June Rejoice Essential 2018 by Kimberly Moses

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

CONTENT Page 06 God’s Truth is Under Siege Page 14 My Daddy’s Love Page 20 Testimonies Page 22 Prophetess Lakia Pearson Page 30 Benefits of Integrity

Page 32 Come To Me: Receive Peace Page 46 Hope for The Single Dads Page 49 Daddy God Page 51 Words Page 52 Practice Being A Forgiving Wife Page 54 Evangelist Amber Brown Page 64 With God All Things Are Possible

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CONTRIBUTORS

Kimberly Moses Founder And Editor Effingham, South Carolina www.kimberlyhargraves.com

Tron Moses Photographer, Designer, Marketer Effingham, South Carolina www.tronmoses.org

Taylur Holland Writer Dallas, Texas thescribesheart@gmail.com

Reynaldo Rodriguez Writer Chicago, Illinois reyrod1970@gmail.com

Mae Blooms Writer Fort Lauderdale, FL info@thebetterwifeproject.com www.thebetterwifeproject.com

Melinda Roberts Writer Baton Rouge, Louisiana robertsmel2015@gmail.com

Shirley Ann Cooper Writer Kissimmee, Florida praise write@gmail.com From Heaven ablog

Amber Brown Writer Poplar Bluff, Missouri risetothemission@gmail.com

Keiyia Jackson-George Writer And Chief Editor Cane Garden Bay, Tortola Virgin Islands www.rkgconsultinggroup.com www.justmekjg.com

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

GOD’S TRUTH IS UNDER SIEGE By Melinda Roberts

Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment. — Proverbs 23:23 (NLT) As the years have passed, we have watched a consistent decline in society, in the world, and in our country. Good is now being considered evil, and evil is now considered good…just as the Bible states (Isaiah 5:20). Whereas God and His Holy Word were once the foundation

on which this country was established by its forefathers, such as George Washington, the tables have turned significantly and there is suddenly an unrivaled hatred toward God and everything that is seemingly righteous. God spoke specifically of what would transpire and what would govern men’s hearts in the last days in 2 Timothy 3, verses 1 through 5. True to form, the Word of God tells us of all that was, is, and is to come.

Likewise, the Bible speaks of the coming Truth that would be revealed and walk the earth among mankind: the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ (John 1:14). Jesus stated that He came in the volume of the book, meaning that His coming was expressed throughout the 39 books of the Old Testament and well into the 27 chapters of the New Testament (Psalm 40:7, Hebrews 10:7). Jesus came to establish

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the New Testament, fulfilling the Old Covenant, making it obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The New Covenant contains unfathomable truths upon which the Church is established. Upon the revelation knowledge of who Jesus is, the Church is empowered. Even as Jesus came to reveal the fullness of truth, pure truth has been contaminated and is giving way to what is known as a form of godliness, a deceitful combination of lies and truths. Now, there is even a such thing as every individual’s truth; your truth may not be my truth. There is only one truth, and that’s God’s truth. As stated in the Word of God, “a little leaven leavens the whole lump,” or a little lie or sin contaminates the whole truth (Galatians 5:9). The dismantling of truth is so subtle in our day, that it is causing much bickering and disagreement among even those in the Body of Christ. The enemy is strategically causing division, when God asked us to be unified as members of one another (Romans 12:5). As a Body, we have lost sight of what God has called us to do and become, as we have allowed ourselves to be caught up in the affairs of the world, which have caused us to dishonor the One who has enlisted us as soldiers, Abba Father (2 Timothy 2:4). The enemy uses a lot of insignificant matters to distract the Body of Christ and get us off balance, keep truth hidden, and smothered in lies.

As stated in Amos 8:11-13, “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it. Beautiful girls and strong young men will grow faint in that day, thirsting for the Lord’s word.” May I submit that we are living in the days where there is a famine for the Word of God, truth. Yes, there is much preaching and teaching coming across the pulpits of America and across the globe, but how much truth is really coming forth? How much revelation is being received that corresponds with the hour that we are living in and what should be taught? While the advances of the enemy are being made to keep the Church asleep and unaware of ancient truths revealed by God that are being released in this hour, there are also, unfortunately, those in leadership who will compromise because of the need to maintain a large church congregation or to ensure that there will not be a decline in tithes and offerings received. As man propels his own agenda, God’s agenda is being minimized and the people are perishing both spiritually, soulishly and physically, as a result (Hosea 4:6). Essentially, the famine of truth is costing souls, souls that have been entrusted to spiritual leaders who will be held

accountable for misleading God’s people (Ezekiel 34:10). Proverbs 23:23 admonishes us to “buy the truth and sell it not.” This speaks to both the rarity, and the value placed on truth. In this hour, pure truth is hard to find and requires that we labor through studying the Word, fasting, and praying in the Holy Spirit and with our understanding to avoid being deceived. Satan has the right to blind the minds of those who do not believe and who are already blamed, according to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 3:18). However, the choice to believe, embrace, and fight to defend a lie, rather than embrace truth, will cause many in the Body of Christ as well. According to 2 Thessalonians, 2:10-11, “He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.” He, in this passage of Scripture, is referring to the “man who will do the work of Satan, with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.” This man will be the devil incarnated who will deceive many… many in the Body of Christ because we reject truth and open ourselves up to deception and lives. In an effect to separate us and prepare us for eternity, as I see it, God Himself will allow those in the Body to embrace a lie, to be fully seared in the lie,

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to distinguish those who are His from those who are of their father the devil (John 8:44). What can we do to avoid being deceived, as the true is so rare in this day, the exception even? We must seek God, develop our own personal relationship with Him, stop depending so heavily upon those who adorn our pulpits on Sunday mornings, and begin to rely upon and seek Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). We can longer put our trust in man, for such a decision may cause us an eternity with God (Psalm 146:3). If the blind leads the blind, they both fall into a ditch (Matthew 15:14). While I am not bashing all leaders in the Body, I am stating that we should not only hold them but ourselves accountable to obeying the Word, cultivating a healthy relationship with the Godhead, and ensuring that we are not deceived, not sifted as wheat (Luke 22:31). Once I began to recognize the divided church, as Jesus identified and exposed in Matthew, the teachings and actions of the Pharisees and Sadducees that counteracted the teachings and actions of Jesus, it changed my outlook on everything. There is a solid truth and there is a counterfeit truth. The counterfeit truth even looks good in some cases, but “good” is not necessarily God. One prime example of the falsehood that is being perpetuated in our society is the idea of “inclusion” that is floating around, masquerading itself as truth. We are expected to

love and embrace everyone and everything that they do. Such a thought is substantiated by using 1 John 4:7-8, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” While God is love, the world’s definition of love and God’s definition of love is different…as validated in verses 9 and 10 of the same chapter, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” If God loved us enough to send Jesus to be a sacrifice to take away our sin, that nullifies the need for us to embrace sin in ourselves and others. We do not need to embrace what is unclean but take who and what is unclean, ourselves included, to Jesus. I would be dishonoring God to perpetuate a false notion of love by not acknowledging Jesus Christ as God’s expression of love toward us all. This kind of semitruth is the type of falsehood that is high jacking God’s authentic, unadulterated truth, and we must seek God for discernment to war against it. As members of the Body of Christ, we are God’s ambassadors in the earth and must stand for truth at all cost (2 Corinthians 5:2021). As deception is continuous and deliberate and the hour of persecution is arising, we must

begin to gird up our loins to stand firmly upon the Word of God and purposely ensure that our lives come into alignment with God’s truth. The truth is precious, unchangeable, and worth defending. According to Matthew, Chapter 5, we are blessed when we hunger and thirst after righteousness (God’s truth), for we shall be filled; we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for ours is the kingdom of heaven, and we are blessed when we are pure in heart, for we shall see God. Purity of heart can not exist if we do not have hearts that are filled with truth. Let us be mindful of what Jesus said about our crown of salvation and allow this to be our motivation to seek, fight for, and uphold truth at all cost: “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11, NLT).

