Rhema Magazine Issue 30

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE JUNE/JULY 2017

FEATURES 17 I Dare to Believe God 29 Everyday Motherhood: An Anti-Anxiety Pill 31 The Enemy Within

Story Anniversary Issue 20 Cover Celebrating 5 Years of Rhema Magazine

SECTIONS 04 08 12 14 24 27 30 33 34

Editor’s Note RHEMA Testimony RHEMA Health RHEMA Family Matters RHEMA Senior Center RHEMA Spotlight RHEMA Puzzle RHEMA Showcase RHEMA Word

Disclaimer Rhema is published every other month.

No part of this publication is to be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The Magazine can not be held liable for any error in any advertisement and any liability is limited to the total cost of the advertisement in error. The publisher however reserves the right to refuse any advertisement deemed offensive or inappropriate. The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are strictly those

RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rhema Magazine. Rhema Magazine takes reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information. However we will not assume liability for the opinions or statements nor the accuracy of the authors. We also reserve the right to edit information we deem inappropriate for this magazine.

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S

elf- examination imperfect we are. It’s easy to is extremely get comfortable, but we should important to our never think we have reached spiritual developthe pinnacle of our spiritual ment. I underdevelopment. Instead we need stand that for to be in constant pursuit of that some of us the hardest thing to higher place in God. do is to confront the “man in the mirror.” We rarely want to Examining ourselves enable us lay ourselves bare and come to identify those areas of our face-to-face with our shortcomlives that we need to work on ings and flaws. However, our to ensure that we get to that spiritual growth directly next level spiritually. We need correlates to how much to choose those areas that We we are willing to we want to focus on. Let realize admit our weakus treat our spiritual that in the nesses and work development just like grand scheme on strengthening we treat other areas of things we are nothing our walk with God. of our lives and set without God’s spiritual goals the mercy and grace. same way we set We have to take an honest assessment of financial, academic or our lives and realize professional goals. when it is time to change the direction of our spiritual lives.

We are all on the same journey We have to know ourselves of spiritual development, and well enough to know when we need to accept that we are not have fallen short. Looking always our best. Self- examinainward can be quite daunting, tion is not meant to make us it’s sometimes easier to immefeel unworthy but instead it diately see the faults and flaws should motivate of others. us to change by surrendering Self-examination can be a very our shortcomhumbling experience. We ings and flaws realize that in the grand to God. scheme of things we are nothing without God’s mercy and Be blessed! grace. We are reminded of how

Valerie Brown

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RHEMA MAGAZINE: CONTRIBUTORS Rhema: "A Greek word meaning "what is said."

In Christianity it is used in reference to the sayings of Jesus Christ."

Matthew 4:4 states"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every (Rhema) word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

Follow Us

@rhemamagazine

CEO/Founder - Andrew D. Gayle Chairman - Leon Morgan Editor-in-Chief - Valerie Brown Assistant Editor - Dr. Alicia Anderson Publication Consultant/Copy Editor - Michele Saunders Art Director - Tanya N. Riley of T.Riley Design Sales Manager - Ronald W. Fitts Jr. Market Development - Kelli N. Calloway Health and Lifestyle Editor - Dacie Gayle Columnist - Pastor William E. Dickerson Jr. Columnist - Dr. Daniel Vassell Columnist - David Carruthers Columnist - Harriet Holder Columnist - Kristie Elizabeth Ward

RHEMA Office - 110 Wellington Hill Street - Boston MA, 02126 Phone - 617-322-7896 E-Mail - andrew@rhemamagazine.com Advertising E-mail - advertise@rhemamagazine.com

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RHEMA TESTIMONY New Lungs, New Life

By Michele Monteiro Saunders

I am Michele Saunders. Many of you have read my work in RHEMA Magazine. What many of you don’t know is that I received two new lungs on this past December 17, 2016.

My journey toward lung transplant began on May 25, 2016 when I had my first surgery on my lungs, a biopsy that landed me on oxygen and helped to hasten the decline of my old lungs. In 2002 after a bout with pneumonia I was diagnosed with having “benign” cysts on lungs. They remained unchanged until about 2013, when they began to grow. They really worsened in 2015. Doctors needed the biopsy to determine the best course of treatment for me.

