SEPTEMBER 2017
BEAUTY TIPS WILDER BRACKINS
JOSHUA Grimmett
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
GRACE & MERCY CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD BISHOP & LADY MATHIS
ELDER MONIQUE WILLIAMS
TAKE YOUR SEAT IN THE KINGDOM!
Christian Magazine
HEALTHY MARRIAGE STACEY GREENE
PROPHETESS YOLANDA MURRAY
MY TESTIMONY
BISHOP William L. Harris IV KINGDOM IMPACT
CONTENTS ISSUE 21
SEPTEMBER 2017
BISHOP WILLIAM L. HARRIS
18
WWW.KDCMAG.COM
4 ELDER MONIQUE D. WILLIAMS Take your Seat in the Kingdom 5 BEAUTY TIPS Wilder Brackins 6 WORSHIP Donna Renae Patrick
COVER STORY
8 FOUNDERS PAGE Pastors Greg & Sharina George 10 HEALTHY MARRIAGE Stacey Greene
10
12 OPERATING IN THE PROPHETIC Prophetess Kimberly Fleming 14 WHAT ARE YOU THINKING Pastor Fred & Elder Chini Graves 16 MY TESTIMONY Prophetess Yolanda Murray
STACEY GREENE
16
18 COVER ARTICLE Bishop William L. Harris IV Kingdom Impact 26 BISHOP & LADY MATHIS Grace & Mercy Church 28 DO I HAVE TO FORGIVE? Minister Jucinta Jones
PROPHETESS MURRAY
30 DARE TO BE DIFFERENT Minister Joshua Grimmett
WWW.KDCMAG.COM
MONIQUE D. Williams TAKE YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE
KINGDOM
How can we take our rightful place in the Kingdom? Elder Monique D. Williams is Co-Pastor of River of Life Ministries. She is married to Sr. Pastor Tony L. Williams and they together are raising a beautiful family. She is a national preacher and teacher of the Word of God.
The scripture tells us that we are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. As I look at the Word, we have been made to sit. In other words, we have been invited to be seated with Christ. When you’re at an interview for a new job, you never just go in and take a seat; protocol teaches you, that you wait until you are invited to sit. Likewise, we don’t just boldly walk into the Kingdom and take a seat but we are invited by God. Remember that many are called but few are chosen and if we choose to take a seat we must remember we have not been called to sit and do nothing. The seat comes with power and authority but also responsibility. The reason why we are invited in the first place, is to make the name of Jesus great, not our own name. In ministry, you have to understand who you are and what
your assignment is, this is vital to taking your seat. You have been given a certain jurisdictional authority. You have to know who and where you have been assigned to.
How can a person be uniquely themselves?
I remember one time I invited somone to preach at one of our young people’s services and she said, “I don’t really speak at young people’s services.” I thought well, you’re a preacher and should be able to speak at any service but God started to show me that that’s not crazy, that’s wisdom. You must remain true to yourselfand your assignment. I remember one of the biggest speaking engagements I have ever been invited to. There were thousands of people. When I stepped into the pulpit, I unfortunately stepped someone else’s anointing. That was one of the most embarrassing moments I’ve ever had in ministry. I vowed to the Lord that if He would give me another opportunity I would always be who He called me to be. I don’t want to be anything other than what you created me to be. When God opened the door a second time, His anointing hit the place and it was beautiful. I had to be authentic to myself and not be who the people wanted me to be. (Watch the full length article on our Facebook page: Kingdom Christian Magazine)
www.moniquewilliams.org
BeautyTIPS CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLORS FOR YOUR SKIN TONE What looks great on one woman may look just ordinary on another. One of the reasons for this could be that they have different skin tones. It is very important for you to choose your makeup colors in line with your skin tone for the most stunning effects. The undertones of your skin impact how your makeup colors look when applied to your face. Here is a quick look at the undertones different skin tones may have: Fair Skin- yellow, gold, reddish or rosy, pale peach, pale pink, Olive Skin- Yellow, Yellow- orange, yellow- red, Dark skin- red, red- brown, blue, blue- black, ebony, orange- brown. It’s very important when starting with your foundation that the color should blend in with the rest of your skin. Choose three colors that are in a similar shade but ranges from light to dark and apply it directly underneath each other on your cheekbone. The one that blends in with your face is the correct color to apply. For those of you who have a very active lifestyle, you may want to skip the foundation and go with a tinted moisturizer for a more natural look. Women with fair skin can use a foundation that is a shade warmer than their skin tone. This gives your skin a glow. Blue- reds and pinks are best for the lips while softer shades like pale pinks or peach looks great. Fair skinned women should avoid extreme colors over the cheeks as this can be too excessively vivid. If you do want a dramatic look, you may use dark colors but make sure you take all of your eye makeup, lipstick shades etc. into consideration for you to get the perfect look. Wilder Brackins Hudson S.A.M.byWilder www.sambywilder.com (216) 773-3889
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Sam Mau
Thinking About Being
on the Praise Team? Think Again...
