Beauty & The Gospel ISSUE NO 2 VOL 2

Beauty & The Gospel MADE PERFECT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

EXCLUSIVE !

"Once we are awakened to that reality, God takes over all the way"

FAITH MARCK 12 SIMPLE WAYS TO WORSHIP KING JESUS EVERYDAY

ISSUE NO 2 VOL 2 MARCH 2019

PLUS!

IT WAS THE HAND OF GOD + christian blogging

stop arguing with satan!

& MONTHLY DEVOTION

VISION ROMANS 15:20-21 20 Accordingly I set a goal to preach the gospel, not where Christ’s name was already known, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation; 21 but [instead I would act on this goal] as it is written [in Scripture], “They who had no news of Him shall see, And they who have not heard [of Him] shall understand.”

MISSION 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17 17 For Christ did not send me [as an apostle] to baptize, but [commissioned and empowered me] to preach the good news [of salvation]—not with clever and eloquent speech [as an orator], so that the cross of Christ would not be [b]made ineffective [deprived of its saving power].

TABLE Â OF CONTENTS HEY!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

EDITORS NOTE

THE WAVES OF THE SEA BY UNCLE ANGUS

THE BATTLE IN YOUR MIND

YOUNG , MARRIED & BORN AGAIN

THE MINISTRY OF REMINDING

COMMUNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BY PASTOR BONGANI GAMA

MONTHLY DEVOTION

EDITOR'S NOTE Your majesty Be on your guard, then, because you do not know what day your Lord will come. Matthew 24:42 Beloved, as I write this I was actually reading the Bible.

I wasn’t reading the book of Matthews but the book of Galatians. I just felt this thought come into my mind about the conversation I had with my mom yesterday (25 February 2019) about how one has not been able to sleep these days and it’s not because of problems (Glory be to King Jesus) but because one simply cannot sleep for long hours. Only to find out that she had the same conversation with her sisters in Christ and they too had the same answers.

There is something my mom said that lingered in my spirit, she said “Yes, as children of God we cannot sleep for long periods of hours because how will we hear the trumpet”? The first thought that came to mind was wow, that is so profound and when last did I myself think about the rapture? Now let me ask you the reader honestly, when last did you think about the rapture? As I quote Matthew 24:37-39 GN version – The coming of the SON OF MAN will be like what happened in the time of Noah. In the days before the flood people ate and drank, men and women married, up to the very day Noah went into the ark; yet they did not realize what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the SON OF MAN comes.

There is so much going on in this world, but the burning question is, are we still aware that we are waiting to be raptured, that we are not going to live here permanently? We are definitely living in the days of Noah and it’s only a matter of time the trumpet sounds.

Are you ready? Is your family ready? Are your neighbors ready? Who have you told the Gospel of Jesus Christ? When last did you just simply had a conversation about King Jesus with a stranger, not your friends but a stranger? In closing what has happened to spreading the Gospel by giving out tracts?

And what are you doing with the life, gifts and talents that the Lord Jesus Christ has bestowed on you?

Matthew 25:14-30 .

This particular verse has been convicting me strongly in 2 Corinthians 5:10 AMP version – For we {believers will be called to account and} must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad{ that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purpose, goals , motives – the use or misuse of his time, opportunities and abilities}. Let me leave you with those questions.

If you happen to be a new reader, WELCOME ABOARD BELOVED. That’s it for now till month, you’re loved by Him and I.

EMPRESS_TEEKAY

Monthly Devotion I’ve come across books that were written in the 90’s by Radio Pulpit titled “Bread upon the waters”. They are books written so we could have a daily devotion. What’s so amazing about these books is the fact that till this day they are so informative and relevant more than ever.

In this one is based on the book of 1 Timothy with the heading: HONOUR! Read 1 Timothy 5:17-18 The Bible is not against people receiving honour. We are commanded to honour our father and our mother, women and those in authority over us.

These two verses are for “the elders who direct the affairs of the church”.

They were the central core of the congregation and had to work hard at preaching and teaching. They were worthy of double honour and a wage.

Those who spent all their time in preaching and teaching were entitled to payment (compare with 1 Corinthians 9:14).

What does this tell us? Those who devote their lives to preaching and teaching deserve honour. In modern days this would be our ministers/pastors. We must honour them by praying for them, showing them respect, and by giving financially, so that they do not have to concern themselves with earthly problems while working for the Lord. Naturally, the ministers/pastors earn our respect by working hard and through their godly lives and example.

When we honour people we need always to bear in mind that God must be honoured above any person. The honour we afford people must never become a form of glorification.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, please help us to honour our ministers/pastors because we honour You.

exclusive

"MAY HIS LIGHT SO SHINE IN EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE"

I got the chance to have a chat with South Africa's anointed worshiper FAITH MARCK. Known for

FAITH MARCK

her hit single "Great Messiah" amoungst others.

May we be enlightened further with this exclusive interview.

Q. Who is Faith personally and professionally and

a worshiper in spirit and in truth!

BY

EMPRESS

TEEKAY

where are you from?

A: Faith Marck is a Worshipper, wife and mother, I’m a Pastor’s kid, middle child with two brothers. I’m married to the world’s most amazing man and who’s also my producer and we run a family business amongst other things. I’m a Swati girl that grew up between Soweto and Leondale in East Rand but mostly Soweto.

Holy Ghost filled, radical about the gospel of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Q. Who does FAITH say, THE SON OF MAN IS? A. The image of the invisible God, Saviour, Redeemer, The Great Shepherd of the sheep, the true Light and the firstborn of every creature born according to the will of God through the Virgin Mary.

Q. When I say the name Jesus what comes to mind?

A. Undying, limitless and sacrificial love.

Q. You have a single out “YOUR LIGHT”. Take us through the process from the beginning to the end, what inspired you to write the song and which area in your life do you need God’s Light to shine on?

A. Actually the song came about 4 years ago, when my Pastor released the word for the year according to (Isaiah 60) it was an all night service and I literally had to step outside as God gave me the melody as soon as my Pastor released the word of the year, so I quickly recorded the melody on my phone and presented the idea to my husband the next day and recorded it. The song was done but we just couldn’t release it as it felt like something was missing, so basically the song was abandoned for four years until The Spirit of God brought it back to my spirit last year and we revamped the song recorded it and the rest is history. May His light so shine in every area of my life.

Q. What do you pray this single imparts to the listener?

A. Confidence in the sovereignty that we possess in our spirits that enables us to be the light of the world. Once we are awakened to that reality, God takes over all the way!

Q. Tell us more about the Live studio Worship series, has it started? what can we expect and how can one be a part of it?

A. The Worship series has started with Your Light being the first song released, it’s basically all about rekindling our connection with God, saturated with His presence, a beautiful time of unrestricted worship Live in studio.

The series will consist of four songs that I will be sharing with everyone very soon. Subscribe to PromarckTV on YouTube to view the series.

Q. You work closely with your husband Pro Marck , who is also your producer. When it comes to songs what comes first? the rhythm or the lyrics?

A. Well it depends, I’m very specific about how I want my sound because most times I get the melody and the sounds in my sleep and I try so hard to explain them to my husband but it’s amazing how he understands me now, I hardly struggle with him. But with other songs I allow him to suggest according to his expertise and experience of what works best for the lyrics that I have and eventually we prayerfully put something together.

Q. Would you ever work with any other producer except for your husband?

A Hmm interesting question, I guess if it’s necessary I would be open to it in the near future but right now I’m rolling with the hubby ;)

Q. You’ve released singles like “AWESOME”, “GREAT MESSIAH” and currently “YOUR LIGHT”. It’s obvious that people are asking for an album, when can we expect it?

A. The album will be a compilation of all my current singles and some new songs. The album will be out later this year, it’s actually almost done and sounds amazing!

Q. What other gifts do you have apart from Worshipping?

A. Hahaha I’m also a great dancer ;)

Q. Define purpose and how can one determine their purpose?

A. For me purpose is being in the will of God, being in His will enables you to discover who you are, why you are and what’s expected of you, this only comes by divine revelation when we are rooted in Christ and spend quality time with the Holy Spirit, in the word and in prayer.

Q. Talking about purpose, you have been in the music industry for plus minus 3 years what challenges have you faced and where would you love to see Faith going?

A. Shew! I think at first the biggest challenge for me was rejection from fellow artists, I was raised to celebrate other’s gifts and to be hospitable so when I experienced hostility it was a bit of a shocker for me with the kind of character I have but hey it is what it is.

