Rhema Magazine Issue 28

$1.99 JAN / FEB 2017

BARACK H. OBAMA Honoring the Legacy of President Barack H. Obama II.

Above the Law Church and Community Healthy Snack Options www.rhemamagazine.com

Chasing Destint Destiny Rhema’s Black History Issue RHEMA SPOTLIGHT

Martin Luther King Jr.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE JAN/FEB 2017

FEATURES 17 Above The Law 31 Chasing Destiny Story President Barack H. Obama 20 Cover Honoring the Legacy of President

Barack H. Obama II.

32 Church and Community

SECTIONS 04 12 14 16 24 27 30 33 34

Editor’s Note RHEMA Health RHEMA Family Matters RHEMA Teen Focus 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

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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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appy New Year!

By God’s grace, we made it.

I am certain that we all have our testimonies of all of the challenges we faced in 2016. Yet, here we are- still giving God praise, still thanking Him for His mercies and His goodness. We have proven yet again that He is faithful and our good days far outnumbered our bad days. We may have been persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.

never abandon you to face these hard times alone.

Remember your greatest enemy is fear and doubt.

The battle is already won.

Don’t listen to the naysayers and alarmists, we serve a God that promises to be our shelter and our strong tower. Let us choose to believe the report of the Lord.

Happy New Year!

We are overcomers and through Christ we are a victorious people, in spite of what is taking place around us. Throughout this new year, let us commit to living the victorious life that our Heavenly Father paid for with his Son. As hard as the battle may seem, please remember that you have the upper hand- a God who will RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

We are in this together- walking in victory with grateful hearts and leaning on the everlasting arms of our Lord. Expect more great things in 2017. Our God is faithful- be confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Blessings!

Valerie Brown rhemamagazine.com 4

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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."

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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 - Nicholas T. Josey Columnist - David Carruthers

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***ATTENTION READERS*** Dear Faithful Readers, Subscribers and Friends,

RHEMA MAGAZINE is in need of your support.

You do share with us how you appreciate our content. For this and for you we are grateful.

However, we are now in need of additional ďŹ nancial support in order to continue the work that we have started.

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RHEMA MAGAZINE is seeking additional advertisers, who are both local entrepreneurs and beyond. Do you have a sound business that you would like to promote? Now may be the time to advertise with RHEMA MAGAZINE. We are also seeking sponsors and for those who are willing to sow into this sound business and good soil for additional support. Would your business like to give / sow back into the community? Now may be the time to do this through RHEMA MAGAZINE. We have many, creative ways that you can advertise with us, including our new Church Directory section, which is soon to come.

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Healthy

Snack Options nacking is America’s favorite pastime. Actually, the pastime is baseball but eating snacks is definitely a close second.

Whether we’re at a get together or settling in to watch a new movie, we love eating snacks. While potato chips and french fries are incredibly fun to eat, they are not the healthiest options out there. Here are few healthy alternatives to snacking: Sweet Potato Fries Sweet Potato fries are becoming a popular healthy alternative for french fries. Sweet Potatoes are rich in Vitamin A. i Feel free to make them at home, where you can control the amount of salt that comes with them. Many restaurants are now turning to this healthy option as well.

chips can be made in your oven. There are also many brands sold in grocery stores. Topping them off with parmesan cheese is a very tasty idea.

Sweet Nuts Spice up your favorite blends of nuts by baking them with vanilla extract, ginger, and cinnamon. iii This warm treat is full of protein and very sweet. Add your favorite variety of nuts, including walnuts, pecans, almonds and cashews.

