Encouraging £very Day People To Live For Christ OUTPOUR MAGAZINE
OUTPOUR MAGAZINE FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Krystion Nelson COPY EDITOR Bryndle Bottoms CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Donald Currie, 12/24 Media FEATURE MAKEUP ARTISTRY Tavia Jackson, Tavia J Beauty FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY Donald Currie, 12/24 Media z
AUGUST 2020 CONTRIBUTORS Tikelia Stennis Crystal Currie Nneka Collins Latoya Bryant Ronald Obie
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Outpour Magazine, Aug 2020 (c) reserved. Scripture rights quotations are from the Holy Bible.
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Welcome back to It is our mission “to edify the Christian believer; reaffirm a Christ-centered faith in a fallen world; and encourage everyday people to live for Christ.” Pointing people to Christ is our goal! We are so encouraged by all the love and support from our readers, who are living on purpose for Christ! We pray that you continue to deepen your relationship with God and feel His love towards you. You are His beloved child, and God is holding you in the palm of His hand. This month’s edition will allow you to get to know my family, and help my husband and I celebrate 12 years of marriage! You will also learn how to live faithfully after traumatic experiences
(page 12); how to trust God through the storms of life (page 28); and the importance of letting the Holy Spirit guide your parenting (page 20). Additionally, you will learn how to let the light of God shine through you (page 31), and behold the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ Himself (page 34). We pray that you continue to put God first and remain steadfast in Him. And no matter the situation, He is in control! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our magazine at outpourmagazine.com. And we’d love to hear from you! What is God doing in your life during this season? We love you and are praying for you! God Bless,
Christ our Substitute (Romans 5)
Paul in Jail (Acts 16)
Be Fruitful (Gen 1:26) V H
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Plot Twist: Turning things around for Good ( John 4)
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Meet the Writers of this Issue
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Ronald is an ordained minister and loves serving God. He wants people to know about the gift of Jesus and that salvation is available for all. He lives in High Point, NC and serves as an Associate Minister at Prospect Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.
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Contents 34 31
Jesus, God's Gift to the World LetThere Be Light
In Every Issue:
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FAMILY FEATURE STORY PASTOR SP OTLIGHT
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THE CHRISTIAN BOOKSHELF EDITOR'S LETTER
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Pa s t o r Spotlight
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We a t h e r i n g the Storm
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Good Mom
Mom
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God
Meet Dr. Clarence C . Moore and
How can you trust God through the
Learn how God can help you through
First Lady Hope Moore of New Era
storms of life? How can you remain
your parenting. Let the Holy Spirit
Church in Indianapolis, IN.
steadfast in your faith - despite the
guide you as you love your children
trials and tribulations that come
and point them to Christ!
against you or your family? Read more in this article to find out!
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hristians are often viewed as being strong, resilient, and having it all together. But what happens when adult Christians struggle with traumatic childhood experiences? Does God understand? Does He still love them? And can God help their faith remain steadfast in Him? Our parents are often our first representation of God’s unconditional love. However for many, this representation was far from loving. From abuse to molestation, rejection to abandonment, the untold childhood stories of many adults cause unspeakable pain. Traumatic childhood experiences can result in emotional wounds the size of craters. And yet, people – even Christians – with these experiences find ways to push through life, often by burying the memories and the emotional or even physical scars of their past. They do not want others to see their pain and are determined to not let their wounds leak. They have vowed to never recreate the broken childhood that they try so hard to forget. They instead shift their focus away from those memories to the life that they believe they were meant to live. As a licensed therapist, I have found that people dealing with traumatic experiences sometimes tend to overperform and have somewhat perfectionistic tendencies. They are outwardly concerned with how society and even how other
Christians view them, and find value and self-worth in others’ perceptions. However, as resilient and strong as they are, there is one thing they cannot maneuver past: their incomplete trust and faith in God. For these individuals, their love for God is immeasurable. They have a strong desire to please God and could not imagine their lives without Him. But the emotional childhood wounds that have formed within them can create a disconnect in their relationship with God. The mother and father who were responsible for their care failed them. Their parents treated them unfairly, placed them in unsafe situations and devalued them. Their parents neglected to (Prov. 22:6). And no matter how hard they try, these hidden questions and thoughts remain:
We are surrounded by wounded people. You may even be one of them. To combat these thoughts, God wants you to know that He understands your experiences. He understands the feelings of abandonment and rejection. Isaiah 49:15-16 says
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God sends comfort by letting you know He understands and clears you of all blame and responsibility for your parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions. He understands that your emotional childhood wounds were not your fault! He gets it! And guess what? You are not condemned to your past but have a future in Christ! John 3:18 NIV says that
God is pleased with the eďŹ&#x20AC;orts that you have made thus far. God sees that it is your desire to please Him. This grace and unconditional love are consistent with the behavior and attributes of our Abba Father.
(Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV). Now that you know His stance on loving you, I want to highlight the following:
For those with poor parental relationships, their faith is often impacted by emotional wounds. In order to completely experience the benefits of faith, a believer must first allow God to heal the wounds reminding them of their past and find forgiveness in their hearts. Only then, will they be able to experience the fullness of God, our Abba Father. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, in spite of your past, God will
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(Isaiah 61:3 NIV). I invite you to start your journey of healing now. To start you on the journey of reconnecting with God, I encourage you to say this prayer:
Photographer: Donald Currie, MUA: Tavia Jackson,
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have dinner as a family. On Fridays we usually have a family game night and movie that we all watch. The boys take turns picking out the movie. Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves: who are “The Nelsons?” James Nelson: I’m James and this is my wife Krystion. We have three boys, Caleb, Cameron, and Carter. I am from Alexandria, VA and Krystion is from High Point, NC. We are a loving family that likes to have fun. We also have a cocker spaniel and bearded dragon. Krystion Nelson: We’ve been married for 12 years (this month) and live in Harrisburg, NC. We love living in the Charlotte NC area. And in addition to having lots of fun, we’re a pretty laid back family.
KN: They are typical boys, love to be outside, playing basketball or running around, and they love to play with their electronics and gadgets. The little one is really into cars, monster trucks and trains. And of course, they are growing boys - eating us out of house and home. Since the pandemic we’ve had to adjust to homeschooling while working, but we’ve gotten into a rhythm and flow of being home. OM: What have been some of your best memories as a family? JN: Whenever we travel, we get to stay in hotels, with minimal distractions. Since we are so close in space, we get to laugh and joke a lot.
OM: I love that all your boys have “C” KN: Vacations are always fun and memorable. names...was that on purpose? But one of the best memories for me was when JN: Yes, we wanted to stay pretty consistent we served as a family in our church by packing KN: but it is hard to keep them straight at times meals for communities in Haiti. James and I (laughs). thought the boys were finally old enough to OM: What is a typical day like, raising three help and they really had a great experience and learned what it meant to serve others in need. energetic boys? JN: With Covid-19, things have been atypical, but we have a new normal. The day usually starts with Carter barging into our room asking to be taken downstairs. Once up, we make rounds of “good morning” to the other two boys. I ask them if they have done their morning chores (feeding and giving water to the dog and lizard, and emptying the dishwasher). I usually head off to work, and Krystion stays home and has their work day outlined. I am the gym and math teacher. With Covid, it is much easier to
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OM: Describe this season in your family’s KN: And we really try to show God’s love to our life. children, and especially show our trust in God to them. There are many teachable moments with JN: This season has definitely been “weird.” I the kids where we can say, “hey, as Christians, am an essential worker, so I am out in the field how should we approach this situation?” Even a lot. When I come home, I wash my hands and in times of uncertainly, they see our reliance change my clothes. If you ask the kids about and belief that God is in control. And we this time, they would likely say they are having make sure to pray as a family, read the bible the time of their lives. We are blessed to have often together, and have the boys read daily kids that like spending time and being around devotionals and have quiet us. We have not gone on our time with God - just them and God - each morning. Now, we’re not always sure what they are doing during that time (laughs) but I think the practice of putting God first before you do anything yearly vacations, else in your day - even at 9 and 6 years old or to the will hopefully stick with them into adulthood. n e i g h bo r h o o d pool, but they OM: What has been the most difficult season seem to be happy. Regarding myself, it has in your life? How did your family get through been a little stressful as I am considered an it? essential worker, so my clients have been JN: The most difficult season in my life was asking much of me. But, my faith allows me to my last two years of law school. Cameron, continue to serve. our second child was born, I was running a KN: I would agree. It’s been interesting for sure. business and managing employees, trying to Lots of praying, especially for my husband as be the best husband by being physically and he is working. This has required us to be really mentally present, and trying to keep my creative, to keep the kids busy but there have been a lot of fun moments, and memories made for sure. OM: How has your faith been foundational in your family’s life? JN: I put God first in my approach with my wife and children. I understand that I am their role model and they are always watching, so I make extra effort to have Godly reactions in all I do. I try my best to be slow to anger.
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look out for each other, and stand up for each other when Dad and Mom are not around. KN: We know we live in a world where people may not love our children or even treat them well - that’s life. But we’re trying to teach them that we love them and most importantly God loves them. And because God loves them, it doesn’t matter what other people think, say or do. And James and I try to model God’s love towards others - no matter what people look like, what they do, how they act, etc. So we’re law school grades up to retain my scholarship. hoping that they see this example of how to Krystion helped a lot as she picked up most of love others through us. -OM my slack. We also tried to be more intentional with family time, by making the most of any free time I had. KN: Yes, that was a pretty challenging time. I would also say the first few years of our marriage were really tough. We didn’t have kids yet - just trying to figure out how to be a wife and husband. It was hard - I honestly didn’t know if we were going to make it. God definitely helped us get through that time and since then, it’s really been smooth sailing. We were reminded to not only put God first, but each other - even before the kids - and we have been doing that ever since! OM: In what ways are you teaching your children to love God and love others - even their brothers? JN: They attend church with us regularly. Since Covid, we all watch the sermon together. During the week, the boys read daily devotionals for their age, and we discuss what they read. We direct them to scriptures related to loving others, even if people do not love them back. Regarding brotherly love, we constantly remind them that they have each other, should always
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family together than anything else.” At this point, I heard the voice of my Heavenly Father loud and clear. My heart was pierced.