Well, the sky is not the limit for Faith we’d like to take over nations and spread the gospel!

Q. How important is it to be around people with a purpose that is aligned to yours?

A. It’s very crucial, you have to surround yourself with people that feed your purpose, people who will challenge you to grow and get better and not be satisfied with mediocrity, people that will hold you accountable.

Q. What sets you apart from other worshipers and has it always been your desire?

A. What sets me apart is the uniqueness that God has endowed me with, I’m completely comfortable in who I am in Christ, I’m not trying to be the best singer out there or try to fit in but I’m all about being used by Jesus to the max.

Q. If Jesus were to visit you for one day, what would you say to Him and how would you spend the rest of the day with Him? A. Shuuu! I have a lot to ask Him but I guess the first thing I would tell Him is how much I love Him and just embrace Him and thank Him for the saving my life. I’ll just sit at His feet and do minimal talking and just listen to Him speak.

Q. What challenges do you face as a female, young, born again, musician?

A Being judged and not taken seriously, people think that you can’t find young Spirit filled people that sincerely serve God not by force but by the personal revelation of who Christ is.

Q. If you could change something’s about the modern church, what would it be?

A. The focus! My prayer is for the church to be more focused on raising Spirit filled, God fearing believers, followers of Jesus Christ NOT MAN, a fearless generation that is full of the Word of God and able to discern the times and uncompromising.

Q. What can you say to the young Christian who has decided that they will become committed to Jesus and the gospel when they are older?

A. For we do not know the day or hour that the Son of God will appear, the opportunity for you to be older might not even come. Christianity is not only for the old but just like Timothy God has anointed young people to be ambassadors of Christ.

Arise sleeping giants, Jesus Christ is coming soon, get your house in order!

Q. To someone going through the worst right now, what’s your message?

A. Hold on to God’s word it will never fail you, submit to His word even through the trial, Jesus said in the book of John “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever”, stir up the fire of the Holy Spirit in your inner being by praying in tongues. This will refresh you, edify your spirit and awaken you to the reality of who you are in Christ an overcomer!

Q. If you were granted one lifetime opportunity, what would it be?

A. Travel to every country in the world and minister to the sick whether in song or service, I have a passion for the sick, poor, broken hearted and afflicted.

Q. When people hear the name FAITH MARCK. What do you want them to know?

A. She’s a staunch distributer of divine and eternal verities and looking fabulous while at it;)

We are living in borrowed time, earth is not our home we’re just passing through, redeem the times. The time to serve God is now!

Q. Last words or rather advice for Christians in these end times?

A. Arise sleeping giants, Jesus Christ is coming soon, get your house in order!

Q. How can people get in touch with you and access your music and schedule?

A. Like my Facebook page on Faith Marck same name on Instagram and @Iamfaithmarck on Twitter to get updates on my schedules and upcoming events.

Q. Last words and plans for 2019?

A. I’m excited about the album that will be finally released in 2019 and can’t wait for everyone to hear it.

facts about meeeeee!

A Legacy is ….?

Conviction, Character and Faith, not money!

In my bag you will find….?

Guava roll Can’t live without?

My husband and kids I dream of …..?

Being a President of a huge organization that empowers women to empower other women!

2019 is….

The year of doing bigger things and taking risks.

Lipstick or eyelashes?

Eyelashes all the way!

What people don’t know is that I …….?

I’m very very shy and reserved.

If it weren’t for Jesus I would …….?

Have been dead!

Can’t stop thinking about?

Food, food did I mention food?

Daily mantra?

Go out there and dominate!

Purpose is…….?

Pursuing greatness.

Favourite Artist?

Cece Winans, what a worshiper!

I will retire the day ……?

God tells me to :) Best advic ever received?

Yo attract what yo honour!

12

simple ways to worship King Jesus everyday WRITTEN BY: DEB WOLF

“Since the days of our first parents in the Garden of Eden, worship has walked a tightrope between lifestyle and liturgy. When God walked in the Garden with His first children in the cool of the day, Adam and Eve worshiped Him as we should—without interruption. The Creator and His creatures experienced a continual, ongoing exchange of provision and praise. God provided everything Adam and Eve needed, and they responded with praise—with gratitude, reverence, honor, submission, and holy fear.” ~David Jeremiah The lifestyle part of worship is hard, isn’t it? So many things get in the way.

Busyness.

Discouragement.

Distractions.

I want my life to be that offering of worship Paul wrote about…

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Romans 12:1–2 (MSG) With God’s help, I’d like to add these simple ways to make worship (that ongoing exchange of provision and praise) part of every day.

1. Start the day with God.

I want to be intentional about kneeling for prayer several times a

Before I get out of bed, I want to spend 5 minutes thinking about

week.

the blessing of knowing that God is present in every part of my

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the

day.

Lord our maker, for He is our God. We are the people He

“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every

watches over, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:6–7.

nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our

3. Write 7 things you’re thankful for every day.

fortress. Psalm 46:10.

The number 7 stands for completion throughout the Bible. Writing 7 things I’m thankful for just seems like the perfect way to

2. Get down on your knees to pray.

remember God’s completely perfect provision.

There is something about humbly kneeling to pray that changes

Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His

my attitude from self to submission.

faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

4. Be awe-mazed at who God is and what He does.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but

I want to watch for miracles. Write down answers to

Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith

prayer. Notice the variety in creation. Pay attention to the

in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

ways God is working around you. And celebrate who He is

Galatians 2:20

and all He does.

Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will

9. Go outside and take a walk—enjoy God’s creation.

proclaim Your greatness. Psalm 145:6

It’s so easy to get distracted by entertainment, social media, and life’s demands. I need to remember to take a break and

5. Sing and dance like David.

enjoy the beauty that’s right outside my door.

I love this one … turn up the praise music and dance with

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His

joy.

craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night

I don’t dance in the car but I do love to sing and it’s hard to

after night they make Him known. Psalm 19:1–2

be impatient with other drivers when my heart is filled with worship.

10. Remember blessing anniversaries and celebrate the

Your kids will love it if you sing and dance with them, too!

moments of God’s grace.

And David danced before the Lord with all his might,

This is another favorite … we mark our calendar and celebrate

wearing a priestly garment. 2 Samuel 6:14

blessing anniversaries like the Children of Israel celebrated

They should praise Him with dancing. They should sing

the Passover. A few ideas are … Baptism birthdays. The day

praises to Him with tambourines and harps. Psalm 149:3.

you met your spouse. The day you got engaged. The day you received good news from the doctor. Etc.

6. Take a fast from grumbling.

I will remember the things the Lord has done. Yes, I will

Most of us don’t realize how much we grumble and

remember the powerful works of long ago. I will think of all

complain.

Your work and keep in mind all the great things You have

So, I’m making it a goal to set aside specific times when I

done. Psalm 77:11–12.

will absolutely refuse to be negative. I will surrender the junk in my life to God, do what I can, and do my best to

11. Worship God by loving the people in Your life.

shine…

You and I were for this time and place. One of the ways I can

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no

show God my love and worship is to intentionally love the

one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children

people in my life.

of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each

and perverse people. Philippians 2:14–15

other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

John 13:34

7. Read a Psalm to start the day.

12. Take care of yourself.

So many of the Psalms are pure worship and they

If you’re like me, it’s easy to put self-care on the bottom of

consistently remind me of who God is and all He does. And

your to-do list. But God made you and me. He cares and

He’s still doing it all today. Tomorrow looks good too! He is

provides for us. He loves us.

the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul.

We can honor and worship Him by getting enough rest, eating

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the

well and staying fit. Then we can be fully equipped to offer

simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing

ourselves as a living sacrifice to the Father.

joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving

Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am

insight for living. Psalm 19:7–8.

trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You. Psalm 143:8

8, Intentionally surrender your day to God.

I sometimes think I make worship too complicated.

A dear friend taught me this morning prayer…

Lord, I have surrendered this day to You. I will follow

Maybe it’s simply time for me to take my ordinary everyday

where You guide and do Your will as You reveal it to me.

life and offer it to God as a daily act of worship.

Please help me to fulfill this promise that my life might glorify You alone. Amen.

Care to join me?

