Take Time To Pray |
When God Doesn't Answer |
Tributes |
The Ideal Mother |
Consider This |
Hearing Tells You That the Music Is Playing |
Poet's Corner |
My Journey With Jesus |
Gifts of the Spirit |
The Music Minister |
Teen Issues |
Violence on TV |
Strength For the Day |
A Prayer of Guidance |
When God Doesn't Answer
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
Many times we ask God for something, yet we still fail to get it. At times, we sometimes feel He has ignored us.
Matthew 21:22 declares. "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."
The key word is "prayer." How can we expect God to answer us if we do not spend time with Him in prayer?
Just talking to God when we need something is not prayer. In prayer, we humble ourselves and acknowledge our sins, asking forgiveness from our Savior. We praise Him and lift up His name. We seek to learn of Him by studying His Word, the Holy Bible.
How can we expect God to answer if we have not acknowledged Him as the Lord and Master of our lives? Does a parent continue to reward a child for being disobedient?
We must obey God's laws and walk daily with Him. That does not mean we will not stumble, sometimes. But when we do, we must go to God in sincerity, admitting our sins, asking for His forgiveness and His strength to overcome our faults and help us not to sin again.
We cannot do it by ourselves. We are not the rulers of our lives, no matter how we deceive ourselves. God cannot be the co-pilot, He must be the pilot, if we expect His blessings of salvation. When we are one with the Lord, we can ask and know that He will answer.
Acts 1:8 says "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me...
Yet we must remember that the power of the Holy Spirit becomes ours only through prayer. Every day, we must ask God to fill us with His presence. The Bible says He is a jealous God. Therefore, He will not tolerate our putting the many gods of our natural life before Him. If we want to be at one with God and feel His power, we must first experience the healing power of prayer.
Isaiah 40:31 states, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with the wings of eagles; they shall run and not be weary; walk and not faint."
It is through prayer that we learn God's will. It is through prayer that we are filled with His Holy Spirit. It does not matter how long or how short the prayer is, if it comes sincerely from the heart. It is our surrender to God's will that touches His heart. We are not saved by our works, but by the "Grace of God."
Before asking why God didn't answer, we must ask ourselves if we've answered God.
A Matter of Faith
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
As we approach Christmas Day, we should be reminded of all the things we have to be thankful for. Family, Home, Friends, but most of all the love of God. Instead, we sometimes get caught up in the glitter of parades, lights and monetary gifts. Some people are not so fortunate this holiday season. Some have lost family, homes, jobs. . . Some people only have memories of loved ones this Christmas Season. Some people only have grief.
I recently read an article on the Internet where a mother described the painful "emotional roller coaster" her family went through during the illness and eventual death of their young son, Edmund. The boy was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer and underwent surgery to have a plastic tube installed in his chest to help administer chemo, blood work, and everything else he would need.
While he was in the Medical Center, he became friends with another young boy named Jaime, who had been going through treatments for two years. He showed Edmund his scars, told him it was and piece of cake and helped him through his fears .
After seven months of treatment, Edmund died. When the funeral was over, Jaime wanted to know why everyone was crying. His mother explained that they were sad because they loved Edmund and missed him.
With a candor that is often reserved for the young, Jaime responded, "But Mom, Edmund went Home!" He said it with a big smile and was confused because he felt everyone should be happy for Edmund, who was now with God. Sometimes, it hard for us to imagine such youthful faith.
Nine months later, Jaime also died. Edmund's mother stated "Now they are both together where there is no suffering and sadness. We too need this kind of faith to understand and accept life more thoroughly.
On another note:
A man, with a wife and three kids died recently from cancer. Though I had never met him or his family and only knew of him through a mutual friend, I had been praying for him for several months and had asked the church to join me in lifting him up in prayer. At that time, the doctors had given him three weeks to live. He beat those odds by two months.
I felt sadness and a sense of loss when he died. Through praying for him and his family these past few months, I felt he had somehow become a part of my life.
I hope that he and his family found love and comfort in God during the trying times of his illness. I will continue to pray for his wife and kids, that the Lord will comfort them in their grief. At times like these, it is natural to feel like the bottom has fallen out of your life and sometimes we don't know which way to turn. But I know from past experience that God's love can bring us through all the storms of life, if we only have faith in Him.