At this point, I want to send a huge shout out and a major thank you to Bishop-elect William E. Dickerson, II, Lady Luella Dickerson, my Greater Love Tabernacle and natural families for without your love, prayers, support and your presence, I don’t know if I would have even made it to and through the lung transplant portion of my life’s testimony. Many thanks!

I had never been on oxygen prior to surgery. I never got off that oxygen until after my lung transplant in December 2016. My “typical” three-day biopsy stay turned into two weeks in the ICU and two weeks in a rehabilitation facility because of complications. I would not have survived recovery post- transplant without my hospital-recognized core transplant team: Sis. Cristal Jones-Diggs, Mother Cynthia Younger, Mother Beulah Farmer, Sis. Jessica Johnson, Gareth Saunders and RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

my biological aunt and uncle, Linda Boylorn and Walter “Danny” Harris. A special thank you to goes the Dozier family as well.

It was on August 1, 2016 that I was told that I needed a double-lung transplant.

I want to interject here one of the key lessons that I have learned while on this journey. The very thing that might be such a devastating event or issue in your life might be the very vehicle to your promised blessings. Such was the case for me and this transplant.

Well, the Lord did do it. After an additional five-week hospitalization from November to December 2016, beautiful lungs became available and were given to me during an intense, nine-hour surgery on December 17, 2016 by my team of stellar Pulmonary doctors, nurses, technicians and other medical providers of Brigham and Women’s Hospital for whom I am so very grateful.

I survived and I am alive! Glory to God! No more having to use oxygen. I can walk again. I can talk again. I can breathe again. I can drive again. I can go to church again. I can enjoy the outdoors again. I can do the “little things” that we all take for granted. I can worship again. All the glory goes to God. rhemamagazine.com 8

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Stress: Its Symptoms and Reliefs

W

e have all experienced stress at some point in our lives. It can occur because of challenges at work or during personal interactions. Stress is a benefit to us during dangerous situations where it helps us remain alert and

react quickly. i

Unfortunately, when stress occurs too often and without periods of relaxation, it can cause serious symptoms to our bodies. Remain on the look for the following symptoms and take advantage of the July/August weather to find periods of relaxation using the techniques below.

Stress symptoms: Hair Loss Hair loss often occurs during or even months after a stressful event has happened. Hair loss is often noticed as an individual washes or brushes their hair. More clumps of hair will remain on the brush or in the drain than usual.

This symptom is caused by an increase in the hormone androgen, which impacts hair follicles. ii Back Pain/ Trouble Breathing As stated earlier, stress can be a good thing when facing a dangerous situation. In the case of someone coming to you, your body slows your heartbeat to help you get ready to run fast. It also tightens your muscles in preparation for you to flee from danger. iii If you are stressed continuously outside of situations like this the effect will be two-fold.

One, back pains are more prone to occur because your body is expecting you to run from danger. Two, hyperventilation will occur which if continued can lead to a panic attacks.

Other Symptoms Believe it or not, stress impacts nearly every major symptom in your body. iv Therefore your symptoms can range from stomach aches, due to an impact in your gastrointestinal systems to acne, due to trouble in your RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

photo: www.apa.org

immune system. Stress can also cause rashes, headaches, eye twitches, insomnia and change in appetite. v Reliefs There are various methods of relief as relaxation can and should be different for individuals since we all have diverse characteristics. Use the following tips as guides in your search for relief from stress.

Prayer: First and for most as believers we should not feel the pressures of this world because we are in this world and not of it. But, we are human and therefore can be impacted by stress within our daily lives. When this happens, we should turn to God. We know that He would not put more burdens upon us than we could bear, so ask Him for help with this burden and answers to the questions that you seek.

Walking/ Physical Activity: In these warm summer months, we should take advantage of the beautiful weather and scenery. Whether it’s a walk around the block, a workout in a nearby park or a dip at the beach, take time to relax your body and mind in a beautiful environment.

