Page 8 Jump-Start Your Faith With Your
IMAGINATION
Page 4
Why All The Fuss About
LEADERSHIP? Page 6
— IN THIS ISSUE — OUTREACH Jan/Feb/Mar 2016 Vol. 26 No. 1
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- Featured Article B asically, unbelief is uncertainty about a particular thing, especially when it comes to the Word of God. Therefore, unbelief can also be defined as thoughts, words, actions, feelings, or emotions that are inconsistent with the holy Word of God (written or spoken), resulting in uncertainty.
by Pastor Dana A. Holmes
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by D r. P. R onal d Wilder OUTREACH VOLUME 26 NUMBER 1 January/February/March 2016 is published quarterly by Full Gospel Word & Worship Center, Inc. (FGWWC), a nonprofit corporation, Columbia, South Carolina. © 2016 FGWWC. All rights reserved. Joyful ‘toon’s artwork is used by permission from Mike Waters. Reproduc on in whole or part without wri en permission is prohibited. Printed in the United States of America. OUTREACH MAGAZINE STAFF: Editor-in-Chief: Pastor Dana A. Holmes / Assistant Editor and Graphic Designer: Debra McMillan / Writers: Chanell Brown, Katrina Holmes, Tamika Holmes, and Patrena Samuel / Proofreader: Darlene Mason
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Genesis 11:1-6 says, 1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. 2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have IMAGINED to do. [Emphasis mine]
IMAGINATION means - The ability to conceive. - To think about a concept solely within the mind. - The driving force behind human advancement because it allows us to think of things that do not exist at the time they are imagined.
Now, I want us to begin by taking a closer look at the word imagine. According to Webster’s Dictionary,
The second step began when somebody had an idea; somebody had a thought about something; somebody had a vision of something. Verse 3 says, They said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. At this point, thoughts and ideas began to develop in their minds. They began to imagine something that was not yet built.
IMAGE means - A picture that is produced by a camera, artist, mirror, etc. - A mental picture. The thought of how something looks or might look. - A visual representation of something. IMAGINE means - To form a mental picture of something that is not present. 4 OUTREACH Jan / Feb / Mar 2016 · Vol. 26 No. 1
The mind, which is a part of the soulish realm, gives us the ability to think, to envision, to form an idea of, to imagine or conceive something. It is our imagination. Having said that, let’s look back at the verses we just read to see how this idea to build the tower came about. The first step they took in this process was to find land and settle there. Verse 2 says, They found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
The third step of this process began when the idea grew from making bricks to building a city and a tower. Verse 4 says, They said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower.
At this point, we see the vision, the thing that the people thought and imagined, begin to grow and get bigger. Not only did they want to build a city and a tower, but they also wanted that tower to reach into the heavens. The key point that I want you to notice in this process is that after the people got this idea (an image of something they did not have or had not seen), they put ACTION to it by making the brick and building the city and the tower. They were so focused on what they were doing that their ACTIONS caused the Lord to come down and see what they had built (v.5). When you truly believe and focus on the promises of God, you will begin to ACT on them and, as a result, cause God to respond to your actions. Verse 6 says, And the L ORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have IMAGINED to do [Emphasis mine]. In other words, the people got an image of something that they did not have and had not seen, but they envisioned they could do it—and they did! The next word I want us to look at is jump-start. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, JUMP-START means - To start (an engine or vehicle) by temporary connection to an external power source (as another vehicle’s battery) - To start or restart rapidly or forcefully - To impart fresh or renewed energy to: energize In other words, to JUMP-START is to give a quick jolt of power; to wake up, push, stir, or ignite that which is dormant. Sometimes in life, we need to jump-start our faith because it has been lying dormant (inactive). When you don’t use something for a while, such as a car, it stops working or functioning like it’s supposed to function. The same thing happens when we don’t use our faith or our imagination for a while. It stops working or functioning like it’s supposed to. When things are not happening in your life the way you want them to, you need to jump-start your faith through the Word of God. Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Colossians 2:7 says, Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. (NLT) It is imperative that we plug into the Word of God, because it’s by hearing and being rooted in His Word that our faith stays charged. It’s not enough to just hear the Word in church on Sunday or during a mid-week service. It is your responsibility to keep your faith charged by consistently hearing and acting upon the Word of God. So that the things you imagine
