Melissa Mcdonald
Amada Clarcke THE FIRE WOMAN ? SIS. ? JAS
GOD CAN MORE FOR YOU IN THAN WHAT YOU
IN
1
DO FOR YOUR?
LIFETIME
Kimesha Williams
From the Publisher’s Desk
Who fights your battles? Hello Dear Readers: STOP!
Many times we are caught up with life’s affairs, and challenging circumstances that faces us from time to time. As a result of that we hastily make decisions that comes back to haunt us later. My encouragement to you is that you take moment to think before coming to any conclusion. Picture in your mind the action you are about to take, asked yourself the question, will this leave a positive impact on my life and those around me? Will my action brings glory to the kingdom of God? If not, your praying time as just began, you will need to ask God for help to put aside your selfish ego and to allow His will to Perivale in you. This is one of the times you need to hummer the flesh dead. This can be a painfully process but the flesh must be crucified in order for your life to bring glory to God and not shame to the cross Christ.
LOOK!
The masses of debris gathered from the ruffles shuffles of life’s ills and valleys will clutter our minds and blind our eyes so we are not able to see beyond our immediate circumstances. Most of the times we acte up on what we see and not what we know. There is a big difference in what things look like and what you know it to be, the gap Vass. What I mean is, those who know the faithfulness of God will already know not to act upon what seemingly but is not real. God is our help, therefore we must believe and trust him in all things, take him at his words knowing that what he says he is going to do he will; for example Paul in Acts 27 ;13 is a perfect example of trusting in what he knew and not what things around him looks like. May I encourage you to look into this scripture of the bible, read it, and meditate on it. I guarantee you will be strengthen to face your trials with confidence
LISTEN!
Evangelist Vendrix Headley
Listing is a master peace of art that is of utmost most value. It’s worth, and wealth is of an eternal price. Ninety nine percent of the human races do not master the art of listing. Been bombarded with trouble on ever hand our ear are clogged and we cannot hear what the inner man is speaking to us. There is always that still small voice in side of us demanding our attention, how often we miss it? As a result of that we always find our self-fighting unnecessary battles.
STOP!
War fears they do come our way, they confront us in various ways, and there are times when we bring them unto ourselves. There are those that comes from the enemy, whatever way they comes my admonition to you is to give them to the lord let him fight them for you, remember the battle is not yours it’s the Lords we say this all the times but sadly enough we do not demonstrate it. I have notice we are busy fighting battles after battle. I’ve seen many that have becomes tired and stress out from fighting battles they can’t win, battles that are too strong for them. STOP! I suggest you step back and think about it for a moment. See where you are going wrong, begin to apply the word God to your life, then stand still and see the salvation of God. Here is a question that only you can answer, are you tired of fighting your own bottles? If the answer yes! I have the solution let Jesus fight for you. If you found out that you always have to be defending yourself something is wrong you don’t have to live your life trying to prove who you are to anyone the life you live will speak for you only let wisdom be you teacher and Guide. Evangelist Vendrix Headley 2013 - Arize Magazine 3
PRESERVING YOUR MARRIAGE
T
By Samuel Sterling
he reason many marriages don’t work is that many people fail to work on them.
As the marriage progresses so do the challenges, therefore, more and more effort may be needed to keep the marriage alive. The good news is that when both parties work towards the same goal of maintaining that bond, then after a while their steps should synchronize and it should then become easier to walk together.
One of the things that the devil hates is unity. He therefore tries to do everything to prevent unity, and one of the ways that he does that is to break up marriages. Once people realize that the devil is the common denominator, who is trying desperately (with a great deal of success) to break up marriages, then they should unite against him to defeat his purpose, and to establish God’s plan for every union that he has ordained. Don’t ever fight against each other, because then you would be playing right into the devil’s hand. Always find a way to resolve whatever problem there is, because there is always a way. God’s plan is for a man and a woman to get married and live together in peace and happiness, while the devil’s plan is first to prevent that marriage. When his plan to prevent it fails, then he resorts to plan B, which is to break up that marriage by whatever means he can, most times it is by some extremely subtle means and by the time you realize what is happening , the damage has already been done.
Let us all unite in fighting against the common enemy, the devil, by using the weapons that God has given us (Ephesians 8:11-18). Make an admission to your spouse and say “Honey, I now realize that the main problem is not with you or with me, but that we have a common enemy in our midst, let us unite and fight against him instead of fighting against ourselves.”
Be warned that this bold step will be challenged by a very effective little man called EGO. Don’t let him prevent you from saying what needs to be said, or from doing what needs to be done. May the blessing of God be on the marriage of every reader of this article and on marriages in general.
4 Arize Magazine - 2013
GRAB YOUR COPY AT BARNES & NOBLE, AMAZON.COM.
917 293 5688• 718 723 22827
by Neil Burke George Banton, Gemini, was born in the Parish of St.Elizabeth, Jamaica, West Indies.During his early childhood, George sang in his hometown church choir at the United Brethren In Christ Church. Later, he started singing solo in numerous churches throughout the island, including the Church of God of Prophecy, the New Testament Church of God, and the Santa Cruz Baptist Church, among others. At the age 18, George learned to play the guitar and formed his own Gospel group, "The Hope Brothers". After two years, George left the Hope Brothers and moved to Kingston.
Upon his arrival in Canada, George started on the same course. He donated his time and the entire proceeds from his concerts to numerous church charities.
George decided to take a new lease on life after overcoming many emotional trials in his personal relationships. Through this, his cousin, Ronnie Williams suggested that he record "Faithful and True", and R&B song that perfectly suited his situation. Initially, Banton hesitated to cross-over, torn by his devotion to serve god and to sing Gospel Music exclusively.
"Faithful and True", George Banton's first departure from Gospel music, stayed at #1 on the Canadian Charts for 10 weeks in 1981. Many of the lyrics in the song relate closely to Christian themes, and to his surprise, the gospel overtones of the recording attributed greatly to its success.
Amid criticism and speculation, George marked his return to Gospel music by recording "Jesus is Everything to Me". This, along with his second come-back album, "Oh How Sweet it is to Walk with Jesus ( A tribute to his mother )", George has experienced renewed success as a Gospel singer that is totally committed to Gospel music.
George is thankful to the Lord for sheltering him through the years, and for giving him another chance to live FOR HIM.
2013 - Arize Magazine 5
1.
Twenty facts to keep the fire in your marriage
2.
Keep yourself as attractive as the first day
3.
Let you spouse know they are the number on
4.
5.
6.
you met your spouse
person in your life
Treat them with respect
Be sensitive to your spouse’s needs
Always want the best for your spouse
7.
Be willing to meet each other half way
9.
Put little adventure in your life
8. 10.
11.
12.
13. 14.
15.
16.
17. 18.
19.
20.
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Always be ready to try new ideas
Continue to date your spouse
Take time from your busy schedule to support
your spouse in important events in his or her life Take your personal hygiene seriously
Think only on your spouse when making love Never leave your spouse out of your great
achievements
Make sure to pray together
Be a good team player
Build friendship with your spouse
Praise your spouse let him know how proud
of him
Supprise treats
There is no modesty in the bed room
Communication
2013 - Arize Magazine 7
CHANGE COMES WHEN WE
MIND
CHANGE OUR
T
Pastor Ericessen Cooper
New York City Seveth Day Baptist Church
oo often in society we demand change, but no one is willing to change their minds. Our viewpoint is so largely dependent upon several factors; our upbringing, socio-economic lifestyle, our family structure and our religious convictions. Isn’t it funny that God in His infinite wisdom gave man freedom of thought. We can think, and do anything we feel, but God wants us to surrender our lives, our thoughts and our desires to Him.
Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17: 9). The word “heart” is actually the Hebrew word “nepes” which relates to the seat of emotion and desire within each of us. Our thoughts uncontrolled will be deceitful and wicked, only looking out for oneself.
The writer in Proverbs said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23: 7). The word “heart” here is the Hebrew word “leb” which relates to the seat of thought and emotion within each of us. Whatsoever dominates our thoughts tend to manifest itself in our lives.
So, the apostle Paul in writing to the believers in the Roman church said, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may 8 Arize Magazine - 2013
prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12: 2)
Paul called on the believers to change their thought process, they couldn’t think like the world. The word “transformed” is the Greek word “metamorphoo” from which we get the word “metamorphosis”. The change that occurs does not have any resemblance to the original state, as the caterpillar looks nothing like the beautiful butterfly that emerges from its cocoon.
When we transform our thought process from the worldly way; a way that is selfish, wicked, vindictive, malicious, and contentious. We begin thinking and acting differently, we think of others (Ph. 2:4), we are kind, we edify each other, and we live peaceably with each other. Then we can truly say we have the mind of Christ, and have been transformed into His likeness. A changed mind for Christ will surely result in a changed life.
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” - Jim Rohn
A
The Five Indispensible Qualities Of All Great Leaders re you a leader? Book-
stores, desk and nightstands are filled with books on leadership. It’s constantly talked about in the media, and even politicians need Pastor to show more leadership we are told. Rogger Ball Much has been made about leadership styles recently. We hear of the differences between the servant leader and the charismatic, from the collaborative to the dictatorial. The final chapter has not been written on how people lead. Still…it is said that if you say that you are a leader with no one following then you are just going for a very long and lonely walk. In this article, I will explore five indispensable qualities of leaders in several types of communities whether religious, educational, secular or at home.
1. Self- Mastery 2. Trust 3. Visionary 4. Grow Peopl 5. John The Baptist
Self-Mastery - All great leaders know themselves, they know
their strengths, their limitations and their triggers. Not only do they know themselves, but they work relentlessly at making themselves better. Self–Discipline, Self-Awareness, Self-Mastery are words that aught to be the appetizers and desserts of all aspiring and seasoned leaders. Most of us can think of gifted and talented leaders whose futures have been undercut by their arrogance, sense of selfaggrandizement, and blind spots. This indispensible quality of managing our impulses and emotions in time and space cannot be overstated. The carnage left behind when leaders fail to lead themselves first - is a fact of life that most organizations, secular and sacred, know all too well.
Trust – When he was speaking about the former Soviet leader,
Ronald Reagan once said, “trust but verify.” Leaders must prove themselves trustworthy. We make the mistake or the assumption that by virtue of the offices we hold that people must trust what we say or what we do. Sometimes this is taken further under the name notion that we are divinely appointed - at its core this is dangerous.
Unquestioning obedience is not trust its “foolishness” as my 8year-old son would say. When Christian leaders break trust, souls are destroyed and churches are broken. The offices we hold often times come with unspoken power. That power must always be used for the greater good, for advancing the kingdom of God, and the mission of the church. When power becomes controlling and manipulative, people fall under the spell of corrupt and opportunistic leaders. God demands that we show ourselves worthy of the offices that we hold. Whether we are pastors, bishops, teachers, deacons or hold other offices, trust is the tie that binds and an indispensible quality for the grace and presence of God to be manifested in our faith communities.
Visionary - Great leaders see far and great leaders plan today
for that distant dream. They imagine the seemingly unimaginable. They are always pregnant with the, “it shall come to pass.” When others see despair these leaders see hope. It is said that the optimist sees the donut and the pessimist sees the hole in the donut but the realist eats the donut. Great leaders hold a healthy tension between the now and the imagined. Between what is and what aught to be, and then works toward bridging the two. When churches and organizations fail to grow, look to the leader for the answer. If we take a spiritual autopsy of many of our churches, we will see that the pulse has long faded, and folks are just going through the motions because that’s all they know. Would to God that He quickens leaders and laity alike into a newness of spirit so that His church will, “see visions and dream dreams” again. Great leaders push themselves and those they lead to imagine more than what is, better than what has been, and farther than where they have been.
Grow People - We grow churches only if the church is the people we lead – We lead organizations only if the organization is comprised of people. This is one of the great undiscovered and indispensible truths about leadership. All great leaders empty themselves and their passion into the lives of others. Paul had Timothy, Socrates had Plato, and Plato had Aristotle. Elijah and Elisha, and Moses had Joshua –The changing of the guard is never far. If lead2013 - Arize Magazine 9
The Five Indispensible Qualities Of All Great Leaders
ers are going to lead we must be able to see hidden, unrefined and undiscovered potential in others. There is a brand of leadership today that relishes others following behind to make us look good but never taking the time to invest in the future of those we lead that is not leadership. Leadership at its best echoes the words of Jesus, “and greater works than these shall ye do.” It’s an affirmation that the student under the tutelage of the master leader invariably becomes a competent leader at some point. This very phrase by our Lord is a stinging rebuke for so many who fail to help others grow and refine their own leadership skills and style. Too much time is spent contemplating whether leaders are born or if they are made. There are no born leaders I would advocate. Time, space, circumstances, experience and encounters form leaders. To say leaders are born is to begin to eliminate those who need the time and opportunities to learn new skills. When was the last time you stopped to think about the shoulders that you are standing on? All the leaders and ancestors whose blood has paved the way for us, and whose tears have made us somebody today. John Dunn was right when he said, “no man is an island.”
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The Spirit of John the Baptist - While John the Baptist is
not an indispensible quality but a person, it is worth ending this ar-
ticle with the deep wisdom that we cull from his life and time. John
The Baptist understood who he was – I am not the Christ. He un-
derstood his role - I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
He understood he does not own people but serve them – Look, there is the Christ, I am not worthy to loosen his shoes. He understood when his time had come. Too many leaders hold on to positions
even when they cease to be effective. The disciples readily left
John to follow Jesus.
Leaders should always remind appointees that their appointment is not like that of the Supreme Court - being appointed to lead a department whether in the church or other setting does not mean that it’s yours for life. In fact, at some point, we all must consider stepping aside especially when we lose passion and vision for the work. If learning to live well is being ready to die then learning to lead is also knowing when to let go or step aside. John did so with grace, finesse and dignity. May we all learn to live and lead such indispensable lives as John The Baptist.
FAITH SEVETH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, BRONX, NY Pastor Llewllyn West - 347 583 1517
2013 - Arize Magazine 11
Identify Your Identity! A
s you look into a mirror what do you see? Anger, bitterness, pain, hurt, ashamed; staring right back at you! This is what many Christians goes or have been through; whether young or old. We all have to learn to accept our true identity. So many false identities have been placed in our lives. Some of us look into the mirror and accept what we feel about ourselves; we Sheryll Gainer accept being bitter, being angry, being mad and whatever negative thinking we have towards ourselves we accept it. I say this because I was once a victim to identity theft.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27). I wasn’t raised up in church; I wasn’t raised up believing that Jesus Christ was our Savior. I was raised in just being believing in whatever my mother believed in. I thank God for leading me through His map, and I found my way to trusting and believing in Him. That is how I got back my true identity! Many young adults have gotten their identification stolen. Some of them are too ashamed to ask for it back; because of this they go hiding in a shell, they put on a mask to cover themselves up. Then they want to pretend to be something that they are not. There comes a time in life that you have to stop running and start facing yourself. So when you stand in that mirror you will not see anything negative about yourself; but you are able to face that mirror and accept who you are. That is how you’re going to get back your true identity. As long as you keep running, as long as you keep hiding, as long as you’re covered up in that mask; you can’t be healed.
