Grace Point! May 2016

Volume 2 ~Issue 5

May 2016 eMagazine of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

Calm & Comfort

Table of Contents 3~Notes from Rebecca 4~PrayerWorks 5~Restoration & Renewal 6-7~NoteWorks 8-9~The Bright Side 10-11~VerseWorks 12-13~StoryWorks 14-16~Greetings From Malawi by Bishop Michael Kanyoli 17-19~VoiceWorks by Juvena McMahan 20-21~Namesakes 22-23~ScrollWorks 24-25~FruitWorks 26-27~Seller of Purple Prayer Journals 28~Seller of Purple Tote Bags 29~Seller of Purple T-shirts Back Cover~Subscribe to Grace Point!

2

Š StillWorks Imagery by Rebecca Matthews

Notes from

Rebecca

© StillWorks Imagery by Rebecca Matthews

© StillWorks Imagery by Rebecca Matthews

3

Š StillWorks Imagery by Rebecca Matthews

Father, I pray for those who are deceived in their minds and hearts, and their actions towards others are manipulative, dishonest, and conceited.

Put a mirror up to their face and let them see how they are actually giving themselves over to be used by the enemy.

In the name of Yeshua.

PrayerWorks TM a publication of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

A Journey to

We have several ministries that we follow in Africa; most are from native peoples that have independent ministries in various countries. Others are missionaries from the USA, or other developed countries.

Not everyone is led to go to Africa. But, one thing is for sure: the need there is very great.

We have over thirty invitations to come minister in seven different countries in Africa, as well as Pakistan and India.

While the elephant in the picture above is used as an analogy, there are some very real giants in the land that obstruct God’s progress in many countries. Poverty is probably the biggest. But, so is politically motivated groups, who threaten any Christian existence through their religious extremism. The world news programs are full of stories of kidnappings, beheadings, “honor” killings, mutilations, and murders of whole families. When anyone in the midst of these conditions professes Jesus Christ, they are not doing it lightly or flippantly. They mean it, because the threat of their life being taken for that belief is very real.

In all of our dealings with Christians and their belief structure, we have discovered that the people in these countries are “real.” They are a completely different type of “Christian” than we have seen here in the states.

Because of the poverty, the hope of a better life through Christ is welcomed.

We have found very little of that here.

The love of material gain has blinded the eyes of many who have made it their goal to acquire more and more. While their eyes are focused on that, Jesus is just a blur in the distance, if in the picture at all. a publication of Ruth Ministries-The Virtuous Woman,TM a woman's restoration ministry/a segment of Philippi Prospect Ministries

TM

TM

Know the difference!

6

God’s Voice

Satan’s Voice

Stills you

Rushes you

Leads you

Pushes you

Reassures you

Frightens you

Enlightens you

Confuses you

Encourages you

Discourages you

Comforts you

Worries you

Calms you

Obsesses you

Convicts you

Condemns you

NoteWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

TM

6

by Olivia Carpenter

Starting Over Nowadays there is sin everywhere. People commit countless sins everyday and don't think twice about it. But, maybe some people, like you and I, do think twice about it. It doesn't always have to be when you commit that sin. Maybe it's when you're laying in bed late at night and can't sleep, or maybe it just hits you in the middle of your daily routine. Nonetheless, as Christians, we all experience this sometime in our lives. We want to take back all the sins we've caused and start over. We want to simply go back in time and undo what we've done. We want to make all the pain of these sins go away.

I know you're thinking, "Well it's just not that easy!" Or, "I'd have to get rebaptised for that!"

Well, maybe it's easier than you think.

The secret is that there's a certain order in which you do things to let go of these sins. â—?

8

Let God forgive you.

Ask Him for forgiveness before you make any rash decisions or accuse someone of something.

He will forgive you every time.

â—?

Forgive yourself. This ones a bit harder.

