A COMPANY OF WOMEN
CONTENTS
02 Editor's Note
04 WFM Guidelines
10 Ehyeh-I AM By Heidi Ngai
18 Revolving Doors by Shelly Wilson
24
POWER OF THE WORD BY KUDZIE G. PHIRI
40
LIFE'S CHALLENGES BY ERIC OTCHERE
26
WINGS TO FLY BY LINDA MHLANGA
44 COURAGE
BY JOY. J. ZEISET
46
A COMPANY OF WOMEN BY MUCHA
48
LETTING GO BY VALERIE LEE
50
SIMPLE Ã…RAYER
30
20
12
28
HOW TO SPOT DANGEROUS PEOPLE
Founder and publisher of Women's Frontline Magazine. Mucha has a passion for sharing God's word through writing and encourages the Body of Christ to begin to put thier life into words. '' God has created us with our uniqueness and together we can create an atmosphere of Kingdom writers to minister and uplift each other in a time where most voices are silent.''
KEEP MOVING KEEP PRESSING KEEP PRAYING
Contributing Writers
SHELLY WILSON
ALICE MILLS
KUDZIE PHIRI
JOY J. ZEISET
HEIDI NGAI VALERIE LEE
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We invite all authors, essayists, journalists, persons of letters, poets, scribes, wordsmiths to come and submit your writings, manuscripts, poems, and essays as you share your story… All submissions must be sent to: womensfrontline@gmail.com To b e c o n s i d e r e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n , p i c t u r e s a n d illustrations should be sent as hi-res images (300 dpi, at least 6” x 6”). This is important for printing purposes. All submissions should be original to be considered for publication. The images used in submissions must be copyright free. Please add a note if submissions are not your own and include consent from the original w r i t e r. Writers retain all rights to their work but WFM retains the right to edit submissions for publication and use the articles on our website and all social media posts, associated with our magazine. All rights reserved@Womensfrontlinemagazinecom2019 Wo m e n' s Fr o n t l i n e M a g a z i n e m ay n o t b e reproduced, printed or transmitted in any form w i t h o u t p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e F o u n d e r.
Prophetic Art
“Ehye – I AM” Immediately following the last painting God gave me to depict Him in the midst of the seas, “Immanuel,” I couldn’t escape the desire to understand more deeply the mysterious name which the Lord gives to Moses:
We cried, contended in intercession, praised and waited on Him for hours every day. Each day we heard the gentle whispers of His heart, His redemptive plan and desire to deliver His children. It is a picture, I believe, of what is being offered every child of His right now.
“Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh” or “I AM WHO I AM.”
A season of grace when it is time to do as the Word says in Isaiah 55:6: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.” When we do this, His promise in James 2:8 is: “Draw near to God and He will come near to you.” I AM, our covenant-keeping God, is not slow in keeping His promises and by the very nature of His Name, “Ehyeh,” is not remote or aloof, but One who is always near, intervening on behalf of His people over and over again throughout history.
I was intimidated to say the least to embark on a painting that would convey this Holy Name, but the inkling God had given me wouldn’t leave. One Sunday as I was asking Him what to paint, the image of the burning bush came clearly to my mind and then vanished. In obedience I quickly bought a canvas and then my family and I were off to Colorado Springs to enter into a time of prayer of fasting for our nation. The timing could not have been more perfect. As we were there it felt like a moment in history when God’s voice drew us close, like Moses at the burning bush, and we heard the cry of His heart to set generations free in our time.
Does it not seem that now, more than ever before, we are in need of the Lord’s intervention? We live in a period of moral decay, suffering, shakings, and rumors of war which is only escalating as described in the book of Revelation. In the midst of it all, I feel the Great I AM drawing us close to the burning bush of His heart once again to declare His Sovereign power over His creation and His desire to partner with us to see the greatest Revival and harvest the Body of Christ has ever seen. The question put to me as I painted this humble bush a ame is, will I “turn aside” from my daily business as usual, as Moses did, and accept His invitation?
