Faith Based Journal August 2012
13th Edition
Inspire, Inform & Educate
Christian Bible Institute and Seminary:
INSIDE
Preparing God’s People for Kingdom Business
Getting Back On Track With Family By Dr. Pamela Randolph Summertime is a time for family fun, family vacations, family picnics and family reunions. PAGE 7
Developing An Online Presence For Your Ministry By Cheryl Donovan The bottom line is content is king. PAGE 8
“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” - Napoleon Hill
The Heart of The Bible’s Message By Larry Kent The stories that follow capture the heart of the Bible’s message in a fresh, new way. You are invited to experience them for yourself. PAGE 10
Dr. Tony V. Lewis, Founder, Christian Bible Institute and Seminary (CBIS) and Barbara Walker-Green, President BLG Financial and Insurance Services
Dr.
Psalm 91: A Prayer Guide Through Tough Times By Jeanie Rose When things get tough, people of faith and prayer turn to Psalm 91 for strength and encouragement. PAGE 12
Tony V. Lewis is the founder and president of the Christian Bible Institute and Seminary (CBIS), a unique opportunity for spiritual minded individuals to pursue a high school diploma or quality post secondary degree programs. CBIS has granted a degree to some of Christendom’s greatest such as Bishop I.V. Hilliard, the late R.W. Schambach, Yolanda Adams and recently to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. They offer both
academic and vocational degree programs designed to prepare men and women for professional service in Christian Ministry and Community Service. CBIS offers flexible and affordable distance education and online learning programs. At CBIS you can earn your Bachelor’s, Master’s and or Doctoral Degree. Dr. Lewis is a visionary with an unusual focus; developing economica l educationa l programs that equips men and women of God for kingdom business. These program are an
excellent alternative for the nontraditional student whose schedule will not allow them to devote years of their lives to a degree program, but have a genuine desire to pursue an education. In addition to CBIS, he is the founder of Trinity Theological S e m i n a r y, Hop e C h r i s t i a n Academy (High School), Global Christian Schools Network and Accrediting Commission for Biblic a l Hig her E duc at ion. Barbara Walker-Green, President of BLG Financial and Insurance Services Corporation is currently
developing a financial literacy curriculum to be included in the CBIS course offerings. Dr. Lewis states that “When God called me to preach, most of the preachers that I knew were not theologically trained. They were led by the spirit of God and they were anointed, but they didn’t have an academic background. So we wanted to create a school where people were academically anointed with the academic component and
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Faith Based
Journal
Publisher’s Message
Keith J. Davis, Sr.
SR. PUBLISHER Keith J. Davis, Sr. VICE PRESIDENT Kevin Davis
If your life is off track, check your spiritual GPS. Getting back on track in your spiritual life is just as important as breathing. Your spiritual GPS helps you find your way when all else fails. Put it on auto-pilot until “your change comes” and you can again take over the controls. Faith does that for you, it keeps you anchored in your purpose. As always, thank you for your continued support of d-mars.com. When you support d-mars.com, you are supporting more than just our company; you are supporting the communities in which we live and work. Working together, we can succeed in making positive things happen.
