image or series of images seen in a dream or trance, often interpreted as having religious, revelatory, or prophetic significance, Vision is also far-sightedness: the ability to anticipate possible future events and developments.

Is there something being birthed on the inside of you? Something that is bigger than you, or beyond your limitations? You may wonder is this dream or desire my imagination? Why won't this feeling leave me alone? Have you ever considered the fact that this inkling, this desire as you say may be from God. Seek the Lord today and ask him for clarification. If what you envision is from Him, this will be His instructions to you. My child Habakkuk 2: 2, 3 says "And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Begin to journal today what the Lord is placing in your spirit. You may find out that it is not your imagination, but DIVINE REVELATION to move you into your destiny. People of God, the Lord desires to enlarge your territory, but it all begins with VISION, for without it you will perish.

DEBRA SAVAGE MINISTRIES P.O. BOX 750421 MEMPHIS, TN 38141 www.DebraSavage.org (901) 502-2853

WWWhhhooo ooorrr WWWhhhaaattt sssiiitttsss ooonnn ttthhheee ttthhhrrrooonnneee ooofff yyyooouuurrr HHHeeeaaarrrttt???

M i c h e l l e P u m p h r e y

2 Corinthians 13:5: Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you fail the test.

First let us take a look at the word examine, In the

Hebrew the word is Darash ( daw-rash) - meaning to

seek, ask, to worship diligently, or to inquire. In the

Greek the word is Dokimazo (dok-im-ad-zo) - meaning

to approve, to allow, discern, or examine.

You know as believers of the Most High God, we must take time out to examine ourselves, we must examine our relationship with God. We must know why we say that we love the Lord, or why do we serve Him? Saint’s we must know whether we are truly letting Him be Lord


http://www.debrasavage.org/�


of our lives, or are we just looking for a sure-fire insurance policy against Hell! And that’s it!

Taking an examination is a good thing. We go to the doctors to get physicals; to see if we are in good health, and to check to see if any illness or disease is trying to creep up on us and try to destroy us. And you know that when we find something we immediately get it treated or repaired or removed, am I right about it?

Well saints, we must be the same way about our spiritual relationship with our Father in heaven. Sometimes our hearts get tainted with the things of this world, we come to the house of God and profess our love, and adoration to Him with our hands lifted up and praises on our lips. But God sees our hearts and He sees other things that seem more important than Him on the throne of our heart, He doesn’t see Himself there. He sees: money, our children, material possessions, boy/girl-friends, spouses, positions/power/success, knowledge, and even the work of the Church, but Not Him. God sees the cares of this world upon some of our hearts, and those [some] things that concern us first!

We only make Him top priority when our plans fail. You know God is to supersede everything and everyone in our lives. We are to trust him from our finances to our wayward children, our marriage issues, that nasty co-worker and that crazy acting boy/girlfriend. We must trust God to handle our day-to-day issues. In 1 Peter 5:7, it reads, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Not some, Not half, but ALL! Amen! He also said that he would supply all of our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus, That’s for the ones who are consumed with worrying about finances.

You know when God said that he would supply all our needs, He didn’t just mean finances. He will supply us with strength, with comfort, with love, and with hope, and with a little chastisement when it is needed, we have all that in Christ Jesus.

We must also check our attitude toward our fellow brothers and sisters, do we love them as Christ tells us

to? Are we being forgiving to those who have wronged us? Are we showing compassion to those less fortunate that ourselves? Are we showing that the Joy of the Lord is our strength or do we walk around like we own a Lemon Farm? Is Humility apart of our personality or are we puffed up and proud and boastful because we have a little position or because we may be a little more established than others. Do we have self-control? Or do we just do whatever comes to mind without thinking of the repercussions it would have on ourselves or others.

Saints we must know whether we are allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in our life or are we doing things in our own strength. Who is ruling us the Holy Spirit or our Flesh?

Philippians 3:3 reads “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the spirit of God, who Glory in Christ Jesus; and who put no confidence in the Flesh.”

When adversities come our way, do we react the fleshly way or do we allow the Spirit of God to dictate our response to the problem? Can you still praise and worship the Lord when all hell is breaking out? Will your faith allow you to handle the storms of your life? Can you remain Christ-like? These questions are a part of the examination that we must answer.



Is your foundation built on Jesus Christ? An old song says all other ground is sinking sand. In Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the stream rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Jesus was clearly saying that if we follow his instructions and put them into our daily lives when the storms of life come and it will come, if we are rooted and grounded in Him we will be able to withstand whatever trial, hardship, test that comes our way. And when the dust clears, we will still be standing. He is our rock and our fortress.

As we continue to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, our foundation will become stronger. The winds of life will not move us as we stand on what we have learned, we will be unmovable no matter what the circumstances. We will know without a doubt that God will bring us through. We will not run back to our old ways of doing things, we will trust the Lord and not waver in our Faith in Him. Always remembering that he can do all things but fail. So Saints, let us examine ourselves thoroughly and check the foundation of who we say our faith and trust is. Let’s search our hearts and be honest with ourselves of whom or what sits on the throne our hearts. I will end with Ephesians 3: 17-20, “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do measurably more than all

we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work

within us.” I will close with this question; When was your last examination?

CCCooonnngggrrreeegggaaatttiiiooonnn DDDaaannnccceee P r o p h e t e s s J e a n i a R i l e y

Often times, Saints of God will dance before the Lord during testimony time or during praise and worship. I grew up in a Pentecostal church and many times, I would see my grandmother dancing before the Lord. As she danced before the Lord,

it began to spread like fire. The other mothers of the church would begin to join in with their dance. They would spin, twirl, leap, and run as they danced with all of their heart. I was young, but I remember seeing the Glory of God on their faces. The dance done by the saints of old, was a dance that brought joy and unity in the house of God. The anointing makes the difference. The power of God would be so strong that it caused people to become drunk in the Spirit. Today there are many people dancing in the church, but the dance lacks the anointing. The anointing will compel souls to run to the altar and cry out, "What must I do to be Saved!” The anointing will tug at your heart to get alone with God and call on the name of Yeshua Ha Moshiac (Jesus The Christ) until there is a major breakthrough. If there is a spirit of heaviness weighing on you today, dance before the Lord! If you need to be delivered from a habit, dance before the Lord! God wants to set you free from every stronghold and habit. “But His Word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” (Jeremiah 20:9) Dance Children ! Dance! www.karaexpressions.com


http://www.karaexpressions.com/�

http://www.karaexpressions.com/�


Reader Spotlight:

Christine Pembleton

AAA GGGuuuiiidddeee tttooo EEEmmmpppooowwweeerrriiinnnggg WWWooommmeeennn tttooo CCCrrreeeaaattteee aaa HHHaaappppppyyy,,, LLLaaassstttiiinnnggg

MMMaaarrrrrriiiaaagggeee Most people don't believe in “‘till death do us part,” anymore.

Christine Pembleton believes she knows the secret to making your marriage last. In her book, LORD, I'M READY TO BE A

WIFE (Josephine Communications), she shares her views of how to become a good Christian wife and the importance of finding the right man to marry. Whether you are married or unmarried, her advice can guide you in creating a marriage that will last a lifetime.

There are three types of unmarried women, according to Pembleton. The single woman who is living her life for herself, the “married” unmarried woman who gives her boyfriends all the benefits of marriage without the commitment, and the “wife-in-waiting” who is ready to be a wife, but waiting until the actual marriage to act like one.

The single, unmarried woman lives her life the way she wants to. Any man she meets must fit himself into her life. “This mindset preserves her life as a single woman and it works to keep her life where it should be – a life that fulfills her God-given destiny,” she said.

The unmarried “married” woman acts as though she is married, but without the commitment. She washes his clothes, cooks his meals and may even engage in pre-marital sex because she loves him and wants to give

him everything he “needs.” “She bases her life choices on what’s important to him and his goals,” she said.

The “wife-in-waiting” has a life of her own, but is flexible enough to meet her future husband partway in order to build a life together. She is willing to make huge adjustments in her life, but only for the benefit of a marriage license. It is the “wife-in-waiting” that a woman



looking for a good Christian marriage should strive to be. “A wife-in-waiting may wait a little longer for her husband and be frustrated with how many men will try to challenge her standards,” she said. “But when she meets a man who wants to be a husband to her, she’ll have the best chance of having a happy marriage. And enjoying being a wife to one man, the man she’ll prayerfully share the rest of her life with.”

Pembleton believes that it is not enough to have the right mind-set to have a happy marriage; you must also make sure you choose a man who is ready to do the work of being a husband. It is important to identify the qualities we are looking for in a husband, not just discount men because of the negative aspects we find in them.

“Being able to identify the Godly character in a man is your strongest tool for recognizing the man the Lord has sent you,” she said. It is important, according to Pembleton, to trust in the Lord that He will bring the right person into your life. It is then up to you to recognize him. “You have to trust that God will bring you the man who will love you and add value to your life,” she said. “Every choice you make should be weighed by God’s standards.”

Pembleton recommends these traits for good husbands:

He is willing to rise to the occasion of being a husband to you.

He shares a common destiny with you. He is interested in you. He is a man you can respect. He does not attends church not out of obligation,

but because he has a true relationship with God.

Once you have found the right man and become a wife, it is time to change from being “a wife” to being “his wife.” This means tailoring your thoughts to what your husband truly needs. “It will take some time, but since marriage is a life-long commitment, you’ll have more than enough time to learn about your husband and how you can help him best,” she said.

About Christine Pembleton Christine Pembleton is a wife, mother, teacher, author, and talk show host. She has a degree in Business Administration from Temple University and is pursuing an MBA in Business Management. She is a licensed Elder from Temple Elim Prophetic Truth Ministries. She desires to empower women to create happy marriages. She lives in Philadelphia, PA with her husband and two daughters.

AAA PPPrrrooommmiiissseee iiisss aaa PPPrrrooommmiiissseee M i n i s t e r B . M i c h e l l e H o r t o n

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Doe she promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19

People make promises to each other every day. Some people will make promises that they have no intention on keeping. It is a sad state. There is the promise of the magic pill; “if you take this pill you’re guaranteed to lose a certain amount of weight.” Some people place their hands on the Holy Bible and recite "I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” yet in their heart they are telling a lie, a whole lie and nothing but a lie. Even our children make promises, "Mommy, I promise I won’t do it again," and 15 minutes later they are doing “it” again. We live in a world filled with people who make promises, break promises, and go their merry way not-really caring that they lied to you, me, God, and even themselves.