Roasted Chickpeas Chickpeas are very tasty and healthy peas full of fiber, Zinc and protein. iv For this healthy snack, simply add your favorite spices, like curry, to the chickpeas and roast them in the oven. This recipe is fun and very easy to make.

http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/720x405/875918.jpg

Kale Chips Kale Chips are becoming all the rave in the potato chip industry. With the main ingredient being Kale, which has become a popular healthy green, many are flocking to this healthy chip. Kale is full of Vitamins A, C and K. ii Kale RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

http://allrecipes.com

i http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/healthy-snacks-for-adults/. ii Ibid. iii Ibid. iv http://www.skinnytaste.com/roasted-chickpea-snack-2-pts/

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By Dr. Daniel Vassell have taken the liberty in my earlier columns to discuss five types of love that need to operate in Christian marriages. The five kinds of love are: agape; eros; philio; storge and ephitumia. How do we implement these different loves? First, know that each love has its place and time. Each type of love should be applied at the right time to keep the relationship vibrant, vital and vivacious. Secondly, couples need to keep in the forefront of their relationship that love is a package deal!

To produce a healthy and sweet natural fruit, there are five required steps. The steps are: cooling; pollination; adequate light; water and plant food.

Each step must be applied properly and at the right time to produce sweet fruit in the end. Likewise, all couples want to produce sweet fruit of love in their relationships, but they need to remember that the sweet fruit of love takes time, effort, energy and creativity.

other touches that will arouse the erotic pleasures; by using your eyes to admire the beauty of your spouse. Be sure to wear your favorite perfume or cologne to ignite the sensual scents which will awaken the love’s pherimone. Enjoy the taste of sweet strawberry or your favorite dessert or fruits.

Listen to some wholesome and sensual musical sounds. Through utilizing these senses, you can experience all the five types of love.

Eros love releases a pure passion and energy for couples joys. Storge love creates a spirit of bond and security. Phileo love creates the warmth and trust that is necessary to share intimacy of sexual love pleasures and delights. All the first four types of love find comfort and joy in the miracle of unconditional love which is nurtured by the power of God.

Most couples that I know love cake. My favorite is strawberry cheesecake. In order for us to enjoy our cakes, the baker must use all the correct ingredients in the proper amounts and bake them in the right temperatures so that we can enjoy our delighful taste of his succulent delicacy.

Loving action was God’s intention for marriage before the fall. It is still God’s intention after the fall and that is why He sent us His Son. The secret to enjoying the fullness of love in marriages do not rest upon our own strength and ability alone. It rest upon couples submitting themselves to God and surrending their lives to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Void of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, all our efforts to creating a wonderful loving marriage and family will only be a dream.

Likewise, God has blessed human beings with five senses to use in expressing their love in marriage.

You see, God seems to love the number five. The number five speaks of grace. Grace is unmerited favor!

Choose today how you will conduct your marriage and family. You could do it on your own or be filled with the Spirit, completely and continually as Ephesians 5:18 commands and enjoy the wealth of what comes from verses 19 to the end 33.

Married couples need to take time and utilize all their senses when expressing love through touch, look, smell, taste and sound so that they can release the grace of love. How do couples use these senses? Begin by spending time giving each RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

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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Teen Focus

ur names are Janel and Jalani Mitchell. Being a triplet requires much work and patient effort and attention.

Every year we strive to better ourselves and our community. At a young age we have been so diverse to reach out and to adapt to new things. From sports, to trips, volunteering, to helping out at church Deliverance Temple Worship Center, we have always found ways to make time.

From elementary to high school we have participated in many sports, including soccer, basketball, softball, and dance.

Individually, we both found ourselves driven to different interests.

Janel is driven and dedicated to dance.

Ever since she was seven years old she knew it would be something she would want to carry for the rest of her life. Since high school, she has been a part of many dance teams, groups, and clubs. Not only does she dance outside of school but also for the church. She has found this to be one of the things she is most passionate about. She loves working with others and teaching children. Her aspiration is to continue this into college.

Jalani is a well rounded individual that loves to be involved in different activities such as singing in a professional choir, playing high school basketball and taking part in many clubs and volunteer services. Her love for God is unconditional. With her commitment to God, it has changed her life for the better.

This has helped her to accomplish many RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

outstanding achievements in school.