Here, you can't simply say, "God forgive me." And be done. Here, you need to think about what you've done. Acknowledge that you've been wrong in what you did. After you make peace with the fact that you might be the one to blame, then you can truly forgive yourself & let go of what's happened, and you'll be a lot happier because of it.

â—?

Ask others to do the same. If you've hurt someone deeply, let them know that you know you're wrong and that you've prayed about it and forgiven yourself for it. They may not forgive you right away, but it's good to let them know you've acknowledged the elephant-in-the-room. This may not make it go away, but it'll make things easier to talk about.

When you talk to someone you may have hurt, don't make excuses, even if they make things alright for a moment. You'll both feel better if you tell the truth about everything. Don't be childish, either. If you want to commit sins like an adult, you need to act like one as well. Take responsibility for what you've done. Things will be better because of it.

God didn't put us here to be sad or to hold grudges. He put us here to be spread joy and love & His love. He wants us to be happy and he wants us to acknowledge our sins and ask for forgiveness. He wants us to know it's okay to put past sins things aside and start over.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

9

TM

10

VerseWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

Pray for one another as you would yourself.

This includes your enemies and those who have done you wrong.

Pray so that you may be healed.

Your earnest prayers have great power.

inspired by James 5:16

___

by Jaime Dills 11

TM

A few years ago, there was a young girl from the city who went to visit her grandparents in the country when school was out. Over the summer, she became friends with a boy her age who lived there. His family was obviously not as well-off as her family, but it did not stop them from becoming buddies. They fished, canoed, caught frogs, lightning bugs, and all the things that young, innocent children do during the summer.

When summer ended, she returned to the city, but thought a lot about the fun times of summer. Before she knew it, summer had rolled around again, and she went to her grandparents again. Another summer came and went with more fun, but ending way too soon.

This went on for five summers in a row, and the little girl and boy were now young teenagers.

The still walked the fields, looking for crickets, admiring the wildflowers, and peeking into bird’s nests. It remained obvious that the young man’s family still did not have much in the way of affluence, but it never deterred their friendship.

But, the year she turned 15, all that changed. When she went to visit her grandparents that year, a new family had moved into the area. There were two girls, a little older than herself, and the older one had her driver’s license and a car. She was immediately sucked into their world of wreckless behavior and no respect for others. Although she did not really want to hang out with them, she found herself doing it more and more. The young man that had become her best friend was now old enough to work alongside his father, to provide a living for the family. She barely saw him. She found herself hoping for summer to hurry and end, something she had never done before.

12

StoryWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

One evening, as she was riding in the back seat of the car with the top down, they drove through the small town just a few miles from her grandparents farm. Standing outside the small country store was her friend and his father. The boy’s pants were much too big, and were cinched up with a belt. His jacket was much to small, and he looked odd in his attire. As they passed, the two girls in the front pointed and laughed, but she didn’t join in. Then, they looked at her with challenging eyes, and the peer pressure caused her to react. So, she pointed and laughed. Her eyes was locked with his, and she saw the pain her actions caused, and he abruptly turned away.

A few days later, it was time to leave. She had hoped to see her friend before she left, to explain, and to say “I’m sorry.” She left that summer with a huge regret. Another year passed, and she was back at her grandparents farm for the summer. She didn’t know it then, but it would be her last one, because they were getting too old to live in the country alone.

She was now able to drive herself into the small town, having gotten her license at her last birthday. There were no sign of the two girls. The word was the family had moved as soon as winter came the year before. She was glad. But, she could not find the person she was looking for. She asked around, but no one seemed to know. She wanted things to be like before; she wanted to apologize, to ask forgiveness for her stupid actions, but he could not be found for her to tell. That summer seemed to last forever, and when she left, she knew her life would never be the same.

The moral: we must be careful of our actions, because some things, once lost, can never be found again.