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When it comes to dangerous people, I am not particularly naïve. However, I can be gullible. So time and error have taught me some signs to look for in new acquaintances. I am not constitutionally able to walk around with a cold reserve. My somewhat extroverted nature is to love everyone I come in contact with. Unfortunately, this playful demeanor of mine gets me into trouble if I am not careful. It is as if I wear a sign, “Narcissists Welcome”..
I remember a conversation I had with my step-daughter, Amy. The guy she was dating had a lot of dangerous characteristics. He was quite open about them, as many dangerous people actually are, if you listen carefully. He admitted to doing quite a number of illegal or underhanded things. She kept insisting that he wasn’t a ‘bad’ person. So I asked her if she knew how to tell a ‘bad’ person from a ‘good’ one. No, she said. Then she asked how? You can tell if a person is bad, I told her, because he or she does bad things. I know that seems both obvious and unfair. After all, we like to think of ourselves as good people who occasionally do bad things. Shades of grey are everywhere we look, particularly if we are trying to figure out if a new relationship will prove healthy for us or not.
So instead of categorizing everyone as ‘bad’ or ‘good’, I prefer the terms, ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ or perhaps ‘safe’ and ‘potentially dangerous’. So here is my list I compiled over the years to discern good ‘uns from bad ‘uns as they say in Kentucky. I make allowances for mistakes because we all make them. But when Jesus said we should be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, He was letting us know that discernment is a must for living on this earth. How else can we keep the wolves from the sheep?
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Signs of a Dangerous Person 2 The words and actions of dangerous people do not match. I think of how many people I have met who loudly proclaim their morality. They don’t drink. Sex outside of marriage is immoral, and criminals should be locked away and the key thrown out. They let everyone know their highly moral stances. And yet, you begin to find out that they have a large stash of alcohol or you see them three sheets to the wind at a get-together. Their They avidly glean spouses admit to being information from you. If you cheated on. had no idea you were so fascinating, you may be Time will out a dangerous person. If you take the time talking to a dangerous to keenly observe how person. lives match up with words, dangerous people Their primary objective is to eventually expose find out information about themselves. Safe people you that can be exploited follow moral principles and later. Their show of intense repent when they fail. interest is to manipulate you into finding out all they can, They do not impose morality on others because in case it proves useful to they are busy imposing it them later. Real on themselves. The louder relationships develop over and more judgmental the time. person, the more cause you have to be cautious. A predator will groom you with his or her searching questions, creating a false sense of intimacy. 1. They are predatory listeners. Normal adults show empathy and demonstrate active listening skills. Interested in what you say but without any ill intent, they hear and respond, give a comfortable amount of eye contact, and keep the conversation flowing as an back and forth exchange. Narcissists and other predators lean in.
3 They will tell you themselves that they are dangerous. An interesting fact about predatory people is that they tend to be proud of the fact. I could kick myself for all the times I dismissed what this or that dangerous person told me outright. If they say they are commitment shy, then they are commitment shy. One boyfriend told me that he felt no emotion. I didn’t believe him til he dumped me a few months later. If they like to tell stories about how they did something shocking or mean, it is a matter of time until they treat you in a shocking or mean way. When I was eventually cheated out of several hundred dollars by someone I considered a friend, I had to admit that I should not have been surprised. Although he claimed to be a believer, the truth was that the stories he told about himself were awful. I should have listened to the way he admitted to treating others.
4 Your body will often tell you they are unsafe. I love to play ‘Wordscapes’. In it, you are given six to ten letters and you have to gure out all the words that you can make from them. If I get stumped, I wait awhile and when I go back, my brain has gured it out. This is the purpose, in part, of your subconscious. It is always working, primarily to keep you safe. So when you feel uncomfortable around someone, your subconscious has picked up cues that your conscious is slow to recognize.
5 If you feel strangely inadequate or a need to gain their approval, you may have a narc on your hands. People communicate themselves to others in a myriad of different ways. If you hang out with a calm person, often their peace will extend to you. We absorb the signals others emit. So if you nd yourself grappling with shame or with a need to impress a new acquaintance, you are in dangerous territory. Dangerous people prey on others in order to feed the emptiness in themselves. The true self of a narcissist is self-loathing. So if you feel insecure around someone, there is a reason.