We have been blessed to be exposed to the greatness of God's work through regularly attending church services, youth ministry, winter fest youth conferences, fellowshipping and mentoring with friends. We were awarded 1st place, and top youth walkathon fundraisers for our church.

Through Christ – He has abled us to do more and to reach our aspirations.

Recently, we got inducted into the National Honors Society, a program for students who have achieved a certain grade point average, (GPA) and are based off of their academic performances. We both are hard workers when it comes to school. We have managed to obtain the skill of juggling many challenging academic courses as well as being involved in extracurricular activities.

We have endured our commitment to be versed in Spanish for the past eight years.

This journey has lead us to get accepted and to participate in an international trip to Spain. We have been fundraising to cover the expenses for this trip. Your contributions will help make this a life changing experience. With the help from our community, fundraising, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we believe we will succeed.

Please visit our GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/janel-jalanis-trip. rhemamagazine.com 16

BY WILLIAM E. DICKERSON JR. | PASTOR AND OVERSEER ll throughout this country we have been hearing cases of mainly unarmed Black men who have been shot and killed by police throughout this nation, including in Boston, MA. Last year, an unarmed man named Walter Scott ran from a police officer and was shot in the back like an animal. An insensitive juror in his case said that he could not in good conscience convict the police officer, thus resulting in a hung jury.

Here in Boston, a mother called the Boston police in distress because her son who had psychological issues was acting out. This man had an altercation with the EMS workers and the police and subsequently was shot to death by a police officer. In the aftermath of the struggle, the police said that he had a knife. However, his family said that although he was acting out, he was unarmed.

I believe that since he was unruly, the police could've tasered him rather than shot him to death. I was not there and cannot point the finger at anyone but I know one thing: I am tired of hearing about another Black man being killed!

In this nation, police can find a way to keep alive and bring to justice White men who've done atrocious crimes. Take Dylan Roof for example, the man who killed nine innocent Black church members including the pastor of the Mother Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina. He was captured alive, taken into custody and is alleged to have received some enjoyable fast food while waiting in police custody.

As a pastor and a concerned citizen, I am upset and frustrated when I hear of Black RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

on Black violence and homicides. For years I've spoken out against violence and homicides within Boston and elsewhere.

Moreover, I have buried many homicide victims in Boston's inner city and beyond. I am further disturbed when I hear of police shooting unarmed people because they are hired and sworn to protect and to serve all citizens.

Whenever we hear of injustice, the church community should not be silent. Jesus spoke out against the mistreatment of all humans regardless of their lots in life. It is time that concerned police speak out against other officers who are known to abuse their authority just because they have a badge and a gun. It is wrong for anyone to disrespect the law, human rights or human life.

Our nation is in trouble because many in White America are still treating people of color and Blacks in particular with such disdain. For example, last year when a young Black boy fell into a gorilla pit, why were there so many White people who were angry and outraged that the gorilla was killed and were seemingly unconcerned about the little boy's life being spared?

It's time for us to speak up for the voices silenced by to those who think they are above the law. It is important for the real church to take a stand. We must be a prophetic voice in this age and not just an echo controlled by weak spiritual leaders and dominant politicians.

Social justice should not be an option for our churches, it must be a mandate. rhemamagazine.com 17

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RHEMA Cover

Story

BARACK H. OBAMA Honoring the Legacy of President Barack H. Obama II. Trailblazing 44th President will be missed

By Michele Saunders

s our nation embarks on a four-year journey with our newly installed 45th Commander-in-Chief, President Donald James Trump, RHEMA Magazine takes this time to celebrate Black History Month by honoring our first popularly elected Black president,* our 44th President of the United States, President Barack Hussein Obama II. His Story For many, President Obama bounded straight out of nowhere in July 2004 at the Democratic National Convention held in Boston and leapfrogged onto the forefront of the national political stage. President Obama gained national attention because he had just won the March 2004 primary for United States Senate against long-term incumbent, 1960s Civil Rights activist and former Black Panther and current U.S Representative for Illinois District One (South Side) Bobby Lee Rush of Chicago, Illinois.

