Beauty & The Gospel ISSUE NO 3 VOL 3

Beauty & The Gospel MADE PERFECT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

parents date your kids!

who is your

MENTOR?

HE IS RISEN! When a Christian Couple Sins Sexually

An Open Letter to the Older Women in the Church

 ISSUE NO 3 VOL 3 APRIL 2020

The Importance of Sobriety in Christ

VISION ROMANS 15:20-21 20 Accordingly I set a goal to preach the gospel, not where Christ’s name was already known, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21 but [instead I would act on this goal] as it is written [in Scripture], “They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard [of Him] shall understand.”

MISSION 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17 17 For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be [b]made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].

@beautyandthegospel

What's Inside?

#thatmannafromheaven

The Editor's Note Monthly Devotions Exclusive Christian Blogging Monthly Contributors B&TG News

Open letter to elder women in the church Can you lose the Holy Spirit?

7 movies to see this Easter The Depth of Christ's Love Is Body Image My Idol?

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

MINISTER MONICA

The meaning of cross, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ represents Jesus as the substituite who’s blood was shed, and death paid as a price of my sin and whose life was resurrected to pave the way so that I can be saved from eternal damnation.

EV . ANGUS & JILL BUCHAN

KENDRA DUBLIN

servants of God, lover of Jesus Christ , parents , grandparents and soul harvesters.

If God can live, die, and resurrect unto himself, there's nothing I need to worry about while carrying out His plan for me.

PROPHET G

PASTOR THUTO

PASTOR NTSAKO

servant of God, entrepreneur, father and husband. I love making people laugh! and traveling.

Teacher of the WORD, an entrepreneur and I enjoy travelling and trying new things.

"The Cross is the sacrifice that Jesus did; He took the blame instate of us, the death means salvation because eternal life came through His death and the resurrection means victory, He conquered the grave.

PASTOR BONGANI

PASTOR TOMMY LILJA

DR ANDRÉ AND JENNY ROEBERT

evangelist and pastor . With a burning passion for lost souls in abandoned places.

pastors , parents, lovers of Jesus Christ and His Word.

Founders of Faith Tv

It means i have a chance to have a life in Christ, so forgiveness is possible through the events surrounding the cross and God has made it possible for me to be His child

editor's note Your majesty HE IS RISEN Psalm 16:7-11 The Passion Translation (TPT) 8 Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wraparound presence every moment.

Beloved, The King of Glory Is RISEN. I wish I had the space to have inserted this whole Psalm as written below, trust me, it will become one of your favourites if it already isn’t. It touches on a lot of aspects like: “ His guidance , Always present, How the Lord won’t leave our souls amongst the dead but also won’t allow THE HOLY ONE( King Jesus) to rot in the grave , He shows us the way of life, granting us joy , His presence and the pleasure of living with Him forever (NLT).

With everything happening and everything that’s happened in this world, He remains the same, constant, true and alive (Numbers 23v 19). Amid confusion, darkness, trails and tribulation, He is always available and brings a sense of joy and peace. It’s an honour to be a child of God and I’m forever grateful. Amongst other things I’m grateful for His death and resurrection which changed life and humanity. We celebrate the life of our King. With Easter on the way, we are happy to do so with our brothers and sisters all over the world, which reminds me of the Jewish festivals.

No matter whats happening don’t forget to be grateful for the life the Lord Jesus shed, not just for me but for you and you and you. Can I get a Hallelujah! for the Only God who has the name above all names, with no equal and rival!

tsakani mhlongo editor-in-chief Photo by @mentalist_photography

IT’s always and honor to work on this magazine for the Body of Christ and glory for my King. Write us your comments and thoughts to our email:: beautyandthegospel@gmail.com it might just be printed If you happen to be a new reader, WELCOME ABOARD BELOVED. That’s it for now till next time, you’re loved by Him and I.

VOL. 3 | APRIL 2020

B&TG NEWS CHRISTIANS IN THE KNOW!

OVERVIEW: Iraqis’ Faith Grows as Churches Close Chaos has unfolded throughout every decade of Iraq’s recent history. Today, a virus keeps the country closed, leaving the vulnerable unable to access basic resources.

Even while the Christian population in Iraq has shrunk, the number of Muslims converting to Christianity has grown.

For many, it was watching the persecution of Christians that served as a witness.

It can be frustrating to watch churches close for something invisible, given the history of the churches staying open even in times of violence. It helps, however, to think of the situation in a different way.

“We’ve been distributing Bibles until the government’s statement about the curfew,” says a Christian leader. “We had to close the office as everybody else. Persecution over the history had a positive impact on Christians’ faith. This time may be the persecution didn’t come by a physical enemy, it is like a virus. I believe God gives us protection.”

Source: www.persecution.org

Why Does God Allow Pandemics?

Seeing Jerusalem in 360 degree’s view this Easter Christian health workers facing Covid-19 DISCLAIMER B&TG NEWS is a Christian news segment that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world.

Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. We do not exclusively create our own content.

Any views or opinions presented on this segment are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Beauty & The Gospel.

Church leaders urged to prepare for long-term shift in how people worship amid pandemic

Seeing Jerusalem in 360 degree’s view this easter

Source: www.endtime.com

JERUSALEM, Israel – Every spring, the streets of Jerusalem are bursting with Jewish and Christian pilgrims ready to celebrate Passover and Easter. And this year the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins in April, too.

Denominational executives are urging pastors to protect their mental health as well as prepare for a long-term shift in the way the church worships as the world struggles to respond to the new coronavirus pandemic that currently has no cure.

Doug Clay, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, said their mental health committee recently polled their pastors on advice for other pastors during the pandemic and they developed a nine-point list of best practices which they are now circulating among leaders. At the top of the list pastors were asked to be mindful of boundaries.

Source: www.cbnnews.com

This year, that won’t be possible due to the devasting COVID-19 global pandemic.

However, technology is allowing people from around the world to visit the heart of Jerusalem from their own homes using virtual reality to allow pilgrims to visit the Western Wall during Passover, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during Easter and at the Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.

The museum Innovation Lab has created an immersive 360-degree virtual reality experience that anyone with an internet connection can access. “Visitors” will be able to see Jerusalem as it is today and how it looked 2000years-ago with several virtual reality tours.

Why Does God Allow Pandemics? Author Joel Rosenberg Says Scripture Has the Answer by: cbnnews.com Author and Chairman of The Joshua Fund, Joel Rosenberg has written a 12-page free fact-sheet to help Christians have a biblical understanding of pandemics and plagues.

Rosenberg explains in the fact-sheet that God uses deadly plagues to judge sin, warn other nations and people that they, too, can face judgment, and to shake nations.“Repeatedly in the Bible, God explains that in His mercy He will shake individuals and nations in a desire to get our attention and draw us to Him,” Rosenberg writes.

• In Haggai 2:7, the Lord God says, “I will shake all the nations.” (NASB) Rosenberg says there are multiple times in the Bible where God uses devastating plagues “in his mercy” to draw the world’s attention back to him.

“What the Bible teaches is most important in such times is that we individually, personally and humbly seek God’s forgiveness and mercy, and get ourselves spiritually ready for the return of Jesus Christ by reading and obeying the Bible, which is the holy Word of God.”

Christian health workers facing Covid-19 Source: www.evangelicalfocus.com

New York Times Op-Ed Blames Christians, Not China, For Spread Of Wuhan Coronavirus Source: worthynews.com

(Worthy News) - A New York Times op-ed published Friday is casting blame on the evangelical movement for the Wuhan coronavirus plaguing the nation.

The piece, titled, “The Road to Coronavirus Hell Was Paved

By Evangelicals,” written by Katherine Stewart is filled with undue condescension and

mockery of Christians that is becoming the norm among our mainstream media elites.

The crux of Stewart’s piece is that the Republican Party has become embedded with a spiritual movement whose beliefs fly contradictory to science, blaming the idiocy and extreme actions of a few who defied public health orders against large gatherings to stigmatize half the country.

Pastor in Nepal accused of spreading misinformation for saying God has power over coronavirus Source: www.worthynews.com

(Worthy News) - A pastor in Nepal was thrown into prison for exercising his God-given authority over coronavirus after police disguised themselves as Christians in need of healing prayer.

Keshab Acharya, 32, can be seen in a video that has circulated on social media identifying the virus' spiritual origin and invoking "the power of the ruler of this -

Creation," saying "I rebuke you…

By the power in the name of Lord Jesus Christ, corona, go away and die.”

The officers, however, soon revealed that they intended to bring Acharya up on charges for the video in which he rebukes the virus, accusing him of spreading the misinformation that God has any sway over the medical emergency.

Christian doctors, nurses and other health care workers tell us how they are living the coronavirus crisis.

Source: www.worthynews.com Cristina is from Madrid and she is finding that fear takes hold of her when she hears of sick people or those who are losing their jobs back at home. ‘Why not admitting it?’. She tells us of the need ‘to depend on God, especially when everything else is collapsing around us’. She is convinced that these are days to remember God’s promises which we find in the Bible, such as Psalm 46:1. We are presented with opportunities to ‘talk to others about the Lord, always with love and humility’ and ‘when seeing our human vulnerability, many people will get close to God so that they know Him’

Devotions by the anointed Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert

Feed Your Faith, Not Fear Message taken from Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) Isaiah 26:3 (NLT):Â "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!" There is a study that states the average person thinks around 10,000 separate thoughts every day - that equates to more than 3.5 million thoughts a year.

Sadly, statistics show that fear dominates the majority of these thoughts for the average person. Consider this then: every single day, you sow 10,000 seeds and every seed you sow will produce after its kind. Are you sowing seeds of faith or fear? Brother Kenneth Copeland says, "Fear tolerated is faith contaminated".

Faith and fear are incompatible. Where one exists, the other cannot. When we entertain thoughts inspired by fear, we nullify our faith. However, when we choose to take those fearful thoughts captive, bring them into submission to Jesus Christ and replace them with God's Word - fear is expelled and faith is increased! It's that faith that causes us to walk in the reality of God's promises.

From this day forward - determine to never tolerate any fearful thoughts in your life; and meditate on the truth of God's Word, ensuring His manifest blessing instead.

THE DEPTH OF CHRIST'S LOVE: IT'S FREEDOM

I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

This commandment I received from My Father.

Introduction and Review Under the overarching theme of "The Greatest of These Is Love" we conclude today a four-part mini-series on the "Depth of Christ's Love." The series took its start in Ephesians 3:18–19 where the apostle Paul prays that we—and this has been our prayer for our church—might "be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge."

written by: John Piper

MIGHT "BE ABLE TO

COMPREHEND WITH

ALL THE SAINTS WHAT

IS THE BREADTH AND

LENGTH AND HEIGHT

AND DEPTH, AND TO

KNOW THE LOVE OF

CHRIST WHICH

SURPASSES

KNOWLEDGE."

"FOR THIS REASON

THE FATHER LOVES

ME, BECAUSE I LAY

DOWN MY LIFE

THAT I MAY TAKE IT

AGAIN"

And that's my goal again this morning—that God, in answer to our prayers, and through the ministry of his Word, would help us "comprehend" the depth of Christ's love for us, though it passes knowledge.

Comprehending the incomprehensible is a very high calling. But with God all things are possible.

The Costliness of His Love What we have seen is that the depth of the love of Christ for us is shown in four ways in the Bible. You can see it in the costliness of his love: "Christ loved us and gave himself for us" (Ephesians 5:2). His love was strong enough that he was willing to give up his life for us. Not just some conveniences, but his life. And not in an easy way, like bullet to the head; but in the most horrible suffering—death on the cross.

How Little We Deserved It Secondly, you can see the depth of Christ's love in how little we deserved it. Here's the way the Bible describes his love and our desert in Romans 5: "Christ died for the ungodly." That's a crucial word, because in other places being ungodly is what makes the wrath of God come upon the world (Romans 1:18). He goes on, One will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7–8)

So, his love for us is deeper than any ordinary human love. We were ungodly, we were sinners, and we were enemies (v. 10).

And Christ loved us and gave himself for us.

The Lavish Benefits Thirdly, we can see the depth of Christ's love for us in the lavish benefits that he gives to us.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us [he and the Son were of one heart in this matter], that we should be called the children of God. This is what we saw last week—God loved us so much that he would not settle merely to save us from sin and give us forgiveness; he penetrates to the core of our sinful being and causes us by his Spirit to be born again as his own children—to give us something of his own character so that we have a family likeness to his Son, and so that we are fellow heirs of Christ. And that means heirs of all things. All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:21–23).

The depth of his love is seen in the lavish display of his generosity toward us.

Jesus Is Not Constrained to Love Us, It Is His Joy Finally, we come today—on this Easter, Resurrection Sunday morning, to consider the fourth way that the depth of Christ's love for us is revealed in Scripture. You see the depth of someone's love for you not only by the pain it costs, and by how much undeservedness in you the person overcomes, and how great is the bounty the person gives you; but you also see the depth of love in how free the love is. In other words is the good thing they are doing for you, constrained and under some external compulsion so that they don't really want to do it but because of some kind of pressure they do it?

Most of you know that the heartbeat of my life and thinking is this vision of reality which I call Christian Hedonism. And one of the central claims of Christian Hedonism is that unless you care about your joy and pursue it with zeal, you cannot be a loving person. When I say that for the first time in a group, they scratch their heads and say, "Sounds backwards. I thought love was renouncing the pursuit of my own joy and pursuing somebody else's instead. How can you say that the pursuit of my joy is a necessary part of loving?". To answer that, I ask a very simple question—I ask it to you now: "When somebody does something good for you, do you feel more loved if they are doing it begrudgingly or gladly?"

Virtually everyone who has ever been willing to respond to me says, "We feel more loved when people do good things for us willingly and eagerly and gladly rather than begrudgingly or under compulsion."

Which I think means that my joy in loving you is an important part of what makes love. So if I try to renounce the pursuit of my joy for the sake of love, I wind up destroying the very thing I seek. The demand for love in the Bible is not a demand to renounce the pursuit of your joy for the good of others; it's a demand to pursue and find your joy in the good of others.

The more engaged and willing and glad and free is your love for others—especially if it's costly—the more amazing it is; the deeper it is. And so it was with Jesus. We see the depth of Jesus' love in the freedom of it—the willingness of it, the eagerness of it, the gladness of it. He was not forced into doing what he was not willing and eager to do. Yes, it's true, he did not enjoy the suffering per se. Physical pain did not become physical pleasure on the cross.

But I want you to see the depth of his love this morning in the freedom of it—the willingness of it, the eagerness of it, and even the joy of it. He loved us with all his heart. Not a fraction of his heart.

Not with a slight inclination, with some cosmic force pressing him to do what he didn't want to do. And as we look at the freedom of Christ in loving us, the Easter connection will become clear—because the very freedom with which he loved us is the freedom with which he rose from the dead.

Jesus' Free, Eager, Joyful Love for Us Let's begin in John 10:17–18, For this reason the Father loves Me, because I laydown My life that I may take it again.

The Fathers Loves the Son for Loving Us This means that there is a special delight that the Father has for the Son because of his willingness to lay down his life for his people and defeat death on their behalf.

The Father loved the Son before he did this.

