Beauty & The Gospel Isuue No 12

Beauty & The Gospel MADE PERFECT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

HUMBLE , MARRIED & HIGHLY ANNOINTED YOUR 3 ALLIES AS A CHRISTIAN EXCLUSIVE !

Reasons Why God Compares Us To Sheep ISSUE NO 12 JANUARY 2019

convo's about Jesus, life& love with ELENA & NATALIA

omw! what are you looking at?

FREE

PLUS!

IT WAS THE HAND OF GOD + christian blogging

& CREATIVE IN CHRIST

TABLE OF CONTENTS Editors Note EXCLUSIVE: ELENA & NATALIA

OMW! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING! 3 ALLIES OF A CHRISTIAN

GATEWAYS TO YOUR: BODY (part 3) 10 reasons why tongues are important

WHY THANKFULNESS BY PROPHET G monthly devotion creative in Christ

SECTIONS

christian blogger humble, married & highly anointed words of wisdom

EDITOR'S NOTE Your majesty Where can I start but to give our Lord and Saviour all the praise for giving us the Grace to have made it this far! Not only is it a new day, week and month but YEAR. Let us not forget it’s not by power nor by might but by His Spirit.

This is the time where mind sets change and plans which are known to be New Year’s resolutions but when it comes to us saints there is one thing that shouldn’t change and that is our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. If we can check in so many letters of Apostle Paul he states; so much about standing firm in our faith.

Talking about resolutions as saints, in these last seconds we are living in they cannot in anyway be carnal (worldly). Our King is coming back and we do not want to be caught off guard nursing the resolutions that are carnal. I must be honest, this would be the First year my resolutions are based on spiritual growth and people in need. One of my favorite scriptures is is the prayer by Apostle Paul in 1 Ephesians 15-23 and ""My desire is to know Christ and to experience the power of His resurrection"' in (Philippians 3:10). Not forgetting one of the most important commands to love our neighbours.

Last year I learnt a lot about how dangerous is holding offence and how we have no right to hold an offence whether we right or wrong. If we can closely study the Bible there is in no way the Holy Scriptures state IF/UNLESS when it comes to principles and commands its either we take it or leave it.

In conclusion, cheers to growing in the things of the Spirit , wisdom , insight , love and giving. We are on issue 12 which is something I never anticipated we would reach when BEAUTY & THE GOSPEL started but then again the Lord’s ways are not ours neither are His thoughts. It’s an honour to be part of such a ministry.

Thank you for being a part of the magazine. The best is yet to come because it cannot be otherwise.

Look out for the article about why thankfulness is important by Prophet G. Check out M.K's article that always leaves one introspecting not forgetting our favorite the creatives in Christ . Lastly read every page, they have all been put together specially for you!!!!!! :-) If you happen to be a new reader, WELCOME ABOARD BELOVED. That’s it for now till month, you’re loved by Him and I.

EMPRESS_TEEKAY

ELENA&NATALIA

We at Beauty & The Gospel are honored to have interviewed these two women of God. What makes them so interesting is that they are twins who are big contributors to the media ministry and people's lives. Talk about women after Gods Heart.

EXCLUSIVE

Who is Elena and Natalia, personally and professionally and where are you from?

We’re twin sisters, Elena & Natalia Maranian, from Los Angeles, specifically born and raised in Glendale, CA, and of Armenian & Hispanic descent, and have a younger sister, Carolina. We are the hosts and producers of, “The Elena & Natalia Show” in which we engage in heartfelt, trans-parent conversations about Jesus, life, and love centered on the beauty and truth of God's Word. We also serve full-time at our family's media ministry and TV network, International Christian Family Network, where we hosted our former talk show, New Generation for 7 years (2009-2016). We enjoy the simple pleasures and treasures of life and finding beauty in the everyday.

How and when did you become Born Again?

ELENA - I feel truly thankful that God has blessed us with parents who raised us in the Word of God and who taught us that accepting Jesus into our hearts was a personal decision we had to make on our own. I may not recall the exact date, but I do believe it was only shortly after my twin sister accepted Jesus into her heart that I decided to make the decision to become born again as well. I always had the fear of God within me, even at a young age, and I was very cognizant of Who I was accepting into my heart. I knew not only to fear God in reverence but to fear Him in love, because I desire a personal and loving relationship with Him. He is my everything, He is everything beautiful, and everything graceful.

NATALIA - On August 5, 1994, at four years old, I made the personal decision to accept Jesus Christ into the home of my heart. Not only was my special day captured on a camcorder, but I remember every detail, because it’s been etched on my heart. Full of childlike faith and wonder, I experienced full of pure bliss and joy as I was clapping my hands and repeating, “Jesus, my heart! Jesus, come my heart,” over and over again with a huge smile on my face.

My mom told me that I had become born again, and even at that young age, I knew the enormity of my decision. My heart and my life have been His since the start. Of course, as I matured spir-itually, I grew in a deeper understanding of the immense love of our Abba Father and desire daily to grow not only in the gifts, but the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Ultimately, I’m beyond blessed to have beautiful parents who devotedly love the Lord our God and instilled a very solid foundation for my sisters and I to follow and build upon.

When I say the name Jesus what comes to mind?

Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus is Love.

Jesus is Life. Jesus is the most beautiful, powerful Name there ever was, is, and will be.

You are not only twins but also passionate about sharing the love of Jesus Christ through media, how did that come about and did you go to university to do the work you doing now?

We believe God created us as twins for a purpose. Though we are individuals with very distinct personalities, our destinies and ministries are uniquely intertwined. We are not only familially bonded, but spiritually united for life. It was right after we graduated from high school when our parents founded a 24/7 Christian TV network broadcasting programming in different languages, called International Christian Family Network.

The Lord made it super clear what our path was – media ministry.

The network needed new content and programming and so our parents encouraged us to start our very own program. With their support, we launched “New Generation,” our very first talk show, and after 7 years of host-ing and producing “New Generation” together, we decided to launch a new talk show, “The Elena & Natalia Show.”

We both graduated from Woodbury University with a B.A. in Communication with honors. As appreciative as we are for acquiring an education, we really honed our craft through on-thejob experience. There are virtues and ethics that cannot be learned in a classroom, morals and wisdom that cannot be bought, but sought. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov-erbs 9:10)! Only those who fear and revere God are establishing the start of true wisdom in their lives.

Knowledge is acquired through books, but wisdom is gained through meditating on the Holy Bible, the Scriptures, on a consistent basis. Carolina, our younger sister, refers to the Bible as the, “Textbook of Truth.”

Ultimately, the Lord’s given each one of us a measure of gifts, talents, and abilities and that is His gift to us, but what we do with it, and how we invest in it, is our gift back to Him S

Share with us the challenges you faced with starting the show?

The challenges we’ve experienced have actually been an opportunity to not only grow stronger spiritually, but to also hone our craft all the more. If we were to look at rejection – whether it be a network not interested in picking up our show or a video not generating a certain number of views – we would have already given up 10 years ago. We have learned to keep our eyes and hearts focused on God and what He has called us to do. Insecurities and doubts start to creep in, however, when we start comparing the results of the show’s success based off of how the world defines success vs. how God sees success. To the world, success is numbers. To God, success is faithfulness and consistency. God doesn’t see numbers, He sees our hearts. We must stay true to doing our best and God will handle the rest, and when the results may show otherwise, we remind ourselves that It’s not about our ability, but His ability and power working through us.

When writing material for the show, what goes into that?

Three main components go into writing our show: Prayer, Posture, Prepare. We PRAY over each of our shows, we POSTURE our hearts through fasting to receive fresh revelation, and we PREPARE ourselves through reading, researching, and reviewing. We also are intentional about inviting the Holy Spirit to edit, add, remove, and download new ideas as He pleases.

To people watching your show, what do you want them to know?

You are loved. You are seen. You matter.

You may not feel like you are, but that doesn’t make it true.

ELENA & NATALIA

God absolutely loves you more than you know, sees you for who you could be and still loves you just as you are, and cares for you beyond measure. We want you to know that when you’re watching our show, we’re not just talking to a camera, we’re talking to YOU, a beautiful soul with a beating heart, a divine purpose, and an extraordinary destiny. “The Elena & Natalia Show” is more than just a show to us. It’s a show to show-off God and His goodness. God has given us both a vision with a divine mission to fulfill the great commission – a co-mission – together. It’s really all about sharing the Good News of the Gospel and shining the spotlight on the main Star of the show, Jesus.