REJOICE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE JUNE 2018

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MY DADDY’S LOVE By Keiyia J. George

There was an event in my life that rocked me to the core. I was 14 years old or so, and I woke up at my normal 5AM wake-up call to prepare to go to school…but this day was different. Rather than preparing for school, my mom told me to pack a bag of things I would need for a week. In a state of confusion, I did as I was told. Later, my siblings and I were told we were moving out for a little

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while. Whaaat?!?! Moving out for a little while? But wait, what about Daddy??!! But Daddy wouldn’t be coming with us on this trip. It was just us children and Mom. I immediately broke down in tears and began to wonder why. I even asked, but I couldn’t get answers at that time - I had to pack for a week. So I packed…crying uncontrollably. This was the hardest thing my mom had ever asked me to do. Questions filled my youthful thoughts. Most of these thoughts were opposite to the reality I was seeing. Well, my parents hadn’t been getting along, and really, I kept myself in the fantasy world of some book so I was completely unprepared for this. Naturally, my mind could not encompass what I was hearing, but I continued to pack. And finally, before loading up the car, my mother sat us down to tell us the first hardest thing I’d heard in my life (everything before this was minuscule compared to this). We were leaving my Daddy!! Things had gotten so bad, we had to leave. Wow! My world collapsed in those few seconds and in a panic, I ran back to my bedroom. I searched through my things and

found what I was looking for: a picture of me. I gently placed this picture in my top drawer and cried some more. Now, I know things weren’t good. Sometimes my environment penetrated my world of whatever I was currently reading, but I pushed the reality out. I closed my eyes and ears to what reality was. I shut down my senses, keeping my fantasy in tack, and removing myself from the present. That’s when it hit me! Reality came crashing in on me; the truth was exposed! When I was in third grade, we had to take our folders of weekly work home for our parents to review, see our grades, and sign. I always had both of my parents sign my folder, leaving it where Daddy could find it the next morning before he went to work. My mom asked me one time why I insisted on having both sign the folder. Well, I answered, I wasn’t a statistic (or was I??). I was a little, black girl who lived with both parents, and we all had the same last name. Now this is not to judge anyone who did not have this, but in our society, someone had decided that if I didn’t have these fundamental qualities, my chances of being something great were slim to none. Not only that, children who had two parents (all with the same last name) were treated ‘special’. They had a level of ‘respect’ from their teachers (espe-

cially those who did not look like me), so I wanted my teachers to always know there were two parents in my household, and maybe, just maybe, I would get the extra favor I needed to make it to my destination in the future (oh, how we have ruined generations by stereotyping them and tossing them in a box based on check boxes that ‘categorize’ them). So as you can see, living with two parents was really important to me. But not only that, I was super close to my Daddy. He was different to my mom (who, until recently, mostly annoyed me - I LOVE YOU MOMMY!!!!!). He was more lenient and left me alone to my thoughts - nothing really was required of me. We’d spend all weekend watching American football together. Those were our special moments. Just laying or sitting around watching a good football game. Years of this formed a relationship I love and cherish to this day. But the day we left, I left a small piece of me along with that picture I hid for him to find. Because he was the missing parent, I soon began to despise and even hate him. Whenever we’d visit him, the others would be super excited to go see him, but I was adamant I didn’t want to go. I was forced to go, and boy was I rude and disrespectful. All through high school, this is what he got from me…as well as an occasional ‘gimme some

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money…’, and he never held any of this against me When I went to college, this behavior continued, except my mom could no longer force me to visit him, so I didn’t. And our relationship continued to grow apart. Fast forward a few years later… One Father’s Day, during my sophmore year in college, I was convicted by God (it could only have been God, as I held onto my spite for years with no desire to change this), and I wrote to my Daddy a long letter apologizing for the YEARS of disrespect, rudeness, lackadaisical attitude when it came to seeing or talking to him. It was my hope that I could renew my relationship with him. I mailed him a Father’s Day card with the letter and called him a few days later (imagine his surprise - I hadn’t spoken to him in a while). He answered the phone, and I asked him if he’d received my card and read it. He confirmed he had and shared with me the tears he shed because of it. This, of course, brought me to tears, and I confessed and repented to him and asked for his forgiveness. He gladly accepted. He held nothing against me. He forgave and completely forgot my actions. Even today, he has never brought this up to me. On Father’s Day, when we spoke, we chided on how he and my husband are the same age. He sounded so young! It’s like he has gone back in time since

turning 70.

3:16 (KJV)

On his 70th birthday, we spoke for over an hour on the blessings he had received by reaching this promise of God: three scores and ten. To my surprise, he exclaimed ‘HALLELUJAH’ at this revelation, and I quietly had a praise break of my own: I don’t ever recall hearing those words from my Daddy.

Simply believe he died for your sins, repent (change your heart/ mind, be remorseful), and go forward.

I sit here now, replaying our many conversations and interactions over the years (post repentance): the first time he hugged me, the first time he said he loved me, the first time he ‘assured’ me he would fly out to my house (where’s the Valium?!?!)… So many firsts! But isn’t that like coming to Jesus? One day, it hits you: I need to confess and repent. And when you do, you become amazed that He forgave you just like that (snaps finger)…never bringing it back up…never looking back… only moving forward to further your purpose in Him…allowing you access to all of His Kingdom promises. No regrets. No take backs. He gives it to you freely! With this, have you asked God to come into your life and be your Daddy? For some reason, people think this is so hard. But it isn’t. It’s super easy. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son [Jesus Christ] that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” John

For those who know this is the easy part, but avoid salvation because you believe you have to make a miraculous change all at once. And this, believe it or not, is VERY possible, but it is not a requirement either. The Bible states: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (KJV) Renewing your mind (changing the way you think and process things) is a process. You have been brainwashed for how many years? So take a step forward each day, renewing your mind each step of the way. If mistakes have been made, don’t wallow in the mud like a pig. You are a sheep. In the words of Apostle Curnal P. Fahie of Transformation Church International: ‘Get up, dust off, and bus’ off ’. When satan comes to condemn you (reminding you of all you have done), remind him that you: Have been justified by faith through His blood: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom

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also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 (KJV) For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:6-11 (KJV) Are the righteous of God: Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (KJV) Been forgiven through his blood shed: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Ephesians 1:7 (KJV)

Washed and made clean: Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:7-11(NIV) The Word says: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NIV) Don’t let satan condemn you for things Christ Jesus has forgiven you of. Use the Word (Sword) and cut him down, for the Word is sharper than any two edged sword! Let’s pray: Father, I recognize I am a sinner. Forgive me for…(name them - repent as you think of things later) and come into my life. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, and that I am made righteous and justified by you, Christ Jesus. I thank you for my salvation and finishing the work you were sent to do. In Jesus name, I have salvation through Christ Jesus. Amen. (I recently found the card and

letter I sent my dad…in his fireproof safe. He really did cherish that letter!) www.justmekjg.com

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TESTIMONIES: LET’S GIVE THE DEVIL A BLACK EYE! When we share our testimonies, our faith increases! We start to believe God for the Impossible! We can see the power and the hand of God in any situation. God can turn any test into a testimony! We know if God did it before, he can do it again. Our Testimonies glorify God!