Among some in many Black communities, President Obama was not considered “legitimately” Black because of what was deemed by them as not having had a Black experience “familiar” to African Americans across the nation and because of his mixed race. Conversely, he was not considered white. The son of a white mother and a native Kenyan father, President Obama, born August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii, spent his early years in Hawaii. He lived for four years with his mother, stepfather and sister in Indonesia and then later in his teen years grew up with his maternal grandparents back in Hawaii.

President Obama graduated from the private, college preparatory Punahou School of Honolulu.

He completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and then attended Harvard Law School.

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While at Harvard Law School, President Obama became the first Black person to head the Harvard Law Review, a prestigious student post that placed him on the leadership path that helped to open doors to the presidency.

While at Harvard Law, President Obama focused his efforts on community organizing. He did so through his assignment as a summer associate at Sidley Austin LLP, in Chicago, where the former Ms. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, then an associate of the law firm who worked on intellectual property and marketing, was assigned to mentor him. Their first meeting consisted of a business lunch and a community organizing, which President Obama had done as an undergrad while at Columbia University. It was during that summer mentorship that their relationship began. The Obamas married in 1992 and gave birth to Malia Ann Obama in 1998 and Natasha, “Sasha” Obama in 2001.

President Obama declared his candidacy for president in May 2007. The rest from there is history.

2008 President Obama was elected on November 4, 2008 as our 44th President after a robust contest with veteran Republican Senator John McCain. He won the popular vote by 9, 522, 173 votes (O: 69,456,897 to M: 59,934,814) and won the Electoral College over McCain by 192 votes, besting him 365 to McCain’s 173. Only 270 Electoral College votes are needed to attain the presidency. rhemamagazine.com 20

President Obama is the only president in history who has earned the most popular votes ever (69,456,897) for election to president. His record still stands today.

President Obama was installed as our 44th President on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. On that day, he inherited the problems that outgoing President George W. Bush left in place: the Iraqi War; the conflict in Afghanistan; a banking crisis of the world’s largest financial institutions that threatened the world’s entire economy and the emerging issue of growing terrorism at home and abroad. He also now had to learn how to protect and to serve all of the American people as the nation’s highest official in the land.

2009 President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. He is one of only fifteen black Nobel Prize laureates out of a total of over 800 awardees.

Business • The passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Consumer Protection Act which pushed forth financial regulation on Wall Street that would prevent another financial breakdown that could cause another depression similar the 2008 Great Recession.

Family • The launching of “My Brother’s Keeper.”

According to the Obama archived White House pages “My Brother’s Keeper” is an “initiative to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.” The program has six focus areas. It partnered with other programs across the country and is still in place today.

Education • Under his administration, after twenty years of planning, fund raising and building, the realization and “President Obama establishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial from vision to is the only actualization. It opened on president in August 22, 2011. The memorial history who has is located in West Potomac Park earned the in Washington D.C. next to the most popular National Mall. votes ever ”

2012 President Obama, now incumbent Obama, beat Republican challenger Mitt Romney for a second term on November 6, 2012, beating Romney by 126 Electoral College votes (O: 322, R: 206) and by 4,856,948 popular votes (O: 65,446,032 to R: 60,589,084). He was installed as our 44th President during a private ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, January 20, 2013.

Presidency Highlights President Obama’s tenure was not without its ups and downs, plusses and minuses, to say the least.

In addition to his inherited problems, he had a constant fight with Congressional members who opposed anything that he put forth. He even had to contend with homegrown espionage in the form of WikiLeaks and other revelators who in sharing the hidden put the everyday, American people at risk.

President Obama put in place policies with which many could agree or disagree. However, these are chosen as standouts because they did make positive impacts and change: Government • The establishment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or “Obamacare,” that enabled millions of previously uninsured Americans to have affordable access to health care.