Nap/ Quiet Time: One reason our bodies go through so much turmoil during stressful periods is because we are not allowing our bodies to get the rest that it needs. Find a quiet place to lie down and to not think about your situation. Often times after a satisfying nap we realize the answer to our problem.

If napping is not your forte, try finding a quiet space and allowing your body and mind to relax and rest. Sometimes a change in environment is just what you need to come back to your proper state of mind. i Web.MD. http://www.webmd.boots.com/stress-management/physical-stress-symptoms ii Women’s Health. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/stress-symptoms iii Ibid. iv HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-signs-and-causes.htm v Ibid.

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Marriage Compassion

By Dr. Daniel Vassell

A

s adapted by Dr. Vassell for RHEMA Magazine from his book, Living the EPIC Marriage:

One of the greatest challenges in 21st Century to marriages and families is individual thinking and behavior. It is so sad when you see many married couples living as if they are still single. Christian couples do not live for their own selfish desires.

Instead, they are moved with compassion to serve each other in love. They live to do acts of kindness for their mates and families.

There are two schools of thought that motivate the spirit of compassion, leading to acts of kindness.

One is, “loving feelings lead to loving actions.” The other view is, “loving actions lead to loving feelings.”

The answers to both schools of thought are, “Yes.” Both schools are correct in the sense that one is not preferred to the exclusion of the other. In marriage and family, both are utilized because of compassion.

Compassion is easily released when couples are experiencing loving feelings towards each other. Their brains are flooded with dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and other chemicals, which lead them to perform act of kindness. But if Christian lovers were to depend on loving feelings alone to lead to loving actions at all times, this would be catastrophic.

We cannot depend on feelings alone because they are often temporary and fleeting. Simply put, our feelings have the propensity to betray or lead us astray. Many Christian marriages would not survive the challenges of marriage.

If godly marriages depended on feelings only, the devil would have a heyday in marriage and families.

He would unleash his emissaries, demons and fallen angels to release all kind of challenges to sabotage RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

the health and well- being of marriage and family.

Christian lovers are committed to a compassion that moves them to a higher spiritual level. They move in compassion by putting themselves in the shoes of their mate or family to identify with their hurt, then choose to take on the infirmity and serve with loving actions to soothe and heal the pain.

Besides the evil spiritual forces attacking marriage and family, there are many other unresolved childhood and adult traumas causing pain and hurt.

Christian lovers need compassion to stand in the gap and provide a safe place for their healing and restoration.

Christian lovers empathize with each other. They do not condemn. They offer comfort and solace. When a mate hits rock bottom in the marriages or family it is here that mates are called upon to offer loving action that isn’t motivated by loving feelings.

It is here through daily prayer, that their bonds and intimacy increase with the enablement of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit ignites and releases a desire to serve each other, where they are able to meet each other’s needs, thereby minimizing self-loathing caused by pain and hurt.

Christian married couples must thrive to allow the Holy Spirit to lead them to become active, considerate lovers. As a considerate lover, a spouse must always provide the act of kindness that heals, restores joy and builds a bond that holds greater than a crazy glue.

Dr. Daniel and Jenny Vassell are the authors of “The Love Factor in Marriage for Couples and Pre-Marriage.”

Email: lovefactorinmarriage@gmail.com rhemamagazine.com rhemamagazine.com1414

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I Dare to Believe God

BY WILLIAM E. DICKERSON JR. | BISHOP ELECT | GREATER LOVE TABERNACLE As we go through life and business, we must decide what type of person we should become.

There are those who sit on the sidelines and watch; those who discuss what should be done; and then those who make things happen.

In order to excel in life, there are some risks that we must take. Mature believers take risks by believing God for greater things and therefore they step out by faith. Mature business people excel in business because they take risks. In a recent book by Steve Harvey entitled Jump, Harvey underscores the importance of stepping out by faith. When we take a step of faith, we actually jump into an arena of uncertainty, but it is our faith in Jesus Christ that sustains us until we see the desired results.

If your belief system is weak and your faith is low, you will always play it safe and never step out to do things that are seemingly impossible to the average thinker. As believers in Jesus Christ and children of the kingdom of God, we should not be average thinkers. We should be kingdom-minded thinkers.