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1: 3
"Okay, God, That's Enough"
by
Delicia Gipson
How many times has a certain situation or circumstance caused you to ask if God is there? Maybe the question occurs to you, "Is God aware of my plight?"
However different the situation or circumstance may be for each of us, the experience is very real and extremely taxing. But when we feel like our back is to the wall and we are all alone, questioning God is the next step, Right?
Well, look at Corinthians 10:13. It mentions the faithfulness of God. He will not allow you to be tempted in any situation above that which you are able.
Yes, when the pressure gets heavy or when the fire gets hot, we say to the Lord, "Okay, God, that's enough!", to suggest that we know what our limits are. But, interpret that scripture as God knows how much we can bear.
God knows your limits. Accept your trials and tribulations with the knowledge of God's faithfulness. As bad as things seem now -- as bad as they may get tomorrow, obviously God has confidence in your ability to shoulder them. Remember that scripture "weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Tributes |
The Ideal Mother
by
Rev. D'Anna Gipson
One of the sweetest days in the year is Mother's Day. We always love her tenderly, but on this day we rise to express that love in some tangible way. The Bible says some very fine things about women, particularly of mothers: "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." (Proverbs 31:28)
Long ago there lived a godly woman who was not a mother. Her name was Hannah. We read about her in 1 Samuel 1. Eventually she became a mother, in fact, one of the greatest. Hear are some factors that made her an ideal mother:
1. She wanted to be a mother. She desired that more than anything else and was willing to set everything else aside. For her it was the most beautiful calling she could have.
2. She prayed for a child. She prayed fervently and persistently with real faith in God, who, in due time, blessed her with a little boy.
3. She promised to give this child to the Lord. She vowed "Then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life." (Samuel 1:11)
4. She gave him a good name. The name Samuel meant asked of God. We seldom give our children names that are meaningful in themselves.
5. She cared for her son. While he was dependent on her in his early years, she put him first in her life.
6. She kept her promise in giving him to the Lord. That was not easy to do, but she trusted God to care for him. Nothing we give God is ever lost.
Samuel became one of the most godly leaders ever to walk on this earth. The influence of mothers on children cannot be measured.
What is the greatest gift a mother can give her children? To train them in the way of the Lord. Parents have an awesome responsibility in regards to the eternal destiny of their children.
How can a mother do that? Proverbs 31:30 says, "a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be
praised." Only if a mother knows Jesus Christ as her own Savior and Lord can she successfully
establish a home and raise her children. Although being an ideal mother is difficult, it is a noble
calling and receives the blessing of the Lord.
Mother Lillian Davis
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
Though Mother Davis has passed on, in my heart, she will always be a living testimony to God's
grace.
During the years I attended Phillips Memorial C.M.E. Church, one of the most familiar sights was Mother Davis sitting in the pews each Sunday morning. She reminded me of the grandmother I never knew. Her face full of love and understanding. A glint of humor shining from her eyes.
Over the years, her shoulders curved and lines gathered on her face. You could call them battle scars for the Lord, for her love and devotion to serving God is reflected in all she did.
She moved a little slower now, and her steps were not as steady as they once were. But each step took her closer to the Savior she worshiped all her life.
When talking to her, I could see the wisdom she gathered through her struggles and triumphs for the Lord and feel
the anointing of a spirit so loving, that while watching her in church, I was inspired to write the following poem. I feel blessed to call her a mentor. Each line on her face was a memory to be traced, a joy relived, a sorrow remembered. But most of all, a victory for God.
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
Dedicated to
Mother Lillian Davis
In our church is an elderly woman,
her years of wisdom etched in her face.
Each line is a remembrance
of the trials she has faced...
The burdens and the joys
are both reflected in her eyes.
The heartache and the triumphs,
and all the times she cries..
Her back is bent, her shoulders slumped
from all the many years,
Of facing all her hardships,
sometimes reduced to tears.
But if you ask she'll say her life
has been a great success.
For faith has been her constant guide
and she has done her best.
To serve the Lord with gladness
and joy within her heart...
You see through all her trials,
she has always done her part.
And the lines, why they're just memories,
that all of us can trace...
Of triumphs she's made for the Lord,
not just lines upon her face.
|
Consider This |
Hearing Tells You That the Music is Playing;
Listening Tells You What The Song Is Saying.
By
Rev. Annette Musgrove
One of the least developed skills among us humans being is that of listening. There are really two different kinds of listening. There is the natural listening and interaction with other people, and there is spiritual listening to the voice of God.