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• The opening of the newly built Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture located near the Washington Monument in Washington.

Established December 19, 2003, the museum site opened September 24, 2016 in an elaborate dedication ceremony led by President Obama.

A familiar saying is, “Hindsight is 20-20.” While President Obama was our president, we had the choice to agree or disagree with his actions and moves. In our opinions, based on who we are, he might not have always gotten it right. We had the luxury to criticize him while we rested and trusted his moves. Our newly elected 45th President has already proven that resting and trusting that our leader will do the right thing by the people he leads is not always a given.

One thing is for sure, the legacy of President Barack Hussein Obama, II our nation’s first popularly elected Black President of the United States will stand and it will prove that he was a forerunner in many areas who led with the utmost education, dignity and grace. rhemamagazine.com 21

Black History Month Rhema Magazine Celebrates Black History Month

W.E.B. Du Bois

Journalist, Educator, Civil Rights Activist (1868–1963)

W.E.B. Du Bois was one of the most important African-American activists during the first half of the 20th century.

He co-founded the NAACP and supported Pan-Africanism.

Harriet Tubman Civil Rights Activist (1820–1913)

Harriet Tubman escaped slavery to become a leading abolitionist. She led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the route of the Underground Railroad.

Thurgood Marshall

Civil Rights Activist, Supreme Court Justice, Judge, Lawyer (1908–1993)

Thurgood Marshall was instrumental in ending legal segregation and became the first African-American justice of the Supreme Court.

Information Source and Photo Credits: http://www.biography.com RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

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By Harriet Holder s we come into this New Year 2017, we need to embrace new things that are happening all around us.

This country changed power to a new president on January 20, 2017. We need to understand that new people are going to be in the White House.

The scripture states in Isaiah 49:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? ... See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it?” God said in this scripture that He was doing a new thing and asked the question, “Do you not perceive it?” Meaning, “Do you see what I am doing?,” which is an action.

Getting a glimpse of a new horizon as the days starting to change should be excitement to your heart. God is doing some new things outside of us and also in us. Please my dear sisters and brothers, God is moving to change things for us. New things are going to happen in your life this year, and I can see it.

Getting a new mindset can make a difference of how you perceive things. Condition your mind to educate yourself and get involved with something new this month. I want you to write a list for twelve new things this year.

Find out what you can do each month that can enhance your life and your loved ones.

Buy a journal to keep track of your plans for each month. Maybe it is a birthday card that RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

you need to send out to a friend that you have not reached out to last year, or buying a gift for a loved one who needs a little encouragement. Do something that is small and significant that can put a smile on someone face.

There is a company name Pantone that comes out with the color of the year that causes the retail market to create products that have this specific color in their stores.

The new color this year is called Greenery which is telling consumers to be renewed, restore, reconnect, and reinvigorate. This is signaling us to take deep breaths that will oxygenate, and brings us one with nature and with each other for a bigger purpose.

The scripture said in Psalms 23 that the Lord is our Shepherd who maketh us to lay down in green pastures. This is stated to be connected to nature which will bring us to better connection with our Creator God. As we go through this new year, I want you to embrace new changes and new things that will bring a better connection with our God, our loved ones and with others. Also buy something new and do something new, whether it is painting a picture, knitting a new sweater, visiting a place or a restaurant that you have never been before. Eat more green vegetables this year. My prayers for you this year that God continue to keep you in good health and prosper you as your souls prosper. rhemamagazine.com 24

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Martin Luther King, Jr. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nulliďŹ cation" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all esh shall see it together."

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

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And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm rhemamagazine.com 27

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Written by David Carruthers, Author of Kill Your Giants & REACTORS “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau

ell it’s another new year.

Some experts have noticed that New Year’s resolutions don’t work but a commitment does.

There are deep callings that are within us that do not go away.

One of our many challenges is the many distractions that keep us from Destiny. In a very busy society and never ending, changing world there are too many destiny barriers that are external and internal. One must notice these destiny barriers and make a conscious decision to not engage with them but do only those things which are vital and very important.