13

by Bishop Michael Kanyoli OUR MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES IN MALAWI Dear Gospel friends , In a gesture to highlight our missionary activities I felt I should briefly outline what we do and also list the challenges we face, as follows: My wife, Pastor Christine, and I, founded Praise Chapel Living Word of God Church (PCLC) with a vision to reach the unreached and church the unchurched. Through this outreach, we have planted 20 churches in Malawi and 3 in Mozambique. Our plan now is to develop leadership training and a mission centre for the future development of the church. Our mission on this trip as church planters is to share this vision and the practical experience of our native missionary services, and to make some appeals to those with a heart for missions. In the course of our missionary activities, we have come across several challenges, some of which we can share as reflected here: Most of the challenges are special, and vary from area to area because of the peculiarity of the people and tribes. You may wish to know that, unlike in the western world, most of our people live in villages (rural areas). In Africa, 80% of the population live in the villages, and only 20% live in towns. For Malawi our statistics show that 90% live in rural areas, while 10% live in towns. Most of Africa is still undeveloped, especially the rural areas. The neglect to develop rural areas by most governments discourages most urban Christians from going to work for God there. Lastly, people living in towns believe that the practice of and the presence of witchcraft is stronger in the rural setting than in towns. This creates more resistance to the Gospel. In view of this, it is noted that many people (preachers) shun the rural population due to the complexity of the problems and challenges.

14

The most pressing challenges are: ILLITERACY: This is the lack of formal education, and no knowledge of saving power of our Lord Jesus make villagers twice blind. It makes it more difficult for them understand the Gospel. Furthermore, they are afraid to violate their traditions and religious rulers, and as a result they recoil from the truth.

SUPERSTITIONS: Rural dwellers are superstitious and dogmatic about the traditions passed down to them.

IDOLATRY: Shrine structures, fetishes, monuments, images that form objects of worship abound in most communities. Therefore, the need for wisdom in telling them about the perils of idolatry .

OCCULTISM: Stacks and stacks of occultism reign in most communities unchecked. The practice is more pronounced in villages than in towns. Effective Gospel outreach help people to be delivered from this.

WITCHCRAFT: Witchcraft, demonic possession, familiar spirits, and sorcery are very common in the villages. Most villagers use charms, cast spells and curses, practice rituals and offer sacrifices/food to the dead at crossroads and intersections. We have seen many people denouncing witchcraft and being delivered from both witchcraft and demonic oppression.

INEXPLICABLE SICKNESS AND DISEASES: Some strangers to Africa wonder at the amount of indescribable sickness that abounds in the communities. The enemy uses such things to suppress the people and maintain a stronghold on them. On top of the chart is the HIV/AIDS. It is impossible for church planters to ignore the inclusion of services that should address this matter. This disease has created more widows and orphans than the problem the first Apostles had experienced in Acts 6:1–7.

WHITE-COLLAR GARMENT OCCULTIC RELIGIONS :Due to lack of sound teaching, most village settings are fertile to occultist religions that retain the people’s fetish practices while offering vague promises of a permanent solution to their problems.

LOCAL LANGUAGE: Inability to speak the people’s language can hinder the degree of penetration a believer should have in a village. With most people only speaking the local dialects, the challenge of breaking through for a non–native Christian Worker is greater.

UNHYGENIC ENVIRONMENT: Most communities have poor sanitation and most people live in unhygienic environments. House flies, Tsetse flies, and mosquitoes have a field day.

This makes it easy for the villagers to fall sick with fevers, dysentery and diarrhea are very common.

LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURAL FACILITIES: Tap water, electricity, good educational establishments, and public halls. These are rarely found in villages.

FINANCIAL HANDICAPS: On the part of the Christian native worker that may venture to reach out to the rural masses, lack of support is the major setback.

15

TIME CONSTRAINT: Getting people out of their traditional timetable is a major challenge in village evangelism. Village dwellers that are largely peasant farmers spend their time on their farm and normally go to the market on Sundays, if that is their market day in the area.

Most people find it difficult to compromise their farm work or market days. The Christian worker native missionary has the challenge therefore to compromise by adjusting his time or programmed to accommodate them.