You also talk about Jesus, life and love centered on the beauty and truth of God’s Word. Why these particular topics and how important is it for us in the body of Christ to know our identity in King Jesus?

There is no purpose without Jesus, life, or love and He is the strong and unshakeable foundation of our identity. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are, “A chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of dark-ness into his wonderful light.” Once you see yourself as a royal heir of a divine Kingdom, you will see that you were made not only for good things but great things, and not only for great things, but God things! When we place our identity on the sheer Truth that we are LOVED by the God of the entire universe, we will be ‘Godfident’ in who we are in Christ. It is His love that sets us free and it is His love that lets us be.

It’s so rare to find twins who are passionate about the same thing, apart from Kingdom media work what else are you doing individually?

ELENA - I serve full-time as the Programming & Scheduling Director for my family’s media ministry and TV network, International Christian Family Network. I also enjoy baking, journaling, inte-rior design, and organizing.

NATALIA - I have a knack towards the more technical side of things, so I handle the behind-the-scenes operations at ICFN, from updating our website, creating a new app, and editing new con-tent. In my free time, I enjoy browsing book stores, reading, writing, and capturing beautiful mo-ments on camera.

What are the perks of being Born Again?

Salvation. Eternal life. Forgiveness of all our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. A renewed heart and mind. The fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit. True Love and purpose.

Friendship with the King of all kings. Joy that cannot be taken away. Peace that transcends all understanding.

How would you elaborate the verse “Do not be conformed to the standards of this world but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind”?

When we become born again, our spirits are transformed and brandnew. When God looks at us, He sees the perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ. But our souls, our mind, will, and emotions, still need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). We wash our minds by reading the word of God consistently and meditating on the truths found in the Bible. We focus on the eternal and not the temporary things of this world, and by doing so, our minds become like the mind of Christ and are so filled with His truth to the point that all the lies have no choice but to leave.

What challenges have you faced or are still facing as Born Again Christian Females?

Being in ministry is one thing. Being females in ministry is another thing. Being young females in ministry is a whole new challenge. Some legalistic folk think that women have no place teaching the Word of God, and perhaps may discount what we have to share. But, if God has already qualified us, no one can disqualify us.

God can use anyone and anything for His glory – male or female. Ministry is not called MEN-istry, where it’s only reserved for men, it’s a MIN-istry where we’re willing to minimize our own agenda to magnify the glory of the Lord. Psalm 68:11 says, “The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host.” We are women announcing the Good News and are proud hosts at that! Also, in a highly-saturated social media generation, where many women are applauded for flaunting their exterior beauty, we as born again females need to truly learn how to cultivate inner beauty and practice a lifestyle of purity and modesty, as an example to the younger woman watching. There are a lot of supermodels, but we need more role models.

If Jesus were to visit you for one day, what would you say to Him and how would you spend the rest of the day with Him? ELENA - Thank You. I love You. Honestly, just thinking about it makes me tear up. I feel l would just cry tears of joy in His presence. I would want to run into His arms and hear His heartbeat and stare into His eyes. I just feel lovesick for Him. He is my everything. I would want to spend the day holding His beautiful nailscarred hands and laying my head on His shoulder. I would want to wash His beautiful feet with perfume like Mary did. I would want to cook a delicious meal for him, bake a cake, and then sit and have a coffee date with Him. I would never want the day to end, I would take a ton of selfies with Him (hello, Millennial generation!) so I can have pictures to look at when the day ends.

I would invite Him on our show as our extra special guest and re-quest the honor of His presence. We wouldn’t need any lights in the studio because the Light Himself is in the House!

@elenanataliatv If you could change somethings about the modern church, what would it be?

The supernatural must become a natural part of the Church.

God puts the super to our natural, and together we’re supernatural. Jesus has US in His name, because he wants us to fulfill the Great Commission with Him. We’re not going to church to be a part of a church building, rather we have an integral part in building the church. We are one body, different members, different callings and denominations, but we must be united as “One In Christ” (Galatians 6:9). Are we inviting the Holy Spirit into our services? Are we welcoming His presence?

It’s not about how many ushers there are serving, but about how we’re ushering the Presence of God. It’s not about how brightly the stage lights shine, but how we’re pointing members to the true Light Himself.

It’s not about how the music sounds, but about the sound that NATALIA - Everything Elena just wrote! Jesus we’re releasing as a sweet sacri-fice unto the Lord. would be my dream interview Guest, but instead It’s not about how we good our coffee and donuts taste, but of asking Him all the questions, I just may find about how we’re feasting on the Bread of Life Himself. myself speechless and in awe gazing at Him. I It’s not about how exclusive or VIP our members are, but about really believe all of my questions will be how inclusive we are to inviting everyone into our doors. answered in the presence of the Answer Himself.

And, like a woman in love, my heart will just melt You may come in broken, but by the power of the blood of when I can finally look in His eyes and be with Jesus, you will leave whole.

Him. You may come in sick, but by the power of the blood of Jesus, you will leave healed.

You may come in chained, but by the power of the blood of Jesus, you will leave free.

"TO THE WORLD, SUCCESS IS NUMBERS. TO GOD, SUCCESS IS FAITHFULNESS AND CONSISTENCY. GOD DOESN’T SEE NUMBERS, HE SEES OUR HEARTS. WE MUST STAY TRUE TO DOING OUR BEST AND GOD WILL HANDLE THE REST."

What can you say to the young Christian who wants to get into media?

Be certain that you’re pursuing media because you’re actually called to it and not because you think that it will fulfill your dreams of fame and fortune. If God has called you to the field of me-dia, no one or nothing can stop it. Don’t give up when challenges arise. Pursue your purpose, and if it’s a God-given purpose, your passion will naturally follow and confirm your purpose.

Last words or rather advice for Christians?

ELENA - We must stay consistent and focused.

Consistency is key. It says in Genesis 6:9 that, “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless man living on earth at the time. He CONSIST-ENTLY followed God’s will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.” If you want to be counted as righteous and find favor with the Lord, CONSISTENTLY follow His will and also enjoy being with Him. A life lived consistently following God, is a life full of joy, righteousness and favor.

NATALIA - Love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength and then love people as you would love yourself. If you want true JOY, put Jesus first, Others next and Yourself last. Hide yourself in the Word of God and T.R.U.S.T. in the Lord by Taking Refuge Under the Shelter of Truth.

Plans for 2019?

We are full of anticipation and expectation for 2019. We want to receive everything and anything that God has in store for us. Whether that’s marriage, travel, and ministry, our plan is to follow His plan and we believe that He will open the right doors and close the wrong ones. We trust with our whole hearts that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us HOPE and a future (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He will lead us on the BEST pathway for our lives (Psalm 32:8). It doesn’t get any better than that. Professionally, we do plan on, if God wills, continuing to produce and host our talk show together, being picked up by more networks, connecting with new friends, being open to new God adventures, ‘GOD-ventures’, and hopefully this is the year our dreams of being found and pursued by our men of God becomes a reality!

ELENA & NATALIA

How can people get in touch with you?

■ Website: www.ElenaandNatalia.tv ■ Email: info@ElenaandNatalia.tv ■ Facebook.com/ElenaNataliaTV ■ Twitter.com/ElenaNataliaTV ■ Instagram.com/ElenaNataliaTV

Watch “The Elena & Natalia Show” on: Television: ■ International Christian Family Network, Inc. ■ TBN Nejat TV (TBN Middle East) ■ LifeStream Networks - The Women’s Channel Online: ■ www.ElenaandNatalia.tv/show ■ Subscribe to YouTube Channel

facts 101

On the weekend you will find us ….?

Lounging and relaxing at our favorite place, home, ordering in takeout or eating out at a restau-rant, spending quality time with our family, enjoying coffee and convos, catching up with friends, and, of course, going to church.

Can’t live without?

Jesus Christ, Love, Air, Food, Water.

I dream of …..?

One of our biggest dreams and desires of our hearts, that has yet to be fulfilled in God’s perfect will and timing, is marriage and motherhood. We are grateful for our media ministry, but we are also looking forward to the day we can call marriage and motherhood our very own personal ministry unto our family. We both dream of our future husbands and future children and the homes we’ll build together and the lives we’ll live together and the ministries we’ll form stronger together than if apart.

2019 is……

Prophetically declaring that 2019 is the year of LOVE. More love for God, and less – actually zero – fear of man. Perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18)! 2019 will be the year that per-fect LOVE perfects all which concerns us and ushers us into a greater realm of our destiny.

What people don’t know is that I …….?