I became very impatient and just downright angry as I repeated the explanation of the math problem for what seemed like the hundredth time! It was such a simple math problem. I could not see why she didn’t seem to understand. “Why are you not listening?” I yelled harshly. I saw that my daughter was trying, but needed her to try harder. The assignment needed to be completed on my time schedule, because after all, I had other things I wanted to check off my list! My husband entered the room, gently grabbed my hand and said, “come with me, let me show you something upstairs.” At that moment, I felt that it was the Holy Spirit, giving me a gentle nudge to step away and get myself together. We sat down in our master bedroom and he softly said, “I know your heart is to help her, but you are being too abrasive.” He proceeded by adding, “I am more concerned about keeping our
If we are not careful, we can tend to parent in our flesh instead of leaning more on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are made righteous only through Jesus. Our perfection is in Him. So the only way for us to achieve any type of perfection in parenting is through a consistent relationship with Him. He never intended for us to be perfect parents. Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 12:9, that it is “ ” The cracks in our clay pots serve a beautiful purpose of allowing God’s power and strength to flow through.
(2 Corinthians 4:7). If we only allow our children to see us all put together, what room would be left for them to see God? After the conversation with my husband, I sat my daughter down and apologized to her. We had a heartfelt conversation that I will never forget. One of the hard lessons I learned that day is that I can’t put an expectation of perfection on my children if God hasn’t put that expectation on me. God’s expectation of me is (1 Peter to 1:15-17). My dear mom friend, God is proud of your efforts. He knows you love hard. He knows you have to fight off pressure from outside sources to be a good supermom. But...
Seek God’s wisdom and trust His guidance in your parenting.
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Even the toughest, most confident mom needs someone who can relate to her. Parenting is not an easy task. But the good news is that God has given us access to His power and grace. I also believe that He places beautiful sisterfriends along our paths for us to lock arms with Years ago, someone shared an acronym with me to through every season of motherhood. As we aid in my Christian walk. Today, I am able to apply keep our hearts open and vulnerable to Him, it to my journey as a Christian parent. Be F.A.T – He will add them to us. ,
and
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: Rearing our children can oftentimes feel like an exhausting tug of war of pushing and pulling. Any good parent wants the best for their children in every area of their lives. 1 Corinthians 15:58 admonishes us to “…
: I often remind our youngest daughter that God gave us two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. Well, even I need that reminder sometimes. God may be speaking and I may hear Him, but I am not listening. Sometimes the noise is so loud within ourselves. A heart that listens is a heart that is tender enough to be still and know that He is God and that He is ready to communicate with us in every situation. James 1:19-20 says,
Don’t give up! Teach them. Lead them in the ways of the Lord. In doing so, God will honor you for your faithfulness. Thank God when you see the fruit Be of your labor. Learn to thank Him even more for the fruit that will be manifested in your children more intentional to pause. Be humble enough because of your persistence. Our children to ask God to say it again. belong to God. He has a divine plan for them. He has given us stewardship over them. We must be intentional in searching out what He has to say about them in His word and through prayer. Pray more. Worry less. : Is your heart within easy reach? God has wired us, as women, to manage a myriad of tasks. Sometimes the cares and busyness of life can cause our hearts to become muddy. Having multiple children is such a beautiful blessing, but can oftentimes leave us feeling drained. If we don’t carefully tend to our hearts, our efforts will yield rotten fruit. We are the batteries of our homes. It is vital that we take the necessary time to recharge ourselves in the presence of God and through fellowship with others who are like-minded in the faith.