It has been said, "Men are born with two ears, but only one tongue, which indicates they were meant to listen twice as much as they talk." In natural communication, leaders always "monopolize the listening."What we learn about another person will always result in a greater reward than what we tell him about ourselves. We need to learn to listen and observe aggressively. We must try harder to truly listen, not just to hear.
In regards to spiritual listening, Proverbs 8: 34-35 (NIV) Quote Wisdom who says: Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me, finds life and receives favor from the Lord. There is great wisdom and favor to be gained by listening.
Proverbs 15:31 (NIV) says, He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. Listening allows us to maintain a teachable spirit. It increase our "teach-ability." Those who give us a life-giving rebuke can be a great blessing to us. The Bible teaches that we are to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19.) We must never listen passively, especially to God. If we resist hearing, a hardening can take place in our lives. Callousness can develop. In Luke 16:31 (NIV), Jesus said of a certain group or of people, ". . .'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" The more we resist listening to the voice of God, the more hardened and less fine tuned our hearing becomes.
There are results of spiritual hearing, as we see in Luke 8:15 (NIV.) This passage relates to the parable of the sower: ". . . the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart,
who hear the words, retain it, and by preserving, produce a crop." Harvest is associated not only with persevering and good seed in good soil, but also with those people who hear the Word of God and retain it.
Fine-tune your natural and spiritual ears to listen and learn.
by
Rev. Annette Musgrove
As I was reading my Bible, I came across an article entitled:
"Consider This," A prayer of the Laity. The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
How many times do we think of ourselves before we think of others who have nothing?
We go to the store and buy what we want, but when we come out and a person from the street will ask if they can have something to eat, the first thing that comes out of our mouths is, "I don't have anything for you." But we're standing there with a full basket of groceries.
How often do we clear out our closets and find clothes that still have the price tag on it? Yet when the church down the street or for that fact our own church has a clothing drive, we'll hang it back up in the same spot, knowing that the outfit is too small and we couldn't fit into it if we tried.
Consider this, Jesus gave the disciples a law to lead them in their actions as they ministered to others. "
Freely you have received, freely give."
God has showered us with His blessings. We should give generously to others of our time, love and possessions.
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
|
Poet's Corner |
My Journey With Jesus
by
Sandtresa White
I heard a voice calling
so soft and sweet.
Startled, I jumped promptly
to my feet.
Looking both ways, I asked,
"is someone there?"
Not seeing, but hearing
sweet melodies in the air.
So I followed the singing
to a bright light.
A cool breeze flew through me,
I clenched my hands tight.
My eyes were opened,
wide in pure delight
I finally realized
I was on the home flight.
I looked on my right side,
and saw a man so sweet.
I looked at his bruised sides,
then his hands and feet.
He sent me back to tell,
many don't believe us.
So I'm here on earth to tell,
of my journey with Jesus.
Dear Lord
by
Tiffany White
Lord, in thanking You
for all the day You let us live,
I just have to say , "Keep us, Lord,
let us grow and learn to give."
Sometimes we worry
about how our life is.
Dear Lord, open our hearts
and take away our sins.
Precious Master, we need patience
and a lot of loving too.
Dear Lord, I'm really thankful
for all the things You do.
My Faith
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
My God hears my prayers
Though at times, my faith He'll test.
And He will answer me
in the way that He see best
A Rose
by
Anne Gipson
A rose is
Soft and pretty
It comes in
Different colors
And sizes
People give
Them to other
People because
of love or they
Just want to be
friends or to show
They care
I share my rose
to show my love.
|
Gifts of the Spirit |
by
Rev Delicia Gipson
Minister of Music
There are church musicians and there are Ministers of Music. Contrary to popular belief, these two are not the same. A church musician is one who has studied and rehearsed and eventually is able to produce beautiful music. Through many hours of dedication and discipline, a proficient and accomplished pianist is developed.
A Minister of Music, however, as is stated by the title of this article, is one who employs the gifts which only God can endow. Prayer is extremely important for a Minister of Music. Without prayer, one cannot effectively use the gifts of the spirit. Acts 6: 3-4 reminds us of the importance of prayer for one to minister.
Again, a church musician may find the need for prayer of little significance and arrange his priorities differently.
One of the gifts of the spirit, healing, can only occur through one connected to God who has all power.
