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MPOWERMENT

A First Church of God Publication | Winter 2023

aith and orks of love

Beloved

Some years ago, I heard Dr. Taylor mention a sermon by a Pastor who had just buried his wife. On that Sunday when he returned to the pulpit, he preached from the subject, “When life caves in, what then”. Thankfully, not all of us have experienced the loss of a spouse, but all of us have experienced a loss of some kind. It may be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job/career, the loss of a friend/relationship, or a physical or financial loss. Loss as we know all too well is part of human reality.

Here is my question, one asked by that Pastor in the grip of grief, “when loss comes or life happens, what then?”

Whenever we face the pain of life, we have several options. We can give up, we can grow bitter, or we can ask God for the strength and grace to go on. To go on does not deny or dismiss what we have experienced, but it is to say that this, whatever the “this” is, is not the end of us or the entirety of our lives.

God made us with free will and volition, the right and power to choose and even when life hits us hard, we can choose how we will respond. I am praying that we all make the decision to get up and go on by the Grace of God.

Blessings

- Bishop

Empowerment

Winter 2023

Bishop Timothy J. Clarke

Executive Publisher & Chief Executive Officer

Brother Edmund Davidson Publisher

Sister Qwinita Bell

Contributor

Sister Deborah Thompson

Brother Carlin Armstead Editor

Contributor

Sister Michele A. Thomas Editor/ Contributor

Sister Villia Davidson Senior Advisor

Attention

Want to EMPOWER others? We are looking for writers, reporters, editors, and graphic artists to spread the Word! Please contact brother Edmund Davidson at edavidson67@gmail.com for more information.

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Introduce your friends and loved ones to Empowerment, an online publication from First Church of God. Published quarterly, Empowerment delivers words of wisdom, inspirational stories, and advice from members of First Church of God in one lifechanging and easy to read publication. Please share this issue... . . . and let others be Empowering a people ready

What is faith’s role?

The Biblical definition of faith is stated in the book of Hebrews.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (New King James Version)

The action word “Now” focuses on the present and “is” covers the continuation of eternity’s timeline past and future. These are action words that support the concept of faith. Hebrews 11 announces the roll call detailing feats of faith demonstrated by people throughout the Bible.

Faith is the foundation of spirituality that flows into and through our lives. It is the action where substance produces evidence. When we believe, we act on the things that we hope for but are not seen yet.

What is the mission statement of love?

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

1 Corinthians 13, establishes the mission of love. Since God is love, then

when we show or give love we are showing or giving God to others.

Love (God) “Endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. 7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (Amplified Bible)

There are 4 different types of love: Eros (romantic love), Philia (friends), Storge (family, kinship), and Agape (divine, unconditional). God forever offers agape love to all of us. He loved us enough to create us. He gave His Son in love to save and redeem us from sin. He comforts and instructs in love through His Holy Spirit.

God loves us through His Son to the point where there’s nothing that could disqualify us from His love. So, we are created in the image of God and become a new creation when we accept Him into our lives through salvation.

Knowing this, we should work the works of Him who sent us out into the world to live a life of love toward others through words of affirmation, acts of service, and quality time among other demonstrations of love mentioned in Gary Chapman’s book “The 5 Love Languages.”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1 (New King James Version)

In other words, when we as Christians say, “I love you,” we are also saying “I God You!” How amazing is it that we can use God as a verb, the ultimate Word of action? Awesome!

And now abide faith, hope love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (New King James Version)

a point of entry to enclosed

By Qwinita

to or from a space

by walls

Qwinita Bell

No one wants to be “outside” of anything. We all want to be part of a family, a gathering, a community, or a church; we all want to fit in. Imagine being ostracized because of an illness, physical deformity, or speech impediment; anything out of your control, but by Jewish standards rendered you unclean. In the time of Jesus, these issues would have placed you “outside” the gate.