EDITING CONSULTANT Sharon Jenkins OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Johnny Ray Davis, Jr. ACCOUNTING MANAGER Eugenie Doualla
CONTENTS
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Onyebuchi Okoh C.T. Foster Eric D. Goodwine
Christian Bible Institute and Seminary: Preparing God’s People for Kingdom Business ..........Cover Getting Back On Track With Family ................................................................................................. 7 Developing an Online Presence for Your Ministry ............................................................................ 8 The Heart of the Bible’s Message .................................................................................................... 10 The Present Power of Pentecost ..................................................................................................... 11 Sancutary Scuttlebutt ....................................................................................................................... 12 Psalm 91: A Prayer Guide Through Tough Times ............................................................................ 12
PHOTOGRAPHY L.C. Poullard Grady Carter MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR Andrea Hennekes LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ferland Antwine DISTRIBUTION Booker T. Davis, Jr. Rockie Hayden CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sharon C. Jenkins Robert Driskell Dr. Pamela Randolph Cheryl Donovan Larry Kent Kristie Peifer Jeanie Rose
MR. D-MARS Tip of the Month “Reaching the top is a monumental achievement, but remaining there may be the most spectacular feat of all.” -John Maxwell
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Continued: Christian Bible Institute and Seminary Preparing God’s People for Kingdom Business Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
spiritual component and rea lly get the training they needed. Ministers didn’t have mentors or trainers to equip them for ministry or te ach t hem theologically and give them t he tra ining they would need to put messages and sermons toget her. A lot of them were learning on their own. They would sit and listen to t heir pa stors and try to pull nuggets from what t hey heard, but they were never really g iven t h e
training. Even myself, my own spiritual father at the time taught me nothing about how to prepare a sermon or how to study the bible. I pretty much had to learn on my own. God placed a burden on my heart and a desire to train the men and women of God, to ensure that they got the proper necessary training.” The History CBIS has been in existence for four years but Dr. Lewis has been training ministers and leaders for over 12 years. Dr. Lewis developed a program called Bringing the Seminar y to the Church about 12 years ago, where he would go into different churches and provide theological training in a seminar setting and cover topics such as homiletics, hermeneutics, bible study methods to teach ministers, those who could not afford to go to seminary and give them a preview of what they would actua lly get once t hey enrolled in a bible college. CBIS Today CBIS’s Vision is to offer: • An Excellent Program of Theological Education • Providing Choices to Specialize in Specific Areas of Ministry
• Using the Best Books and Resources Available • Backed up by a Team of Highly Qualified & Committed Faculty Members • Catering to all Denominations • Equipping to be Effective and Successful in one’s Respective Ministry • Facing the Challenges of the 21st Century The Philosophy of CBIS is to provide their students with a kind of training which has been designed: • To impart the Revelation Knowledge of the Word of God, in a simple and a practical way, in order to enlighten and enrich the students spiritually; • To impart the Anointing of the Holy Spirit; which is so vital and essential to fulfill the task of reaching the whole world with the Gospel; and to minister to the needs of the people with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Theoretical Contents of the degree courses offered by CBIS adequately cover all the essential Biblical Doctrines and Principles, which would challenge and motivate the students to maintain the highest spiritual standards, both in
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their personal and professional lives and in their ministry without violating the Word of God. The highlights and the unique features of the CBIS curriculum is that the courses are written in a very simple and a practical way. The program of study has a segment that has been specifically designed and plugged into the overall curriculum to facilitate the Spiritual, Leadership and Church Growth. CBIS alumni have specifically commented about the life changing impact that these courses have had both in their personal lives and in the ministry of thousands of servants of God. It is the president’s conviction and firm belief that every prospective student of CBIS, regardless of their background and calling, will find all the course materials provided by the school, in the curriculum of various degree programs, very relevant, meaningful, practical and challenging, in preparing them to achieve their ministry goals, with great success, optimizing the use of spiritual and material resources which are available to them, in order to extend the Kingdom of God, in a historic and an unprecedented way, facing the challenges of today! The CBIS graduate can demonstrate to the potential employer that they are a self-motivated learner. The student had to
discipline himself or herself to pick up the books and study. There was no mandatory class time nor a teacher to be accountable to. You did not receive any credit for keeping a lecture hall seat warm or chatting online with other students. You received credit only for demonstrated results. In ministry, self-actuated workers are highly valuable to an employer. CBIS graduates have proven that they hear the Holy Spirit prompting them in what to do, how to do it, when to do it—and they obey. As A CBIS Graduate You Will Be: 1. A proven self-starter 2. A proven self-learner 3. Passionate about education 4. Passionate about the Bible 5. Grounded in Bible basics 6. Faithful steward with God’s money All characteristics that support a healthy life, home environment, optimum employment, and most importantly, being an asset to the body of Christ. Dr. Tony V. Lewis and his wife Carla are creating an atmosphere for the continued promotion of the gospel in a manner that brings glory to God’s kingdom, assisting today’s and tomorrow’s ministers to do God’s business in excellence. For more information about CBIS go to www.christianbibleinstitute.net or call 888-360-0004.