(the picture or idea you form in your mind of something that is not physically present) will always line up with what the Word of God says. IF YOU EVER STOP IMAGINING, YOU’VE ALREADY LOST! Your imagination forms a picture (an image) of what you don’t have and causes you to see it. That is the power of the imagination. Think about something that you need. Now imagine yourself having it. If you need healing, imagine your body healed; see yourself free from pain. If it’s a car, imagine yourself driving your car. If it’s a lack of finances, imagine every need you have being met with money left over after everything has been paid. If you need a house, ride through the neighborhood where you want to live and get an image of the house you want to live in. Now, the reason I am using these types of examples is because it’s easy for you to get an image of these things. Once you’ve imagined what you want, take that imagination and combine it with your faith to create what you desire. Now remember, if your faith has been lying dormant, you’re going to have to jump-start it through the Word of God. You have to start building yourself up. You have to use your imagination to see yourself possessing what you desire but don’t yet have. You have to keep that image before you, even if you have to write it down. Habakkuk 2:2-3 says, And the LORD answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 2
Don’t allow bad news or negative circumstances stop you from believing. If God said it, He is faithful to bring it to pass. Hebrews 10:36 says, For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised. (AMP) All you have to do is keep that picture before you and remain confident that you will receive and enjoy all that God has promised you. Remember, God has already provided what you need; however, it is your responsibility to use your imagination (to see what you want) and the Word (to jump-start and keep your faith charged) to receive all that He has promised YOU!
by Rev. Sherry H. Holmes an anointed teacher and the 1st Lady of Full Gospel Word & Worship Center.
www.fgwwc.org 5
Leadership is a hot topic in our society today.
Whether it is in business, government, education, spor ts, religion, or any other entity, the buzzword is LEADERSHIP. It seems everyone is looking for good, quality LEADERSHIP. In the business world, corporations are recruiting, training, and developing their next great leaders. As we are approaching the 2016 presidential elections, the key issue in the campaign is LEADERSHIP. W h o can provide the best LEADERSHIP for the nation as our next President? When we go to the polls to vote in 2016, the policies of the candidates will be what is put before us, but, in reality, we will be voting for LEADERSHIP. So the question is
by Dr. P. Ronald
Wilder A LEADER is a dealer in hope. - Napoleon Bonaparte A LEADER is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. - John Maxwell The secret of A LEADER lies in the tests he has faced over the whole course of his life and the habit of action he develops in meeting those tests. - Gail Sheehy A LEADER takes people where they want to go. A GREAT LEADER takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to go. - Rosalynn Carter
If an organization experiences success, it is because the leader guided it to success. On the other hand, if the organization experiences failure, it is because the leader led it to failure. Either way—success or failure—it falls on leadership. We cannot escape the reality that leadership is essential to business, government, church, and all the organizations that shape the way we live, work, and play. Leadership is the most important factor in the success of all these important entities. Therefore, since everything rises and falls on leadership, we would be wise to make a fuss about leadership. This begs the question, what is leadership? Depending on the context you are addressing, that is a broad question with a vast number of answers. However, simply put, leadership is the ability to inspire or influence others toward the leader’s goal. Leadership is about establishing vision, setting direction, and mapping out where we need to go to win as a team, organization, or church. Leadership involves strategic thinking and focus to accomplish
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the objectives of the organization. Leadership, in short, is the ability to lead. The importance of leadership cannot be understated. Without leadership, the team or organization quickly plummets into dispute and conflict because people see things from different perspectives and lean toward different solutions. Leadership is in place to point us in the same direction, toward the same vision, and to channel our gifts, talents, and efforts together. Without leadership, the vision dies and the dream turns into a nightmare because only the leader can marshal the resources needed for the vision and keep the dream alive in the hearts of the followers until it is fulfilled. Since leadership is so important, what leadership skills should the leader demonstrate? There are many skills required of leaders, and all of them are necessary and valuable. However, I will only emphasize three: vision, delegation, and motivation. VISION - A leader must have peripheral vision. A leader must be one who sees it all.
