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ISAIAH 61:1-3 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 1
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to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
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January 2021
on the cover: Pastor Matthew Castillo Lady Vanessa Castillo Believers In Christ Church 121 S. Front Street York Haven, PA 17370 www.bicYork.org
Cover Story pgs 8-12 Happy New Year 2021! We are excited for this New Year and we are going to hit the ground running! Our cover story for January is featuring Pastor Matthew Castillo and Lady Vanessa Castillo! Pastor Matthew Castillo is the pastor of the Believers In Christ Church, in York, Pennsylvania. The Castillos have been serving the York City, PA community for three years. We welcome our new friends from York, PA, to the Grace & Glory family.
Healthy Soul 14 PROPHETICALLY SPEAKING
20 MONTHLY MANNA
Archbishop Ralph L. Dennis
Minister Carenda Deonne
2020 Lessons Learned From 2Timothy 2
Slack Will Not Be Part of Your Story in 2021
24 WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE
26 TRINKETS TO TRIUMPH
Pastor Rhoda Turner
Minister Tracey George
Dream Again
The Benefit of a New Beginning
4 January 2021 | Grace&Glory
Healthy Mind
In Every Issue 18 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH
Dr. Carla J. Debnam,
There’s Hope
Scripture Page........................................ 2
Healthy Body
Contributors............................................ 6 From the Editor....................................... 7
28 HEALTH MATTERS 30 BODY BASICS
Dr. Denyce Watties-Daniels
Charles & Ursula Harris
Spiritual Fasting In The New Year
If You Are Serious About Losing Weight This Year
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Meet the Contributors For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jackie Epps EDITORIAL Dr. Carla J. Debnam Min. Carenda McCray Tracey George Dr. Denyce Daniels Charles & Ursula Harris Rhoda Turner
GRAPHIC ARTIST Claire Lesesne www.JandCDesigns.com
WEB ADMINISTRATOR Andre Felipe for Arts Period www.artsperiod.com
Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction without expressed permission is prohibited.
Grace & Glory Magazine By Mail! For subscriptions go to our website: www.gracenglorymagazine.org
For more information contact 443-813-6547 • 410-370-2636 info@gracenglorymagazine.org Grace & Glory Magazine is the ideal publication for Encouragement, Empowerment and Inspiration. Follow us on facebook and twitter at: facebook.com/gracenglorymagazine twitter @gracenglorymag Check out our website at: www.gracenglorymagazine.org
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JACKIE EPPS is co-founder and editor of Grace & Glory Magazine. Jackie's career in communications spans over 40 years in advertising sales, program sales, media planning and television production, working in radio for 11 years and shifting to television broadcasting in 1989. She also produces the Grace & Glory show, a faith-based television program that has been on the air for 18 years. MIN. TRACEY GEORGE Tracey Nicole George is Dr. Carla J. Debnam is the wife a licensed minister and of Bishop Dwayne C. Debnam ordained deacon. She is a and an associate minister of native New Yorker residing Morning Star Baptist Church, in Maryland and married Woodlawn, MD. She is a to Danny George. Tracey National Certified Counselor works with her husband (NCC) and Licensed Clinical managing their inventory and asset control Professional Counselor company, George Imaging. She is the creator (LCPC) in Maryland. She is a member of the of Trinkets to Triumph, a Biblically-based blog American Counseling Association, the American and ministry, designed to edify and encourage Association of Christian Counselors and Delta Sigma individuals with a “trinket” of encouragement. She Theta Sorority, Inc. Dr. Debnam has contributed to is a member of New Destiny Evangelistic Church. two books, Those Sisters Can Preach: 22 Pearls of Wisdom, Virtue & Hope, and 7 Ingredients To An MIN. CARENDA DEONNE Effective Prayer Life Series, Vol.3-5. Min. Carenda was born CHARLES HARRIS and raised in Baltimore, MD. She received her BA Charles Harris is the owner degree from the Fashion of Chizel It Transformation Institute of Technology Fitness. Charles is a highly and is currently pursuing a effective fitness expert with Master's in Law degree from Regent University. a passion for health and Min. Carenda was licensed to preach in 2007 wellness. He is a certified and has been teaching, preaching, and declaring fitness trainer with the God's word through the power of love ever since. America Fitness Association of America with Min. Carenda is also an author of three books. over 20 years of experience, and a certified Yoga Her latest book, Perfect Patty Messed Up, is a Teacher at YogaWorks in Pikesville, Maryland. He 40 day devotional that confronts the disorder is the author of I’m Too Cute to Sweat, What’s Your Excuse For Not Working Out?, and It Takes 21 Days of perfectionism and opens the door to self forgiveness and restoration. To Get Fit. He currently teaches his mega cardio workout class throughout the state of Maryland. PASTOR RHODA TURNER DR. DENYCE WATTIES-DANIELS Rhoda possesses a spirit Dr. Denyce Wattiesof humility. Her ministry style Daniels has over 25 years of is graceful, her message is experience as a clinician and powerful and her presence nurse educator. Her areas of is comforting. Being the 9th expertise include critical care of 10 children, Rhoda has a deep passion for nursing, pathophysiology, family and the wholistic development of children. pharmacology and the use of technology in She is considered by many as a mentor and the classroom. She currently serves as faculty mother figure. and the Director of the Simulation and Learning Rhoda and her husband Pastor Jason Turner, Resource Centers of the College of Health serve as senior pastors of Christian Faith Professions at Coppin State University. Fellowship Church in Chandler, AZ. DR. CARLA DEBNAM
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from the editor
Beauty For Ashes