Destined
I remember growing up as a child, how so many names were called upon my life. Looking into my own mirror all I saw was brokenness, my pains, and anger; that have been building up in me; even in my adult life. My beauty became my ugliness, no matter how I looked at myself; I didn’t see what others have seen in me. Me being ashamed of what happened to me as a child reflected on how I felt as an adult. There were battle scars, bandages even wounds that never seemed to heal. Brokenness have cause me to become afraid to allow others into my life; to painful to look at myself, because of what happened to me as a child; I was hurting because of the harsh words someone spoke against me. This guilt had me thinking negative of myself, had me thinking that I was unworthy to be who I am. There was days when I felt beautiful; but there were those days when I felt ugly. Not knowing I was my greatest enemy. I down played myself, I antagonize myself, I allowed myself be set up by my own self. I looked at myself with disgust; with my identification stolen this is what the outcome came for me. I hid this inside myself; I was in my own shell, fighting everyday to shake that feeling off of me.
The enemy had me right where he wanted me to be; all he had to do was whisper and I would do the rest. It was an ongoing battle for me; for years I fought with myself. Beating myself up, hurting me; but most of all not respecting God, because He was the one that created me! I didn’t know this force had a grip on my life; it wanted complete control and here I was giving it to him. This thief that tried to steal my identity has formed his weapons against me; to take all that God has promised me. I was determined to get myself together; I was finally ready to face all life pains, which have caused this brokenness that was inside of me. By God’s grace and mercy, He delivered me; He helped me become a woman of God. I had to take back my identity that was stolen from me; instead of the ugly woman that I saw staring back at me; I saw this beautiful anointing vessel of Jesus Christ. (I was created in His own image:
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“There is an identity thief wearing sheep clothing; and he is not here to be your friend: John 10:10 the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” There are many Christians that wear a mask: hoping no one sees them the way they see themselves. A childhood memory can cause much damaged in your adult life. Yes it can, if you don’t take back your identity in Christ Jesus. We as Christians are to learn to trust in God, (Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.) How else are you going to be able to take back what was stolen from you? Jesus Christ never wore a mask, He said repeatedly in the bible, Who He was; what He was about; what was going to happen, and what is to take place. Jesus didn’t come to destroy, but to heal, to deliver and gives you life, life more abundantly. Life is too precious to throw it away; you have to appreciate who you are. God has blessed you with life, not just to be here to throw it away; but to live according to what God has planned for you. I heard many young adults tell me, that they are young; they have plenty time, when I’m ready, but not right now. This sounds all too familiar with me. I remember when I was a young girl, how I wanted to be this fashion designer, get rich, live on top of the mountains and live this luxury life style. This is what life was to me; eat, sleep and work your behind off and enjoy your money later. There is more to life than wanting to get rich and live the luxury life. As I got older I had to look at life in a whole different prospective; where I thought I wanted to be is not where I am now, I had no idea that God had better plans for me. God had changed my plans, changed my thinking, changed my walk and He even changed my mind. I recognized that there are many young adults wanted to live that luxury life, their identities have been stolen from them. Get back your identity, for the enemy had it too long.
2013 - Arize Magazine 13
Discovering the Pathway to Destiny Prophetic-Deliverance Solutions
D Me s t i n e d
any people have a notion that whatever comes from God should not have trials or temptations. The popular wayside belief system of what Christianity should or should not be is a sheer fallacy that is far from being truth. Similarly the wayside customary idea of Christianity that has no BibliDr. Pauline cal basis should not be our standard Walley-Daniels of living the Christian life. Usually people are found of referring to something the Bible says which they have never read or seen. Recently, a woman tried to intimidate me by saying that “God says we should eat everything.” When I asked for the reference of the Scripture that says so, she insisted, “Trust me, the Holy Spirit is in me and He speaks through me no matter what…” She stated again and again that “God says we should eat everything.” At this point, I realized there is a spirit of false doctrine in this woman and started to rebuke her very strongly. I told her to stop playing Eve, because misquoting the Bible leads to false doctrine and deception. False Assumptions: There are false assumptions making waves on street corners about Christianity. One of such assumptions states that “good Christians should not suffer trials and temptations, therefore suffering trials are result of judgment of sin.”
James 1:12-15 says: Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Jas 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: Jas 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Jas 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
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What is Trial?
Trial is an examination that the Lord uses to prepare us for promotion. Trial is the means by which our faith is tested for maturity. Trial is a process of refining your behavior and character in the fire of the Holy Ghost. In order for your character to be purified, the entire members of your body will have to pass through the refinery fire. The refinery fire is a chemical test that burns off unwanted elements in your behavior and character. For instance, gold represents purity. The longer a piece of gold stays in fire, the better the quality of its production becomes. Therefore, no trial, no promotion; Also, no trial, no maturity;
Quality Trial / Test: If you live by yourself and you are often
on your own, your Christianity is hardly tested. But as soon as you come into the midst of people or into an environment of activities, your faith would come under a trial. Socialization and interaction enable your true behavior and character to be tested. That is the moment when you would need to prove that you either possess the fruit of the spirit (Character of God) or the works of the flesh (the character of Satan). The Lord would allow the public and the people around you to test your character and behavior to see if you really do possess the fruit of the spirit or the works of the flesh. The same people would also be allowed to judge the outcome of your response to your trial as they observe you from different perspective.
The Works of the Flesh: Gal 5:19-21,
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-24:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
cont. on page 16
Prayer is the key to open any door
2013 - Arize Magazine 15
contd. from pg. 14
Discovering the Pathway to Destiny Prophetic-Deliverance Solutions
If you have been praying for patience, get ready to be tested whenever you come into contact with another person. The Lord will give you patience pouring out the chemicals of patience into your interaction. You ability to tolerate and endure the chemical will prove your readiness and consciousness to work with patience. Soon after you have completed the test of patience, the enemy will also attempt to snatch the beautiful gift of patience from you. You ability to tolerate another person’s weakness or foolishness or misbehavior proves you worthy of the gift you have just received from the Lord.
What is Temptation?
you submit yourself to correction, all the mistakes that you have made in the past will block your pathway to success.
The steps into destiny are part of the divine principles that you cannot ignore. Yield yourself to correction and instruction and all shall be well with you as you walk the path of destiny. For assistance on how to repair and restore your pathway to destiny, contact Dr. Pauline Walley-Daniels on: 1-718-839-4140, 686 East 219 St, Bronx NY 1047.
Temptation is a satanic device. It is an attempt made by the enemy to steal your faith and destroy the joy of your salvation. Temptation is programmed by Satan and his cohorts against Christianity. It is a deliberate attempt to discourage Christians from trusting in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Satan tempted Peter as soon as he received the authority to become the rock on which Christ will build the Church, but the Lord rebuked him thus, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Matthew 16:23).
In the same vein, Satan tempted Christ Jesus as soon as He was endued with power from on high when the Holy Spirit rested upon him during his baptism and said, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”
Just when it seems that you are happy and excited, the enemy will try to punch your face of your joy, or deflate the balloon of your celebration by provoking you to anger.
MARSON ?
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: Matthew 3:17 “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Temptation is a means by which the enemy seeks to disrupt and destroy our destiny. After a 40days fast during which Christ Jesus prepared to start his ministry, the devil came to tempt him with the word of God.
On the pathway to destiny, it is important that you work with your trial as the Lord uses that examination situation to break and mould you for His plans and purposes. Rejecting your trial is ignoring God’s designed purpose for your destiny. Don’t try to be like somebody, but discover yourself and work with the abilities that the Lord has given to you.