I had a conversation with a woman of God the other day and it was very encouraging. She said she sowed her last ten dollars in her account to my ministry because God told her to after I prayed for her. Then the following week she got blessed with $300. This is why I always sow and give unto others because I know the power of seedtime and harvest and sowing and reaping. Don’t stop sowing into the kingdom of God because you will reap a harvest. Prophetess K. Good morning beautiful woman of God. I just wanted to say thank you for praying for me.

Last month you prayed for me in ministry and my singing voice. I don’t know if you recall, but you left me a recorded message. Everything you prayed for is coming to pass. You told me to keep you posted on how my voice is doing. I’m sending you a clip from Sunday. Your prayers are working woman of God. I love you. Tonya. This young lady hemoglobin was always low. She thought she had a disorder called beta thalassemia minor in her blood. She was scared that she was going to die.

We prayed and God healed her. The doctors tested and retested her blood work and were completely stumped. Don’t accept the diagnosis of the doctor. Believe the report of the Lord. Keep praying for your healing. Alexis. A young mother sent me a praise report yesterday about her baby. The doctor diagnosed her with a degenerative eye condition. After we prayed she took her baby to the doctor a few weeks later and one of her eyes improved. The doctor told her to keep on doing what she has been doing because it’s working. Don’t stop praying

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about your situation because God will improve your condition. -Taniqua Hello woman of God. I was on your periscope last night and I just want to let you know it was very refreshing to my soul. I woke up this morning with the Lord on my heart. I woke up praying. God was the first thing on my mind. I prayed all the way to work. It felt so good. I just felt the Lord so strong this morning. I don’t know what it was about last night’s periscope but it really did something. I thank God for you. Please keep them coming. I love you. – Sylvia. Blessing sister. I have a testimony. Glory, glory, glory. I received my examination results. It’s normal! I can’t thank God enough. I’m telling you that I appreciate everything and all the prayers and intercession that went up on my behalf. I’m walking in divine health. Words can’t express how grateful I am towards you!!Anonymous Hello Prophetess Kimberly Moses. I want to share my testimony from last night. As I was driving in to work last night, I was listening to your broadcast on Facebook LIVE. You said someone had a bulging disc in their back. Well I’m not sure if I had a bulging disc but I had excruciating pain and agony in my back for almost a month! The pain was bad! I couldn’t sit or lay down properly for the past few weeks. Anyways you prayed and prophesied last night and I came into agreement with you. I decreed and declared and by the time I got to work last night,

the pain was gone! Completely. I’m still a little stiff but there’s no pain. I didn’t have to take any medication to help alleviate the pain. – anonymous. Thank you Prophetess Kimberly for the prayer call this past Wednesday. I was blessed and healed. You had a word of knowledge that someone’s right arm was being healed. After I finally acknowledge that it was me, God in turn healed my right knee, my right ear, my right wrist, and some discomfort in my chest area. Thank you for your ministry. You also prophesied to me which brought great encouragement. Bless you and your ministry.---Jean [During] yesterday’s prayer call, God gave me a word of knowledge. I stepped out in faith and called it out. I got no response, butI knew what God was showing me. I called out the impressions that I was feeling on my body. Again, no one spoke up. When I opened up the line to take prayer requests, the lady came forward that I received the word of knowledge for. She [was] healed of various ailments and received prophecy. Don’t worry about looking false or missing it when you know how God speaks to you or flows through you. Remember the Holy Spirit is never wrong.----Prophetess K God is good. My husband and I were out, and a lady recognized me from social media. She was heavy because her son

was missing. I immediately went into prayer and we exchanged information. The lady knew it was God that allowed us to cross paths. The next day, I received [a] text. Her son came back home. Never stop praying. God will bring home the prodigals. ---Stacey I can’t explain to you the spiritual battle I went through in my mind and body the past 24 hours, but when I received your new book “Enhancing the Prophetic in You.” I prayed before I opened it. I sat the anointed prayer cloth down on my chest. As I went to read the book after reading the cloth, I can say it broke right off me. Thank you, Jesus! Blessings Prophetess!--Waiters Hi Prophetess, you touched and agreed with me about my housing. Well in less than 24 hours I have keys to my new apartment. Thank you so much! I would like to sow a seed into your ministry. Let me know how God bless you continuously. You had me crying for that woman getting healed on the prayer call this afternoon. Praise Jesus! –Mandy 99.9% of the prayer call was talking to me. Especially the part about the enemies rising up against you and the backstabbing. That call healed my soul today.

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PROPHETESS LAKIA PEARSON Interviewed by Wylie And Equalla Foster Interviewer: What do you want the readers of Rejoice Essential Magazine to know about you? Prophetess Lakia Pearson: First of all, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed for Rejoice Essential Magazine. I’ve seen so many powerful men and women of God grace the cover. I consider it to be an honor and I pray for the success of this magazine. What I want readers to know about me is that I am a Jesus lover! I am completely in love with Him because He has transformed my life. He has revealed things to me that only He could’ve done and my faith continues to grow each day. I stand on God’s unchanging word and believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles, healing and deliverance. I am grateful to be His servant, honored to be a helpmate to my husband of 13 years, blessed to be a mother of two and I enjoy testifying about the Kingdom of God to whomever Holy Spirit leads me too. Interviewer: When did you enter into the realm of the prophetic or discover you were a prophet to the nations? Prophetess Lakia Pearson: God

really opened my eyes to the prophetic about two years ago. I started having vivid dreams and visions about His plan for my life, as well as other people and even nations. My mother perceived that I had spiritual gifts as a child but it’s like I can hear and discern what Holy Spirit is saying much clearer now. Because of this, I’ve developed a habit of journaling my dreams, visions and revelations from God that line up with His word. I’m thankful for an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit who I consider to be my best friend. But I had to learn that with the prophetic you can’t share everything that God reveals because some people may not understand or it may not be the right time. There is definitely a lot of training, wisdom, practice and correction that has come throughout this journey and it’s necessary for our growth. The Bible says that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant (Psalm 25:14). It’s important that God is able to trust us with His secrets and to pray about them first so that His will can be done. The beauty of it all is being able to intercede

for others, release His word and see the power of God heal the sick, cast out demons, restore marriages and families and bring people out of darkness and into His marvelous light. It is such a great joy and oftentimes I read through my old journals and just praise God for blocking disastrous situations and releasing His promises to His faithful children through prayer, fasting and obedience. There’s never a dull moment in serving God! Jesus is my everything, He knows everything and I refuse to live without Him. It’s been an exciting journey and I believe that the best is still yet to come! Interviewer: You have the responsibility of being a wife, a mother, a full-time Co-Pastor with the honorable Pastor Tyrone Pearson at Bethany C.O.G.I.C. in Los Angeles, CA, and an author. How do you handle all of this without it interfering with your quality time with God? Prophetess Lakia Pearson: That’s a great question and something I’ve had to learn over the years. I used to deal with a lot of worry and being overwhelmed until I learned that there’s no need to strive. I would not be able to

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do any of this without the Holy Spirit. I love to start my day by spending time in His presence and in His word! Our time together consists of worship, praying in the Spirit and being still so that I can hear His voice; every day it’s a new experience with Him. He usually wakes me up sometime between 3-6am. It’s not always easy to get up but I know the reward of being in His presence is worth the sacrifice.