I love Eugene Peterson’s version of this text, “God is not a man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through?”(The Message) When God makes a promise, it is kept! With God a promise is a promise. There are so many promises throughout the scriptures giving us hope and strength to go on even when others have broken their promise to us. God is trustworthy and faithful. God’s promises are always yea and amen.

Promise is defined in Webster’s Dictionary as 1) a: a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified b: a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act 2) reason to expect something, promise of relief; a ground for expectation of success, improvement, or excellence.

We have the power, presence, and promises of God working in and for us guiding us to victory in all things. It was, and still are the Holy Spirit’s power, presence and promises speaking life into dead situations. It is the Holy Spirit’s power, presence and promises that should lead us to surrender. “He leads me in the path of righteousness for His name sake; yea though I walk thru the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil for thou art with me” 23rd Psalm. It is the Holy Spirit’s power, presence and promises that contain and sustain us. God’s Spirit goes in front of us, walks beside us, lives in us, and escorts us to the Throne of Grace.

We seem to forget God’s promises in our faith journey. God has made a promise for all people. It is the promise that saved my soul and will save many more souls to come. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever would call upon the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED (emphasis my own).” John 3:16 (KJV) With God, a promise is a promise.

God spoke that promise into existence that we might live eternally with Him and then God follows up with another promise. "I came to give you life and life more abundantly." We cannot have abundant life without God in our hearts, ruling and reigning over our lives. God’s promises bring comfort, peace, hope, and joy. God’s promises are reliable, strong, sure, steady. We can bank on them. He never changes because He is the same yesterday, today, and forever and so are His promises.

Here are a few scriptures to remember afresh and reflect upon. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (liberty).” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) "Whom the Son sets free is free indeed." John 8:36 (KJV) We are free, released and emancipated

from sin. We can sing the song, “I’m free, praise the Lord I’m free, no longer bound, no more chains holding me, my soul is resting, there’s the blessing, praise the Lord, Hallelujah I’m free.”

A promise is a promise. God promises us that “…we have not received the spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) “…If God be for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 (KJV) We have God’s power, His sustaining, everlasting and enduring power working in our behalf.

A promise is a promise. "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God and He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands." Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV)

"For the Lord your God is a merciful God he will not abandon or destroy you." Deuteronomy 4:31 …"He (God) who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23 (KJV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness. He is patient with you”… 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) I am so glad God is patient with me.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him



and He will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “The Lord is our light and our salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of our life, in whom should I be afraid.” Psalm 27:1 (KJV) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?... neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 35-39 (KJV) "…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5 (KJV)

God is the promise maker and the promise keeper. A promise is a promise with God because He is God. He is the creator of every good and perfect gift. He is our bright and morning star. He is our way maker, our burden bearer, and our heavy load sharer. He is our shepherd and shield, our fortress and strong tower. He is our peace, our joy, our hope, our righteousness. Our God is full of mercy and grace and pours His love into our heart so we may endure and pour that same love into others even when they let us down or break their promise to us.

Whatever happens in this life we have the promise that in God, He will take the good, the bad, the ugly and the indifferent, mix it together and cause all things to work together for our good. Why? Because He promised that, "We know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 (KJV) All things surrendered in the life of the believer will come out for our good and God’s glory.

Be encouraged today. The word promises us "that He can do immeasurably more than we can ask or think." Praise God. Trust God. Believe God. Stand on

the promises of God. With God, a promise is a promise.

Minister B. Michelle Horton welcomes comments. You can reach her at [email protected]

IIIsss YYYooouuurrr MMMaaarrrrrriiiaaagggeee iiinnn OOOrrrdddeeerrr???

R o b e r t T . S e l l s

So I was seeking the Lord on what He wanted me to write about this month and He asked me a very poignant, and at the time, confusing question: “IS YOUR

MARRIAGE IN ORDER?” I thought about this and I answered, “Of course it is Lord. I am married to the person you wanted me to be married to and we are working in our ministry. Everything is wonderful, right?”

You see I figured everything was alright, but God always causes us to look at ourselves in a mirror to show us things the way He sees them. This is why it is so important to have a relationship with God before we get married. Why do I say this? I say this because order to us may not be order to God, which brings me to my first point. Our idea of order is so limited that if we do not have God in our lives we may truly be missing out on something truly magnificent. Why is order so important? Because when our lives are in God’s order, the Holy Spirit can work in our marriage and cause those significant events to happen in such a precise order that God literally carries us into our destiny. And when we are working on our destiny and serving God the way He intended us to then we will be. So what I am going to do this month is ask you a series of questions. Then you can take your answers before God for Holy Spirit revelation. Now this article is going to be 90% male-focused. Why do I say that? I am going to shock you with the answer. Some of you may or may not agree with me, but here it is: Everything that happens in




the home is the godly man’s responsibility! Yes, that is what I said. No matter what your wife is doing, it is your responsibility men. So having said that, here is my first question:

1. What are you “giving” your wife every day?

In other words, what are you sowing into your wife’s spirit every day? You should be reading the Word of God to her daily. Notice I did not say “reading the Word of God with her daily.” I said “to her daily.” This is so key and so important not to miss. You see this “washing your wife with The Word” causes her to become soaked with the Word of God. Your wife can read the Bible everyday but she receives it differently when it comes from her husband. There is something about a wife sitting there listening to her husband read her what God said in the Bible and how it applies to her that reminds her daily of the awesome man of God she married. Now I am guilty of not doing this everyday myself. But it is so amazing how I can be at work and the Holy Spirit will take me to a scripture and I will read it. Then He will give me revelation knowledge of that scripture and how it applies to our marriage and our ministry. I will then call my wife and let her know we are going to be reading the Bible tonight. Now because she has a relationship with God she begins to get excited as she goes through her day wondering what God is going to say to her about her marriage through her man of God! This causes two things to happen men. First, it causes her to fall in love with you more and more because she knows, she is truly married to a mighty man of God and she begins to take on the traits of the Proverbs 31 woman. Secondly, it causes her to get excited about reading the Word of God if she is not already and she moves closer and closer to the Lord. Now, this is not to say that she is not already close to God, but we can all get closer to God. You see men, the marriage is so important to a woman. She enters it with an unrelenting belief that everything is going to work out and she will be married forever. And when you read the Bible to her daily, it is a confirmation

to her that you truly want this marriage to work because you are giving her what the Word of God says about your marriage. If she is not already, she will begin to blossom as the Holy Spirit feeds her daily about her marriage.

2. Are you praying for your family on a regular basis?

As the spiritual head of the household, God is looking for you to come to Him in prayer regarding your family everyday because your prayers as a righteous man are very effective (James 5:16). God wants us to petition Him about our families so He can assign angels to protect and war in the spirit regarding our loved ones. God wants to protect our families and spouses and He promises in His word that He will protect us. In Psalms 115:16 it says, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth He has given to man.” (NIV) The Lord has put us in charge of the earth, which includes the families He has given us to care for. And, the way we provide protection for them is to go before the Lord always about our family. This does not necessarily mean praying intensely for one hour every morning and two hours at night, which would be nice, but all prayers from the heart are effective. So while we are on the way to work in our cars, on the train, at our desk, in our office, in the shower, at the game, on a business trip, we can say quick silent prayers of protection for our family. It is through prayer that we grow and prosper. It is through prayer that the Holy Spirit moves on our lives and causes blessings to come our way. It is through prayer that our children do well in school and avoid the pitfalls like drugs, alcohol, and deviant sexual behavior. It is through prayer that our wives can resist daily temptation from the devil. It is through prayer that we as men get direction for our lives, and then our families. So pray continuously without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) and we will reap the benefits of our persistent prayer for our families.



Not only that, but we will reap heaven’s reward for being a good steward over the family that God placed under our care as shepherds.

3. Are you teaching your children, if you have them, the Bible?

We should be spending time with our children as fathers (Ephesians 6:4). But even more importantly, the time we spend with them presents opportunities to teach them about the Word of God. I know some of us as fathers do not live with our children so we may not see them every day, but we should sit down with our children every chance we get and read the Bible with them and follow-up with revelation knowledge as the Holy Spirit leads us so that they can apply biblical wisdom to their lives. We should also use everyday situations to provide living examples of how to apply the Bible to their everyday lives. One day I was riding with my daughter to buy her a new movie to add to her ever-expanding collection. While we were driving to the store, another drive flew past me and cut me off. I had to jam on the brakes to avoid hitting them and possibly causing injury to myself, my daughter, and the people riding in the other car. My first thought was to get angry, blow the horn, and yell indiscriminately at someone who will not even be able to hear me. But I resisted, and told my daughter that just because someone else does something foolish it does not mean that she has to be foolish right back. I asked her what Jesus did when the Jews were foolishly taking Him to His death to be crucified, she did not know, so I told her what Jesus said. He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). What a valuable opportunity to teach my daughter a lesson on how to be a loving Christian! Let’s try to find opportunities to teach our children about how the Word of God can be applied to their lives and we will raise Godly children who have the Word of God buried deep within their hearts (Proverbs 22:6).

4. Do you lead in your house by example?

As a godly man can you honestly say that you are “practicing what you preach?” In other words, can our wives look at us and literally see an example of Christ in everything we do? Or when they look at us can they say that we have not provided any examples of how we should not act in our daily lives? As men, we should be showing ourselves to be respectful, loving, and kind to others, especially other women. For example, when you open the door for your wife do you continue to hold it for other women who may be coming in behind you after your wife has gone through? Or do you run in behind your wife and say, “I did well”! Well if we have done this then even though we opened the door for our wives, we still did not provide a good example of how we should be acting towards women. This is showing them that even though we respect them we do not respect other women. And it opens the door for the devil to sow seeds in our wives about our evil intentions for them even though we may not have any evil intentions. You see, every time we do not act as God expects us to act; the devil uses this as a chance to tell our wives something bad about us. He whispers in their ear about how we need to be a better man, and how can we be so mean as to treat that woman that way. Eventually we will treat them that way and they should get out while they still can. Eventually our wives begin to believe the lies of the devil and start to treat us differently. They might become distant and very abrupt in their conversations with us and we cannot figure out for the life of us why they are treating us like that. After all we did not do anything, it is just that crazy wife acting up again right? Wrong! You see it all goes back to the way we are acting as men and leaders in our households.