Donna Renay Patrick One of the reasons King David is my favorite Biblical figure is because he knew how to construct a praise team. David did not say “Come one, come all.” The scripture tells us that David appointed individuals to minister music in the Temple. (I Chronicles 6:31). David knew how important it was that the proper atmosphere be set for God’s house. There was so much excitement over the Ark of the Covenant being brought back to Jerusalem, that, once again, musical appointments were made among the Levites. (I Chronicles 15:16,19,22).
Many of our churches today have praise teams formed to minister music to usher the congregation into the presence of God. In this article I will give us some things to think about when forming a praise team. I also hope to speak to those who aspire to be a part of that team. First, it should be understood that the praise team must be made up of praisers and worshipers. Membership on the praise team does not make you a praiser; that should already be intentional long before you get to the team. Why? I can answer that question with a question: How can you lead people somewhere you have not been yourself? Worship is a daily pursuit—praise is an ongoing journey and your life must demonstrate that. It has become your lifeblood, along with reading and study of God’s Word. This requires not only salvation through Jesus Christ, but there needs to be an ongoing relationship with Him. Our daily walk as Christians does not stop at the point of salvation; it is only the beginning. Praise team membership is not for the timid. In other words if you are afraid to stand before the people and uncomfortable with open expressions of praise, then these would need to be overcome before you consider being part of the team. The team is a place of enthusiasm and high energy. The people are looking to you for leadership. There are many scripture references to praising God in the congregation of the saints. Among them are Psalm 134:2; Psalm 107:32; and Psalm 35:18.
There are individuals who want to join the praise team so everyone will see them. If this is your reason, please pray about this and seek God’s direction. Proverbs 16:2 says, “all of man’s ways are right in his own eyes, but God weighs the motives”. The responsibility of leadership is far too important and it cannot be taken for granted. When leading people into God’s presence the anointing of the Holy Spirit is vital. And we cannot wait until we arrive at the church on Sunday morning to ask God for it; He deserves more. David acknowledged in Psalm 51:6(b) that God desires truth from us. In the days leading up to Sunday we must spend time in God’s presence allowing Him to prepare our hearts to come before the people. As a praise team we should be examples of God’s holiness. The Word says we are temples of the Holy Ghost and He dwells within us (I Cor. 6:19). There are individuals who aspire to be part of the praise team because they sing well. If I had to choose between the intentional praiser and the great singer, I’ll take the praiser. The great singer may prove more concerned about performance rather than the manifest presence of God. Consider the principle of image vs. integrity. Image says “How did I sound to the people?” Integrity says “How did I sound to God?” The praise team should never function to bring attention to ourselves—but to God. Music is not the chief function; if we had no music, the worship of God ought to still be job one. But since we do use music as a vehicle into God’s presence, we must be very careful that
Cont. on Page 9
CEO Jesus
THE FOUNDERS
Publisher
Xcellence Publications
Founders
Pastor Greg George Pastor Sharina George
Chief Editor
Sharina George
Assistant Editors Antonino Ippolito
Graphic Designer
Xcellence Publications
Photographer Jeff Lawson
Cover Photo by Vashti Ortiz
Contributing Writers
Jucinta Jones S.A.M. by Wilder Donna R. Patrick Kimberly M. Fleming Stacey Greene Joshua Grimmett Yolanda Murray Genesis 1:28
Praise the Lord, The month of September is the 9th month in the year. This is the month to kick it into full drive. So many people wait until December to start to re-plan and plan and don’t realize you still have time now to fulfil the goals that you desire to be fulfilled. The year is not over YET! Let’s make the best out of every moment God gives us. We pray that you are truly blessed by this publication. God bless you, Pastor Greg & Sharina George All rights are reserved and no part of this publication can be copied or reproduced without permission from Xcellence Publications LLC.
