TRANSFORMATIONAL 4REAL MAGAZINE -- ISSUE NO. 3, VOLUME NO. 6

PASTOR H. AL SIMS, JR.

SENIOR PASTOR, BETHESDA CHURCH OF GOD, SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA

Well, it is that time of year again when we look ourselves in the mirror and say, ” I’ve got to lose some weight ” It is at that moment that we are truthful with ourselves and admit that we have become fluffy, plump, cushiony, or just plain fat It happens so slowly that we either do not notice it or we are purely in denial until this time of year and then there it is, all those extra pounds and curves that are not supposed to be there How could this have happened? How could I have allowed myself to get into this condition? We seem to have amnesia We forget that we ate all that fried chicken pasta bread junk food milkshakes assorted candy bars and various types of cake just to name a few items. Then, somehow magically, we are fat, and now we have to figure out a way to get back into shape, but it is easier said than done and you know what I mean You can eat one piece of cake and seemingly put on three pounds overnight, but it also seems like you have to starve yourself for three days to lose one of those pounds It just isn’t fair but that’s the price for being slack

The Bible gives us a powerful scripture about losing weight In Hebrews 12:1, it says, “ let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us ” I wonder how many of us look into the spiritual mirror and evaluate if we have put on such weight, or become fat with the things of this world What has our intake been? Do we eat spiritually healthy or are we junk food addicts? What we take in is how we will look and act in a manner At some point if we are honest with ourselves we realize we have put on unnecessary weight that hinders us from being all that Christ Jesus has called us to be. What is even worse is that we sometimes go back and start indulging in things that are earthly and morally junk. Those are the things that hang on us and make us spiritually fat Those things manifest in our lives, and when God looks at us, He sees the ungodly fat The world may not see the ungodly fat, but they can see it in our actions and hear it in our speech

So our job is to recognize we have extra weight, be truthful with ourselves that we have become fat with things ungodly, and then “lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us ” The great thing is if we do our part, then, God will speedily remove all of our ungodly fat and make us fit for the kingdom of Heaven ,

IT'S IN THE WORD HE'S DROPPING FATNESS!

Allison A.

PSALM 65:11 Says Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy paths drops fatness.

PSALM 65:11 Says Thou crownest the year with thy goodness and thy paths drops fatness.

What crownest means is forming the triumphant culmination of an effort or endeavor. So The Word is saying

What crownest means is forming the triumphant culmination of an effort or endeavor. So The Word is saying

GOD victoriously, has the highest, bountiful, abundance of overflow covering our year.

And as we stay on His path there will be a continuous dropping of His abundance at intervals. Our problem is not the beginning or end it's the waiting in-between, the intervals. We want a downpour, we're not satisfied with it dropping and for the majority it's because we are bombarded to the point, of being brain washed with the prosperity messages and the prosperity lifestyles which if it's not happening for you, you're made to feel less than. They're the eagles, you're the pigeon, you have to leave those behind who don't add up to the new standards and you have to come up higher, so we're doing all we can to reach up to that standard and fit into that culture and as one person puts it. IT'S A THIN LINE BETWEEN CULT AND CULTURE!

People are being asked to stretch themselves into anxiety and depression. Sowing birthday seeds, if the Pastor turns 69, we sow 69 dollars or 669 or 6069, etc., in the spirit of what may not be necessary before He who created you, and to live up to the standards which were preached right but may be wrong, and we fall for it. Some don't even have a proper congregation, but they have an Armor bearer. It has become a trend. Jesus came and fulfilled the law, but we're going backward because we only listen to what was preached at church and don't care to study God's words on our own. We feel refreshed when all seems good and convenient, but it feeds our ego and flesh. In the name of Christianity, we're paying for prayer, we're in church clubs, platinum, gold, and silver according to our giving, and some churches may not have that, but you have status according to your giving in church. Churches are sending notices to those whose tithes weren't consistent and telling them they have to pay unfulfilled tithes, but they tend to overlook The Word, which tells us, God loves a cheerful giver, freely you receive, freely give, if you sow, you'll reap. Those are principles that work and should be your choice, not man's. If you give, God will honor His Word, and He doesn't need an intermediary to fulfill His promises to you. Jesus fulfilled all that.