He must keep his eyesight sharp and polished. A leader does not have the luxury of times and seasons of temporary blindness. If this happens, the entire organization suffers. There is nothing worse than a blind leader. Leaders who cannot see are leading their organization on a Titanic course. DELEGATION - A leader must learn how to get things done through people. There are two main reasons for delegation. •
First, the ability to delegate frees the leader from the tasks that consume energy and skills that could be better utilized in more essential matters.
done. Leadership of this type in the Church is critical if we are to advance the kingdom of God to the degree that it impacts and transforms society. However, the problem that has infested the Church is that we have majored on management and minored on leadership. Although many people think that leaders and managers are the same, there is a vast difference. Note some of the differences: •
Leaders have people following them. Managers have people working for them.
•
Leaders are vision-driven. Managers are policy-driven.
Second, delegation helps to develop the team members.
•
Leaders direct the work. Managers maintain the work.
MOTIVATION - The ability to motivate is one of the most valuable qualities a leader should possess. If the followers are not motivated by the leader, success is virtually impossible. One of the greatest assets any organization can have is motivated people. Leaders are responsible for creating an environment that motivates the team members to accomplish the goals of the organization.
•
Leaders demand to be respected. Managers seek to be loved.
•
Remember, first and foremost, the leader must lead. In 1 Chronicles 12:32, the Bible speaks of Issachar leaders. These are men from the tribe of Issachar who had understanding of the times and who knew what needed to be done and why it needed to be
a n d re s o u rc e s l i e d o r m a n t . A leaderless organization is like an army without generals and like a plane without pilots. So, the question should not be, Why all the fuss about leadership? but rather, Why is there not a greater fuss about leadership? because there is nothing as critical as leadership. Everything rises and falls on leadership.
•
Leaders are like thermostats: they set the temperature. Managers are like thermometers: they only tell the temperature.
•
Leaders are farsighted: they see the future. Managers are shortsighted: they only see the present.
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by Pastor Dana A.
HOLMES
What is unbelief? B
asically, unbelief is uncertainty about a particular thing, especially (for the purpose and intent of this article) when it comes to the Word of God. T h e re fo re , u n b e l i e f c a n also be defined as thoughts, words, actions, feelings, or emotions that are inconsistent with the holy Word of God (written or spoken), resulting in uncertainty. For instance, the man who brought his son to Jesus to be healed of some sort of seizures that caused him to fall on the ground and wallow and foam at the mouth had faith, but he also had unbelief. When Jesus told him that all things were possible to those that believe, consider this man’s reply.
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Mark 9:24, KJV, says, And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF. [Emphasis mine] By the mere fact that he brought his son to be healed, it is obvious to me that this man believed. If the man did not believe that his son could be healed, why would he bring him to the disciples? And, ultimately, to the Lord Jesus Himself? While I know that it is possible for people to ask for prayer for healing as a last resort and out of a sense of desperation, even in such cases, there is at least faith or belief in the possibility of receiving healing. However, in this man’s case, he exclaimed that HE BELIEVED. His first words in response to Jesus were “LORD, I BELIEVE.” What did he believe? Evidently, he believed that Jesus had the power to heal his son. How did the unbelief or uncertainty come in? I believe that his unbelief came in through his negative experience. It seems that it is difficult for people to believe beyond their experience. I have found this to be true not only regarding healing, but also regarding anything else that people are praying for. In light of the definition given for unbelief, let’s go to the beginning of this story, and we will see a clear picture of the unbelief (uncertainty) of this man and what most likely caused it. Mark 9:14-27 14
And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” 17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.
18
And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 19 He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 THEN THEY BROUGHT HIM TO HIM. AND WHEN HE SAW HIM, IMMEDIATELY THE SPIRIT CONVULSED HIM, AND HE FELL ON THE GROUND AND WALLOWED, FOAMING AT THE MOUTH. 21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. [Emphasis mine] I believe that verse 20 of this passage is the key to understanding what caused unbelief – first in the disciples and then, ultimately, in this man. However, before we look at this verse
more carefully, let’s take a look at Jesus’ initial response to the man. Mark 9:19 says, “He answered him and said, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” Notice that Jesus did not simply address the man, but also the people in general, including his disciples. Remember, his disciples failed to get the young man healed. In order to get a better picture of what Jesus was bothered about, we need to see why it was unnecessary for the disciples to fail to get this young man healed. Matthew 10:1 says, And when he had called his twelve disciples to Him, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal ALL kinds of sickness and ALL kinds of disease. [Emphasis mine] None is excluded from ALL. They had power to heal ALL kinds of sickness and ALL kinds of disease. Therefore, there was NO KIND of sickness or disease that they did not have power over. Furthermore, there was no unclean spirit that was not subject to them or that they could not cast out. Nevertheless, the man said to Jesus, “So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not (Mark 9:18b).” How could it be that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave His disciples power to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease and to cast out all evil spirits and yet they couldn’t do it?