our selections are not used merely for outward showings. While the Word of God offers several references to singing, our chief criterion for worship makes no reference to it at all (John 4:23-24). Singing all the great songs by talented and well-known artists does not guarantee worship. Prospective team members should be interviewed, and well-trained to understand the critically important role they will play in standing before the people to minister praise & worship. No matter how willing potential members may be, proper motives among these individuals must be well-determined prior to making decisions on whether they will be a part of the team. Our responsibility to lead God’s people into His presence is much too important to leave it to individuals who do not have a heart of worship. Finally there needs to be unity and
mutual love for one another among the team. Dissention among the members will prove obvious to the congregation. Even though our main responsibility is not to be seen, we are seen by many, many sets of eyes on any given Sunday, and our projection needs to be that of oneness. We should demonstrate our love for God and for our fellow team members. Praise team members should pray for, support, and be there for one another. This is why it is important to know the hearts of prospective team members; know something of their salvation experience, and how their lives reflect the mind of Christ. This is my challenge to music ministry leaders: seek the Lord first and foremost. Allow Him to show you those persons who would make for a strong, solid unit to minister in your church.
About Donna
Donna Patrick is a musician and choir director, worship leader, and speaker with a passion for worship ministry. She has authored two award-winning praise & worship devotionals. At All Times, and It’s In Your Praise. Her Bible teaching and leadership experience spans over 25 years. She hosts a weekly internet radio program where the focus is, worship is not just something we do, but it is who we are. Visit her website: www.donnarenaypatrick.com
Stacey Greene
[MARRIAGE Tips
[
Have you been married for more than 4 years? Is the romance starting to stall? Are kids on the way? Are you seeing her true colors? Is he becoming just a bit too familiar? I call the time between the newlywed period and the time where you and your love are blissfully sitting in rocking chairs looking at pictures of the grandkids, the middle marriage. Middle marriage can be rough. On the one hand, we enjoy the familiarity and security of the same set of lips kissing us goodnight, the same person to keep your secrets safe, and the same person to talk to after a bad day. On the other hand, there is a good looking woman your husband works with and it has really started to bug you how he looks at other women when you are out to eat. Maybe there is an extra accommodating gentleman behind the counter at the post office that you find yourself going out of your way to
get in his line to chit chat. Maybe your issues go way beyond that. Bills are piling up, the house is a wreck every day from your toddler running wild. Perhaps there is a recent job loss, your lazy teenagers are giving you lip, your weight is up and your spirits down. You and your husband have a blended family and you are not sure how to discipline “his” kids. The list goes on and on of the many things that life throws at us after the honeymoon. Don’t forget that as couples step into middle marriage, their taste in music, friends, foods and even TV shows can change too. Does that mean you are growing apart? No…… it just means you are continually changing and evolving, as all of us humans; married and unmarried do! So when did that sweet man become a crab? When did she become such a whiner? Why can’t he just listen to you and stop telling you to get to the point? Why won’t
HEALTHY MARRIAGE
she just get to the point? Enjoy these tips to reframe the way you see your spouse and understand that those middle years can be trying. Extra effort will not go unnoticed. Your husband really does want to make you happy. Your wife really does want to have it all together for you. • Remember that you fell in love with someone who did listen to your long stories. Can you shorten them? • Never forget the magical feeling you got when her eyes danced after that soft kiss. Now go and give her that totally unexpected kiss. I love Proverbs when it is reminding us to cherish the newness of a marriage. Proverbs 5:18-19 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer-may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. • When you come home and see the house in a complete mess again, pick up a few toys and think of 2 Corinthians 4: 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. • Instead of rolling your eyes that she wants to go out for dinner, when you just reconciled your checkbook down to $22.03, see if you can do take out from her favorite place and eat in a different room other than the cluttered living room with that TV blaring. • Finally, play a game where you face
each other, hold hands and see how long you can make eye contact with your mate before you blink or burst into laughter. The winner gets to pick the desserts for the night. And, yes, you may interpret “desserts” any way you like. Be a husband or wife of noble character as Proverbs 31:1012 says when talking about the wife. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
PROPHETESS
Kimberly M. Fleming Operating In The Prophetic Today so many are calling themselves Prophet or Prophetess, but only a few are chosen. I have seen this office abused, misused, taken lightly, used for financial gain and fame. This is not anything that should be taken lightly or for personal fame and fortune. The prophetic is sovereignly given by God to those whom He chooses, and it is to point everyone to Jesus! Here are a few vital things you should know when operating in the prophetic. 1.) You should be knowledgeable of the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 AMP, says Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling and skillfully teaching) the Word of truth. You must know the Word! 2.) You must have a prayer life. 1Thessalonians 5:17 says
to Pray without ceasing. Prayer is us communing with God, getting instructions and direction from Him. Prayer causes you to learn God’s voice and to hear Him clearly. Prayer is essential when operating in the prophetic. You shouldn’t/can’t prophecy without having a prayer life. 3.) You should have the Fruit of the Holy Spirit operating in your life. Galatians 5:22-23 4.) The prophetic should be meaningful, life changing, affirming, it should point you to Jesus. These are just a few but very important things that you should have operating in your life when moving n the prophetic. The prophetic is not something to be played with or misused. You are speaking on behalf of God and it should be taken seriously. Let’s not run after those because of a title but run to Him. I love the prophetic and I don’t take it lightly. I count it an honor and privilege to be used by God and speak on His behalf. Be blessed! Prophetess Kim If you would like to learn more
PROPHETESS
Kimberly M. Fleming
about the prophetic, I invite you to come to the Prophetic School Of Ministry (PSOM). It will begin Saturday September 9, 2017 at 10:00am. Email or inbox me for more information.