Jesus said to his Father in John 17:24, You loved me before the foundation of the world.

But that very love was rooted in the greatness and beauty of the Son's perfections. And part of that perfection was the love that brought Jesus obediently to the cross. And so it is right for Jesus to say, The Father loves me because I lay down my life.

What this should say to us is this: the Father loves the Son for loving us. And what does that say to us about the love of the Father for us?

The Freedom of Christ in Loving Us Now onto verse 18 and the freedom of Christ in loving us: No one has taken it [my life] away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.

Now we need to let this sink in this morning. It is very plain and very forceful.

"No on takes my life from me." That's astonishing.

"No one takes my life from me. I lay it down on my own initiative" lliterally: "from myself"]. It comes out of me, not out of circumstances, not out of pressure, but out of what I really long to do. Yes, verse 18 ends with "this commandment I have from my Father." But that is simply to show that the Father's heart and Jesus' heart are in perfect harmony. The Father loves, the Son loves. And what the Son loves the Father loves. The command was no burdensome constraint.

Didn't Judas take it? What about the mob in the garden? And Annas the high priest? And the false witnesses that came against him? And the crowds who cried, "Crucify him"? And Herod who sent him back to Pilate? And Pilate who handed him over?

And the soldiers who hammered the nails? What does he mean, "No one takes my life from me"?

He means, "At every point where it looks like I was under constraint—every moment where it looks like I was being forced to do what I did not want to do—I was not being forced. I was choosing it. I was embracing it. Indeed I and my Father were orchestrating it—because we love you. No one takes my life from me. I lay it down on my own initiative. My love is free."

Why Does Jesus Stress the Freedom of His Love?

Why does Jesus say this? Why does he stress it?

Because if it weren't true—if his death were forced on him, if it weren't free, if his heart weren't really in it—then a big question mark would be put over his love for us. The depth of his love is in its freedom. If he didn't die for us willingly—if he didn't choose the suffering and embrace it—then how deep is his love really? So he stresses it. He makes it explicit.

Jesus is stressing to us this morning that his love for us is free. He seems to hear some enemy slander saying, "Jesus doesn't really love you.

He's a mercenary. He's in it for some other reason than love. He's under some kind of constraint or external compulsion. He doesn't really want to die for you. He's just got himself somehow into this job and has to submit to the forces controlling him." Jesus seems to hear something like that, or anticipate it. And he responds, "No one takes my life from me. I lay it down on my own initiative." So he is pressing this on us to see if we will believe his protest of love, or if we will believe the opposite—that his heart is really not in this.

Since Jesus cared so much that we know how freely and willingly he suffered for us, let's look at just a few other illustrations of this truth. Let the truth sink in. No one took his life. He chose to give it for us. He embraced the suffering. He was eager and willing. It was—I risk the statement— his joy to live and die for us.

Jesus Walks Through an Angry Mob Do you remember the story in Luke 4 where he comes to the synagogue in Nazareth where he had grown up? He read the Scripture reading that day. Then he said that the Scriptures were fulfilled in their hearing that very moment. But when he pointed out that the blessings of the Messiah were going to include the Gentiles and not just the Jews it says in verses 29–30, They rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.

But passing through their midst, He went His way.

Now what's going on here? A mob of people, enraged over the local teacher's teaching, carry him to the edge of a cliff to throw him down. And the next thing you see is Jesus walking through their midst—like the children of Israel through the Red Sea—and going his way. Why? The reason is this: his hour was not yet come. No one take's my life from me. I lay it down on my own initiative. And I lay it down at the appointed time. Not before and not after.

Jesus Threatened by Herod the Fox Later on in his ministry he was on his way to Jerusalem and some Pharisees came up to him (Luke 13:31–32) and said, "Go away and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You." But Jesus said, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.'" What does this mean? Don't go up there, the king wants to kill you. The king! He has all the authority in the realm. He can do anything he wants with people like you. You don't stand a chance.

How does Jesus respond? There was a saying among the rabbis in Jesus day that went something like this, "Better to be a lion's tail than a fox's head" (I.H. Marshall, Luke, p. 571). Here was the lion of Judah being warned that a fox was out to get him. So he says, "Tell that fox that I have ministry to do and I have a plan. I cast out demons, I perform cures, and on the appointed day—not before and not after—I reach my goal." In other words, "Nobody takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own initiative."

Jesus' Arrest In the garden of Gethsemane in the last night before his death Jesus said two stunning things that sealed his death and showed that he was acting in the utter freedom of his love. When the mob finally came, and Peter struck out and cut off the ear of the priest's servant, Jesus said,

Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? (Matthew 26:53) What's he saying? He is saying, "No one takes my life from me. I lay it down freely. I choose this. I embrace it. This is my love at work here, Peter. This is no accidental mob violence. This is my sovereign love for you, Peter. Don't try to stop it."

Then he turned and healed the man's ear and said an amazing thing to the mob: While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours. (Luke 22:53).

Up until now you could have killed me easily. But you didn't. Do you know why? Do you think it was because you were deciding what hour I would die? Wrong. The reason you are here now is because, "this is your hour"—not before and not after. "No one takes my life from me. I lay it down of my own initiative. I decide the hour, not you. I am not being swept away. I am walking willingly, with my eyes wide open, and with all my heart to the cross— because I love my sheep. I love them. I really love them."

Psalm 40:8 (Hebrews 10:9) But to push this truth to the limit, let me quote for you a psalm that the New Testament applies to Jesus (in Hebrews 10:9). It refers to his coming into the world to offer himself as a sacrifice for sin: "Then I said, Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me; I delight to do Thy will, O my God. (Psalm 40:8).

The ultimate freedom is joy. He rejoiced to do his redeeming work for us.

The physical pain of the cross did not become physical pleasure. But Jesus was sustained through it all by joy. He really, really wanted to save us. To gather for himself a happy, holy, praising people.

Like a husband yearning for a beloved bride (Ephesians 5:25ff.)

The Resurrection and Jesus' Amazing Love We must bring this to a close. Today is Easter. What does the resurrection of Jesus have to do with this amazing love? Verse 18 of our text makes the connection.

No one takes my life from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

Anybody who makes a statement like that is either mentally deranged, or lying, or God. I have authority from inside death, as a dead man, to take life back again, when I please. Now what's the point here? Well, which is harder, to control when you die, or to give yourself life again once you are dead? Which is harder: to say, "I lay my life down on my own initiative"? Or to say, "I will take my life back again after I am dead"?

The answer is obvious. And that's the point.

If Jesus could—and did—take his life back again from the dead, then he was free indeed. If he controlled when he came out of the grave, he certainly controlled when he went into the grave.

So here's the point. The resurrection of Jesus is given to us as the confirmation or evidence that he was indeed free in laying down his life. And so the resurrection is Christ's testimony to the freedom of his love.

What Easter Means Of all the great things that Easter means, it also means this: it is a mighty "I meant it!" behind his death. I meant it! I was free. You see how free I am? You see how much power and authority I have? I was able to avoid it.

I have power to take up my life out of the grave. And could I not, then, have devastated my enemies and escaped the cross?

My resurrection is a shout over my love for my sheep: It was free! It was free! I chose it.

I embraced it. I was not caught. I was not cornered. Nothing can constrain me to do what I do not choose to do. I had power to take my life from death. And I have taken my life from death. How much more, then, could I have kept my life from death!

I am alive to show you that I really loved you. I freely loved you. Nobody forced me to it. And I am now alive to spend eternity loving you with omnipotent resurrection love forever and ever.

Come to me all you sinners who need a Savior. And I will forgive you and accept you and love you with all my heart forevermore.

------------------------------------John Piper (@JohnPiper) is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.

rotubirtnoc

THE STRUGGLE IS DEFEATED

BY; KENDRA DUBLIN

“The Struggle is Real” seems to be the go-to phrase for the world when life’s struggles are overtaking us. As Christians It’s hard to believe that we, myself included, proclaim the same standard towards storms. But what if we change the phrase to “The struggle is Defeated”? Are you open to this mind shift?

Coping with stress is a learning process that takes a lifetime to develop. The only bad thing about that is we don’t have a lifetime to change our outlook to change our habits. So, let’s do some intentional digging on coping with stress, in addition to praying and meditating on the bible. Here are four coping styles we should obtain while confronting hardships.

Behavioral.

This style helps to erase stress by eliminating the problems that come with the stressor. Most people put an action plan together and will seek the stressor in their environment to make the proper eliminations. This style has a proactive approach instead of reactive.

@godsperspectiveforme

You must identify the signs of stress first.

When I’m stressed, the bottom half of my face over-heats, it feels heavy and fluid-like which leads to the production of multiple canker sores. When this happens, I know something isn’t right and it’s time to go to the lake to reflect on my current situations. If it’s your body or habit changes, take a closer look at what’s happening within you mentally. If you get stressed and want a drink, overeat or sleep all day, realize these are temporary and unhealthy satisfying ways of dealing with your problems. When you evaluate yourself on a regular basis it’s easier to deal with stress and eliminate it quickly so bad patterns don’t creep up.

Physical.

This style helps to eradicate stress by physical activities. You might engage in working out, using breathing and relaxation techniques and avoiding stimulants.

This coping mechanism helped me about 8 months ago when I found myself getting triggered by certain people and thought patterns. My counselor told me to take walks in the morning before working. I would listen to “God on My Mind” by the Walls Group repeatedly for the first half of the walk, then I would do breathing techniques while saying affirmations on the way back home. I would breathe in slowly and say things like “breathe in faith, breathe out fear” or “Breathe in peace, breathe out chaos”, anything to bring calmness to my current situation.

Once I returned home from my walk, I would stretch for another 30 minutes. As I stretched, I paid more attention to my body. I became more present with my arms, legs, and breathing pattern. This was allowing my spirit to put my body into submission in addition to the Holy Spirit.

When certain triggers would pop up even just 30 days later, I found myself not reacting to the situation the same. I was in control of how I reacted. Our bodies are the first thing to rev up in a heated situation, but if you can learn to keep the body under control, you will keep your reactions under control.

Emotional.

With this coping style you seek trustworthy people in times of need. They are probably friends, family and people who have dealt with similar situations.

God didn’t give us a support system to solely talk to Him. Anytime I need to talk things out to a friend or my parents, I’m trying to get a better understanding of the situation.

It helps me to see if I have the wrong thought process and possible solutions. When I talk it out it releases the issue so I can move forward and make an action plan which directly ties into the Behavioral coping style.

Cognitive.

This coping style reduces stress by controlling how you think about your trials.

Keeping an optimistic outlook, reframing the situation, interpreting the stress and searching for opportunities in your issues.

As my dad always says, “The way you think about the problem is the problem.” When we can learn to reshape our minds to our issues, when confronted with people, jobs, etc., we are being proactive in our thoughts.

Most of us may be dealing with stress currently and the stressors are probably around us more than we want. So, if your boss is your stressor, instead of thinking (as she walks to your desk), “I already know what this psycho is about to say” think about how you can solve the interaction or work at hand.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and

your skin. You might be the issue and not your

sisters, whenever you face trials of many

boss.

kinds, because you know that the testing

of your faith produces perseverance. Let

If we can change our thoughts about the

perseverance finish its work so that you

situation it’s easier to fix our emotions which

may be mature and complete, not

helps our behaviors. The cognitive triangle

lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4) This verse

shows us if we are affected negatively in one aspect of our lives it spills over to other parts.

Why not be affected positively, so it continues into the way we walk daily?

What’s Next?

If you find yourself operating better in one coping style versus another, seek ways to bring in the other techniques. If you are more behavioral and cognitive, take a few days out the week to practice breathing techniques or some type of physical fitness. Because most of us are lacking in a certain coping area, It decreases our chances of dealing with life in a full circle way.

alone has three coping styles. God is a practical God and we have no excuses when it comes to pushing ahead to the other side of stress to obtain peace.

Christians, it’s time to rise above your circumstances. Stop talking as if you are conquered by your crisis and act like God sits on the throne. Act like you have the Holy Spirit. Act like God is the Beginning and the End. Act like Jesus died for you so that you may LIVE! And when you realize the struggle is DEFEATED, praise God in advance. Change your habits today because TOMORROW IS TOO LATE TO BE GREAT.

Just like the example I gave for walking. I was using Physical and Cognitive processes in one setting. I would also talk to my support system, which is Emotional and came up with a game plan which is Behavioral. God gave us different ways to handle life, so we must be open to new and different ways to keep ourselves on the PURPOSE PATH.

How are we going to consistently do God’s will in this life if we aren’t proactive in defeating the struggle? How dare we say the struggle is real as if God isn’t GREATER! Doesn’t God call us to faith and perseverance?

KENDRA DUBLIN

rotubirtnoc

Learn why this particular person gets under

Others saw impossibilYOUNG DJ L.A. itiesWORLD TOUR

BY: PASTOR TOMMY LILJA

Others saw impossibilities – God saw possibilities!

When I was in school, my teachers didn’t see any possibilities in me – only impossibilities. Maybe that’s the way it is for you too, sometimes? But the image that others have of you doesn’t have to be God’s image of you. The school saw me as impossible, but God saw possibilities. The school saw resistance, but God saw something else. It is important that you don’t lose your faith in God and in the possibilities he has placed within you. No matter how old you are, where you live or what you’ve done, you are a possibility for God! Your own mother might not even see what God has placed inside of you. What we do today is a fruit of what many people are doing together, but it is God who saw all of us first! No one saw David – not his brothers, not even his father! No one understood why he played the harp when he was watching the sheep. No one could understand David – except for God. David was different. He was a man after God’s heart. You are after God’s heart.

When David had to flee and live in the desert for several years, he never stopped playing, he never stopped dancing, no one could take from him what he had in God. Maybe you have people around you who think that you should sell your harp, give up your dream, stop being different, but the people who are after God’s heart are different. We are different!

''It’s not an impossibility that you are different! Maybe that is the very reason you are a possibility in God’s eyes''!

Dare to be different. That harp was all wrong for the sheep – why play for the sheep? But if David hadn’t played his harp then and there, then he never would have been invited to the temple to play for the king. Dare, dare, dare, dare to be different! Noah wasn’t like all the others! Abraham distinguished himself from all the rest! Joshua and Caleb broke out from the crowd. John the Baptist was extreme, Peter was unique and Paul was not like anyone else. They were different and they dared to be different.

CONTRIBUTOR

Page 43

EXCLUSIVE

ANNAH

LWAMBWA

A passionate, driven Christian woman, servant of God, mother and a wife. A leader and mentor of a young women’s organization called DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY.

Q. Who is the Messiah to

Q. Things you wish you were told

you?

about your walk with Jesus

A. Jesus is the Messiah, the

Christ?

Son of God.

A. That there are some people that will fall away along the way,

Q. Share with us on how and

even those who you thought were

when you got Born Again?

genuine and had your best

A. I always believed in God

interest at heart.

and was going to church

Believes in empowering young women and grooming them into becoming Independent, influential and successful God fearing women. @beautyandthegospel

regularly but in 2005 that’s

Q. Your greatest passion lies with

when I experienced God in a

women empowerment and the

way that I had never before

youth. Share with us what has

and I gave my life fully to

sparked this passion and has

Him and became born again

kept it alive to date?