Now it’s time for…

IT WAS THE HAND OF GOD YOU KNOW SO MANY TIMES AS CHRISTIANS, WAIT LET ME SAY AS HUMAN BEINGS WE FACE ENCOUNTERS THAT CAN ONLY BE SOLVED BY JESUS. THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS ONCE SOLVED, MAKE YOU SIT AND BE IN AWE OF HOW A HUMAN COULD HAVE NEVER SURVIVED THAT. IN EVERYDAY LIFE WE GET TO SEE THE HAND OF GOD BY MERELY BEING ALIVE , WE GET TO EXPERIENCE WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE . IN EVERY ISSUE WE FEATURE A STORY THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN EVERY WAY. IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GOD CAN DO , THIS IS ONE TRUE EXAMPLE . THIS STORY IS BY: TIYISELANI BALOYI. YOU CAN ALSO SHARE YOURS WITH US AT: BEAUTYANDTHEGOSPEL@GMAIL.COM.

Growing up away from both parents is the worse

Whenever my parents sent money, they would take and

situation that could ever happen to a child. Parents,

use it for their own needs. All this was happening

more especially mothers, have the best interest at heart

without my parents’ knowledge. I kept it to myself

for their children. I personally believe that no human

hoping things will change.

being in this world can treat and love you the way your mother could.

One day something happened that broke my silence when I saw in Deuteronomy 31:6(...He will not leave

Due to situations their beyond control, my parents

nor forsake you...) fulfilled in my life. My school uniform

separated while I was still very young . I had to live

disappeared, and someone uttered an incantation that I

with the extended families as both parents were

will not progress at school. God forbid and I progressed

working far from home. Though my parents were

and even furthered my studies and am continuing to do

supporting me by(always sending money for everything

more than the devil thought I wouldn’t.

I needed), life was challenging without them.

While in the midst of this terrible situation, I had no one to help me but God was on my side. I endured the

Staying away from my parents was a sad situation that

situation and trusted in Him through it all. And now I

only God could take me out . Without mentioning

believe that God was training me to be who I am today.

names and revealing families, believe you me that my

I had no one to report to except God through prayer. I

childhood was hell on earth. At that stage, I alternated

am now changed, different and saved by God alone.

between 4 different families with the hope of a better life.

Thank you Jesus!!!

Deuteronomy 31:6 New International Version (NIV) 6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

FEATURED

THE WAVES OF THE SEA We are so honored to share this beautiful article written by Uncle Angus Buchan . A Born Again spirit filled servant of the Gospel.

Thanking you once again Angus for sharing this article with us . He is an Author, Farmer, Husband, Father and Grandfather.

THE WAVES OF THE SEA My agricultural handbook tells me very clearly in James 1:6 that we must ask in faith with no doubting because if we doubt we become like a wave of the sea that is driven by the wind and we will receive nothing from God. We really need to understand what God is requiring of us in this beautiful country of South Africa. Recently I read a daily reading from the beautiful devotional by Oswald

He always used to say to my brother and I, 'when you get up in the

Chambers, 'My Utmost of His Highest'. He says

morning and you don't feel like going to work, change your job.'

that 'we slander God by our very eagerness to

Why? Because that is where you spend most of your life.

work for Him without knowing Him.' Basically I believe what God is saying to you

This is why it is so important to have a living relationship with the

and to me is that we need to get to know our

Lord Jesus Christ. We cannot allow any other factor to obstruct or

'agricultural manual' a lot better, but even

get in the way of our relationship with God. God will show you

more so we need to know the author of this book called the Bible. If we don't, we are going to get ourselves into serious trouble!

We meet a person one day and he tells us that he is selling up and going to Australia, then we get advice from the next man saying that we need to stop planting maize and we need to start planting soya beans. Then another man says we must stop dairy farming and start beef farming and it never ever ends!

This causes people to be very distressed and filled with anxiety and fear which ultimately

where to plant, when to plant and what to plant. He will show you whether you must stay or leave, irrespective of what the experts would say. I can tell you one thing that I have learned in my life, God is not a man that He should lie. His word is His honour and He is there to see you succeed. All you need to do is to find out what He wants from you and then do it with all your heart. You will find that your life will turn, and you will start enjoying your farming once again, you will start making money out of your farming operation because you are doing it correctly and with all your energy. The worst place to be in a farming operation is sitting on the fence because you are going nowhere, and you are bound to start losing big time until you get back in the race.

leads to depression. When a man is in a

Do not be like those waves of the sea. Let your yes be yes and your

depressed state he cannot think clearly. He

no be no.

starts to slow down and sooner or later the

We think of the story in the Old Testament of the widow who only

farm actually goes into liquidation.

had enough oatmeal and oil to make one more cake for her and her little boy and then she was going to lie down and die. The prophet

We need to know exactly what it is that God

of God came and asked her to make him some food because he

has called us to do. Our game plan needs to

was hungry (I believe it was a test from God). She did exactly that

come from God and then we need to implement that game plan with everything that we have and most of all, to enjoy what we are doing! My late Dad was just a blacksmith, but what a wonderful man he was, so full of wisdom.

for the man of God and as a result that barrel of oatmeal never depleted and there was always enough oil, right through the drought situation. That is not something that is logical, it doesn't make sense, and yet that is often what God requires of you and I, to see whether we really do love Him. Love Angus Buchan

contributor

We are honored to feature a young Apostle of our time .

Sharing with us the true and undiluted Word of God about the importance of Love.

WE WELCOME APOSTLE THEMBA (THE APOSTLE OF LOVE )

Love is a beautiful seed & your heart is a perfect Garden for it to grow.

These are the last 3 principles of 7 principles of love.

5. Patience 1 Thessalonians 1:3 "Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;" More insight: James 1:4 There are only a few people that can be truly patient, as being patient has never been an easy thing to do.

I believe no one can ever be patient without love, only love motivates patience. It's quite often questionable when your lover cannot be patient especially considering the fact that they plan on spending forever with you.

Why would you rush somethings when you plan on having a longterm relationship as if you are running out of time?

Patience requires a true lover who can patiently take things at a fair pace.

Most relationships have been broken because they lacked patience. You find lovers who go all out when they recently get in a relationship. They rush to do all the things that they can do because they believe it’s what lovers normally do but the truth is, patience needs to play a role in order to test the quality of the relationship. When things happen too fast you end up missing the point. You can neither tell whether a person loves you or they love the things which you always do together.

You will find them angry when you no longer in the mood to do those things then the relationship starts to lose its spark as if your relationship depended on those certain activities.

A love that depends on physical activities can never be defined as true love.

Girls are always victims of falling into this trap, compromising patience to satisfy the needs of their loved one or to make them stay and not cheat. If a person truly loves you, they have to be patient. Learn to live without physical activities as partners because at a certain point distance will challenge your relationship and patience has to play its role.

Teach your partner patience by doing things step by step so that you can always have something to look forward to. Most often why guys cheat is because there's no longer something to look forward to either than the sex you always indulge yourselves in until it gets boring and no longer exciting.

The thing about rushing is that it causes what we call a routine process where you find yourselves as lovers doing the same things over and over again and your relationship becomes predictable and there's no longer excitement cause you know whats gone happen when you meet then you find girls or guys starting to make excuses when you have to meet cause its known what's gone happen either way. For those who are already married, it's always advisable to try new things all the time, have seasons whereby you will just introduce something new just to keep the excitement going.

Love is a nutrition all human kind need in order to nourish our hearts and keep them healthy enough to bare each other’s imperfections.

Be careful of those who act patient with you where else they are satisfied elsewhere. It's like you agree not to have sex until marriage and then they agree only to find out they are having it elsewhere and pretend to be patient with you and you wonder how a man is this patient where else. I know men are hardly patient when it comes to this and he seems so cool with it.

Patience is stronger when it's linked with God who is PATIENCE Himself. The best patience can only be learnt from God.

2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:"

Be patient with one another creating space for growth and maturity in your relationship.

Creating proper qualities and longlasting commitment levels.

6. Perseverance James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

More insight: 2 Timothy 2:3 & Hebrews 12:2 The inability to accommodate one's weakness is a weakness on its own, we are far from love if we cannot learn to help each other grow from our weaknesses and improve each other in every area we are struggling in. Perseverance is about having the patience to turn weaknesses into strength in each other, forgiving each other daily for the things we cannot control yet, but learning to take each step at a time.

We need to hold on to faith, hope, and the greatest of them all which is love when we are pursuing Godly relationship. It's quite often one of the hardest stages to deal with, when we have to learn to understand that we have weaknesses, and slowly turn them into strengths but if love is our pioneer then we can possibly be the best version of ourselves.