Booking information for Prophetess Kim Fleming c/o Christian Fellowship Center 14713 Lakeshore Boulevard Cleveland, Ohio 44110 prophetesskim7@gmail.com 216-403-9966 Sow A Seed Cash App $Kimberly7 PayPal.com/prophetesskim7@gmail.com Connect with Prophetess Kim
WHAT Pastor Fred & Lady Chini Graves
ARE YOU
Thinking? THINK ????
R.O.C.K. Church
How important is our thoughts? Elder Chini- The thoughts that we think help shape who we are and everything that we do. What the mind thinks, that’s what it is. If you think you can you can and if you think you can’t you can’t. For me, our thoughts are as important as the breath that we breath. Pastor Fred- When we think about the mind, I’m reminded of what one of my mentors taught me a while back. The mind was created to believe everything to be truth. Whatever you allow your mind to believe, even if it’s negative it’s going to believe that it is true because it was created to believe what you put in it. People are putting all kind of things in their mind that believe it’s ok to just go out and do harm to others.
How can my thought become reality? Elder Chini- For me, it’s all about speaking. If there is something that I need or something that I want, I have to operate in my dominion. Our speech is able to create life or cause death. One thing I personally do is I speak what I need. When I audibly speak my mind hears what I am saying and I begin to believe what I’m saying will manifest. Pastor Fred- Let’s look at this from a practical view point. If you grew up in a home where there was always negative speaking, the person is going to feel that is ok. That pattern is going to be repeated. Just as the person who is affirmed and told they’re going to do great things. Faith comes by hearing but we can’t spiritualize it because we tend to think the way in which we grew up.
Elder Chini-I would have to say yes. There is a scripture that talks about how fruit is good for the stomach, your words are good for the mind. The mind is so powerful because if you think it, good or bad, it will manifest itself. There has to be very intentional steps to positive thinking. You have to watch what you hear, say, smell and touch because they are all gates to your thoughts.
Pastor Fred- The Bible says what we think in our hearts, so are we. When we
look at what man first thought of themselves, we find out a lot. When man fell into sin the thoughts of their heart changed. I believe our choice has a large factor about what we think and how life is going to affect each person. Watch the full length interview on our Facebook page.
R.O.C.K. Church 480 Northfield Rd. Bedford, OH 44146
KDCMAG PAGE17
Yolanda Murray I’m NEW in Christ!