PERSECUTION BY NOMINAL RELIGIOUS GROUPS: Persecution from other nominal religious groups is terrible, particularly when they lose people to the truth: the saving power of the Gospel of Jesus.

RAISING UP OF WORKERS (TRAINING OF LEADERSHIP): Workers are not easily available. The experience I have had over the years suggest that much effort must be put on leadership training programs. This requires acquisition of both financial and material resources. A leadership program requires the gathering of a group of leaders drawn from all our churches for training at a central place. This programme needs to be done twice. Lack of training materials and financial support make it difficult for progress to be made.

DISCOURAGEMENTS: A native missionary may have a burning heart to evangelize/plant churches. The first temporary church structures (Grass -thatched) may be erected. Under such a background of many challenges these structures are a landmark for territory worn for Christ in areas that were difficult to penetrate with the Gospel. A year or two later, the structures collapse. This causes the seriousness and excitement that was once in the community to decline, creating discouragement. Church roofing support to make the structures more durable would motivate a daring church planter to reach out to more areas, winning more territory for JESUS. The structures in themselves become also landmarks for community development in a village setting that lacks infrastructures of this kind. Some of them could be used for illiteracy class lessons, or even open a school for children to learn to read and write. This is how the early missionaries brought development and light to the dark continent. It is the prayer of every genuine native missionary to have the areas he has reached with the Gospel to develop to these levels, but lack of support limits genuine efforts.

TRANSPORT As the work grows, the need to visit places faster than before, when the work was small, becomes more apparent. The need is also there when you consider on how to move an evangelistic team around for crusades.

In addition to this brief note there is a small booklet that has been drafted and is requiring to be updated which I shall be sharing with people alongside pictures and a video documentary.

Yours in His Service BISHOP MICHAEL & PASTOR CHRISTINE KANYOLI

contact me via: facebook/Michael Kanyoli michaelkanyoli@yahoo.com 16

by the word of our testimony

Rev.12:11

TM

While I was at the domestic violence shelter, I found an opportunity to laugh at myself because of a bad habit I had brought with me to the shelter after living in an abusive relationship for more than two decades. The shelter had two bathrooms: one was for my housemates upstairs and one was downstairs for my roommate and me. Our room was just a few feet from the bathroom downstairs. We were watched over by a monitor who was in the house 24/7. The monitors were people who kept the premises secure. And if my housemates or I had a problem, all we had to do was knock on the door and let the monitor know what we needed.

The downstairs bathroom was especially nice. It was very spacious in order to accommodate someone in a wheelchair. And it had a heavy wooden door with a gold, elongated handle that could be pushed down to open it rather than an ordinary, round doorknob that turned to open.

However, the lock on it was tricky. When I locked it from the inside, no one from the outside could open it. No problem, right? Right!

But what caused a problem for me was that I could push down on the handle and open it from the inside with the lock still engaged and, being such a heavy door, it would close behind me sometimes before I could reach in and unlock it.

The first time I tried to get into that bathroom the door was locked, and I had to ask the monitor to open it for me. No problem! I had just entered as a client in the house, so the locked door wasn’t my fault. Therefore, I did not hesitate to ask the monitor for help.

Over time, I would finally recognize myself as the “guilty� party, though, and would revert to the thought process I used to survive domestic violence. I had learned to weigh every thought, word, and action so that I could gauge whether or not it would result in abuse.

VoiceWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

17

If it appeared to me that my words or actions would result in abuse, I would then have to decide if my words or deeds were worth the risk.

It was like I actually thought I had some control over the abuse!

For the first few weeks, it had been easy enough to blame someone else at the shelter for locking the bathroom door as long as there were other people in the house, so for a while I consoled myself with that explanation.

My thoughts would go something like this, “I didn’t do it; someone else must have done it. I wonder who did it. Was it someone from upstairs? They’re not supposed to be using this bathroom! Was it an adult? A child? I need to tell the monitor and make sure she knows I didn’t do it!” Tattling on my housemates about locking the door became almost like a game for me in the beginning.