Saints, God has your year covered, but you need to stay on His path, so He can bless you beyond what you can imagine. We don't need to fake it to make it. As someone said, you have a five-hundreddollar bag but don't have fifty dollars in it. You have a ten-bedroom house, but you can't sleep in the king-size bed. After all, you're weeks or months away from losing it all and becoming homeless because you did it all and got it all in the name of appearing to be prosperous. Saints, this year, let us gather our thoughts, renew our minds and get back to The Bible, The Word of God. You, you see if we live His Word, feed on His Word, and follow His Biblical principles, His riches in glory will always bless us without man's help. So ln 2023, I encourage you to have a year of God's fatness.

Sharon Weekes-Alleyne

In the month of November, I took a vacation to my home country, Guyana, to celebrate my sister’s 45th wedding anniversary, it was epic, the surprise, the ceremony, the catching up of four generations, the children especially getting to know their cousins and good old fashion conversations. It’s a memory that will last a lifetime BUT, it was a process to get to that point. The planning, the synchronization of travels, the secrecy of them not knowing we were there before the day and us getting there.

When we started our journey to get there, our plane came to a screeching halt as we started moving on the runway as another plane was coming in the opposite direction. The pilot said nothing to us until he was safely in the sky. He came on the intercom, explained what happened, and being reassuring or not, he said that it is something that happens.

They then went through all the does and don’ts, and we all relaxed and enjoyed the brilliant sunshine and beautiful cumulus clouds. Then one by one, windows shutters began to shut, and everyone wanted to rest as it was an early morning flight. Our resting period went on for a while, and then our pilot’s voice again came on the intercom and asked us to fasten our seat belts as there was turbulence. So after following his instructions, I opened the window shutters, and all I could see were dark angry clouds. I took pictures of the beautiful bright sky when our flight started. So I decided to take pictures of this scene too, and while doing so, I saw the sun peeking out of the dark clouds, revealing the silver lining; then, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit in some scripture verses. The Holy Spirit ministered to me about His Promises in my life, so I’d like to share some of these inspirations from the Holy Spirit with you.

THE SILVER LINING

On our journey through life, we’ll go through something or the other, and we need to realize that no two journeys are the same, just like my flight, not everyone has such a rocky start while traveling. It wasn’t that we didn’t pray and commit our flight to God’s hands, but I feel this gets many disillusioned and anxious. Most times, we feel disillusioned and anxious because we may see others have a great takeoff and what seems to be smooth sailing. Some people may make you feel that you’re in that rough spot because you didn’t pray enough, you didn’t affirm enough as they seem to have arrived, and they did so unscathed, which is far from the truth. If they speak the truth and put the devil to shame, you will know that they had their ups and downs too. The Word says we all have our crosses to carry ( Luke 9:23). Therefore, we all will go through circumstances, and the only way to not be disappointed, discouraged, or disillusioned is to stay in tune with the voice of God just as we were in tune with the pilot’s voice and followed his instructions. When the pilot said to us that sometimes they do encounter planes taking off at the same time and has to make the decision to come to a screeching halt, it was the truth, but it didn’t sit well with me. This instance is so with our lives, when we hear some truths that disrupts or will disrupt our lives, we don’t want to accept it, but we need to listen to our pilot, who is The Holy Spirit, and shut out all the outside voices and distractions, it’s the only way to get through our turbulence rested, we have to put our faith and trust in God. The Bible tells us to be anxious for nothing, it is the only way to reap the benefits and not faint or give up. I would also like to reiterate that acquiring earthly possessions doesn’t mean we’re Blessed; it’s a benefit of prosperity, which, if you work and manage your resources, or for some over, extend yourself, you’ll acquire them. The earthly possessions are not the heavenly blessings we are striving for; they are just benefits we all want to enjoy, health, wealth, and prosperity as your soul prospers, yes, but His Kingdom coming to our lives is not in earthly possessions, it is in right living, at peace (not anxiety) and happiness (not sadness) in The Holy Ghost, (not in material things) (Romans 14:17).