It you are the type of person that resist correction, instruction and direction, then the path of destiny may seem difficult to you. Until
16 Arize Magazine - 2013
AMANDA
M
Be a Leader not a Follower
any have heard the saying be a leader not a follower. However, many of the youth out there know that it takes us awhile to fully learn what that means. We found that every leader has to be a follower at some point; it just depends who you follow. All individuals are products of their surroundings. Our teachers, parents, friends, neighbors, relatives, and most importantly the hand of God are all factors that have molded our characters. God uses these individuals and our surroundings to develop our spirits. The defining moment of a leader is seen in the strength of their character in moments of weakness. Our example of a leader who exhibits this is Christ. He has set the example for us to call upon the virtues of our mentors and lean upon his strength when our own will and abilities are insufficient. Walking as Christ is like walking in his ways. We are followers of his love. Galatians 5:16 says “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Many times the pressure will be there to follow your peers. Just remember to stay true to who you are and most importantly your identity in Christ.
EXPERIENCES
Akilia: I guess that the advice I’d like to give to our generation
is to stand firm in what you believe. A lot of times in chaotic situations our own voice may get clouded and we fail to recall what we know is right. I know that the “teenage nature” tends to be impulsive. In addition the pressures around us do not make that any easier for us to contemplate the consequences of our actions. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. One time, my Dad, little brother and I were Akilia Jackson going to the Bronx. We were in a rush and my metro card was not working. My dad and brother were already on the other side of the turnstile. In a state of confusion, I heard my dad yelling at me to hurry up and I saw a group of people coming out the train station through a gate. So “following the crowd” I went through the gate without paying. Little did I know that the cops were awaiting me on the other side. Fortunately my Dad saw what was happening, he also held on to the virtues the bible has taught us and sent me back through the turnstiles to correct my mistake. I spoke with the conductor explained what happed. In addition to being saved from an arrest I learn that in chaotic situations doing what seems isn’t always right. I know everyone says think before you speak but my advice is to think before you act. Remember James’ advice in passing a task, “Be slow to speak and quick to listen.” Just make sure that you listen to what the spirit is guiding you not what the world is guiding you to do. I now realize how fortunate I am to have this second chance. Each time I look back on that day and remember the proverb “a just weight is of great value in the sight of the lord.” Today in all of my
actions I aspire to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord always.
Maya: As kids we feel like we have no choice but to go to school. At least that’s how I feel. We get homework on top of homework, and tests on top of tests, and we feel stressed out, wondering how were going to retain all this information, to get good grades, that hold up to our parents expectations/standards…so we cut class…that’s the easy way out for some of us. We figure if were never there, they can’t account me for not giving in the homework or receiving any homework, and no tests, it’s just that simple… WRONG! Maya Faircloough It affects you more than you will never know, especially if you get caught…It also has to do with peer pressure, because your friends might be cutting and ask you to come with them, and you tell them “I’m not sure if you want to”… “Just this once” and those words rope you in… but it affects you, does it once…. it gets addicting and your grades suffer. For a Christian in this situation, I would have to say keep your head up, even if you get roped in, keep steadfast in the lord, and he will renew your path. Jemila : Sometimes peer pressure may lead you down the wrong
path and might make you do some really crazy things. When I was in the 4th grade there was this really smart girl in the class. The “teacher’s pet” at least that’s what people called her behind her back. Everyone who was anyone knew about this girl. One day I was put in a group to work on a class project with her. I grew furious just sitting next to her. I thought she could’ve done all this work by herself so, my friend and I started to make fun of her and call her all kinds of names. All that time my friend was videotaping it on her phone. Jemila Faircloough Once the girl started to cry they called the principle they told her what we had done and suspended us of a week. That same day I got a beating of a life time but when I look back and remember this, I think to myself “Was it worth it?” Was getting suspended just because some girl was smart worth ruining my future? NO its not. I should’ve strived to be more like this girl then follow the crowd. In Romans 8:1 it says “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. This verse has definitely helped me during this situation and it will help you remember to all ways be a leader never a follower. Being yourself and trusting in his word will help you through any situation or problem. 2013 - Arize Magazine 17
Education and Our Future As a sixteen year old junior in High School who intends to graduate in 2014, my dream has always been to become a pediatrician. I have a love for Rachel Smith children and a passion for helping them, too. I am self-motivated and I make it my responsibility to stay on track with my work and grades. I’m sure that many teens have dreams of their own as to what they want to become in life. Some dreams, like mine, start at a very young age and some develop as they go through their high school years. However, in today’s society as teens, we have a lot of negativity that sometimes detracts us from our
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goals and dreams. It’s important that as teens we don’t allow such negativity to rent space in our heads. We should keep our minds focused on our dreams and goals and no matter what happens we should continue to persevere. As teens we must also remember that even though we may not like a teacher or when our parents are down our backs to make sure we are on track with our work, our future is our responsibility and no one else’s. Most importantly, God must be the head of our lives and we should put everything else after. If we seek God about our future He will guide us and place us on the path which He wants us to follow.
2013 - Arize Magazine 19
Seeing Beyond the Wall
As we begin this year 2013, I think it’s a good idea to take some time to reflect on where we've been, and where we are now.. Most of us, can testify that 2012,was really a year of transition, so many things was out of order, we were not able to accomplished a lot of things that we had set out to achieve. As for myself, I did not get the car I had wanted, I’m still not debt free, my congregation has not grown numerically Abel Caesar and I did not get married, I buried my mother, and financially, the year was a nightmare. What’s this, better yet, WHY this? Where did I go wrong? Is there anything that could have been better? If so, what is it? As a Pastor, I need to know. Perhaps I can be of help to some fainting seaman, drifting further in what seems to be a sea of no return. Looking back over my life, I cannot see a life that was free from Well, here I am at the beginning of another year, a new chapter of my life, the year of my Jubilee, and I must not move forward without first giving God all praise and thanks, for yet, despite of it all, life could have been worse. I made it thus far by faith, leaning on the Lord. To sum it up, I will consider the last year as a preparation year, I must look back in gratitude, look around in awareness, and look forward in great Hope, that He which has begun a good work, will complete it.
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Nevertheless, though up ahead may be a gulf so wide, valleys so deep, and mountains so high, these gigantic walls, must not be made to obscure my vision for 2013. I look forward to a year where the righteousness of Christ, His Love, Peace, Joy, and His grace will cover me like the water covers the sea....I look forward to a closer walk with God and I strive to walk right, talk right, and live right, that the name of the Lord JESUS WILL BE LIFTED UP.. To you my dear readers, trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy path. Yes, He'll give you that undying faith, that will enable you to see beyond the walls in your lives. Unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before His throne......., be all the Glory Honour and Praise..
2013 - Arize Magazine 21
W
Pastor Harold G Smith hat is faith? Faith, for me, is taking a leap, knowing that God will catch you; because you believe Jesus when He said, “If you shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. And if you shall say to this mountain be removed and be cast into the sea, it shall be done unto you. For with God all things are possible”.
It was over 20 years ago (I remember it as if it were a few days ago). I, along with my wife Myra, and our two young sons, attended a wedding at the New York City SDB Church in Brooklyn, NY. We set out across town after the wedding, to attend the wedding reception ceremonies, when suddenly my car shut down without any warning, after I stopped at a traffic light. A Good Samaritan came along and gave me a jump start but as soon as I got to the next red light my car shut down again; and another motorist had to give me a jump start.