Sometimes we call this intuition. But when we encourage others, especially young women or children, to be kind to people who make them uncomfortable, we teach them to ignore one of their important safety feature common to all humans.
Often dangerous people are critical. For some reason, we humans are often attracted to negative people. We mistake outspokenness for leadership. And if we have a bit of people-pleasing in us, we strive to please those who are unpleasable.
I realize that being uncomfortable around people of different ethnicities or abilities is a matter of maturity. But that is not the discomfort of which I speak. If an individual person, regardless of sex, ethnicity, etc, gives you a feeling of fear or makes your stomach churn, avoid them. You ‘know’ something you may not yet recognize.
Makes for a lot of misery, as dangerous people will hand out praise sparingly but always deny full approval. Remember, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ according to Romans 8:1. If those around you are lled with condemnation, they have little room in themselves to be lled with Jesus and His love.
6 Dangerous people do not recognize boundaries. If putting up a boundary always becomes the starting point of a negotiation, the person you are dealing with is unsafe. Say no to the person you suspect is unsafe and watch the reworks light up. The heart of a narcissist or other predator is lled with a deepseated rebellion. No one has the right to set up boundaries to their twisted way of thinking. They will use manipulation to lower those fences and if that doesn’t work, they may resort to force. 7: Drama, drama, drama We often have romantic ideas about how relationships are supposed to feel. Genuine love comes quietly, I believe. If the person you are dealing with causes intense feelings right away, be careful. It may be that their trauma is exciting your trauma. Unlike in romance books and rom-coms, we actually do have control over whether or not we fall in love. If you have any obsessive thoughts or feelings about this person, you are in danger of harming yourself. Dangerous people know how to excite those around them. Whether for political gain, sexual conquest, or domination, predators play upon the strings of other’s hearts. Real love feels like peace and trust. Emotional manipulation feels like obsession. I highly recommend the book, Safe People, by Townsend and Cloud, the writers of the more famous book, Boundaries. I gave it to my daughters to read with the hopes they wouldn’t have to learn the hard way like me. But now that I have learned to restrain my puppy like self and allow God to vet the people in my life, I am much happier. I have learned to really be careful about the people I allow in my life, watching them carefully over time. Relationships that have a rm foundation take time to grow. You have your whole life. You have the time to separate the sheep from the goats.
by Shelly Wilson
For too long many have casually come and gone taking for granted the very presence of God. Opportunities to grow, learn, and sit with Christ have been cast aside and thought best to be left for another day.
Yet this morning, the heart of the Lord rests on those sitting at His feet. Waiting on His Word. Longing to go deeper into His heart.
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An encounter with the living Christ is still available today. Sadly, many confine Him to a “closed canon” and miss the living and breathing Spirit of God sent to dwell within us. If you have decided He shall only speak through His Word then you have relegated Him the same as did the Pharisees. For if He lives in me and I have the mind of Christ, then I shall hear Him daily in beautiful and wonderful ways...including through His Word. His Word (Jesus in written form-The Word) is living and active and is always in pursuit of hearts. Yet, for some who have yet to come to know Christ, He entered a bar scene and spoke tenderly to their heart need. For others, they were in a country where the Bible has not yet been placed in their hands but the audible voice of God enters their hut declaring, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” The Lord is hovering over those who understand His ways are not our ways. He cannot and will not be contained by a world taught only by head knowledge.