Unbelief is not necessarily the absence of faith. It is possible to have faith and also have a level of unbelief because faith and unbelief are not mutually exclusive. www.fgwwc.org 9
The answer is their UNBELIEF. This is the answer that Jesus gave them when they asked Him why they couldn’t cast the spirit out. Matthew 17:19-20 says, 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” It was not that the disciples did not have faith or that they needed to have “bigger faith.” First of all, it is obvious that they believed that they had power to cast out devils (demons or unclean spirits), or they would not have attempted to cast the devil out of this young man. Furthermore, it surprised them that they were unable to cast the spirit out. This is why they asked Jesus, “Why could we not cast it out?” Jesus did not say “Because you do not have faith” or “Your faith is not big enough,” but rather “Because of your unbelief.” They had faith, but they also had unbelief. Remember, our definition of unbelief is thoughts, words, actions, feelings, or emotions that are inconsistent with the Word of God, resulting in uncertainty. Some people have the mistaken idea that having some sort of divine encounter with God means that they cannot experience uncertainty; or that if they have faith in their heart, they cannot doubt or have any sense of uncertainty. However, the experience of these disciples proves that idea wrong. You can have no greater divine encounter than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself speaking to you and empowering you. Nevertheless, these
disciples failed because of their unbelief. Unbelief must be dealt with and eradicated from our hearts in order to receive from God or even to do the work of God! These disciples did not need more faith to do the works of God; what they needed was to eradicate unbelief. Unbelief can be generated from our experiences – what we see, what we hear, and what we read. This is one reason why it is necessary to be careful what we expose ourselves to, especially when we are endeavoring to receive something from God. For example, if you’re in need of healing, exposing yourself to television hospital shows is not a good idea. You may think that you are unaffected by them, but the truth is that they have an effect on you, even if you’re unaware of it. The things that you see and hear can get into your subconscious mind, and these things will work against you when you are endeavoring to believe for your healing. These types of shows do not generate hope, but rather hopelessness. There are no miracles on these shows! Occasionally, there will be a “medical mystery,” and even that is rare. For the most part, the only thing generated by these shows is the hopelessness of not recovering from the sickness or disease. Now let’s go back to see what could have possibly caused unbelief in these disciples. Mark 9:20 says, Then they brought him to Him (Jesus). And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. [Emphasis mine] I believe that this is exactly what the disciples saw before they attempted to cast the devil out. While the scripture doesn’t say what they saw, it seems obvious to me because something
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caused them to experience unbelief. Something they saw, heard, or experienced generated unbelief. When Jesus saw this happening to the boy, it had no effect on Him because there was no unbelief in Him. However, this experience would have greatly affected the disciples, especially if it was something they’d never seen before. What, then, caused the unbelief in this man? I believe that when he saw the disciples fail to cast the spirit out of his son, this caused him to have uncertainty (unbelief), insomuch that he said to Jesus, “If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Let’s take another look at Mark 9:17-18. 17
Then one of the crowd answered and said, “TEACHER, I BROUGHT YOU MY SON, WHO HAS A MUTE SPIRIT. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” [Emphasis mine] Again, this answers the question of the man’s faith. His intent from the beginning was to bring his son to Jesus. He said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.” Evidently, this man heard that Jesus was at the location where he brought his son. He would not have had any knowledge of the fact that Jesus was on the mountain at that time. I believe that when he came to where he thought Jesus was, he found that He was not there, but that his disciples were there instead. No doubt, based on the association that these disciples had with Jesus, he thought that they could help his son. Evidently, he expected his son to be healed, but was both disappointed and disillusioned with the failure of the disciples to help him. I am by no means criticizing the