Everyone on the flight didn’t follow instructions, some were waiting to use the washroom, and they continued waiting, swaying into people sitting in the aisle seat, becoming a hindrance and distraction to them. We need not allow that to happen to us. We need to stay focused, looking onto Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Nothing or no one else should have that authority over our journey. Still, it happens because sometimes we’re not in tune, we don’t take the time to get into The Word for encouragement or guidance, our prayers are one-sided, we don’t stop to listen, and or we don’t know His voice (my sheep know my voice John 10: 27- 28), and so we keep listening and following other voices. We want what seems to be the smooth journey of others, and we don’t want to wait for our Breakthrough in our season, so we’re paying for Breakthroughs. As I told you last year, I couldn’t promise you a Breakthrough in 2022, and I can’t promise you triple three in 2023; that’s between you and God. I’m not saying we should not affirm God’s promises and stand on His Word; yes, we should affirm God’s promises and wait patiently for God’s time. But it is so sad that when we want a quick fix, a microwave answers, and we fall prey to the enemy, we cast pearls to swine and walk out of God’s perfect will, sometimes just going around in circles. I had things on my vision board and in my journals affirming breakthroughs, which took 20 years to come to fruition. I had opportunities to run ahead with it, but I knew it wasn’t my season and so I encourage you as you set your goals for the New Year, whether long or short-term, present them to God in prayers and follow The Holy Spirit’s leading. Of course, I enjoyed a wonderful vacation at the end of all the turbulence. Your joy will come in the morning. Your Silver lining is peeking out to encourage you that, at some point, the sun will shine again.

A Blessed and Wonderful Year to Prophetess Donna Royalty Ross and family, all contributors, their families, and all our readers. God’s Richest Blessings

SHIFT

Apostle Patsy Benjamin

Hebrews 13:21, (NLT) "May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen."

Ephesians 2:10, (NIV), "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Jeremiah 32:27, (NASB), "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?"

Philippians 2:13 (ESV), "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

A persistent thought, working to achieve a goal even if it is difficult

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?"

God places His actual desire in your heart. You desire that thing because He has given it to you.

So back to the original question: How do I know if the desires of my heart are from God?

It's big, and it's mysterious.

God doesn't give us small desires. He gives us desires bigger than ourselves—more significant than our lives. Oftentimes, it's something that makes us a little uncomfortable to think about because it seems impossible.

A divine shift is a supernatural movement from one point to another, a slight change in position or direction; the supernatural act of placing one thing to replace another or adjusting the place of a person or something for a better and higher position. A divine shift will cause a supernatural advancement and/or upgrade your spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, financial, career, character, and conduct status.

What happens when God is shifting you?

God is shifting you into position for the promise that you've been praying for. Sometimes God's shift may look like chaos, setback, and even defeat, but God is saying to you, "When the dust settles, you will understand why you had to go through what you've been through. I thank God we are better than what we have been through.

1. What does the Bible say about shifting your mindset?

"Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to them that believe" Mark 9:23 (NKJV). It is time you change your mindset and renew your thoughts and ways of thinking. God never intended for us to live according to the world's standards and methods of doing things.

Let's talk about some of the effects you will feel in the transformation process during the "SHIFT."

God equipping changes: Isaiah 6:8, (ESV)

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."

Determined I was determined not to give up.

Luke 18:1 tells us the point of the parable: "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Jesus' answer to the question of how to endure to the end is, Pray! Pray! Pray! And don't grow weary of praying even when the passion is dying. "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to them that believe'" Mark 9:23 (NKJV). It is time to change your mindset and renew your thoughts and ways of thinking. God never intended for us to live according to the world's system and ways of doing things.

2. Confirmation of godly counsel: Godly counselors tell the truth even at the risk of being disliked. Ephesians 4:16 (ESV) says, "... speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." Their primary desire is to help cultivate growth for the sake of the gospel.

Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) coined the phrase that could much more aptly be spoken of Jesus:

He came to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable."

Shortly after His resurrection, Jesus met two men walking home from Jerusalem and joined them incognito. The men were anxious and upset, and Jesus didn't immediately go about soothing them. They later described their hearts as "burning within them" during their conversation with Jesus. Luke 24:32 (NIV)

Because of that, it's mysterious. You ask, "Lord, how can this thing which I desire ever be?" We don't see the solution to it through human eyes.

In Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV), we read:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God does things more than our thinking and understanding. No matter if it's building an ark, freeing a nation from slavery, building Him a temple, or building a wall around a city, God's desire will challenge us on every level, which leads us to our second point.

3. It requires faith.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.Hebrews 11:1(KJV)

Your God-given desires are "things hoped for" and "things not seen." If you already had the "things hoped for" and the "things not seen," then you wouldn't need faith.

Faith is both the "substance" and the "evidence" of "things hoped for" and "things not seen." You simply have faith that whatever desire is in your heart WILL surely come to pass someday, someway, and some time.

Remember: Faith is a substance, and a substance can be measured How do we measure faith? By our faithfulness Whatever we put our faith into the most, we will be most faithful too

If God places a desire in your heart, you would want to be faithful to that desire and not chase after all the other desires that your heart already has

You don't need to ask God for more faith Romans 12:3 (KJV) says, "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith " II Peter 1:3(NIV) says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness " You've got all the faith you need Use it!