ELENA - I am actually quite reserved. People assume that because I’m on TV, I must be super outgoing and sociable, but I really do enjoy my quiet time.

NATALIA - I am an FBI and CIA agent, because I have daily Focused-Bible-Investigations and am Christ-In-Action. One of my more wilder dreams was to work for the government as a Spe-cial Agent, until I realized that I actually am one!

If it weren’t for Jesus I would …….?

ELENA - Live a life without meaning or purpose. I wouldn’t know what true love is and my world would have no color. My life would be bleak and shallow, but Jesus brings the depth and He makes my world technicolor. Jesus brings the beauty and grace to my life.

NATALIA - If it weren’t for Jesus, I would have nothing. But with Him, I have everything. He is my beginning and my end, the Alpha and Omega, He is my completion.

Can’t stop thinking about?

ELENA - How God loved me and chose me in Christ, before He even made the world, to be ho-ly and blameless in His eyes (Ephesians 1:4). Also, been thinking about how beautiful the name of Jesus is, how powerful it is. Oh, how I love His name. If you have nothing else to say or don’t know what to pray, just call on His name JESUS, and He is so faithful.

NATALIA - The BEST is yet to come, and my best days are always in front of me and never be-hind me!

Daily mantra?

ELENA - Thank and praise and believe that He can do exceedingly, abundantly, above anything I can think, ask or imagine!

NATALIA - Before I even put my feet on the ground, I speak out declarations and affirmations from the word of God over my life and ask Him to direct my steps. I know that these powerful words will not return void: This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it! I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! No weapon formed against me shall prosper! I am the head and not the tail! I speak life and not death, blessings and not curses! I do not have a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and a sound mind!

Purpose is…….?

Our purpose is to share the love of Jesus through media and to advance the Kingdom of God through speaking and writing. Simply put, we were all created to bring God glory (Isaiah 43:7).

Best advice ever received?

ALL the BEST advice is found in The Holy Bible, the living and active word of God which is sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). The best prescription for life is Scripture, rather, “Prescripture”! There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, read one every day of the month. The treasures to be discovered there are endless. Like Mary knew, only ONE THING matters, being in God’s presence (Luke 10:42). That won’t ever be taken away from us.

Monthly Devotion I’ve come across books that were written in the 90’s by Radio Pulpit titled “Bread upon the waters”. They are books written so we could have a daily devotion. What’s so amazing about these books is the fact that till this day they are so informative and relevant more than ever.

In this one is based on the book of John with the heading: GOD’S PLAN AND MAN’S PLAN! Read John 11:45-57 Caiaphas was in with the Roman authorities and so he led a peaceful and comfortable life. Now all of this was threatened. Jesus’ miracle could cause an uprising among the Jews, which the Romans would mean an end to their peaceful lifestyle.

That is why Caiaphas said: “You do not realize that is better for you that one man dies for the people than that the whole nation perish” (v 50).

Rather let Jesus die- in this way the people would be saved. That was his plan.

God had another plan. God intended that His Son, Jesus, would die but that was in order to save the people from hell. It was God’s solution to the dim in the world.

It is actually ironical: God and Caiaphas both wanted one man to die for everyone, but they had different reasons for it.

We don’t always understand how our plans fit in with God’s plan. I often think that I have planned things really well but it is all part of God’s overall plan for me. Knowing this excites me. What plans has God in store for me?

Prayer: O Father, please let my plans always fit in with Your overall plan for my life.

OMW! WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

WRITTEN BY: M.K As children of God our lives revolve around Jesus and how to please Him. After all , He is the Boss of our lives and what satisfaction will you get apart from doing His will? Hey, the King of heaven loves us. He is the best thing that has ever happened to us.

WOW! Our eyes are the passage to our souls.

Whatever your eyes see will either build or destroy your spirit. As a child of God it is very important to always be aware of what your eyes feed to your soul. Luke 11:34 says; your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness.

Sin offends our Lord Jesus very much.

Whatever our eyes look at, e.g. violence, crime, horror, sex scenes, hatred, gossip, back biting etc. we normally see these and more and more on television, social media, movies, news papers, magazines and everywhere around us. We need to make some hasty decisions to avoid looking at things that will destroy and occupy our minds for days on end and in turn disturb our spirits. This eventually disturbs our connection with God. King Jesus spoke to sister Claire these words. “Soap operas are the epitome of sin and extremely noxious to Me. Like your nose in fresh dog excrement noxious. I mean, very very bad. These things not only offend Me but also THE Heavenly court, the angels and the saints. Yet in your world they are matter of fact part of everyday life”.

These words touched my being that I had to make a decision according to Romans 12:2- Do not be conformed to the systems of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.

I made up my mind to ditch watching anything secular. In my house we watch only gospel channels, read Christian books and the Bible only. Since we took this decision, our lives have changed drastically. We don’t miss all these secular ‘entertainment’.

Some people argue that you cannot cut off completely from news papers and television as you need to know what’s happening around you. I don’t think so. As long as something doesn’t build my character, then I don’t need it in my life. I’m not going to contaminate my soul and spirit.

Philippians 4:8 says; whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. This is what I want my mind to think about when I wake up in the middle of the night or when I’m alone with my thoughts.

Lord Jesus is within me, so whatever I’m seeing or watching, He is also a partaker enduring that sinful and filthy entertainment. He says: ’if my bride wants to find me, she must lay aside these things and purify her heart and mind from all form of entertainment that portray sin. You cannot watch all these profane things and think you will grow spiritually.

The question is, when you are having your quiet time, what is it you are thinking about? When you wake up in the middle of the night, what goes on in your mind? If unspeakable filth crops up, then you need to change how you entertain yourself. Guard the Spirit in you. Do not grieve Him. There is nothing good in the secular world except sin, suffering, fear, hurt and destruction. All these come from the devil so why would you have fellowship with him? Even children’s’ cartoons are so devilish. Hence some children are so evil and inconsiderate.

Demons are not our friends. Let’s not give them even the tiniest space in our lives. The devil does not come out to play but to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:10.

TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR SAY THIS FOLLOWING PRAYER

IT WAS THE HAND OF GOD You know so many times as Christians, wait let me say as human beings we face encounters that can only be solved by Jesus. These types of situations once solved, make you sit and be in awe of how a human could have never survived that. In everyday life we get to see the hand of God by merely being alive , we get to experience what an awesome God we serve . In every issue we feature a story that will change your life in every way. If you have no idea what God can do , this is one true example . This story is by NANDI MOTAUNG. You can also share yours with us at: beautyandthegospel@gmail.com.

My name is Nandi Motaung. I am a mother of two girls.

I got my first born when I was very young at age 23.

During that time before I gave birth to my first child, there was hope that the future will turn out well with my life as I dreamt of becoming a lawyer and an economist .I had planned so much with my partner about our future .Everything seemed fine until I fell pregnant ,things started to change .The person I was involved with started being a different person I could hardly define .In that period of my life the only person I could look up to was God and all I could do was to make Him my pillar of strength.

I survived! I was able to stand on my feet and raise my child alone .Because I was always hoping things will turn out fine, I stayed in the relationship as I never gave up easily. Nine (9) years later I got my second child, and then my partner eventually ended the relationship. By God's grace I was still employed at a legal company, I lost my job but God remained faithful as He provided me with my current job, since then I have been raising my children alone Being a single mother has led to many struggles in my life .What made my situation more difficult was that I had to be a breadwinner in my family .I ended up drowning into debts because I wanted to please everyone, provide for my family and so that at least we don’t go to bed with an empty stomach.

I was suffering from stress a lot because of this heavy burden that was on my shoulders, but that was before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. As years continued I received salvation .I gave my life to Jesus Christ .I remember one high as I was praying ,I told God about my challenges ,I casted all my burdens unto Him and I asked Him to be the Father of my daughters . From that day I never called myself a single mom because God was now in control.

In 2017, I was diagnosed with a heart disease. I was going in and out of hospital as doctors could not understand what was disturbing my normal heart rate .I turned to God and He was able to heal me till this present day.

As I wanted to thank God and acknowledge His existence in my life, I decided that I wanted to serve Him .Since then I became a youth teacher .My vision was to raise a youth that will not only depend on Jesus for answers and solutions and avoid passing through what I have experienced .

All in all, that is why I call my life: A JOURNEY OF A SURVIVOR

contributor

"Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High".

Psalms 50:14 (NLT).

We are honored to feature a true Prophet and Apostle of our time . Sharing with us the true and undiluted Word of God about the importance of Thankfulness. WE WELCOME PROPHET G

● Thankfulness is a high priority in Scripture e.g Leviticus 7:13- offerings were given to God for thanksgiving.