A few inspirational quotes: • Jack Penn, “One of the secrets in life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.”

• Sugar Ray Robinson, “To be a champion, you have to believe in yourself when nobody else will.”

• Michael Jordan, “I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”

• Walt Disney, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”

We are living in adverse times but we must not get weary when faith challenges come our way.

Everything that God has promised us will be fulfilled. 2 Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promises as some men count RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

slackness but is long-suffering to us not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Too many believers are playing it safe but it's time for us to live life to the fullest and really walk by faith. A captain who keeps his boat in the harbor tied to a dock will never experience the dangers of the sea but he also will never get anywhere.

I believe that God is taking the church and many in the body of Christ into a season of miracles and a great out pour of the Holy Spirit.

In life we must be willing to accept: • Challenges as opportunities; • Tests as rights of passages; • Change as a graduation and • Fear as a defeated enemy.

2 Timothy 1:7 states, “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind.” Isaiah 59:19b says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” The devil cannot come in like a flood. However, the Spirit of the Lord can and will come in like a flood.

Why haven’t you stepped out to do what God has told you to do?

When Jesus was walking on the water and the disciples saw Him, Peter was the only disciple to have enough boldness to step out of the boat and walk on water. Most people look at the fact that Peter began to sink. That's true. However, Peter did walk upon the water.

Peter dared to believe God. Will you be like Peter? To do so, stop focusing on failure. Let us focus on success. rhemamagazine.com 17

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20 Years of Service

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RHEMA Cover

Story

Celebrating

5 YEARS OF RHEMA MAGAZINE

G

od is truly amazing. We have reached another milestone!

Rhema Magazine turns five.

I am just in awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Five years ago I had a vision. I wanted to create a medium that allowed the church community to expand its reach. I wanted to strengthen our communities and families through the written word.

I prayed and God answered that prayer.

Today, I am humbled by what God has done.

First, to say that I am RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

grateful is an understatement. This vision has surpassed even my wildest expectations. I never for one second doubted God’s ability to see me through. However, there were some trying times when I thought we wouldn’t make it. But, here we are five years in and God has been faithful.

We are blessed with some great talent from our writers and contributors and our wonderful staff who continue to work tirelessly to ensure that rhemamagazine.com 20

we always raise the standard of this magazine. We stand by our mission to strengthen and uplift our churches, families and communities. Our contributors continue to write about issues that directly impact our lives and it is our hope that through God, lives are changed from their efforts.

valued advertisers and readers. We thank you!

Thank you for staying the course with us and for believing in us enough to grab a copy of Rhema and for joining us on this journey. To all of the outlets – the barber shops, corner stores, hair salons etc., who allow us to use your establishments God is truly as drop-off points amazing.

Rhema MagaWe have reached a for the maganother milestone! zines, we are so zine has been Rhema Magazine turns ďŹ ve. truly honored grateful for your over the years to support. have our covers graced with the presence of some As we strive to make dynamic pastors and Rhema even bigger and preachers, including: better than before, I pray Pastor Jamal Bryant; The that God will continue to Reverend Arlene O. Hall; use Rhema to build His Bishop-elect William E. kingdom. God bless you Dickerson, II and Tamela all.

Mann, just to name a few.

We recognize that we could not have done this without everyone’s support, especially that of our RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

CEO/Founder

Andrew D. Gayle rhemamagazine.com 21

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Do Not Throw Out the Broken Pieces

By Harriet Holder

W

hen you have broken a dish, cup or a plate, the first reaction is to throw it away. It is no good and certainly it cannot be put together again. You look at it and with despair you throw it in the trash. Your heart breaks when you realize what the items mean to you but you cannot see how these broken pieces can be put together again.

This is what happened to a great Japanese military commander named Ashikaga Yoshimasa who broke one of his beloved Chinese tea bowls. An art of joining the broken pieces with gold was discovered to fix the Chinese tea bowl which is called Kintsukuroi. The definition of Kintsukuroi is to repair with gold, or the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer. The broken pieces are fused together with a product called resin that is mixed with gold.