EXCLUSIVE

A. Every time I saw a woman selling

Q. You also are a founder and TV

Q. Things you were told about

her body to make a living, settling for

host of an organisation and TV show

marriage that you are now

less, not knowing their identity and

“Daughters of Destiny”. Share with

implementing and are educating

what they are worth would break my

us about its aim and what you hope

others?

heart. I wanted to empower women

you are imparting?

A. The importance of having God as

and the youth as a whole, to make

A. Daughters of Destiny is not just a

a foundation of your marriage and

them understand how precious they

TV show it’s a ministry, an organi-

communication which is key for

are to God, who God says they are

sation of young women that I

every successful marriage.

not who the world says they are . For

started in 2007 at my Church: Faith

them to know the power and the

& Victory Church International,

Q Would you say you are living your

potential God put inside of them to

under the leadership of my father

purpose?

become great in business, corporate

Apostle Mike Lwambwa. The

A. Definitely, and I believe there is

space, marriage, ministry and in the

purpose of Daughters of Destiny

more that God will reveal to my

society.

organisation and TV Show is to

about my purpose.

Empower, Inspire and Motivate. It’s Q. To back up your passion, you

also a platform where women can

Q. When functioning in your gifts,

have a company called: “Royalty

come together and share exper-

who do you seek guidance and

Management and Communications

iences, testimonies and issues that

council from?

Company” that has partnered with

they face every day in the society.

A. I always seek guidance from God

the Department of Education. How

We host conferences, camps,

and the Holy Spirit.

did this partnership come about, its

charity drives, prayer meetings and

success and work it does?

social meetings. God opened a door

Q. Misconception that people have

A. Yes, I’m also a businesswoman.

for me to reach more people through

about godly women in the market

At Royalty Management &

the TV show which started in 2018.

place?

Communications, we do events

A. That women are not strong

planning, management and brand

Q . When and how did your passion

enough to handle the challenges that

activations. It has been running for 7

to build godly marriages come about

are faced in the market place.

years now, we also host career

and what’s that one problem you’ve

exhibitions called ROYAL CAREERS

encountered that seems to be a

Q. The youth seems to be lacking

which is aimed at preparing the

pattern in most of godly marriages?

godly and rooted role models that

youth for life after school and

A. My husband and I are

are out there. How can we as the

providing career guidance to the

passionate about building Godly

Body of Christ correct this epidemic?

youth in high schools. We do this by

centred, successful marriages! It’s no

A. We need to go where they are,

bringing tertiary institutions

secret that the devil hates marriages

win souls by going into schools and

(Public/Private FET College and

and his assignment is to break

universities to win over young

Universities), companies offering

marriages and families. We wanted

people to the Lord.

bursaries, internships/learnerships

to do our part in making sure that

in the townships and making sure

marriages last forever and overcome

Q. We see that the girl child is

that these learners make the right

whatever changes they may face.

catered for e.g.: mentorships and

choices to secure their future. The

We also prepare those who are

empowerments etc but, not the boy

Department of Education liked how

single, in a relationship and engaged

child. Do you think males need to

we worked, gave us a stamp of

for marriage.

rise up and take responsibility for

approval and entered into a partnership with us. @beautyandthegospel

the boy child?

EXCLUSIVE

A. Absolutely, more needs to be

subdue the earth and have dominion

PLANS FOR 2020: To continue to

done to educate the boy child. A lot

over every living thing that moveth

MOTIVATE.INSPIRE & EMPOWER

of boys need male role models, some

upon the earth. You cannot have

grow up without fathers or are from

dominion in corporate or business if

dysfunctional families and have no

you are scared and insecure.

one to groom or mentor them. We need more males to step up and

Q. You’re doing a lot for others and

organise more empowerment and

have achieved a lot. What is that

mentorship programmes, I believe

heart’s desire you believe God to

that will eliminate some if not most

manifest this 2020?

of the issues we face in the society.

A. For me to continue to be a blessing to others, to reach out to

Q. What’s the greatest legacy a

more women or young people and

parent can leave behind for their

see many lives changed and turned

children?

to Christ!

A. Knowing God and serving Him. Wealth and good character

Q . When people hear the name ANNAH LWAMBWA. What do you

Q. You boldly proclaim your Faith in

want them to know?

Jesus Christ. Has that been a cons-

A. Child of God, Driven, Passionate,

cious decision from the beginning?

Humble and Loving.

A. Yes it has, the world needs to know who I am, a proud Christian

Q. How can people get in touch with

woman, daughter of the Most High

you and access your work?

God. I am not ashamed of who I

A. Instagram as - Annah Lwambwa

am.

> Facebook: Annah Lwambwa and Daughters of Destiny

Q. Prior to the previous question.

> Twitter: Annah_Lwambwa

We see that some Christians tend to

> YouTube Channel: Annah

dim or hid their light due to being

Lwambwa

afraid of rejection when it comes to

For bookings for events &

job opportunities. What can you say

Motivational talks email:

about that?

daughtersofdestinysa1@gmail.com

A. Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill

Q. Last words and plans?

cannot be hidden. The Bibles says

A. You are fearfully and wonderfully

that we are the light of the world, a

made by God, a chosen generation, a

light is intended to shine bright

Royal Priesthood, destined to

wherever it goes, not to be hidden.

succeed, rule and dominate. You

We were called to stand and not fit

have been set apart and appointed a

in…

prophet of the nations. God has a great plan for you, to give you a

We were not created to fear! God

future and hope. God loves you and

made us in His image to be fruitful,

be blessed!

@beautyandthegospel

EXCLUSIVE

Q. In my bag you will find….?

Q . If it weren’t for Jesus I would …….?

A. Wallet, make up bag, gum, cellphone, shades,

A. Lost

notebook and pen Q. Suit or dress?

Q. Can’t live without?

A. Suit

A. God and my family Q. Favourite verse?

Q. I dream of …..?

A. Jeremiah 29:11-12

A. Having a centre for women and children called

Jeremiah 1:5

Daughters of Destiny.

Psalm 139:14

Q. 2020 is….

Q. Bible or Phone …….?

A. A year of abundance and favour

A. Bible

Q. Lipstick or weave?

Q. Favourite TV Host?

A. LOL…Both!!

A. Bonang Matheba

Q. What people don’t know is that I …….?

Q. Best advice ever received?

A. Love cooking

A. In all things trust God!

"You are fearfully and wonderfully made by God, a chosen generation, a Royal Priesthood, destined to succeed, rule and dominate. You have been set apart and appointed a prophet of the nations. God has a great plan for you, to give you a future and hope.

God loves you and be blessed!"

@beautyandthegospel

DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY @beautyandthegospel

Devotions by the anointed Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert

Days of Heaven on Earth Message taken from 1 Peter 1:15 (MSG) 1 Peter 1:15 (MSG):Â "As obedient children let us be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness."

Contrary to popular belief, a life in Christ is far from boring, and not meant to consist of suffering and sacrifice in poverty - thinking it will bring you closer to God. That's plain heresy, since it directly contradicts the truth of God's Word.

We are instructed to believe and stand on every promise God has made to those He calls His Own. Jesus died so we can live, abundantly and victoriously on this earth and with Him in eternity. We are called to rule and reign and advance the Kingdom of God. Our souls must flourish, and the visible blessing of God should be showcased to the world - demonstrating His goodness and kindness. Showing we serve a Living God Who delights in prospering His children. When we choose to dedicate our lives to delighting in and obeying Him, we will see how He delights in us, and shows us His salvation! Let your life from today be shaped

by God's life - through the work of His Holy Spirit in you. His promise is a life energetic and blazing with holiness.

FEATURE-

IS BODY IMAGE MY IDOL?

use o t ing o ul g f h u t yo ai Are more f , or le a p e o b e p een s it to ant of e b o v t r e t s ou u o s? y r e e r h t a by o

BY: JOHN PIPER

Body image is a preoccupation for many, and there are huge dieting and physical training industries in our culture today. So, we have this question from a podcast listener named Jon who lives and works in Washington D.C. and who wonders about what’s really motivating him to get to the gym. Here’s what Jon wrote: “Dear Pastor John, I’m committed to working out at the gym. I have, over the years, become fit because of my consistency. My temptation is in making my body a temple of self-glory. I want others to be impressed with my looks. That’s the honest truth, but I never say it. Few people would. At what point does working out cross the boundary between self-discipline and self-glorification?”

I’ll put my answer in a sentence, and then I’ll try to unpack it for its implications. The discipline of the pursuit of physical fitness becomes sinful self-glorification when it is no longer pursued as a means of, one, overcoming our own sin, two, serving others, three, glorifying Christ.

This is a huge issue both for men and women in our culture, because hour after hour, every day, through advertising and other media, we are being told that, to be successful and happy, our bodies must have a certain appearance. Whether we’re talking about the way we dress or the way we do our hair or the way we work out in order to be fit, the Christian needs to be clear about the way Jesus calls us to do this that makes us different from the world. I think he does.

What I’m suggesting is that there are three ways to measure whether our pursuit of fitness is sinful or not. Those three ways are, one, is that pursuit a genuine desire to defeat sin in my own life? Two, is that pursuit of fitness a genuine desire to become more useful in serving the temporal and eternal good of others? Three, is my pursuit of fitness owing to a genuine, expressing a genuine desire to show that Christ is more valuable to me than my looks or my health or my reputation as disciplined? Let’s take a look at those one at a time.

1. Is your working out at the gym a strategy for overcoming sin in your life? I believe it can be.

Paul said that he pummeled his body to keep it in subjection, because he knew that there were powerful temptations that come from the flesh to undermine his ministry (1 Corinthians 9:26– 27). Laziness is one of them. Over and over in the book of Proverbs, we are warned against being a sluggard. Proverbs 20:4, “The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. ” Proverbs 21:25, “The desire of the sluggard” — lazy bones — “kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.” It is a good thing to exercise and eat and sleep in a healthy way so as to subdue the enslaving impulses of the body, including laziness. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be dominated by anything.”

That’s any good thing or any bad thing. It is good to exercise in order to defeat the sin of laziness and the love of ease.

As soon as I say that, every biblically mature saint realizes that Jesus also warned against boasting in that kind of self-discipline. He warned against loving the reputation of being a disciplined person. Matthew 6:16–17, “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast . . . ” Fasting here really is any kind of self-denial, right? Fasting from television: so, you don’t have a TV, John Piper. Whoa, you’re so proud of that. Blah, blah, blah. Or fasting from ease.

You’re going to pump iron until you’re exhausted. Or fasting from food, or whatever.

Fasting stands here for any kind of selfdiscipline. “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:17–18).

Yes, by all means, let’s be disciplined and selfdenying in the pursuit of defeating sin in our own lives, and let’s be ever alert to the deceitfulness of sin that causes us to boast in the very triumphs over sin and thus turn triumph over sin into defeat by another sin.

That’s how deceitful we are in our own hearts, which leads now to the second way that we measure whether our pursuit of fitness is sinful.

2. Is our pursuit of fitness owing to a genuine desire to become more useful in serving the temporal and eternal good of others? Are you aiming to be fit in order to be faithful? Are you aiming to be healthy in order to be helpful? Is your concern with your looks a concern to love other people better?

When the disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus said, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). In other words, instead of mirrors in the gym, there should be big signs on the wall: “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mark 10:43). You want to be strong? You want to be fit? You want to be buff? Are you going to use it to be a more faithful servant of people, or are you out to be seen by others?

If you are, that’s a damnable attitude and you’re in big trouble. That’s what Jesus would say. He did say it (Matthew 6:1).

3. Is the pursuit of fitness a genuine desire to show that Christ is more valuable to you than your looks or your health or your reputation for being disciplined? Are you seeking to make Christ look great or only yourself? Here’s what Paul said in Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.” In other words, it’s true strength when we are seeking to be strong in the strength of Christ: not strength in ourselves, but strength in the Lord. In other words, our aim at the gym is to be strong in a way that makes Jesus look strong. We’ve got to figure that out or we’re going to be idolaters. We’re going to be vainglorious. Here’s the way Peter put it in 1 Peter 1:24–25: “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” The point is, in the gym, the glory that people are seeking is like grass. It withers. It falls.

"PERFECT FOR PARTIES AND CELEBRATIONS"

Believe me, believe me, I am 70, and I have been jogging regularly since I was 22. It is not a fountain of youth, folks. You’re going to sag.

You’re going to be wrinkled. You’re going to be splotchy. You’re going to be scaly.

You’re not going to be pretty or cool, and if you have invested your life in that, oh, you will look pathetic, like all those older folks in Phoenix with their ridiculous tans and their sagging, wrinkled skin. It’s just ridiculous.

“The word of the Lord remains forever,” and that word says, work out faithfully. That is, work out at the gym to defeat sin in your own life. Work out at the gym to become more useful in serving the temporal and eternal good of others. And work out at the gym — yes, you can! — to show that Christ is more valuable, more precious to you, than your looks or your health or your reputation for being so disciplined.

Advertisement

we are not ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

Beauty & The Gospel

Merchandise

WE ARE BORN TO MAKE JESUS FAMOUS

Call 079 4057 641 or Visit @ beautyandthegospelmerch

fea tu re d

Prophesy ‘The Lord Showed Me the End of the Coronavirus’ written by: Shawn Bolz

March 11, 2020 Note: As of this publi-cation, the coronavirus has reportedly infected over 82,000 people around the world and caused more than 2,800 deaths. In the midst of this global crisis, prophet Shawn Bolz sent Charisma News this prophetic word: The Lord showed me the end of the coronavirus.

The tide is turning now!He is answering the prayers and cries of the nations and is putting an end in sight. The exaggerated fear-based tactics of the enemy and several media outlets for political reasons are coming to an end. The enemy has been trying to distract and steal from several equally important purposes and issues by dominating airwaves with conspiracy and fear.

Even now, several vaccines are coming out, as well as a natural dying out of the virus itself. The Lord is saying, “I am removing the threat of this. ”Within a short amount of time, the extreme threat will feel as though it is in the distant past.

“The very moment I call to you for a father’s help, the tide of battle turns and my enemies flee. This one thing I know: God is on my side!” (Ps. 56:9, TPT).

featured

What are you living for? Whatever your answer is, that will be judgment at the bēma of Christ.”

– Daniel Kolenda Deeds, Works,and Treasures in Heaven My friend, what are you living for?

Whatever your answer is, that will be judged at the bēma of Christ.

It is exactly what our main text in 2 Corinthians 5 is talking about. In fact, Paul elaborates on this same judgment in his other letter to the Corinthians with unique striking imagery. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NKJV) he says, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it.

But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

When our main text (2 Cor. 5) says in verse 10 that we will be judged for the “things done in the body,” it’s literally referring to our works— the things we did and the way we lived.

Those are the actions that, according to 1 Corinthians 3, will be tested by fire. What you do and how you live matters.

We often emphasize that believers are saved by grace; we can do nothing to earn our salvation.

And of course that is quite true. I’m an evangelist. My whole ministry is predicated on this glorious good news. I underscore, highlight, and affirm it with all my heart.