- In Thessalonians 5:18 the Bible says in everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ.

- Some general reason why we should be thankful because it honors God! - When we are thankful, we recognize that God exits, and we are acting on the reality of His life as the very source and means of ours.

● The word “thanksgiving” can be defined as the expression of gratitude, especially to Almighty God. One of the great commandments is to give thanks to God, for all He has done for us. According to Psalms 100:4 we are to “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His Courts with praise; be thankful unto Him and bless His name”.

Christ, Himself.

● True thankfulness recognizes our total dependence on God and stems from realizing that everything going on in our lives and all we have is the product of God's Sovereign control, infinite wisdom , purposes, grace and activity

● READ: Heb 13:15 - Thankfulness is a mental or verbal expression of one's acknowledgement & appreciation of God's person, His grace, blessings, sovereign work in one's life and the world.

● WHY THANKFULNESS IS SO IMPORTANT - Because it is a commanded in Scripture.

- First the Psalms are filled with the call to give thanks an e.g is Ps 100:4 READ which says - Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise . Give thanks to Him & praise His Name .

- Read: Colossians 3:15,17 Paul in Colossians he twice gives the command to be thankful.

Because of the dangerous consequences of thanklessness! ● Thanklessness is dangerous to self and others. It dishonors God and leads to proud humanism or dependence on man rather that God, in addition it leads to bitterness, complaining and a joyless life. ● Read: - 1Corth 9: 14 The Lord has commanded that the Church should take care of the work of the ministry. * Any church therefore that does not financially support the work of ministry is contravening the commandments of the Lord. ● So, you can claim to be a member of the Church of Christ and yet not obey this commandment which has been God's plan through His work with mankind to get the gospel to all world.

● Read: Heb 12:15 - Since thankfulness is a response to the grace of God, it's opposite is bitterness with its companions which are complaining and grumbling, are the product of an unthankful heart that fails to properly respond to God in faith to His person , infinite wisdom, grace & purposes ● Thanklessness promotes pettiness, occupation with self , people and problems. That in turn creates depression & feelings of hopelessness because we become focused on our problems rather than God. ● But thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. Who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of Him in every place. ● THANKFULNESS IS A SPIRITUAL BAROMETER - It is an evidence of the condition of our spiritual life and value system which should give us a warning if we have ears to hear.

• SOME CONTRASTS TO CONSIDER - Thankfulness is the opposite of selfishness.

- The selfish person says I deserve what comes to me - God and others are ought to make me happy and fulfill my expectations ▪ - Thankfulness is the opposite of murmuring and pettiness - The thankless person tends to depend on his own merit & abilities - The thankful person on the other hand , seeks to triumph and lives by the grace of God rather than by his own ingenuity or self sufficiency - Read : 1 Corths 15:57 - Thankfulness is the opposite of self- trust ● THE SOURCE OF A THANKFUL HEART - Since spiritual understanding is so vital to a thankful heart ,a word -filled life is a necessary.

- READ: Colossians 1:9 Living in the Word keeps our focus where it belongs.

.- God has designed the Christian life to be lived under the control and influence of the Holy Spirit.

- Read: Eph 5: 1 Remembering who we are as God's children is another source of being thankful.

- Read: Heb 12:15 Remembering to what we have been called to one body in which there should be peace and recognizing the consequences of a thankfulness heart. ● DANGER OF TAKING YOUR BLESSINGS FOR GRANTED One day Yeshua encountered thanklessness with the Story is in Luke 17 * Thankfulness is unfortunately a lost art today - READ:- Luke 17: 12-19 it deals with 10 men who had leprosy, one of the lepers returned & threw himself at Yeshua’s feet and thanked Him .........Why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus?

- Many people today they behave exactly like those 9 lepers, they are very committed to the Church before the blessing. After the blessing you will never see them in Church. ● THE FOLLOWING ARE 9 SUGGESTED REASONS WHY THE 9 DID NOT RETURN * One waited to see if the cure was real * One waited to see if it would last * One said he would see Jesus later * One decided that he never had leprosy * One said he would have gotten well anyway * One gave the glory to the Priests * One said oh well Jesus didn't really do anything * One said any rabbi could have done it * One said I was already much improved

● YESHUA ASKED THE QUESTION -Here to stimulate all to think concerning their obligation of returning thanks to God for all that He would do in showing mercy to man.

-The gratitude of the one leper in contrast to the ingratitude of the 9 illustrates how often men forget God's BLESSINGS in both the material & spiritual realms ● 2018 has ended and 2019 has just begun. It's a time for all of us to celebrate God's goodness and a time for us to be thankful for the many good things that He has done and will be doing for all of us. ● We have reached the end of 2018. It is a time to express our thanks to God for the great things he has done this past year and shall do in this new one. ● Many people ask us “How can I praise God in my present bad situation? He gives our friends everything they pray for-while He does not answer us?” To them we answer: ● “If we are not thankful, we are bitter and angry with God. If we are not content with God, we become rebellious and complaining which are serious sins before God” ● IN CONCLUSION READ:- 1 Corinthians 9: 14 , Galatians 6:6-10 , 1Timothy 5:18 , Matthew 10: 41-42 , Heb 13:7 , Ezekiel 44:30

May it be well with you because it cannot be otherwise~ PROPHET G

SCRIPTURE OF THE MONTH

So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above .

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

reasons why God compares us to sheep WRIITEN BY: JULIE PLAGENS Do you ever wonder why God compares us to sheep in the Bible? Is it that we are cute and cuddly like them, or is there more to the comparison? There has to be a reason why Jesus would refer to Himself as the Good Shepard and us, His sheep.

After much research, I found out why we are like sheep. Some of these reasons are funny and heartwarming. And some are just downright shocking that we are so alike. In fact, they may make you think twice about your life. Read this, and you will see what I mean.

1. Sheep Have No Sense Of Direction

I’m really trying not to laugh. I mean, that is pretty

Many people say sheep are stupid. Let’s just say they have no

stupid.But, oh my goodness, I can see why God compares

sense of direction- at all. In fact, they will follow whoever is

us to sheep.

leading them. Even if it leads them off a cliff. Remember the question, “If your friend jumps off a cliff, would you do it, too?”

How many times do we follow someone who is leading us in

Well, they would…

the wrong direction or acts foolishly? We see our friends

This is a real news story I found online. In Eastern Turkey, about

fall off the cliff, and we go right along with them into the

1500 unattended sheep fell off a cliff while the shepherds were

ravine. Or we imitate them because we think it is cool when

eating breakfast far away from the flock.

they are really just doing something stupid. And now, we

The first 400 fell to their death in a ravine, but the remaining 1100

are too…

were saved because the first 400 broke the fall. The first 400

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned

sheep were a big, fluffy cushion for the other sheep. Sounds like a

everyone to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6).

good commercial for toilet paper.

Apparently, this is what happened. The sheep in the back couldn’t

2. Sheep Are Defenseless

see past the sheep in front, so they were unaware of what was

Sheep cannot defend themselves very well. Ever seen

ahead. The sheep in front couldn’t stop because the sheep in the

sheep growl or show their teeth? Or maybe bark, bite, run

back were pushing them forward. Kinda remind you of your teen

fast, shoot quills or pull out their claws? Perhaps they could

years, huh?

spray you with their…uh, fur.

I read another funny story about sheep. One farmer said that if

They do have two things in their arsenal. kick. When sheep

you have a bunch of sheep in a barn, stretch a rope across the

are frightened by noise, such as running water, they will

door before you let them out.

run away as a group. (They are fearful of drowning.)

When the sheep come out of the barn, the first few will jump over

And I read they do kick, especially if they are protecting

the rope. If you cut the rope, the remaining sheep will still jump

their young. Other than that, they are a Snicker’s bar just

over the “invisible rope” because it’s what the rest of the flock did.

waiting to be eaten by a wolf, if they don’t stick together.

We are much the same way. We can kick a little and run,

5. Sheep Are Not Meant To Carry Burdens

but, mostly, we are defenceless. God compares us to sheep

You will never see a sheep carrying a pack on its back.

because we need His protection. We need to stick together

Other animals are good for carrying things. But not sheep.

as fellow Christians. Fighting off the enemy as one with the

They were not meant to carry a heavy load. They would be

Good Shepherd at the gate.

crushed under such a weighty burden.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as

This is why God compares us to sheep. We were not meant

a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may

to carry our burdens. We are to give Him our heavy load so

devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

He can carry it for us.