For those who have been satis ed with your churchgoing yet there has been no transformation of your life and giving it fully over to Him....you are in grave danger and need of making quite sure you know, personally, The Christ......some merely know, The Church. Oddly, we nd He does not dwell in houses made by man...and many indeed are void of the Spirit of God. Some have been warned of their idolatry and like Eli chose to look the other way as sin ensued in the house of God. The enemy devoured them from the inside out. Now sin calls for its payday. . The revolving door of complacency is shutting. He is pouring Himself into those shut in with Him. The old evangelists we glean from knew the difference between life and death. They preached of a God who speaks. A Christ who rose again! Yet, often we leave people with only the Christ who died
“We teach of men ordained in human meetings and have forgotten men and women were chosen and ordained by the Holy Spirit of God. !” Many chosen have been rejected by men as partiality runs rampant due to race and gender. The Lord is dealing with this in many houses of God. The inner turmoil may not be of the enemy. Perhaps the hand of the Lord has moved to get the attention of the shepherds leading the sheep astray. Let us be willing to examine ourselves and see if there has been a wicked way of slithering in our own midst. Time is short. Call on the Lord and He will show you great and mighty things you do not know. You cannot know...if your life is merely a revolving door with Christ. He is The Door....by which we enter eternal life, abundant life, supernatural life.... Have you really gone through The Door? Has it closed securely behind you leading you to new and pure pastures? Or do you simply come for an occasional visit? Make sure you are being taught the difference
It's really sad to see someone lose themselves. Especially someone you know.. Life comes with lots of burdens and somehow a lot of women are losing themselves and forgetting that they are worth more than rubies. Dear Woman, you are special in God’s Kingdom, that is why Jesus left the 99 to go and find the one who was lost and alone.
Don’t allow people to treat you like you are worth nothing. You are a chosen daughter of the King and should never let anyone tell you otherwise. Just because you have a big heart it doesn't mean that people should take advantage of you especially in relationships. If you are not appreciated and always treated like you are a doormat, then it’s time to leave. Life is not meant for you to cry every day. Being in a relationship isn't meant to be dif cult nor complicated. When two people are in love there is always a way to compromise and keep the peace in dif cult circumstances.
There are so many people that are in the wrong relationships. Wrong, because they have accepted that that is the way he talks to me” That is not the case. No one should talk to you with no respect and call you names! As we enter the month of September, I pray that is the month you will take a stand and refuse to be treated like a doormat. This is the time to remember who you are. You are an intelligent woman who is kind, not stupid. Begin to know your worth and rise above the abuse, because that is what it is. Stay strong and be true to yourself!
“Many times we see things from the perspective of those that we admire. This is usually an ideology passed down from generation to generation. The only problem with that is if we do not have a clear unaltered reference for this ideology we fall into ‘religion’ and begin to do things solely based on what we believe to be true and not actually the truth!”
The word of God was given to us to be passed down f rom one generation to the next. This being so as to ensure that there is no dilution and that individuals truly become acquainted with the word and thereby knowing the truth for themselves. The Lord said: “…use it as a memorial, an everlasting ordinance, tell each generation what is written in the book.” Whether it is by default or design, a generation has risen that has no desire to read the word or know the word for themselves, thus creating this almost occult approach to Christianity. Things have become so mystical and magical; it is as if most have stepped out of the realm of truth and entered a pseudo reality that is filled with so much pretension. This is the realm we find Christians rising against fellow Christians and the doctrines preached stirring up more strife than Love. The reality of a pseudo world is that everything appears to be but is not.
It is all in the form of but without the substance of truth. This is what is wrong with the world today! I t is so easy for people to give into such deception because it appears to be yet it is not. God in His unending love and grace towards humanity gave us His word and instructed us to become one with the word because He knew of the treacheries of this world. Our father knew that whoever is not one with Him becomes an easy target to the form and not the substance of truth.
2 Cor 4:4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. Sadly, this has been the downfall of many. But know this brothers and sisters: the word of the Lord is alive and it was given for your existence. It is a daily guide that not only speaks of what was and what is to come, it also speaks directly into your life. "The Power of the word of God is indisputable. It is His word that He will use in your life to ful ll promise and bring it all to pass for you. Isaiah 55:11
WINGS TO FLY by Linda Mhlanga
When was the last time you saw a bird with a broken wing in full ight? My guess would be never! A broken wing will often immobilize the bird and render it unable to spread its wings for taking off. The broken wing becomes a temporary handicap. The wing must heal otherwise the bird will be unable to protect itself from predators or hunt for food.
Eventually, it dies. You may be reading this article and like me, aspire to a better life.