When I don’t get that quiet time with God, it’s too easy for Satan to distract and disrupt my day. That’s why I have to have that time where I’m intimate with the Lord and He gives me direction for the day. I often encourage other wives by letting them know that the only way to be a good wife is to obey God’s word and follow the Holy Spirit. I’ll admit that I wasn’t the best wife

early in our marriage. I was selfish at times, dealing with past hurts, and it resulted in difficult days for our marriage. When I finally humbled myself and surrendered to the Lord, He healed me, changed me and taught me how to put my husband’s needs before my own and he does the same for me. We both win by depending on the Holy Spirit to help us in our marriage and living by God’s word.

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Throughout the day I’m communing with God, making sure that our home is a place of peace and love, business and ministry is running effectively and I thank God for apps on my phone that keep me on schedule with deadlines and to-do lists! (Laughs) Everything I do is for God’s glory, in our home first and then abroad! So, that’s the only way I’m able to do everything effectively is following the Holy Spirit’s lead. I always say that “He’s the One with the direction, I’m following Him.” The minute I try to go off on my own is the minute I’m messed up as a wife, mom, CEO, author, all of that! Nothing else matters unless I’m following His lead. My agenda is to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and everything that I need, He always provides. Keeping my priorities in order causes everything in my life to flow easier. Interviewer: In one of your video recordings of your book It’s Time to Arise: From Spiritual Depression to a New Life, you talked about a very desperate time in your life where you experienced a situation similar to what Hannah the mother of the prophet Samuel experienced. Please elaborate if you don’t mind. Prophetess Lakia Pearson: Definitely! I love to share this testimony! So many women deal with barrenness and infertility so I share this to encourage them to walk by faith and not by sight.

During our third year of marriage, we decided we wanted to have children and thought it was going to be easy. I think we all have this image in our head that once you get married, you start having kids, and it’s just that simple; but for us it wasn’t. It was a struggle. Time after time we had so many failed pregnancy tests and I carried a lot of grief and shame because of it. But when we finally did get pregnant for the first time, I’ll never forget how things quickly took a turn for the worst. I started having some cramping, and we went to the Emergency Room. It was the most painful stomach pain I’ve ever had. The ER was crowded and when we asked how much longer until I can see the doctor, the nurse told us to just have a sit because I’m losing the baby. I was so confused by her statement because I just found out six weeks ago that I was pregnant, and now she’s telling me that I’m having a miscarriage! That was a traumatic experience for us and many people didn’t know it at the time but we cried many days and nights. I think we both suffered in different ways. I remember feeling depressed and my husband tried his best to comfort me even though he was sad too. When Mother’s Day came around and all the mothers were being honored, my heart was just grieved. I would sit in church and think to myself “Will I ever become a mother?” I just felt like a failure, very empty and I could definitely relate to Hannah and her

experience. But the Lord loved on us like only He can and just comforted us and let us know “I’m going to do this.” It was the perfect set up for a miracle that only God could perform. Many doctors suggested that we try fertility treatments. But I’ll be honest and say we couldn’t afford it. We were a young couple, just starting our careers, and we didn’t have that kind of money but we had faith in God. God supernaturally healed my womb, and we gave birth to a healthy baby boy! Within the next 5 years we tried again and could not have another child on our own. I wrote about this testimony in my book. We went to church one night and at this point in our lives we are pastoring. As leaders, you have to be strong and encourage others during their difficult times but secretly you’re going through deep pain and nobody knows it but God. So, this woman came to our church during one of our night services and said “Can I pray for the pastor and his wife?” And we said “sure” and she began to lay her hands on my stomach. She commanded my womb to be healed, and I felt the power of God performing what I call a “supernatural surgery”. Whatever was wrong with my body before, God used this woman as a vessel to demonstrate the power of God. My husband and I were undone in the presence of the Lord and I think it was maybe a few months later that another mira-

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ing factor for your book or was it something else?

cle was manifested. I thought I was sick with the flu and my son, who’s very prophetic, said “Momma, there’s a baby in your belly!” I decided to go to the doctor and sure enough she said “you are pregnant!” We were so blessed by the birth of our baby girl! Nobody but God! No one else can take the credit for our two children being born but the Lord! We share these testimonies with our children so that they will always know that they are here by the grace of God. Part of our ministry is to encourage husbands and wives and it is an honor to pray for other couples who are barren and watch God perform a miracle for them too. I know that the power of God is real. He’s able to heal wombs and cause married couples to be fruitful and multiply! We’ve seen Him do it time and time again. Interviewer: Was that particular season in your life the motivat-

Prophetess Lakia Pearson: It was one of the motivating factors. God spoke to me in August 2016; this was before it was a book to my knowledge. At the time He told me to share this message “It’s Time to Arise” for one of our services at the church. He opened my eyes to see that there are many believers who are dealing with weariness, heaviness and feeling like their joy has been robbed from them. God kept highlighting the word “Arise” which is written over 150 times in the Bible. I obeyed Him, shared the message at church and it was powerful. Many people were healed, delivered and received their joy and passion for the things of God again. But God said “this is not the end of the message, now you have to write this and share it with the world!” I was fearful at times because I felt inadequate but through prayer and consecration, I began to write and the words were pouring out of me. He even wanted me to share some of the painful experiences from my past to help set others free. In chapter 7, I shared how being molested as a pre-teen led to a downward spiral of anger, depression, fear, addiction and ultimately attempting to commit suicide! God told me that this was the testimony He needed me to share. It wouldn’t be fair to keep that testimony to myself while other young girls (and boys too) are

suffering in silence. I want the youth to know that my story didn’t end in tragedy and theirs doesn’t have to end that way either. God healed me physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. He taught me the power of forgiveness which led to great deliverance in my life. He delivered me from fear, anger, suicidal thoughts and gave me a whole new life. That’s the testimony that people needed to hear and the majority of the readers have mentioned that it’s their favorite chapter in the book. It’s the one that brought them to tears and softened their heart for God to come in and heal them. My heart is overjoyed to see people put their hope in the Lord, to believe that whatever pit they are in, they don’t have to stay there. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36)! That was the motivation for the book. To share my testimony of overcoming the lowest point in my life through Jesus Christ! Interviewer: When you’re not ministering, what do you like to do in your leisure time? Prophetess Lakia Pearson: In my leisure time I enjoy taking naps! I know you all were looking for something real exciting and fun, but as a busy wife and mom, I need that 15 minutes to rest and recharge. I also enjoy reading books or watching a good movie about someone’s life story. But most of all, I enjoy going on dates with my husband. He keeps me smiling and laughing. Family vacations and spending

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time with our kids is something I always look forward to as well. I believe as Christians that it is possible to have fun and enjoy life without compromising our faith. Go to the beach, go on vacation and see this beautiful world our God created. We need leisure time or else we will experience burnout in ministry. Interviewer: You are the business owner of Pamper Me Sweets. What products and services do you provide and how can people purchase your products? Prophetess Lakia Pearson: Pamper Me Sweets is our bakery business. I used to work in a corporate job but I wanted more time with my family so the Lord gave me this sweet idea to start a cupcake business. I enjoyed spending time in my grandmother’s kitchen growing up. She taught me how to bake and my mom taught me how to be creative with my recipes. At Pamper Me Sweets we provide cupcakes and brownies that are unique and baked from scratch. Our items are moist, packed with flavor and delivered to our clients in Southern California. Our most requested cupcake

flavor is Red Velvet! Our clients tell us that it’s the best they’ve ever had and I’m just so grateful that people love our desserts and come back for more. We have baked for personal orders, prom/ graduation, weddings, baby showers and other special occasions. I give all the glory to God! He is so creative. He gives me ideas for every cupcake flavor and he brings the right people into my life to help me do what He’s called me to do. This is our family business and you’ll see their favorite desserts named in their honor. We work together and our children are learning about how God gives us the power to create wealth, make a difference and help others in need. You can go to our direct website at www.pampermesweets.com or to find out more about our business, ministry,

books and such, you can find it all at www.LakiaPearson.com. Additional Information: Church name: Bethany Church website: www.bethanycogicla.org and all contact information are on there. Go to www.LakiaPearson.com for upcoming events, to purchase books, blogs, ministry and business information. Photography credits: Focused Fathers Photography https://www.pampermesweets. com