Mediating on this concept put my mind on the scripture in Jeremiah Chapter 18, beginning at verse one: “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying 2 Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. 3Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. 4And the vessel that he made of RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.” The interpretation of this scripture is that the first pot was marred, and he took the same clay and made another vessel.

Just like the broken clay or the broken pieces, our lives can go through a broken marriage, a broken relationship with a daughter or a son, or a loved one that cannot possibly be put together again. I know a God and Son who love working with dirt or things that are broken and marred. He can turn anything that is broken into something more beautiful, and make the value of it increase because He pours Himself into it and fuses the brokenness with His blood.

Do not throw away your broken pieces of your dishes, cups or loved ones. Go and get some resin and start repairing those broken pieces and turn them into beautiful pieces that can be use over and over again.

Give God the broken pieces of your life and those of your love ones to the Lord and watch God fuse them with gold and join them with Son’s blood to make them more beautiful than before.

For broken pieces can be made beautiful. rhemamagazine.com 24

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rhemamagazine.com 26

Christopher White

O

ne can hear the sounds of children bustling and pots clanging together as the smell of breakfast and Sunday dinner perfumed the air of Christopher White’s childhood home in Bloomfield, Connecticut. As Chris and his three brothers routinely got ready for church, they would be sternly prompted to not miss the church van. To miss the van would be detrimental their health.

The fact was that even though going to church wasn’t an option, Chris wanted to be there. There was something about his church that was rather captivating. The youth were expressive and were at times indistinguishable from the adults in the presence of the Lord.

As the Holy Spirit manifested on the congregation, the amount of souls that would accept the Lord as their Savior; who were water baptized and filled with Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues so mesmerized Chris that he hungered for the same experience. Then in 1994 at the age of 14 Christopher accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior. At the age of 15 Chris was baptized and then at the age of 16 he was filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It didn’t take Chris long to jump into ministry. He was involved in every area of ministry from youth choir to evangelism.

However, the bedrock of his ministry has always been his private times spent in prayer, study and worship. As a youth, Chris spent many hours before God, prostrate on his face seeking the heart of God as the Holy Spirit groomed him.

RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

Chris would eventually become a mentor to youth and to adults. It was at a young age that his leadership skills were being honed in the natural and in the spiritual. Chris’s parents – specifically his father, made sure that he was a leader and infused Chris with very high self-esteem. Young and old gravitated to him so much so that they became like family indistinguishable from his biological family. It became a family ministry of sorts.

This uncommon trait was recognized by Chris’s first mentors and pastors the late Dr. Jeremiah McIntyre and Youth Pastor The Reverend Maryvn Walters. Eventually, Chris would be released into ministry by Dr. J.A. Williams as the Children’s Pastor and the added responsibility of youth pastor by Dr. Jonathan Ramsey.

In forging his ministry identity, Chris vehemently believes in the restorative and redemptive power of Jesus. In fact, this is his life’s mission and one that he brings to the children and youth of Rehoboth’s Remnant Youth and Children’s Ministry.

The Reverend Christopher White, his wife Jessica along with their son Ethan, believe that when a person comes in contact with the authentic and awesome power of God, they can be restored.

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Everyday Motherhood: An Anti-Anxiety Pill

By Kristie Elizabeth Ward I love children. They do cute and very strange things that make me wonder about life in general. I guess itʼs no surprise to me, considering I grew up in such a large family.

I was the seventh of a unique set of preacherʼs kids with an immediate sense of responsibility on my shoulders.

I absorbed information like a sponge and I learned how to survive spiritually and naturally. So, when my husband and I were expecting our first child, I thought, “OK shouldnʼt be a problem, I could handle it.” I soon realized that motherhood was a prime reason why leaving Jesus out of our lives is one of the most damaging things we can do.

It was great watching my daughter reach different milestones as she grew up. Fortunately, I was able to see most of them. I work the occasional part-time job as something to do on the side, because thatʼs what made me feel more whole. Still, the time I spent with her was priceless.

The first twelve months consisted of feeding, diapering, cleaning – you know the drill. After that, I noticed something change. My daughter began exploring and absorbing everything around her like a sponge. Then it hit me… “I am responsible for everything that she is learning.” I began to get anxious about whether I was actually being a good mom.

