Unity is a condition of harmony and the quality or state of being made one.  That is exactly what Christ is wanting, what He desires for us to be in total unity for Him.

1st Corinthians 1:10 says; I appeal to you brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

We cannot be at war with each other and then try to spread the word of God.  How can we as believers in Christ be united as one for Christ?  We can start by being one with Christ within ourselves first.

Galatians 3:26-28 says; so in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave or free, nor is there male or female, for you are all one in Jesus.

In those verses, God is speaking to us, and He desires for us to be one together, not separate or divided, but as one.  He wants is to he joined for Christ, so that we can spread the word to all people everywhere.  If we believe in Jesus, yet we carry a heart that is hard towards them, we will not be in unity with Christ.

1st Peter 3:8 Says: Finally, all of you be like-minded be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  It can be difficult when we are upset with another believer, but we must get past that, so we can serve God and spread the word of Jesus, in unity with our brothers and sisters.  Jesus and his disciples came together as one, went out, and spread God’s word to all people.

Ephesians 4:11-13 says; So Christ himself gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Now we are becoming whole within ourselves, we have prayed and read the bible and are restoring our relationships with our brothers and sisters for Christ.  Together as one in love, being in unity, we are now equipped to go and spread the word of Jesus.  God is so pleased when we carry on the work of spreading the word of God that Jesus began long ago.

One of my prayers is for all the people in God’s churches to become as one, in unity in Jesus name, without separation or division, so that together all of us can reach the world with the good news of Jesus Christ; to stand together as a body of believers and to love one another.

Psalm 133:1 says: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!

May all of you be blessed and have a beautiful day!

By Minister Catherine Wilcox

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

st Brigade, 3rd

In the parking lot behind the Snack Bar there was a vehicle parked all by itself with warning cones around it, on the back deck of this truck was a lone soldier with an automatic weapon, and on the ground, was an intoxicated soldier. The ground soldier was attempting to gain access into the truck, while the soldier on the truck was telling the man to move on and stop what he was doing or he would be shot. Now, this truck is called a TOC Tactical Operations Center; it is what was known as a Crypto Top- Secret vehicle. To gain access in this vehicle you had to have a need to know, a proper ID, Password, and reason to enter in. None of which the ground soldier had.

It was obvious to me that neither soldier was about to back down. Now, understand this soldier on the truck had orders and authority to SHOOT TO KILL any intruder that may attempt entry. Even though I was somewhat tipsy and elated for the event that had just taken place I was aware of the serious situation I had come upon. Not sure what to do I guess I relied on my combat training to lead me through. I approached the discussion and when the guard halted me I assured him that I was there to assist him by diffusing the situation. I went to the soldier on the ground, put my arm around his shoulder and talked him down out of getting himself killed. I must tell you that I was SCARED OUT OF MY BRITCHES. If I was unsuccessful this man might get dead and I would be a witness.

I titled this paper A Gentle Nudge to gain the attention of the reader, I told this story so that I might put some perspective on the message I am about to share.

I was a ground soldier standing in a place where I was attempting to enter where I had never been before but had heard of, a place where I had to have the proper authority, proper credentials, the need to know, and someone to grant me access. One day, a man stood before me and put His arm around my shoulders and spoke words to me that I had never heard before. He assured me that with the proper identification and credentials I could not only gain the Need to Know but also the ability to enter in to place. He gave me a gentle nudge in the right direction that led me away from the house of sin and towards the House of Righteousness. As I am writing this paper I am reminded of Elijah and his call upon Elisha and how those two walked together, Elijah with a gentle nudge on Elisha and the rest is History. That soldier lived to see another day and learn what had happened, I also could live another day and learn what had happened.

Jehovah God came to this planet in the form of created man, He wanted to re-build that relationship with His created beings that He so longed to have from the beginning. While He was here as Jesus Christ He never attempted to force anybody into anything, He never spoke words of condemnation but encouragement. Jesus went about inviting men to follow Him and to learn from Him all that they needed to know so that they could enter the place I was wanting to enter. Sometimes Jesus had to get physical to get His message across, we see that in the temple with the money changers, but most of the time He was GENTLE AS A LAMB.

I met the Lord Jesus Christ through the gentle nudge of a man who was at the right place and the right time with the right words to say. He asked me if I had ever called on the Name of the Lord for my Salvation, and I told him I didn’t know what that meant or how to do it. He was gentle and he put his arm around my shoulder as we knelt at that altar of repentance before the Lord God Jehovah and taught me how to pray the Prayer of Salvation. I have long since lost contact with that man, but I know that I will see him again in heaven, and I will be able to truly thank him for his GENTLE NUDGE.

Jesus called for us to enter the world as Gentle Lambs knowing all along that we may be scorned, hated, assaulted, and yes even killed because of our Faith in Christ Jesus. He never said it would be easy, in fact we see it wasn’t for Him as He felt the sting of the whip on His body, and the crown of thorns on His head, then the excruciating nails in His hands and feet. No, He never said it would be easy or a piece of cake; however, He did Promise that it would one day all be worth it in the end.

Praise the Lord Saints!