“You have goals and ambitions; you have a passion to be somewhere else, do something else or even be with someone else.!� Every ber in your body is screaming for you to spread your wings and take a chance, try something new, start out on your own.
This is a broken wing.
But what if you have a broken wing?
Our brokenness comes from the varied situations we encounter in life.
Jacob in the book of Genesis chapter 29 had a desire to spread his wings and make Rachel his wife after serving her father, his uncle for seven years. He is duped to marry Leah instead.
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He is further required to serve his uncle for another seven years for Rachel, another broken wing.
This may be any situation, such as the breakdown of a relationship or marriage, loss of work or income, long periods of unemployment, the death of a loved one, serious illness, addictions, and many others.
“These situations can handicap our ability to spread our wings and fly toward the future we desire. Jacob found himself handicapped with a wife he hadn’t chosen and a further seven-year work bondage to his uncle for Rachel.
So, how do you spread your wings then?” During the healing process, the bird with a broken wing also does a unique thing. Day by day it begins to gently stretch out the damaged wing to help strengthen it. This helps the healing process and is also key to a smooth ight when the bird is ready to take to the skies again. At this moment in your life you may be unable to spread your wings and (….complete this with your own reality ) but even with all the limitations of your brokenness you too can start stretching.
You too can start planning and making preparations for taking off when it nally becomes possible. The day will eventually come when the thing that was holding you back no longer has any power over you. The day will come when you will spread your wings and y, till then keep s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g. The bird with a broken wing must rst nd a way to survive it’s environment until it’s wing is healed and it can y again. Jacob’s love for Rachel was strong enough for him to nd a way to survive his environment
Genesis 30: 31-43. And so it is the same for us. ways to survive our environment in every way we can; make use of our support networks, our faith communities, temporary jobs or working two or more jobs if we must until we are strong enough to spread our wings and take off toward the next level or stage in life.
A wise man of God often quoted that “Life is lived at in stages and arrived at in levels.
She stared into the mirror one more time and gazed upon her appearance. She noticed that there was a sadness around her eyes. Life had left scars on her face..
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Ephesians 5:14
She heard a strange sound come out from the dark night as the wind blew ercely against the window pane. Slowly, she turned and stared at her sideways appearance. Her countenance was rm almost like a warrior. She shuddered as she remembered the events of the past days. She had been misunderstood, bruised and rejected. She had become a reproach. Her friends had deserted her, her family turned on her. She was lled with shame and misery. She recalled how she had struggled to be herself despite the gossip and judgement. For a eeting moment she thought of how Jesus spoke to the woman who was caught in adultery. ..though their cases were far from similar, she imagined what he would say to her..
Maybe he would say, ”don’t be afraid child. Keep using the gifts I gave you, despite the gossip and judgement…” Once, she had heard someone rmly say, it doesn’t pay to be yourself! Just act like everyone else. But somehow, a voice inside of her was echoing something else…the voice kept on whispering her true identity… You, my child, are royalty. Your father sits upon the throne and has made you heir to his throne. Arise, awaken. Awaken above the hate, above the judgments, above the envy and jealousy.
Awaken child. You are a warrior. Pick up your sword and ght! She kept on staring at the mirror, this time directly. Somehow, her hunched shoulders were straightening as she corrected her posture. She raised a glass of water and began to drink. As she drunk, she saw a vision of herself drinking from an enormous oasis. Again that inner voice spoke to her ”Drink from my wellchild,” Awaken my royal child, you now have the strength you need for your journey. Awaken, pick up your sword and ght!
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JESSICA DALLA TORRES
ON THE COVER JESSICA DALLA TORRES
JESSICA
is a 32-year-old Christian contemporary singer/songwriter who was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her parents are Portuguese, and so she speaks Portuguese fluently. She was raised in a Christian home where her family listened to a lot of worship music. She has loved worship from a very young age. Jessica has been happily married for 10 years and has two beautiful daughters.
Please introduce yourself to our readers. Who is Jessica?
Share a little bit about your background.