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Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about yourselves and New Era Church. Dr. Clarence Moore: I am Pastor Clarence C. Moore of New Era Church and we’ve been involved in this ministry now for 30 years. New Era is an inner-city church that is growing and we have been blessed to be part of not only the growth around our community but in particular, the growth in our ministry. First Lady Hope Moore: I am Hope Moore of New Era Church. I serve as the Children’s Ministry Director, and have served in this role for the past 15 years. OM: Dr. Moore and First Lady Moore, you have been married for 41 years and have been in Pastoral Leadership for 30 years. What is the key to a long lasting marriage and ministry? CM: Yes, we have been in Pastoral ministry for 30 years. Amazingly, it was Hope that led me back to a rigorous lifestyle in Christ on the college campus. So in essence, while we’ve been married these 41 years, we’ve been serving God together for about 44 years - on the college campus and then of course after we got married. She has been the backbone of most of my accomplishments when it comes to ministry. And I thank God that she helped redirect me at a very low time in my life to my true calling, that is to serve God. Of course she’ll tell you that she didn’t realize she was going to marry a pastor (laughs). But God knew and that all came to fruition a little later in our relationship. HM: So you asked what is the key to a longlasting ministry and marriage - I think that key is commitment. A commitment to God first of all. As Clarence alluded to, no I didn’t know I was going to be marrying a pastor, but because of a commitment to God and a willingness to love Him and serve Him, that helped me to make that transition to honor and follow God, and honor and follow my husband. The key is commitment - having a true commitment to God and to marriage. There are times when you really don’t like each other; but because you do love each other and you love God, you stay in there and keep fighting for your marriage, knowing that the ultimate goal is to honor and serve and please God. CM: To young pastors, it’s very critical - as you are doing ministry - that you find ways to do it with your wife. It doesn’t mean that she has to be the co-pastor or anything like that; but most of my developmental years, in seminary, my wife was there in class with me. When we
would take trips to conventions or conferences, I always traveled with my wife. I very seldom traveled without her. That has also been one of the keys to the longevity of our marriage and ministry, as I have made sure that she has been by my side along the way. I’m really concerned about some of the young pastors that are coming along now - that are really dynamic and anointed - but their first ministry is their home and their marriage. And it’s important that you nurture that along the way as your church grows. HM: I would like to say one more thing on this topic, before we transition. And this is speaking to the wives. I definitely agree with everything Pastor Moore has stated, but there are seasons in a woman’s life, especially if you are married and you have children. So now that we are nearing the end of our ministry, it’s much easier for me to be involved in every aspect of ministry. But in those early years, I had to make choices. I had to be a wife. I had to be a mother. If your husband is so involved in ministry, my question is, well who is taking care of your family? Who is caring for your children? Who is making sure that your home is safe? Because when your husband comes home and he’s been beaten up by the world, who is there to make sure that he is ok? I would just like to admonish young women married to pastors. I know it’s much more glamorous to be in the spotlight and to be the co-pastor, to be crafting messages and having the ear of everyone. And I’m not saying you don’t do some of that; but you have to be careful and make sure that your home and your children are cared for in such a way, because once those years are gone, you never get them back. OM: New Era’s mission is “to evangelize the lost, edify the saved, minister to those in need and be a conscience in the community.” Please tell us more about the mission of New Era Church. CM: First Lady Hope was very instrumental in helping us develop our mission statement at the inception of our pastorate in 1990. We’re one of the very few churches in our city where all of our members can literally quote our mission statement - we do it often in our worship services. I will say “And we exist to...” and they can say our statement. But we are moving now towards not just saying it but how do we live it. This pandemic that we are in is causing us to reassess everything that we are doing in ministry. God has gotten the attention of not only the whole world but of the church. He is not pleased with how we are living our lives and
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even the church has been put on notice, that we have to get back to that mission of evangelism, edification and meeting the needs of those that need us, as well as being salt and light, and being a conscience in the community. OM: First Lady Moore, as Director of the Children’s Ministry, please talk about “Operation More Hope.” And how does this ministry equip young people with tools to be successful in life? HM: “Operation More Hope” is a program that outreaches into one of our local schools. It takes those children who are not going to graduate high school (without some major interventions), and it brings those children into a loving environment and attempts to equip them with the skills where they will be able to navigate life. Additionally, what it is intended to do is to help these kids learn how to read. But I think what it does more intrinsically is it helps these kids know that they are somebody, know that they have value and know that they can succeed if they work hard at it. A lot of these kids are in danger in a lot of ways but “Operation More Hope” loves on them and gives them that push, that hand up that they need, so that they can be successful in life. CM: The vision that Hope had when she founded that group hit every prong of our mission statement. And what we do is that we bring these children from the schoolhouse to the church house before they go to their broken house. It’s a very unique afterschool program - there aren’t any in our city like ours. And it’s such a blessing in so many ways - I wish we had more time to talk about it. One of the real critical mechanisms of Hope’s vision is the involvement of fifteen retired seniors who cook for these kids every day they come from school to the church. This is a meal that they may not get if they had gotten on the bus and went home. So you have this generation of seniors loving on these children. When this came to fruition, it gave our seniors something to do, gave them purpose, but this also blesses our children tremendously. HM: The kids named them the “grandma chefs” (laughs). When we first started this program, we were thinking, ok, we’ll give them a caprisun and a bag of chips, and that will hold them until they get home. These fifteen grandmas decided that no, we need to cook a hot meal for these babies.