My car continued to shut down at every red light I came to, until I reached the reception hall, and pulled into the parking lot. My car was still fairly new and under warranty, so I could not take it to any mechanic shop to have it repaired, even If I could find one, since it was Sunday. I had to get it to the dealership and have them do the repairs. My cousin Conroy who was also a guest at the wedding, came over into the parking lot where I was, because he heard of my dilemma, and I said to him, “Conroy, I must get this car to the Bronx (where I lived at the time, very close to the border of Mt Vernon, Westchester County, NY ), before night.” I continued, “Let us pray.” We held hands and prayed that God would enable me to drive the car to the Bronx without it shutting down. Again I got a jump start and set out the opposite way I came, passing through all those traf-
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Taking That Leap of Faith fic lights my car had shut down earlier. As I stopped at some of those red lights, I watched the battery meter gauge flicker and dip to the lowest number on the gauge but the car did not shut down. I headed for the FDR Dr. East, via the Brooklyn Bridge, and there I hit traffic and had to go slowly. I watched that meter gauge flicker and dip very low, but the engine stayed on. I got home just before night, left the car running and opened the gate to the driveway and backed in and turned off the ignition.
Listen To This: the next morning after I woke up, I called the dealership, told them about the problem with my car, and they told me to drive it up if I could. Incidentally the dealership was about 30 minutes away in Scarsdale, Westchester. I got into the car, turned on the ignition, and without a hitch the engine started, and I drove to Scarsdale, and was just about a mile from the dealership when the car shut down at a traffic light. From there I called the dealership and they came and towed the car in. How is your faith today? Do you have faith as a mustard seed?
The good news is, if that's all you have, you have enough to move mountains. Just exercise your faith by taking a leap and prove God who said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Remember Daniel? He took a leap of faith in praying to God three times a day although he knew the odds were against him, but God delivered him by shutting down those lions. Shadrach, Meshach and Abenego, took a leap of faith in standing strong and firm for the God in whom they believed, and Jesus stepped into the fire with them and cooled the flames. Moses took a leap of faith when he stretched his rod across the Red Sea, and like walls the waters stood up on either side, and the people crossed over on dried land. Take a leap of faith today and put God to the test.
A LOVE STORY O
The Story of Jonah
ne of the ways I know the presence of God is when something old becomes new and fresh. This happened for me when considering the story of Jonah. I would like to share a new take
Jonah whole. This loving God is there for Jonah yet again. Jonah is in that whale for three days and three nights. He is there in the dark, with fish and sea debris. It is stinky and messy hanging out in the belly of a whale and periodic gushes of sea water were surely coming in. Anne Pomeroy God loves Jonah even though Jonah does not know it. This is like when we are in the midst of our dark times. on an old familiar story. We cannot see beyond the darkness, and often feel like When I was a child I was taught that the story of Jonah we are in a smelly, terrible mess. was a story about disobedience. Over time I have come to understand that the story of Jonah is a story about how What happens next is “In my distress I called to the Lord step by step God walks with us in the midst of our lack of and he answered me.” (Jonah2:2 NIV) Jonah says faith and guides us back to his love. This is a love story “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temabout a God, our God, who steadfastly loves us. ple.”(Jonah 2:7 NIV) God in an act of love causes The story begins with God giving Jonah a mission. This is an act of love. God gives Jonah the opportunity to Jonah to be spat out on dry land. manifest God’s presence in the world. He so loved Jonah… Disobedience does not cause God’s love to waver. God is there, knowing that we have to face the pit (the belly of But Jonah is unaccepting of this gift of love and hardens the whale), however or wherever our suffering presents. his heart. He heeds his fear and runs away from his mis- God is asking us to be open to the radical ordering of our sion. He boards a ship heading the opposite direction lives around God’s will for us. Yet when we follow God from Nineveh. God is again present causing the storm it seems to be the only thing that made any sense. that threatens the ship and all aboard it. Jonah knows In the next part of the story, God again offers his gift (the the storm is his fault and eventually convinces the sailors mission) lovingly to Jonah. There is no scolding, no finto throw him overboard (they are certain he will die). The ger wagging or saying tsk, tsk. It is a pure and simple restorm is quieted. God saves the sailors and Jonah is free quest to carry out the original mission. In the face of this of a guilty conscience that he might have caused the steadfast, unwavering love, Jonah does the only thing it feels right to do which is to obey, to follow God’s lead. deaths of anyone. This is a gift of freedom, freedom from wrongdoing that He prophesies to Nineveh, and the Ninevites listen to will eventually let Jonah embrace his mission. This gift him. They repent. They love God and hear and see the is an act of love. ways their actions have been displeasing to God. God God provides the great fish (for convenience let us call it sees their actions and hears the pleas of the Ninevites and a whale), not a shark or a barracuda. The whale swallows he loves them too and so saves them from what he had
cont. on page 33
2013 - Arize Magazine 23
The Pit and the Prison P
it and prison are two scary words indeed! No one wants to be in a pit or in a prison. We fear these, but for many Christians this is God’s will for them.
Hold on! Do I really believe that the pit or the prison is within Jacinta Sterling God’s will for many Christians? Emphatically, YES! So what about being prosperous and be in good health? What about being the head and not the tail? What about all the great promises of scripture and the many messages on the media about name it and claim it, about living as King’s kids, being blessed and highly favored? The questions can go on and on… and indeed, the foregoing are also within God’s will, but many want the blessings without the refining, purifying and molding that come with enduring suffering in the pit or prison. One cannot talk about the pit or prison without thinking about Joseph (Genesis 37 – 48). Joseph was given precious promises through dreams and visions from God. In his youth, he was puffed up and boasted to his brothers about what he would become and how they would be subservient to him. God makes great promises to us but he does not give us the process to the promises! If many of us knew the process, we would not want the promise!
When Joseph received the promise, he was just an immature, self absorbed braggart, devoid of the fruit of the Spirit and the maturity that was needed to occupy the position God promised. He had to go through the pit and the prison!
The pit that God designed is not to destroy, but to mature us! In the pit, we learn who we truly are! In the pit we recognize the anger, bitterness and unforgiveness we harbor in our hearts. We realize the futility of our efforts without God and finally come to the understanding that God is Sovereign and without Him we can do nothing. Many of us stay in the pit for a long time because we refuse to acknowledge our heart’s condition and instead we rebuke the devil to no avail. Indeed, some of us never mature into the promises because of our stubborn will.
In the pit we are alone with our thoughts, emotions, wants, desires,
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frustrations and anguish. God is there waiting for us to surrender our stubborn will to Him so He can mold and fashion us into something beautiful. It is the place that God removes the dross from the gold and fashions the rough diamond. It is the place where He chips at the stone so it (we) can fit into the beautiful building he is fashioning ( see 1Peter 2).
After we surrender our will and allow God to fashion us, we are ready to move to another level. The new level will involve temptations that allow us to see the level of commitment we have to our Father and Savior. Do we love Jesus more than anything else in this life… even life itself? Do we cave with each temptation, or do we resist with all that is in us, even if it means being ostracized or lose our positions? I cannot but at this time reflect on the stories in the book “Hearts of Fire” from Voice of the Martyrs, (I strongly recommend it). When we are able to resist even when it means death, we are ready for the prison.
In prison, are we willing to serve others and deny ourselves. Think about the jobs jkj(or other situations) in which some of us feel trapped. Are we willing to give our best even when we think we are not treated fairly by our bosses? Do we join in with unbelievers and lambaste those who supervise our work? Do we work as unto the Lord, so that others can see Christ in us and desire Him? In the prison God refines our character through working with the unlovely and those who “rub us” the wrong way. In the prison God prepares us to deal with all kinds of people. In prison, we are matured through the things we suffer and are prepared to take up the positions and promises that God has for us.
Unfortunately, many are led to believe that the Christian life is a “cake” walk….or easy street. So they were never prepared to deal with suffering, even though this is an integral part of our Christian walk (Rom 8: 17, 2 Timothy 3:12 etc). Therefore, when suffering comes through the pit or the prison, many fail to go through the process and become bitter or disillusioned and give up their faith.