One of the ways to do this is to recognize and remember what you’re passionate about. What excites you and why?

When you answer this question, it puts you back in the driving seat of purpose and life begins to have much more meaning again. John Maxwell wrote a book titled “Good Leaders ask Great Questions.” As you begin to ask more questions your destiny becomes clearer simply because questions demands answers.

Questions like: RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

What is my purpose? What am I here to do?

What is the one thing I can’t live without?

What are my gifts and talents?

If I could do anything I wanted, what would it be?

We must dare to ask questions such as these because in doing so we tap into what most don’t. A big reason why people don’t live their dreams is because of fear. There are many who are too afraid to ask big questions.

When you bow to fear, then your destiny becomes a myth. Jesus said in John 14:12 that if we believe in him we would do greater things than He did. That’s difficult to comprehend but He said it. We must broaden our belief system so that a phrase like living our dreams is not just something we hear at a motivational conference but it becomes a part of us.

So in the words of Henry David Thoreau “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life you’ve always imagined.” rhemamagazine.com 31

ith humility and gratefulness, we thank the publisher and editors of RHEMA Magazine for making a space for us to discuss issues, tensions, and challenges affecting –and sometimes separating- the community and the Church.

Years ago, thinking of the Church and the community as separate entities would have been nonsensical. The Church was always part of the community, a member of the family, like neighbors, schools, and the local businesses that we relied upon to survive and thrive as a community and as a culture. And, as is true in every family, we had our disputes.

We certainly didn’t agree on every issue.

Despite these disagreements, at the end of the day we all remained “family.”

Residents, struggling with the problems created by rapid change, seek more support and help, often outstripping what congregations can offer.

Fearful of many of these changes, many congregations have pulled back. Angry at the sense of abandonment, community residents have criticized the churches. It’s not a pretty picture.

While there are certainly exceptions, many churches are not seen as being part of their neighborhoods anymore. The church buildings are still on the streets, but the people who attend “don’t live around here.”

The church folks come in, take up parking spaces and leave, but there is often no overlap, no connection between the neighborhood residents and the churches.

So, in Church and Community our hope is to raise and address issues from a theological perspective, asking “How does God fit into ‘this’?” We also want to have the sociological perspective, seeking “How does community fit into all of this?” While we hope to address issues of agreement, we also hope to identify and discuss issues of tension and disagreement. The goal is not to have one side or the other say “You all just need to . . . .!” The goal is to have some conversation about how we address these tensions.

There are many, many reasons we could identify for this disconnection. Our world is changing at a rate that is, frankly, dizzying.

Unprecedented technological, social, and economic changes are occurring faster than at any other time in history, creating problems and challenges we’ve never imagined before.

Churches, institutions of tradition and stability, are not made to change so quickly.

I have no illusions that a series of articles with solve all our problems. I have a firm belief, however, that if we can have meaningful discussion on critical issues, we can be creative and find solutions. We’ll not agree on everything or resolve every issue and that’s okay; no family does. But let’s get back to talking like family and see what we can get done.

But somewhere that changed.

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Credit: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images

Official portrait by Pete Souza of the Obama family in the Oval Office.

Honoring the Legacy of President Barack H. Obama II. First Lady Michelle Obama & Family

RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

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Proverbs 8

New King James Version 1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? 2 She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the pathsmeet. 3 She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: 4 "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.

5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. 6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. 9 They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; 11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion. 13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, And rulers decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, All the judges of the earth.

17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. 18 Riches and honor are with me, Enduring riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold, And my revenue than choice silver. 20 I traverse RHEMA MAGAZINE: JAN/FEB 2017

the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 That I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, That I may fill their treasuries. 22 "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. 23 I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; 26 While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primeval dust of the world. 27 When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, 28 When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, 29 When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, 30 Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, 31 Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. 32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. 34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; 36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death." rhemamagazine.com 34

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