I was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. I’ve been happily married for 11 years to Aniello, who is of Italian descent, and we have two beautiful daughters. My parents are Portuguese, and so I speak Portuguese fluently. I love spending time with God and my family. I also love fitness and running. I’m a singer/songwriter. I’m also a vocal trainer and I have developed a program called “Singing Angels” which is for children and teens, although I do also train adults. I love working with children and that’s why I also recorded a children’s album titled “Shine!”. I have also started a foundation called “Into Your Heart Foundation”, which is aimed at helping the underprivileged and orphaned in SouthAfrica.
I was raised in a Christian home and so we listened to worship music all the time. My parents also served in church, so we were always at church and I think that just brought me closer and closer to God as I grew up. I am have loved worship from a very young age. I’ve been attending and singing in church for many years. My love for orship drew me to recording the ''Into Your Heart'' album. It’s such a blessing to have been raised in South Africa which is such a wonderful and diverse place.
What is your passion and how did you discover it? My passion for singing and worship started when I was very young. I was very shy growing up, so my parents never really knew. I would always sing by myself when everyone else was not in the house until one day my nanny heard me and told my parents. They started supporting my singing and I then competed in the South African Idols when I was 18. Singing in front of thousands of people gave me so much con dence and made me realise that I could do it. From there I started my vocal training and the rest is history. I recorded a pop-rock album just after my Idols experience, but my true passion and dream was to record something with purpose and truth, that would glorify God.
Being of Portuguese descent and living in South Africa drew us to the album in both English and Portuguese.
What has been the most challenging thing you have been through in regard to finding your passion? To get over nerves and uncertainty and keep focused on the plans that God has for me, and to not rely on my own understanding. He gives me strength when I think that I can’t do it.
Looking back is there anything you could have done differently?. No, I think we learn from our mistakes and grow from them. I feel that being a Christian Artist is the path God has chosen for me. I pray that with wisdom, and the gift that God has given me, that we’ll be able to bring people to Jesus.
What inspires you in your journey as an artist? To keep focused on Christ no matter what. My father is a pastor and my late grandfather was also a pastor and they provided me with inspiration and set good examples. My father also inspired and helped with the message of some songs on the album. A lot of the times I get either a dream or just that sense when you feel like your life depends on serving the Lord and reaching out to people that are broken and lost, knowing that I could do all this through worship. Helping people to feed their souls with the Lord and to be rooted in Christ, just as a tree is rooted in the ground. So, my inspiration comes from the love I have for worship. The love I have for spreading God's word all around.
Let''s talk about your new song, ''Into Your Heart'' What inspired you to write this particular song? I wrote “Into Your Heart” with Daniel Ornellas and Josh Varnadore. We wrote this song with the intention to help people. It was inspired by a dream that I had. In that dream, I saw God’s heart as it fed and gave life to a tree which signified His people. The people that accepted Him flourished and grew, and in the dream the branches extended as this happened. We as the body of Christ, are all connected to each other as branches in the tree.it turned out to be and the response I received from people was touching and rewarding.
It doesn’t matter what state our life is in, we can always be restored by God, just as a tree blossoms after a long winter. It was such an amazing experience to see what I had dreamt of turn into reality. It was wonderful to hear how beautiful it turned out to be and the response I received from people was touching and rewarding.
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What is your advice for emerging artists?
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Seek God, find your purpose and calling and take steps, sometimes small, but you will eventually get there. A verse that comes to mind is: 1 Peter 4:10, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Worshipping and ministering in different countries and communities and crossing cultural boundaries. Helping people to make a connection with God through song, in the hope that they will find healing and peace, knowing Jesus never left them and He never will! I also hope to see growth and improvement in the communities that we will visit through God’s power.