The children of Israel were given guidelines from God on how they should live and what He required of them. While in the wilderness, God resided in the tabernacle, “inside” the camp. His requirement was anything “unclean” must be placed “outside the camp” (Numbers 5:1-3). Nothing unfit or unclean could reside in the camp. Exodus 29:14 tells us that remnants from the “sin offering” was burned with fire “outside the camp”. In Numbers 12, we read the story of Miriam, Moses’ sister, who was stricken with leprosy due to the Lord’s anger against her. She was placed outside the camp for seven days as punishment for her sin of jealousy and resentment towards God speaking only with Moses.

In Biblical times Jerusalem was the “holy city”. It was there that the people came to worship at the temple and the priest offered burnt offerings for their sins, on the altar. Sin was so serious, that the body of the animal had to be not only destroyed but removed, burned, and the ashes taken outside the camp.

The fat had to be burned on the burnt offering altar; but the rest of the body, the burnt carcasses of the sacrifices, were taken and burned outside the camp; “outside” of the city walls. Nothing unclean was to be left in the temple or the city. Outside the camp was a “nasty” place!

When Jesus was crucified, He was taken “outside” of the city to die (Hebrews 13:12). His crucifixion and death outside the city followed the Hebrew practice of dealing with unclean things. The priest thought they were cleansing the city of (1) what they thought, was His blasphemous claims of being God’s Son and (2) His message of salvation and forgiveness. It was “outside the gate” that Jesus experienced the full penalty for sin; the complete separation from His Father and bore the sins of the unwanted, the unclean, the unfit, the forgotten, and the lost. He died on the cross bearing the sin of the world and died “outside” the gate so that we would one day “enter” through the gate into our heavenly home (Revelation 21:25, 27). Jesus is our doorway; our “gate” to eternal life!

I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 13:14 (NIV)

By Michelle Sutton

If you are a pregnant woman or have a child 2 years or younger and are looking for resources to enhance your parenting journey, look no further than right here at First Church of God. Located in the east wing of GoodLife you’ll find The Mother’s Cove; a non-profit program designed to help moms through their struggles and successes. And you do not have to be a member of FCOG to take advantage of their services. Under the leadership of Program Director, Jackie Flemmings, The Mother’s Cove offers assistance, free of charge, to moms throughout the community. According to Jackie, it’s been a labor of love from its beginning in 2018. “We have had a few revisions to the program and now have a program that Guides (through interactive parenting classes), Gives (helping with referrals for jobs or housing), and Gifts (providing diapers, clothing, and various baby items).”

Hosting classes and giving useful items are just part of the reason this program exists. “The ultimate goal of The Mother’s Cove is to decrease the deaths of black babies,” says Jackie. According to statistics published in 2022 from the Ohio Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics, the infant mortality rate for Black babies in the Columbus community is increasing at an alarming rate, per specific stats for the 43232-zip code area. To decrease those startling statistics Jackie and her small staff realize The Mother’s Cove needs a village.

During their recent cohort, The Mother’s Cove has added Dads2B to their village. Since its inception in 2015, Dads2B has provided a comprehensive service throughout Franklin County. The group helps men in high-risk communities by offering education and guidance on prenatal care, maternal needs, family structure, and infant health. Dads2B Founder and CEO, David Fluellen says, working with The Mother’s Cove during this recent cohort is a natural fit. “The partnership with Good Life Foundation and Mother’s Cove made perfect sense. We both have one goal in mind and that is to save as many babies as possible. Right here in Franklin County black babies die at twice the rate as any other race. Statistically, we know that when fathers are involved in the lives of their child, mom is less likely to miscarry and more likely to have a healthy birth outcome. So, the partnership made total sense to work together collectively to accomplish the same goal”, says David. He added, “My favorite book says it this way: ‘One can chase 1000 but two can chase 10,000’. Dads2B is stronger because of our partnership with Mother’s Cove; Mother’s Cove is stronger because of Dads2B. We’re stronger together.”