When I was young, my mother was often hospitalized or ill. By no fault of her own, she battled a lot of sickness with strength and faith. Sadly, I didnʼt have a full relationship with her until I was much older. It left me with a determination to be close to my future RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

daughter when I became an adult.

The pressure was on!

If I spent a lot of time educating my daughter on academic things, would she turn her back on God and only seek knowledge? If I let her watch one hour of Disneyʼs Doc McStuffins instead of one, half-hour, would she not want to read? If I was tired and didnʼt feel like cleaning, would she grow up thinking itʼs okay to keep her house dirty?

There I was becoming anxious, letting my insecurities take over. When my mind was on that, I wasnʼt actively engaged in her life as much as she was.

I made a request to God and He reminded me “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” Philippians 4:6.

When you have the heart to love and to follow after Christ, being a mom is just like any other endeavor. Sometimes itʼs hard and comes with a multitude of tears, but itʼs OK. God just wants us to love him, the same as when we were not mothers.

Then His love will radiate to our children without a boatload of guilt that sometimes people from mommy blogs and Facebook do. There is no one way to parent, because there isnʼt one type of child. Whether we have one or seven children, we only have one mind, two hands and the occasional foot to hold the door open while we have groceries in one hand and a child in the other.

So, even if my child learns a bad habit, itʼs God who can break it. Iʼm just a woman, who happens to be a mom. rhemamagazine.com 29

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The Enemy Within Written by David Carruthers, Author of Kill Your Giants & REACTORS

If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm. – African Proverb

T

he beautiful thing about getting older is that you begin to see the same things over and over again.

If you’re paying attention, this can put you on the road to mastery in an area in which you closely observe and constantly practice at. In contrast, the sad thing about getting older is that you see the same thing over and over again. It is amazing how so many people are running from their own pain, thinking that if they ignore it, it will go away.

Pain and issues never go away until you deal with them. They are like car tickets that gain interest and max out after a certain time. I have seen people die of old age and not lived out their potential because they covered their pain with pride and pleasure.

This resulted in broken relationships never restored because of the issues that were never mastered. It is a sad way to live life when you’ve conquered so many things, but yourself.

Greatness comes from within, and so does poverty. I heard a college football coach say “Greatness does not get along with mediocrity and mediocrity doesn’t get along with greatness.” Many of us have seen shows of some of the greatest stars who achieved unbelievable heights, but refused to gain control over the demons that were in their own minds. This has become the theme of America: to obtain great accomplishments but have poor character.

The best way to fix what is happening on the inside is Jesus.

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There is unlimited power and love in that name. But one will never know this unless they give Him a sincere try. It baffles me why people don’t run to Him. Many have not, I believe, is because they have seen so much hypocrisy in some Christians that they align that to God. But you must remember, people will be people and with our best efforts at times will let you down. Not God. He is amazing and will deal appropriately with the issues of your broken heart.

The reason why this is so vital is because when people are broken, they do broken things and hurt others around them. It is inevitable. However, when you are healed, full of love, kindness and cheer, then you spread that and your influence grows positively. I’ve seen good people become unstoppable not because they’re perfect but because their hearts are whole.

One must unclog the clutter if there is going to be a beautiful flow. It’s like alkaline water that flushes the body. The same must be done for the emotions.

Please don’t be afraid of the process. The beauty is there because that’s where you learn the lessons. Most people don’t finish their process and never see their true beauty.

The grass is truly greener on the other side but that grass is only greener if you water it.

Your greatness awaits but, you must first deal with the enemy within, so the enemy outside can do you no harm. rhemamagazine.com 31

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Celebrating

5 years and 30 Issues of Rhema Magazine Issue 1 of Rhema June/July 2012

T hank You

To all of Rhema Magazine Supporters RHEMA MAGAZINE: JULY/AUG 2017

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Revelation 21 NKJV All Things Made New 1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

5 Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'

6 And He said to me, “It is done!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.'

9 Then one of the seven angels

who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, 'Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.'

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

12 Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.

16 The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal.

17 Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel.

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18 The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

22 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.

24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

25 Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).

26 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

27 But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. rhemamagazine.com 34

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