7. Destiny

It is very important to set goals, especially goals we are committed to reach because of the passion we have deep inside our hearts to make love our life-giving source because without love our relationships don't have life, and anything that doesn't have life cannot give life.

The destiny in our relationship is not an easy phase to reach because we pass through a lot of challenges that often prompted us to give up and throw in the towel, but all the 6 steps kept pushing us forward, striving towards our destiny. Alone we can never reach the final stage, even if we do, we can never claim it as victory because once we agreed to start this journey together, its victorious to finish together.

It is important to evaluate each other's gardens to see if it is succeeding as it is supposed to, check if you investing enough, are you in partnership more than relationship for the garden to reach its full capacity of beauty, are you building or breaking the walls around the garden, are you depositing more than you what you withdrawing. You wouldn’t want to see your garden running empty.

One needs to set their priority straight, don’t water the seed with anything else than with its principles, the last thing you want to do is blame Love instead of your own set of principles.

Because love is a beautiful and peaceful place to be♥ Let God be the foundation and center of your relationships.

APOSTLE OF LOVE T NTOMBELA

young , married &

BORN AGAIN by; empress teekay

A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Created by God for us.

1. Who are you individually (personally & professionally)

We can never learn enough and this couple does exactly that. They teach , encourage and live. Enjoy and make sure you have a note book with you, you will definitely be taking notes. Here's the love story of JOE & FAITH NJAU.

FAITH: I am a teacher; I have a knack at grasping concepts

JOE : God’s kingdom builder, a very happy husband of one amazing wife and a practicing attorney. and teaching them to others…it’s my gift and calling! I’m also a wife to my lovely husband and a mum of two.

7. Has your relationship changed from dating to marriage?

JOE: Besides the responsibilities that come with being a present, faithful and responsible husband, my relationship with my wife has evolved for the better and has become purposeful – driven towards building God’s kingdom together.

FAITH: Now that we are married, we have more direction and purpose for the future we want to build for ourselves, our children and most importantly our God. We are here to build His Kingdom and bring it into the lives of those He placed in our time here on earth.

8. If you could change the perception that people have about marriage, what would it be?

JOE: Marriage is the replica/rehearsal of the party that awaits us in heaven…. It is that beautiful of an institution. But like anything in life, it requires hard work and 100% commitment from both husband and wife for one to unpark and behold the beauty thereof.

FAITH: Marriage is not a 50-50 party of two! It is two people bringing 100% of their love, faithfulness, forgiveness, grace, kindness and commitment into building a relationship that mirrors that of Christ and His bride (the church). This means that both spouses need to put in the work to make marriage a success. We need to keep in mind that marriage was birthed at the dawn of time when God decided to create a covenant between a man and woman that would last a lifetime and teach both of them how to sacrifice themselves in order to get a glimpse of what love truly looks like. (see 1 Corinthians 13;4- 8).

9. For the single person out there, wondering when they are getting married, what advice would you give them?

JOE: Better late than rush into marriage only to get into the institution unprepared and/or for the wrong reasons. So work on yourself and study on what marriage is all about – so as to eradicate ignorance (which can be costly) and acquire knowledge that will come in handy when navigating through marriage challenging terrains/times.

FAITH: I’d say live your best life honey! Life does not begin when you get married! Take this time to grow yourself educationally, mentally, financially and most importantly spiritually. I always says it’s better to be single and miserable than married and miserable so don’t beat yourself up because you’re single, use this time to GROW and pray for your future spouse so that they can grow wherever they are!

10. How do you deal with problems that you encounter as a married couple?

JOE: Acknowledge the existence of the problem – never put it on the back burner – it will breed new problems.

Once acknowledged seek solution/s right away by first getting to the bottom of the problem (the why) and then secondly formulate solutions through prayer and finding out what the word of God has to say in as far as the problem is concern (the bible has all the answers).

FAITH: We have learnt to lean in, listen to understand and talk to solve issues.

We also pray a lot for each other and use the Word of God as our reference when solving issues.

11. Challenges you’re facing as a married and born again couple?

JOE: Lack of effective communication was an issue for us and it took us a while before we re-learnt our bad ways of communicating and acquired new and better communication skills.

FAITH: I know that everyone knows that “communication is key” but although we knew it was key, doesn’t mean we knew how and when we should use this “key” so we found ourselves often at odds with each other simply because we were not communicating effectively and thus assuming the worst of each other.

12. Things you wish you were told about marriage?

JOE: Lack of effective communication is the foundation and root of many marital problems i.e. finances and lack of action in the bedroom.

FAITH: It’s easier to show grace to everyone except your spouse so learn to give them grace for the mistakes they will make along the way.

let no one separate -Ecclesiastes 4:12

Therefore what God has joined together,

YOUNG, MARRIED & BORN AGAIN

the njau's

13. Who is Jesus Christ to you individually and as a

16. The best advice ever received?

couple?

JOE: “Marriage is the coming together of two

JOE: He is the centre both in our marriage and as

incomplete people striving towards excellence”

individuals.

FAITH: Date your husband/wife, never let your

FAITH: As an individual and couple, He is King,

friendship die because it will carry you when you

Lord and Friend. I can’t imagine living my life

don’t “feel” the love.

without Him at the centre.

14. One word, if possible to describe your marriage?

JOE: Peaceful/friendship/Gracious [any of these or add a new one] FAITH: Friends!

young , married &

BORN AGAIN 15. What advice to those who are in the process of getting married would you give?

JOE: Keep Jesus at the CENTER at all times, remain friends, be mindful, be there for one another, be present and engaged, be communicative and have fun!

FAITH : The Holy Spirit should be your ultimate guide in this journey, He after all created you and your spouse so He knows you both better than you know yourselves. Give 100%, love with everything you got, don’t wait for apologies; forgive and trust the Holy Spirit to convict your spouse, be best friends, enjoy the journey and COMMUNICATE!

Monthly Devotion THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! Read 2 Timothy 1-7 It is not necessary for Christian to be timid, bashful and shy because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If it depended on us, we could be quite cowardly.

But it does depend on us. The Holy Spirit equips us with His strength and His ability making it possible for us to square our shoulders and go forward in faith and confidence.

Yes, He gives us power, love and self discipline.

POWER: the Greek word is dunamis from which we get our word “dynamite”.

This power is at our disposal, through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to work and witness for Him. LOVE: the Holy Spirit gives us a love for our fellow- Christians. This love, which comes from God, drives us to care for our fellow-man instead of ignoring their plight.

SELF DISCIPLINE: is what the Holy Spirit gives us so that we can face the difficult circumstances in which we find ourselves, and be a living testimony to our Lord Jesus Christ.

This verse is for Timothy and for each one of us. We sometimes get so discouraged because we think that we have to do everything in our own strength. Remember, we do it is His strength.

Prayer: Thank you, Holy Spirit, that I can experience your power, love and self-discipline.

HEY! ! ! !

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

WRITTEN BY: M.K HEY!!! WHERE ARE YOU GOING???

We are strangers in this world. We are foreigners or can I say visitors.

Nothing is permanent on this earth we are living in. We are put here for the main purpose of serving and worshipping GOD. We need to have a relationship with Him. He is our Father, our everlasting loving Father.

He put us here for a purpose and we need to fulfil and accomplish it.

GOD made man and was satisfied with His handiwork. He put man in the perfect garden of Eden. The Bible says He visited man in the cool of the day Genesis 3:8. GOD had this special relationship with man until the evil one infiltrated this perfect setup. The devil was consumed with jealousy to what man was receiving from GOD and he planned to put a stop to it. He lied to man using GOD’s words but of course twisting them in order to get his attention. Evil liar!!!

Man listened to the devil and believed his lies thus doubting what GOD really said. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy John 10:10. GOD was angry about what man had done. The perfect relationship was destroyed and nothing could repair it. Blood of animals was used but was never enough as it had to be sacrificed time and again. GOD wanted blood that could be sacrificed once and for all.

Permanent redemption was required.

Only the blood of JESUS was the only one GOD would accept.

JESUS died for the forgiveness of the sin of Adam.

He is our link to GOD the father. This reconciliation is perfect and permanent. Today we have the power and right to call ourselves children of GOD John 1:12. We will only see God through the blood of Jesus. JESUS is THE way, THE truth and THE life. No one comes to the Father through Him. John 14:6.

Some people are busy with so many activities that the devil lies to them by telling them that these will take them to heaven. Going to church, being a worshipper, usher, secretary or any leader in the church is useless as long as you have not accepted JESUS as your Lord and Saviour. Nothing else will save you from the clutches of hell Romans 10: 9-10.