When our children see us cursing our wives, the sons learn to treat girls this way and our daughters learn to accept this behavior as “the way a man is supposed to act.” They begin to believe this as a false reality in family life. That is why so many children now become abusers and abuse victims when they grow older. They are



following the example you have provided for them. So let’s always make sure as men that we are providing the proper example for our family to follow and we will begin to see our wives transforming into those virtuous women that we asked God for a long time ago.

5. Have you died yet?

But Rob, what do you mean “have you died yet?” How can I die and still be any good to my family unless I have a good life insurance. LOL! I know this sounds harsh, but what it really means is have you died to your old ways? Have you decided to give up your old self and become the new self that every wife would love to have? Have you let go of the old patterns of your worldly life? I do not know what that worldly thing is for you that God wants you to stop. Have you stopped going to the club, hanging out with the boys, stopped gossiping about others, stopped smoking, or drinking, stopped cursing, stopped getting unreasonably angry, and on and on? You see Paul said after his conversion from “Saul, the persecutor of the Jews” that he has to die to his flesh daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). Now when Paul said this he was talking about the daily persecutions he would face as a Christian, and we can apply this to our own lives. You see, how much more effective would you as a man of God be if you “died daily” to your worldly self and were reborn as a man of God, a servant of the one true living God? You would be an unstoppable force for the Kingdom of God and there would be no demon in hell that could stop your marriage.

Do you want a bulletproof marriage? Then begin to wash your wives with the Word of God, teach your children the Word and you will find them using it on you when you fall out of line. Pray with your family on a regular basis, whatever that is to you. Daily would be the ultimate, but

if you take some time out every week and say, “This is going to be the time that I pray with my family,” you will be amazed at the changes that will begin to take place in your marriage. Begin to make it a habit to be the

one to show your family how Christ would act in any given situation. As you begin to do this on a regular basis, you will eventually begin to see your family doing the same. Your child will use Biblical principles to solve conflicts at school with other students. Your wife will use Biblical principles when she is dealing with other people when she goes out, or when she runs her home. When we are putting God first, our marriages will begin to take on the true nature of Christ and the church. Take some time after you have finished with this article to read Ephesians Chapters 5 and 6 to get some insight on marriage and the family. When you read, ask God to give you a revelation about the scripture and how it applies to your marriage. When you are done, immediately put what God has taught you to practice in your own marriage and you will begin to see it blossom like never before! Then you can praise God for sealing your marriage in such a way that it cannot be touched by anything the devil tries to bring your way. Live a victorious life as husband and wife so that you can be an example of change for other marriages. When you have order in your marriage, you will begin to bless others. People will tell you on the street or in the mall how happy, you look as a couple. They will say you just seem to be smiling and full of sunshine. Okay, this does sound corny, but it is an opportunity to minister to someone about how God is working in your marriage. You see the happiness they are seeing is not you, but God in you. And when you allow others to see God, they will have a burning desire to have that same thing. Why? Because God will move, on their hearts when you talk to them about how God restored your marriage or how God prepared you to meet with the man or woman that He intended. Tell them how blessed you are because of your marriage and do not hold back. You just may lead another soul to Christ. And the angels in heaven will rejoice every time you do. God bless you!

© 2009 Robert T Sells – All rights reserved



To contact Robert to have him minister at your event or relationship seminar, please send an email to [email protected] or call (931) 381-0032. You may also visit his website (www.robertsellsonline.com) for more information about his ministry.

CCChhhaaarrrgggeeeddd WWWiiittthhh AAAuuuttthhhooorrriiitttyyy tttooo MMMiiinnniiisssttteeerrreeeddd tttooo TTTwwwooo

KKKiiinnngggdddooommmsss (((CCCooonnntttiiinnnuuueeeddd))) B i s h o p S t e v e n M a x w e l l A l e x a n d e r J . Kp o l o n y e e n k p o r L i b e r t y

S r .

Ezekiel 3: 4, “And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with mine words unto them.” Yes? As I promised, we will continue to critically analyze and examine the Charge received from Christ during his lifetime and written about by Paul during his. We will also begin the preparation for a look at the duties of a Minister. Are you a Minister of Jesus Christ? Have you been properly charged to carry out the mandate of the two kingdoms? Has it been proven by your call both on earth and acknowledged in heaven,

that you are really operating under the charge from God or have you deviated a long time ago?

Why am I taking so much time on the Charge? Because it is the key to understanding the foundation of the principles, upon which we are operating. And proper

insight helps us understand why most of us who think we are sheep have been wearing wolves clothing for a long time now. One of the greatest things about Christendom is there is enough room at the cross for change any day.

And with change, comes insight and with insight, comes transformation to a higher level that produces results far beyond your wildest dreams; both physically and spiritually.

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying….And as ye go, preach saying, The Kingdom of God is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold or silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves; for the workman is worthy of his meat. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into a house salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house, or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Mark 6:11) Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues….But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you….Fear them not therefore; for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What, I tell you in darkness that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ….Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men ,him will I also deny before my father which is in heaven ….He that



http://www.robertsellsonline.com/�


loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me :…And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me ....” Matthew 10:5, 7-17, 19, 27, 32, 37-39, (AKJV)

Let us begin to critically examine the Charge our Lord Jesus gives for His disciples; and if you are a qualified Minister of Jesus Christ it applies to you as well. I know many Ministers have danced over this part of scripture for many years. They have added their own interpretations/Theologies to fit their everyday life styles and justification for diverting from the path of Truth as laid down by our Master Jesus Christ. What most have failed to do is to apply the Truth as it was given to us physically and spiritually. And do not be deceived by anyone; the Charge given here is for physical application. Well let us together dive into scripture and examine this Charge and how it has been applied in our lives as Ministers for today.

First, we see here that this is a direct command from the Master, and there is no two-way implementation. These instructions are to be carried out. One must qualify as a disciple/Minister of Jesus Christ and get results; cooperation of both the Kingdom of heaven and earth is needed. When a soldier is commanded to turn left, he does not turn right or else he does not get the expected result. Today many people are asking why is it that the signs that Christ said would follow those who believe upon Him would take place are not. The answer is quite simple; Ministers turn right where they should have turned left and the church has entered into a state that is of spiritual and physical lukewarm. The real-Truth is lost and replaced by reason and logic of men. Lies and stealing are now out of the sin list because many sermons today are lies designed to steal from the congregation. They steal their wealth through well prepared jargon that motivate them into contributing

more and more to nonexistent projects (that will never see those it was designed for). Ninety-nine percent of the modern day congregations are headed for hell because the Ministers have misled them.

“And as ye go, preach….” Take a good look at yourself and ministries around you today. Are we really preaching the Word of God; the Truth, the Reality about the kingdom of heaven? Before giving you my personal view on the question, I would like you to have the views of a few preachers. The first is Pastor Jeff Schreve from the From His Heart Ministries. I copied his views from his magazine and he was talking about another topic all together; but these views are applicable to our discussion:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

I have a good friend of mine who works with churches to help them design and build new facilities. He was lamenting about the fact that so many churches today seem more concerned with production, entertainment and style than they do with preaching, praying and heart-felt worship. He told me that the new wave is for pastors to preach a 15 minute "feel good" sermonette. Some very popular preachers on TV today rarely mention sin, or the cross, or the core message of the Bible. YIKES!

This is a reality today. We are now watering the gospel to suit our selfish desires and to satisfy the congregation. No more do we hear the truth about repentance and forgiveness of sin. No more are we preaching about the kingdom of heaven, but the kingdom of earth; how to get financial breakthrough, material gain etc. Jeff went on to lament over preachers in America with these words:

“One of the tell-tale signs we are living in the last days is the abandonment of the preaching of the Bible, the very Word of the living God.”



I believe we are seeing an increasing number of preachers who appear to be more concerned with popularity and political correctness than they are with faithfulness to preach the whole counsel of God. Peter and John could have gotten along just fine with the Jewish Sanhedrin IF they had only stopped preaching in Jesus' name, but they would not do that! They were called to be His witnesses, even if their witness meant prison and death. As the viciously attacked beauty contestant, Carrie Prejean, so aptly said after she gave her "controversial" answer to the gay marriage question at the Miss USA pageant, "I would rather be biblically correct than politically correct." Would to God that every preacher in America had the courage and conviction of Peter, John, and even Carrie Prejean! “

However, I must say this at once that the situation is not unique to America, but to all the earth today. It is now worse in Africa, Europe, and fast overtaking Asia and other parts of the earth. Ministries are now businesses that are counted among those fast income generating types. Instead of Salvation and the kingdom of heaven as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ, we have taken up the popular prosperity sermons. “You do not need to repent, go right on sinning for Christ has covered you a long time ago. Do what it takes to get rich. It is your portion as a child of God,” totally ignoring the scripture that says “seek ye first….and all else shall be added unto you.”

As I was preparing this message, the Holy Spirit touched the heart of a very good friend of mine call Mattie Auzenne, to send me a video by David Wilkerson, “A call to Anguish.” This video touches me so much; but that is not why I want to share what he spoke. As if he was in my mind, he spoke some very helpful words that give us an insight into the modern day church and their application of the charge of Jesus Christ. But I will leave the judgment with you:

“And I look at the whole religious scene today and all I see are inventions and Ministries of Man and flesh. It’s mostly powerless; it has no impact on the world. And I see more of the world coming into the church and impacting the church, rather than the church impacting the world…. A hatred of correction and a hatred of reproof. Nobody wants to hear it any more….Does it matter to you today? Does it matter to you at all that God’s spiritual Jerusalem, the church, is now married to the world? That there is such a coldness sweeping the land? Closer than that…Does it matter about the Jerusalem that is in our own hearts? The sigh of ruin that is slowly draining spiritual power and passion. Blind to lukewarmness, blind to the mixture that is creeping in. That is all the devil wants to do is to get the fight out of you and kill it. So you will not labor in prayers anymore, you won’t weep before God anymore. You can sit and watch television and your family go to hell….Where are the Sunday school teachers that weep over kids they know are not hearing and going to hell? There is going to be no renewal, no revival, no awakening, until we are willing to let Him once again break us. Folks, it is getting late, and it is getting serious.”

What more do I have to say that has not been said by these two men? The world has long ago diverted from preaching the right message; having the right attitude towards God and man. The devil has used the power of self above God interests to lure ministers of today. And what is the result? Many have lost the signs that follow the believers; others have turn to occultist powers of various types to produce like signs for them to convince the congregation.