“Cast your burdens on the Lord, and He will sustain you”

3. Sheep Can’t Get Up Without Help

(Psalm 55:22).

Again, trying not to laugh…Sometimes sheep will turn over on their back (like a cockroach or turtle) with their legs in

6. Sheep Will Settle For Less

the air flailing. There is an old English shepherd’s term for

When sheep are thirsty, they will stop at a dirty puddle

this. It is called “cast down.”

right in front of them. They are not aware when clean, still

A “cast” sheep is actually a pitiful sight. If the shepherd

waters are nearby. Sheep are content with filth, so long as

does not lift up the sheep and put it back on its feet, it will

it satisfies at the moment. They will stink and never even

die. It is completely helpless to the prey around it when in

know it. They have no discernment for what is best.

this position. It could get left behind when the flock moves

I find we are not much different. Many times we see a dirty

on.

puddle in front of us and go straight for it because we think

How many times have we been “cast down” and flailing on

that is all there is in life. We think we are satiated, but we

our backs? I can think of a few times when I would have

stink instead.

been in serious trouble without intervention from the Good

Perhaps it even looks enticing at the time because, after all,

Shepherd. Thank goodness He loves us enough to help us

it is “water.” Many times we KNOW it will harm us, yet we

get right-sided. I know God compares us to sheep for good

still do it because we are stubborn or blinded from the

reason. We are a mess without Him.

truth.

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in

God compares us to sheep because we don’t always know

his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isaiah 40:11).

what is good for us.

The Lord is my Shepherd. I want for nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters

4. Sheep Are Emotional And Recognize The Shepherd’s

(Psalms 23:1-2).

Voice This is where stupidity ends for sheep. They have a

7. Sheep Are Valuable.

remarkable instinct for knowing the voice of their shepherd.

Sheep were treated as a prized possession in Jesus’ day.

Because they are emotional animals, they can recognize

You were counted a wealthy man if you owned large flocks

others. Amazingly, they will fear a stranger’s voice and flee.

because they provided meat and milk. And they produced

Since they are emotional, they have the ability to build

offspring and wool. Shepherds made many sacrifices to

friendships and stick up for each other when in a fight.

make sure their flocks were protected. They knew it was

They can also get anxious or distressed. And they feel sad

their livelihood at stake.

when their sheep friends are gone (dead).We can learn a

How much more precious are we than smelly sheep? God

lot from these animals. What they lack in direction, they

made the ultimate sacrifice for us because he loved us so

make up for in loyalty, friendship, and voice recognition for

much. He died on a cross so we would live with Him forever.

the shepherd.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he shouted, “Look, the

I think there is a breakdown here when God compares us to

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John

sheep. We aren’t so loyal, we don’t stick up for friends

1:29).

always, and we struggle to recognize the Shepherd’s voice.

Perhaps we don’t know His voice because we aren’t communing with Him all day and all night like sheep. We do have the ability to hear the Shepherd’s voice if we will stop and listen. But that is hard for some sheep (us), I think.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 ).

We are to be innocent as lambs. Pure and righteous. Not 8. Sheep Can Not Care For Themselves When Wounded

goats who are independent, strong-willed, and destructive.

When a sheep gets a wound or bite, itself. Other animals

And He’ll “separate the people one from another as a

lick a wound until it heals, but not sheep. They need a

shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew

shepherd to tend to their injuries.

25:32).

Many times there would be a salve that needed to be put on a sheep’s leg and binding of the wounds. A good

God Compares Us To Sheep Because We Need Him As Our

shepherd would look after the wound constantly until it was

Good Shepherd.

healed completely.

Just like sheep, we have no direction without Him. We lack

Oh, how he wants to look after our wounds and treat it with

protection on every side, and we were never meant to

salve and bind it up. Often we are broken-hearted and

carry a heavy load. We cannot make it alone without help.

need His healing, but we won’t let Him touch us.

On the other hand, I find it heartwarming that as senseless

“He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds”

as sheep are, God made them valuable. You would never

(Psalms 147:3).

think they had any redeeming qualities because they are such wanderers. But they do.

9. Sheep Are Innocent

Oh, that we would take a lesson from sheep and run to the

In the Bible, sheep represent purity and innocence. It was

Good Shepherd who will lead us to the spring of living

the lamb that was sacrificed at Passover because it

waters and take care of us forever.

represented the Lamb of God- flawless, pure, and holy. It

For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their

wasn’t a goat or any other animal.

shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'” (Revelation

Interestingly, goats are known for being independent,

7:17).

opinionated and curious at best—or vulgar, dangerous and destructive at worst. If you know anything about Satanism, you know they use a goat for their symbol as it is the opposite of a lamb.

WWW.MOMSREMADE.COM

HUMBLE, MARRIED &

HIGHLY ANOINTED

Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate .

-Ecclesiastes 4:12 A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Created by God for us.

This issue focuses on the POWER COUPLE: Prophet G and Pastor T Baloyi

You will notice that this title differs from the one I’ve been using since the inception of this magazine. The reason is that, this time I’ve featured a very special couple, which is very important and so close to my heart. I didn’t get the opportunity to interview them since they were preparing for their glorious wedding.

Here I am talking about my spiritual parents. This is my Pastor : Dr Prophet Geoffrey Gezani and his wife Pastor Thuto , in continuation with this article I will be referring to them as Prophet G and Pastor T. In the month of December 2018 I was blessed to partake in a wedding that wasn’t ordinary as the ones getting married are in no way ordinary. I personally had never met a couple like this especially when it comes to ministry so can you imagine how their wedding was. No I am not saying this because they are my spiritual parents but because it’s true.

Their wedding celebration was divided into two parts. In South Africa it’s known as the Traditional wedding where cultures of the groom and bride are celebrated and the white wedding which is the Western wedding and is the same throughout the whole world.

The Traditional wedding took place on the 1st of December 2018 , talk about starting the month on an awesome note. I must say I must have enjoyed more than anyone else because my culture which is the XiTsonga tribe was dominating. Then on the 9th December 2018 was the Western wedding which took place at a beautiful wedding venue outside of Johannesburg , South Africa.

Something I’ll never forget about that venue is the scenery that was behind the place where the couple got to exchange their vows. It’s one of those scenes which are not man-made but God made. Not only was God their Spiritually but also Physically. What an awesome God we serve.

Prophet G: is a highly anointed man of God but believe me when I say he is so humble. To be honest before I met him I wasn’t so sure that truly in these last seconds we are living in, such men of his calibre “real prophets existed” and as usual God shocked me. Granted the opportunity to meet Prophet G, you might mistake him for an ordinary man but trust me , he is not ordinary. God is using him mightily in such a way that all his prophecies leave you flabbergasted when God reveals secrets you know no one knows except yourself and God. He always says that; his spiritual antennas are very tuned up.

This man of God hears from Heaven. He also has a gift of deliverance where he delivers people that are afflicted by the devil and is able to discern different kinds of spirits and is always on point. No spirit can hide itself when he is around hence he has been conferred with a doctorate in discernment. The way he has been gifted, he is able to eg. detect presents (which have been bewitched) and are given to people on their celebration days, he points out poisonous stuff put into foods (that are meant to harm people)

and detects what type of spirit one is afflicted with and where it comes from unfortunately in most cases it derives from family members , friends and colleagues ( that’s Africa for you). If I could state all that he does this article would fill many pages. Hope I’ve given you at least the type of Anointing he carries.

This verse comes to mind: 1 Peter 5-6 NIV “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Pastor T: is an anointed woman of God and so humble not forgetting shy. In most cases unfortunately Minsters wives think so highly of themselves forgetting one of the mandates of being a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 20:26) which is to serve and not be served. The minute she opens her mouth to preach, you are convicted by the Word of God and the only words one can utter are: “Wow, Jesus is Lord”. What I love most about them is they preach King Jesus. The authentic, scriptural and undiluted WORD OF GOD. Like her husband, she is also down to earth; hence this title suits them exactly. She is young but very spiritually grown, you could learn a lot from her both old and young. As one man of God stated: “To be a wife of a man of God is not a decision one makes, it’s a calling that God Himself selects you for”. This verse describes the woman she is : 1 Peter 3-4 “Instead, your beauty should consist of true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit , which is one of the greatest value in God’s sight.” This power couple loves the Lord and their ministry is built upon the Word of God. Lastly can I just boast about how all the prophecies that Prophet G has prophesied have come to pass! As he always confidently says : “Whether you believe it or not, the prophecies shall come to pass because it can never be otherwise”. In conclusion I’d love to give a shout out to King Jesus for blessing us with such a HUMBLE, MARRIED & HIGHLY ANOINTED COUPLE.

prophet g & pastor t

baloyi

happy new year BY: m.k

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!! WELCOME 2019

Why don’t we make resolutions that will grow us

RESOLUTIONS???

spiritually? E.g. spending more time reading and studying the word of God, make time to our days by

Romans 12: 2 Do not be conformed to the standards

spending time praying, I meant a fervent prayer not a

of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a

praying- while- busy type of a prayer, learning how to

complete change of your mind. Then you will be able

meditate and seriously seeking the face of God.

to know the will of God - what is good and is pleasing to Him and is perfect.