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BENEFITS OF INTEGRITY By Kimberly Moses

a person’s life. Remember sin equals death (Romans 6:23). 2)

a. Integrity will keep you in God’s will. God’s will is the safest place to be. b. Psalm 25:21 says, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.” c. Having integrity will bless you to resist temptation. 3)

There is so much going on in the body of Christ. There are homosexual pastors, leaders promoting premarital sex, people lying and stealing, and more. There is a lack of integrity in the body of Christ. Recently I did a broadcast called “Where’s the integrity in the church?” I didn’t get a lot of views and when I posted this video on my YouTube, immediately I got a thumbs down. However, we can’t get caught in likes or preaching messages that will tickle ears. Integrity is a vital part of our character in Jesus Christ.

est and to have moral principles, then you can have a level of confidence that God is pleased with you. Integrity will take you far in life and will give you longevity in ministry, businesses, and relationships.

Proverbs 19:1 says, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.”

a. Integrity will keep you on the right path and help you make better decisions. b. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.” c. Dishonesty will destroy

It’s better for a poor person to have integrity than for him to be a liar and foolish. As you walk in integrity with means to be hon-

Proverbs 10:9 says, “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.” Let’s look at the four benefits of integrity. 1)

Guide you.

Protect you.

Defend you.

a. God will vindicate you and allow others to speak highly of you. b. Psalm 26:1 says, “Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore, I shall not slide.” 4)

Leaves a positive legacy.

a. Always keep in the back of your mind that your choices affect others. Don’t allow one mistake to ruin your legacy. b. Proverbs 20:7 says, “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” My prayer is that you have a heart to please God and that you will yield to Him. Allow God to take you through the necessary processes of developing integrity within you. For additional teaching on integrity and other Christ like characteristics, get my new book, “Enhancing the Prophetic in You.”

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COME TO ME: RECEIVE PEACE By Reynaldo Rodriguez

says a few words to the sheep, and walks away. The sheep looks up and follows him. Jesus once said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10: 27 – 28) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)

Paul said, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God” (Romans 8: 14).

We can find rest for our souls if we learn to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. This means learning to be led by the Holy Spirit, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8: 14) When we are led by the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is naturally borne in our spiritual lives, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22 – 23)

How can you know if you are walking according to the flesh or according to the Spirit? Take a look at your life. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5: 19 – 21).

The Lord uses a metaphor to describe our relationship with Him. He is the Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. Sheep need to be shepherd. A shepherd sits on a rock while the sheep grazed. Then he stands up,

These deeds are spiritually dead acts which do not reflect the life of Christ. So if people have outburst of anger, are they living according to the Spirit? Can they blame someone else for their outburst of anger? No, that is a deed of their flesh. Jesus said,

“That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man”. (Mark 7: 20). We must learn to have enough self-awareness to know when we are living according to the flesh and to assume responsibility for our own actions. We need to walk in the light and learn to confess our sins, which means to consciously agree with God, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs 28: 13). When a deed of the flesh becomes evident, verbally acknowledge that to God: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1: 9), and ask Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit to give you the power to defeat sin. The more you practice that simple little discipline, the more you will live according to the Spirit. Remember, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5: 22 – 23). Notice it said fruit, not fruits of the Spirit. Fruit comes from something that is living. It is the result of abiding in Christ and the ultimate expression is love, which is the character of God. “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4: 16).

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COMING

G SOON

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HOPE FOR THE SINGLE DADS By Amber Marie Brown

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Now, I know you might be thinking, “Oh, another hope article to encourage single parents to just be patient on their special someone,” but I am coming at you at a different angle. When I say HOPE FOR THE SINGLE DADS, I am talking about a feeling of expectation and desire for you and your children to use this time to get to know one another and enjoy your time together before someone else is brought in - the hope of forming a relationship with the people that mean the most to you and where your true ministry begins. What an awesome place to be right now if you really think about it. Yes, that relationship didn’t work out but maybe it wasn’t meant to. We’ve all made mistakes and gotten sidetracked and fell off the road of success following God’s will, which caused missed turns and bumps in the road. From all of that, when we get lined back up with God’s purpose for us (it seems like the plan of God just still continues on), the more we allow him to turn our bad into his good! You have many advantages right now, I’m just saying. For Example: YOU MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS! I know you love doing that. You don’t have to worry about arguing or even compromising. You make the decisions in your home so that is a bonus to single living, especially as a parent. Can you say Amen! Hahaha….Now, both parties should agree on the care of the child but to the same degree everyone has their own way to

raising and doing things. Another perk to being a single dad is getting to have your children’s undivided attention and them also getting your undivided attention. How cool is that! If you want to go play golf, guess who gets to hang out! If you want to go shoot some hoops or go to the drive in, you get to hang out with the coolest people you know and have their undivided attention (well…as long as you don’t give them an electric device..hahaha…) Another important factor is that being a single dad really makes you tougher. I’m not talking about physically, but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally you carry the bulk of the load. You do know that Joseph carried the bulk of the load as well when it came to raising Jesus. As the man, he knew he had to. Mary and Joseph took care of Jesus and had to go through many trials but even though Joseph had much responsibility, God still took it all and carried them through it and God has given you the same responsibility as being the leader of the home! God wants to prepare you to be the man he has called you to be. By being in this season God is really preparing you to be a better father, to learn how to juggle, to strengthen you mentally for the challenges ahead as your children grow. He’s also showing you just how important it is to have two in the home to help each other and appreciate one another for when they do come into your life because you knew

how hard it was doing it alone. But, with everything that is going on in the world right now, sometimes you are left without a choice, and now, in your case, have to single handedly step up to the plate in faith and raise children on your own! When you are used to batting .400, now it seems like you can’t even get to .100 at times. The struggle of work, school, sports, education, and all that is included in making sure that your responsibilities are taken care of and that your children are still able to pursue their passions and interests. This must be done among your hectic 9-to-5 or late-night job so that you can finish your education as they are finishing theirs. Of course, being a single parent is difficult and at times exhausting, but luckily, you have someone who offers you rest even in the midst of all the chaos. Now, I cannot 100% relate to a single father being a single mother, but when you really think about it, we all go through the same things. We just deal with them in different ways. Which is why we tend to feel connected with others when discussing single parenting, whether it be a man or woman, because both parties can connect on a level of understanding. I remember reading in the bible in Genesis where Hagar was betrayed and then banished into the desert with her son. She was told to leave! I know some of you can relate because not all “single