“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead, cast out devils ”Ministers of Jesus Christ are commanded/Charge to heal, cleanse, raise, and cast out…” Wonderfully enough 99 percent cannot produce these results in ten years; both spiritually and physically. What a shame. The Church is dead. Many claimed to do these things in large crusades but I am a witness that



many of these so-called publicized healings return to their former condition as soon as that minister’s back is turned. Is it Psychology or Theology? But it is not strange because the Bible speaks about these times. Paul writing to Timothy said: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron…”.(1 Timothy 4:1-2) Yes, many have turn to wicked ways to achieve material gain through the church. It is such a pity that when you get out there are millions bearing the honourable title of Minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but in fact are agents of the devil empowered by seducing spirits and twisting the Truth Word of God for their own selfish gains.

“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8 (KJV) Do these six words tell you something significant about the church today? Forgive me but I feel like

screaming it at the top of my lungs. THE GOSPEL IS FREE AND NOT MARKETABLE. Jesus did not

sell the gospel to us. We did not pay a dime for the power to heal, etc., so we do not have the right to market it. I can see you opening your mouth to tell me; but Bishop if I do not sell my messages how do I support my ministry? How do I support my family? Before I answer you, I want to tell you that I am ashamed of you, really ashamed and disappointed. You have eyes, but do not see, and ears but cannot hear. The scripture says: “Provide neither gold or silver, nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves; for the workman is worthy of his meat.” Matthew 10: 9 (KJV) Christ knows that your wardrobe is fill of shoes and clothes; gold and diamond rings and necklaces, expensive cars, etc. He who chose you and calls you and charges you to go has the power to provide for your every need. If you are to carry everything you need for that journey, you will not depend on Him. Know today that your inability to depend on Him

to provide and protect you is causing you to miss out on being able to manifest the signs of a true believer. God who charged you to go is ready to cover you as a mother hen covers her chicks. Before you take a step, He has

someone waiting for you. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO PREACH THE TRUTH.

And He did not promise a smooth ride in the latest suits and cars and worship of men, no-no, if that is your idea of a minister; you have got it very wrong. In that case, I advise you to withdraw and find another profession. For He warned that the road would be very rough and rocky and those who dare to venture there must prepare for difficulties. You see He is not sending you to people of like-mind: “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10: 16 (KJV) Do you know what wolves do to sheep? They devour them; tear them into pieces, destroy their lives. But our duty is to tame those wild wolves and put into them the nature of the sheep. But wonderfully true is that many are ashamed to preach Christ today without adding sweeteners for the congregation. Many are afraid that if they come down too hard on their members about sin; many will flee to other prosperity churches.

But know this fact that in charging us Christ emphasized these facts: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny before my father which is in heaven…He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…” Matthew 10:33 (KJV) Many today deny Jesus in many ways in their sermons and yet mention His name once or twice for their own interest. They are shame to carry out the charge as Christ mandated it; but they claimed to be ministers of the gospel. Well it is necessary to note that Christ clearly explained in the charge that in order to follow him one must take up his/her cross. “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy



of me.” Matthew 10: 38 Do you know what a cross is? It is fun to me when I see ministers trying to use Theological logic to define the cross Christ talked about. But I can tell you for a fact that Christ meant every inch of the wooden cross and all the pain and agony that go with it. This includes the glory for over comers. Christ laid down similar charges for the seventy that He sent out. In concluding this portion, I want to tell you about a spiritual son of mine who realized that preaching the truth had even more vast benefits than preaching prosperity.

He was thrown out from a large prosperity Ministry and send into a remote area to establish a church. Many thought he would call it quits and leave for another profession. He was so down in spirit, and like any human, feared the challenge ahead. When he came to me, I encouraged him to go and preach the truth and God would visit him with signs and wonders. We put our faith together and he went to a church with eight chairs, a kitchen for an office, and less than ten members. We began to fast and pray together and in three months and three weeks, today he has about 100 members, 115 chairs, eight walls, and ceiling fans and a new pulpit and all the finances he needs to sustain himself, the rent age of the church and others. He also has an assistant pastor, but those are not what I want to write about today. The presence of God is there and many great signs and wonders take place there. The Holy Spirit is present at every service; which is three times a week. Even more amazing is the fact that people are coming out of beer parlours and drugs selling ghettos to his church. Men, women, and children are pouring in on a daily basis and as God is meeting their needs both physically and spiritually; they are making available all they can for the growth of the church.

As you can see from this testimony, our God is still on the throne and faithful to those who listen and implement his charge. It was never easy for those three Hebrew boys to take that step of faith and challenge God to His

words: “…when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee,” Isaiah 43: 1-2 (KJV) but when they did take that step of faith, the power of God was unleashed upon the forces of darkness and history was made. You can do the same today by just reverting to the Truth. Stop living a lie; stop preaching a lie; stop teaching a lie and leading millions to hell because of material gain. If you are

charged; “ALL ELSE WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU” both physically and spiritually. Permit to leave

you with the word of David Wilkerson:

“You see, if you set your heart to pray, God’s going to come and start sharing His heart with you. Your heart begins to cry out- Oh God your name is being blasphemed. Holy Spirit is being mocked. The enemy is out trying to destroy the testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness, and something has to be done.” And if you have been called by the Lord and chosen for the work of Ministry and feel all this burning in your heart; David Wilkerson left a special prayer of confession and repentance that you can go through right now and walk into the real reason why you were called and I am a witness; signs and wonders from heaven and attested by earth will follow you. You alone know where you miss the way and how far away you have gone astray from the right path. He has been waiting for you a long time. No one needs to lead you because you already know the way. Are you charge and fell like fortifying it?”

“Lord there is some need to get to this altar and confess. I am not what I was; I am not where I am supposed to be. God I don’t have your heart or your burden. I’ve wanted it easy. I just wanted to be happy….true joy comes out of Anguish (deep pain and sorrow for my wrong doing). There is nothing of the flesh will give you joy. I don’t care how much money; I don’t care what kind of new house. There is absolutely nothing physical that



can give you joy. It is only what is accomplished by the Holy Spirit when you obey Him and take on His heart. Build the walls around your family. Build the walls around your own heart. It makes you strong and impregnable against the enemy. God that’s what we desire.”

Examine yourself ministers and determine if you were charged to carry out the duty in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour? If so, are you living by the charge? My prayer that you gain something will make a difference in your life and ministries. Are you really a Minister of Jesus Christ? What then are your duties?

“NOW THEREFORE GO, AND I WILL BE WITH THY MOUTH, AND TEACH YOU WHAT THOU SHALT SAY” YES WHAT ARE THE DITIES OF A MINISTER? To be continued…

GGGoooddd’’’sss RRReeevvveeelllaaatttiiiooonnn tttooo HHHiiisss CCCRRREEEAAATTTIIIOOONNN

M i c h e l e M i l l s

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 16:17 (NIV)

The revelation of God to the believer is very important and should be desired. Otherwise, reading and studying his word would be useless. Without God’s revelation, how could he direct and speak to His creation, how could he reveal His divine purpose for each believer: For he said “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not to thy own understanding and in ALL thy ways knowledge him and He shall direct thy path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

The revelation of God is needed for instruction in his will; it is needed in order to be taught and led by His divine eye. For the Bible states, “I will instruct thee and teach

thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” Psalm 32:8 (KJV)

The revelation of God is needed for a number things, such as, the deep and hidden things of God, his mysterious nature, the deep things of darkness and lastly the true revelation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. In other words He is the revealer of the mysterious and He will reveal to us what is going to happen. Daniel 2:22, 28-30 (NIV)

[And] that the mystery (secret) was made known to me and I was allowed to comprehend it by direct revelation, as I already briefly wrote you. When you read this you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. [This mystery] was never disclosed to human beings in past generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles (consecrated messengers) and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit. Ephesians 3:3-5 (AMP)

God’s revelation is needed in ALL of life measures. Meaning in every circumstance in life, God is in it. However, we have to watch and pray for God to reveal Himself. There is no such thing as coincidence, God is in ALL, He is an active God and He is always moving. He works all things together for the good, for all of them who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

The Lord allows things to happen, in order to get our attention to reveal his nature in the moment. For instance, when reading the scripture, we can read the same scripture day after day and in the moment, God can reveal himself in such a profound way that he can blow our minds.

Some say new revelation knowledge, however, I believe it is a deeper revelation, for it is ALL there in the Bible



and it is up to God, the Holy Spirit and the believer. In other words, the Lord has His divine timing on when and how much He desires to reveal in the moment. The Bible says ask and you shall receive, seek and ye shall found, knock and it shall be opened to you. “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.: Matthew 7:7 (AMP)

Finally, God will reveal things to us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (NKJV). The Lord gives the impression that he is saying “how bad do you want it???” or “how bad do you want him/me??”

In conclusion, all the things God has prepared for the believers that love him, will be revealed and understood through the Holy Scriptures and all creation. Subsequently, the study of scripture is significant, so, therefore the Holy Spirit can illuminate the believers understanding of God’s word, power and creation.

The revelation of God can be revealed through animals, trees, clouds, people, water and even books. Nonetheless, we have to have the mind of Christ in order to perceive. “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus” Philippians 2:5 (KJV). All of God’s creation is first-rate and is used for his glory and purpose, nevertheless the best well of supply is in his divine word. Thank you Jesus! “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV)

[email protected]

LLIIVVEE wwiitthh PPUURRPPOOSSEE!!!!!!

T e s h i a P a y n e

Okay, so I have to admit something to everyone. My name is Teshia, and I am addicted to Facebook. Now, in unison say… Hi, Teshia! LOL.. I am on there every day and most of the time I am on just to see what everyone’s status reads—it is amazing at some of the profound and God-given statues that people share. I just have to share with you a note written by Roberta E. Elliot Speight (love yah Aunt Bert). Her note is something revelatory that gets to the core of where you are for a moment, and it sort of picks you up and places you right back in the frame of mind of where you should be. I am always searching for a message or listening to hear from God on living with purpose and I had to share this message. Bless God! Please, enjoy!

“You Profess To Be But Are You?