disciples, but simply observing what took place. I myself have experienced something similar at an earlier time in my ministry. A number of years ago, I was invited to speak at a church in another country. I have never had a doubt about my calling or my ministry, and I have always expected to see God move by His spirit and bring about healing and deliverance to those I minister to. However, in this particular case, I saw something I had never seen before. While ministering to the sick, there stood before me a woman with a large growth or tumor in her belly area. This protrusion of her belly area was noticeable to all. She did not look as though she was pregnant, but rather like something was trying to break through her belly. As I often do, I laid my hand upon her head and began to speak in the name of Jesus. When I did this, the protrusion in her stomach seemed to react. It literally moved up and down. The more I spoke the name Jesus, the faster this thing moved up and down. This woman then fell to the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit, but somehow, I knew that she was not delivered. I stood her up and noticed that there was no change whatsoever in her body. This caused me to doubt. As far as I was concerned, I was doing what the Bible said, but was not getting any result—at least not any immediate result. The uncertainty on my part was based on seeing the reaction of the woman’s body when I prayed for her, especially when I used the name of Jesus with no apparent change. Like the disciples, my unbelief resulted in this woman not receiving her deliverance. I speak this to my own shame, but that is what actually happened. That was many years ago, and, thankfully, I have learned and have grown since that time. Praise God! But the truth of the matter is, those who minister to others cannot themselves have unbelief without affecting the outcome. Likewise,
those who are being ministered to cannot have unbelief without affecting the outcome. Unbelief works the same way for everyone, and no one is exempt from it. It must be dealt with in order for us to succeed. Here’s another observation regarding the evil spirit. Notice that as soon as the man brought his son into the presence of Jesus, this evil spirit began to express itself. Through study of the ministry of Jesus, and through my own ministry experiences, I’ve discovered that demons are aware of who we are, and of our authority and power through Christ. They become agitated when they get in the presence of the anointing. The anointing seems to cause them to act out, even though they may be cast out when exposed. To me, it seems like they can’t help themselves; that anointing just bothers them.
Also, remember that the man said, And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down… (Mark 9:18). “Wherever it seizes him” implies that these attacks were done at the will of this spirit – whenever and wherever it chose to attack, and not necessarily every day. Nevertheless, I believe that this is probably what happened when the man brought his son to the disciples. When they saw the young man convulsing, wallowing on the ground, and foaming at the mouth, they got into unbelief! Maranatha!
This article is an exerpt from Pastor Dana A. Holmes’ soon to be released book, Unplugged From The Power Source Through Unbelief. Check our website @ www.fgwwc.org for when this book will be available to purchase.
* COMING SOON * - A Brand New Book by Pastor Dana A. Holmes In this book, you will clearly see how: 1. Unbelief can “unplug you” from the power of God! 2. Unbelief will keep you from receiving answers to your prayers. 3. Unbelief was the real cause of Moses’ failure to enter the promised land. 4. Unbelief hindered Jesus’ ministry of healing in Nazareth.
If you’ve experienced praying, seemingly in vain, or have struggled with doubt or simply want a better understanding of the spiritual laws governing the operation of God, you’ll want THIS BOOK!