Then the Christmas holiday came --- and I was the only client in the house. The monitor had her own private bathroom so that she would not have to move too far away from the monitors and the phone. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, all of my housemates and their children were away from the house spending time with their families and friends. Therefore, the next time I discovered that the bathroom door was locked, it dawned on me that I must have been the one who did it.

Eureka! Three things happened at that moment. First, I realized that the door had locked because I had opened the door from the inside without disengaging the lock on the handle, and the door had closed without being unlocked. Ok. So that explained why the door kept locking us out.

Second, I realized that in order to get back into the bathroom, I was going to have to go to the monitor and tell her that I had accidently locked the door the last time I was in there. I thought, “No! If I tell her what I did, she’ll yell, cuss, or make fun of me. I can’t tell her. Maybe I’ll just go upstairs to that bathroom.” I was terrified at the prospect of telling her what I had done because I expected her to be abusive when I admitted the truth, so I hesitated and thought about going upstairs to the other bathroom.

18

I even looked up at the ceiling while holding my right hand on the offending door as if I could get an answer from posing like that! Would the door miraculously unlock? Would the upstairs bathroom come down to me?

I didn’t know, but it was worth a try because I did not want to ask the monitor for help! In my mind, I was weighing the cost. Should I tell her and risk abuse or should I use the bathroom upstairs to avoid abuse?! Then I thought, “Wait a minute! I have to walk past the office and up the stairs! Won’t the monitor know when I go upstairs?!” As I stood there, I recalled that at a moment like that, my husband’s response would have been inconsistent at best. He might have laughed and joked.

He might have been impatient. Or he might have cussed, berated me, or ridiculed me.

Third, before I became too entangled in my irrational thoughts, I realized that I was responding to what he might have done in the past, not to what the monitor would do at this moment. At the time, I was scared to tell the monitor the truth. But over time, I have learned to laugh at myself because it was such a silly thing.

However, that silly story inspired me to do some research about the effects of domestic violence. Now I know that what was happening in my mind, body, and spirit was another symptom of the impact domestic violence has had on me. I was able to counteract the negative influence of the domestic violence by challenging the fear. By the way, as it turned out, when I told the monitor I had accidently locked the bathroom door behind me, she said, “Ok,” and unlocked it. I said, “Thank you!” and she went back to the office. That was it.

A couple of weeks before I exited the shelter, I had a new roommate who, as far as I know, never did get over that fear. She wasn’t there long before being transported somewhere else.

While she was with me, I watched how she responded to finding the door locked. I had told her that she would need to ask the monitor to unlock it, but she tried waiting it out at first. Then she eventually resorted to going to the bathroom upstairs. I don’t recall ever seeing her bring the monitor with her to unlock the door. I was able to laugh at myself, but when I saw her struggle with asking for help, it was sobering. Because of my roommate, this memory has provided the next topic: What are the effects of domestic violence? Please join me as I seek to answer this question, beginning in

by Juvena McMahan June.

36

Gad Fortunate

Our names are more than just what we are called.

God gave names, or changed names, in Scripture, in the lives of those whose names were changed. Do up to the character of that name? Or, do you feel

Hebrew Transliteration: Gad Hebrew Spelling:

‫גָּד‬

Anyone with the name “Gad” can look very much like his namesake in Scripture. Here are a few examples of the characteristics of the name.

Genesis 30:9-11 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son. Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad. Leah was determined to compete with Rachel in producing children, especially sons, for Jacob.

When her handmaiden bore a son, she saw it as good fortune. However, the root word from which the name comes gives an even deeper meaning, and shows us how Leah viewed her “fortune.” The root word means “troop” as in soldier or army, which is indicated in some translations when Leah remarks, “Behold, a troop comes.”

Deuteronomy 33:20-21 Of Gad he said, "He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head. He provided the first part for himself, for there was the lawgiver's portion reserved. He came with the heads of the people. He executed the righteousness of Yahweh, His ordinances with Israel."