How do find What is your message for time to be a wife, mother, women today? artist, singer and song With God anything writer? is possible. If you By the grace of God! It’s hard at times but immensely rewarding for the Kingdom of God! I have a great support system – my husband is very helpful and hands-on, and so are my parents. I thank God every day for these blessings in my life.
have the desire in your heart, you just need to be faithful and pray about it as long as you put your mind and heart to it. God will make it work regardless of your circumstances. You don’t have to settle in your current situation, you can be whoever God wants you to be if you put your faith and trust in Him. Jesus will never leave you. Through Him you’re strong, beautiful and wonderfully made. Put God and family first in your life. Philippians 4:13 “I can be all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
You don’t have to settle in your current situation, you can be whoever God wants you to be if you put your faith and trust in Him.
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LIFE'S CHALLENGES by Eric Otchere
You experience opposition if you do nothing
I have been to seminars where during questions and answers session people raise concerns about the antagonistic environment they operate in and how it sti es their working life.
While many have lost hope in ever making it, few have braced through odds to succeed. I am young in my working life, but one thing is abundantly clear: Challenges, dif culties, and hardships are part of the journey to a glorious future. Anyone who moves towards destiny comes against a tide. You can’t avoid what happens to you but you can control how you react towards them. In this write up, we will look at ve challenges Jesus Christ, the son of God, faced which I believe can help anyone to condition his or her mind for the task ahead.
HATRED The size of the dream you carry determines your haters. King Herod and the teachers of the Law hated Jesus because of His claims of being the King of kings, the Son of God and the savior of the world. Just like Jesus, everyone with a dream will experience two major forms of opposition: firstly, hatred from men with authority and power (Herod) and secondly, hatred from the prevailing system (the teachers of the Law. Our hatred could emanate from increasing unemployment for job seekers and inaccessibility of financial support to push an idea through.
TEMPTATION All these, amongst others, can kill our dreams. Hatred is any person or system that obstructs achieving dreams. Where haters abound, hailers abound even more. In Matthew 2, when King Herod was busily scheming to kill Him, wise men were worshipping and supporting Him nancially. Don’t focus on your haters, identify where you are celebrated.
Nobody is immune from temptations. What temptation does to us is to make us lose. Nobody is immune from temptations. What temptation does to us is to make us lose focus of the big picture of life and fall for petty things. Matthew 4:1 says that, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Temptation is a test. Once you pass it, you move on to the next stage of your calling or ministry. Great people have fallen because they could not stand temptations. It is no respecter of anybody whether big or small. The cure for temptation is to watch and pray as Jesus stated in Matthew 26:41. Prayer awakens your spirit and watching makes you aware of the devises of your tempters. You must be sensitive to temptations in order to pass the test.
BETRAYAL
REJECTION The third challenge Jesus faced in His earthly work was rejection. When He went to his own, they rejected Him. Matthew 13:58 says that, “Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” Never allow rejection to enter into your heart. Don’t be emotional about it. I understand rejection because it’s been part of my work as sales and marketing person for a couple of years now. Rejection toughens you. Every successful sales person has mastered his emotions.
Jesus taught His disciples how to deal with rejections. In Matthew 10:14, He said, “Whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.” In other words, any individual who rejects your product must be forgotten about instantly. For any group of people who reject you, there are others waiting to accept you. Rejection does not cancel potential.
Another challenge close to rejection is betrayal. The painful thing about betrayal is the people involved. Betrayal is when someone close to you disappoints you after you repose con dence in him or her. They give you their word but act otherwise. Judas betrayed Jesus for just pittance. The Bible says in Matthew 26:1416 that, “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.” At each level of life you are going to meet such people. For any person who betrays you, there are eleven other disciples who will forever be loyal to your cause or dream.
WOMEN'S FRONTLINE MAGAZINE
COURAGE " I have discovered the courage to step out of comfort zone and pursue after goals, dreams, and purpose in life. "
by Joy J. Zeiset
Every step leads to something great. It takes courage, effort, and being brave for the impossible things to become possible. It is all about becoming great every day. To pursue and be consistent in what is being done to produce results.
Be intentional and always keep going after greatness. Staying focused is imperative on reaching your highest potential. A mind made up is the most powerful tool to accomplish your goals. Just believe in yourself. You may need to do it afraid and then you will build faith and courage. There is nothing you can not do, only if you pursue your dreams and purpose in life.