Did you know that there are 37 recorded miracles that Jesus performed? The bible tells us that had all of the miracles and healing been recorded the bible would be too immense to carry.

Let’s talk about the cleansing of a leper that is recorded in Matthew 8:2, Mark 1:40 and Luke 5:12. First, lepers were considered ceremonially unclean and were shunned by society. Leprosy in the Old Testament included various skin diseases, and when contracted,  your flesh as well as members rotted away.

This man most likely had true leprosy because his healing caused a great sensation. Jesus, unlike other rabbis, who avoided leper’s expressed His compassion with a physical gesture. Yes, He touched him! The leper, being healed by this touch, emphasized Jesus’ power over all disease. Leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of that time yet Jesus exercised His miraculous power over it by a simple touch of compassion.

Saints, draw near to Him and let Him touch you with that same touch of compassion!

Spirit Lead

Pastor Terry A. Gordon Jr.,

Women in Ministry

 Women in leadership is a very delicate subject, but the truth is they have had authority over men and led since Eve in some way or another.

 In those days, the men sat on one side and the women sat on the other. If a woman needed to ask her husband a question, she was to wait until she got home and not be a distraction. If it were true that women could not speak in church, then they could not also sing or say anything, and we know that’s not God.

 As far as authority, let’s look at Deborah in Judges 4. She truly was a great leader. Then in Acts 21: 8-9, we have Philip’s four daughters who did prophesy. Tabitha (Dorcas), in Acts 9:36 was full of good works, which means she was a lady of fine reputation and love for God. This could only be obtained through some type of authority. In Acts 16 we are told of Lydia, who was a businesswoman, a person of authority and many believe her house was the first church on European soil. Also in the same chapter, Paul in verse 13 had a prayer meeting with all women, which was really a church service because they had no building to hold service in until Lydia gave her house. I’m positive Paul and those few with him did not do all the talking.

 In Acts 18:26, we find both Aquilla and Priscilla, his wife teaching Apollos. Then in Romans 16 we find Phebe, who was a servant, in Greek diakomos meaning deacon or deaconess. Then in verse 3 we find again Priscilla and Aquilla, her being named first which in the Bible tells us Paul is recognizing her authority as her husband’s or even more so. In verse 5 we find (they) Pastor one of the first house churches in Rome. I really could go on, but I hope that’s enough to convince you that God calls both male and female to great works within the church.

                                                                                    Bishop Keith Conard

Titles for Christ

 Praise the Lord Saints! Today we will look at another title for Jesus. In today’s text we visit the NT verse in the gospel of Mark.

 Mark 1:24 (KJV) Saying, “Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the “

HOLY ONE OF GOD.”

 The demon was well aware that he and Jesus belonged to two different kingdoms and had nothing in common. Here the demon uses “we”, a pronoun meaning that he spoke for all demons. The demon places affirmation on the sinlessness and royalty of Jesus. The demons know who he is but strangely enough many don’t and actually deny his existence or that he ever really came.

 I tell you Saints that there will come a day when the Eastern sky will split, the trump of God will sound and He will return on a white horse. Then it will be too late to choose sides. I pray that we choose now whom you may serve and I pray that choice is life.

 Spirit Lead

                                Pastor Terry A. Gordon Jr.,

Titles for Christ

Praise the Almighty God saints!  Here are a couple more titles for Jesus. 

 In 1^st  John 1:1 it states- that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the “WORD of Life.”

First John one of Jesus’ three, most intimate associates, affirms the physical reality of Jesus Christ having come “in the flesh.”  The bold proclamation of Jesus’ gospel is declared when the title WORD of Life is used here at the end of verse 1.  Read the gospels words and you will have life.

 Revelation 19:16 “And he hath on his vesture and on his thighs name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORDS OF LORDS.  The book of Revelation tells of the time that is approaching.  In that time, Christ will need no man made object to defeat the Anti-Christ and his army.  The word of God carries unlimited power, whether in creation or destruction.  The word of God brings salvation to those who will believe on him. 

                               Pastor Terry A. Gordon Jr.

Beauty is in the Eye of God

Beauty is defined as the quality in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the mind or spirit.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He hath made everything beautiful in this time, he also hath planted the world (eternity) in men’s hearts so that no man can find out the work God maketh from beginning to end.”  God’s beauty began when he created the heaven and earth, the sky, ocean and separated dark from the light.  His beauty continued when the plants, flowers, animals, and man were created.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  Each one of us has been made in God’s image.  We are all significant and beautiful to God.  We must look at others and ourselves with a brighter and loving perspective.

1 Samuel 16:7 says, “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him, for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance; but the Lord looketh on the heart.”  Let us look at each other as God does.  If we try to look at our hearts and the hearts of others, our eyes can see the beauty that God sees in each one of us.

You and I are precious, amazing, wonderful, and beautiful.  We will be forever in God’s eyes. God’s greatest gift of beauty was in sacrificing his son Jesus for our sins.  God wants us to ask forgiveness to our sins and accept Jesus as our Savior because God wants to give us eternity in heaven forever.

Psalm 27:4 says, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

Remember, “You are beautiful in God’s eyes!”

Minister Catherine Wilcox