According to Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV), “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The Scripture is clear. There is nothing you can do to add to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

He bought it. He paid for it. He delivered it. It’s yours. You and I were fully immersed in depravity and rebellion,

They themselves will be saved, but everything else will burn. Everything they spent their lives building and acquiring in this world will go up in smoke. They will enter eternity without the rewards Jesus promised to the faithful. Yes, they will still be saved, but “only as one escaping through the flames.”

We hope this Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda was a blessing to you! Watch for “THE WHOLE POINT – PART 1” next month as we talk about how to refocus to live for Christ.

--------------------------------------------

completely lost, totally undeserving of This Bible Study has been taken from

salvation, and absolutely incapable of performing any kind of religious work to earn it. But right at this point of complete hopelessness, God came to the rescue. He Himself provided for our salvation, at His expense, as a free gift. We cannot supplement it. We can only receive it by faith. That is why 1 Corinthians 3:15 (NIV) also says that, if

That’s why Jesus taught His disciples to lay up treasures in Heaven. He didn’t say, “I will lay up treasures for you.” He told us to lay them up for ourselves. Salvation comes only by grace. But rewards are another matter.

Let’s revisit Ephesians 2:8-9, but this time let’s keep it in context and read the next verse also:

a believer’s works are burned up, “He will suffer loss, yet he himself will still be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”

While works do not save us, our good works will reward us.

Remember that Paul wrote these words at a time when people did not

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV).

have insurance policies, credit cards, or money protected in bank accounts.

All of their worldly wealth and assets were contained in their homes. If a rich man woke up in the middle of the night with the smell of smoke in this nostrils, ran from his house with only the shirt on his back, and watched his house burn to the ground, he would be watching everything of value in his life disappear right before his eyes. He would stand before that blazing inferno as poor as the beggar in the gutter, with all of his worldly wealth consumed by the flames. Paul says that it will be like this for many of God’s people on the day they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

So we were not saved by good works, but we were saved for good works!

Works are not the means of our salvation, but they are the expected outcome of our salvation. “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). As Oswald Chambers emphasized, it is our responsibility to “work out what God works in.” Freely, God worked salvation into us, and we will be judged by how we work it out.

Evangelist Daniel Kolenda’s book, “The Judgment Seat of Christ.” Rediscover the amazing Truths that surround the Judgement Seat of Christ, one of the forgotten treasures of Scripture. It is a theme central to the doctrine of the New Testament authors and especially to Jesus Christ Himself.

ROTUBIRTNOC

LOVE IN ACTION

to understand about that particular language is that is has to be spoken correctly for it to be understood (it needs action more than anything). We see God speaking that Love LANGUAGE very clearly as he demonstrated to the whole world how to speak that language, because the whole concept of salvation or Christianity is forged on the basis of Love. John 3:16 is a very good example of that.

Love has always been understood as the universal language, but what we need -

You know there is a saying which I truly agree with -

“PEOPLE DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNLESS THEY KNOW YOU CARE”. We can wrestle with what is Love forever, or we can also say how do we see love in action, or how can we put LOVE into action. Well the answer to these is very simple: we have to know and have a deeper relationship with God.

“ PEOPLE DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNLESS THEY KNOW YOU CARE ”.

@beautyandthegospel 22

1 John 4:9-12 “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Pastor , loving Husband , father and a lover of the Word of GOD!

ROTUBIRTNOC

For us to get answers we need to start asking the right question as a church, as Individuals, as leaders, as preachers, as the youth, as the young adults , you know it is easy to ask a question when it relates to someone else (e.g. does my brother have Love?).

So, we need to ask ourselves, are we loving? I believe as much as it is a group effort, but we have to make it a personal thing, so we strive by all means to acquire the Love with actions. First advice is that we have to acknowledge who we are 1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

What we have to do is then we need to start by defining what love is : i. John says God is Love, Love is God, 1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. ii. So, the obvious thing is that when we define Love, we cannot do that without God, He is Love and Love is Him. iii. So, this means if we want to understand Love, we have to understand God and how He operates, how His Love works (when we read the Bible, we see the mind of God and how His Love operates). iv. If we know God, then we have Love 1 John 4:8.

How can we actively live out the Love to one another?

After we understand that God is Love and He showed us that Love through the service of Christ. . So, our Love should be understood as service to God.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them’’. Christ said to His apostles if we want to show that we love Him, and we understand His love we will keep His commands John 14:15.

Having knowledge and understanding of who we are will give us an objective and our objective is embedded in the Love we have for Christ.

When we love Christ, we offer our service to Him by being of service to one another. Love must drive us to be servants of one another because service means what we do for each other is what we do for God, our service is to show gratitude for the Love God showed us. Listen what John says in 1 John 2:4-5: “Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him'': a) His love perfects us when we have action. b) When we do as he has commanded his love is perfected.

@beautyandthegospel

John says we are born of God if we have Love, when we are born of God, WE BECOME LIKE HIM. This is interesting because John says we are born of God out of Love, we are conceived out of Love (salvation was conceptualized out of Love, we are Christians because of Love). A loving God gave birth to us, so love plays a major role in making us who we are, 1 John 3:1 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him’’. Love is our characteristic, because He gave it to us, we are people of God if we love, 1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love’’.

Now because we get our identity from God through Love, we have a great responsibility of making sure that we know and show Love.

c) If we say we have Love that has no action, we are all liars. d) For me this calls for internal introspection not external. e) Because God is with those who are loving at all times.

After knowing God, we know that he is pleased when we follow his commands He has commanded us to Love each other with brotherly Love Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor’’. It is our duty to have brotherly love why? As people of God he has extended his love to us, so we have a responsibility to pass it on to others through our actions 1 John 4:12,20 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen’’.

God has given us a responsibility to be visible as his children we are his representatives wherever we go, so we need to be sure to take his love wherever we go because people are watching. What is great is that we as brethren are an extension of GOD, so we ought to love one another -

because we see each other and when we love one another we Love God.

Love is the nature of God and in his nature has actions of Love.

Love is the driving force behind the actions we have to possess, listen as he speaks in John 14:15 if you Love me you will keep my commands ,we find it easy to be driven by Love if we allow his Love to fill us up (Paul says that the church in Macedonia gave themselves first over to the Lord then they gave 2 Cor 8:5).

His nature has the following (these are simple action which we overlook sometimes): a) Compassion: this was one of Christ’s nature and he showed us action Matthew 14:14 he healed the sick ,15:32 he fed the hungry all this because he had compassion (we have the sick and the hungry amongst us, do we take time from our busy schedules to see to it that we feed the hungry or take care of the sick)

We let the Love of God directs us in every action we do for one another let it not be us doing things but him and his love (latter part of verse 12 ... God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. His love makes it easy for us to keep and follow his commands because of Love we do not see them as a burden. 1 John 5:3 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. We Love God and his commands alike (so it is through Love we also have the courage to be able to rebuke things when they are not correct'', Paul says Ephesian 4:15 speak the truth in Love, we rebuke not to get satisfaction for our knowledge or to fill vindicated that we know more but we do it through Love so that God might be glorified not us)''.

b) Gentle: we have to be gentle with one another 2 Timothy 2:24 “And the Lords servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, other versions say gentle to all ,our service to each other is to be gentle even when one has fallen from grace when we rebuke we have to be gentle Galatians 6:1

c) Mercy: is the outward manifestation of pity, so when one has fallen into sin how do we approach the situation ,is it with love or just plain utter flesh that compels us to take the place of God and place judgement Galatians 6:1-2

We Love God who is Love and we show that Love by Loving others around us, this is pure command. We have to be very intentional in showing the fruits of Love, after all Love has nothing to do with word of mouth but it has everything to do with deliberate action let our action show that we have God if we have Love verse 12 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. We are an extension of God because of Love and when we show People that we have God through Love we are most assuredly showing that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the earth

YOURS IN CHRIST PASTOR BONGANI GAMA

Displaying our love to one another through actions

d) Encourage: 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. We live and we get to experience the trials and tribulation of life but Paul says we should not forget to encourage each other and build each other up as we are going to need that ,because our love should be able to help us give support and encouragement when we are facing these things Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant, so we have to have patience with others with God and more specifically our brethren, we also have to couple that with being Kind towards others because being kind is also in the fruit of the spirit Galatians 5:22

In closing Love is an obligation we have been given by Christ in Matthew 22:37-39 “And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself'''.

Devotions by the anointed Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert

Victory is Yours Message taken from Psalm 37:24 (NLT) Psalm 37:24 (NLT):Â "Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand."

Sadly, many Christians have the opinion that the Lord gives and takes away, that He is good to some and cruel to others. That there are times we will be victorious and times we will lose. However, when we read the Bible in context, and study the life it promises for those in Christ Jesus - this is certainly not what we find! The Bible declares we will move from faith to faith, strength to strength and victory to victory. It says we are to give thanks to God Who ALWAYS leads us in triumph, in Christ Jesus! We don't have to settle for anything less! Psalm 37:24 says although we may stumble, we will NEVER fall. Jesus did say we would face persecution and trials, but that we should be of good cheer, because He has overcome it all and deprived this world of power to harm us! Paul said in Christ we are MORE than conquerors as long as we remain rooted and anchored in The Rock who is Jesus Christ! We are promised we will never be left alone or forsaken, but reign victoriously in life - when we are in Him! So keep your chin up, walk tall in faith as one who overcomes! You'll see every place you set the sole of your foot, is yours for the taking - in Jesus Name!

DATE YOUR KIDS Connecting Deeply with Our Children by: Stephen Witmer

Several years ago, my wife, Emma, and I shamelessly stole a parenting idea from a friend and incorporated it into the life of our family. In the years since, it’s become a valuable and enjoyable part of our parenting.

Our kids have benefited, and so have we. It’s easy, affordable, and effective. We’re eager to commend it to you: we take our kids on dates.

“The Bible’s vision of the parent-child relationship is one in which parents know their children well.”

In our family, dates are special, planned, enjoyable times shared between one of us and one of our kids.

We love including our children in service projects and missional ventures, but those are different from a date. Emma and I also regularly do ordinary activities with one or another of our children (running to the store, for example), but those aren’t dates either. A date is special. Our dates are usually planned rather than spontaneous, because much of the joy and bonding comes in the anticipation and scheming together about what we’ll do.

There are times when Emma or I get one of our kids alone to have a necessary, serious (perhaps painful) conversation, but that’s not a date. A date is designed specifically to be enjoyable. And although Emma and I often enjoy activities with all of our children together, those aren’t dates, either. A date is one-on-one time between one of us and one of our kids.

I b

V p H M t a

H

F w r l

Why We Date Our Kids The Bible’s vision of the parent-child relationship is one in which parents know their children well.

They’re aware of what will provoke and discourage their kids, and they avoid such things (Colossians 3:21).

Instead, they provide wise instruction and training (Proverbs 1:8–9; 22:6) as well as corrective discipline (Proverbs 13:24; 29:15). In this vision of parenting, parents are compassionate (Psalm 103:13) and tender (Psalm 131:2). They provide for their children (2 Corinthians 12:14) and are deeply invested in their lives, spending lots of time with them (Deuteronomy 6:6–7), having significant conversations about God (Psalm 78:4), and answering their questions (Joshua 4:20–24).

We long to have that kind of relationship with our children, and yet we’re all too aware of how difficult it is to attain and sustain. We know parents who communicate sparsely and awkwardly with their kids, neither of them sure what to say to the other.

On the other hand, we know parents who can discuss just about anything with their children, parents whose kids are eager to seek counsel or a listening ear. There’s clearly no magic formula for being among the latter group. But there are some things we can do to create pathways for deepening communication and connection with our children.

Going on dates with them is one of the best ways we’ve found of establishing regular, unforced rhythms of below-the-surface conversations.

How We Date Our Kids We’ve found that planning for our dates is crucial — if we don’t plan and schedule them in advance, they simply don’t happen. Finding the right pace also has been important; one per month is about right for us. We have three children, which means that if Emma or I take one of them on a date each month (Emma one month, me the next), over the course of a year we’ll each go on two dates with each of our kids.

There’s a schedule hanging inside a cupboard door in our kitchen, which means the kids know well ahead of time when their month is approaching.

They’re excited! We decide together where we’ll go and what we’ll do. We tend to choose activities that foster interaction — a trip to a bookstore, coffeeshop, pottery class, mini-golf course, Frisbee golf course, museum, ballgame, or restaurant for dinner. We’re not extravagant in spending — about $25 is usually enough to cover the entire date.

Nonetheless, allocating time and money communicates to our kids that we see our time together as a priority. They know we actually enjoy spending time with them, and that’s the best possible context for healthy communication.

Although we don’t advertise this to our children, in the course of each of our times together we pursue four topics of conversation: friends, faith, fears, and family (the four Fs).

Of course, the conversation may go in unexpected directions — that’s good! But we want to at least touch base on these four important areas, so we seek to guide the conversation naturally toward how they’re doing socially, with friends at church or school. We speak about our own faith and ask them about their walk with God — perhaps what they’re learning at church or in our family devotions, or questions they have about God. If there’s anything they’re anxious about, fearful of, or struggling with, we want to talk it through together. And we check in on how they’re doing as part of our family, ensuring that our relationships are healthy.

Here’s the key: if we’re not talking with our kids about these kinds of things now while they’re younger, how can we possibly expect to discuss them when our kids are teenagers (or older)? It will seem odd, awkward, perhaps even impossible to suddenly begin talking about topics we’ve never discussed before. When we first began taking our kids on dates, they were all under eight years old.

We knew it was unlikely that we’d have any deep, heart-to-heart conversations with them at that age. Our goal was more modest: to prepare the way for fruitful future conversations. We aimed to normalize one-on-one conversations, to make them a staple part of our relationship. As the years have gone by, we see this happening. We’re slowly building the kind of communication for which we long.

Not Perfect I should hasten to add that we’re a normal family and do none of this perfectly. Because we’re busy and have lots of activities, we fairly often get behind by a month or two or three on our dates.

Some of our dates have been really exciting (the glass-blowing lesson for Samuel was a big winner, as was the mini-golf with Henry and the horseback riding for Annie) and some have been pretty forgettable (I can’t use them as examples because I don’t remember them).

What matters is not that every date is a huge winner. Instead, it’s the time together and the cumulative effect. Four times a year, year after year, each of our kids gets to spend time with just Mummy and Daddy. They get to plan and discuss where we’ll go and what we’ll do, and then we get to enjoy something together, just the two of us. They experience our focused delight in them and our specific commitment to them.

---------------------------------------------------------Stephen Witmer (@stephenwitmer1) is the pastor of Pepperell Christian Fellowship in Pepperell, Massachusetts and Adjunct Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

He is the cofounder of Small Town Summits, an organization that serves rural churches and pastors, and has written Eternity Changes Everything and A Big Gospel in Small Places. He and his wife, Emma, have three children.

I b

V p H M t a

H

F w r l

ROTUBIRTNOC

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOBRIETY IN

CHRIST! Jessica Wilde shares how to overcome writer's block.

Story on p. 20

@monicatheophilus founder @amomentwithmonica, minister, prayer warrior , writer and contributor at beauty&thegosoel magazine .