Do not take no for an answer. You can and you will. Consistency produces results. God put the promise in your heart. And God enables you and equips you to manifest his promises through your everyday life. Never quit, always keep trying and keep pursuing your dreams. It is imperative to have a plan put on paper for your life as a roadmap or a blueprint. Write down a family plan, business plan, family life plan, personal plan, and parenting plan. Everything in life requires a plan and directions to take the necessary steps to get there. When you know exactly what you want in life than you begin to go after it. You do not have to settle. You can change your life around. All it takes is your willingness to make it happen
WOMEN'S FRONTLINE MAGAZINE
What are you willing to do that may be uncomfortable that will produce results in your life? When your mindset is in alignment with your passion that gives you ideas to set goals and set a plan to make it happen. All things are possible to them that believe. Take a leap of faith and pursue the desires of your heart and see it manifest in your life. The spirit of the Lord is without limits. Get in alignment with God's will and purpose for your everyday life and you will have a rich and fulfilled life.
There is a joy that comes out of living in God 's kind of assignment. Sometimes you may need to get out of your own way so that God can fully manifest his promises in all aspect of your life. According to your faith, be it done unto you.
WOMEN'S FRONTLINE MAGAZINE
A COMPANY OF
Women
There is a company of women that are rising after life's tsunami and taking their place in God's Kingdom
There is a company of women that are torn inside by the aftermath of life’s tsunami. They are those that are holding on to the very last strength, hoping, and praying that the tide turns and the winds of adversity subside. Their eyes are lled with fear as they tread on unknown territory. Their faces that were once young and happy have turned into dark dreary shadows. Their eyes have seen a lot of turmoil, injustices, hatred, and misjudgments. Their countenance tells their story, a story of pain and despair.
In the company of women, they struggle to fit in, in a world that keeps changing and evolving. They always seem to be ten steps behind trying to pick up the pieces when everyone else has moved on. God sees them cry themselves to sleep, as they wonder when peace will come.
He sees them as they go on their knees crying for a breakthrough, a ray of hope, and clarity in the midst of the darkness. He sees them‌. as they begin to gain their strength and become brave in their pain and weakness. They begin to have a voice and they fight for what is right. They begin to smile again and encourage others. Suddenly their focus is not on themselves, but on those around them who need a helping hand. God sees them. He has everyone in the palm of his hand. Hold on! He sees you.
LETTING GO! by Valerie Lee Letting go of the past is a choice that we must make in order to move forward to our destiny, we can either choose to allow it to hold us hostage or become the Victor and be Free! Many of us are not pressing forward to our destination because the past had us locked in a place of bondage without the ability to get to our goals! Make the choice today and say to yourself, "I'm choosing to be free from past hurts ad well as present hurts! I'm choosing to love me and forgive others as well as myself.''
Dear Jesus, In a world so full of hate, I come to ask You to give me more love for the unlovely. Teach me Your ways, as I confront the world with the knowledge of You. I’ve had lots of opportunities lately to approach people in my past. Sometimes I was able to open up, and other times I didn’t seem to have anything to say. But, I have so much in my heart that I want to share. Examine my heart and its motives. I believe there is more room for change, and only You can facilitate what needs adjustment. As I’ve walked out what You’ve called me to do, it certainly hasn’t been easy for me. But, out of Your loving heart You challenged me to new opportunities and adventures. I had to be repositioned several times – leaving those behind who were not called to go. But, I see Your hand in my growth all along the way. You helped me to forgive those who positioned themselves against Your will for me; and I thank You for Your help.
Give them more wisdom, and teach them how to release. For those I’ve been able to help through transitions, I thank You for even more wisdom to help me point them to You. When You give me instruction, help me to walk it out in reverence to You. I don’t want to be so casual with You that I treat Your Word with anything but respect. I desire to be obedient. I desire to live for You. It’s only by Your grace that I can continue. So, I receive Your grace right now – knowing that You ARE with me. Where else could I go in my times of need, but to Your feet. And, yet You treat me like I am special. Well, You are special to me. I love You, Dear Jesus.
DEAR JESUS
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