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Getting Back On Track With Family By Dr. Pamela Randolph, Contributing Writer www.faith-health-hope.com
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ummertime is a time for family fun, family vacations, family picnics and family reunions. Summer is the mid-way point between the holiday seasons. It is a time to get together with extended family—long lost aunts, uncles and cousins. During this time many promises are made to stay in touch and keep the family together and on track. We have all intentions of doing so and may just need a few practical things that will help us in this mighty endeavor. My prayer is that these tips will help us to do just what we have in our hearts.v
PRaY First of all, pray and ask God to reveal his plan and purpose for your family. Since God has a plan for us as individuals, He has a plan for families, too. He told Abraham that all families of the earth would be blessed through him and his seed (his offspring). Once you discover or identify your family’s purpose, pray that everyone in the family will find their place in it and supply what God has placed in them so that the overall purpose will be fulfilled. Secondly, pray for vision. Ask God to let each family member see where the family is headed—that they will see the “big” picture and not just their individual household. Gather the family together for a vision day. It’s a time where you
pray together and write a vision statement for the family. This statement can help them see where the family is headed and keep them on track to fulfillment. Thirdly, pray for the bond of love. Declare that love abounds in your family and that the love of God is poured out in everyone’s heart. 1 John 4:21, “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” We show that we love God when we love one another. Love starts with our family. F o u r t h l y, p r a y a n d confess uncommon favor on your family. Favor means people are doing extraordinary things for your family. Things that they would not normally do for others, they are eagerly, willingly and abundantly doing for your family. Exodus 12:36 from the Easy to Read Version “The LORD caused the Egyptians to be kind to the Israelites, so the Egyptians gave their riches to the Israelites.” You can pray this scripture and replace the word Israelites with your family’s name.
moTe UNIT o Y PR Plan family activities and fellowships. Unity is not automatic. Unity comes through spending time t o g e t h e r a n d w o rk i n g through situations and challenges together. Unity encompasses singleness of m i n d . Pa u l s a i d i n 1 Corinthians 1:10, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” In the Message translation it says speak with one voice and don’t allow yourselves to be split up into parties. We
must work toward unity and keep cliques out of our families. It is important to establish things that represent unity. Our family wanted to do something that would speak to and promote unity, so we developed a family crest. I researched the name “Randolph” and found that it represents nobility. From that, we worked together to design a crest that would represent nobility. Every family member was given the opportunity to receive an eleven by four teen (11x14) copy of the crest for framing. My crest is framed and positioned on a nice easel next to my fireplace. My mother-inlaw placed hers on a wall in the family room. Design a family crest to promote identity, unity and a sense of royalty.
PRoVIDe We are our brother’s keeper. The Bible says if a man doesn’t provide for his house, he is worst than an infidel - a nonbeliever. Again, the Apostle Paul
tells us that as we have the opportunity to do good, do it to all. But, we should do good and provide especially for those of the household of faith. This is referring to the Christian family, but it also applies to our natural family. Many families are not born into wealth, but that should not stop you from making provisions to take care of your family. Pray and ask God for wisdom in family finances. Building wealth for provision in your family may start with a small gesture like - starting a family savings account that will provide help for family members when needed. You may save toward a vacation cruise to help subsidize the fare to provide an experience that some family members might not otherwise have. Yes, you may have to set guidelines as to how money is collected, deposited and withdrawn - it is possible. I remember a family who had a member with a crisis situation where a plot of real estate was going to be auctioned for unpaid taxes. Because the family had been practicing principles of unity, they were able to pull together and provide the finances needed to save the property. Promoting unity and providing for family worked for them.