1 Thessalonians 5:6 - Therefore let us not sleep, as [do] others; but let us watch and be sober ( KJV).

When we think about drunkenness, we imagine a person who is under the influence of Alcohol, intoxicated and affected to the extent of losing control of their behavior and senses.

This person is emotional and incoherent in their ways or normal activities because they are no longer sober. Someone who is sober is able to respond clearly, walk uprightly, and have self-control of their faculties, emotions and behavior.

This sober minded person in the spirit is vigilant at all times, on guard and proactive in prayer to defeat the flying arrows the enemy launches their way. Therefore, the sober minded person is always walking in victory and knows the future plans of God concerning them, others and the world around them. Their clear vision has allowed God to share His secrets with them and downloads that will help them defeat the enemy. The Bible tells us about the Prophet Amos who God used mightily to speak thus says the Lord judgement on the nations for their disobedience ( The Book of Amos). Amos gets visions from God of how He will punish Israel for their sins, and Zion and Samaria.

@beautyandthegospel

ROTUBIRTNOC

The visions Amos receives from God are about locusts, fire, and a plumb line ( Amos 7:1-9). Amos having a close relationship with the father and is sober minded in His walk with God intercedes on behalf of Jacob the nation God wants to destroy. As a result of pleading with God, “ O Lord God, cease, I pray! Oh, that Jacob may stand, for He is small!” So, the Lord relented concerning this. “ This also shall not be,” said the Lord God ( Amos 7:5-6 NKJV). God had mercy on Jacob.

Not only does a sober-minded person receives victory, but he or she stands in the gap for the lost ones, the wicked ones so that God may withhold His wrath. According to Ministrysamples.org, “To be sober is to be clear about everything related to the battle. It is to be clear about where the enemy is, what the enemy is doing, and how the enemy is attacking. It is also to be clear about how to protect ourselves and to fight back. Those who are sober are fully clear about their situation.”

Whereas a person who is always slumbering in the spirit is not able to be proactive in prayer, worship and intercession, but is always reactive to the enemy’s tricks and devices. Instead of crying out to God before the -

problem arises in their life, they remain foolish by the distractions of the world so when the enemy strikes their home, finances, family, relatives, friends or job they are always defenseless.

They haven’t spent time with God, so they are not comfortable fighting back with the word of God and they have no power in prayer since they are not connected to the source which is Jesus Christ. When we are distracted by worldly things, we put off spending time with the Lord which will cause us to be drunk, walking the opposite of Him as a result of our blurred vision.

We have to do as the bible says and that is, “ 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). The only way we can win this battle against Satan is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, a sober mind, and a lifestyle of prayer.

Be Encouraged, Love Monica.

@beautyandthegospel

FEATURED

CAN I LOSE THE HOLY SPIRIT?" by: www.gotquestions.org

The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the triune Godhead. The Holy Spirit indwells believers at the moment of salvation. We know from 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19–20 that the bodies of Christians are the Spirit’s temple.

The teaching of the New Testament is that the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is permanent. We cannot lose the Holy Spirit.

The Old Testament relates occasions in which the Spirit left someone, such as King Saul (Isaiah 16:14) or Samson (Judges 16:20).

However, in those days the Holy Spirit worked differently than He does since the time Jesus rose from the dead. In the Old Testament, the Spirit is never said to “indwell” anyone; rather, He “came upon” people for a time to accomplish -

to lose Him would be to lose any hope of salvation in the future.

specific purposes (Judges 3:10; 1 Chronicles 12:18). The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets to proclaim truth to the people (Ezekiel 11:1–2). He instructed the leaders of Israel (1 Samuel 16:13). He inspired the writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21). But He did not indwell those people as He now does with believers in Christ.

FEATURED

Before Christ’s finished work and ascension, the Holy Spirit came and went, but He no longer works that way. He does not come and go in the lives of believers today. Just before His arrest, Jesus promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, who “lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). The Amplified Bible emphasizes the permanency of the Spirit’s presence: “He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.”

Acts 2 describes the transition from the Old Testament economy to the New as it pertains to the Holy Spirit.

The disciples were gathered for prayer, waiting for the promise of the Father, in obedience to Jesus (John14:26; Acts 1:4, 8). As they prayed, the Holy Spirit fell upon them all and filled them (verse 3–4).

Jesus’ promise was fulfilled, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came upon all who had trusted in Christ.

That outpouring resulted in courage in the face of opposition, love for all humanity, and super-natural gifts and abilities to further the gospel (1 Corinthians 12:4; Hebrews 2:4).

Salvation is impossible without the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Jesus explained this to Nicodemus in John 3:1–21. Nicodemus, a leader of the Jewish religion, wanted to know what laws he could keep or additional actions he could perform that would guarantee eternal life.

Jesus responded that there was nothing Nicodemus could do and that salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s work in a repentant heart, no one can be born again, regardless of how many “sinner’s prayers” he prays or Christian actions he performs. It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates and renews a heart (Titus 3:5).

An issue related to losing the Holy Spirit is eternal security. There is debate among Christians about whether or not someone can lose his or her salvation.

To lose salvation would be to lose the Holy Spirit who provides it. In fact, Scripture says that the Holy Spirit “seals” our salvation until we experience its completion in the presence of God (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). For the Holy Spirit to vacate a heart that He had promised to seal would make Him unfaithful.

One of the Holy Spirit’s tasks, after moving into a believing heart, is transforming that person into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:29), and we have the promise that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). We do not believe the Spirit will undo His work of regeneration, give up on His transformative work, or redefine eternal life to mean “temporary life.”

Since we did not “find” the Holy Spirit, it is doubtful that we can “lose” Him. Some take issue with the word lose and say that, while a Christian cannot lose the Holy Spirit, he or she can forfeit the gifts and salvation He brings by a willful renouncement of Him. However, Ephesians 1:13 says, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” Can a believer truly break the seal placed on him by God? The Holy Spirit is the mark of a true believer; therefore, to lose Him would be to lose any hope of salvation in the future.

Ephesians 4:30 warns us not to “grieve the Holy Spirit.” And 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says that we can “quench the Spirit.” These passages do not imply that the Holy Spirit has left us, only that He is sorrowful because of our sinful actions. The grieving and quenching of the Spirit hinders our fellowship with Him but does not nullify our salvation, in much the same way that a rebellious child may lose the fellowship of a parent but is not kicked out of the family.

What causes confusion on this issue is that we cannot know whether someone else has truly been born of the Spirit or whether he is the “shallow soil” as Jesus described in Luke 8:1– 15. Some people seem excited to follow Jesus and may exhibit what appear to be supernatural gifts, but they were never truly born again. Jesus addresses those people with a stern warning in Matthew 7:21–23.

Many people profess to have the Holy Spirit but eventually prove that they were imposters when their lives turn away from following Him (see Romans 8:14).

Such people did not lose the Holy Spirit; He was never theirs at all (1 John 2:19).

MONY I T S E T

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: MPHO SEKANE .YOU CAN ALSO SHARE YOURS WITH US AT: BEAUTYANDTHEGOSPEL@GMAIL.COM.

THE EVIDENCE OF FAITH IN ACTION

I wanna know God more and the time is now. I'm in a journey of getting to learn more and be able to share the

“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead

Gospel and remind people without God we can never be.

without good works.” - James 2:26.

Not only are we to anxiously await Christ’s return, but we

One day we will give our last words, our last statement. It

are to work as well. Jesus said, “If the master returns and

could be in a hospital bed or some other place, and we

finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a

won’t realize they are our last words.

reward” (Luke 12:43).

And if we really believe there is a Heaven and a Hell, if we

If watching is the evidence of faith, then working is the

really believe that Jesus could come back in our lifetime,

evidence of faith in action. The Bible tells us that “faith is

then it should impact the way we live. And if it doesn’t

dead without good works” (James 2:26).

impact the way we live, then do we really believe it?

Watching for the Lord’s return will help us prepare our own

Why, then, would we not want to leave our comfort zone

lives, but working will assure that we bring others with us.

and engage someone with the gospel? We should take tangible steps if we believe these things are true.

ROTUBIRTNOC

WHO IS YOUR MENTOR?

ANGUS & JILL BUCHAN Jill and I found Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour on the 18th of February 1979, just two years after settling in Greytown, Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands, South Africa. Originally from Zambia, we bought a piece of land on which we planned to farm crops and livestock. We had very little to start with but even as brand new Christians, we were content with our farm, which we later called SHALOM. My dear friend, there is no substitute for spending Many people think that I am a loose cannon, a maverick preacher so to speak. But that could not be further from the truth.

Last week I hosted a meeting where my four Trustees were present. Our media team, my Pastor and most importantly my sons and daughters were present. Of course, my best friend on this earth was also seated next to me, my dear wife, Jill. The better part of the day was spent in prayer, seeking direction and getting counsel from the Holy Spirit. There was no thumb-sucking and hoping-for-the-best.

But through love, honesty (sometimes brutal), we

lots of time in quiet with Jesus! It was in a quiet place that I received the revelation to start writing books, the first one being 'Faith like Potatoes'. It was also a directive from God to book stadiums and preach the Gospel throughout the World, and it was in a quiet place that I was instructed through the Holy Spirit to mentor men, hence the Mighty Men movement. It was on a lonely farm road that the 'It’s Time' prayer meetings were conceived.

After all is said and done the most wonderful counselor, mentor, and dearest friend a person could ever call upon (and He’s waiting for you) is Jesus!

sought the face of God - His direction and the way forward. We do not have time to go down deadend roads because Jesus is coming back very soon!

Ultimately I can say, with the great Apostle Paul, that my Teacher for more than 41 years has been the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

“THE GOSPEL WHICH WAS PREACHED BY ME IS NOT ACCORDING TO MAN. FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT FROM MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT IT CAME THROUGH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.” — GALATIANS 1:11,12 (NKJV)

God bless Angus & Jill Buchan

GOD’S LAW OR MAN’S LAW? WRITTEN BY: M.K

God’s law or man’s law? Your choice!!!

Gone are the days when God was sovereign. People used to fear God and all they wanted and lived for was pleasing Him. Their lives used to revolve around Him. Heaven used to be an attractive place and people endeavoured to go there so they can spend their eternity with HIM. THE Bible was the most read book and taught at schools and as a result children feared and knew about God from an early age. Respect was prevalent and embedded in people’s hearts. The Bible was seen as it is i.e. the Word of God. These days it is seen and treated as one of the many books in the shelf. So sad indeed!!!

When you talk to people about God, they show no interest and seem so bored. They think you are wasting their time on something that is of less importance.

They know and believe that Yes, God does exists, but what you are saying is not true just a made up idea to scare them while you have no right to do so.

Really!!!

People deceive one another by promoting this godless life and think Christianity is really a waste of time. We were born to enjoy life as much as we can.

The devil has deceived people into believing that hell does not exist. There some who will justify the sinful life by quoting the Bible. The most quoted scripture used is the one when Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana. They believe that as god is love then where do we get the idea of Him sending people to hell?

The world we live in has become so brutal and evil. Most of the governments think they are bigger than God Almighty. They have taken God’s place by taking Him out of their schools, hospitals, parliaments etc. to them God is on same level as all these gods. Big mistake that one.

TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR SAY THIS FOLLOWING PRAYER

People treat God as an It. He is not the creator anymore. What really surprises me is that the bible does not change.

Everything that is happening around us has been written in the very same bible that was written thousands of years ago. We are seeing the prophesies becoming fulfilled before our eyes. It now more relevant than ever before and this is so scary. What more do we want??

One sad scenario that shows man’s rebellion is a church that has recently opened. The mission of this church is ‘to attract the drunkards to come to god as they are. God is love and loves them in their drunken state’. Their meetings are conducted in bars. The Bible is read and they praise and worship while having their drinks. They even have the communion but using their alcohol as the blood.

The new recruits even get baptised and they are taught that Jesus is the one who gave them permission to drink by turning water into wine. What a blasphemous statement. The owner who calls himself the ‘pope’ says they are in the process of writing their own bible as this existing one is full of restrictions and doesn’t suit them.

The media also plays its part in making sure that people do not come to the knowledge of the truth.

Everyone wants to be politically correct. In the circular radio or television it is very rare to hear the name of Jesus. Even some presenters who are there are not Christians but are presenting Christian programmes. What a shame. They are all talking about God and not Jesus. There is God but what is His name? It’s Jesus, the name that is above every other name.

Everyone who is a church goer calls themselves a Christian. People would rather say Christ than to say Jesus. Amazing isn’t it? What we know is that there is Power in the name of Jesus. It’s not every-one who can say that name. Power!!! The Word of God says “do not be conformed to the standards of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

These days the world advocates nudity. Many Christians parade around half naked and see nothing wrong with it.

Why, everyone is doing it. If you have it, flaunt it.

What happened to dressing modestly according to Apostle Paul in 1 Tim 2:9. Who are we listening to really? Christians are drinking wine and say the Bible says do not get ‘drunk’. They drink decently and controls how much they drink. They are even worshippers at their churches and don’t have a problem with that. At the end of the day, God is love. With these spots and blemishes, Jesus is surely not coming back for such. What has gone wrong with children of God? I cannot lose something that is there by something that isn’t there. This life is a mirage.

People think heaven is a place where they will enter by force. Really? Where is heaven when we are here? How does one get there? Unless if humans can create their own heaven them there nothing to worry about.

To some people it seems as if God has lost His power. He’s no longer the powerful god He was in the Old Testament. Man’s law takes the upper hand now. The devil is seated on the throne of many governments. He is the god of this world and dictating to people how to live. These days Satanism is said to be one of the religions in the world and Satanists proudly parade around with their young children. This is scary.

As Christians are we teaching our children about God’s laws or we are just going to church just to mark the register? Are our children equipped with the word or will these young Satanists give them a run for their money. Do our children know that the name of Jesus is above every other name? Do they know that the Bible is our map and it is the Word of God? Do they know that salvation gives them the authority to be called children of God? Do they know they are the kings and lords? Do they know that every knee shall bow at the mention of the name of Jesus/ do they have the name Jesus at the tip of their tongues or they just mention this name only when they end a prayer/ do they know that when power meets power, the lesser power must bow? Are they aware of the magnitude of the power they have as children of God? I can go on and on.

The law of God is the ONE!!!

Devotions by the anointed Dr AndrĂŠ and Jenny Roebert

The Great Commission Message taken from Mark 16:15 (NKJV) Mark 16:15 (NKJV):Â "And He said to them,"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."

The Lord's command to every Christian is to share the truth of the Gospel to all people. Why? Because this gospel is a demonstration of God's power to save every life that is bound for an eternity without Him. To snatch them from the pit of hell and transfer them into His very own family and kingdom of light and life! Nothing in this world should mean more to us than leading others to Christ.When Jesus commanded us to preach and teach all nations about the new life we can have in Him, He was referring to everyone - even the ones we may have reservations about! We are to take our rightful place as ministers of reconciliation, and ensure they receive the message of salvation. So, become a fervent soul winner. Realize you are the link between others and God, in your home, office, school, and neighbourhood. Allow the Holy Spirit to create in you His heart for the lost and let Him use you today!

ROTUBIRTNOC

Keep The

FAITH

They did not fall to the trick of the enemy to stop them from what they were called to do.

In both instances, at the end God came to their rescue and saved them. As it is written, He will never forget His own.