You will also learn: - The different kinds of unbelief. - How unbelief is not necessarily the absence of faith. - How to overcome unbelief. And much more! Note: The release date of this book will be posted on our website @ www.fgwwc.org
www.fgwwc.org 11
GOD’S
HEALTH
BENEFITS PSALM 103:2-3
2
BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS B EN E FI T S: 3 WHO FORGIVETH ALL THINE INIQUITIES; WHO H EA LE T H A LL THY DISEASES;
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HEALING FOR YOUR Entire Body Divine healing
has been provided for our entire body, from the crown of our head, to the soles of our feet, and everything in between. Even our hair is covered by this provision. Jesus said, “…There shall not an hair of your head perish.” Luke 21:18 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered…: Luke 12:7 …As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. 2 Samuel 14:11 All of our flesh is covered by the provision of divine healing, including
our brain, scalp, skin, eyes, ears, nose, mouth (tongue, teeth, gums, lips, etc.), arms, hands, legs, feet, and anything and everything called flesh. Proverbs 4:22 “For they (God’s Words) are life…and health” (Hebrew: “medicine”) to all their flesh.” “Health for the entire body” (Jerusalem translation). “Health to all their being” (Moffat’s translation). “They mean real life for you and radiant health” (Taylor’s paraphrase). Based on this Biblical reality, the following confession of faith is hereby offered and submitted for your use:
CONFESSION
OF
FAITH
Note: Say aloud and let your spirit agree in faith. Father, I thank you that provision has been made for my entire body to experience divine healing, and to walk in divine health, through the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Father, I attend to Your Words, and incline my ear to Your sayings. I am not moved by how I look or feel presently, because my flesh is subject to Your Word. I keep Your Word in the midst of my heart, for it is life and radiant health to my entire body. I do now receive the word of healing into my body. I put a demand on the Word with my faith and with my words. Because of God’s Word, I am an overcomer. I overcome the world, the devil, and the flesh. My eyes are not dim, neither are my natural forces abated. I accept healing health for every part of my body, and the force of God’s Word keeps sickness and disease away from my body. Jesus is Lord over my body and over my life. I am forgiven and free of sin and guilt. I am alive to righteousness. I am free from unforgiveness and strife. I forgive others even as God has forgiven me. Because I refuse to walk in strife and unforgiveness, my faith is not hindered. Faith works by love, and the love of God is in me by the Holy Spirit. It has been shed abroad in my heart, therefore, sickness and disease have no place in my body in any way, shape, or form. Jesus is my healer today, therefore, I am made every wit whole, now and always, in Jesus’ Name. No evil shall befall me, neither shall any plague come near my dwelling, and I am the very picture of health! I say to my body, “You will not accept anything contrary to healing, health, and wholeness. You will function perfectly according to your design. You are filled with the life of God, and the Glory of God gives life to every cell in my body. I am a walking testimony of the divine power of God, and all is well with me, in Jesus’ Name!”
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health (medicine) to all their flesh.
Directions: For best results, say and meditate upon these healing scriptures daily! Warning: Following these directions can cause, exceedingly growing faith (Roman 10:17); receiving what you believe (Mark 11:23); victory over sickness and disease (John 9:23). Exodus 23:25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. Deuteronomy 34:7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished. (NKJV) Psalm 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Psalm 118:17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. Isaiah 53:4‐5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was www.fgwwc.org 13
wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Matthew 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 1 John 5:4‐5 For whatsoever is born of God over‐ cometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that over‐ cometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? Revelation 12:11a And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
To learn more about God’s Health Benefits, order Pastor Dana A. Holmes’ book, Divine Healing: Meditations & Confessions online at www.fgwwc.org or call 1 (866) 284‐WORD (9673)
Taking The Message Of Divine Healing To The Body of Christ Around The World In 158 Countries & Millions Of Households.
Fri..............10:30 a.m.
Sun.......................6:30 p.m.* - Channel 217 - Channel 367
Wed.............9:00 p.m. Thu............10:05 p.m.
* Watch the Healing Today Telecast as it airs online @ www.lesea.com
Thu.................8:00 p.m.
Wed................12 midnight BST Thu.................6:00 p.m. BST
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 Now you can watch the Healing Today Telecast anytime and anywhere @
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e h T
n a l P s r’
e t s Ma our Y r o F
E F I L
Building a home from the ground up is a very exciting experience! It gives you the opportunity to create your vision and make the home everything you desire. Making this dream a reality involves more than knowing how many bedrooms and bathrooms or what type of cabinets and fixtures you want. Plumbers, electricians, contractors, subcontractors, builders, tools, and supplies…they are all necessary. Several phases take place during the building process, but to achieve the final product—a NEW HOME according to your design—you must first have a plan for everyone to follow. Before we were ever created, God designed a specific plan for us to follow in order to have a NEW LIFE with Him. God’s plan for your life is salvation. Salvation, according to the Bible Dictionary, means to save, help in distress, rescue, deliver, set free. It also denotes health, well-being, and healing. As you can see, the new life God has for you comes with many wonderful benefits. However, the only way to have God’s plan and benefits for your life, is through Jesus. He is the foundation upon which God’s plan of salvation is built. John 3:16 says, This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it.