You will also be able to declutter your spirit of the things that are hindering us to be productive

Every beginning of the year people spend their time

children of God. We will also grow and stop being

and energy thinking about the resolutions they want

spiritual dwarves.

to concentrate on and achieve during the year. They make vows to stick to these everyday to make sure

One of the most beneficial resolution would be to

they come to pass.

know Jesus more and the power of His resurrection.

Most of these vows are so carnal but Christians make

Wow, this is what will build our spirit, soul and body.

them anyway. The word of God is against us making

If you are strong spiritually, no devil from the pit of

promises we will be unable to keep. Some people

hell will make you their plaything. I refuse in Jesus’

make resolutions such as losing weight, start going

name!!! Amen!!!

to the gym and a whole lot of vain things. You find

.

that none of those have anything to do with one’s spirit or God’s word.

Why are we torturing ourselves like this? Why do we always want to do what the world does? That is ruled by the most evil spiritual being.

FEATURED

TEN REASONS WHY EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD SPEAK IN TONGUES! (part 2) written by: Kenneth E. Hagin

Reason 4- Praying in Tongues is Praying in Line with God’s Perfect Will Romans 8: 26-27 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Speaking in tongues keeps selfishness out of prayers. A prayer out of one’s own mind and thinking has the possibility of being unscriptural. It may be selfish. Too often our prayers are like old farmers who prayed, “God bless me, my wife, my son John, his wife – us four and no more.”

In the scripture quoted above Paul didn’t say we didn’t know how to pray- for we do. We pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the correct way to pray. But just because I know how to pray doesn’t mean I know what to pray for . Paul said , “….We know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Itself (Himself) maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

P.C Nelson, a scholar of the Greek, said that the Greek literally reads here, “”The Holy Ghost maketh intercession for us in groanings that cannot be uttered in articulate speech.”

Articulate speech means our regular kind of speech. He went on to point out how the Greek stresses that this not only includes groanings escaping our lips in prayer, but also praying in other tongues. This agrees with what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:14 “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth . . . ” Or as the Amplified translates, “My spirit (by the Holy Spirit within me) prays.”

When you pray in tongues- it is your spirit praying, by the Holy Spirit within you. The Holy Spirit within you gives the utterance- and you speak it out of your spirit. You do the talking. He gives the utterance. By this method the Holy Spirit helps you pray according to the will of God, as things should be prayed for.

This isn’t something the Holy Spirit does apart from us. Those groanings come from inside us and escape our lips. The Holy Spirit isn’t going to do our praying for us. He is sent to dwell in us as a Helper and an Intercessor. He isn’t responsible for our prayer lives- He is sent to help us pray.

Praying with other tongues is praying as the Spirit gives utterance. It is Spirit-directed praying. It eliminates the possibility of selfishness in our prayers.

Many times, when people have prayed out of their own minds, they have changed things that were actually not the will of God and were not best. If God’s people want things a certain way, even if it isn’t best for them, or is not God’s perfect will, He will often permit it. God did not want Israel to have a king, but they wanted one. So, He permitted then to have one. But it was not His highest will.

Reason 5- Praying in Tongues Stimulates Faith JUDE 20 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Praying in tongues stimulates faith and helps us learn to trust God more fully. If the Holy Spirit supernaturally directs the words I speak, faith must be exercised to speak, faith must be exercised to speak with tongues.

For I don’t know what the next word will be- I am trusting God for it. And trusting God for it. And trusting God in one line will help me to trust Him in another.

As a young Baptist minister, I pastored a community church, stayed in the home of a Methodist couple. The wife was a fine dear woman, who loved the Lord. But she had an ulcerated stomach, which doctors feared would lead to cancer. Her husband made good money, but he had spent everything he had on medical bills. I knew God could and would heal her, but somehow, I was never able to lift her faith up to that point. She ate only soft foods and milk, and had difficulty keeping that on her stomach. But one day a wonderful thing happened! She received the infilling of the Holy Spirit. When I came in, she was eating foods she’d never been able to eat.

“I received not only the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and spoke with other tongues,” she told me, “but I received my healing too. I’m perfectly well.” And she was.

I’ve seen this happen many times. What is the connection? We know that receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not heal us. However, speaking with tongues helps us to learn to trust God more fully. Speaking in tongues helps us to believe God for other things because it stimulates our faith.

Reasons 6 – Speaking in Tongues, a means of keeping free from worldly contamination 1 Corinthians 14:28 28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and not to God. The sixth reason every Christian should speak in tongues is that this is a means of keeping free from the contamination of the ungodly and profane, and all the vulgar talk around us on the job or out in public.

Notice form the scripture above that we can speak with tongues to ourselves. Paul said that in the church service. “If any man speaks in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God” (1 Cor. 14:27-28).

If we can speak to ourselves and to God in a church service, we can also do it on the job. It won’t disturb anyone. In the barber shop, for instance, when men tell risqué jokes, I just sit there and speak to myself and to God in tongues. Riding the train, bus, or airplane- we can speak to ourselves and to God. On the job- we can speak to ourselves and to God. Talking in tongues to yourself and to God will be means of keeping free from contamination Look out for the next issue with the continuation of the reasons!

T A K E N

F R O M :

W W W . G O D T A L K S . C O

gates of the body , soul and spirit! (part 3) We may have inadvertently given demonic forces legal access and legal rights to sit in the gateways to dominate. Our ancestors may have given legal right to a demon. That legal right may still be there.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20. What is the door?

What is the gateway?

In this issue we will be looking at the :

BODY GATEWAY The main gateways are ♦ Touch, ♦ Taste, ♦ Smell, ♦ Sight & ♦ Hearing.

With unbelievers almost all of the flow of information is via the five body gateways.

TOUCH If a person has been sexually molested or physically abused, this gateway has likely been defiled. How a person reacts when hugged often will give you a clue if a demon is sitting at this -

0 3 -

gateway.

They could have a spirit of anger sitting at this gateway. That spirit can control the entry of love.

In such a situation, a prayer can go something like this: Today in the name of Jesus I reject the lies in this gateway. I reject the power and control over the gate of touch. I take authority in this gateway and release the fire of God to come and fill this gateway.

When the touch gateway is clean, people can feel love flowing in.

TASTE People with addictions must often cleanse this area.

SMELL Smells can release all sorts of memories.

One of the best ways to dispel a demon at the smell gateway is fasting.

SIGHT Once this gateway has been defiled, a strong spirit of lust, pornography, etc. can sit over it. We have to place a strong resistance over that .

A person with a spirit of pornography at the sight gate will be continually be pulled back because the demon wants to see more.

This gateway controls the mind gateway.

When I say that I AM A CHRISTIAN, I am not shouting that I am clean living. I’m whispering I was lost, but now I’m image is portrayed into their imagination. found forgiven.

Sample prayer: Father I release the flow of the glory of Godand through the gateways of revelation, imagination and physical sight. May my eyes become repulsive to the demonic world as I reflectI the gloryspeak of God of within When I say I AM A CHRISTIAN, don’t thisme. with Growing up we are trained to see I’m from confessing the outside in. that God wants us to seeand fromneed the inside out. to be pride.

I stumble Christ my guide.

HEARING When I say I AM A CHRISTIAN, I’m not trying to be strong.

Verbal abuse of any kind affects the hearing gateway. This can cause spirits such as spirits of rejection and death to enter.

I’m professing that I’m weak and need His strength to The hearing gateway controls what the mind thinks. Negative hearing can resist hope flowing from the Holy Spirit. carry on.

Summary When say Ithe AM A CHRISTIAN. I’m not bragging of Couple prayer and fasting with pullingI down strongholds in the gateways.

Keeping the strongholds out is a way of life and not a quick fix. success. I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean When you are aware of sin in your life, deal with it as quickly possible. my as mess.