Child of God, the devil is not after your money, house, car, he is not after material things. He just needs to disrupt you from your heavenly mandate. If you hold on and keep faith, God will rescue you like he did to Daniel, Paul and Silas.

Do not focus on the den of lions ahead of you, do not be terrified by the prison, hold on to the faith and believe God throughout the process.

Prisons will come, but look up to the Cross, keep on serving God for He is the author and the finisher of our faith...

PASTOR NTSAKO BALOYI Scriptures: Daniel 6:1-28 Acts 16:16-26 The above scriptures recorded very interesting stories, well known stories (Daniel in the den of lions and Paul and Silas in prison). But today I want us to look back to what happened before the den of lions and prison.

In the case of Daniel, the other administrators were jealous of him and made king Darius to make a decree that no one must worship other God than the god of king Darius. But as soon as Daniel heard about the decree, he went to the upper room and prayed three times a day.

And that landed him into the den of lions.

Coming to Paul and Silas, they were preaching the gospel and casting out demons. Their good deeds also made them to be beaten and looked up in a prison.

Daniel continued to pray three times a day, regardless of the decree that was made by the king. He kept the faith, he did not allow anything to stop him. The plan of the enemy was to stop him from praying, but he found Daniel focused and kept the faith to the end.

Paul and Silas did not keep quiet when they were in a prison, they continued with their mandate.

a servant of God, husband to Tiyiselani Baloyi and home made chef

featured

Must-See Easter Movies for Christians By: Mary Fairchild

These Christian Easter movies commemorate in a passionate and powerful way, the life, mission, message,sacrifice,and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Consider adding one or all of these memorable productions to your movie collection to watch each year during the Easter season. #Risen (2016) Risen presents a fresh perspective on the biblical events surrounding Easter.

Seen through the eyes of a hardened Roman Centurion charged by Pontius Pilate with the task of investigating the disappearance of the crucified body of Jesus of Nazareth. The investigation leads Clavius, played by Joseph Fiennes, on a soulsearching journey that ends in a life-altering decision. The battle-weary soldier puts his faith in the risen Christ and finds the abundant life he's always longed for. #Son of God (2014) Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, Son of God retells the life story of Jesus of Nazareth, from his birth, ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection.

While in exile on Patmos, the Apostle John relives the saga of his first-hand journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ, who is played by Diogo Morgado. The epic film, an adaptation of the popular History Channel miniseries, The Bible, features powerful performances, exotic locations, and moving portrayals that are biblically sound.

#Amazing Grace (2007) The central figure in Amazing Grace is William Wilberforce (1759-1833). He is played by Ioan Gruffudd as the zealous believer in God, human rights activist and British member of Parliament, who battled through discouragement and illness for two decades to end the slave trade in England. In a time of personal crisis, Wilberforce is inspired and encouraged in his long fight to abolish slavery by the former slave ship master, John Newton (Albert Finney), who wrote the beloved hymn "Amazing Grace" following his conversion to Christianity.

#The Passion of the Christ (2004) The Passion of the Christ chronicles the last twelve hours of the life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Starring James Caviezel as Jesus and directed

by Mel Gibson, the film was originally released in theaters in 2004. It is rated R for extremely brutal depictions of torture and violence. The film is portrayed in the biblical Aramaic and Latin languages with subtitles in English. It is not recommended for young children or for the faint of heart. The film offers an emotionally moving, painfully graphic reminder of the suffering and passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. #The Gospel of John (2003) The Gospel of John is the story of Jesus as told through the eyes of his disciple, John. The film focuses on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, offering a very human, intimate picture of the passion and compassion of Christ's three years of ministry.

Christians will come away with an even greater appreciation for their Savior and the love that prompted his mission on earth.

#The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) The Greatest Story Ever Told is a classic epic film, wondrously recreating the life of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, from his birth in Bethlehem to his baptism by John (Charles Heston), the raising of Lazarus, the Last Supper and finally his death, burial, and resurrection. #Martin Luther (1952) Martin Luther is a historical biography of the life of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German priest who courageously led the Protestant Reformation, changing the political and religious shape of the world. This special 50thanniversary edition DVD features the film as it was originally released in theaters in 1952, including the story of the making of the film.

#HEISRISEN

WHEN A CHRISTIAN COUPLE SINS SEXUALLY BY:MARSHALL SEGAL

Some Christian men and women feel locked into a dating relationship, even when it’s dysfunctional, and especially after they sin sexually. Maybe you know a relationship like this. Maybe you’re in a relationship like this.

Failures to commit are prevalent (and destructive), but I want to speak into excessively committed relationships, unwisely committed relationships — couples that are too fragile and compromised to feel the seriousness of sin and the preciousness of Christ anymore, or to see their relationship with a clear head and balanced heart.

Why are unhealthy dating relationships so hard to end, especially after a couple has compromised morally? And how should Christian couples respond if they sin sexually?

As a Christian man, one who failed sexually in dating relationships in the past, I am writing mainly to and for men. I have a word for my sisters in Christ at the end, but I want the weight of this charge to fall most heavily on my brothers.

"STRIVE TO SEE ANY DATING RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE EYES OF ETERNITY WITH GOD.” God gave you the shoulders for it. I long for us to live, lead, and love, in ways that are worthy of a woman’s trust and worthy of the name of Jesus.

What God Expects of Men When a Christian couple sins sexually, God holds the man more responsible than the woman. When Adam and Eve committed the very first sin (Eve taking the first bite), “the Lord God called to the man (Genesis 3:9) — and not first to the woman. As John Piper writes, God requires more of men in relation to women than he does women in relation to men.

God requires that men feel a peculiar responsibility for protecting and caring for women. (“Do Men Owe Women a Special Kind of Care?”)

God calls men and women to pursue holiness, to guard the marriage bed, to do all things for his glory, including dating, marrying, making love, and pursuing sexual purity. He calls both men and women to protect and serve one another in complementary ways, but from the beginning, he lays a heavier burden on men.

Eve ate first from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and she enticed her husband to eat with her — and she received a curse for her sin (Genesis 3:16). But after dealing first with Satan, and then with Eve, God’s words of judgment culminated with Adam (Genesis 3:17–19). The woman would have pain in childbirth; the man would suffer “all the days of your life . . . till you return to the ground” (Genesis 3:17, 19).

God expected the man to obey his voice and lovingly lead his wife to do the same — and for the man to own the greater responsibility for their failure.

To his shame, Adam not only did what God had explicitly forbidden, but then blamed Eve (and God!) for his sin: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12).

Men, if you fail sexually in a relationship, I am pleading with you not to respond like Adam did, but to own your failure, and grieve it, and do whatever necessary to repent, protect your sister in Christ, and prepare yourself to pursue marriage with complete purity (1 Timothy 5:2).

Have Mercy on Me Any man who wants to think clearly about a relationship after sexual sin needs to think clearly about sexual sin itself.

Sexual sin, like any sin, is first and foremost an offense against God that separates us from him (Psalm 51:4; also Genesis 20:6; 39:9). Some of us keep falling into sexual sin because we’ve only focused on the relational costs of sin — how this harms the relationship (and other relationships in our lives) — and not enough on how we have violated the glory and grace of God. If we have committed sexual sin, however, our first and deepest response should be, Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

(Psalm 51:1–2).

".SEXUAL SIN IS THE OPPOSITE OF GOD’S WILL FOR YOU. SO, IF TEMPTATION COMES, RUN THE OTHER WAY.” We must confess and ask forgiveness from one another, but the first and most important work of genuine repentance is done before the sovereign throne of mercy. If you want to be done with sexual sin, begin with meditating on the grave seriousness of what it says to and about God — and then get to the cross, where the only hope we have, Jesus Christ, hung to save us from our sin, even our sexual sin (1 John 4:10; 1:19).

The Seriousness of Sexual Sin The wages of any sin is death, but the nature and effects of sexual sin are particularly severe.

The apostle Paul writes, “We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day” (1 Corinthians 10:8). In Numbers 25, the shameless sexual sin of one couple (who was righteously speared to death) led to the death of thousands more. Did God overreact? Was the punishment excessive? We may recoil because we’ve so grown too comfortable with sin, and too indifferent before the holiness of God.

Paul says elsewhere, “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God. . . . The Lord is an avenger in all these things” (1 Thessalonians 4:3– 6). Sexual sin is the opposite of God’s will for you. So, if temptation comes, run the other way. Flee as quickly as possible (1 Corinthians 6:18).

Again, Paul says, “Put to death . . . what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6).

The wrath of God is coming against the sexual sin our society excuses and encourages at every turn.

Sexual sin should cause an earthquake in our souls, awakening in us a sober fear of judgment — and a more profound cherishing of what the blood of Jesus purchased for us.

The Illusion of Intimacy Sexual sin should make us stop and ask hard questions about any dating relationship. But it often does exactly the opposite among well-meaning Christians — sealing the commitment, isolating the relationship, and blinding us to glaring concerns. Sexual sin can make us feel more committed — because sex is meant to have that effect — but in the wrong place and with the wrong person (even if we were to eventually marry that person, at which point, and only at that point, they would become the only right person).

God designed sex to avert and reject temptation within a marriage (1 Corinthians 7:5), not to embrace temptation and undermine your future marriage. Sex before marriage numbs us to temptation, hardens us against repentance, and plunders the trust in the relationship, leaving us less ready for marriage and less able to date wisely and with purity. Precisely when we need space to reflect, confess, refocus our hearts, and build healthier boundaries, we often dive further into intimacy, instead, perhaps continuing to sin sexually, and hoping it all works out and we get married.

As someone who previously committed sexual sin in dating relationships and who now has counseled couples through sexual sin, I am offering guidance I wish I would have received (and heeded) sooner: If you commit sexual sin with your girlfriend, consider taking a meaningful break from the relationship for the sake of your soul and hers, your current relationship, and your future marriage.

This kind of intimacy, however, is ultimately an illusion. It may look like genuine intimacy, and even feel like genuine intimacy, but it will expire, and often quickly. Very often, what we need in the wake of sexual sin in dating is the opposite of intimacy: space.

What Does Fasting Do? What does fasting do for a follower of Jesus? Fasting intentionally forgoes some good for the sake of fixing our hearts on a greater Good. By laying aside food, or sex in marriage, or some daily technology, or any other pleasure, we say to our souls: there is something more satisfying than this, more urgent and vital than this, more central to my life than this. We fast to see that God is supreme, to savor that God is supreme, and to say that God is supreme.

What if we were willing to do this, when necessary, even in dating?

One Proposal: Fasting from Each Other I want to chart a different path for Christian couples, and encourage them to take a meaningful break from each other before pursuing marriage again. (For this article, let’s set aside engaged couples, because the dynamics, while similar, are more complicated, though the sin is no less grievous.)

Someone gave me advice like this, in slightly different circumstances, at an important point in my life, and I have only grown to love and appreciate what he encouraged me to do more since.

To be absolutely, extravagantly clear, this is not a word from God, but a word of Christian advice that I hope will prove to be wise in your life.

Essentially, I am recommending fasting from each other for the sake of honoring God, loving and protecting her, and pursuing greater joy in marriage.

The church in Acts fasted over serious decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23), and who you marry will be one of the most serious and consequential commitments you make in your life. And sexual sin makes that decision all the more difficult and complicated. Why not stop, for a season, to regain your spiritual sanity and seek clarity from God?

What Does ‘Meaningful’ Mean? When I say to take a meaningful break from the relationship, what do I mean by “meaningful”? Different things for different people and different relationships.

Meaningful will require wisdom (including wisdom from outside of your relationship). Some relevant factors to consider, among others, might be: how long you have each been Christians, how old each of you are, how long you have been dating, your individual sexual histories, how often you have failed in this particular relationship, other healthy or unhealthy dynamics in the relationship.

However many months you choose, “meaningful” should be uncomfortable. If it doesn’t feel long, it’s probably not long enough. Fasting doesn’t work if we never feel hungry. It’s meant to draw out the hunger and let that hunger teach us about God. Fasting in dating should do the same. For it to have its full clarifying and purifying effect, it should be difficult, inconvenient, and painful.

To be clear, this kind of fasting is not penance — self-punishment to pay or show remorse for sins. The waiting is meant to lay hold of God all the more, intensify our war against sin, and communicate to each other the preciousness of holiness and trust. What does “meaningful” mean for you? For specific decisions like these in relationships, my golden rule for dating is this: Lean hard on the people who know you best, love you most, and will tell you when you’re wrong.

TO BE CONTINUED........

SCRIPTURE READINGS: > Leviticus 17:11 > Ephesians 1:7 > Hebrews 9:12-14 > Hebrews 10:4 Redemption through Sacrifice Do you remember the last time you were enthralled by a good mystery? The Bible speaks of mysteries—Jesus spoke of the “mystery of the kingdom,” while the Apostle Paul spoke of the “mystery” of the rapture and the “great mystery” of Christ and the Church. One subject that is still a mystery to most Christians is the blood of Jesus. However, God never speaks of the blood as a mystery, so I believe that He wants you and me to know all about the dynamite benefits that are ours through the blood.

To properly comprehend the power of the blood of Jesus requires an understanding of its Old Testament counterpart: the blood of sacrificial bulls and goats. In Leviticus 17:11, God provided the condition for atonement by saying:

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

It was the shed blood upon the altar, the death of a spotless animal, which brought about the atonement or covering for sin.

After it was shed, the animal’s blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat—the golden lid on the Ark of the Covenant. The very presence of God was above the mercy seat by virtue of the shed blood sprinkled there.

Because the penalty for sin is death, the animal’s death in the place of the sinner symbolized the ultimate sacrifice by Jesus for man’s sin.

According to Hebrews 10:4, the blood, or death, of bulls and goats was not sufficient to take away sins: an animal death was not an adequate substitute for the death of a sinful human. That required the death of a spotless human life—the life of Jesus.

The Bible says “…we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To seal our redemption after His death, Jesus ascended to heaven, and through His own blood, He entered the Holy Place once for all mankind and offered Himself to God (Hebrews 9:12, 14).

Because of His death, we enjoy the benefits of God’s grace and mercy, we enjoy His very presence, and we call ourselves “Christians.” It is faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ that obtained God’s favor for us, giving us our new name.

Many times, as Christians, we have only thought of Jesus’ blood as the agent that cleansed sin from our lives; but His shed blood has accomplished far more! It’s that “far more,” which has remained a mystery to many Christians. To grasp the power that is available to us through the blood of Jesus, in the coming days, we will compare the physical facts about human blood to the supernatural facts about Jesus’ blood. The physical qualities of blood provide a stunning picture of all the spiritual realities we can enjoy because of the shed blood of Jesus, our “Great Physician.”

------------------------------------------------------------------Encouraging, optimistic, always upbeat and energetic—at the young age of 88, Marilyn Hickey actively ministers internationally, most recently in Sudan, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, India, China, and Pakistan, as well as domestically in the United States through Bible Encounters and speaking engagements. Marilyn has had audiences with government leaders and heads of state all over the world. She is the first woman to join the Board of Directors of the largest church in the world, Dr. David Yonggi’s Church Growth International in South Korea. She has traveled to 138 countries and plans to visit many more in the years to come. She and her late husband Wallace were married over 50 years, and have two children and four grandchildren. Marilyn holds the following degrees of education: Bachelor of Arts in Collective Foreign Languages, from the University of Northern Colorado, and an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Oral Roberts University.