My question is: “are you doing enough to get in”? When JESUS healed people He said “go and sin no more”. Today you people who call themselves Christians but their lifestyle is so embarrassing to say the least. What happened to “go and sin no more”? Some unbelievers think they can give some Christians lessons on how to live right.

Living right is a choice. James 4:17 say” To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin”. JESUS is coming back, not soon but anytime. Will you qualify to meet Him? He comes for a spotless church, without blemish. Have you or are you washing your garments with the Word of GOD? Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians 2:12, as the evil one won’t just stand by and allow you to just walk in and enjoy what he lost. He was kicked out from heaven and he is doing everything in his power to make sure that nobody goes in. Doing GOD’s will is a choice you have to make. Through our Lord JESUS CHRIST we are going in. Let’s allow His Word to work in us.

Let’s live according to our Father’s statutes. He loves us. Hell is for the devil and his workers. JESUS is LORD, AMEN!!!

TO ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOUR SAY THIS FOLLOWING PRAYER

CONTRIBUTOR

stop arguing with satan! @godsperspectiveforme Step backwards; turn around with me and investigate the moment that Jesus was baptized. The Jordan River, John and our Savior. Although John was reluctant, he baptized Jesus.

Heaven opened and the Spirit of God flew upon him like a dove. God boldly and quickly says, “This is my son of whom I’m well pleased.”

Although Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, which is the period of testing, we only see three exchanges with Satan. Did He test Him towards the end because He assumed Jesus would be at His weakest? Did he speak to him the whole time, but his words were so insignificant that Jesus didn’t answer? I would assume being in the wilderness with food unseen could be easy to overcome,

Anybody out there want a double portion of God? Although Jesus was God, he still fulfilled all righteousness with his

but the conditions of the area would say otherwise. Then Jesus indulged Satan, but only for a moment.

obedience to baptism which brought the Holy Spirit to Him. Jesus was getting refreshed because His ministry had begun.

When you start something new do you ask God for extra favor, focus, renewal, and elevation? If not, start doing that today!

Satan probes Jesus with questions of making food from stones, throwing Himself down to die and worshipping him.

Suitably, Jesus isn’t a Satan worshipping suicidal glutton.

Jesus has patience and restraint. He walks and talks with humility in the plans of God. So, no Satan your A-game is

Immediately the Spirit led Jesus to the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. I can hear God saying to him, have you tried my son Jesus? He came to a fist less fight to show

but a trivial demonic force of an ant to Jesus. He could easily kill you with a thought, but again he’s tolerant in God’s arrangement.

Satan that God will never bow down to him. God will never submit himself to what He created. Jesus is in a dry situation with no hope of streams flowing from its bosom. No moisture to feed the brain, blood, and bones for health and restoration. Nothing to give life, only death. But the Holy Spirit is a present help as Satan starts his invasion.

Jesus answers Satan with scriptures. Jesus combats him easily because He already knew what Satan would bring.

The three ways Satan tries to bring God down makes absolute sense. Jesus is God so Satan wants Him to die.

Jesus is God so Satan wants Him to bow down to him.

CONTRIBUTOR

Jesus is God so Satan wants Him to imperfect the plan.

What about you? You have a position in God’s kingdom.

What areas of your life does Satan attack? It’s not new.

You already know where and how he will strike you, so stop being susceptible to him and be proactive. Be on guard for the seductive ways of Satan. Use his methods to understand where he will come from. It’s like the saying, “If you want to catch a criminal you have to think like one.”

I hate being self-righteous so bring people into my life to help me grow. Bring me to a wilderness so I can show success through you.” Can you say that prayer every morning until you are victorious? With a prepared mindset you can alter any exchange. Someone may try to challenge you that you’ll find ignorant, but you are already equipped to give grace and humble yourself in that situation.

How can I outsmart Satan and give God glory?

Lastly, Jesus didn’t entertain Satan for long. After his We must strategize based off our weaknesses and strengths where Satan will attack. Not long enough to get sucked into his hole of darkness but a daily declaration of victory. For example, if you are self-righteous when you wake up in the morning you can pray, “God I know you are working on me.

attempt to have Jesus worship him He said, “Away from me Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.” Too often we argue with Satan without scriptures, he pulls us into His lies and then we end up on the losing side of a tug of war game. Stop entertaining him. Say your peace in God’s words then say away from me loser! Allow God to pull your side of the rope. God’s won so you’ve already won.

''Love your future enough to change today. Love God enough to walk in His ways. Model Jesus long enough for Satan to flee. Be blessed and always stay sunny on the inside". ~KENDRA HAMILTON

The Battle in Your MIND

• Resource by: Rick Warren

•Four Principles for Winning the Battle for Your Mind I have been studying this subject for thirty-three years. I did my first study on the mind in 1977, working through all the books of the Bible. I think I could teach on this subject for an entire week. There is so much material on what the Bible has to say about strengthening our minds, renewing our minds, submitting our minds, and bringing our thoughts into captivity. There are at least one hundred principles in God’s Word that have to do with what we are to do with our minds. As I said, your mind is your greatest asset.

But all I want to do in this chapter is give you four simple principles — four of the many, many principles that I have tried to teach to others over the years — for living like Christ and being effective for Him. 1) Don’t Believe Everything You Think We naturally feel that if we think something, it must be true because it comes from within us. But just because you think something does not make it true. As I said above, I have seen the face of mental illness.

So many different suggestions can come into the mind. The world puts suggestions in our minds that are false, and we are bombarded with those false ideas all the time. And, of course, Satan makes suggestions all the time. But your problem is much deeper than Satan. Everybody has a mental illness. We are all mentally ill. The mental illness is called sin.

And the Bible uses at least a dozen different phrases for the condition of our minds under sin. Our minds are: - confused (Deuteronomy 28:20) - anxious, closed (Job 17:3–4) - evil, restless (Ecclesiastes 2:21–23) - rash, deluded (Leviticus 5:4; Isaiah 32:4 NIV)

-

a a a a a a

troubled mind (2 Kings 6:11) depraved mind (1 Timothy 6:5) sinful mind (Romans 8:7 NIV) dull mind (2 Corinthians 3:14 NIV) blinded mind (2 Corinthians 4:4) corrupt mind (2 Timothy 3:8)

Our Broken Minds Our minds are broken by sin. Which means we cannot trust even what we think, ourselves. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” We have an amazing ability to lie to ourselves. You do it all the time. So do I. We lie.

We tell ourselves that things aren’t as bad as they really are.

We tell ourselves that things are better than they really are.

We tell ourselves that we’re doing okay when we’re not doing okay. We’re telling ourselves it’s no big deal when it is a big deal. In fact, the Bible tells us that you cannot be trusted to tell yourself the truth. That’s why you need to question your own thoughts and teach others not to believe everything they think.

Just because you get a thought doesn’t mean it’s correct.

This is the reason why we have so many fallen Christian leaders, because all sin begins with a lie. The Bible says Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44). And if he can get you to believe a lie, he can get you to sin. Anytime you sin, you are thinking that you know better than God. God has said this, but what about that? And so you have to question what you think. First John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We deceive ourselves all the time Preconditioned to Misunderstand.

I have noticed how the next generation values authenticity.

I would like to ask, when has inauthenticity ever been in style? Authenticity has always been an attractive quality.

But a lot of those proudly promoting their authenticity don’t realize what it really is. You are not authentic until you can publicly admit how inauthentic you are most of the time.

Authenticity begins when you start by admitting that you are inauthentic.

We all have blind spots. Some of us have bald spots, but we all have blind spots. We can’t always tell ourselves the truth, because we don’t stop to really think. Frequently we make snap judgments. We fail to notice important details.

We all have more background biases than we realize. We jump to conclusions, and the Bible talks about this in Romans 2.

We all have blind spots. Some of us have bald spots, but we all have blind spots. We can’t always tell ourselves the truth, because we don’t stop to really think. Frequently we make snap judgments. We fail to notice important details. We all have more background biases than we realize. We jump to conclusions, and the Bible talks about this in Romans 2. We get trapped by categories — Are you this or that? — when whoever said there are only two categories or only three categories? We miss the big picture.

But one of the big reasons why you need to not believe everything you think is that we see what we want to see. I read whatever I can about the brain, and one of the things I just learned is that the optic nerve, which is the only nerve that goes directly to your brain, actually sends more impulses from your brain forward than from your eye backward. Which means your brain is telling you what you see.