PRaCTICe PeaCe maKING We all know that there are differences of opinions and ideas, even from people in the same family—people in the same household. These differences are present because of our individuality, how we respond to our environment, our experiences, our relationships outside the family and our thought processes. Differences arise when we communicate and fellowship; so, expect them and be prepared to deal with them. If we have our hearts set on being at peace and forgiveness, the result will always be victory. We must practice peacemaking. Holding grudges, resentment, unforgiveness, hatred and anger should not be practiced among us. The Bible tells us to be angry and sin not - don’t let the sun go down on your wrath. This means if you get angry or mad with someone, don’t let days go by without satisfactorily resolving the issues. Find a place of peace between the
two of you and rest there. Psalm 119:165 has helped me immensely—“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” When I am tempted to be offended by something a family member says or does, I cling to this scripture and determine to practice peacemaking by not allowing myself to be offended. Family means a lot to me and I am sure it does to you, also. No matter w h o’s i n y o u r f a m i l y or how they became a part of your family realize God ordered their steps. People are family because of relationship, not just because of blood. Relationships are the only thing that last past this earthly life. Think about it. You have the opportunity to enjoy your family here on earth and in heaven. You can pray for your family, promote unity in your family, help provide f o r y o u r f a m i l y, a n d practice peacemaking in your family. Let’s get back on track with family. Advertise TODAY in d-mars.com Business Journal Call Us TODAY! 713.272.9511
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Developing an Online Presence for Your Ministry By Cheryl Donovan
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everal people have asked, “how did you do it?” The spiritual response is through the grace of God. The realistic response is hard work, dedication, and perseverance. I think the most important thing to remember is it doesn’t happen overnight. I remember a time when you’d type my name into the Google or Yahoo search engine and nothing came up. Now there are pages and pages of information about me, the ministry, and the wonderful work of everyone involved. I have been at this consistently for the last five + years. The bottom line is content is king. the more content you place online the better. And not just on Facebook and Twitter. Here’s what I have learned to do to build my online presence. And yes, I still do it consistently. However, I
have identified tools that make it easier and free up my time to do other things. 1. Don’t be like me, Be better than me. Be what God has called you to be. - “People have said to me, I want to be like you.” Well, while this is flattering, the bottom line is, God only made one me and he made me for His unique purpose here on earth. No one else can do what I do because that was not His intention. However, He has gifted each of us (this includes you) with talents designed to be used for His glory. Be yourself. There is a specific group of people God has ordained specifically for you. While I may be able to communicate with them, my message will never resonate with them the way yours will because God has provided you with experiences and circumstances that will speak to their particular
situation. Therefore as you make your presence known, make sure to relate those things which are part of your experience; your testimony. This is what people want to hear. Push you, not your ministry. 2. Add Value There are lots of ways to provide value to your online connections. Share great industry news stories and funny videos. Point them to other smart people with whom you think they should connect. Have a point of view on issues or trends and let them know about it. 3. It’s Not About You. Seriously, it’s not about you. It’s about God and everyone else. This is one of the hardest things to get people to realize when they start developing their online presence. Shine the spotlight on others. Celebrate their successes. Brag about them to your connections. Use
social media networks to engage your people in ways that make them feel like the most important people on the planet. When you are a champion for others, an interesting thing happens. Others become a champion for you. 4. Engage and Interact. If you write a blog, follow up with readers by commenting on their comments. Email those who comment and thank them for their time and insights. If you’re on a social media platform, reach out and strike up conversations with people. In ministry connect with and build relationships with other ministries. 5. Don’t Broadcast. If your ministry sets up social media outposts simply to broadcast messages, you won’t have much success. Your online ministry presence should N OT b e f u l l o f p o s t s about ministry resources (products) and ministry news. You shouldn’t set up automatic direct messages on Twitter that basically say, “hey! click my junk and subscribe to everything I’m doing!” That turns people off immediately. On the flip side, it should also not contain content that only talks about Scripture. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Teach them how to apply the Biblical principles in practical ways that will enhance their lives. 6. Be Consistent. This is one of the most important aspects of building your online ministry presence.