I consider it to be both a privilege and an honor to be able to testify to the fact that this September I will be celebrating 11 years of being saved, sanctified and filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost! It has truly been a journey and if someone would have told me 11 years earlier that I would be where I am today, I definitely would not have believed them. My journey began back in 2002, when I had reached a point in my life where I was depressed. It was during this time where I felt as if nothing in my life was going right. It even seemed as if everything that I would attempt to do would just fall apart and nothing would work. I found myself in situations where I felt like I had no idea how I even got into them and was truly having a very difficult time getting out. During this difficult time I would constantly question my purpose of being here. I had always believed that there
was a God and I would question Him as to what was the purpose of my existence. I would also wonder and question Him about what have I done for my life to be so miserable because I truly felt as if I had been dealt a bad hand in life. Then as if things weren’t already going bad enough at this time, I ended having to deal with two losses in my family back to back. The first loss was a close cousin that I had grew up with and the other was my great grandmother. To have to deal with this on top of everything else that I was already struggling with made me feel as if I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. I got to a point where I started to feel like it was all too much to bear and I began to have suicidal thoughts. Even though I was starting to feel as if I had nothing to live for, there was something deep within me telling me that I did. With the suicidal thoughts trying to overtake me and me trying not to give in, there was a part of me that felt like I really needed to get to know God and fast. It was at this point where I believe that God began to draw me towards Him. It did not happen quickly but rather gradually. I remember turning on my radio one day to listen to some music (secular)
My Testimony but my station had somehow switched to a gospel station. As I sat there listening to this song by Kirk Franklin, I began to pray and cry out to God. This happened more than one time while trying to listen to my secular music it would somehow switch to gospel. I also heard Yolanda Adams on a show saying that you should write God a letter telling Him how you feel, when you feel as if He isn’t listening to or answering your prayers, so I did. I also started thinking that I needed to be saved and get baptized because I had never been before. So I starting praying that God would bless me to have a church home so that I can be baptized. As I began to pray this, mysteriously all types of people began to show up at my home inviting me to come to their church and offering to pray and have Bible study with me from Jehovah Witnesses to Latter Day Saints and also some people from a deliverance church. It was truly one of the weirdest things I had experienced. I had no idea as to where to go, all I knew was that I wanted to be saved. I continued to pray and while attending a summer semester at
Tri-C in 2006, I met a young man who was attending an Apostolic Church. At that time I had no idea what an Apostolic Church was but the young man allowed for me to speak to his First Lady, who also invited me to visit for Bible Study. At first I was skeptical about it but I prayed about it and decided to go. I went and while there I knew it was something different about this church and the people there. The people at this church was so full of love and very welcoming, which was something that I was not used to. To make a long story short, I continued to visit this church and ended up joining weeks later. I will admit that being there was different for me, there were a lot of things that I was not used to because I had ever only been to my family Baptist Church. One thing this church truly believed in was Holiness and tarrying until you received the gift of the Holy Ghost, which I had never heard of. I was baptized at this church in August of 2006 and received the gift of the Holy Ghost on September 24 of the same year at our annual Women’s Day Service.
I thank God for not only saving me but for also filling me with His Spirit and for the Spiritual gifts He has given me. I also thank Him for my church family at Apostolic Church of God in Christ and for my leaders, Elder Leon and First Lady Ellen Napier. God has truly exceeded my expectations, he gave me much more than what I would’ve thought to ask for. I’m so grateful because he still continuing to bless me in ways that I never would have imagined. I have learned not to despise my small beginnings (Zech. 4:10), I know that God still has even greater things in store.
Yolanda Murray
KINGDOM BISHOP WILLIAM L. HARRIS IV
IMPACT
Making a Difference in the Local Church
God has given me a unique assignment, which is
to plant and pastor multiple churches throughout the United States. The vision is to have one church with multiple locations; similar to the model that most franchises use worldwide. The system we use is complex, but it allows me to make more impact in the Kingdom and within the communities where these churches are located. I currently Pastor 3 churches in 3 states. There is a Praise Covenant Church in Louisville, Kentucky, in New Albany, Indiana and one in Fairfield, California. Also, we are getting ready to launch our
fourth location in Prescott, Arizona. I am ecstatic about what God is doing for the ministry!
Since we have multiple ministries in
various states, we are able to reach a greater audience. We empower and impact several communities through our feeding programs, where we feed more than 500 people a month. We do this through a local food program at our Kentucky location and an innovative feeding program in New Albany, Indiana. Through this program we provide food and fellowship twice a month to the children and parents who reside in the greater New Albany area. We also have several youth mentoring programs at our Kentucky and California locations that minister and create positive environments and spiritual and natural programs for the youth to mature spiritually and to become valuable assets to society with the hopes that they can continue our mission, which is to grow the Kingdom of God. Our churches are structured to minister to the whole man and we try to accomplish this through an array of ministry-based programs and activities. Article continues on the next page
Making a Difference in Other Countries
Teaching an Anti-bullying Session to 800 Students
Many often ask me about the principles I use to build and keep my churches thriving and I believe you will find most of processes best described and further explained in two of the books that I wrote “Leadershift” and through “Thy Kingdom Come.” I believe these two books will assist pastors that are looking for a way to make a difference in the local church as well as help them globally understand the transitions that are happening in the Kingdom. Both books can be ordered online at www. DrWilliamHarris.com.