If you profess, you are a woman of God and serve a loving, all knowing and powerful God why aren’t you listening to Him? Trial and tribulations will reveal your true character. Even listening to your girlfriends, family and Christian friends are always a quick and easy fix. Most of the time they are WRONG! (Why you say? Because they are acting out of the flesh like you are!)

It’s easy to walk away from a cheating spouse than working things through. Divorce is the quick and easy way to deal with your problems and not waste your time! But God’s plan is always better and the time you lose is always multiplied when disobedient. I’m not saying stay there but remove yourself, separate, but what you do during that time is your true test of the God fearing woman you profess to be!




This is your time to be steadfast and pray for healing and that your spouse’s mind and heart is restored and renewed by God. See, when your spouse loves God, he can know how to love you!

Remember this; sometimes God has to remove us out of the way to reach others. Sometimes it’s not just all about you! Learn to listen to God. Hush, hush.....somebody is calling our name... if it ain’t God, don’t listen, drop down on your knees and pray!

Don’t fake and profess to be that praying wife and mother be her! A praying spouse can move mountains!”

A Miss Bert Original ~ Thought For Today~ From My Heart To Yours Copyright © 2009 Roberta E. Elliott Speight

In August 2000 Roberta realized her vision and launched her organization Sister’s Keeper Resource Center, Inc., in Prince Georges County, Maryland (www.sisterkeeper.org). The organization now has over 275 members throughout the United States. The mission of this organization is to provide support to Washington Metropolitan area women in achieving their personal and professional goals through information, education, networking, referral, spiritual guidance, and support services.

Presently Roberta is a member of the International Toastmasters which she has won regional awards from her speeches. She is member of the River of Life Church in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Roberta holds a Bachelor’s in Christian Biblical Counseling. Roberta also has over 17 years of non-profit experience. Roberta is a published author and enjoys writing poetry, drawing, dancing, and spending time with her family. Roberta is available for speaking engagements by contacting her at [email protected].

FFFaaattthhheeerrrllleeessssss NNNooo MMMooorrreee D o u g l a s D i a l

My father died When I was two; His loving arms I never knew.

Fatherless. Growing up Without a dad; What a rough time This boy had.

Fatherless. Until God the Father Smiled at me; Called me son And set me free.

Fatherless no more!


http://www.sisterkeeper.org/�



II nn ss ii dd ee EE vv ee rr yy II ss ss uu ee ::

The Biblical Teacher

TTTHHHEEE RRREEESSSUUURRRRRREEECCCTTTIIIOOONNN P a s t o r C e l y T o g l e

In Matthew 16:21, Jesus told His disciples that He would die under the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and on the third day He would rise again from the dead. After His death on the Cross, Jesus lay in the grave for three days and then, God raised His Son from the dead! “…Do not be afraid, for I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said” (Matthew 28).

“…and who through the Spirit of Holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4).

A. God Raised You Up Together With Christ

Jesus’ death was for you. So was His resurrection! “As for you, you were dead in your transgression and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air... “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us

with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 3:1-3).

1. To Give You New Life:

“…God has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:9,10).

2. To Give You New Birth:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...” (1 Peter 1:3).

3. To Give You A New Beginning:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, and the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

4. To Give You: a. Victory over Satan - “You, dear children,

are from God and have overcome the world, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world (Satan)…for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 4:4, 5:4, 5).



b. Authority over Satan - After His resurrection, “…Jesus Christ.. .has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand - with angels, authorities and powers (this includes Satan) in submission to him” (1 Peter 3:21-22, Luke 10:17-1 9).

c. Power over Satan - “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know.., his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:18-23, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1:8 and 4:33).

5. To Make You A Son and Heir In God’s Kingdom:

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ... (Romans 8:15-1 7).

B. The Resurrection Meets Every Need of Life

1. It Is Your Deliverance From The PAST:

Your old sinful life was put to death on the Cross with Jesus, and buried with Him in the grave. Then, when Jesus was raised to life again, you were raised with Him as a new creation - leaving behind your old life in Jesus’ grave! “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life., the death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:4-11, Ephesians 2:1-7 and Colossians 2:12-15).

2. It Is Your Power For The PRESENT:

Because Jesus is ALIVE we have now received the power of His Spirit to live a life of victory over sin and all Satan’s attacks against us. “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Shall God who justifies? Who is he that condemns? Will Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - who is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us? “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble of hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us...” (Romans 8:31-39).



3. It Is Your Hope For The FUTURE:

The resurrection of Jesus gives us great hope for the future. He is called “the firstborn from the dead” (Colossians. 1:18). In His resurrection, He opened the way for all those who would believe in Him, to follow after Him - to be raised from the dead! One wonderful day in the future, Jesus Christ will return to the earth again –no longer as a baby, but He will reveal to the whole world Who He really is - the glorious God and Ruler of all creation. At that time all those who have died believing in Him, will be raised to life again! “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first-fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him”(1 Corinthians 15:17-23, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

My Commitment

Because of the resurrection of Christ, I make a commitment today to receive the fullness of my new life and liberation in Him. I will stand fast in this truth and share it with everyone I can.

AAAnnnooottthhheeerrr LLLeeevvveeelll

S t y l i c i a B o w d e n

Eyes have not seen;

Neither ears have not heard; The sound of victory as you run the race set at a steady pace. Victory is yours so do not give up. In spite of the trials and tribulations you withstand, He continues to raise a standard to keep you going and know Jesus loves you no matter how hard it gets the purpose he has for you is not done yet. No more detours the race is slowly coming to an end where in the finale you win but do not faint or get weary too soon God will give you the endurance to the finish goal Another Level; Another Level of Excellence; Do not quit. Do not give in the Lord is pushing you to the end. Another Level; One more step, do not give up you are not finish yet. He knows what you can bare remember the Lord is always there as you climb to deeper heights in your life. God knows your strengths and weaknesses so keep going you are almost there to another level of success. God is there to cheer you on even when you do wrong he gives you faith to endure the race. With his angels Mercy and Grace, Another level of peace he wraps around your feet to cover you in the midst of confusion. Just remember he is using every situation to get the glory. So do not give up complete this level because another level shall come just remember God’s work for you is not done.



WWWhhheeennn aaa PPPaaarrreeennnttt DDDiiieeesss::: TTThhheee GGGrrriiieeevvviiinnnggg PPPrrroooccceeessssss

J o h n G . T a y l o r , M A C l i n i c a l / C h r i s t i a n T h e r a p i s t

As I contemplated on writing this article, I thought of so many reasons why I should not and how this would bring up feelings that I would rather forget. I also thought about the healing that this article could provide for me and hopefully those that read it.

When a parent dies it causes a great sense of loss, confusion, anger, sadness and feelings of abandonment. I can say all of these things because this was my experience. My mother died from injuries that she suffered in a car accident when I was 17 years old. What an awful and emotional time for me, since I believed that my mother would live forever, only to be taken from me when she was only 39 years old. I was angry at God and told him so many times, I did not understand how this could happen especially since my dad, four brothers, two sisters and I were so dependent upon her being around helping us, laughing with us, comforting us and giving us unconditional love. I recall my father stating to my siblings and me that she had died, but God was going to help us through this time. I immediately began to yell, cry and scream what God could do for me now that he has taken away the most important thing in my life. As I struggled with this news daily after being told especially

during the funeral and even months afterwards. I was told constantly that God would restore, help me through and that I would find comfort in him. Each time I heard this I would get upset because it seemed that people expected me to forget my loss and just deal on the spiritual realm, which is not a reality. I knew that I had to grieve and understand the lost that I experienced. I came to the point that I told people to stop telling me to trust God, to pray and that God will help me. I knew that he would but did not want to be constantly told this because it seemed that my feelings were being dismissed.

From my experience I have really been determined to tell everyone that when someone dies those that remain will go through the five stages of grief, so allowing them to experience these stages is healthy and helpful. What is not helpful is saying to trust God and expecting them to forget their loss. I want to share with you the five stages in the grieving process:

1. Denial/Isolation (we tend to deny that it has happened this could last a few moments or longer).

2. Anger (We become furious at others or God knowing realistically that it’s a part of life).

3. Bargaining ( Start to bargain with God about we’ll make changes if he takes away the loss).

4. Depression ( There is a sense of numbness and sadness).

5. Acceptance ( This last stage takes awhile to happen but at this step the person has accepted the death and is ready to face the reality).

As I look back on my mother’s death now I know that I went through all of these stages and the last stage of acceptance was the hardest one for me to grasp. During this stage of grief I began to turn to my dad, the Bible, my siblings and family members that really brought me



through. I began to read in the Bible for strength, I was raised in the church--attended every Sunday and every Wednesday night for Bible study, so I did have a foundation to draw upon. When I became ready, I did find comfort in the scripture 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, 18 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words. This scripture did help me knowing that I would someday see my mother again. I want to stress that this happened when I accepted the reality of her death. I also drew my strength from knowing that God will never leave me alone, I am reminded of the poem “Foot Print” where there are only two footprints in the sand and the question

is asked of God where were you, he states “I was the one carrying you”.

So in conclusion I hope that this has been a help to you because it has really been therapeutic for me. We must allow people to experience the five stages of grief and not be so quick to offer God as the ultimate solution, I believe that everyone knows that God will recover, restore and heal. I knew but needed to be allowed to feel the impact of the loss and what the effects will be on my life. So, give people the space to fully grieve and be there when they fully accept it, because they will need you at that moment. I’m happy to say that my siblings and I did get through this difficult time with the help of our awesome dad, supportive family members, supportive church and of course the help of God. Today we are all thriving and living our lives to give God the ultimate glory for all the things that he has done.

To contact John for workshops and presentations:

www.Johngtaylor.com www.Christiantalktherapy.com [email protected]

D.I.V.A.S (Divinely Inspired Visionaries

Anointed Servants)

AAA CCCooovvveeennnaaannnttt

bbbyyy DDDeeeccceeeppptttiiiooonnn

E l d e r M a e D a v i s

Joshua 9: “Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive” (Sir Walter Scott). In the ninth chapter of Joshua, the inhabitants of Gibeon entangled themselves into a web of lies and deception, which caused their kingdom to become bondman (enslaved). But through the mercy of Joshua, they were saved from death and received a covenant by which they would be servants in the house of God; however, this covenant was attained through deception.