You are already preconditioned. That is why you can put four people at an accident and each of them will see something different. We must remind ourselves, and teach others, not to believe everything we think!

2) Guard Your Mind from Garbage The second thing to learn in this battle for the mind is guarding your mind from garbage. The old cliché from the early days of the computer — GIGO, garbage in/garbage out — is still true today. If you put bad data into a computer, you will get bad results out. If you put mental garbage into your mind, you will get garbage out in your life. Proverbs 15:14: “A wise person is hungry for knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash” (NLT). That might be a good verse to write on a Post-it note and stick on your television. And remember that the next time you think about going to a movie.

Any nutritionist will tell you that there are three kinds of food for your physical body.

There is brain food that makes you smarter (food that actually makes you smarter!). There is junk food, which is simple calories — it’s not poison, but it’s just empty calories. And then there are toxic foods, which are poison.

The same is true in what you see, what you hear, and what you allow into your mind. Some food is brain food. It will make you smarter, more godly, and more mature emotionally. Then there is junk food. There is so much you can fill your mind with that really is just stuffing. It is neither good nor bad, as 1 Corinthians 6:12 says, lawful but not helpful.

In other words, some things aren’t necessarily wrong, but they aren’t necessary. The Bible tells us to fill our minds with the right things. If you want to be healthy and “successful” in the Christian life and in ministering to others, successful in your ministry, fix your mind on the right things.

By the way, some people say, “God hasn’t called me to be successful. He’s called me to be faithful.” That’s just not true. The Bible says God expects not only faithfulness but also fruitfulness. Trace it through Scriptures. “I chose you . . . that you should go and bear fruit” (John 15:16). Jesus cursed a fig tree because it didn’t bear fruit (Matthew 21:19) — that’s how important fruitfulness is. Faithfulness is only half the equation. God expects fruitfulness as well.

Put mental garbage into your mind and you will get garbage out of your life.”

Psalm 101:3 says, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless.” I know you would never invite a couple to come over to your house and ask them, “Why don’t you commit an act of adultery right here in front of us?” But you do it every time you watch a TV program that has adultery in it.

You would never invite somebody, “Why don’t you murder somebody right here in my living room?” But you do it every time you watch a TV show in which somebody murders. How do you guard your mind against garbage? How do you help others guard their minds against garbage?

Some people are so open-minded that their brains fall out. They think they can allow anything into their mind, and they will be just fine. They’re kidding themselves.

TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT ISSUE :)

Monthly Devotion GOD’S PLAN! Read Titus 1:1-4 God’s plan for the world did not originate yesterday! Centuries ago God promised His children eternal life. This plan was proclaimed through the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; through Moses and Joshua; and through the prophets in the Old Testament.

Paul referred to himself as “a servant of God”, and continued to reveal God’s plan for the world through his preaching. He lead God’s elect in faith and knowledge of the truth. He was one of many servants, throughout the ages, who have proclaimed or who are proclaiming the Word.

Those of us living in the twentieth century are a section of a group of people who, through the centuries, have been part of the church, through faith in Jesus Church. The church is interwoven with centuries of history.

Throughout the centuries, people have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ, and they are still being saved today. We are part of a vast number of people who will be together in heaven.

As “a servant of God”, I am continuing to proclaim the Word in the same way as the servants of the Old Testament, and as did John, Peter, Paul and Titus. I am part of the twentieth century plan God had for the world. That is why I can be proud to be called “servant of God”, a description Paul used of himself.

Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you count me worthy to be called “a servant of God”.

b) Galatians 3:26-28: describes those in Christ as sons and the fact here is that Paul describes a non-prejudice community that has sees no superiority of race and gender but he talks about a community that sees having faith in Christ with no bearing in colour of an individual because John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for all” and besides the invitation was open to all Matthew 11:28. c) The community has sinners who acknowledge their sins 1 John 1:8-9, no one is righteous, so God needs a community that will acknowledge how much they need His forgiveness through Jesus Christ 1 John 2:2 “and He Himself is a propitiation for our sins” and they acknowledge Christ as their Lord as Saviour who has died for their sins Matthew 1:21 ,10:33.

IN COMMUNITY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT by: Pastor Bongani Gama Text: Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch, so it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people, and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch” In a community in most cases people have things in common. The lesson is just to show what is the community of the Holy Spirit, how we become members of that Spirit and what happens inside that community. The Bible is very clear about what is the community of the Holy Spirit.

We can describe a community by the people: a) Romans 8:12-17: talks about the sonship Christians have in the spirit and the most interesting part is when Paul says in verse 16 “The Spirit Himself bears with our spirit that we are children of God” so the community is comprised of children of God who attained sonship through the gift of the Spirit Acts 2:38 and the access to the Spirit cannot be prior baptism but it is after baptism.

d) The community has people of God who are set apart 2 Peter 2: 9 “but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people ……. i. Agion - a set apart nation (people of God not just people, but this people are set apart from the rest) they are in subjection to the Holy Spirit through the commands of the word (Bible). ii. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. A nation that does not conform but it tries to keep the commands that God has given. iii. A nation that constantly reminds itself that God is, it belongs to Him and it will do all it can to see His word as important to be kept and followed always and that nation acknowledges Jesus as its Saviour and King who came to establish His kingdom through the authority that God has given. iv. The community is very keen on doing the Will of the Father, as it is a key qualifying factor, because it is a community that is governed by the rules and regulations set out

by Him not by the members Matthew 7:21”not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of my Heaven ,but he who does the Will of my Father in heaven”.

e) The community is the Kingdom of Christ (Church) Matthew 16:18 “and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock, I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” i. Jesus was here to build His kingdom and not a literal one, but a spiritual kingdom and He explained the terms of entrance to Nicodemus in John 3:1-6 and He highlighted that those seeking entry needs to be born of water and Spirit, because those in the kingdom have to be born of Spirit ii. In Acts 2: 41 “so then, those who gladly received the Word were baptized and that day there were added about three thousand souls” iii. People who followed what Peter said in Acts 2:38 they were added to their number and the adding is not determined or stipulated by man, but God adds people to the Kingdom/Church Acts 2:47 iv. A kingdom has a king and the King ascended to heaven where He is clothed with glory Revelation 1:13 v. The church has one founder and head, Christ who died for it Colossians 1:18 “He is the head of the body, the Church … and according to Ephesians 4:4 there is only one body.

1. How to enter the community of the Spirit (the fact is that every community has rules that people need to follow) a) In John 3:1-5 Jesus calls this community the Kingdom of God and He says to Nicodemus that the condition of entry is through being born again and he just puts in to perspective that those who want to be part of it need to be born of water and Spirit. b) And this made sense because if we read correctly in the context of Acts 2:38 when Peter said to the crowd that they should repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ and they will be forgiven their sins and they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit but it all began when he preached the Gospel of Christ to them c) The Holy Spirit identifies us with God, so we gain entrance through Him in the community like the 3000 who were baptised were added to them in Acts 2:41 “those who gladly received His Word were baptized…. i. Faith comes by hearing the word of God according to Romans 10:17 and Hebrews 11:6 it is impossible to please God without faith ii. Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:18-20 Go and preach the Gospel to all the world and the Gospel has to do with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for our sins according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 d) And we see from Acts 2:47 that they continued to praise God and they had favour with all the people and the Lord added daily those who were saved. This is an indication that membership of the church is not based on us joining a church like we join a social club because the church is no social club

2. How people live and conduct themselves in the community a) ACTS 2:42 THEY CONTINUED STEADFASTLY IN THE APOSTLE ‘S TEACHING AND IN THE BREAKING OF BREAD AND IN PRAYER. b) LIFESTYLES CHANGED, AND PEOPLE WERE NO LONGER LIVING FOR THEMSELVES. THEY TRIED BY ALL MEANS TO PLEASE GOD BECAUSE THEY HAD THINGS IN COMMON ACTS 2:44. c) A COMMUNITY THAT STRIVED TO PLEASE GOD BY BEING LIKE CHRIST EVERYDAY THAT IS WHY ACTS 11:26 THEY WERE CALLED CHRISTIANS FOR THE FIRST TIME AT ANTIOCH (IT A DIVINE CALL BUT ALSO PEOPLE SAW HOW THIS COMMUNITY BEHAVED AND CARRIED ITSELF AND THE NAME SUITED THEIR LIFESTYLE) d) AS PAUL SAID IN 1 CORINTHIANS 11:1 IMITATE ME AS I IMITATE CHRIST. LET US TRY AND LIVE AS PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, LIVE AS PEOPLE OF GOD ,LIVE AS PEOPLE WHO CHRIST DIED FOR.