We are fully involved in sharing our mission to extend the Kingdom of God globally through the recovery of New Testament church life, making disciples, training leaders and planting churches by all means, including wholehearted financial commitment, welcoming trans-local ministries, and coordinating worldwide crusades. “Reaching the Nations” is more than our slogan. It is the ICAF (International Christian Apostolic Fellowship) heart’s cry that God will use all of us to “Reach the Nations” and to show His love to the hurting world around us starting with those Ministering to the Poor
closest to us (family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors) then into our community, and eventually on a plane reaching people in other countries. We provide global humanitarian aid to hurting people and teach Christians and non-Christians alike how to enjoy everyday life by applying biblical principles in all they do. — John 10:10
The ICAF has a God-ordained mandate to impact the world. We have had the privilege of globally presenting the Gospel to the lost, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, ministering to the elderly, widows and orphans, visiting prisoners and have been fortunate enough to reach people of all ages and in all walks of life. With the prayers and support of our friends and partners around the world, we have and continue to present a creative and relevant message of Christ and His love for people worldwide using the most powerful forms of media and communications available. We emphasize professionalism, competence, and integrity in order to foster partnerships with other God Believers, fulfilling the commission commanded by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Mark 16:15, “Go ye into all the world and teach the gospel to every creature‌â€? I am so grateful that the Lord has afforded me the privilege to preside over 250 churches globally, inclusive of churches in Africa, India, Asia, Australia, and Haiti. We have globally trained and placed leaders strategically within each of these countries to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ, train the next generation of political and religious leaders, and to assist the youth of those countries to achieve academic excellence. We also host annual conferences and are building teams to accommodate the growth of our organization in these countries. Most recently, we travelled to Asia and the Middle East. God
Bishop Harris Preaching at Prison in Asia
blessed us to ordain over 50 pastors, leaving a network of churches in the Philippines to continue spreading the word of the Lord.
Bishop Harris Ordaining Over 50 Pastors in Asia
On several occasions, history has My Vision of provided the needed critical mass and need Advancement for to thrust the church into breaking out of its the Body of Christ box and becoming the force in the culture and society that God intended it to be. Today, the church in the 21st century has once again reached this critical mass. It is something so big and so obvious, that the winds of change demand that we look hard at our models and face the reality that a different church must provide a different response to a post-modern age. Our churches and organizations have become trapped in a kind of cultural captivity, in which our churches have increasingly become cultural islands — cut off from the mainland of life by an ever flowing and widening river of change. This is not a matter of blame or fault. We must face a completely new situation. We can close our eyes, live in denial and be content with the current plight of the church. We can also stand fast in our pride of history and love tradition and traditionalism, pretending all is well, or we can face the challenges with courage, meet each opportunity with vision and faith and hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. I believe God is telling us that in order for the Kingdom to break free from the stagnation that plagues us, is for
reformation to take place. What we need involves more than tinkering with our worship. It is more than turning structures upside down. The change the church needs is more than human effort of its membership redirected. It is more than a change of mindset. It is an openness of spirit, a readiness to listen — “to hear what the spirit is saying” to the church, and a readiness not simply to change, but to be changed by God Himself. The current structure of the church will not accommodate what God is about to do. I’ve come to recognize that much of what we Christians had for all our lives called “church”, had very little to do with the concept of “church” Jesus had in mind when He promised, “I will build My church…” (Mt. 16:18). “Why now?” you might ask. Simply put, the time and season is right. The growing disconnect between the true needs of the
people and the priorities of the leadership is just as true for the church today as it is for the nation. So many anxious clergy seem to be unwilling to radically address the mounting crisis in the denominations they represent. Many church leaders are trying just to maintain rather than trying to build a better church or organization. The preoccupation of non-spiritual and religious ideas with lesser agendas, and the smugness of those “in charge,” have created a growing burden that many Christians can no longer support either intellectually or by faith. If Christianity is to survive in viable denominations; we must do whatever is necessary to become more actively relevant to global and local urgencies. “Churches,” “fellowships,” or whatever, have to be agents of Godly transformation to the contemporary world or they will be a big part of the world’s problems.