Become alert to the Holy Spirit working in your life. This often starts as a conviction. Spend time strongly praying in tongues When I say I AM A CHRISTIAN, I’m not claiming to be to maintain the level of the flow of the spirit. perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am Isaiah 11:2 talks about the seven spirits of God. If you have an understanding of this, it can be useful to have them help you to worth it. get cleansed. However, you must be careful that you are not speaking to similar spirits from the occult.

WhentoIbuild say scriptural I AM A pictures CHRISTIAN, I still feel the sting of pain.

When praying it can be useful in the imagination.

That can help keep your mind from wandering. have share of heartaches, so I call upon Hisagainst name.the powers of this dark Our struggle is not againstIflesh andmy blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12 than thou, When I say I AM CHRISTIAN , I’m not holier In cleansing out gateways,I’m we are struggling against our flesh so received much as weGod’s are struggling just a simple sinner who good against grace,unclean spirits.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 somehow!

When people see things that are not there, it is because a demon has such strong control over the sight gateway that the

I.e., you have been adopted in God’s family. You have rights to an inheritance.

Demon spirits can control any of the gates of our soul or body. Cast them out.

Monthly Devotion AN URGENT LETTER! Read JUDE 3,4 Jude had intended to sit down and write a leisurely treatise on the gospel, a document that would be for the benefit of the whole church, that would summarise and simplify the teachings of all the other apostles. But an urgent need has arisen that demands his full attention. He must write in haste concerning certain false teachers who are disturbing the church.

Jude tells us two things about these men and the danger they posed to the church.

Firstly, they were departing from the message that had been proclaimed by the apostles from the beginning. New doctrines are always dangerous.

Beware of people who say, “The Lord has revealed this to me. It is a new message we have never heard before. It is a message for the twentieth century.” That is always a mark of false teaching.

Secondly, Jude tells us that such people are godless, and use grace as an excuse for licentiousness. They imagine that sins can simply be ignored.

Look at these modern false teachers: they are wealthy beyond imagination; they claim wealth as their right; they are often immoral and avaricious, greedy for wealth and power. We have been warned of such people, let us be on our guard against them. Do not let them deceive you.

Prayer: Lord, guard my mind and my faith. May I not be deceived.

creative in Christ

MR MAJO "ALMOST FAMOUS" WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT WITH SOUTH AFRICA'S TALENTED CHRISTIAN COMEDIAN: MR MAJO. AS THE BIBLE SAYS: THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS OF SERVING , BUT THE SAME LORD IS SERVED! 1 CORINTHIANS 12;5 TALK ABOUT LIVING FOR GOD AND STILL BEING DOPE!

1. Who is MR MAJO and where are you from?

- Mr Majo’s real name Mukovhe Magwedze is a Christian stand-up comedian, radio presenter, actor and entrepreneur from Makwarela, in Thohoyandou Limpopo 2. Who is King Jesus to MR MAJO? - King Jesus is above all my Lord and Saviour, my pillar, fortress and Father the list goes on 3. When I say the name Jesus what comes to mind?

- The power that Name possesses and its unlimited possibilities when called upon.

4. How did the name MR MAJO come about and when did you start the comedy journey?

- Well, when I was around 12-13 years old, me and my little brother Tondi Rams were part of a dancing club. We would always try to out dance each other and whenever either of us did something amazing we would say that’s magic, so then we called each other magic.

Fast forward to a few years later, we then cut it short to Majo and as I grew, I added the Mr to it. The first time I ever got on stage was on the 24th of December 2014 at a Gospel concert at CWC Manini.

5. You are a Christian comedian; how did you decide to combine comedy and the Gospel and how do you get your material for gigs?

- At a certain stage in life I chose to be saved. I have been in church my whole life, so growing up, I had always been fond of joking around, be it at school or home. The Christian foundation always made sure that it never diverged from my Christian values. I wouldn’t say: I decided to combine the two but rather it just came naturally, my material is mostly filled with my personal experiences, family and observations be it at churches or anywhere I am.

6. Not only are you a comedian but also a radio host what other work in media would you love to get into?

- My lifelong dream has always been to be on Television. I am extremely passionate about acting and I would also love to be a host of my own comedy talk show, so if anyone reading this can make it happen, CALL A BROTHER LOL! 7. What challenges do you face as a young, born again male?

- One of the greatest challenges I personally face is: seeing all my peers who are in the comedy scene but not Christian comedy flourish with ease. I as a Christian comedian have to work 10 times harder than a circular comedian to get the same recognition. A lot of my friends who started the journey with me have since made the decision to conform and they prosper so quickly without fail, and they all sit you down and try convince you how better you could be doing out there.

8. Define purpose and how can one determine their purpose?

- Purpose is that reason for which I have been created and placed on this earth! When it comes to determining your purpose, I’d say out of the many things one can do; number one, asking the Creator Himself what yours is. He speaks in numerous ways I believe, but one of the main ones in this regard is the passion you would feel towards something, your inner guidance, what your heart says about something.

9. How important is it to be around people with a purpose that is aligned to yours?

- Simply because you are mostly never at risk of engaging in activities or lifestyles that are not aligned with your purpose, people who seek the same goals as you are the best travel buddies in this journey of life!

10. To you, what does it mean to be CREATIVE IN CHRIST? - I guess it just means to live to the full potential of what God has placed inside you. I was created by the most Creative of all, in fact He is the epitome of the word, so I shouldn’t struggle to be creative when in Christ.

11. Have you always aspired to be a comedian?

- Yes, I remember the very first time I was exposed to stand Up comedy was when I was about 9 years old. I caught a stand Up comedian special by Martin Lawrence and I just couldn’t believe one could actually just talk and make people laugh for hours on end, I just fell in love.

12. To someone going through the worst right now, what’s your message?

- God has not forgotten about you, if you are still alive and breathing there is still hope, it may not seem so at the moment, but I too was once in a terrible situation. I can guarantee you with one of my favourite verses from Romans 8:18 “The pain that you have been feeling. Can’t compare to the joy that’s coming”...your time to rejoice is coming, just you keep the faith and trust fully in Him. 13. Beauty and the Gospel is about “living for God and still being dope”(biblically). You fit that so perfectly, so how do you then as young as you are able to do that, especially in these times we are living in?

- Well for some time there has been a misconception amongst the young that living for God means dull and boring. I just make sure I live my life to the fullest, follow all my dreams and goals but maintain my Christian values and excel at what I do too.

14. If you were granted one lifetime opportunity, what would it be?

I pray the Lord keeps my mother long enough to really see me become something big. I want her to fully enjoy the fruits of all her blood, sweat and tears. I want her on stage when I receive many more awards, when halls, arena’s and streets are named after me and I want her by my side.

C R E A T I V E

T I M E

I

G O T

M Y

K N E W

B E C A U S E

I

T R U S T E D

G O D

O N E

I

I

I S

A M

F A M O U S

A L M O S T

W I L L

N A M E

A N D

M A J O

F I R S T

S T A G E

O N

S H O U T E D :

M R

C H R I S T

V E R Y

T H E

F R O M

I N

D A Y

I T .

A N D

T H A T

I

M A K E

15. When people hear the name Mr Majo ALMOST FAMOUS. What do you want them to know?

From the very first time I got on stage I shouted my name is Mr Majo and I am Almost Famous because I knew and trusted God that I will one day make it, so with mine it’s basically a message of ITS POSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE AND DECLARE. That’s what I want the ones that follow me to know. I was a young kid from the rural areas to be able to say I am ALMOST A DOCTOR, ALMOST AN ENGINEER, anything through the power of the tongue, believing and working hard at it 16. How can people access you?

-Well I can be reached on facebook on Mr Majo #Almostfamous, Instagram @mrmajo_almostfamous and on twitter its @mr_majo1

@mrmajo_almostfamous

17. Last words and plans for 2019?

My last words would be to all aspiring young comedians is that it: it doesn’t have to be vulgar to be funny, one doesn’t need to forsake their moral values in the name of making people laugh. As for the plans, they are way too many to mention but I want to really play a vital role in the recognition of Christian comedy in south Africa. I want to inspire a wave of many young Christians who will be able to even exceed anything I ever achieve.

18. On the weekend you will find me ….?. – On Stage mostly making people laugh 19. Can’t live without? - My God, family and phone 20. I dream of …..?. – Being the greatest ever 21. 2019 is …..? - My best year as of yet 22. What people don’t know is that I…….? – was once a very good soccer player with hopes of playing for the national team 23. If it weren’t for Jesus I would …….? - be dead 24. Can’t stop thinking about? – One day filling up a stadium for Christian comedy 25. Daily mantra? – Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow 26. Purpose is…….? Bigger than me 27. Favourite Comedian? - Steve Harvey 28. I will retire the day ……? – I die 29. Best advice ever received? - It’s never too late to be whoever you want to be, live a life you are proud of.