Our story begins with the fame of Joshua and Israel’s victories over Jericho and Ai. Their victory over the enemy brought them to a place where peace could once again abide. But “ [It] came to pass…” (Joshua 9:1), this statement signifies that although the battle was over, Joshua and Israel needed to remain focused for what could be ahead, but they were not focused. When the surrounding six kingdoms heard about what happened in Jericho and Ai, they gathered themselves together to fight against Joshua and Israel “That they gathered themselves, together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord”(Joshua 9:2).

How many times has your enemy gathered people against you and tried to stop God’s open window of heavenly blessing for you? The enemy will gather your


http://www.johngtaylor.com/�

http://www.christiantalktherapy.com/�

http://[email protected]/�


family and friends together to speak against what God has changed and transformed in your life by their negativity and gossip. You may have been on your way to divorce court, but God stepped in and reconciled your relationship. So, instead of divorcing you renewed your wedding vows, thereby restoring your covenant with God and each other. You were rejoicing but your so called friends came to you with statements like – “How could you go back to him after everything he did to you?” or “I would never taken her back after she cheated on me with another man.” DON’T LISTEN TO THE NAY SAYERS! You must remain prayerful and focus on the things of God.

Although, there were six kingdoms that wanted to wage war against Joshua and Israel, one kingdom – Gibeonites–wanted peace but they used trickery and deceit to get it. When the Gibeonites came before Joshua they came with mouths full of lies, which caused them to tell one lie after another. “They came with ragged garments, molded food, and old wine to make it appear like they had come from a far distance to make peace with them” (Joshua 9:3-5). While in their deceptive-state they received a promise of life. When their deception was revealed, the leaders of Israel wanted to kill them, but Joshua (which means Jehovah is salvation) showed them grace and mercy, Joshua sentenced them to a lifetime of servitude in the house of God. The Gibeonites did not realize that in order for them to attain true peace and forgiveness, they had to acknowledge the God of Israel and repent. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Joshua and the children of Israel had let their defenses down and they neglected to consult God. As a result they received the Gibeonites and allowed them to present their deceitful story and entered into a covenant-by-deception.

The challenge for us as believers is not to get comfortable after a major victory. The enemy will seize any opportunity to infiltrate our lives through deception, especially, when we are in a comfort zone. Many times when we win a major victory, whether it is over sickness, finances, marriage, etc., we assume that we can take the time to relax and layback and get comfortable and savor the sweet smell of victory, but we must recognize that Satan’s major weapon of warfare is DECEPTION. This means instead of us relaxing and lowering our defenses we should always be in a state of heightened-defense. We must be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). We must stay on the wall, because the devil has already strategically called on the forces of darkness in his kingdom to set us up for a fall. So is important for us to also strategically consult with the Holy Spirit how to stay vigilant: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)

Elder Mae Davis New Life Worship Centre 114 E. Baltimore Ave Lansdowne, Pa. 19050 [email protected]




BBBaaalllddd aaannnddd BBBeeeaaauuutttiiifffuuulll SSStttiiillllll T i f f a n y A n n L e w i s

The Lord has it on my heart to talk about Samson’s hair. Not about the strength that was allegedly found there, but rather

the weakness that was hidden within. This powerful revelation was originally posted in July 2007, but it is something I believe the Lord would like me to share once again.

When we think of Samson, we think of the strong man in the Bible who was tempted by Delilah, telling her that the secret of his strength was in his hair and that if he cut his hair he would “become weak and be like any other man.” Judges 16:17

The reality is that Samson was weak like every other man, long hair, short hair or no hair at all. He was an ordinary human being with an extraordinary God who placed a call on his life. He was like you and just like me.

If you are unfamiliar with the life of Samson, it starts at Judges 13. The Angel of the LORD announced to Samson’s parents that they were going to have a son whom God called to be a Nazirite from his mother’s womb. His mission was to begin delivering the children of God out of the hands of the Philistines – their enemy.

We have been taught since Sunday school that Samson’s strength was in his hair, but the Bible does not teach us that. God never mentioned there was any strength in his hair, Samson did. What God said was that there was a call on his life and that he was to be a Nazirite.

Part of being a Nazarene meant that you were to abstain from cutting your hair. You see, all Nazirites took the same vows, not just Samson which means that they all would be walking around with long hair. The hair was a sign of the covenant; people would have seen the hair and known this person belonged to God. Samson’s hair and all the miracles were to be a witness to God Almighty.

A Nazirite is simply a class of people especially devoted to God. The Hebrew term means - to separate. Both men and women could take this vow. Some vows were made for a specific period-of-time; others were life-long. Samson’s vow was life-long. The vows are an outward signs of an inward covenant, just like a wedding ring is an outward sign of the covenant of marriage.

During the time of the separation, the Nazirite vows to abstain from:

• The fruit of the vine. • Cutting one’s hair. • Defilement by contact with a dead body

(Numbers 6).

I think Samson really thought there was power in his hair because he told Delilah “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me.” (Judges 16:17)

The truth is that Samson would lose his strength if his God left him.

You see, when God places a call on an individual’s life He also equips that person to walk it out. Therefore, the Spirit of the LORD would come upon Samson now and again empowering him with supernatural strength in order to fulfill the call.

In Judges 14, Samson killed a lion with his bare hands. Samson’s miracle conquest now held his temptation. Inside the dead lion’s carcass, there was a beehive full of delicious honey. Remember that a Nazirite cannot



come in contact with a dead body. Please catch this Beloved; the devil will use anything and everything to cause us to stumble and fall, even a prior mighty miracle that God executed in your life.

Unfortunately, Samson took the bait and ate the honey satisfying a craving within, while at the same time breaking his Nazirite vow by coming in contact with the dead body of the lion. An important thing to know at this point is that if a Nazirite broke his/her vow in one way or another, they would need to purify themselves by shaving their head AND start their days of separation all over again from the beginning.

Samson should have admitted what he had done wrong and shaved his head but he didn’t, he protected his image instead of his anointing. This pointed to the bigger issue; Samson was more worried about how he looked to others rather than how he looked to God.

Houston…we have a problem. The Lord wanted him to look like a Nazirite; Samson wanted to look like a strong man. The only image he had to uphold was his devotion to God; the Lord would take care of the rest. Samson was too weak to resist temptation but worse, he was too weak to admit that he wasn’t strong. This weakness snowballed for the rest of his life until finally his enemy cut off his hair.

Beloved, the strongest thing we can ever do is to ask for help. God never asks us to be strong, but tells us that in our weakness His strength will be made perfect. 2 Corinthians 12:9 If we can’t be real with the One who “demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us,” (Romans 5:8) than who can we be real with?

Nobody likes to fail and admit that they are weak and cannot do something. That is why we work so hard to be good at whatever we do. But it is in our weakness…not our strength that God perfects His power.

What the Lord deposited in Samson was there outside of all his success and outside of all his failures too. Samson was going to begin delivering the Israelites, hair or no hair.

Beloved, our greatness and strength here on earth does not alter God’s view of us. When God puts something in you, He is faithful to see that work done to completion. He is committed to His word, not our works. “If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV) This revelation will

revolutionize our walk with God. We will not do something to be accepted, we will do something because we are accepted. There is

no more pressure to perform.

God looks at the heart motivation of all we do. I believe God was far more concerned with the devotion in Samson’s heart than with how many Philistines he killed. I do not know how to say this gently, but when we get to heaven we are not going to be flinging our glorious hair over our shoulder showing God how many “Philistines” we have defeated, how many souls we led to Christ, how many lives were touched due to a song we wrote, a sermon we preached, a book we wrote, or a work we have done. We are going to cast our crowns at His feet. We are not going to cling to our reward; we are going to cling to the Lover of our soul, Jesus Christ.

Nobody wants their mistakes publicized, but sometimes that is the only way we will get it. God is not trying to humiliate us; He is trying to humble us. Samson did not need his hair in order to be strong; he needed the God of his Nazarine covenant to be.

I wonder if Samson’s hair had never been cut if he would have learned where his strength ended and God’s strength began. If that is the only way for me to learn then Lord, take my hair!

Bald and beautiful the story of Samson ends. The typical view is because Samson’s hair was cut off he lost his



power. I just do not see it that way anymore. Remember the hair was only a sign of the covenant. What I see is a God who loves Samson enough to get his hair cut, even if it is through the hand of his enemy so that he could

start over again. O Hallelujah!

After his hair was cut, scripture says it began to “grow again” (Judges 16:22). I believe this is symbolic of a new beginning for Samson, not of his hair growing back and giving him strength again.

Although Samson did not shave his head as a sign of repentance, I believe that in his baldness he found where his strength ended and where God’s grace began! It is at this moment that for the first time recorded in Scripture, Samson finally prays to the LORD for strength saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once…” (Judges. 16:28a) And when Samson took hold of the two pillars in his blind and beaten state he pushed them over killing more Philistines in his weakness than he had ever before in all his strength. In Samson’s weakest hour, God perfected His power. Hallelujah!

My calling is quite different from Samson’s, and yours is probably different from mine. However, one thing that we all have in common is our total dependency on Jesus Christ to help us walk it out.

Beloved, we do not need to fear our weaknesses or even hide them behind our greatest strength. We can rejoice in them, for they are opportunities in which God will showcase His glory through our lives. Amen.

Dancing With the Flame of the Lord Ministries

Debt FREE Living

AAAvvvoooiiiddd BBBuuuttt DDDooo NNNooottt EEEvvvaaadddeee F l o r a K y n a r d

“…render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. Luke 20:25 (AMP)

This month’s lesson is an all too familiar subject – taxes. Or as the saying goes – there are two things that we can be sure will come in this life – death and taxes.

Avoiding taxes is legal, evading taxes is not; therefore, you should avoid but do not evade. To illustrate this point we shall do a sermonic stroll through Luke 20:20-25.

“So they watched (for an opportunity to ensnare) Him, and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor. They asked Him, Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right, and that You show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God honestly and in truth. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not? But He recognized and understood their cunning and unscrupulousness and said to them, Show Me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered, Caesar’s. He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Luke 20:20-25 (AMP)



Jesus turned his enemies’ attempt to trap him into a powerful lesson. As God’s followers, we have legitimate obligations to both God and the government.

“Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" (Luke 20:22). This is a loaded question. This question was simply designed to get Jesus into trouble with somebody; either the people or their Roman rulers. The Jews resented paying taxes to Rome. They hated the system that allowed tax collectors to charge exorbitant rates and keep the extra for themselves. If Jesus said “yes” they should pay taxes, they would call him a traitor to their nation and their religion. But if He says “no” most certainly it will be reported to the governor. He will be accused of sedition and rebellion. Either way, answering the question with only a “yes” or “no” was going to do tremendous damage.