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parents” are in the bracket of being single by choice. Hagar was a perfect example of the obstacles of the single parent life, but even without someone else, God stepped in and comforted and saved them as he will you! Please understand that you are not in this alone, so when you are having one of those days and you just feel beat and defeated or just plain tired and lacking faith, just remember that even in the wilderness, God was with Jesus. This is your time to really enjoy personal quality time with your kiddos and forming a closer relationship with God. That’s exactly what I’m focused on in this season in my life as well, and I am really happy and have grown a lot! I’m able to focus on my passions and work doing the things I enjoy, especially with my kids, but I’m also praying that God prepares me as I enjoy the single life! Some of you are not quite there yet with enjoying singleness. Some days and nights are lonely and I understand you’re ready for that special someone right NOW, the helpmate that God created for you, but focus on the present and appreciate your moment to have with your children. Many times, we see or even go through moments of thinking more about wanting or seeking out a relationship rather than just truly enjoying our time with our children and down the road realize just how much we missed because of a lack of priority and focus. As a single dad, you have

the greatest gift: “one on one time!” Yes, God created you to be joined together, to marry a woman, to be fruitful and multiply, and fulfill covenant one to another, but everyone’s time is different. Being a parent is a fulfillment that no one else can give you. Just savor every moment. Every laugh, every fall, every first shot, every, “Dad, look what I can do” or “Dad, I like this girl and I really don’t want to talk to Mom about it” type stuff. That’s the stuff that just makes you take a moment to just laugh or smile or sigh or cry, but the best thing about it is….it changes you and each moment gives you HOPE! In Galatians 6:9 it says, “Let us not become weary in doing good.” So, even though you are doing this alone and some days you don’t even think you are doing it right, please remember that no parent is perfect. We must be wise in what we do and what we teach. None of us have it all together. We may only share and post the good days on Facebook, but it’s tough for everybody. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL, but with Hope and faith in God, He can get you through anything. Do not lose your confidence and don’t ever feel defeated. Don’t focus on what you don’t have; focus on what you see every day at night before bed when you say goodnight and then turn out the light! Isaiah reminds us in 40:30-30, “Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait

for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Hope, single dads, is not around the corner but it’s right above you. Gods got you! Stop sweating the small stuff and just enjoy the ride. Wait on God and in due season your timing will come, and God will send you to the right one. Until then my friend, go out and rent a movie, grab a pizza, and enjoy tonight with your kiddos by your side and thank God for another day with them! Until next time, Be Blessed and Be a Blessing to others in Jesus Name, Amen!

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DADDY GOD By Shirley Cooper

One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:6) When we’re born some of us have daddies waiting anxiously to meet us, to hug and love us. Just ready to teach us all about life. But for some, there’s no daddy waiting at all. How often do we encounter such a road of desolation - long and winding road of complete loneliness! A place where so many had a daddy to grow up with while some didn’t. There are so many children who have their daddy, yet discover that along with that truth there is abuse, neglect, and more loneliness than actually being alone. Having a daddy who loves you more than anything this world has to offer is great, but having

a Father who can give you the Heavens is far greater. God our Father had given us unconditional love long before we were born. He teaches us everything that we need to know in order to survive this exhausting life. He is the Father that refuses to give up on us. The Father that laid down His life for ours. A Father we can call on anytime because He directs us too. He expects us to rely on Him fully. And in the midst of all our chaos.....He’s right there!! For some, watching others bond with their daddy makes one wonder just how much time they have wasted alone, desiring a better life. It’s difficult to “people” watch knowing that at some point a daddy will eventually pop up, causing one to just want to crawl under a rock forgetting

to exist. I believe I was the blessed girl who never lacked in the daddy department and knew that if I wanted or needed anything, my earthly daddy would set it in motion. Our earthly daddy is great, but Our Heavenly Daddy is greater. Unlike our daddy that tells us if he could he’d give us the world, our Daddy God CAN give us the world! Our daddy would carry us around the house while we were smaller on his shoulders, but Daddy God carries us around the world in His arms no matter how old we are! Our daddy on earth encourages us to press forward, hoping for our better future, but Daddy God directs us as His plans for us unfolds.While our daddy loves us to the moon and back, Daddy God loves us to death and back! There is no Daddy like the ultimate Daddy which created by hand our earthly daddy. He lived only to die in the midst of His very own children who turned Him away. Children who spat, whipped, bruised, humiliated, tortured, and caused so much more hurt. Yet, He died so that we would have life! While our daddy here on earth is to be remembered for his love and care, our Daddy God who holds Heaven and earth should never be forgotten for the beatings He took to give us eternal life.

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WORDS Taylur Holland

Words give us access to some remarkable places. We can travel to the deepest of deeps, And the highest of highs. With words we unlock destinies. We solidify and confirm directions. We give accounts of our Hopes, And healing falls from the tips of our tongues. Words are powerful. They are weighty. They can move one out of place And another into position. They can cause Time to stand still So that they can make ready a room for Eternity to come and stay for a while. Words. Words are distinct. Words are the pew and the chapel, The usher and the preacher.

Words are the prayer, And Word is life. Words are the servant and the Served. Words are the hope of the next generation. He gave us words. He gave us the Word. Words. Be careful of how you use them. They have the power to change Your whole life.

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PRACTICE BEING A FORGIVING WIFE Mae Blooms

Forgiveness is surely one of the pillars of having a thriving marriage. Ephesians 4:32 says it best, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” In marriage, there will be plenty of opportunities to exercise your forgiveness muscles as the two become one. As a matter of fact, God uses marriage to shape you, teach you and prepare you for eternity on this side of Heaven. Now if you have been married any amount of time, I am sure you have at least one story of how God stretched your forgiveness muscle. Sometimes it’s easy to do and other times, not so much. Forgiveness can become quite hard, especially when you’ve experienced deep hurt. Today, you may be crying out to God and asking Him how you can forgive your spouse for leaving you? Or how can you forgive the years of neglect? The answer is simply complex. You must choose to forgive your husband - each day if necessary. As daughters of the King, we must deny ourselves of the entitlement to remain unforgiving regardless of what has been done to us. Everyone faces unfair situations at one point or another in life, but it is a choice whether you will allow those things to fester and make you bitter or you can choose to forgive which enables you to grow into the refined, tried and true woman of God He called you to be before the foundations of the world. I saw this beautiful quote this morning and it reminded me of how important forgiveness is: “Forgiveness isn’t a ‘once and done’ event, but rather an ongoing choice. As new offenses come up and memories resurface, continue to choose forgiveness.” - Vaneetha Rendall This quote is very true. As humans, we have memories and just because you have chosen to forgive the people who have wronged you that doesn’t automatically mean the memories are erased out of your mind. When those memories try to resurface, you must make your stand by taking captive every thought and making it obedient to Christ Jesus. One of the great benefits of forgiveness is that you set yourself from bondage and the burden that could block your blessings. I cannot tell you this is easy, but I can tell you it is worth it. My prayer for all wives is that you will practice choosing forgiveness and keep pressing forward past the hurt into God’s best for your life! Today’ scripture - Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble and keep on praying. - Romans 12:12 (NLT) God bless you sisters and be encouraged!