Because of His death, we enjoy the benefits of God’s grace and mercy, we enjoy His very presence, and we call ourselves “Christians.”

featured

Modest Movement Ministry Join the chat that we had with Tennessee's very own Jasmine C. Garner, who shares the role she plays in the Kingdom of God through modesty and how her purpose was revealed through pain!

King Jesus graced her to pursue acting, modeling and to start a Modest Movement Ministry that encourages women to spend more time on their inner beauty than the outer appearance. She's currently building a magazine titled: Entertaining God, where they disciple and promote faith-based talent."

@beautyandthegospel

2. How and when did you get Born Again?

To be honest, I do not remember what day or if there was a particular experience. What I do know is that when I got married at age 18, right out of high school, I sought God’s Word to help me become a good wife. While searching the scriptures, He saved me and made me His wife.

3. Things you wish you were told about being Born Again?

I grew up in a very strict church. I wish I was told what The Good News really is and why I should believe, because I thought being born again or “saved” meant coming to church, wearing skirts, and not listening to devil music.

4. Your purpose was birthed out of pain. Share that journey with us?

I almost dislike the fact that I’ve had this pain: being raised in a very dysfunctional and unstable household, attempting suicide as a teen, getting married young to get away and then going through a divorce I didn’t want. I was running but God met me, all the way in San Diego with my then husband. In the midst of our separation before divorcing, God was able to pour into me His desires for my life. God proved to me that there is a purpose for me regardless of how I started and where I ended up.

5. Elevation requires process. Elaborate that for us?

God’s Word says in Isaiah 48:10 that He refines us with the fire of affliction. In order for us to grow and mature spiritually, there is testing and pruning, we must undergo discipline to share in God’s holiness as Hebrews 12:10 states.

6. You weren’t always clued up about your purpose, why was that?

Purpose can be difficult to understand when there are other voices and interests you may have. I realize that some interests are seasonal.

I loved science growing up, so I’ve had multiple options to do work in that field, from environmental science to being a Naturopathic Doctor. I didn’t have peace about pursuing those things, as they were personal interests of mine, not careers I wanted to pursue. Also, not asking God the right questions about why I was here, kept me in the dark.

He won’t tell His secrets to strangers.

7. How important is God’s voice and how can one know and hear God’s voice?

God’s voice is of UTMOST VITAL importance. I cannot stress the issue and Him enough to help me listen, help me learn how He speaks to me. A person can know and hear God’s voice

by FIRST, reading His Word.

His Word is His voice. His Holy Spirit won’t say anything contrary to the Word. Secondly, prayer is dialogue.

We do much speaking and petitioning, we also must have time to listen to His still, small voice. I keep a daily journal of pouring out my heart and writing down the answers I receive.

His voice is WORTHY of recording.

DERUTAEF

1. Who is Jesus Christ to you?

Jesus Christ is my Lord, the Lamb of God who was slain for me.

8. How has helping others with their purpose and creativity impacted your life?

It gives meaning to my creative talents. It helps me put things into perspective, that nothing is wasted and can be used to help someone else.

9. You are an actress and model. What challenges have you faced in the industry, especially being a child of God? Many times, I’ve had to turn down projects because the script was too vulgar, or the message would be harmful to viewers. Being a child of God in that industry, it causes you to think A LOT about what you will and won’t do, and how you can glorify God best.

10. How important is it for Christians to be found in the media industry and impact others with the Gospel?

It is extremely important for Christ representatives to be active in the media industry. The impact of media and its concepts are massive and doesn’t seem to miss one soul in view.

There are 7.53 billion people on Earth and 2 billion of them are using social media almost every day.

@beautyandthegospel

God’s people are called to be holy and set apart from the world, we are not showy, flashy, boastful, pretentious.

Modesty is a peaceful way to live.

11. You are the founder of: Modest Movement Ministry. What is it about? l;It is a bold message to not be conformed to the world’s standard of beauty, but to renew our inner beauty by God’s Word.

14. You have a magazine called: “Entertaining God”, a powerful name by the way! How did the name come about and what does the magazine entail?

Awww, thank you! It actually wasn’t always that name, at first, it was “Film, Fashion, & Faith”. Then I got prompted so strongly to rename it ‘Entertaining God Magazine’.

It is a digital magazine that promotes and disciples faith-based talent called to the entertainment industry.

We do interviews, share music, and create encouraging content.

12. Are there any changes that you had to personally make when starting and in between this ministry?

I definitely needed to spend more time with God and be a partaker of the first fruits. I have to ask God to shape and develop my character, cleanse me of unholy ways.

13. When we think of modesty, the first thought is clothing. Define modesty and how important is it for the Body of Christ to dress modestly inside and out?

Modesty has 4 definitions: Modesty is about being humble in our life achievements and position, being moderate and not excessive, having selfcontrol, lastly, dressing AND behaving in a way to avoid indecency and sexual attraction. It’s important for the Body of Christ because modesty is a fruit of the Spirit. It means being humble and having selfcontrol in all things.

@jasminecgarner

15. Advice to young entrepreneurs?

Seek God daily for guidance and wisdom, only faithful servants receive a harvest, and wait I say on the Lord.

Do not be hasty and create shortcuts out of impatience.

I was just pondering recently on how our millennial generation is so full of youthful lusts, the desires of the flesh pulling us in every which way. If we are not careful, we will be led astray by the seducing spirits of the world.

DERUTAEF

There are tons of sinful and profane messages going viral, Christians should be a part of spreading the Gospel and love of God through these outlets.

18. The importance of your relationship with King Jesus?

My relationship with King Jesus is VITAL. I cannot function without Him.

19. Plans for 2020 and how can one reach you?

I was led by God to move back to my hometown, Memphis, TN. I just got back and I am seeking God for direction. I plan on continuing my faithfulness to the calling and incorporating more self-care into my routine. I can be reached on all social media as @JasmineCGarner or find them all here: www.jasminecgarner.com Thank you so much for the opportunity!

16. Things you learned from the top entrepreneurs and leaders?

I learned to prioritize my time wisely, stay persistent, and do not love sleep but give myself leisure (rest).

17. In 2 Timothy 2 v22, Apostle Paul advises Timothy to: “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts”. How crucial is this?

It is extremely crucial that we run from those things that will only distract us from the Lord. @beautyandthegospel

DERUTAEF

MODEL ACTOR ENTREPRENEUR CREATIVE COACH EVANGELIST EDITOR Jasmine C. Garner

I had no idea what I wanted to do in this life, but God, in the midst of one of my most painful seasons, gave me a purpose. In fact, I changed my profession at least 10 times before I knew what to do.

@beautyandthegospel

Devotions by the anointed Dr André and Jenny Roebert

Relationship Trumps Religion Message taken from John 5:39-40 (NLT) John 5:39-40 (NLT): “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.”

Jesus is the Living Word! To know Him, and love Him, is to know and love His Word. Too often this love relationship with the Lord and His Word is mistaken for a religious, mechanical ritual, where reading the Word becomes more of a chore than a passion. A good indicator of slipping into this mechanical ritual is when we become so anxious when we’ve not kept up our regimented Bible reading plan, and we’re overwhelmed with thoughts convincing us we’ve missed the mark and disqualified ourselves from receiving His grace and blessing. We must remember that our relationship with God is a covenant, not a contract that can easily be breached. Our passion to read and meditate on God’s Word is fuelled when we understand the eternal life it infuses into our souls, energises our bodies, and nourishes our spirits. The Word of God isn’t a book that we read to escape God’s wrath, it’s our life source, causing us to profit in all things, to correct, guide, equip, and transform us into perfect and mature characters- fit to carry God’s glory. Embrace His Word, let it become one with you transforming you one word of life at a time.

featured

OPEN LETTER

Article: Kristie Anyabwile

to the Older Women in the Church Dear Older Sister in Christ I begin this letter to you with a sad story. The first two older women I asked to mentor me said no. I was devastated. I knew both women pretty well.

We served together in the same church and enjoyed sweet fellowship together as sisters in Christ, and they were women whom everyone referred to as “Aunt Mary” and “Mama Gracie.” When you read Titus 2:3–5, their names-

are written all over it as models of women who were reverent, self-controlled, lovers of their husbands and children, and so on. Many women were learning from their godly lifestyle and strong faith, so I was excited about the opportunity to spend oneon-one time with them. You may ask, “If you were already learning from them, what more were you looking for?” Having been a Christian for only a -

couple of years, I was looking for an older woman with whom my life could be an open book. I desired someone to hold my hand as I walked out my faith and callings as a young wife and mother. I needed a spiritual mom, someone who could help teach and train me to live for the glory of God in all of life.

When I made my first request, Mama Gracie and I met at a local restaurant.

Although I knew what I would order for breakfast, I nervously scanned the menu, stalling for time and praying for boldness and just the right words to express my desires.

Embarrassed, hurt, and trying to play it off and let her off the hook, I responded, “Well, that’s okay. I understand [I didn’t]. If your schedule changes in the future, you can let me know.”

I’d prayed for God’s wisdom on just whom to ask, and believed this woman could encourage my faith as a young believer in Christ and equip me to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. I finally placed my order, put away the menu, took a deep breath, and said something like, “Mama Gracie, thanks for coming to have breakfast with me. I’ve been so encouraged by your faith and have been learning so much from you as I’ve watched you teach the toddlers in Sunday school, care for your children and grandchildren, and care for your husband. You have been a model to me in so many ways.

But I know there’s much more I need to learn. I’ve been praying for a mentor and believe the Lord directed me to you to ask if you’d consider discipling me and helping me grow in my walk with the Lord.”

“I sure will, Baby” (she calls everyone “Baby”).

Laying a robust biblical foundation and addressing a host of practical issues related to women’s ministry in the local church, this book features contributions from a number of prominent Bible teachers. Silence. Awkward pause. Mama Gracie took a deep breath and said something like, “Honey [she calls everyone “Honey”], I’m honored you would make such a request of me, but I have to say no right now. I have my grandkids keeping me busy, and work.” Pause. “I don’t think I have time right now.”

I finished that breakfast as soon as possible and drove home in a flood of tears. In that moment I made God a promise that, by his grace, I have kept for over twenty years. I promised God that if any woman in my local church ever asked me to mentor her, I would never say no. I would find some quality time that we could spend together in a oneto-one discipling relationship, whether once a month or once a week, whether for a few weeks or months or years.

Fast-forward years later. I was in conversation with Mama Gracie, and we were talking about the need for discipleship among younger women. Mama Gracie became very quiet, and after a moment of reflection said to me, “You know, I remember when you asked me to disciple you. Honestly, I had never been asked that question before, and I didn’t know how to respond. I wasn’t too busy for you. I was scared because I didn’t think I could do what you were asking of me.

Honey, I’m sorry for how I responded to you that day.”

That conversation left me thinking and praying a lot about how older women could be encouraged to embrace their calling to train younger women, according to the instructions of Titus 2.

But who are the older women?

At least three proposals exist in defining who should be considered “older.” Some say Christian maturity marks the older woman. Others say we’re all older than someone else, so, in a sense, we can all be considered older women. Some say there is an age requirement, though none dare suggest a number!

We know from Scripture that at age fifty the Levites’ priestly tabernacle duties changed from manual labor to supporting the younger men who assumed those day-to-day duties (Num. 8:25– 26). We know that Naomi was at least old enough to have grown sons (Ruth 1:1–4) and was apparently beyond the age and ability to remarry and have additional children (v. 12) or to do physical labor, as Ruth went alone to glean in the fields of Boaz (2:2). The Bible praises gray hair and old age (Prov.

16:31; 20:29; Isa. 46:4).

Elizabeth was in her old age when she conceived, and though pregnant at the same time, she still took on the role of encourager to the younger Mary (Luke 1:36, 39–45, 56).

We also know that women could not be put on church support until they were over sixty years old (1 Tim. 5:9–10).

These brief passages lead me to address this letter to women of experienced faith who are beyond the normal marriage and childbearing years, who are eligible for retirement from daily labor, and who may have more freedom to support and train younger women. I’d like to say three things to such older women:

(1) Don’t let super high expectations discourage you.

(2) We need more than practical instruction. (3) Anticipate gaining more than you give.

We never received practical guidance on womanhood. We need to learn from you forgiveness, biblical womanhood, and how to nurture the children in our lives.

Often, when we read Titus 2:1– 5, we read these verses as very practical instructions the Lord hands down from pastor to older women to younger women.

As I write to you, my dear older sister in Christ, I want to assure you first of all that our expectations are high. I don’t say that to scare you. Rather, please realize that you have wisdom and experience that can speak directly to the needs, hurts, and desires of younger women.

Resident Theologian. Some of us want an older woman to answer all our hard questions, to school us in theology, to be our walking Bible dictionary and concordance.

We need to learn from you how to seek God for ourselves and how to dig deep in God’s word for knowledge that fuels our faith in and dependence upon Christ. Pro Bono Counselor or Ad Hoc Holy Spirit. Some of us are looking for an older woman to solve all our problems, to rain down her years of experience and wisdom, and tell us how to respond to every roadblock we face as Christians. From you, we need to learn to rely on the Holy Spirit as our counselor and to seek God in prayer and in his word for wisdom on how to navigate the difficulties of life.

Girlfriend or Social Buddy.

Some of us just want a friend.

We want someone to chat, cook, shop, and just hang out with. From you, we need to learn that there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (or sister). We need to understand how to have fun for the glory of God and how to live practically and wisely in a fallen world.

It is true that how we live before God and man matters, how those of us who are wives and mothers treat our husbands and children is crucial to the love, joy, and peace we share in the home.

Paul teaches that faithfulness in these practical matters makes the word of God attractive and honored— serving as evidence of the grace of God at work in us who are saved by the gospel of Christ. A wise older woman said, “The gospel empowers and compels us to live out our design, and the gospel provides the context in which the helper design makes sense.” However, if we settle for taking care of practical concerns, focusing solely on our roles and conduct, we will fail to grasp the greater redemptive purpose in our practice. We will fail to root our endeavors in the gospel. We will fail to have our character shaped by the Spirit in all of life. We will therefore diminish our calling as redeemed women of God.

Older women often express concern that they’ll not meet the high expectations some younger women have. We can often have unrealistic, unbiblical, inflexible, self-centered expectations of older women. But this is precisely why we need you! We need to learn to root our friendships, our counsel, our knowledge, and our womanhood in the finished work of Christ on our behalf.

Christ did what we could never do for ourselves. Our efforts cannot earn us any merit before him. You can add balance to our expectations, pointing us to Christ and reminding us that our hope is in him.

Let me suggest four ways our desires can go off balance and how you might help tip the scale in the other direction: Mother Figure. Some of us realize how drastically the cultural voices around us have warped our understanding of what it means to be a woman.

Some of us have lacked spiritual, godly influence from our birth moms or those who raised us.

We need to learn to root our friendships, our counsel, our knowledge, and our womanhood in the finished work of Christ on our behalf.