Jesus knew of their trickery. We have obligations to both God and country. Only when Caesar makes demands of us that interfere with keeping God’s commands is there a conflict.

As the coin bore the image of Caesar, man bears the image of God. Let Caesar have his coin. Let God have His man or woman.

Taxes should be avoided, never evaded. We are commanded in Scripture to render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar. Scripture does not say render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s if you agree with Caesar. Scripture simply says to render to Caesar. Scripture does not say render to Caesar if you think what Caesar charge is right, Scripture simply says to render. Avoiding taxes is legal, evading is not.

How can a person avoid paying taxes? For the most part, you cannot avoid paying taxes altogether, but there are two simple ways that you can reduce considerably the amount of taxes you pay. The first way is a reduction in spending. The second way is to start a small business, preferably a home-based business.

70-20-10 Rule

70% - operational

20% - savings, investments, or debt payoff

10% - tithes

If you recall, the 70-20-10 Rule is based on your gross income. 10% of your gross income is your tithes. 20% of your gross income should go towards savings, investments, or debt payoff. 70% of your gross income should go towards operational expenses. Included in that 70% is federal, state, and local taxes.

As an employee, taxes are deducted from your paycheck automatically. Period. No questions asked. Taxes are deducted from your paycheck based on the number of deductions you claim. Employees are taxed on their gross income. This net income (wages minus taxes) is what you get to spend.

As an employee, your federal, state, and local taxes are fixed based on your allowable deductions. They cannot be avoided.

You are charged what is called usury taxes on items you buy (excluding food in most states). These taxes can be avoided by eliminating or reducing your spending. By buying that pair of shoes you just increased the amount of taxes you have paid the government. Usury taxes can be avoided by simply curbing spending.

The second way to avoid paying taxes is to start a small business. Small businesses are taxed differently than employees. Small business owners are taxed after expenses are paid. Small businesses are taxed on their net income, not their gross income. In addition to being taxed on net income, small business owners are allowed a lot more deductions than employees. A great deal of taxes can be avoided by starting a small business.

Taxes. Yes, you are instructed to pay them. Avoid, but do not evade.

TO YOUR SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY!!!



Flora M. Kynard, Senior Personal Financial Trainer Prosperity Renewal Ministries

P. S. You can go to http://www.prosperityrenewal.org/monthlytip.html if you would like 10 days of FREE coaching on how to recession-proof your life using our 70-20-10 Rule.

GGGRRREEEAAATTT EEEXXXPPPEEECCCTTTAAATTTIIIOOONNNSSS S o p h i a A v e r y M . A .

When most of us think love, we think of romantic evenings, long walks by the water strolling hand-in-hand, emotional declarations of eternal adoration, and heartfelt promises of endless happiness. Most people think of these things when they think of love, finding their soul mate, and marriage. True love, for most people, seems to involve romance, emotions, and joy. The Cliff and Claire Huxtable relationship, or something like it, is what most of us envision as the “ideal,” the kind of relationship and/or marriage we want to have .

But the love that the Bible describes is vastly different, even contradictory to this version of love.

Never, have I heard anyone express their willingness to patiently endure long-term suffering at the hand of their mate, refuse to be jealous or envious of their partner, or resist the need to have things their way in the relationship. I have never heard anyone say they were

willing to love their mate regardless of what they do, believe the best of their partner--regardless of what happens, or endure any and everything their partner does.

What’s love got to do with this stuff? Well, according to the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, these are the characteristics of true love.

I know what you are thinking—who wants to endure long-term suffering? Who would put up with any and everything somebody does to you, especially the bad stuff? Who would believe the best of a person that hurt or betrayed you? How can you continue to love a person regardless of what they do?

The short answer—if you want to experience true love, the kind we need for a lasting marriage, the road runs through Corinth. Yes, you get the romantic part in the beginning, but for most, the romance will wane within the first six months of your marriage, and falter within the first two years. Marriages that are built on a foundation of romantic love will crumble when the first wave of trouble comes bringing disillusionment, discontent, disrespect, and despair. In order to avoid the all too common and predictable fate of marriages built on romantic love, we have to understand and practice the 1 Corinthians 13 type of love—unconditional love and rework your idea and expectations of marriage.

In the book, BOUNDARIES IN MARRIAGE, Dr. Henry Cloud speaks of leading a seminar for married couples, and after asking them to think of all the great things about their mate, their best qualities, what attracted them to each other and how much they love their spouse, had them turn to each other and say, “Honey, I am a sinner. I will fail you, and I will hurt you.”

The truth is when two imperfect human beings get together, they bring their personal childhood issues, emotional baggage from past relationships and unhealed wounds from the past, they are bound to cause hurt and pain to each other.


http://www.prosperityrenewal.org/monthlytip.html�


God created marriage as a vehicle for healing our wounded spirits and experiencing the freedom of being fully known and fully loved, unconditionally, as He loves us, and it can be healing, leading to great joy and happiness if we are able to love as outlined in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)

When preparing to give and receive love, we must change our expectations to include the definition of love described by Paul. First, be prepared to reveal the truth about yourself to those closest to you, flaws and all. If you are afraid you will be rejected for revealing your true self to you partner, challenge your fears. Pretending to be something other than what you are will block the blessing of being fully known and fully loved in your relationship. You cannot keep up the façade, forever--sooner or later, your flaws will show. When they do, if you and your partner are not prepared with a good understanding of each other’s wounds, past-life experiences, short-comings, and the Biblical stance on love, the resulting disappointment and disillusionment will damage your relationship, maybe even causing divorce.

If you want to experience true love in your relationships and/or your marriage be prepared to acknowledge and accept your loved ones for who they truly are—the good and the bad, flaws and all. Only when we are able to accept the good and bad in each other are we able to transcend human love and experience the spiritually healing power of unconditional love in our relationships. Selah.

Sophia Avery, MA is a Christian Therapist/Life Coach located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is committed

to helping people heal from their emotional wounds, find peace, and live their life with joy, as God intended. Ms. Avery is currently accepting new clients for both counseling and coaching. Please send all comments and/or suggestions to [email protected].

PPPoooeeemmm::: SSSpppiiirrriiitttuuuaaalll IIIrrrooonnnyyy J o e B r u e n i g

Foolishness of Jehovah exceeds the wisdom of Mankind; torture by crucifixion was to serve as a deterrent to stop all forms of crime.

Inhumane treatment demonstrates insatiable blood thirst

in a vain attempt to bring out the best character of man by placing World's justice system first.

However, death of the Innocent Lamb, a perfect sacrifice God did decree to bridge the gap of

sin using Man's worst punishment in a twist of spiritual irony.




Support Priscilla House Network when you search or shop online!

Raise a penny (or more!) for Priscilla House Network organization every time you search the web. iSearchiGive.com is a search engine powered by iGive.com, the internet's first online shopping mall where a portion of each purchase is donated to your favorite cause. Over 700 of the web’s best stores participate in this free program, and up to 26% of each purchase benefits our cause!

Totally Free | No Hidden Fees | No Limits | Monthly Donation Checks

Search to your heart’s content at: www.iSearchiGive.com. If you shop online, you can help even more: www.iGive.com.


http://www.isearchigive.com/�

http://www.isearchigive.com/�

http://www.igive.com/�


DDDiiiddd YYYooouuu FFFiiinnnddd

WWWhhhaaattt YYYooouuu WWWeeerrreee

LLLooooookkkiiinnnggg FFFooorrr???

P a s t o r s M i k e & T r i s h a F o x

Just the other day we took a family-run to the large Borders bookstore. It is only about 30 miles away, and it is a great drive for us as a family. The main reason we go is not so much to buy anything, although they have a large selection of books, DVDs and magazines; but it is to simply hang out and just read and have fun being together as a family.

This particular day, both my wife and I actually did have something in mind to purchase once we got there. She had an exercise video, and me, well, being a graphic artist you can figure that it had something to do with computers--a Photoshop Tricks and Techniques book that an artist where I work has.

So, we got to Borders and did our thing. Our routine is this: When we go in, we split up, grab one of those little red baskets, head for the racks and meet back to grab a table. So, we had a great time. She found some video choices, our daughter had some cute, colorful books and some soft blocks to keep her occupied and I found a lot of magazines from Psychology to Writer’s Digest to books and magazines about special effects and graphic arts type stuff. But I did not find what I came to get.

What was that? BARGAIN BOOKS! Ah, yes… those beautiful “bargain books.” Once listed at $5,000,000, now only $4.99 types of books. Don’t get me wrong.

There were a lot of bargain books, but not what I was looking for. In fact, it was very disappointing. They literally had ZERO bargain books in the related subject that I was looking for. They did before, but not this time. Not even one book. They did have the Photoshop Tricks book, but we cannot justify paying $49 for a book like that. Well, for a book period!

So, the reason for the title of this article: When we waited in line, which by the way was taking very, very long, finally another grumpy cashier opened up. We went to the cashier and she saluted us with the prehistoric, memorized fake caring and plastic smile line of, “So, did you find what you were looking for today?” I threw a curve ball to her and said, “No. No, I didn’t.”

At this point, I thought I did a pretty-good job in throwing a monkey wrench into “the system” of things. I was actually waiting in anticipation of her shocked look and gasping breath with wide eyes of amazement, so that she could with deep concern and empathy ask me the normal, “Oh? I’m so sorry sir. What was it that you were looking for? Maybe I can help you find it.” Or at least something to that affect.

But in contrast, to my utter amazement, she totally glossed over my double “No!” She actually just kept stuffing our bag as if I said to her, “Why, yes mam. I found everything I was looking for and more! It was wonderful! You should be applauded for having such a tremendous selection of products!”

So, in my boldness I said to her apathetic countenance, “Did you hear what just said? I answered your question and said, ‘no’!” She finally moved a muscle in her face and gave a weary smile and said, “Oh, I heard you. There’s not really anything I can do about it anyways. I’m just supposed to ask you that as a standard thing.”

And so, I gave my plastic, sarcastic smile back and gave a look to my wife. I told her as we walked out of that bookstore, “That was good. I’m going to use that for material for something.”



And so here we are. Let me be frank and ask you a question: Do you REALLY care about your spouse? Are you really hearing them when they tell you how they are hurting? Or are you so desensitized and groggy by life that you don’t even feel when they are hurting?