FEATURE

A LOVE LETTER FROM KING JESUS TO HIS BRIDE SISTER CLAIRE

Sin offends Jesus our Lord very much. Sin in clothing more especially lack of it, violence, crime, hatred, gossip, backbiting, jealousy and adulteries.

I too am in the bedroom watching unspeakable filth. I too am at that murder scene with all its suffering. I too am present at the intrigue that will steal and ruin the lives of hundreds caused by greedy men. These things HURT ME. Please my

Soap Operas are the epitome of sin and extremely noxious to Me. Like your nose in fresh dog excrement noxious. These things not only offend Me but also the Heavenly court, the angels and the saints. Yet in your world they are a matter of fact part of everyday life.

If my bride wants find Me, she must lay aside these things and purify her heart and mind from all forms of entertainment that portray sin. This means music, clothing, behaviour, speech, murder mysteries, wars, things that portray sin in any form. I don’t have a problem with biographies that show the progress of a soul coming to Me, that don’t make entertainment out of their sin, but simply portray where they were. It is the scintillating entertainments that spoil the perception of the delicate and clean things, dulling the senses and offending me greatly. Understand that I too must endure what you are watching and thinking about.

brides, do not watch these things in movies or TV, they are so hurtful to Me. Do not listen to music or look at magazines, billboards, pictures that depict suffering and sin. I created that soul, to see his very body on fire disturbs Me deeply. Remember, I was there when that soul set fire to his body. I too felt the suffering; I had to work with his soul, determining his destination. No no, please do not trouble Me with what you look at, listen to or think about. No no, do not put Me through that. How am I supposed to embrace a Bride when her mind is full of filth such as this? These things have half lives, they linger and linger and linger, over and over and over again and I must see these things as they are recalled to your memory.

Do you understand why so many cannot find me in their prayers? Yes, seek Me until you find Me, but first clean your house. Come to Me clean, create a throne room in your heart that is undefiled with the filth of this world. And I must say it is not only filth, but worldliness that is offensive to Me.

judgement day!

BY

UNKNOWN

God Said: There will come a time when mankind will love five things and forget five things.*

1. They will love the enjoyment of this world and forget the day of judgement. *

2. They will love money and forget the day of accountability of how they acquired and spend the money.*

3. They will fear things that are created and forget the creator. *

4. They will love beautiful mansions and forget their grave.*

5. They will love sins and forget to seek for God's forgiveness.*

Oh God, bless those who spread this message.

Come to think of this?.......

1. Eternal life = free 2. Church entrance = free 3. Christ's salvation = free 4. God's love = free 5. Breath of life = free

A. Cigarette = pay B. Prostitution = pay C. Alcohol =pay D. Nightclub entrance fee= pay E. Powers to rule the world = pay

Then why are people paying for hell while PARADISE is free?

Think twice Believe in Christ and you shall be saved..

We always think of Valentine's day Birth day Father's day Mother's day Children's day Our day, Farmer's day Teacher's day Christmas day Independence day Boxing day, This day, That day, Day in Day out.

Have u ever thought of Judgement Day, is it going to be a day of celebration or condemnation for you?

Monthly Devotion A PLEA! Read Philemon 8-12 Paul presented Onesimus’ case to Philemon, who was a committed Christian. He pleaded with Philemon to take back Onesimus because he had changed. He had merely been a slave, now Paul was his spiritual father, and Onesimus was a brother in the faith. He had been useless but that had changed: “…. he has now become useful both to you and to me” (v 11).

A Christian cannot help but be useful. By accepting my responsibility (and privilege) in serving God means that I become more useful to my fellowman. I see my fellow-man as a fellow-creation, made in God’s image, and I become involved in his needs and struggles. I stand alongside, supporting and encouraging him.

A Christian should also be a better worker than a non-Christian. A nonChristian lives for himself whereas a Christian lives to glorify God. God is not only worshipped in church on Sundays, He is honoured by the quality of my work, the genuineness of my loyalty, and my service to my fellow-man.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my life and work will bring glory and honour to Your Name.

THE MINISTRY OF REMINDING MYSELF by: john piper (desiringGod.org) One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God’s promises. Reminding is a great ministry.

Peter and Paul wrote for this reason (2 Peter 1:13; Romans 15:15).

The main reminder is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). But don’t be passive. You are responsible only for your own ministry of reminding. And the first one in need of reminding by you is you.

The mind has this great power: It can talk to itself by way of reminder. The mind can “call to mind.” For example, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases” (Lamentations 3:21–22).

If we don’t “call to mind” what God has said about himself and about us, we languish. O how I know this from painful experience! Don’t wallow in the mire of godless messages. I mean the messages in your own head. “I can’t . . .” “She won’t . . .” “They never . . .” “It has never worked . . .”

The point is not that these are true or false. Your mind will always find a way to make them true, unless you “call to mind” something greater. God is the God of the impossible. Reasoning your way out of an impossible situation is not as effective as reminding your way out of it.

Without reminding ourselves of the greatness and grace and power and wisdom of God, we sink into brutish pessimism. “I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you” (Psalms 73:22).

The great turn from despair to hope in Psalm 77 comes with these words: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalms 77:11– 12).

This is the great battle of my life. I assume yours too. The battle to remind! Myself. Then others.

FEATURED

TEN REASONS WHY EVERY BELIEVER SHOULD SPEAK IN TONGUES! (part 3) written by: Kenneth E. Hagin

Reason 9 – Tongues For Giving Thanks 1 Corinthians 14:15-17 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

16 Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

“When Paul said , “He that occupieth the room of the unlearned. . . .”, in verse 16, he was referring to those who are unlearned in spiritual things.

If you invited me to dinner and said, “Please give thanks,” and if I prayed in tongues you wouldn’t know what I said. You wouldn’t be edified. Therefore, Paul said it would be better to pray with my understanding there. If I did pray in tongues, I should interpret it so you would know what was said.

But notice that Paul says praying in tongues provides the most perfect way to pray and to give thanks, for he said, “Thou givest thanks well”. (Verse 17.)

In the presence of people who are unlearned, however, Paul said to pray with your understanding also so that they can be edified; they will understand what you say.

Reason 10 – Speaking in Tongues Brings The Tongue Under Subjection James 3:8 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

Yielding the tongue to the Holy Spirit to speak with other tongues is a giant step toward fully yielding all of our members to God. For if we yield this most unruly members, we can yield any member.

The Public Side Of Tongues In conclusion I want to point out that, while we have dealt primarily with tongues in the individual believer’s private life, it is also true there is a public side to tongues.

First, when people receive the Holy Ghost publicly, they speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

Secondly, the church is edified by speaking with other tongues in public assembly with interpretation. Paul plainly stated that to prophecy is to speak unto men “edification, and exhortation, and comfort” (1 Cor. 14:3). But he said, “Greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret” (1 Cor. 14:5). .

Paul is saying that tongues with interpretation is equivalent to prophecy ¬¬– i.e, if the utterance in tongues is interpreted so that the church can understand what is said, then the one prophesying is not greater.

To illustrate, two nickels equal one dime. However, the two nickels are not a ten-cent piece. Prophecy is the dime, the ten-cent piece. Naturally, it would be better to have the dime (prophecy) than to have the nickel (an utterance in tongues). But, if interpretation (another nickel) went along with it, then the two would be equivalent to the dime.

Let me say here that prophesying is not preaching. If prophesying were preaching, then you wouldn’t have to make any preparation to preach. But you have to study and prepare to preach. Paul said, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God. . . ,” (2 Tim. 2:15).

You don’t have to study to speak with tongues, or to interpret. You don’t have to study to prophecy. These come by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Of course, when one is preaching under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and suddenly he says things he never thought of, that is inspiration and is an element of prophecy.

Tongues with interpretation edifies the church. When used in line with the Word of God, speaking with tongues with interpretation convinces the unbeliever of the reality of the presence of God, and often causes him to turn to God and be saved.

Jesus said, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils” ( Mark 16:17). That can be private or public. “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Verse 18). That can be private or public.

Another sign is, “They shall speak with new tongues” (Verse 17). This too, is both private and public.