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EVANGELIST AMBER BROWN “DEFYING ALL THE ODDS” Interviewer: Amber, with every book written there is a reason behind it. What birthed Rise to the Mission? Amber: Rise to the Mission was birthed from experience but for the RIGHT NOW AND FUTURE times of America. The world is needing guidance and voices to come forward to tell people all over the world that it is time to RISE! So many are sitting on doubt but need to be standing on promise! As a woman of faith I had to find my purpose and start walking in it. It is one thing to know your purpose but its another to fulfil your purpose and make it to the finish line. In this generation many start but never finish. They give up along the way because of the challenges of this world, but now is a time where God needs us to really trust him and move with what He is asking us to do, and it’s not always easy but it’s necessary. Many are called but very few step up and take the punches. Rise to The Mission was written to encourage, charge, and challenge believers to Rise UP and not Give UP! So many people are living in fear, shame, guilt, uncertainty, and rejection,

not thinking that they are able to be used by God to help make a difference in this world, but I am a living breathing walking testimony that we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS, and with Christ all things are possible. Rise to the Mission was also written as an encourager to the nonbeliever to show the magnitude of what is possible when we choose a life with Jesus Christ. I knew that personal development was also important, so I added many different aspects that would also help in the world and not just spiritually. Interviewer: Absolutely! It’s important to be able to touch people wherever they are so we can’t be so spiritual that we are no earthly good. I love that! Now, you are an encourager of the faith, was there ever a time when your faith was tested and tried? Amber: To be honest every day is a battle. I always say, “Suit up Saints! It’s another day on the Battlefield!” Even as a woman that wakes up with faith and falls asleep with faith, that time in between is hard at times but I cannot go a day without telling

God thank you and that I have complete faith that He will give me what I need and understand that He won’t always give me what I want and when I want it. Being consistent in all aspects of my life is something that I’m working on. Even when one area lacks, I must continue believing in faith that it will end up working out! My faith is tested daily financially, spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally, but every day I remind myself that it’s another day to be used by God, another day to look up even at times when I want to look down, and not to succumb to the things of this world and allow distractions to trap me. Sometimes we fail, but that’s why Jesus is so awesome. He died for us knowing that we would get it wrong sometimes but has given us an opportunity to, in return, make it right through Him with God. So, because of that, I can walk in faith every day without having to waver because if God did it then, I know He will do it now and continue to show Himself mighty in my life. Interviewer: Amen! That’s a great way to look at it! You know, being a Christian, it is vital that we

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share our testimonies with others to help bring light to those in darkness. Would you say that your testimony can bring light to those who are going through pain and rejection right now and why? Amber: The Bible says in Revelation 12:11 that we are made overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimonies. That is powerful because without the blood of Jesus

I couldn’t give a word to others about the goodness of God. Without first believing in Him and accepting Him as my personal lord and savior, I couldn’t stand up like I am today, discussing who He has been in my life. As a child I grew up with sexual abuse, physical abuse, and mental abuse. I lived in a home with alcoholism and adults that had experienced so much pain that they lived in darkness even though light surrounded them. In return my brother and I had to suffer. Many sleepless nights, many tears cried, many nights I prayed for something to happen. One day at nine years old I accepted Jesus Christ into my life. Since then my life was different even when I was still being worked on. My father left the picture, but still growing up into

my teenage years I dealt with having to live in abusive atmospheres. I was a believer, but I allowed my situations to cause me to lose my faith and question my life. I ended up partying, hanging out with the wrong crowd, started doing drugs, and eventually got addicted to cocaine. I came to a place where I never wanted to be and, because of that, I almost committed suicide at 17, but I heard God say, “It’s not your time! There is more for you to do!” It was plain as day. That broke me! I dropped to my knees and repented, asked for forgiveness, and a week later was supernaturally delivered from my cocaine addiction. I didn’t need medicine or rehab. I am a living testimony of God’s supernatural delivering power! I ended up leaving my surrounding, moving at 17, turned 18 and got an apartment, enrolled in high school, and graduated on my own. Then attended college. I received a softball scholarship. God really showed me that when I trusted Him, He would always be there to help! God got me through my most difficult times, but even after that I was still immature in my relationship with him and wasn’t fully living to my potential. Going through life as a young mother was difficult and I got side tracked and was running from my calling. In 2013 I rededicated my life fully to Christ and I have blossomed into this on fire woman of God who is now evangelizing and writing about the goodness of the Lord.

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My testimony and life experience with Jesus Christ personally will help MANY from women and children, to youth, to recovery groups, to our generation now and generations to come! We are all Rising for something! I can now say that it was good for me to be afflicted! Now, I can help encourage the next generation to do things the right way and that there is hope beyond any situation! Interviewer: Absolutely! I can also say that it was good for me to be afflicted because of all the ways I have been able to help others as well. God is faithful! So, what are your areas of ministry? Amber: My heart and ministry is really first and foremost for the lost. I have a burden for the lost! Salvation is number one for me so as I evangelize and declare the works of the Lord and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know my number one job is to help bring souls into the Kingdom of God, but God has really given me the ability to help in many other areas of life both spiritually

and in the secular. I minister to both men and women who are in recovery groups/behavioral health groups, both faith based and non-faith based, to show just how much saying NO to drugs can make all the difference and turn their life around. Speaking to the next generation is vital as well, so I really try to reach the youth whenever possible. As a youth leader at my, church I believe that starting with them is a priority. When we can reach them, we can reach all youth anywhere! I am also doing classes for probation and parole in our area to encourage and help those who are trying to get their lives back on track and living towards accomplishing present and future goals. As a woman who has overcome so much and triumphed because of God, I like to

speak at women and young teen girls’ conferences and events. I am the perfect example of how God gives beauty for ashes and every young girl needs to know just how much they are loved and what kind of future is ahead when Jesus is the guide! Writing is one of the ways I love to minister as well. I tell you, your gifts will make room for you! Interviewer: Indeed! God always makes a way for those who are willing! What opportunities have been given to you since writing Rise to the Mission? Amber: I agree with that. God is willing to help anyone who says yes to the test - the test being walking in faith even when we can’t see what is ahead. God has just been amazing to me since

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choosing to walk in my gifting and calling. Since writing the book, I have been on our local Christian radio station, interviewed on Kingdom News Now, a local TV station reaching Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas, I have been asked to speak at different recovery groups, non-profit organizations, churches, behavioral health groups, youth groups, and I have also started a Rising to the Mission Facebook Interview Show in which I bring others on and we discuss their mission, how they are rising to that mission, and their vision for the future. It is a great way to encourage each other, build each other up, come together in unity, and get them out there for others to learn from and connect with to support their mission. I’m expecting God to really use this as a way of ministry on radio or tv in the future. I’m very excited and all of this is only possible because I said YES to God and decided to submit myself to Him and what He asks of me! Interviewer: And because of obedience and faith God has made a way! What an amazing thing to see! What would you say are the two greatest gifts you could ever receive or give? Amber: I would say the two L’s. Life and Love! There is no greater gift than life itself and there’s no greater gifting to someone else than your heart. Both are needed to work this life how God had intended us to. Without salvation we wouldn’t have ever-

lasting life nor would our lives here be as joyful and fulfilling. Without love we couldn’t show who Jesus Christ truly is, so both are vital in a daily Christian walk. We receive life daily, but we should also be given love freely each day that we receive love freely from Christ! We can’t give what we don’t have and in order to give goodness we must be producing it! Interviewer: That is so true! How are we supposed to be fruitful if we aren’t getting what we need to grow and produce the right kind of harvest?! What is your passion and what drives you to becoming all that God intended you to be? Amber: My passion is to truly help make a positive difference in this world. Even as a child going through all I did, I still had this strong feeling in my gut that would always have me dreaming and giving me this unction of purpose! I never knew what it was until five years ago, but now I

can inspire, motivate, challenge people all over the world to rise above the things of this world and to go after God and to not give into the doubt or fear but to trust in what God has promised us and to walk each day in victory! Knowing that if I can just make a difference in the life of one person every day, I am doing the job that God has called me to do. If I’m not stepping up and putting myself out there to be used as God has planned for me, then what kind of impact will I have? Interviewer: How did you get started with your book? Many people are wanting to write but have no idea where to start. What advice would you give to