Second, we need more than practical instruction.

As you help us to live out Titus 2:3–5, we recognize that our greatest issue is not whether women should work outside the home, for example, but whether women are demonstrating holiness by their work in or outside the home. What matters most is that the fruit of the Spirit is on display—love, self-control, purity, diligence, kindness, submission, reverence.

This focus on holiness as demonstrated by the fruit of the Spirit allows for any woman—married or single—to carry out and to receive this teaching and training. We restrict the passage in an unbiblical way when we make it solely about domesticity.

Titus 2 is not merely about domesticity. It’s about holiness that adorns the gospel.

Finally, I would encourage you older women to anticipate gaining more than you give. As younger women, we want to learn from you. We want to be encouraged by you, equipped by you, and corrected by you (most of the time ☺). We want to be ever growing in the faith.

But I would ask that you also look to see what the Lord wants you to gain from your investment in our lives. I believe that through our times together, the Lord will continue to encourage and equip you to live for his glory, even as you encourage and train us.

Through my own limited experience in mentoring ladies younger than me, the Lord has taught me many valuable lessons I may not have learned outside of those relationships. Sometimes I can feel quite inadequate in my attempts to minister to them.

The Lord reminds me that I am indeed inadequate! He emboldens me to allow younger women to see not only my trials and sins but also how I respond as God brings me through them. It is through this kind of vulnerability that I learn to make my life an open book to the women I disciple.

I learn to trust in God’s good purposes for my own struggles and to receive his comfort for myself so I can in turn comfort others.

I often reflect on my requests of those godly older women to mentor me. Though I was disappointed with their no, I never thought they were any less godly. I recognize that many older women have not had but greatly need and desire intentional training in spiritual mothering. Much of this training comes from the regular teaching of sound doctrine in the local church by faithful pastors and elders.

More could be done in local assemblies to help older women articulate the wisdom they have gleaned through years of living as women who follow Christ, so as to pass it on to the next generation.

If that does not happen, younger women can continue to learn from older women at a distance. You may not have all the training and tools, but you have a life that we can watch and imitate. God was at work in my heart through the no. May he be at work in your heart to say yes.

Your sister in Christ, Kristi ---------------------------

Kristie Anyabwile (MS, North Caolina State University) is a pastor's wife, mom, Bible teacher and editor of His Testimonies, My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God. She works with the Charles Simeon Trust as the Associate Director of Women's Workshops, training and equipping Bible teachers. She disciples and teaches women in her church, and joyfully supports her husband of 28 years, Thabiti, as he pastors Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC. They have 2 young adult children and one teenager.

Christian

BLOGGING 101

APOLOGY! We at Beauty & The Gospel apologize to Megan , the founder of www.cupoffaith.co.za last interview that had an error where someone else's information was added to her answer to no 7's question. With that being said, we have once again decided to add her interview and this time with no error's .

We once again apologize to her, her followers and our readers!

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

My name is Megan, I’m a beauty-obsessed, soccer-loving, picturetaking, faith-inspired, mom of two boys aged 6 and 2 years old.

Professionally, I am a digital strategist and Client Relationship Manager at a local digital marketing agency, where I work from home juggling the demands of motherhood while also handling the marketing accounts of more than 60 brands. I enjoy baking fresh treats for my family, exploring our hometown, and looking for new family-friendly places for our kids to enjoy. On the weekends, you’ll find me supporting Tottenham, while pretending to know what I am doing in the Fantasy League. I can be bribed with chocolate and will never admit to having too much makeup although, I probably do. I'm from Port Elizabeth , South Africa How and when did you become Born Again?

My walk with faith started at a very young age. In fact, it started right from the time they placed me in an incubator following my birth. My gran tells me that she prayed over my incubator for the entire night and her and God had some serious chats about the life I’d lead. My gran is a big inspiration to me. While she can rattle off verses until she turns blue in the face, the real beauty of her relationship with God is her love for Him – it’s so pure, raw and contagious that I can’t help but want to know Him more! To me, that’s the true testimony of Faith. Love God so much that others want to get to know Him too.

www.cupoffaith.co.za

My big God moment was during the birth of my first son. I was exhausted, things weren’t going as planned and well… I had never felt weaker. The doctors wanted to intervene, but I wasn’t having any of that, so I asked to go to the bathroom where I stood and called to God for strength. 30 minutes later, I was holding my newborn son surrounded by 4 doctors who didn’t believe I was ready to give birth. My birth was an experience like no other, and God’s presence could not be ignored.

It’s only recently that I’ve realised that my upbringing taught me to parrot-learn The Bible, but the more I explore being a Christian on my own terms, by really digging into The Bible, the more I’m in awe of God and His hand in my life which has encouraged me to seek Him, learn His word and share this journey with you.

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

I started blogging 8-years ago on my personal blog called By Megan Kelly, which shares beauty reviews, practical parenting tips and lifestyle trends. It was there that I learnt everything I know about digital marketing, which allowed me to branch out, start my own freelancing company and later, be hired by one of the leading digital agencies in South Africa. Inspired by my own faith journey, I dreamt up the idea of Cup of Faith one morning, while sitting out on my deck, reading my Bible and sipping on tea. Realizing the impact that this habit had on my day, I wanted to create a platform where women could come to have their own cups filled. I feel that each of our stories are so unique, so I didn’t want Cup of Faith to just be my voice, but rather the voice of many, so if you have a story that you want to share, you can apply to become a contributor. The idea is that I want ANY woman to be able to click over to Cup of Faith and find at least one other woman that she can connect and relate to – I want our community to find encouragement and inspiration among each other, understanding that we all come from different paths, but that we are united in our faith.

What is bloggingg?

Blogging is sort of like an online journal – you can use it for loads of different things from sharing your thoughts and opinions of the world, to documenting your life or chatting about a specific topic like beauty, parenting, travel or … your faith. I use blogging in different ways; I have my personal blog where I have done all sorts of things like discuss mental health, documented my parenting journey, shared the joys and challenges of working from home, as well as created branded content where I’ve worked with leading brands to encourage brand awareness among my readers. I also use blogging in my professional capacity, where I blog about the different forms of digital marketing, the benefits, trends and what you can expect – this sort of blog is used to educate our client and attract potential new clients. Blogging has grown so much over the years; it’s both a personal space where you can do what you like, while also being a powerful marketing tool.

What inspires your posts and what preparation goes into it?

Inspiration for my blog posts can come from anything really. Sometimes, it’ll be something that I heard in a podcast or had seen being discussed online, other times it can be a thought I had, and I’ll use my blog as a way to process my thoughts. It might also be something I learnt in my Bible studies or even in life, and I feel it’s worth sharing.

Preparation for a blog post can vary, depending on the topic. If it’s something like a book review, I’ll keep sticky notes nearby, filling the book with notes as I read, so that I know exactly what I want to mention in my review. If it’s something that I have just thought of and feel compelled to share, I’ll sit down, type it up and post it immediately. For all my blog posts, there’s a lot of admin that you don’t necessarily see – I create the content, do grammar and spelling checks, source images or take styled photos of reviewed products, set up the SEO on all posts, click publish, share on our different platforms, let any mentioned brands know that they’ve been featured, create a monthly newsletter, engage with our audiences, keep our contributors up to date, edit any of their articles, record our podcast, edit the podcast, publish, share, share, share… the list goes on.

What do you want people to learn from your blogs?

I feel like sometimes, we get too much in our own heads of what Christianity should look like that we stop ourselves from being embraced by God – we put up walls and feel unworthy, thinking that we need to have it all together and have it all figured out to be a good Christian. Growing up, I went to church every weekend with my grandparents, and I saw how people felt obligated to hide the challenges they were facing, like they were afraid of being judged or even ridiculed by the church and community. I hope that Cup of Faith shows you that God loves you – all of you; even the messy, barely holding it together parts! Pursuing your relationship with God can be messy; you might feel challenged, called out, maybe you don’t always agree and perhaps sometimes you have questions that you’re too afraid to ask – I want Cup of Faith to be that place where you can bring everything; the good, the bad, the silly and lay it on the table. I want you to be embraced by our community, to feel supported, encouraged and inspired but most of all, I want you to be fearless in your pursuit of God. Other Interests?

I have lots of interests outside of blogging; I am a huge fan of the English Premier League; I don’t miss a Spurs game and am very competitive in our Fantasy League. I am plant-crazy and take great pride in my succulent garden. I like comic books especially ones featuring The Titans and The Flash. I watch an embarrassing amount of series, enjoy reading new books, and find peace in Bible Journaling. I am a bit of skincare snob, get excited by makeup and thoroughly enjoy a good tutorial. My guilty pleasure is food channels on YouTube – whether they’re making food, reviewing food or just talking about food, my husband and I love it!

What is the secret to authentic, thought provoking blogging?

I have made a lot of mistakes in the last 8-years of blogging; I’ve tried to be someone I am not, attempted to be the person that everyone likes, I even tried to mask my own burdens and challenges with the hope of appearing more fun and likeable – all of these things got me nowhere. The true secret to authentic, thought-provoking blogging is to write about the things on your heart. I often go back and read old posts and can pin-point the posts that were driven by my passion and love for sharing, and which posts were posted because I felt obliged to share.

What makes you different from other Christian bloggers?

I don’t think that I am different – in fact, I often I feel I am not qualified enough to share or talk about my faith as confidently as other bloggers do. I try very hard not to compare myself to other Christian bloggers, because comparison takes the joy out of blogging.

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

In the next year, I’d like to launch our range of products both aimed at children and adults. In fact, by March or April, our faith-inspired kiddies’ range should be available to order and towards the second half of the year, I hope to be working on the adult’s range of merchandise and stationery. Cup of Faith is only 6-months old, so I’d like the platform to continue to flourish and am excited to see what God has planned for me and this platform. Perhaps, in the next two years, I’d like to launch events and meetups for women across the country where we can gather, praise, connect and learn from each other.

Who is King Jesus to you?

My relationship with Jesus has evolved so much in the last year. I think His unconditional love for me hit me hardest, when I considered Jesus dying for our sins from a parent’s perspective. I can’t bear the thought of sending my child to pay the price for others, just like I can’t imagine the pain that Mary must’ve experienced, watching her son be tortured. Understanding the depths of that sacrifice has shifted my perspective and while throughout the Christian community, we like to say these words, I think it’s amazing – beautiful – raw – and even emotional, realizing the impact of saying, Jesus is my Saviour.

Advice on how to start Christian blogging?

Just start. Don’t think too much about it – start, and as you learn and grow in this digital space, you’ll refine your process. Again, don’t compare yourself to other Christian bloggers – it will steal the joy of blogging and make you feel insufficient. As an example, I used to focus a lot on numbers and think that my 500 views per day were nothing in comparison to someone else’s 3,000, but then I realized that those views meant that there were actually REAL people clicking on to read MY content and I thought that if my blog post made an impact on just one other person’s day, well… then I have contributed positively to this world and I am happy with that! Of course, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the technicalities of blogging but remember that there is a lot of free resources and videos available that guide you step by step – and if you don’t care for any of that and you just want to blog, you can always apply to become a contributor at Cup of Faith!

Last words to the Beauty & The Gospel reader?

A lot of the time, when we’re scrolling through social media and especially when we see Christian bloggers, we hold them up to a higher standard – like, they should know better and do better, just because they have a platform. Social media is and always will be a highlight reel, but behind the screen, there are humans who just wish to connect. At times, I feel super self-conscious about my content, because I get caught up in comparing my faith journey to someone like my gran. I’ll sit second-guessing a post, wondering if this might offend someone, or if what I am studying is right – am I misunderstanding this? Do I actually have the experience to speaking on the topic?

As much as I think it’s important to remember the responsibility that comes with the content you share, it’s just as important to remember that the person sharing it – even if they’re a Christian blogger with 4 million subscribers – is flawed and has the ability to make mistakes, learn from them and grow. We’re all just learning as we go, so be kind, show grace and remember that no number of likes, followers or subscribers gains you entrance to heaven.

Don’t let the digital world take away from your own relationship with Our Father.

by: BERNI DYMET

extracted from: CHRISTIANITYWORKS.COM

The Supernatural

Maybe that question makes you uncomfortable.

But the reason I ask is that it’s a matter of life and death.

It’s often the things that we can’t see that take our lives; high blood pressure, a build-up of plaque in your coronary arteries, bowel cancer and the like. In most instances, people with those diseases suffer no symptoms at all until it’s too late.

You can’t see them or feel them, but when they

John 3:18: People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. Do you believe in Jesus? Have you put your complete trust in Him, that what He did for you on that Cross is sufficient to save you from the coming wrath of God?

hit the impact is devastating and often fatal.

Funny how it’s the hidden things – the things we can’t see – that so often become the silent killers.

Now we know that’s true physically, but it’s also true spiritually. As much as we might try to ignore it and deny it, there is a spiritual dimension to life.

I know so many people who poohoo the whole God thing, who run the line that “Well, I can’t see Him, I can’t wrap my mind around Him, so – He’s just not there.”

But God is the great unseen reality. And today, right here and now, He gives each one of us a very simple choice. Believe in Jesus and have eternal life, or reject Him and live eternity without God. And let’s make no mistake, that latter option is hell.

John 3:18 People who believe in God’s Son are not judged guilty. But people who do not believe are already judged, because they have not believed in God’s only Son. That’s the truth. It’s a stark contrast – a contrast between life and death. What we can see has nothing to do with it.

Funny how it’s the hidden things – the things we can’t see – that so often become the silent killers.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today

Berni is a dynamic preacher of God's word, with a passion for helping people to connect with God amidst the realities of life. He has a wonderful ability to communicate life changing truths in a way that makes sense to the rest of us.Berni came to faith in Christ later in life and, following a successful career building an international consultancy firm, is the CEO of Christianityworks.Foll ow Berni Dymet on Twitter @bernidymet

Devotions by the anointed Dr André and Jenny Roebert

Prayers That Bring Results Message taken from James 5:16 (AMPC) James 5:16 (AMPC): “...The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

Have you ever felt your prayers were missing the ears of God? James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss...” The Word clearly teaches there is a correct and incorrect way to pray to see results. We must remember to keep our prayers based on God’s Word (Jeremiah 1:12), and not our feelings or selfish motives. We must understand God isn’t moved by desperation, but by faith (Hebrews 11:6); and if we choose to live in unconfessed sin, our prayers will certainly not be answered (Psalm 66:18). But when we cultivate a relationship with Jesus and keep His Word alive in our hearts, anything we request will be granted! Why? Because His desires become our own! (John 15:7) So the next time you feel your prayers are going nowhere, check to see if you’re praying the way His Word teaches us to pray. Paying attention to its wisdom will cause our prayers to become powerfully effective.

SCRIPTURE OF THE MONTH

6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies"'.

HAGGAI 2:6-7 (NLT)

ANNOUNCEMENT s s e pr e m u s E s e i s m i s h . t t i e r e , o e p r o m e h th le .I nd c y a n i i e t d r H e ga a d a s e is a y e

e a n s k n t i u e n z o i e a y T . g l sa l e a l l a l m a s ab e l n i h o wa a T g v . n a s i l s r l i to y Ca r u b a i l tr 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 May 2020