If you aspire to do exploit for God, be prepared to go through the pit and prison and the sufferings that come with them. Do not fear them, because you are not alone, for during those times God refines your character and prepares you for the palace and position of authority!
2013 - Arize Magazine 25
Hopeton Lewis Hopeton Lewis was born in Kingston Jamaica W.I. And grew up in Burnt Savannah, Westmoreland. At the age of 6, while attending the Burnt Savannah Holiness Church, his talent for singing was discovered. This ushered in the beginning of his singing career. Several years later, he returned to Kingston to live with his grandparents in Mountain View Avenue. While attending the Windward Road Primary School, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Camperdown High School. By the time he turned 15 years old, both grandparents died and he was left to fend for himself. His ambition, zest for life and his love for music, inspired him to form his first group "The Regals". Hopeton did his first recording at Studio One and from there went on to become one of the key players in the evolution of Jamaican popular music. Soon he moved to Federal Recording Company, where he did a number of recordings including his hit song "Take It Easy" which started the Rock steady Era, In 1970 he won the Festival Song Competition with the hit song, "Boom Shaka-Laka" on the Treasure Isles Label. While singing under the Byron Lee's Dynamic Sound Label, his recording "Grooving Out On Life" reached gold status in 1973. He then join Byron Lee & the Dragonaires band as lead singer and tour with the group for over 4 years, after leaving the group he went on to perform on the hotel circuit throughout Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands. Mr. Lewis has now returned to his first love worshiping the Lord through" Gospel Music" and continues to spread the word extensively through North America, the Caribbean and Europe de-
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livering the Spiritual message of One Love, God's Love. In 1996, he released his debut gospel CD, "This is Gospel" he has since released 12 other gospel CDs. On these CD’s are some original songs written by him and produced under his own recording label, Rockstone Music Production and Songs 4 Life Ministry. To date, he has performed with various gospel artistes including, Candi Staton, Tramaine Hawkins, Alvin Slaughter and Monty Alexander to name a few.
PATRICK REID MINISTRY BIO
P
atrick Reid was born in the beautiful island of Ja-
Patrick Reid CD?s
maica. Patrick relocated to the Bronx section of New
York City in the United States of America in his mid
20’s and was at the peak of becoming a rising Reggae artist.
It was not until many years of singing and the loss of a friend that Patrick Reid began to answer the call of the Lord.
In 1991, he started singing Country & Western Gospel.
In 2003 the long awaited CD entitled Today I Started Loving
You Again was released which led to him winning the French International Caribbean Award for best new artist in
2006. His sophomore album Citizen of Heaven was released
in 2006, and in 2007 Patrick won Love Gospel Radio song of
the year for Citizen of Heaven. Since then Patrick has shared the ministry platform with ministers such as The Grace
Thrillers, Claudelle Clarke, Hopeton Lewis, Jesse Dixon
from TBN, J. Moss, Mary Mary and the legendary Pastor
Shirley Ceaser and has been awarded many awards includ-
ing Bronx male artist of the year 2010.
Patrick Reid is a devoted father and his goal is to win souls
and spread the word of God through music one song at a time with the help of his Lord and savior Jesus Christ. He is
currently working on the release of his 1st double CD. Date
HOPE FOR LIFE MINISTRIES
P.O BOX 690024 BRONX, NY 10469
http://hflrministries.org Tel: 917 559 0340
for release has not yet been schedule
2013 - Arize Magazine 27
My battle with MS
Reba Glunk
My battle with MS (multiple sclerosis) began more than 30 years ago. Back then there were not many treatments available as there are today. Fortunately for me, I had a friend who referred me to a neurologist in Greenwich, Connecticut who specialized in treating people with MS. Anyone familiar with Connecticut knows that Greenwich is a very rich upscale area. Every night I was treated with a back rub and meals were something akin to the culinary Institute.
His prescription was a hospital stay for 1 month hooked up to an IV of Acth. Sure enough the symptoms subsided and I was discharged feeling myself again. Thereafter whenever I suffered an acerbation (worsening of symptoms) I would check myself into the Greenwich hospital for another dose of acth. After 4 years the acth failed to bring me back so the doctor prescribed a new treatment of cancer drug called Cytoxin.
The nurse administering this drug warned me that I would probably lose my hair but eventually it would grow back to and in some instances a different color. Oh great I thought I would I be a
Reba Glunk and Family 28 Arize Magazine - 2013
blonde like Marilyn Monroe or perhaps a raven hair like Julia Roberts? Yes, the symptoms subsided but by now the insurance company stepped in and would no longer recognize this doctor as a participating provider. I then found doctor in Westchester who prescribed a drug not yet approved by the FDA but which could be obtained privately.
The drug was called 4AP and has since been approved by the FDA. All one had to do was send a substantial amount of money to a man who would ship the science fiction movie, but desperate situations require desperate measures. So I sent my money but, unfortunately, the customs guys confiscated my medication upon entering the US. With my symptoms getting progressively worse and the insurance company again not recognizing this doctor as a participating provider, my hunt for a new neurologist was resumed. This time my quest led me to Albany. That wasn’t so bad my day as you may remember from my very first column. I had just about given up hope so when my friend suggested had wonderful results with a new drug called Ampyra. I was a little skeptical, but after being examined the P.A prescribed the drug saying she had seen miraculous results from this drug. My new prescription due to arrive soon, will my miracle follow it?
July 2011- Covenant Treasures 29
let?s face reality W
hatever you are going through today, you must know that you are not the only one. You may not be the first and neither will you be the last. You may rather be surprised to know how many others are going through similar situations or worse. Always remember this one thing: it could have been worse. Many times the question is asked: What do you do when you don’t know what to do? It all comes down to one common thing.
Choice
Whatever you chose to do when you are going through a particular situation, will affect you in one way or another. Remember, life is a journey with many different roads, and whichever you chose, it will lead you to a destination. One need to know it’s not where you start from it’s where you finish. Your destiny is in your hand and it’s all a part of God’s plan, there is always a solution if you will only be strong. Everyone must take responsibility for their actions and I guarantee you it will bring satisfaction. Many people are stuck in their beginnings, they are held captives by the arrows of their past, and are unable to move forward, or put there past behind them. We are apt to blame others for our failures in life. We are cognizant of the fact that parenting is somewhat responsible for molding us and preparing us for the future. Unfortunately, many of our parents were not educated themselves and were unable to supply us with the correct tools we needed to move on successfully to the future. Parents had their part to play to a certain stage of one’s life. You are the biggest part of what you become in life. One must take responsibility for their actions.
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The challenges can be very difficult, and you may find it real hard to break through to the turning point, but with determination, and ambitious goals, you will find a way to drive yourself in the correct gear. Therefore, you cannot blame anyone for who you are in life today. The choices you make will either make it better or worse for you. There are many others who have been in worst situations than yours, and they were able to turn it around and make something worthwhile of themselves. It is no time for self-pity or for patronizing, it’s all in you. God has given to everyone gifts according to their abilities. You may just need to be stirred up with that gift so that you can see and use what’s in your hand.
To be pure
It’s not on overnight thing. “To the pure all things are pure.” (insert scrip) To be pure is a qualification to the kingdom of God. There is no two ways about this, if you should ask the question who is pure? All hands would be the first to go up, not so fast mister! How did you become so pure? We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. Have you identified the impurities in you? Have you confronted them? If you did, you would recognize that to remain pure you must be God- conscious by the second. It is so easy to become impure, however, it is not impossible. With honesty, and a conscious prayer life you can be pure, and with the help of God and your sincere desire to follow him. One’s life must be totally surrendered to God to remain pure. We are humans with a sinful nature, and we live in a world that is also sinful, so the struggle remains as a constant fight stay pure. Being pure is having no trace of evil thoughts, or harboring unsatisfied, unsettled disputes that would interfere with our inner peace, or any other thought that is not in total unity with what the word of God teaches. The mind plays a big part in the process of purity. It is a very powerful weapon, therefore, one should guard well the mind, as it sometimes can become unruly and uncontrollable. Taking control of the mind is one sure way to help cultivate purity. What you allow to remain in the mind is very important.