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them? Amber: Well, I have always been a writer. Writing is how I get my emotions and feelings out, especially as a child. I never really had anyone to talk to. As I grew my writing just blossomed. Always remember that your gift will make room for you. When I started writing, I just wrote. I never worried about organization or anything at first. I would pray before I wrote and just asked God to help me and to allow me to write what needed to be said. My book could have been a lot thicker, but not everything is meant to be told right then. God’s timing is everything, so praying is very important if you are a believer. But whether you are a believer or not, it’s important to make a list of important topics, what you are trying to get out, and then write according to your topics. God gave me the title Rise to the Mission and I just fitted my work around that. I also carried a voice recorder for when I was driving and couldn’t write something down. You wouldn’t believe how many times the Holy Spirit gave me a good word and then I forget it later that day because I didn’t write it down. The most important thing is when you get in the mood to write, don’t stop and don’t break it because when you stop it’s hard to get back in there. It only took me 3

months to write and finish my book because I was motivated in completing the mission given to me. So now I tell you, write and complete the book! Interviewer: Amen! In your book you give steps that will help be effective in the pursuit of rising to your mission and finishing! What are you doing to continue to rise to your mission? Amber: I would say that the most important way I am continuing to rise to the mission would be by being available for the Lord to use me and using every opportunity possible to learn and help others. It’s important to get out there and work but to always remain teachable. I may be a leader, but every leader must be trained by a higher authority. Every leader must be willing to harken to wise counsel and learn order and how to do things the right way. I honor

my spiritual parents Bishop Ron and First Lady Georgia Webb. I learned a lot from them. Because they sacrifice their time, I, as well as others, can be trained up the right way and to do things unto the Lord in excellence! So, I’m rising to the mission by doing but also by being humble enough to listen and be taught as I go. I also have completely shifted my schedule to work around the Lord to be able to do what He has called me to do, so I am completely living in 100% Faith! God has shown to be my provider many, many times and I know that He is not going to stop now. What an awesome opportunity I have been given to just be of service to many people and in all areas that have been preordained and planned from the beginning by God. Every door is not a God door, but there is much opportunity that has risen because I chose to make myself

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available. I am also going to school and furthering my education so that I can gain wisdom and understanding as I grow in my personal relationship with Christ and as I encourage others to as well. The more knowledge I have the more I can teach and bless others. I am very thankful for that! “I once looked at the world from only one view, but then one day my view changed. Now, as I open my eyes it’s not about what I do see in the present, but it’s about what I don’t see that holds my future.” —Amber M. Brown Interviewer: I love that! I understand that helping to lead the youth in the right direction is an important part of your book. What should be a prime focus for raising up the next generation? Amber: That’s a good question. To be honest, we need to be building a bridge for the next generation! We need to be teaching the fundamentals, what’s to be expected of them, what they are going to face in this life, how to avoid making the wrong decisions, and teaching them how to love people even among our differences. Today’s problem in society is that everyone is judged for their color, religion, sex, opinions, and the like and we aren’t teaching our children how to respect other people, especially those in authority. This generation has really become disrespectful and lazy, but part of the reason is because of the lack of

parenting, discipline, and most importantly teaching from the adults in the home. It’s all supposed to start in the home, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. With divorce rates, abuse, drug exposure, no respect for the law, and societies perception on what is ok and not ok, it’s no wonder our youth are being distracted from the right way to live, how to carry themselves, knowing the magnitude of honoring those before them, and the truth in who they are in Christ! This is why stepping up and rising to this mission is so important right now. This generation and those coming need us and we don’t have time to be wasting time! Interviewer: How do you balance the load such as being a single mother, being in ministry, school, health and fitness coaching, and writing? Amber: Only the Strength of the Lord! I couldn’t do any of this without help. Many say they can and make single parenting out to be easy, but it’s a daily struggle. I know that with God I’m already doing better than what was done to me, so that right there is a start of breaking generational curses and gaining and forming generational blessings! Interviewer: That is so true! Wow, it has been so nice speaking with you today. Thank you so much for your time! Amber: It’s been a pleasure!

Thanks again for having me! Be blessed and Be a blessing to others in Jesus Name! Amber Marie Brown made Making Headline News, and in Courageous Woman Magazine since writing her book. She also made Finalist of Author of the year for 2018 National TAP Awards. She is an Evangelist out of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. She is the Author of Rise to the Mission and also does ‘Rising to the Mission’ Live Facebook Interviews on the Amber Brown Ministries page. She is a Student at The International School of Bible Theology pursuing her degree for Christian Counseling and Theology. She is a single mother of two, a health and fitness coach for BeachBody, and teaches classes on Life Management for both male and female at Probation and Parole. To connect with Amber, order her book, or schedule her to come and speak at an event near you, contact her on Facebook at Amber Brown Ministries or Amber Marie Brown. You can email her at risetothemission@gmail.com or if you want to support her ministry go to paypal.me/risetothemission.

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WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE By Reynaldo Rodriguez

Faith in God is indispensable to the Christian life. The author of Hebrews capsulized it by writing, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrew 11: 6). What is faith? How can this substance help us reach what we all need? “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrew 11: 1). What is the result of this confidence we gain from God called faith? How do we benefit from faith? “Therefore, since we have been

justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1). “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1). How can we be “in Christ Jesus” like Paul present this revelation to the Romans? The answer is obvious: through faith. Now, how can faith reach us? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans 10: 17). The single fact

that you are reading these words has created the perfect environment where you too have been exposed to this truthful revelation: faith comes from hearing God’s words. Believing who God is, what He says and what He does is the key to the kingdom of God.

Consider how important the concept of faith is. You are saved by faith, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8 – 9), and you “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5: 7). In other words, faith is the basis for our salvation and the means by which we live. If we are going to continue living free in Christ, we need to keep in

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mind three simple faith concepts . The truth is, everyone lives by faith. The only difference between Christian faith and non— Christian faith is the object of our faith. The critical issue is what you believe or who you believe in. Telling people to live by faith is invalid if they have no understanding of the object of their faith. You can’t have faith in faith. Faith has no validity without an object. The truth is, we live every moment of every day by faith. However, some of our faith objects are valid but others are not. For instance, suppose you are driving a car and see a green light. You would probably drive through the intersection without giving your action a second thought, and you would do it by faith. First, you believed the light was red in the other direction even though you couldn’t see it. Second, you believed the driver’s coming from the other direction saw the red light and would stop. That is a lot of faith, but if you didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t go through too many intersections or you would proceed very cautiously. We trust people or things that have proven to be reliable over a long time period. What happens when the object of your faith proves unreliable? You give up on it—maybe not immediately, but how many failures would you tolerate before you say never again? Once faith is lost, it is very difficult to regain. Your ability to believe isn’t

the problem; it is the object of your faith that has proven to be untrustworthy. If you have had a few auto accidents as a result of careless drivers, your ability to trust other drivers may be seriously shaken, and rightfully so. That is why our relationships are so fragile. One act of unfaithfulness can all but to destroy a marriage. You can forgive your spouse and commit yourself to make the marriage work, but it will take months and even years to gain back the trust that was lost. You would be foolish to trust someone or something that has proven to be unreliable. The most accepted faith object by the world’s population is the fixed order of the universe, primarily the solar system. You set your watch, plan your calendar and schedule your day believing that the earth will continue to rotate on its axis and revolve around the sun at its current speed. If the earth’s orbit shifted just a few degrees and the sun appeared two hours later, the whole world would be thrown into chaos. So far the laws governing the physical universe have been among the most trustworthy faith objects we have. The ultimate faith object, of course, is not the sun but the Son because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13: 8). The fact that God is immutable (unchangeable) is what makes Him eminently trustworthy, “God is not human, that he should lie, not

a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23: 19) “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalms 121: 1 – 8) “I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” (Malachi 3: 6). God cannot change, nor can His Word. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40: 8). This eternal consistency is why God is faithful and why we can put our trust in Him. Hope, faith, and love: GRACE

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