And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (The Message Bible) God set His plan of salvation in motion and demonstrated His love for you by sending Jesus to die in your place so that you could have eternal life just by believing in Him! But in order to experience this NEW LIFE, this eternal life, everyone has to follow the same plan—the plan of salvation. If you are ready to make this plan a reality in your life, pray this simple prayer from your heart. O God, I come to you as a sinner, in need of a Saviour. I acknowledge Christ Jesus as the Saviour of the world and as my only hope of eternal life. I believe that Jesus is Lord and that you raised Him from the dead for my personal salvation. Therefore, according to your Word (Romans 5:1, 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:26), I now receive the gift of the pardon of my sins and of righteousness by faith in Christ Jesus, and I am now saved! I dedicate my life, spirit, soul, and body to the Lordship of Jesus. In His name, amen.” If you prayed this prayer and received Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, contact us, and we’ll send you free materials to help you get started in your NEW LIFE in Christ Jesus. ‐ Contact Us At ‐
Full Gospel Word & Worship Center • P.O. Box 2169 • Columbia, SC 29202 Office: (803) 754‐0786 • Email: fullgospel@fgwwc.org www.fgwwc.org 15
An “Undercover Christian” is someone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but does not live like they have experienced this change. An “Undercover Christian” lives in a manner where someone who didn’t know that they are a Christian couldn’t tell the difference between them and someone who isn’t saved. So, what kind of Christian do you believe you are?
Don’t Be Ashamed of the Gospel Simply being a teen can be enough to have to deal with. There’s peer pressure, keeping up grades in school, dealing with issues with selfimage, the anxiety of trying to fit in, among other things. As a Christian teen, life can be even more challenging in some of these areas. 16 OUTREACH Jan / Feb / Mar 2016 · Vol. 26 No. 1
The values you have may often be different from your peers who are not Christians. Because of this, it may be tempting to try to fit in by hiding the fact that you are a Christian. You may feel pressured to laugh at dirty jokes or to join in when someone is being talked about or picked on. Deep inside you know it isn’t right, but to avoid standing out, you try to go along with what everyone else is doing. Don’t be ashamed or scared of standing out because of what you believe.
friends because he was misunderstood. Many of Jesus’ first disciples walked away from Him because they did not agree with him (John 6:1-66). If someone doesn’t want to be your friend because of the stand you’re taking, they weren’t a true friend anyway (Check out the article on Friendship in the October / November /December 2015 issue of OUTREACH). God wants you to be bold and courageous so He can use you to do great things in His kingdom.
Romans 1:16 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (English Standard Version)
Ways You Can Let Your Light Shine
You should not be ashamed because you have the answer! You have what people need, the gospel. Your salvation is based on the awesome truth that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins, and if you accepted that, you now have eternal life! And that is nothing to be ashamed of.
Let Your Light Shine Everyone wants to be accepted by their peers, but God called us to be different than the world (Romans 12:1-2). Being a Christian teen can be hard, but the benefits of living a Christian and godly life outweigh the costs. If you live a life pleasing to God others will respect you (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12). Not only that, God will bless you (Isaiah 1:19). Besides, Jesus didn’t die openly on the cross for you so you could become an “UNDERCOVER CHRISTIAN.”
Matthew 5:14-16 says, “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. (Message Bible) So, let your light shine! Make the decision to live for Jesus. Don’t be afraid of losing friends. Even Jesus lost
Walk away when people are up to no good. You don’t have to be a part of anything that is wrong. (Romans 12:1-2) Talk to your peer(s). If you feel comfortable addressing them, speak up when someone is doing wrong or speaking negatively about God or the Bible. Show that you are a Christian in how you treat people. You don’t have to say you are a Christian. The way you treat others will say it for you. Share the gospel with others so that they may also come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him. Ask the Lord to help you to live a life for Him. He will show you how you can be an example that others will want to follow. If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, make the decision today to give your life to Jesus and let your light shine brightly for everyone to see!
- A Note to Parents Help your teen resist the temptation to try to fit in and hide the fact that they are a Christian. Go over the scriptures in this article with them and others that are related to living a life for Christ. Give them examples of how your life and the life of others have been blessed by you living an unashamed life as a Christian. If you have not been living this type of lifestyle, start now. Then tell your child you also have decided to make changes in how you live and get ready to witness the blessings of God in both of your lives!