There are two factors that want to govern the mind, the flesh and the spirit. They are constantly at war as to who will rule the mind. This
let?s face real ? is a hard bottle and cannot be won in the flesh. The desire of the flesh is great and is very powerful but so is the spirit also. Unfortunately, most of the time, the flesh gets the better of us. If we do not crucify the flesh and renew our minds constantly, there won’t be purity of the mind.
How often do we have to remind our self of who we are? We are so easily offended by words and even the ways of others around us, that, it is imperative that we make a conscious effort to bear the pain and not fulfill the fleshly desires. This is not an easy task, yet we have to remember that “we can do all things through Christ who strengthen us.” Only by His sure grace and mercy are we able to gain the victory.
Knowing the great benefits and rewards to be gained from being pure, and that the Kingdom of God awaits us, what greater gain is there than to know that we are a part of God’s eternal kingdom. Purity comes with being honest, and having self-control to make the right choices.
Be Honest
Being honest means that we say what we mean and mean what we say. That is the way God does things. He said that He honors His word above His name. His words will not return unto Him void it will accomplish that for which He sends it. Let us remember that God will not take it lightly if we do not value and weigh our words before we speak them. Words are powerful and can cause eternal scars. The impact it can have on someone is of lasting devastation especially on who is weak and cannot combat those attacks.
Self Control
Let us ask God for the will to have self-control in every area of our lives. Let us not be driven by our every emotion knowing that we all have the potential to do the wrong thing. With discipline, determination, and making the right choices we will ultimately choose to do the right thing when we are rubbed the wrong way. Let integrity instantly kick in. Many times we want to act out on our immediate emotions, but we must be willing to let the peace of God that passes all understanding take charge of our actions and we will find that it will rule in those moments of dissatisfaction.
NOBODY MAKES AN INVESTMENT WITHOUT ANTICIPATING A SIGNIFICANT RETURN.
We all want the latest and the best in order to assert that we are the best. Given a choice we would all want to be the Blackberry world edition always on tour, not the broken down sorry game tradition that traps us in a desperate cycle of being a failed attempt of a knock-off. You see there is always a hefty price tag attached to anything of value. So the question is just who are we?
A Crushed Dream A dream I never got to wake up from And lived like I always wanted to win; A dream that I would one day reach the star And like they say, the sky is the limit to what you can have. I never knew the way to reach it because no showed me how And those who did the climb never left an ounce of its trace behind; You couldn’t follow their trail, the secret they did not reveal.
As I gazed into space my life seems to just go to waste Never knowing that I too could be great; If only I had the faith When all that’s inside me lie await. Just what I needed to be liberated I had drifted so far never to be emancipated When I could have been way ahead Just as I often anticipated.
Never knew the light was so brightly shining And many saw the warning That one day I would be liberated To live the dreams I always wanted.
There is a door widely open to enter in To be reinvented, educated and rejuvenated To stop reaching for the star and be one And start shinning right where you are.
You don’t have to go that far To make all that impression; Yet you will need some aggression To make the implication that will find the solution And to tell the next generation the way to satisfaction is through salvation. A V-Nash-A Nil Production
contd. from page 23
A LOVE STORY
told Jonah was in store for them. More love from God, for the precise people who displeased Him. The lesson for us: we are not condemned for our actions, we are given the opportunity to change our ways. We are loved by a God who has steadfastly been there for us.
We are heartened by this story because it affirms our humanness (our imperfection).Our Imperfections are not the final act. We are offered over and over again the opportunity to return to God. God is calling us to see His love even when we are in the pit. We will be in the belly of the whale again, I know. When I am in the dark smelly belly, Then Jonah gets mad at God. Jonah says “O lord is this I can remember that God loves me and I can have hope. not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I This story shows me that over and over God is there lovwas so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew you are a gra- ing us. It is I who move in and out of seeing His love. cious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.”(Jonah 4:2 NIV) Here Jonah is angry with God for his fate, prophesying and being listened to. He feels like he has been made to be a fool. Yet the words are that he prays to God. We are shown that prayer is speaking our hearts to God. After giving the prophesy to Ninevah, Jonah goes out to the desert.
I am thankful to God for this steadfast love.
Jonah is being headstrong, willfully paying attention more to his own pride than to God’s desires for him. How often do we do this? What happens next is telling of how unending God’s love is. God follows Jonah out to the desert and gives him a vine to keep from being scorched.
But Jonah is holding on to his anger. In the midst of his anger he cannot see God’s acts of love. How often do we not see the love around us because we are holding on to our feelings of anger or hurt? What God shows us next is that he has not left even when we are angry with Him. We can be angry at God and not push Him away or be abandoned by Him . Quite the contrary. God is still there trying to teach Jonah, to help Jonah see His love. Steadfast is your love, O God.
The book ends with God comparing Jonah’s concern for a vine than with God’s concern for Ninevah. God is affirming His love for all people. Step by step God is with us, loving us and guiding us. His love is steadfast even when we are disobedient. What matters to God is our reaching back to Him, affirming our love and need for Him. The pattern this story sets up is that disobedience is not a final ‘sin.’ God always desires us to return to His loving arms for consolation and to listen to His guidance.
RUN WITH YOUR VISION!
Believe in yourself and then others will believe in you, don’t feel bad if others don’t see your vision, after all, it is your vision. A person with no vision can only see right where he or she is. Be careful of visionless folks. The Scripture says “for without faith it is impossible to please God,” the same applies to “where there is no vision the people perish.” It is said that you can share in other people’s vision. You do not have to be the visionary you may just be the vehicle the Lord chooses to help bring someone’s vision to reality. Therefore, one must beware of selfishness and learn to sow good seeds so you will be able to reap good when harvest time comes around.
I HAVE A DREAM
Choose carefully those with whom you share your vision. Don’t be deceived, some dream killers are out there, so you have to know your associates. You can know them by their fruits when you see the fruits manifesting. Do not ignore this because it is real. Only be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. Avoid negatives they abort dreams. A healthy environment is vital to the healthy birth and growth of your vision. Giving birth to any thing is good; however it is imperative to be aware of your surroundings. When a mother is expecting the arrival of a new family member much preparation is given so as to receive that baby, so we need to make the necessary preparation as we give birth to our vision. It is important to do your research on the particular subject.
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AGAPE SEVETH DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, QUEENS, NY Evangelising the world, while showing the Agape Love
BLACK HISTORY SABBATH
PASTOR SAMUEL STERLING
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THE TRIUMPHANT CHURCH OF GOD
WOMEN OF PURPOSE, LADIES ENRICHMENT WEEKEND 2013
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Tribute to Father (Deut 7:9 – I Cor. 1:9-2 Cor. 1:18Heb.10:23-I John 1:9) Attuned – (make harmonious) Listen to your children – know their needs.
Lois Steir
(From a Daughter) As we think about Father’s Day, and honour our fathers among us, let us be reminded where this subject of father started from. “In the beginning… God….” I hasten to point out to you the following attributes of who a father ought to be. Definition of Father - a male parent
Different kinds of fathers: Natural – Ancestors – Leaders – Head of Households God the Everlasting Father – Isaiah 9:6 Our Father who art in heaven – Matthew 6:9 Have we not all one Father? – Malachi 2:10 You O Lord are our Father – - Isaiah 63:16 We have one Father – John 8:41 One God, and Father of all – Ephesians 4:6 Know the Father – Matthew 11:27 A son honours his father – Malachi 1:6)
Character Traits that a Father Must have:
Faithful – (loyal – conscientious) Be there, and be aware of your responsibilities.