The Mother’s Cove is funded primarily by two organizations; The First Church of God and through grant funding provided by CelebrateOne (City of Columbus) via the Ohio Department of Medicaid. In addition to organizations such as ADAMH (Alcohol Drug Addiction & Mental

Health Board), the Governors’ Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, private companies, and individuals have all contributed to The Mother’s Cove since its inception.

Those funds are currently being used to host four, six-week cohorts a year where moms, dads, and their children can attend as a family. Dinner and childcare are provided. Moms and Dads attend separate training sessions each week. The current class series is titled “A Better Me” where classes are taught by professional facilitators who are experts in that assigned topic. The subject matter includes wellness and mental health (Healthy Me); educational and career options (Teach Me); social and business etiquette tips (Being Me) fiscal responsibility (Fund Me); the importance of healthy relationships (Like Me) and various personal and professional topics (Progress Me).

A recent participant in “A Better Me” was Ashley Williams. She and her 1-year-old son, Tristan attended weekly sessions. She found the program while browsing on Facebook. After 10 years, Ashley was a new mom all over again. She admits that she didn’t know what to expect. “In all honesty, I’m not sure exactly what I was looking for when I signed up, but what I received was more than I expected”, says Ashley. “I walked away with new skills for mental health, new friends that I continue to talk with daily, and new day-to-day and life skills. And most importantly, knowing someone cared

enough about us single moms to give us a different outlook and a place of comfort.” In addition to those new skills and friendships, Ashley credits The Mother’s Cove with so much more. “What I gained from the group was knowledge and a remarkable and amazing relationship with Ms. Jackie who still checks on me even though I have graduated. I would definitely attend (again) and bring others. I personally always looked forward to Thursday (when the class was held) with Ms. Jackie and her team. Thanks for everything Mother’s Cove!” Ashley and her family will always be part of The Mother’s Cove village.

And as the village continues to grow, Jackie says there is still a lot of work to do. “The Mother’s Cove wants families to have a better view of life mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The future goal is to continue to reach moms by providing programming that will impact and change lives.”

Do you think of

heaven ?

By Cleve Westmoreland III

You see that shiny object around your finger?

Wait it gets better . . .

Isn’t it amazing to know that our true home has streets made from that stuff?

because you get excited about that package at your doorstep every time it arrives! And why? Well because it contains something *new*

When we arrive at our new home a transformation takes place that’ll make Optimus Prime jealous - a makeover like never before from head to toe!

Wait there’s more.

See I live down the street from a pretty fancy neighborhood . . . however, not one single home in this neighborhood compares to my crib I once had a dream about - my crib that awaits in Paradise. It was made of a curved giant window that stood about ten stories tall overlooking a city with waterfalls in it bro!

Hope you’re still sitting downbecause last week I learned about a breakthrough in science// a breakthrough so gnarly that one expert supposed this could lead to interstellar travel [travel to planets]

If you think that’s gnarly well that has nothing on the transportation method of Heaven! Bishop once said you can blink & appear in a different location just like that!

Wait there’s more . . .

I know your favorite Christmas tune is Jingle Bells - but no matter how fantastic this tune is or any other earthly ballad . . . none of them will compare to the melodies that will tickle our eardrums in The New Jerusalem.

And speaking of eardrums what about our noses? If you think Macy’s is the fragrance destination, think again family . . . just imagine the cool water/ joop / white diamonds / curves type of fragrant aromas that will permeate the atmosphere of the most blissful place in all creation!

I’m talkin’ about Heaven y’all! Home of the great cloud of witnesses cheering you and I on a cloud that the OSU horseshoe has absolutely nothing on.

So, I conclude this article with a question and a challenge. Do you ever think about Heaven? Next time you feel tempted to complain just think about all those gnarly wonderful things written above & more. And in the words of leather head from TMNT “I guarown-teeee” you’ll have a spectacular day!