Preaching is another gift of the spirit that can be packaged as a harmonic melody. A troubled soul can become quickened by exhortation originating from an instrument.
Something any Minister of Music should realize is the spiritual growth of each member of the music department, with all their diversity, has been placed in his charge. Perhaps the gravity this position contains has not been totally revealed until now.
Sunday morning service, by far, demands more of the Minister of Music than any other time. Not only are his services required by the music department, but also by the members of the congregation and of the clergy. Careful selections are placed strategically about the worship service.
By using another gift of the spirit, discernment, the Minister of Music selects appropriate hymns, spirituals, and/or anthems under the unction of the Holy Spirit.
As I close, not only do I perform as a church musician, a proficient, accomplished pianist, but also as a Minister of Music. One employing the gifts which only God has endowed.
A Call To Exhort
by
Brendalyn Crudup Martin
As Christians, we are each given spiritual gifts to nurture and use to glorify God. The calling of Exhorter involves uplifting and spreading the word of God to encourage and help others. At times it can be a very confusing position. I would describe it as a lay clergy, for you are a lay person who has been called to the ministry of exalting the Lord.
The confusion comes when you are unclear which direction you have been called to follow. Some people exhort through their music, others through teaching, still others through prayer.
I feel God has called me to a written ministry that can be used to touch those who are unable or unwilling to seek the traditional means of learning of Him.
Whatever ministry a person is called to, the purpose is the same, to lift the name of Jesus and help touch the spirit of someone who is wandering or hurt and let them know God is there.
Many times during our struggles, the knowledge that someone cares and is there for us, keeps us
from giving up. If I can touch just one soul, my calling will not be in vain
by
Sandressa White
I feel Exhorting is a form of counseling. All my life I have found myself easy to get along with and understandable. I listen to other people's problems and give examples of my problems and ways through God I made it through them.
Also, I give advice to people and have them compare their problems to the problems Jesus faced and show how God was there for Jesus and let them know He is there for all of us. God has given me a gift to speak His Holy Word and through my Exhorter's license, I am able to do this.
|
Teen Issues |
Violence On TV
by
Eric Wilson
One issue that challenges the parents of America, is violence and inappropriate subjects on the television. Many parents are pushing for the government to make rules and regulations for what should and should not be broadcast on the TV airways.
They say TV violence influences children to commit violent acts in society because they saw it happen on TV. This may be true, and I admit that some things on TV go way over the line. I don't think the government should be the only one trying to do something about it.
Adults need to teach children to decide what is appropriate for TV viewing and what is not. If a
child that committed a violent act because of TV knew the show was not appropriate and did not
look at it, he would not have committed the violent act.
What's Up With You?
by
Eric Wilson
It's a phrase that we've heard or said to somebody else who's done us wrong or we did something wrong to them. And now that school is right around the corner or more like right next door, we will hear this phrase much more often.
But I've learned a lesson in church that can be easily applied to this circumstance. When we go back to school on August 18, we should remember and practice something Rev. Gipson says before we take communion. She says that if you know you have problems with somebody you should settle them before you go to the altar. In school you should just settle them as soon as possible.
Why! Well, there are lots of reasons. First of all, you don't have that guilty, bad feeling on your conscience. Second, if you settle the problem, you'll have one more friend than you had before.
As we go back to school, I wish you good luck and hope you all get those good grades
Time
by Eric Wilson
Time. It seems like we never have enough of it. I started experiencing this ever since I started High School. You have to wake up at Six in the morning. Then when you get home, you do homework, chores, deal with family and try to have fun with friends.
After you've done everything you think needs to be done, you fall asleep. But, you've forgotten something. You've forgotten the most important thing in the world. You forgot Christ. We must always remember God in our daily routines. It's really not that hard.
You can say a little something to God any time and anywhere you are. And when you get home,
you could spare some of that free time with friends and have fun with Christ. You may not
realize it at first, but your life will definitely get better when you talk with Christ.
|
Strength For the Day |
Dear Lord,
We thank you for the blessings of each new day and ask that You help us meet all that life may bring us with courage and cheerfulness. Please guide us throughout the day and bless us at day's end with peaceful minds and grateful hearts.
Amen.
|
Treasures of the Bible can easily be found when you dig for them |
There is so much to be gained from praying and reading your Bible. You will find words to help, comfort, strengthen and inspire.
Take time to pray.
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