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So not only are they learning to read but they are also learning what a balanced meal looks like, how to sit, how to give God thanks, how to say please and thank you, and pass the bread. Just simple life skills that for many of us, our mothers taught us. But in this case a lot of the mothers are having to work two or three jobs, so they are not always there. So the kids are learning it but learning it in a different way. OM: Wow! That’s amazing! How many kids do you serve in this program? HM: We typically start off with about 40 simply because of space. But on a regular basis we serve about 30 kids four days a week. That truly is impactful. And what we’ve seen is that if we can get these kids to stay with us for about three years… OM: So this isn’t just a one year program... HM: Right. Our goal is to get them where they need to be and then put them back where they can start to stand on their own two feet. We want to fill in the gaps - maybe it’s blending or phonics that they don’t understand; or maybe it’s a different issue that has nothing to do with learning - they may just need to know that they are in a safe place which gives them the confidence they need. OM: This is fascinating that “Operation More Hope” is a multi-year program and that you are concerned about their total wellbeing and maturation. CM: Absolutely. HM: And let me say this - Pastor Moore talked about the benefits of the “grandma chefs” cooking and giving those seniors something to do. We’ve also noticed that a lot of the volunteers who come to work with the kids are also seniors, so it gives them something to do too. The one thing that has really stood out to me is that these kids make it easier for their parents to come to a church and feel comfortable in a church if they need counseling, to pick up food from the food pantry or whatever they need. These kids being in the church day after day makes it a lot easier for their parents to be accepted and feel welcomed into a church. We’ve had some families that have actually joined our church because their kids have been in this program. We don’t evangelize overtly - that is not the purpose of this program. But I’ll tell you - it’s hard to see your kids get loved on every day and you not feel the love of Christ. And parents want to investigate to see what makes this church different.
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OM: Dr. Moore, I love how you've said before that “there’s nothing wrong with the seed; it’s the soil” - particularly in reference to the children served by “Operation More Hope.” But what about believers? How can Christians flourish in a fallen, soiled world? CM: That’s a really good question, a segway from looking at it from an educational and
can I hang on in this pandemic? How can I share Him with my church children who really need to know about Him? This pandemic has allowed us time to really focus almost solely on God and who He is. And to really understand that we are the church - I think that’s critical. CM: And not the building. HM: Right, we are the church. The Holy Spirit lives in us, empowers us and prepares us for the future, where there may be more persecution and we will have to have this word hidden in our heart. And so this is a great time to start tuning up and getting it together.
sociological purpose. But also looking at it from a theological arena. What this pandemic has done for many believers is that we now realize that the world needs us and we’ve got to get on our game. If we are going to be the seed of hope, the seed of light and illumination, and salt - we can’t just hang out in good soil. We have this big tree in our yard right now that is blowing seeds everywhere. And we now have seedling trees budding up in places where we don’t want to see trees. And this is the first year that I’ve seen this, where this tree is planting so many other trees from its own being. I’m thinking, wow, this is what we are supposed to be doing in this pandemic. We ought to be planting little seeds in the hearts of those that are wondering what in the world is going on. Everything that I thought I could depend on has been challenged. All of the idol gods have been silenced, have been shut down. And now we can be like that tree next door and blow our seeds of salvation into places that we wouldn’t normally be planted. HM: Another thing that this pandemic has done is that it has allowed families the opportunity to slow down. It has allowed us time to really think about our relationship with God. And as Pastor has said, these idol gods - God has shown us that they have no value. And I’ve been a Christian since I was 7 or 8 but it has even allowed me the time to really evaluate what do I truly believe about God? And how
OM: Dr. Moore, you’ve also talked about the “love of Christ” and that “when people of faith come together, they can do anything.” Can you explain why being in community with fellow believers and having that support is so important? And how can we show the love of Christ, even to nonbelievers? CM: Recently I had a pretty intense interview with a white evangelical pastor who wanted me to try to help his church of 8,000 people understand the plight of African Americans in the United States. So I saw that as God creating an opportunity for me as an African American believer to be able to talk to my white brothers and sisters about how we can create this beloved community that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so talked about before he was tragically taken from us. And how we can really be salt and light and understand that we can’t see each other like the world may see us. Jesus said “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matt. 22:39). And he wanted me to help his congregation understand what that looks like. And so I started talking to them about the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus said “I must needs go through Samaria” (John 4:4). In other words He was saying to the Jewish believers that Samaritan lives mattered. Yes, white Christians matter. Black Christians matter too. We are in this place where we can’t just talk about the bible and spiritual growth; we’ve also got to use these messages and use our understanding of scripture to also help our brothers and sisters understand the plight of mankind and the depravity of mankind; and how we can be a more perfect kingdom church, where we love everybody, in spite of what they look like.