Of course, we don’t want prolonged praying in tongues in the service because unless there is an interpretation, folks don’t know what is said and are not edified. It is all right to pray in the altar service as long as you want, for you go there to be edified. If people in the service are lifting their hands and praying, it is all right to pray tongues. I stand on the platform and pray that way every night. But when the congregation ceases praying, I cease praying. The congregation wouldn’t be edified if I went on and on.

We do need to know how to use what we have to the greatest advantage.

Christian

BLOGGING 101

BY : EMPRESS TEEKAY

Who are you personally and professionally and where are you from?

Personally, I am a just a random Computer Engineering undergraduate. I love making people laugh and some would say I’m funny, oh well. Professionally, I am a Christian and Lifestyle blogger although, my blog is 90% faith. I am also a writer. I’m a Nigerian.

How and when did you become Born Again?

I don’t for sure when I became born again because one becomes born again when they believe the Gospel of Christ that He died for our sins and resurrected so we can live forever. I had always believed that but wrong doctrine of salvation by works was an interference, I came to the knowledge of grace in January, 2018.

Through the help of my friends, Kelechi Kanu and Gideon Peters, understanding the grace of God came easy. Sermons from Pastor Emmanuel Iren also helped a great deal.

How and when did you get into blogging? And why Christian Blogging?

I started blogging September, 2014 which makes it four years and about 5 months now. I basically wanted to write then, I put up short stories and poems occasionally, and it was something I did for fun. The real purpose for my blog came when I truly understood grace. I got prophecies and revelations for it and that’s how I truly knew I had to go through the path of Christian blogging.

What is blogging?

Lol. Hmm… As much as checking a dictionary is so tempting right now, I’d rather give my own definition. Blogging is sharing your beliefs/ideas with the world through digital means. It mustn’t necessarily be writing, as a lot of people think. Not everyone can write and not everyone can blog either, sadly, because it requires a lot of time and sacrifice and some people can’t keep up with that. For me, blogging is sharing the Good News and letting the world know how I feel about it.

@anesii_

What inspires your posts and what preparation goes into it?

My posts are mostly inspired by salvation; the goodness, love and mercy of God, our Father. I also take into account different happenings in my life and I try to relate them to how Christians should react to such happenings, it could even come from a movie I watched, a song I heard or a day at the market place. I also try to make my posts as relatable as possible.

As for preparation, I plan a lot. Even when I don’t write down in my planner, I write in my journal or my phone. I plan posts for the week, research, and look for scriptures to support what I’m putting out there and try to write a day or some hours before I actually publish any post. That way, I am fully prepared and my post is well edited before being shared.

What do you want people to learn from your blogs?

I would love for people to be real, not judgemental and also understand fully the love of Christ. What He has done and who He has made us.

Other Interests?

I enjoy dancing, though I don’t dance as often as before. I love having meaningful conversations for hours, I also love editing videos.

What is the secret to authentic, thought provoking blogging?

There’s really no secret to authentic, provoking blogging because if there was, it wouldn’t be popular. What I’m about to tell you is information any other blogger would tell you. Be consistent. Nobody likes a ghost blogger who only posts when they feel like and not considering their readers, it should be something that works for you. Once a week is fine and be sure to inform your readers. That’s the second “secret” actually, engagement. Read other blogs, like them, comment, share if you can and have conversations with bloggers, that way you’re part of a community.

What makes you different from other Christian bloggers?

Hmmm...This is a tough question lol. Let me start with the fact that there aren’t a lot of Nigerian Christian bloggers. Also, most of my posts are personalised and I make them as relatable as possible. I love to talk with my readers and not at my readers.

Where would you like to see your blog in the next 2 years?

To be honest, I’d love to have a larger audience than I presently do. I’m constantly growing and I know God is working also. I’ll also love to see a lot of people inspired by my blog, knowing that they understand the love of Christ through my blog would be a huge blessing.

Who is King Jesus to you?

He is everything to me. I mostly refer to Him as Daddy, not just because my earthly father is late, but because His fatherly love is indescribable and I’m so blessed to be called His child. Because He lives in me, I am who He has made me to be.

Advice on how to start Christian blogging?

Be sure it is what you really want to do and what God wants you to do. Also, do not aim for popularity at first but the quality of your content. In the blogosphere, ensure you let people know how much of a true Christian you are, let it reflect on your posts and comments and keep growing. Growth can never be overemphasised, it isn’t convenient either but keep growing and keep aiming to be better. Read other Christian blogs also, share your thoughts and that can spark up an idea for your own blog post. The fact that one person talked about it doesn’t mean you can’t but be sure not to plagiarise. Be ready to spread love like butter, people will come for you and try to pull you down, react with love, don’t let anyone make you act like who you’re not.

Misconception people have about Christian blogging?

Many people think it’s boring, which isn’t true. If you check out my blog, I try to slip in some jokes to ease the tension, that way people don’t feel scolded or feel talked at. Another misconception is that Christian blogging is only for Christians, it’s not. Every single person should be able to relate to a Christian blog because Christianity is all about love. Everybody should relate to love.

Last words to the Beauty&TheGospel reader?

Dear reader, do not for a moment forget that you’re loved by God. He has paid a price for you and lives within you, as a believer. He died and rose for our justification and when we believe this, we are free forever, and we live forever in Him. Whenever you feel down, remember who you truly are, more than a conqueror. I love you and God is crazy in love with you. Never forget that!

I blog at theaisight.com.

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WORDS

WISDOM

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SCRIPTURE OF THE MONTH

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.

For wide is the gate and broad and easy to travel is the path that leads the way to destruction and eternal loss, and there are many who enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow and difficult to travel is the path that leads the way to [everlasting] life, and there are few who find it.

MATTHEW 7;13-14Â

FEATURE

the devil's letter to Christians UNKOWN

I’m working…..

ARE YOU SEEING WHAT I AM LIKE? It’s funny to say that I’m lazy, don’t you think? My

I do not care much, and although they paint me in an ugly way saying that I have horns, tail, and other things, I’m not like that. Whoever knows the Bible knows very well that I can become an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

Actually, I go to church more often than many. I feel so happy seeing lazy Christians who do not pray or read the Bible. It is in this that I am filled with joy and even applaud. The less you pray and read the Bible, the better for me.

My greatest joy is when at the moment of preaching, many are talking, distracted on the internet, others go out to the bathroom. Also at that time I make people talk, sleep, get up at all times, disturb the silence of people etc.

greatest sadness is when I see the church singing. I turned against God, wanting to be equal to Him; I was expelled losing my privilege in Heaven. Today in church, music is what I hate most. Therefore I have set a spirit of pride and prostitution for the musicians, (Ezekiel 28: 12, 13, 14, 15). My end is near. That is why in recent times I have worked hard to bring crowds with me to hell causing accidents, road deaths, hospitals and suicides.

MY MISSION IS TO KILL, STEAL AND DESTROY (John10:10) I attract crowds with songs, dances, parties, alcoholic drinks, drugs, social networks, soap operas, movies, fame, fashion, lust, money, sexual pleasures etc.

Monthly Devotion INSINCERE REPENTANCE! Read 1 Samuel 15-25-35 We can all sympathize with Saul but he remains a pitiful figure. Even when he sinned he did not approach God for forgiveness, he went to Samuel (v 2425).

When he did not receive forgiveness, he pleaded with Samuel not to humiliate him before his people (v 30). It was almost as if he needed Samuel at his side to be able to worship the Lord.

Saul did not rectify his mistakes. He didn’t start killing the livestock as he had been instructed by God, nor did he kill Agag. Samuel did that, to demonstrate that God must be obeyed.

Many sinners are like Saul. They ask God to forgive them but do not rectify their mistakes. While begging God’s forgiveness they continue in the same sin. That is not true repentance. True repentance is when we are utterly broken before God as we see the depth of our sinfulness. It is also a turning away from the sins we have confessed. Then God will forgive us.

Prayer: Lord, I confess my sins before You. Thank you that You are a forgiving God.

ANNOUNCEMENT s s e pr e m u s E s e i s m i s h . t t i e r e , o e p r o m e h th le .I nd c y a n i i e t d r H e ga a d a s is a y ee

a e n s k n t u zi a Tee all yo ll sain . g e a l m a s ab e l n i h o wa a T g v . n a s i l s r l i to y Ca r u b a i l tr sa n o o n c o s free

Advertisers you are also welcome. For reasonable price queries email: beautyandthegospel@ gmail.com Till next time ,THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ! look out for the next issue on the 1st of April 2k19