OF

WORDS

WISDOM

.

THE 3 ALLIES OF A CHRISTIAN by: sarah liberty (christcenteredmama.com) This life is a war. Do you feel the tension? Do you watch the news and hang your head in sorrow?

I do. Abortion. Child molestation. Human trafficking. Rape. Murder. There are so many evil things happening all around the world. We know our enemies, or at least one of them. If you haven’t read it yet: go read it now.

LEARN AND SHARE!!!

1. The Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is more powerful than the devil or his demons. 1 John 4:4 (ESV) says “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Jesus said that it was better that He go so that Christians could have the Holy Spirit. Do we really believe that? I think most Christians wish that we could have Jesus here with us now, in the flesh.

I think that if we knew the power of the Holy Spirit we would be living different lives.

What you can do to join your ally- the Holy Spirit If you have given your life to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is God living inside of you. You no longer have to go to a temple to worship God- YOU ARE THE TEMPLE! You are a walking testament to what Jesus does to a person.

The Holy Spirit guides us and teaches us all truth.

He reminds us of things that Jesus said. He helps us pray. He convicts us of sin. He counsels us.

2. The Church The Church is the bride of Christ. I’ve been married for only 6 year s but… I can confidently say that there isn’t another relationship closer than marriage in the human realm. How impactful that Christ says He loves the church like a husband loves his wife!

Another dramatic analogy used in the Bible is the human body. The Church functions as a body- and if a part of the body is missing or wounded, the church doesn’t work as well.

Being a part of a local body of believers is so important! If you aren’t attending and volunteering in a church, the local body probably isn’t functioning as well as it could if you were there!

Talk about an ally- people who complete your weaknesses and make you fit into a larger, more functional group…? Perfect.

What you can do to join your ally- the church Get involved in a local church body. They need you.

You need them.

The church is such an important ally in spiritual warfare and through hard times. The church will come around you and help teach you in times of trouble and loneliness and addiction. They will encourage you and become your family. They will make your family meals… or maybe they will help pay for car repairs.

Serve your church and watch them serve you back. It’s God’s plan for Christians on earth.

3. The Angels I’ve been a Christian for 20 years and have come across something interesting in the Christian sphereangels are almost a taboo topic for more mature Christians. Almost as if to say that we can’t take them seriously. Or maybe they aren’t active today.

Angels are real and apparently…they are terrifying. In every instance that a human sees an angel as recorded in the Bible – the human either begs for mercy or in the case of the big burly men who guarded Jesus’ tomb, they might faint. (Matthew 28:4 ) The Angels guard believers Hebrews 1:14 says: “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation.”

Monthly Devotion IMPURE! Read Titus 1:14-16 What is actually corrupt in this world? Is corruption found in an object like a bottle of alcohol or a packet of cigarettes.

No, corruption is found in a person. A person who stands pure before the Lord will not be side-tracked or threatened by an object. A pure person will not allow himself to be tainted by the abuse of alcohol or by the use of cigarettes.

The corrupt person is tainted in their minds and consciences. Such a person is also open to external corruption. Their whole beings are corrupt because God’s Holy Spirit does not dwell within them. Although they may try and pretend that they worship God, it is all lies. They are “unfit for doing anything good” (v 16).

We must worry less about the outside and concentrate more on the inside.

Our attitude determines our purity or corruptness. If I reflect a critical, loveless spirit, I am corrupt before God. Then all that I attempt is also corrupt.

If I am pure and clean inside and exhibit an attitude of love towards God and my fellow-man, I stand pure before God as my mind and conscience are clear. Therefore, strive for a healthy attitude.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please create in me a pure heart .

Christian

BLOGGING 101

BY : EMPRESS TEEKAY

Who are you personally and professionally and where are you from?

My name is Olivia, but everyone calls me Liv. I am a scientist, writer, blogger, poet and pageant girl. I live in Delaware, USA with my husband and family.

How and when did you become Born Again?

I got saved when I was younger. My church hosted an overnight camp at the Poconos Mountains. One night during, I think a 24 worship service; I remember walking down to the altar because I wanted to be saved. But it wasn’t until I got older that I truly dedicated my life to Jesus.

How and when did you get into blogging? And why Christian blogging?

I stumbled on blogging, honestly. I knew God called me to be a writer but I didn’t know where to start. One day, I was on YouTube and a video about freelance writing caught my attention. And after weeks of research and prayer, I started RichInAbunance.Com You know, I ask myself that all the time. Why Christian blogging?

And welp, if you ask any writer or creative, they create based on who they are. I blog about faith because I’m a Christian girl and writing encouraging blogs is one of the only things that I find rich and so fulfilling.

What is blogging?

Blogging is like a cross between a personal journal and a newspaper article. Additionally, I look at blogs as a way to build an audience and engage with people all over the world. It’s super important for writers to establish a following. Also, plenty of businesses are birth from a single blog.

What inspires your posts and what preparation goes into it?

My need to help people is my biggest inspiration. That desire fuels my prayers when I don’t know what to write. It also helps me be brave in sharing my pain points and the lessons that I’ve learned.

@richinabundance

To prepare for writing a blog post, I normally pull from something I partially wrote. I’m often inspired at work so I have at least 20 or more drafts that I’ve started. So, if I’m still interested on the topic, I will finish it. I then research key words or phrases, edits photos then I promote the post on social media.

What do you want people to learn from your blogs?

I’m in the personal development, faith, and lifestyle niche. So in addition to growing a friendship with me, I want people to learn how to deal with their circumstance and to learn how to live their best life.

Other Interests?

With my blog, I’m interested in creating more content for writers and providing resources to those who are new to faith. Personally, I compete in beauty pageants. I currently hold the title of Mrs. Dover DE America 2019. My platform, Write4Hope, is my way of empowering women through creative writing workshops.

What is the secret to authentic, thought provoking blogging?

To be authentic, you have to be honest with yourself and your audience. The best blogs sound as if you’re having a casual conversation with a friend. To create thought provoking posts, you have to write about things that are unique. The more you read, the more you’ll notice how certain things repeat themselves. So I always try to put a unique spin or personal touch on any tip that I give.

What makes you different from other Christian bloggers?

I write based on personal experience, Biblical wisdom and practical advice. Every now and then, I like to add a meme or gif just to keep things light. My freedom and hope is in Jesus, so I want to demonstrate a spiritual lightness to my readers. I really believe my life’s purpose is to tell stories that provide hope and I keep that goal in mind when I write.

Where would you like to see your blog in the next 2 years?

In the next two years, I would like to build relationship with brands and provide products and services on my blog. I started working on my writing workshops that I can’t wait to put on my blog!

Who is King Jesus to you?

He’s the only reason I can and want to write.

Advice on how to start Christian blogging?

Follow your passion and success will follow. But keep in mind that success could come in the form of redirection, improved writing skills or a thriving blog. If you have been called to write, a blog is a great way to do that but it’s not for everyone. Also, don’t be afraid to stop blogging. I believe we are created for seasons so if your assignment changes, you can trust in God and the path He has for your life.

Misconception people have about Christian blogging?

A huge misconception is that you only have to write about faith. I remember asking God what He wanted me to write about. And immediately I felt led to write a list of life circumstances. So whatever you are called to write about, don’t limit the way God can use you.

Last words to the Beauty&TheGospel reader?

Yes! I just want to thank God for you! I’m so grateful and blessed to say that I have a new friend in South Africa. If your readers are in need of encouragement, they can sign up for my newsletter, on RichInAbundance.com. That way they will also be the first to know about new blog posts, events and my creative writing workshops once they are available online. I’m also pretty active on Instagram so feel free to connect me @richinabundance.

ANNOUNCEMENT ss e r mp ssue E e i s m i s h . t t i e r e , o p re o m e h h d t le .I n c y a n i i e t r H ed ga a d a s e is a y e

a e n s k t u in e n z o e i a y a T . g l s l e a l l a l b m a s e n ila h o wa a T g v . n a s i l s r l i o a t C ry u b a i l r t sa n o o n c o s free

Advertisers you are also welcome. For reasonable price queries email: beautyandthegospel@ gmail.com Till next time ,THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ! look out for the next issue on the 1st of February 2k19