Participating consistently builds a stronger online reputation for your ministry and boosts your presence within social media circles. I make sure there is something placed on the web about the ministry or myself at least weekly. It may be an article, Facebook note, event listing, press release, blog post, tweet, or anything that will be picked up by the world wide web. And it doesn’t have to be directly about myself or the ministry (i.e., I do interviews and articles with other authors, ministers, etc,) that bear my name in the by-line. This way I am assured that my ministry remains in the forefront. 7. Don’t Focus on the big names. You can gain knowledge about how to brand yourself, etc. by following and reading the blogs of some of the big guns. but don’t spend a lot of time or effort trying to engage them online.They have so many people attempting to get their attention that their focus is stretched in several directions. Creating relationships with people who are up-and-comers is a better use of your time. Your ministry may want to target the biggest ministries but I’d recommend also targeting middle-of-thepack and new ministries who are creating great content. It’s easier to engage them and there’s a good chance their readership will grow if they’re producing good stuff. 8. Don’t worry about numbers. Spend your time focused
o n t h e c o n t e n t yo u’re producing, not the number of blog visitors or Twitter followers you have today. By participating consistently and adding value, more people will find you and begin connecting with you. The numbers will come if you’re doing the other stuff well. 9. Everyone’s watching. Remember that when you’re about to write a nasty comment or blog post or Tweet or Facebook status update. Your reputation on your blog/website will follow you to Twitter and wherever else you go. It would be just your luck that somebody will pop off the wrong way about a stance you may be taking on homosexuality, infidelity, adultery, or one of those “hot topics” and in that one moment of of weakness you decide to pop right back. It’s in that temporary moment of insanity that Google’s spiders will index your page and your tirade could end up on the first page of results from a Google search of your name. Remember the enemy is always on his job. 10. Experiment. When you do share links to your latest blog posts on Twitter, do it at different times of day and pay attention to which times you received the most traffic. That may give you some insight into when the majority of your followers are online and shape what time you send future tweets on behalf of yourself or your ministry. Hope this helps. Evangelist Cheryl
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The Heart of the Bible’s Message By Larry Kent
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he stories that follow capture the heart of the Bible’s message in a fresh, new way. You are invited to experience them for yourself. A driver was once stopped by a police officer. He was a good driver and as far as he knew he had done nothing wrong. The police officer said, “I pulled you over because you were going 60 through a school zone. There were ten warning signs that the speed limit was 15 and you ignored them all.”
THe DRIVeR Just like the driver had ten warning signs, God has given us ten clear warning signs in the Bible. They are called the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie, stolen something or used God’s name as a swear
word? If you’re like me the answer is ‘yes’. Listen to what the Bible says: Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. (James 2:10) God is saying that by breaking one Commandment we have sinned and will be held accountable for breaking all of them, including adultery and murder. God’s judgment for our sin is death. Banishment to hell because He will not allow sin in His presence. (see Romans 6:23a) If the story ends here, there is no hope for us
THe CoNVICT An innocent man approached a judge and volunteered to be executed in the place of a convicted
m u r d e r e r. T h e j u d g e consented. The next day the judge told the convict he had a decision to make. “An innocent man has been put to death in your place. If you will accept his payment for your crime, you are free to go. If you will not accept his payment, you will be executed for your crime. Which do you choose?” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sinless but voluntarily gave his life to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. (God’s judgment for our sin is death). Three days later he rose from the dead. God showed his great love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8) The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23b) As a result of Jesus’ death in your place, you have two choices:
R e c e i v e b o t h G o d ’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by repenting (sensing your sinfulness and desiring to turn from it) and placing your trust in the Lord Jesus. (see Acts 20:21) OR Reject both God’s pardon for your sins and eternal life by trusting in anyone or anything other than Jesus to make you acceptable to God, thus bearing the penalty for breaking God’s law yourself. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son of
Skydivers demonstrate their belief in their parachutes when they jump from the plane. Followers o f Je s u s d e m o n s t r a t e their belief in Him when God’s Spirit changes their thoughts and desires. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17) God says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. (Ezekiel 36:26) Just as entering a garage won’t make you a mechanic, attending a church won’t make you a Christian. If you would like to receive God’s pardon for your sins and the gift of THe SKY DIVeR eternal life, consider a prayer God will not see life, for like this: God’s wrath remains on “Jesus, I believe you paid him. (John 3:36) the penalty for my sins Knowing about Jesus when you died on the cross doesn’t mean you believe in and rose from the dead. I Jesus want to turn from my sins