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Did you know that the Bible gives us instructions on everything that makes God happy? Obedience is one of those things! It is very important to God and it brings Him pleasure to see His children follow His ways. Being obedient means you are willing to do what someone tells you to do or to follow a law or rule. When we don’t obey, there are always conse‐ quences that follow our actions. Let’s take a look at the story of Jonah and see what happened when God gave Jonah instructions. God gave Jonah a job to do. He wanted Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and warn them that God was plan‐ ning to discipline all the people there because of their bad behavior. But instead of doing what God asked, Jonah ran away. He joined some sailors on a boat headed for Tarshish. God knew where Jonah was and chose to discipline him. When God sent a frightening storm, Jonah realized the storm was his fault.
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Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard to save their own lives. Instead of letting Jonah drown, God sent a big fish to swallow him. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish, which was like having a long “time out” in a very smelly place! When Jonah was in the fish, he prayed and told God that he was sorry for not obeying. God let Jonah out of the fish, giving him another chance. This time Jonah was ready to obey God. He went and told the people of Nineveh that God wanted them to stop doing wrong. Think of a time when you were asked to do something that you didn’t want to do. Something as small as your parents asking you to complete a chore while you are in the middle of playing your favorite video game or obeying school safety rules such as not running in the halls. What happens when we don’t obey? There are always consequences that follow. God requires us to be obedient, not because He doesn’t want us to have fun, but because He cares for us and sees what will happen if we don’t obey. If you run down the hall at school, even though you know the rules tell you to walk, you could fall and get hurt or you can even lose your recess time for not obeying the rules.
Jonah was given specific instructions from God to go to a certain place called Nineveh. When Jonah made the decision to disobey and travel to another place he got into serious trouble and the other people on the boat were also in danger. Jonah realized that he made a huge mistake and told God he was sorry for disobeying. Because God loved him so much, he gave him another chance and caused the fish to let him go after three days and nights.
WORD
SEARCH GAME
The Bible has also given you instructions to follow. It also tells you what will happen for you when you obey them. Let’s take a look in at Ephesians 6:1‐3 to see what they are. 1 Children, as Christians, obey your parents. This is the right thing to do. 2 Respect your father and mother. This is the first Law given that had a promise. 3 The promise is this: If you respect your father and mother, you will live a long time and your life will be full of many good things. (New Life Version) Obedience keeps us out of harm’s way and covered by God’s protection. Obedience also shows God that we trust Him with our lives, believing that He knows what is best for us. It is not always easy to obey, especially if it causes us to be alone or if we think we are going to miss out on something fun. But God knows everything and sees everything. When we obey God’s command‐ ments, it is a sign of our love for Him and dedication to pleasing Him in all of our ways.
TRUST
STORM
LOVE
JONAH
OBEY
PRAY
TARSHISH
FISH
SAILORS
PROTECTION
NINEVEH
CONSEQUENCE
COMMANDMENTS
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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Columbia, SC 29202 Permit No. 1150
FULL GOSPEL WORD & WORSHIP CENTER P.O. Box 2169 · Columbia, SC 29202
Return Service Requested
1st Lady Sherry H.
Holmes
SERVICE TIMES FOR ALL LOCATIONS: Sunday - School of the Bible - 9 a.m. & Worship Service - 10 a.m. Wednesday - Prayer & Bible Teaching - 7 p.m. Pastor Dana A.
Holmes
COLUMBIA LOCATION - Headquarters Church 6015 N. Main St. ∙ Columbia, SC 29203 Pastor Dana A. Holmes, Pastor & Founder
BEAUFORT LOCATION 21 Bruce K. Smalls Dr. ∙ Beaufort, SC 29902 (Grays Hill Community)
Pastor Permilla Hinton, Associate Pastor
Church: (803) 754-0786 Fax: (803) 754-0592
Church: (843) 846-3042 Fax: (803) 754-0592
If you are ever in the area of one of our churches, we invite you to come and be blessed and refreshed by the Word of God and praise!
Takoradi, Ghana House 27/3B, Apremdo - Apollo Junction Takoradi, Ghana Pastor Prince George Cobbina, Church: (233) 31 203-3800
Website: www.fgwwc.org ∙ Email: fullgospel@fgwwc.org “Reaching The World With The Word!”