P A S T O R
HM: The time is coming when people aren’t going to be concerned about whether or not we are black Christians or white Christians or red Christians. They are going to be persecuting Christians, I believe right here in the United States. God is giving us an opportunity as the church to show the world what He intended. God is giving us - the church - the opportunity to live out what He has called us to do, to love your neighbor as yourself. That everybody matters. The church must show this to the world and we have to come together. When persecution begins, we are going to be divided, and a house divided cannot stand. OM: This is going to be so important for our readers to hear, what it means to be a follower of Christ, regardless of what people look like. So let’s move to the “joy of the Lord.” In a recent sermon Dr. Moore, you talk about the “joy of the Lord, being our strength.” How can we maintain that joy, even when we feel tested? CM: When I started this sermon series, it was before the pandemic, before this whole thing with police brutality, and it’s been amazing. I thought I was going to have to shift the series, but the Holy Spirit said stay there. I’ve been getting so much positive feedback from people who have been saying “thank you for refocusing us on the joy we have in the Lord.” In the midst of all these trials and tribulations, this reminds us that we must keep our eyes on the Savior and not on the storm. Keep our eyes on Christ, and not on the crisis. And how we think in the storm will determine how we get through the storm. And it’s not only our congregation but people all over the country are writing and saying “thank you for the enthusiasm you’re showing in the midst of this very, very difficult time.” We’re in a place we’ve never been before, where we’ve all been shut down and shut out. Yet, we still must have joy. Joy is predicated on what is inside of you. Where happiness is predicated on what is going on around you and happiness comes and goes. But joy - as grandma would say: “the world didn’t give it to me and the world can’t take it away.” Praise God! HM: Another thing that this pandemic is teaching us, going back to this concept of joy, is that all the things we thought we needed to be happy, we don’t really need those things. It’s been two or three months since I’ve been to a shopping mall. And I’ve been perfectly fine. All of these things that we thought we needed, we haven’t needed. This pandemic is giving us an opportunity to focus on what really matters.
S P O T L I G H T
Every day that we get up and every day that our family is okay, we have so much to be thankful for. That’s what this sermon series has taught me - as long as I focus on God, keep my eye on Him and think about all the wonderful things He has done for me, I can still have joy even in the midst of a pandemic. -OM
“In the midst of all these trials and tribulations, this reminds us that we must keep our eyes on the Savior and not on the storm. Keep our eyes on Christ, and not on the crisis. And how we think in the storm will determine how we get through the storm.”
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church. I was taking care of our two children and preparing for the one that was on the way. And I was doing my best to keep a clean home, which was particularly diďŹ&#x20AC;icult when holding down a full-time job with a house full of toddlers. To say I felt unappreciated is an understatement; but I knew that God would answer my prayers. The bible says in 1 John 5:14,
I honestly believed God was listening to my prayers. My job was to wait for the manifestation of my pleas. One day, after returning home from my six month prenatal exam at the OBGYN, my estranged husband called me on the phone. We were barely speaking to each other at that time, so I had no idea what he wanted; but I was not prepared for what he had to say. Without much pleasantry, he told me that he had gone to the doctor to have a routine physical, during which blood tests were completed. It was then that the bombshell dropped: My husband informed me that he tested positive for HIV. I was devastated. I was in shock. There were so many questions whirling around in my head. It was 1996 and there were so many things that we did not know about HIV/ AIDS.
As you can tell by those prayers, my selfesteem was at an all-time low. I did everything I knew to do to be a good Christian wife. I was faithful to my husband. I was serving in my
I truly do not know how long I sat there, stunned after that phone call. Once pulling myself into a state of semi-consciousness, I called my doctor to tell her what I just found out. Thankfully, she
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was able to check the test results I had just taken that day. My results were negative. It was an instant relief, but there was still more. The doctor proceeded to say we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really know if I contracted HIV until I gave birth to my baby. I was heavy with distress and confusion. Up to that point in my life, I had never experienced any major life situations that made me question God. With all of this, I had a hard time believing that He even cared about me. Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite scriptures and it helped me through this troubling time. It says, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just that my marriage was in shambles, but the reason why. No, I would not, could not tell anyone. In my fragile state of mind, I thought it would be best to carry this burden alone. That July, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Neither she nor I tested positive for the In the following months, my emotions were virus and we remain HIV negative to this all over the placeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from fear and sadness day. Three years after his diagnosis, at the to anxiety and anger. My situation seemed age of 27, my estranged husband died from hopeless, but I was raised to believe that there a brain tumor related to the complications of is always hope in Jesus! AIDS. The night before his death, he repented to me and to God for his indiscretions. Even though Through it all, I learned what forgiveness and I felt alone, I was not alone. unconditional love looks like. I learned that sometimes life brings pain, but there is peace in God. We may not know why we go through certain situations, but we can be confident that God is faithful. He forgives us. And He will fight for us.