4 It requires patience

Hebrews 6:12 (KJV) says, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

We understand that we need faith in our lives, but we also need to understand that patience is a virtue we must possess Everything good we desire in our lives will not happen overnight. It will happen in God's timing, so we must have patience in God, knowing He won't disappoint us

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV) speaks of everything having its time Everything has a season. One season can't begin until the previous one ends We have to wait on God because it's His season, not ours

We have to be strong, and we shouldn't succumb to the temptation to make it happen on our own—because we are anxious! We have to be patient in God's timing If not, we can ruin the whole thing Our desire that God's placed in our hearts will never come to pass

5. It requires hard work.

When you read James 2:14-26, there's one thing that you will see over and over again in that passage: 'Faith without works is dead.

'

That desire that God has given you will not be easy to achieve. You will have to work hard to achieve it. The promise in Psalm 37:4 is that God will place the desire in you, not literally give you the desire.

Now, I'm not saying that God won't literally give you the desire, but more often than not, you will have to work for it.

In Genesis 29:1-30, we read how Jacob ended up getting married. God had placed a desire in his heart to marry Rachel. He goes to Rachel's dad, Laban, and asks to marry her. Laban tells Jacob that if he works for him for seven years, then he can marry her.

So, Jacob worked hard for seven years for Rachel. The day finally arrives. Laban brings his daughter in to marry Jacob, and when morning comes, Jacob discovers that he actually married the wrong daughter! He married Rachel's older sister Leah instead. What did Jacob do? He worked for another seven years for Laban so that he could marry Rachel.

So, it will be faith, patience, and a lot of hard work, but don't give up!

6. He will give you a vision for it.

Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish…"

If God places a desire in your heart, then it's a part of his plan, which means he has plans for it.

Pray and ask God for those plans. He gave Noah plans. He gave Moses plans. He gave King David plans. He will give you his plans to accomplish the desire that he has placed in your heart.

7. And God sealed it with: Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Happy New Year. God gave us 2020 vision in 2020, 2021. Matthew 6:33, which says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you" (CSB),2022:

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

2023: Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

BLESSINGS AND FAVOR

REMINISCING ON 2022 & TRUSTING GOD FOR A SAFE 2023

DORIS ANETHA SHELTO MCLENNON

Firstly, our children Christmas party and gifts distribution exercise was indeed a success, thank you to everyone that made it possible Looking back on the few days remaining in 2022 and thanking the CREATOR for the most significant gift'' LIFE AS we prepare to gather with family and friends in the celebration of what is the most custom for us, Old years and New Year’s gathering, I just can't help but feel optimistic about this new year that is before us, we are shortsighted and knows nothing about what is to come, for that reason we must continue to hope and trust in GOD the CREATOR. Life is unpredictable. This New Year isn't any end or a beginning, It's a continuation of Life. But as always, we now take time to look back at the Year behind and the year ahead with great anticipation as to what will come. We must congratulate each other and wish them true Love and promise for a brighter future We will be setting goals for the New Year that will propel us and the children of Sophia Sparkle towards fulfilling our objectives and checking to see what worked, what didn't, and what need to change in order to make a difference We can achieve anything that we put our minds to, providing we put GOD first in everything we do, we will work together to an even greater height We must be grateful to all our Donors On behalf of me and my Organizing Team I want to extend our deepest gratitude to you all, for your time, resources People like you truly helps to make a difference in our World and we ' re incredibly thankful To The Editor of the Transformational 4 Real Magazine Ma'am Donna Royalty Ross, she's an amazing Woman of GOD and must be commended, and we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the many ways and times that she has and still continue to contribute towards the Affairs of our Nonprofit organization. This December she had donated enough gifts for the children and their parents, we were touched beyond words , the joy and surprises on the faces of everyone will truly be unforgettable as they received bags with its content of clothing, shoes, jewelry and hand bags from our Editor. We salute you Ms. Donna. Your willingness to include the Group in all your coverage in the magazine also, allowing us the positive exposure is commendable