When Moses blessed Gad, he not only spoke a blessing over the tribe, but also those who would contribute in a positive way to the tribe in the future. The second part of the blessing refers to the tribe of Gad being protectors, having authority over the people as an officer of the law, or military personnel, would have.

20

They can reveal a lot about our character. When it signified that a change was about to take place you have a Scripture-based name? Are you living a name-change is in order?

2 Samuel 24:11-13 When David rose up in the morning, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, "Go and speak to David, 'Thus says Yahweh, "I offer you three things. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you."'So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, "Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in your land? Now answer, and consider what answer I shall return to him who sent me."

A “Gad� is not afraid to speak a Godly warning to anyone of high authority, because he answers to, and is sent by, an even higher authority that who he is sent to speak to. He is loyal to his superior, and is not swayed by any other authority figure.

21

TM

22

ScrollWorks TM is a trademark of Philippi Prospect Ministries TM

Then King David said to Araunah, "No; but I will most certainly buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to Yahweh my God which cost me nothing." __

2 Samuel 24:24

TM

a closer look at the fruits of the Spirit

In Galatians 5:22-23, we are given a list of the fruits of the Spirit. They are the guidelines to which we conduct ourselves in our daily walk. These are nine different aspects of Godliness that we must adhere to in order to live to our fullest spiritual potential. They vary slightly, depending on the translation, but the foundational fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

While at first glance, these all look the same, a closer look reveals small differences in their meanings, which translates to differences in their application and implementation. This article is meant to shed light on each of these nine characteristics of holiness, to explore their nuances and minute differences. Calm falls under the category of peace.

Calm What is it? What does it look like? The modern definition for this word is most often linked to having a subdued personality or character, like being “cool as a cucumber.� But, what does this word really mean? How do we apply it? And, is there a Scriptural model?

The dictionary describes calm in the following way: as an adjective (calmer, calmest) 1.

2.

3.

without rough motion; still or nearly still not windy or stormy free from excitement or passion; tranquil

as a noun 4.

5.

6.

freedom from motion or disturbance; stillness.

In meteorology: wind speed of less than 1 mile per hour (0.447 m/sec) freedom from agitation, excitement, or passion; tranquillity; serenity

as a verb 7.

8.

24

to make calm to become calm

dictionary credit

The following are just a few of the Scriptural references to calm: In Jonah 1:12, Jonah tells the men on the ship: "Take me up, and throw me into the sea.

Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you." A lot of times, it is because of other people’s disobedience that a storm comes into our lives. On the other hand, if we are disobedient, then we will be the cause for the storm.

Isaiah 7:4,7 tells us to keep calm when our enemy puts out a lot of smoke, trying to convince us that he is a hot, burning fire. But, God says: 'Be careful, and keep calm.

Don't be afraid, neither let your heart be faint because of these two tails of smoking torches, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah...This is what the Lord Yahweh says: "It shall not stand, neither shall it happen."

Mark 4:39 tells what the Lord does when the disciples thought they would perish in a storm, proving that He has power over nature, and those things in nature that the enemy would use against us to make us afraid. He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Seller of Purple eStore of Philippi Prospect Ministries

each image is available on:

phone cases prints cards posters pillows tote bags pouches laptop skins laptop sleeves mugs travel mugs leggings pencil skirts scarves tablet cases tablet skins drawstring bags spiral notebooks more of my product art at RedBubble

26

Seller of Purple eStore of Philippi Prospect Ministries

each image is available on:

phone cases prints cards posters pillows tote bags pouches laptop skins laptop sleeves mugs travel mugs leggings pencil skirts scarves tablet cases tablet skins drawstring bags spiral notebooks more of my product art at RedBubble

27

Seller of Purple eStore of Philippi Prospect Ministries

28

Seller of Purple eStore of Philippi Prospect Ministries

more of my product art at Spreadshirt

29