Benefiting the Body of Christ We are coming to the close of another season. The church in America and the world is in transition. The entire Body of Christ is in the midst of a changing over, an alteration. There is a “metamorphous” coming forth. We have no control over this
conversion process. Just as the widow woman mourned the death of her husband, the Body of Christ is in a state of mourning the death of the old move. That was good for that time of revival, but now we are moving into
an apostolic age where God wants repetition that we have experienced to build foundations. He wants to over the last couple of decades. establish us and put His people on a Organizations and churches, such as straight path, put a vision within us, the ICAF, has recognized the need and give us a hope and purpose. and provide the resources needed There is a dynamic prophetic to assist the ministries. I am thankful coming in the church. In this new to be a part of an organization move, God is raising up a remnant that not only provides spiritual out of the forerunners. He is raising an resources to those connected such Elisha out of the Elijah. Not everybody as, covenant relationships, 1st lady is going to be a carrier resources for connection There is a dynamic of this anointing. It’s and healing, pastoral prophetic coming in going to be a powerful resources for relaxation and the church. ministry that is based renewal, spiritual covering upon principles of the Kingdom. It will and reformation, but also provides change cities, regions, and nations. for the natural needs that includes As you can see, there is an conceptualization and networking, outcry for a change and the people branding, etc. of God must answer the cry in order It is imperative that no one for the Kingdom to advance. This misinterprets what I am saying. We advancement comes through are not tearing down old structures — organizations, churches, and 21st we are building new! Old wineskins, century Kingdom pastors that are no matter how radical, will only go so looking for and needing innovative far. In other words, the church does ways to grow and move their not need renewal. It needs to be ministries. They are looking for the reformed! “How-tos” rather than the ceremonial
Make a Difference In order for more of us to make a difference, we must all understand the importance of pushing our Father’s agenda through kingdom promotion and ensuring that our culture adjusts to the time in which we are living in. Let’s talk about Kingdom promotion. One, successful promotion only happens if we as believers first accept the commissioning call. One may say, “What is the commissioning call?” It’s simple. The
greatest commission that Jesus gave to his disciples while on earth was the commission to go out and serve. We, as disciples of Christ, are commissioned to service, which for us is kingdom service. We serve the kingdom by “catching people” for the kingdom. In other words,
June 19th-July 1st, Cagayan De Oro, Philippines, Hyderabad, India
Bishop Harris Visiting the Sick in India
we are to share the Gospel by spreading the good news of Christ to others in the world and we do it with the gifts we are given. Simply put, we may not preach from a pulpit or even on a street corner, we may not sing like an angel or write music, but we are called right where we are and we are to share the Gospel right where we are. We are to share it through words, but most importantly we share it through our
actions and the lives we live daily. self-respect or respect others, where Most don’t understand this principle, we call bad good and good bad but whether good or bad our lives and the list goes on. The only way are the greatest resource we can to change the culture is by standing use to promote the Kingdom of God against it and presenting a viable and make a difference!! We must alternative. That is why we must be a understand when we profess to be counterculture. The prefix “counter” Christians, we must live means to go against. The prefix “counter” this thing out and ensure We cannot change the means to go against. that our lives align with culture by going along the Word of God, which with it; we must go against helps and aids with the advancement it! We must “cut against the grain.” of the Kingdom. For too long, we have waited for an Secondly, we can make more of environment where we are accepted a difference by changing the culture before we ever open our mouths. For that accepts the abuse and misuse too long, the corrupt and warped of our women, that categorizes all values and deceptions of the devil young males as drop outs and saying monopolize the marketplace of they will never amount to anything, ideas in our culture. Truth is the only that says we do not have to have antidote for falsehood. Accepted
or not, it’s time for us to open our mouths and speak the truth to a culture deceived by lies. This is how we make a difference. It’s time to counter our culture by showing viable alternatives to what they see. I believe that is why God gave me the vision of the Counter Culture movement that was birthed in 2016 and will reinitiate in 2018. The vision was to unite the Apostolic/ Pentecostal organizations through the “sons” and last year, we made history. We were able to
bring together all major Apostolic/ Pentecostal organizations together under one roof to make long lasting impact through collaboration and think tanks to come up with solutions on critical issues that we are faced with in this generation. It was an awesome sight to see. These are the kind of programs that we must see surfacing now, especially with the hate crimes and individuals that are so boldly trying to divide our nation.
Counter Culture 2016 Unity Conference.
www.icafglobal.com www.praisecovenantkentucky.com 3107 Crums Lane Louisville KY 40216
Bishop J.L. Mathis & Lady Mathis Grace & Mercy Church of the Living God
Having a Real Relationship with God People know when you are being real. Take for example your husband, every time I saw him at the restaurant I could not remember his name but he remembered my Spirit and that’s what people know you by. When you have the right Spirit you don’t have to say a lot people will know you by your speech. One day I was downtown at tower city and the young lady helping me. Another young lady asked for some help and she said, “I can’t help right now, I’m helping
the Pastor.” I didn’t tell her I was a Pastor. The Bible tells us the Spirit will testify for you. When you got the right Spirit you draw people. God will go in the room before you and start talking. We as the people of God find favor with God. Whatever is coming will come your way. Another believer I know received a vehicle with no money down. I believe favor follows the believer. We ought not be Nicodemus children that come and try to get our blessing at night. Some people don’t want anyone to know about the relationship because they love darkness rather than light because there deeds are evil. God wants us to come in the day and have a real relationship with Him.