Conference Recap:
Desperate for Jesus 2020 (Virtual Women’s Conference) July 24-25th, 2020
• Welcome from Chrystal Evans Hurst and Priscilla Shirer • Prayers for marriages, singleness, single mothers, finances, and health; and for Esthers to rise up in “such a time as this” and step into what God has called them to do in this moment • Evans Hurst led praise and worship with Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship singers Speakers: Jackie Hill-Perry, Dr. Tony Evans, Katherine Wolf
Praise: Gospel Recording Artist Jekalyn Carr • Hill-Perry: Identity - how we see ourselves gives us some insight into how we see God because we bear the image of God; God restores His image in us through Christ Jesus • Wolf: Suffering - what does it mean to suffer well; how can we glorify God through it rather than pray it away; we can’t handle everything but God can • Panel with Dr. Tony Evans: Race in America - the body of Christ needs to come together; reconciliation comes through service not through sermons • Honoring the Life of Dr. Lois Evans, a life of legacy - started conference 20 years ago
K E E P I N G
Lights. Camera. Action...except for when God is about to move. He has a different order for setting the stage because He knows the end from the beginning. And yet, the script has already been written and the plot is in motion. God’s storyline is in full effect behind the scenes, even in the dark when we cannot see. In the midst of darkness God is still moving. Darkness is the absence of light, and darkness remains until light invades that darkness. In Genesis, God spoke light into the darkness that covered the earth. Genesis 1:1-3 reads,
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The Spirit of God was moving when there was no form to the earth. Earth was still dark, waiting for God to command light. Naturally, it would have made sense for God to move after there was light. But God’s ways are not our ways. God was moving before there was light. In the same way, the Spirit of God can still move upon our hearts even in the midst of our darkest trials and failures. In the moments when we cannot see the light, we have to believe that God is still working on our behalf. He is still near to us. God uses the low points in our lives and He causes them to work for our good. In my early twenties, I was in a difficult season. As a recent college graduate, I was working on a small startup business the Lord laid on my heart. I did not have a set income. Funds and resources were low but God was teaching me to trust Him. He was revealing more of Himself to me, even in the midst of many trials. It was extremely hard but He always provided. He used that season to work on my heart. Looking back, I can see the
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spiritual muscles God was molding in me. He was working in the darkness. Later, God opened up a door for me to work full time in a job that I loved. Many of the things I needed for my new position, God developed in me during that difficult season.
in Him. And as we trust Him, He is tearing down the idols that we have built up. It is easy to put our hope in things we see but instead we have to walk by faith. Psalm 20:7 reads,
Our hope is not in material things or in natural systems; our hope is in the Lord. Wholeheartedly, I believe God is preparing us As believers, nothing in our lives is wasted. for Revival. He is turning hearts to Him. His Romans 8:28 assures us, glory will be shown in the earth. And He wants to use believers to show forth His power and light in this world. Just as God called forth John I know all things work together the Baptist, we too are because I have seen this scripture come off the page. When this verse becomes more than (Luke head knowledge and it begins to truly saturate 1:79). What if we, as the body of Christ, are the our hearts, we know that darkness will not last answer to the chaos in this hour? And guess forever. what? YOU are a vital part of what God is doing. Yes, YOU are a key part to the story He has written in these last days. God knew the exact day, time, and generation you would be born in. God needs you to simply surrender and He’ll take it from there. Surrender your weaknesses. Surrender your whole heart. Surrender your will. Surrender fulfilling the desires of your flesh and allow God to fill you instead. There is beauty in surrender, especially when you understand God’s heart towards you. His thoughts are to prosper you and bring you to an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). Soon, God is going to pull back the curtain. Do not let the current darkness distract you. The world seems to be in a dark place but we Stay focused. It is not time to faint. Encourage can trust that the Spirit of God is still moving on yourself in the Lord. Rebuke the enemy and the earth. John 1:5 states move forward by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Do not allow yourself to stay stuck. God is setting the stage of our hearts by revealing His light through us. But this light cannot shine through unless we put our trust
K E E P I N G
Your home is where you lay down and God causes us to lie down in green pastures. Light will shatter the darkness because you are the light that God is shining through.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of lightâ&#x20AC;? (Eph. 5:8 NIV)
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FAITH over FEAR!
T H E O L O G Y
Gifts are often given to those we care about. Times of gift giving include special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. There are also times when gifts are given just because and not for any special occasion. And the best gifts are those that benefit the one receiving the gift. John 3:16 says that The word ‘loved” in John 3:16 is Agapao (agap-ah’-o) in Greek, the original language of the New Testament. Agapao is an action word. God’s love for the world resulted in the action of Him giving His Son for the benefit of the world. The bible makes it clear that this was His only begotten Son. He did this because He is full of goodwill and compassion towards all mankind. W.E. Vines in his dictionary of New Testament Words, points out that “love can be known only from the actions it prompts. God’s love is seen in the gift of His Son. ” This love has nothing to do
T H E O L O G Y
with the object of the love or if the object “deserves” this love. Nor does this love have anything to do with our love for God, but in fact emanates only from His love for us (1 John 4:9, 10). We did nothing to merit His love; but God, in His own providence loved in such a way that He gave His only Son for the entire world, for all! He gave His Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
person–no matter how good or bad; no matter how moral or sinful; salvation belongs to you and I! Romans 5:18 says Salvation has been given to every man, woman, boy, and girl. The only thing left for each of us to do is to accept it or receive it.