There are couples reading this that you are either experiencing now or have experienced without remedy that your spouse does not really show that they care about the hurts and pains you are going through. This is the number one reason we feel that many spouses turn to other, outside friends to open up to and share their heart with.

This is a dangerous thing because you expose yourself to someone other than your spouse and this begins a process and momentum of learning that there are others that care about you and how you are feeling. The same if not, it might appear, even more than your own spouse.

Three things to understand here:

1. Your spouse is trying to open up to you in some way, yet you display a behavior of a lack of love, care and friendship to them. You are in essence, helping to contribute distance within the relationship and cause your spouse to fill or meet their needs in something or someone other than you. And if you do not show them soon, they are forced to fulfill their needs somehow. This is your responsibility and privilege. God gave you your spouse and it is up to you to be the ONLY one to be there for them. Realize that money, friends, family, work, pressure, kids and children, whatever… those cannot void out the responsibility of you being “the one” to be there.

Many times, the husband has an unhealthy perspective and wrong notion that if he works extra hard, that this will somehow show his love and dedication for his family. The more he works, the harder he works, the more his wife and family will appreciate him.

However, when the wife gets hurt by something or someone, and needs to open up and have loving arms and an open ear for her to unload on, and he is not there because he is working overtime, or has to preach away from home so much, who will comfort her in her pain? The Lord? You need to accept some practical reality: the Lord commanded and provided THE SPOUSE to be the best friend and one to be there. But if the wife or husband is not available; whether physically or emotionally, then the relationship has a breach.

2. If you are the one trying to convey to your spouse that you are hurting, make certain that you are being crystal clear and understandable. Do not show or give blame and by no means beat around the bush with subliminal, under-currents of “hints” that you are hurting. You cannot expect your spouse to “automatically know” what you are feeling and thinking. This is wrong ever to assume such God-like powers. Your responsibility is to communicate effectively, in a non-blaming way, that you NEED your spouse--they are the one that you need to be there.

3. The last thing is this: When the cashier flat out ignored the fact that we did not find what we were looking for, her reasoning was simply because she

“couldn’t do anything about it anyways.” So, to her, being lazy and unresponsive was the only natural behavior, despite the fact that I was a customer depending on her as an employee. Couples! Know this; that even the littlest of efforts makes the biggest of difference! If she had budged just a little tiny effort in wanting to help my situation, it would have changed everything! A little kindness and effort in caring about the fact that I did not find what I was looking for would have made me leave with a positive taste in my mouth instead of a negative one. (Of course, I would not have this nice material to draw from, J )



Do not get sidetracked by thinking so big, that you do not keep doing the little things for your spouse. Remember, a mountain is made up of a lot of little stones. The little things will keep your marriage healthy, active, and passionate. It is the little notes for your spouse that will snap them back into being “in love” with you. The little flirting with your spouse in the morning keeps them in anticipation for the entire day! The little kisses and hugs remind your spouse that they are still the most important focus in your life.

So remember, as a couple in Christ, you have it all. And yes, to answer the first question in the title, “You have found what you’re looking for.” Now let’s keep it!

LLLeeettt’’’sss GGGooo TTTooo TTThhheee SSSpppaaa!!!!!! B e a u t y E d i t o r , Ke l l y L a w s

Picture this, you enter a warm and cozy room with candles that smell of jasmine or some other exotic scent. You are asked to remove your upper garments and put on a terry cloth robe that feels like cotton blossoms against your stressed and weary body. Sound delightful, it should! Then the esthetician gently evaluates your skin and recommends a facial to suit your skin type. As you relax she begins to apply the cooling gel to your face, gently working the cleanser in a circular motion to remove any impurities that have polluted your skin. She then continues to cleanse your skin and gives you a massage working the kinks out of your stress ridden muscles. Talk about heaven! I thought I saw Jesus while I was relaxing.

For those of you who have had the opportunity to visit the spa, God Bless You!!! For me, it was my first

experience and talk about making it a monthly routine. I was pampered like a Kings Kid and thanked God that he created hands that pamper like this. I have been the type of woman that was always on the go. Even my business name is “Makeup on the Go.” Always on the go so when the opportunity came for me to try the spa experience I finally relented not sure what I would be getting myself into. First let me say that I was also concerned about the cost. I always thought that I would spend an arm and a leg and maybe a toe to get pampered but boy was I surprised. It was not expensive and my skin was absolutely gorgeous and glowing. I chose to visit a friend of mine who is an esthetician. Her name is Rachel Odem and she is the Owner and CEO of Gifted Hands Inc. located in Lansing, IL. Her website is www.rachelodem.net so if you are ever in the Lansing, IL area, pay her visit.

I met Rachel while I was doing makeup at Carson Pirie Scott at the River Oaks Mall in Calumet City, IL. At the time she was worked at the Estee Lauder counter while I worked for another cosmetic vendor as a beauty advisor. She had always spoken about the spa and had dreams of being an esthetician, but as life would have it, other things took top priority. Well, she finally got her license and I decided to pay her business a visit. I was treated to a facial and an underarm waxing, ouch. Yes the waxing stung but was well worth it. Rachel kept telling me that


http://www.rachelodem.net/�


the smoothness of my underarms beats shaving by a long shot so I took the pain and loved the results. Ok, it was not that bad but I was not accustomed to waxing the underarms. I said I would try the legs next. I cannot wait to feel the smoothness on my legs that I felt under my arms. Now the facial was awesome and relaxing. I was diagnosed with oily skin, yeah oily with slightly enlarged pores. She recommended that I use a product with salicylic acid to help tighten the pores and remove the oiliness. I swear, there had to be about 10 different steps that she went through, just kidding, but it felt like 10. I wanted more because the music was relaxing and the

candles were awesome. Each step had its purpose to help cleanse and tone my skin. The hot towel on my face, oh my goodness, talk about a relaxation city. Warm, soothing, and definitely

worth the trip. I would go back for the hot towel treatment. As she worked on my face and allowed one of her remedies to sooth my skin, she gave me her signature shoulder, arm, and hand massage. Enough said!!!!!!! Rachel, I’m coming back so get out the appointment book and jot me down for tomorrow. After she finished I did not recognize my skin! I kept wondering whom was the Diva staring back at me in the mirror. I see why celebrities spend so much time being pampered. The end-results were amazing and she recommended that I do this monthly to preserve my skins luster and beauty.

I highly recommend that you visit your local spa before you commit to their services. I was blessed to know someone in the field, but you may not have that opportunity so make sure that you are aware of what that particular spa offers and their pricing. Also, do not be afraid to let them know that this is your first visit and

that you are not familiar with “spa etiquette.” You will find that the staff is more than happy to assist you in your visit so speak up. So ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your summer and pay your local spa a visit and do not forget to pamper yourself, it is not a sin. Be blessed and I’ll see you again next month.

KellyGirl

HHHaaavvveee YYYooouuu EEEvvveeerrr??? C a r o l e S t r e a m e r

Have you ever just felt like you really needed to cry Because there was so much locked up deep down inside? Things to forget and even to forgive That you had to let go of in order to live. Have you ever just felt like no one understood When you tried to do right and all that was good? Have you ever just wished that God Himself Would appear in the Flesh and grade your test? Have you ever just felt like giving it all up Like the weight was too heavy and far too much. Have you ever just wanted to lay down for good To not be seen by anyone because they always misunderstood. Well, I have and I know exactly how it feels All these things and when no one believes Anything that you do or anything that you say About the things you do from day to day. I’ve been there before and sometimes feel locked In a world of distrust and things that are not. Lucky for me that I have a Father above Who has shown me how to forgive and just how to Unconditionally Love.



1 Peter 1:16 “BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN, BE YE HOLY; FOR I AM HOLY.”

LLLOOORRRDDD III WWWAAANNNTTT TTTOOO LLLIIIVVVEEE HHHOOOLLLYYY

All these obstacles

Get in my way

Lord I need you to

Show me a better way.

I set my goals very high

I can’t reach them alone

I know that you can help me

So I look to your throne

Where I see you there

Bidding me to go on.

LORD I JUST WANT TO LIVE HOLY

JUST FOR YOU

I NEED YOU EVERYDAY

MOVE THE OBSTACLES OUT OF MY WAY

I WANT TO LIVE HOLY

JUST FOR YOU.

I want to be that light

That shines on top of the hill

In front of my family and friends.

I just want to do your will

I am tired of feeling this way

The world wants me too.

I need you to help me

Break free from this insanity.

By myself I am weak

But with you I am strong

I am tired of doing wrong

I step aside

Please come and be my guide.

LORD I WANT TO LIVE HOLY

J U S T F O R Y O U

BY YOUR GRACE I KNOW

Y O U W I L L S E E M E T H R O U G H

I AM DEPENDING ON YOU

EACH AND EVERYDAY

AS I PRAY

LORD I WANT TO LIVE HOLY

JUST FOR YOU.

Satan has no power

This I know is true

I am the HEAD and not the TAIL

ABOVE and not BENEATH

I am a child of the KING

MY SAVIOR, MY REDEEMER,

MY HOPE, MY DREAMS

L O R D Y O U A R E E V E R YT H I N G !

LORD I WANT TO LIVE

HOLY! HOLY! HOLY! HOLY!

JUST FOR YOU

B r i d g e t t e W h i t n e y – A l l r i g h t s r e s e r v e d - 7 / 1 5 / 0 9



We Welcome All Freelance Writers!

If you have a passion to express yourself through writing or poetry or want to publish that sermon God gave you, then we are looking for you. Please contact Divine Inspirations Magazine at [email protected]. Submit your article today!

Advertise your next event in Divine Inspirations Magazine. Our readership reaches from the North, South, and East to the West Coast, and Overseas. To submit your advertisement, email Divine Inspirations today!

Divine Inspirations Magazine is a division of Priscilla House Network, visit www.priscillahousenetwork.org.

To subscribe to this e-Zine contact us today!

DIVINE INSPIRATONS MAGAZINE

233 Hirst Ave Lansdowne, PA 19050

Phone: 484-429-5080

Website: www.divineinspirationsmagazine.org

Email: [email protected]



http://www.priscillahousenetwork.org/�



August 2009 Issue of Divine Inspirations Magazine

Documents

Transcript of August 2009 Issue of Divine Inspirations Magazine