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John 8:43 - If you are not willing to listen, you will not understand. Just as God provides for your need, so you must provide for your children. Trustworthy - (reliable) - Let your children depend on you. Can they trust you to come through for them? Are you there? Proverbs 22:6 - “Train up the child..” Honourable - (worthy of respect – upright). Let your children know that you are worthy. Speak to your children – Teach them wisdom – teach them respect. Hebrews 12:3-11 – talks about Discipline – Do your counseling with love. Children loves to be disciplined, they are looking for structure, and what better person to give this, than a father? Endearing –(make dear –beloved). Let your children know of your love. Hebrews 1:5 – God is your example, be the same to your children. Don’t ever leave them to wonder if you love them. I Corinthians 13 – Love your children and teach them to love. Real – (not a phony – genuine – true). Don’t be a counterfeit father to your children. John 3:35 - The father must declare his love – don’t pretend with your children – they are looking to you for genuineness. Be real – be you – faults, failures, and all. They will love you in return and respect your honesty. Why are these character traits important to the family? Because these are traits that a FATHER must strive to possess in order to pass on
blessings to his children and his grandchildren. Duties of a Father toward his children: - Love - Genesis 37:4 - Command – Genesis 50:16 - Instruct – Proverbs 1:8 - Guide and Warn – I Thessalonians 2:11 - Train – Hosea 11:1-3 - Rebuke – Genesis 34:30 - Restrain - I Samuel 3:12-13 - Punish – Deuteronomy 21:18-21 - Chasten – Hebrews 12:7 - Nourish – Isaiah 1:2 - Supply Needs - Matthew 7:8-11 - Do not Provoke – Ephesians 6:4
The song writer, Frederick W. Faber penned the words of this song; “Faith of our fathers, we will strive, to win all nations unto thee; And through the truth that comes from God, mankind shall then be truly free.”
When fathers provide the foundation for their children, it naturally follows that the children will have a basis for firm faith. Children will know where they are coming from, where they are, and where they are going. Fathers must be - Faithfully Attuned, Trustworthy, Honourable and Endearingly Real.
Fathers are called to follow after God. When this happens, children will see the example and will be set for life in all areas of their lives. They will then make decisions that will make their fathers proud of them, and make their lives whole. Siol Ettenna Riets Family Life Educator Psychology/Social Work
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Brimmer Vale High School Vision statement
Wisdom my Guide, Knowledge my Keep
A
student centered school of choice providing well-rounded and disciplined individuals for wider society
I recently paid a visit to my alma mater, the Brimmer Vale High School, on March 8th and had the opportunity to meet with the Principal and Vice Principal. I was moved by the high level of professionalism and the expertise displayed by both administrators. The standard of discipline and decorum of the student body were outstanding as I witnessed the interaction between teachers and students. I was fortunate to show up on Mathematics Week. Many of the students were outstanding in their performance and were issued an award.
It is my greatest pleasure to mention some of the names of the students who received awards at the presentation and also extend congratulations to these who did well but were absent at the time. Special kudos to Tareat Berry, Nicolette Gillipsie, Moesha Hunter, Shereka Nash, Whitney Chung, and Larry-Ann Melbourne. I would like to commend Mr. Christopher James, the Guidance Counselor, who was present along with the Mathematics specialist, Ms. Eva Coleman A special thanks to Mr. Gabbidon for the excellent Math display and the work shop that he conducted.
The first Principal was Mr. V. Walker. Brimmer Vale’s history is significantly influenced by the owners of one of the sprawling sugar estates on which it is situated. These estates include Brimmer Hall, Trinity, Tryall and Roslyn. The community of Bailey Vale was named after the late Zachery Bayly Esq., the owners of the Brimmer Hall Estate. The name was originally Bayly’s Vale but over time the spelling was changed to Bailey’s Vale In the late 1900’s the school family embarked on a name change for the institution. It became appropriately fitting to name the school after the two places to which it is closely associated. Hence, Brimmer (from Brimmer Hall), and Vale (from Bailey,s Vale) were combined to form the new name, Brimmer Vale High School.
A Brief History of Brimmer Vale
Brimmer Vale High School was opened on September 1, 1969 as the Port Maria Junior Secondary School, later the Port Maria Comprehensive High School. The school was built to accommodate twelve hundred (1200) students facilitated on a shift system.
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Principals of Brimmer Vale High Mr. V Walker, Mrs. McDowell, Mr. H Richard, Mrs. Palmer, Mr.
Dear Mighty Women of God, Grace and peace be unto you from our Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to share with you how I experienced a life changing moment in my life. I just came back from my yearly woman's retreat which is every first weekend in May. The word was awesome, many women received deliverance,break through, impartation and salvation. I truly encourage ladies from all over to come and experience a refreshing time from the presence of the Lord. Women of purpose it is time to arise to destiny! Looking forward to see my sisters in Christ in May 2014. In God's Service
Min. Hope Thompson
The Cambel?s Sis ?
Sashi
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Spotlight interview wi
R
everend Dr. Brown was a determined and dedicated servant of God; called of the Lord to become a missionary and prayer crusader. In answering the call she became a marked stalwart for the Lord. She was an ordained evangelist and as such she worked domestically and internationally spreading the gospel and even ministering to people in places were declaring God openly was forbidden. Dr. Brown was born in the Caribbean island of Jamaica in 1952. She accepted the Lord at the tender age of 9. Then in 1971 she was baptized and received the Holy Spirit which empowered her to embark on an extraordinary and unique ministry for the Lord. Having the mighty call of God upon her life at that young age, she went about praying for the sick in her neighborhood and they received healing. She was often called upon by her primary school principal to conduct devotions and to lead prayer. She also was bestowed the gift of singing and she sometimes sang at events with her brother. Her father and mother were saved through her ministry and testimonies. She was very active in her church and served the youth and adult choirs. In her early twenties she was an accomplished entrepreneur owning a restaurant which commanded the attention of those around her. Dr. Brown soon left her homeland of Jamaica, migrating overseas. Her first stop was to Canada but only for a short period of time then she went on to the United States of America. Dr. Brown divinely connected with the renowned televangelist Merilyn Hickey. It was with Evangelist Hickey that she branched out doing international Christian ministry. She ministered in different countries
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Rev. Dr. I Brown, missionary and devout prayer and in diverse places. She went to the countries of Israel, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Hong Kong, China and distinct biblically mentioned places such as Mount Olives, Dead Sea, Jordan River and Galilee. There were no limitations in getting around. Travelling from place to place was accomplished by bus, boat and airplane. Ministry in some of these countries was not easy. Imparting the gospel in China was difficult because the Christian faith was prohibited. In that country tracts were handed out discreetly and pushed under doors when people were asleep as well as worship services were conducted underground. Sometimes the Bible was left at a certain point for it to be picked up by someone. However, those who received the Word, be it one Bible verse, shared it and it served for as much as 300 people. In the Philippines, the encounter was different. In the Philippines the people believed in God. She assisted in organizing an evangelical service in stadium. During this event 1,000 people accepted the Lord. This and many other experiences have left an indelible mark in her heart and in her ministry. She expresses sincere gratitude to the Most High God who favored her and called her to become an ambassador for Him. The utterance of her mouth is that all praises be unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our soon coming Lord. Dr. Brown is still basking in the unfailing love of God. She encourages all who labor for God to not become weary in well doing as only what you do for God will last.
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