2 Cor. 5:20 simply says, “be ye reconciled to It is important to point out that “whosoever” God” (or, you, be reconciled, to God). In other refers to anyone – from the most pious person words, you decide: to the one who is living in the greatest degree of sin one may imagine. “Whosoever” means the good, the bad, the liar, the thief, the cheat, the prideful, the prostitute, the fornicator, the adulterer, the homosexual, the transgender, the lesbian, the whoremonger, the proud, the backbiter, the murderer, and the lewd. Whosoever: it means everyone, every person. Whosoever, means you and I. In Christ, God has restored man—all men and women—to favor, relationship, and fellowship with Him. You see, when Adam sinned, he died spiritually. He became separated, estranged, divided, and alienated from God, the source of all life. The relationship, fellowship, and favor he once enjoyed, he was now separated from. And because of Adam, spiritual death passed It’s mine; it’s yours; simply reach out and take it by faith. to all men (Romans 5:17-19). But God was in Christ reconciling the entire But how can one receive salvation so easily? world unto Himself. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:19 2 Cor. 5:21 tells us For God so loved declares the world that He gave Christ to suffer and In other words, God pay the penalty of death in our stead when we is not accounting anyone’s sin to them; He should have suffered. There was an exchange is not keeping a ledger of sin. Salvation is that took place: He became sin for us, and offered to the entire world. In the eyes of God, we become the righteousness of God in Him. through Christ, salvation belongs to every He died for us that we might live. We simply person; salvation has been effected for every receive now what He did for us then, over
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2000 years ago on the cross, as our substitute. He became sin and we become right with God. We don’t have to work our way to it; we don’t have to be good enough to obtain it; it’s not even required of us to stop sinning before we are able to accept what He has done on our behalf, for our benefit; we simply have to accept the gift He has already provided. God Himself takes care of the sin problem. We do not have to “get” forgiveness, for we are already forgiven. We simply appropriate it into our lives by believing and receiving. Let’s look into this further by examining the following two texts: 1 Peter 2:24 KJV: “
Isaiah 53:4-12 KJV:
The prophet Isaiah looked forward and prophetically describes what happens with Christ at the cross. The Apostle Peter, having been an eyewitness to the cross, looked back to the cross and describes what happened with Christ at the cross. In verse 6, Isaiah says that “the Lord [Jehovah] hath laid on [Christ] the iniquity of us all.” According to the Hebrew Lexicon, God “caused to fall upon Him the iniquity (the perversity, guiltiness, and its punishment) of us all.” Verse 5 says that Christ was wounded or tormented for our transgressions, He was bruised or smitten for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him (in other words, He
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was disciplined or chastened, that we might be whole and at peace with God); verse 8 says “…for the transgression of my people was he stricken.” Verse 10 says that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; that it was the Lord who put Him to grief; it was the Lord who made His soul an offering for sin, for you and I.
For God so loved the world that He gave…. He was made sin, and bore my punishment; Isaiah 53:12 says that “he hath poured out his soul unto death.” Now I receive eternal life (the life of God) and God’s righteousness. 1 Peter 2:24 says “who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” Jesus sustained punishment that was rightfully ours so we may enjoy real life in a state of righteousness (in a state acceptable to God). Do you see it? Will you receive God’s gift given for you over 2000 years ago? Romans 10:9-10 lets us know that accepting or receiving salvation, the life of God, simply involves our believing in our heart that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 4:24-25), and confessing Him as Lord. By receiving His completed work which was accomplished on my behalf, on your behalf and on the world’s behalf, we enter into real life.
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Investigative Journalist Lee Strobel examines the evidence for Jesus' existence and ministry. The overwhelming proof will deepen your faith and relationship with the risen Savior!
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Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shows her readers how to change their lives by changing their minds!
Learn from Dr. Tony Evans on how to raise children and parent with a Kingdom perspective!
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This classic tells the fascinating story of a woman and her family's determination to hide persecuted Jews during World War II. Her love for God's people saved lives!
How should Christians respond to today's pandemic? First look to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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What is God's heart for
racial reconciliation and what is the role of the
Church? Learn what the bible says about love, healing and unity that must start first in the Church.
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Stay hopeful my friend and know that God is right Life happens and some seasons of life are harder
there with you....every step of the way!
than others. Job loss, food insecurity, health
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 NIV
problems, wayward children, marital strife and even a pandemic can leave you wondering: why is this happening to me? But I’m a Christian God! Why can’t you shield me from these problems? Don’t lose heart friend! We just need to be reminded that: GOD NEVER PROMISES THAT LIFE WOULD BE EASY. John 16:33 NIV claims that
GOD DESIRES THAT YOU KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON HIM. “
SUFFERINGS AND HARDSHIPS PRODUCE PATIENCE. “
WE HAVE AN ETERNAL HOPE IN JESUS OUR SAVIOR AND THAT FORMS OUR KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE. Romans 5:2 states
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