The Transformational 4 Real Magazine will continue to raise the bar for excellence, with the hard-working Team involved , 2023 will be the year of progress. To the Parents of Sophia Sparkle Youth Group I thank you for believing in me , for being the Mentor for your child , I want to extend my appreciation for your belief and trust in me as you placed your most prized possession into my care for over the years, I'm humbled and touched. I do hope that I have stood by your expectations and look forward to a better coordination in future always. To my children of Sophia Sparkletts I want you to know that an incredible year is before us , we have grown and learned so much, we have shared all kind of moments . Bringing the World into our Classroom has been really powerful and absolutely inspiring Watching the children of Sophia Sparkle put their hearts into all our Project has been priceless, we have walk through all this together, the great moments and sometimes difficult times have helped us create not a class, , but our class, creating a friendly and safe environment where we all felt happy Each of you have given your best, each of you have worked equally hard, I just can't find the words to describe how proud I am of you Thank you for making me feel that my job is not a job , but a passion Most significantly " Our Donors ' Thank you to the people who contributed in some way or the other , and the trust you have placed in me, Sophia Sparkle could not have been where it is today without all of you kind hearted people who intervene from the initial stage of the Group. A lot of work is ahead of us, and we pray for your continue support . From the bottom of my heart " thank you. 1st January 2023 will be a New beginning ,a fresh start, reaffirmation of Love and promises for a brighter future, To all my relatives, my Facebook family " I love you, I want to say this from my heart, If you have not yet accepted GOD as your LORD and Savior and made that decision to serve HIM throughout the journey of your life, Then NOW ! Today is the time to do it, we are living in serious times. I won't close unless I remind you Parents " as long as you bring a child into this World their well-being must be first, They, too many of our children are being neglected, they need to be loved, nurtured, guided, and protected as the blessing they are from GOD to you & to all of GOD'S Creation , remember this, your purpose of life is to contribute in some way to society, to Community, in order to make things better for the less fortunate On the final day of 2022 The first blank page of 365 page for the " BOOK OF LIFE for 2023 is spreads before us, the pen is in your hand It is up to you to write a good story on yourself, let us inculcate in ourselves Love , Compassion, Tolerance, and work together creating an inclusive Society where Peace and Harmony Prevail It is disturbing what we are witnessing under the skies, we need GOD now more than ever. I want to say something to my Sister Lynette Shelto-Johnson who stood with me from day one when I told her about the instruction from the holy spirit to bring this Group into existence over two decades ago, she encouraged me, she supported me from that time , day one, up to this time, 26 years ago, and she never lifted, GOD bless you my Sister, and may you live long. to all my relatives, Donors, friends and neighbors my children, HAPPY NEW YEAR.

GOD ALREADY KNEW

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward But Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit[c] my estate is Eliezer of Damascus. And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

First let us establish that God spoke to Abraham directly and regularly. Abraham was obedient to God, even when it was difficult. Abraham and Sarah were both faithful to God. They both trusted God, It is safe to say that Abraham and Sarah have a strong belief in God and loved God.

God told Abraham and Sarah that He would give a child that would cause nations to be numberless and all of the world to be blessed through Abraham.

Why then, after God told them that He would give them a child, they couldn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise to them. Like us, sometimes we want to run ahead of God and kind of help Him out when it seems like His promises are taking too long to come to pass – to come into existent.

Sarah comes up with this bright idea that God was taking too long and Hagar, her handmaiden could be used to produce the promised child. Even though they trusted and loved God, in Sarah’s opinion God was taking too long. How many times, do we as children to God, decide that God is taking too long, and we can help Him out. I cannot count the number of times that I started out helping God only to produce an Ishmael.

God in His omniscience knew what Sarah was going to convince Abraham to do to go into Sarah, but made His promise to them anyway, and would fulfill the birth of Isaac in the process of time and at the right time. Abram goes into Sarai and Ishmael was born. Notice that with all of that, Sarah still had to wait on the promised son, Isaac. When Sarah saw Hagar and Ishmael laughing at Isaac, she goes to Abraham and told Abram to send them away. The Bible does not tell us Sarah remembered that she was the one that made the suggestion to her husband.

Isaac was the child of promise, and we see here a God who does not deviate from His promise, but certainly makes good on His promises – which are yea and amen” [2 Corinthians 1:20]

Wherever you may find yourself as we begin this New Year 2023, remember that God already knew every situation you are dealing with and has already made a way of escape so that you can bear it [1 Corinthians 10:13].

Therefore, in conclusion, I encourage you to get the understanding that God already knew what you are going to be faced with and has made a way of escape I encourage you to stand firm on Gods promise because He will never leave you nor sake you.

Understand that God is a Promise Keeper and will always beside by your side because He already knew. Let’s stand on all of His promises in 2023.

As we enter into the year 2023 -please understand that there is absolutely nothing that you will encounter that God does not already know about and has made a way of escape so that you can endure it.

[1 Peter 5:8 -- paraphrased]