and place my trust in you as my Lord. I am willing to follow you the rest of my life. Thank you for the gift of eternal life. Amen.” Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13) The desire of real followers of Jesus is to live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge of God. (see Colossians 1:10) Larry Kent is the Founder of On-Tract.com, an internet based evangelistic ministry that features a powerful, one-page Gospel message in over 95 languages. All may be printed for free. Copyright Larry Kent 2012 FaithWriters.com version Email: ontract1@gmail.com http://www.on-tract.com Article Source: http:// www.faithwriters.comCHRISTIAN WRITERS
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Sanctuary Scuttlebutt By Kristi Peifer
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t was an especially boisterous meet and greet time at Living Wa t e r C h r i s t i a n Church. The Sunday morning worship service was packed to the brim. Reverend Adams made his way through the crowd, stopping here and there to talk or shake hands with someone. He loved this part of the service except for when old Mrs. Dillery tried to buttonhole him. He glanced over his shoulder and sure enough, there she was, charging toward his position like ants to a picnic basket. Something about that I’vegot-an-earful-for-you look on her face always made him shudder inside. He quickly excused himself from the conversation he
was having and made a beeline for the pulpit. The Reverend grabbed the microphone and signaled it was time to wrap up the chit chat. “My, what a lively group we are this morning!” he said. A few congregants chuckled. “Let’s start our prayer time this morning with praises,” he continued. “I trust someone has something good to share with us this morning?” “My Grandma Sue just got out of the hospital. She’s doing much better,” a young woman said. “I’m so glad to hear it!” A man added, “I have a second interview for the job at the school!” “Praise the Lord!” Reverend Adams nodded as he scribbled down the
praises. “Anyone else?” Mrs. Dillery stood up. “I have a prayer request,” she announced. “Jeff and Julie Reilly’s teenage daughter the younger one recently came up pregnant!” She paused for effect. A collective gasp rose from the mothers in the sanctuary. “ They’re saying Joey Billingsley is the father,” she continued. “I tell you what, if that was my daughter, I wouldn’t have let him within ten feet of her. Look at the stock he comes from! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, after all.” A teenager snickered from the back pew. “Now, Joan,” Reverend Adams started, but Mrs. Dillery wasn’t about to stop talking.
“Poor Julie is just beside herself! You know, her blood pressure wasn’t so good to begin with now she’s probably halfway to a coronary!” Reverend Adams took a deep breath. “Joan, this is prayer time.” “Yes, I know, Pastor. Isn’t it so much easier to pray for someone when you know specifically what they’re going through?” She barely stopped to take a breath before answering the question herself. “Of course it is!” “Thank you for your concern, Joan. I’ll be sure to pray for youuh, them.” Mrs. Dillery sat down with a flourish, obviously pleased with her selfless regard for others. Her neighbor in the pew started
peppering her with questions. Their whispering was less than circumspect. Reverend Adams chose to ignore the distraction, instead opting to start his sermon. “ Please turn in your Bibles to Proverbs, where we’ll continue our study of chapter ten. Let’s begin with verse nineteen. ‘Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.’”* *Proverbs 10:19 (NLT)
Copyright Kristi Peifer, 2011. I am a pastor’s wife, the mother of two special needs children, a performer, and a lover of all things funny. My sincerest desires are to glorify Jesus Christ and to make someone laugh-preferably at the same time. V i s i t m e a t w w w. neverkissatoaster.blogspot. com Article Source: http:// www.faithwriters.comCHRISTIAN WRITERS
your journal. Eventually you will have a journal full of encouragement that will stagger your mind. You will realize the energizing work of the Holy Spirit in these insights. Gold, pure gold! E m b a r k o n a s t u d y o f Ps a l m 91. An excellent free e-course is available. Get started today. Use video meditations based on Psalm 91 on a daily basis to encourage your heart and feed your soul. Copy them to a DVD. Upload them to your hard drive or your phone. Keep them close
for a quick dose of spiritual plasma. Remain faithful to any one or more of these Psalm 91 practices and the sink-hole of fretful thinking will be history…past history. Tools for change are available and they are free. Use them liberally for this life-changing experience. About The Author jeanie@pray-the-scriptures. com Bio: Jeanie Rose, a veteran speaker, writer, retreat leader, is on a mission to encourage expanded faith and powerful prayer. One focus is on praying Scripture. Learn more at www.Psalm91.org Visit: www.psalm91.org
Psalm 91: A Prayer Guide Through Tough Times By Jeanie Rose
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hen things get tough, people of faith and prayer turn to Psalm 91 for strength and e n c o u r a g e m e n t . Wi t h great stress, the mind can go a bit wacky with fretting, fear, negative self-talk. Having a readymade guide for reflection and prayer is essential at times like this. Without a guide, you usually end up endlessly going around the same mountain of anxiety. So if life is a struggle for you right now, do yourself a favor. Print off a copy of Psalm 91. In fact, print off several copies…each one from a different translation. Go the gamut. Start with the antiquity of the King James and move to the more contextual interpretation of the Amplified Bible to the conversational tone of The Message or The Living