Grace & Mercy Church of the Living God 809 East 152nd St. Cleveland, OH 44110 Sunday School @10:00AM Morning Worship @ 11:00AM Wednesday Bible Class @7:30PM
Getting to Know Lady Jahara Being a pastors wife is rewarding and challenging at the same time, meaning that the reward is being able to work along side with your husband to help build up the kingdom of God and to know that you’re helping to win souls to Christ and also knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life spiritually. Being a pastors wife can be challenging as well because you have to deal with many personalities of the type of people you encounter. You can’t allow your flesh to interfere with complicated situations at hand. You have to allow your spiritual moral to kick in and pray and ask God to give you instructions on how to deal with a certain affair. ( my own personal experience) It will permit growth spiritually and that way you’ll know how to tackle the next thing you have to confront. My passion for the body of Christ is to be effective in my calling and purpose and also to sustain Integrity in God. I envision God using me in such a way that people thought was inconceivable, miraculous wonders and or impossibilities I envision God using me to influence the body of Christ to where the Word of God has a sudden impact on the sinners life by God putting a word in my Spirit to impart on His people.
Jahara
“Do I Have to Forgive?” Minister Jucinta Jones
F
orgiveness is one of those topics that never gets old because all of us are faced with the decision regarding whether or not we should forgive someone that has hurt or offended us in some way. One of the biggest things that I believe the people of God oftentimes struggle with and that’s forgiveness. There are many people who attend church week after week and are holding on to grudges, and because we choose not to deal with the issues head on, we find ourselves in bondage to the spirit of un-forgiveness. There are people who have been wounded in church by leadership or other parishioners and never choose to forgive and move forward. It’s for this reason that God
has led me to address this topic in this month’s article. People of God there are benefits to forgiveness because it’s connected to our freedom in Christ. There’s no way that we can walk in true freedom and deliverance if we are holding on to grudges. There’s no way that we can truly be free if we hate our brothers and sisters in Christ or people in our natural families. Yes, the pain that was inflicted upon you was real, but God is saying this month that it’s time to start the process of letting it go. Forgiving those who have hurt you is going to be beneficial to you for the following reasons:
1. You will be walking in obedience to the Word of God. 2. You will begin to feel better in your physical and mental health. 3. You will be able to sleep better at night. 4. You will be able to progress in your relationship with Christ. 5. You will be FREE from the weight that un-forgiveness carries. Therefore, the answer to this month’s question is yes because the bible instructs us to forgive just as Christ has forgiven us. (Col. 3:13)
Email: Sanctifiedbychristministry@gmail.com Website: www.sanctifiedbychristministry.com
B O T ARE
D
We are created differently in the image of God. In this generation that we live in we see so many people mimicking other people, impersonating
people, and try to be like other people. I tell my young people all the time God did not create you to be like other people. He did not create you to impersonate other people. We have to learn how to embrace who we are! God knew exactly what he was doing when he created you. You don’t have to be like everyone else, you don’t have to have what other people have! God makes no mistakes. Accept who you are because there’s no one like YOU! Be yourself because no matter how hard you try to be someone else, no matter how many times you copy a person you will NEVER be that person. God did not create you to fit in. When God created you there was purpose behinds T he knew you were going to be the next millionaire, he knew you were going to be the next designer, the next track star etc. God knows what he’s doing. You are unique, you are different, you are cut from a different cloth. Stop trying to fit where you don’t belong. Personally it took me a long time to fully
! T N E R E F
F I D BE
understand this. I wanted to hang with the “popular people” I wanted to be part of the “clicks” and it took for someone to speak a word into my life and simply told me “stop trying to fit where you don’t belong” I want to tell someone who head have been down, someone who feels like you have to fit in, someone who feels like God has forgotten about them I want to simply tell you JUST BE YOU! When you learn to be yourself and accept who you are there’s nothing else to worry about. My purpose coach always tell me to speak over myself. The bible says in 1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people.
hua
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Min
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“YOU CAN’T BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! “BE YOURSELF BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN”
Minister Joshua Grimmett
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