Bible. Once you have your copies, you will use them to ramp up your prayer life and renew your mind according to the truth and promises of God. Sound good? It’s better than good. What you are about to embark on is powerful, lifechanging, faith building. Follow any one or all of the following suggestions for putting Psalm 91 to work in your life: Slowly read over each of the translations of the Psalm at least three times a day. Focus. This is not busy work. This is spiritual nourishment for your soul. Continue with this practice indefinitely, just like you continue to eat food on a daily basis. Over time you will have the verses memorized. Naturally some translations will resonate more fully with you than
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do others. Then a new day will dawn when you hear Psalm 91 playing in your self talk. Eureka! You now have a potent weapon for keeping your thinking in check, staying faith-filled, p o s i t i ve , a n d f o r w a rd moving. Victory is at hand. Record your translations of Psalm 91 onto your computer or some recording device, then copy the recording to your iPod, mobile phone, CD or the like. Play the recording at least twice a day where you give focused attention to the content. In addition, play Psalm 91 as white noise where your subconscious can work with it. White noise is especially effective at overcoming the negative thinking. So, consider this “white noise” playing through the night as you sleep. This is especially effective if you
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have trouble going to sleep or a tendency to wake through the night. Many use this technique when suffering the grief of a death or divorce, or suffering any type of physical pain. Keep a Psalm 91 journal. Twice a day write out one of the translations into your journal. Notice this is written out by hand. Doing this activity on the computer will not render the same fine results. There is something about the way your hand and your brain are connected in this activity that affects your sub-conscious mind – for the better of course. Naturally, over a period of time you will find that you have memorized Psalm 91 from more than one translation. You will also begin having insights into the meaning of the verses. This is gold! Record it in
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12. August, 2012
The Present Power of Pentecost B By Robert Driskell
efore the coming of Jesus Christ, Pentecost was a J e w i s h celebration held fifty days after Passover. However, in the New Testament book of Acts, Pentecost came to be associated with something entirely different. Following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, his disciples were downtrodden and dejected. They had expected the Messiah to conquer their enemies and elevate them to places of honor. Instead, the Roman government, motivated by a large part of the Jewish population, had put Jesus to death. All their hopes seeme to have been dashed. They slipped into hiding, possibly fearing that they too might face death if caught. Nevertheless, the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples to reassure them that not all was lost, that what He had promised would come to pass, and that, although he must leave them, he would send the Holy Spirit to them: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that
I have said to you.” (John 14:15-16, 26 ESV) The Holy Spirit would not only be “with them”, but would actually be “in them”. Although Jesus must leave them, they would never be alone. The Spirit of God would be their everpresent companion and source of strength. The fulfillment of Jesus’ promise is recorded in the New Testament book of Acts (Acts 2:24 ESV). The disciples were gathered together when a tangible manifestation of the Holy Spirit appeared and rested on each one of them. In one instant, these men went from being scared, powerless recluses to confident, motivated preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts 2 verse five, we read of the boldness with which these men confronted their culture. The abrupt change in the disciple’s demeanor, and the miraculous signs that accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit, led some observers to accuse Jesus’ disciples of being drunk. However, Peter assured the crowd that they were not drunk, but that something wonderful and powerful was happening in their midst. He then went on to preach one of the most powerful messages recorded in the Bible. This preaching
resulted in the fact that around three thousand people believed the message of the Gospel and gave their lives to God. This same power is active in the believer today. The Holy Spirit lives in the Christian and, among other things, provides comfort, strength, and wisdom for living a holy life. The Christian must never believe that he or she can live the Christian life without the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Without the living God’s power energizing us, we will inevitably stumble and fall. There can be no victorious living without a complete trust in the one who gave us life in the first place. Whenever believers feel like giving up, whenever sin or temptation seems to be stronger than our resolve, we can recall the events of the church’s first Pentecost. We can know that the same powerful, loving Holy Spirit lives our hearts, filling each and every one of us with His love, comfort, and power. Seeking to introduce people to Jesus Christ and to help them become “t r a n s f o r m e d b y t h e renewing of their mind.” Article Source: http:// www.faithwriters.comCHRISTIAN WRITERS
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