It is time to file the year 2020 away like we file old tax returns, only pulling it out as a point of reference. 2020 is over, done, finished, out of here. It has come and gone and I have wondered is anything different from when we first started 2020 twelve months ago. Well it is not enough space on this page to talk about the year 2020. But there is hope…. with God there is always hope. The Book of Isaiah, Chapter 61, is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, and the words “Beauty for Ashes” has often been preached in many sermons. Looking back over everything that happened last year, I believe no one would disagree with placing the year 2020 into the pile of “ashes”. But God promises He will give us “Beauty for Ashes”. There was tremendous heartache and devastating grief in 2020, but God tells us He will bind up the brokenhearted and comfort all who mourn. There was an insurmountable spirit of despair in the land, but God promises the oil of joy and a garment of praise. It is a New Year and many of us are looking toward this New Year with a fresh new hope! With every New Year it is everyone’s hope that all things will be new again. The fact that God promises “Beauty for Ashes” is a clear indication that God wants us to always have hope in every situation. God is Hope. This means He is the source of all real hope. If we are going to have hope (confident expectation), it must come from God for He alone has the power to give it. Hope gives us power to live courageously, to be all God has called us to be in Christ. In order to embrace all that is new for this New Year we have stepped into; we have to remain hopeful. In the word of God, hope is an indication of certainty. Hope in Scripture means [a strong and confident expectation]. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one also hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. (Romans 8:24-25) What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet. What is my declaration for the New Year 2021? I don’t have a catchy slogan or theme; but what I do have is what I know. This is what I know, God will give you “Beauty for Ashes”. God will be faithful, and His mercies will still be new every morning. (Lamentations 3:21-23). God will provide all my needs according to His riches. (Philippians 4:19)
Jackie Epps Editor-in-Chief God will do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) God will be with me always; I do not have to fear. (Isaiah 43:2) God will be our strong tower, our comforter and our peace. (Philippians 4:7) This New Year my prayer is that you believe God will give you “Beauty for Ashes”. Never lose your hope for the future. We have a new hope every day of the year; it depends on knowing God and standing on His word.
God will heal all my diseases. (Psalm 30:2)
Remember your present situation is not your destination; the Best is yet to come.
God will empower me to do all things through Christ that strengthens me. (Philippians 4:11-13)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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G&G: Pastor Castillo, welcome to the Grace & Glory Family. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with you. Let’s start with what I call ‘getting to know you’ questions. First what three words would you choose to describe yourself, and why? Pastor Castillo: First off, I praise God for you allowing me to be part of the Grace & Glory Family and for sharing this opportunity with me to fellowship with you on your platform. I pray that as you are blessing me that I in turn can be a blessing to someone in the Grace & Glory family. Three words to describe me, is a good question. If I had to boil me down to three words, they would be LEADER, AMBITIOUS, and VISIONARY. I would say leader because of my willingness to serve. I view myself as a servant leader of not only my home but also of the ministry that the Lord has put me in charge of to lead. I would say ambitious because my glass is always half full and never half empty. I am one who is constantly moving to self-improve and to be an asset to those around me by figuring out ways to increase my value to the community. Lastly, I would add visionary because I am always listening to the Lord for where He wants to take my family ministry and business ventures. I believe these three words best describe me and are embedded in my ministry and personal walk with Christ. G&G: Would you share with us one thing most people would be surprised to know about you? Pastor Castillo: I had to ask my wife this question because I was thinking to myself what is there about me that would be surprising? She immediately said that I am a wrestling fan. 8 January 2021 | Grace&Glory
After laughing hysterically, I was like you’re right! I’m not a fan of Greco Roman style wrestling but the WWE kind of wrestling. I have loved watching wrestling since I was a young boy. I remember the first big event I watched was WrestleMania 7, and my great grandmother was a huge fan of the Ultimate Warrior. She and I would spend time watching wrestling together; those are some of my fondest childhood memories with her. G&G: Pastor Castillo, most pastors have shared with me that ‘preaching the gospel’ was not what they had planned for their lives. Was it the same for you, did you have other plans for your life? Pastor Castillo: Preaching was not on my radar. I always had a perception of what I thought success was. My passion was to make money and provide and have a profitable business; but my purpose that was divinely designed by God was for me to serve His people. I think one thing that is imperative for us as people is to understand the difference between your passion and your purpose. Our passion is what we like to do, it comes from a feeling or emotion, but our purpose is what we were born to do, and that comes from God. I feel so humbly mandated to preach the Lord’s word. I did not always seek God. I was a lost sheep, out there in the world living ungodly until He called me into a proper relationship with Him. It was not until I lost everything, my family, my business, my place of residence that I really began to understand what God wanted to do with my life. I did not know it was going to be as a preacher, but I knew He wanted to use me for a purpose. G&G: When did you realize the call on your life to preach the gospel? Are you at all surprised at where you are today? Pastor Castillo: I am extremely surprised. I had gone through a very traumatic time in my life. I remember after my son turned one, being with my friend Kevin in Atlanta and I began to tell him that I had visions of me preaching in front of a church.
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Mind you I am one foot in, one foot out the church at this point in my life. He told me to take heed before I ended up like Jonah. I had to read up on Jonah to comprehend what my friend was trying to communicate to me. Several years after that, I met my wife at my spiritual father’s ministry, and we began courting. We got married and joined a church in York, PA, pastored by Elder Curtis and Elder Dr. Brunilda Hopkins who poured so much into my wife and me. A few years later the call came strong. I remember reading Acts Chapter 9 when Philip was in Samaria preaching the gospel and people were getting saved. John and Peter came down and they baptized many, but God told Philip to go into the wilderness. The scripture implies that Philip did not bargain with God. He went and by his obedience he met the Ethiopian eunuch and gave him an on-time word. At that time God was telling me to go into the wilderness. My wife and I went to an evening service one night and the preacher, a man I never met in my life, came off the pulpit walked up to me and began to prophesy and tell me all the things God was telling me to do and how I would be a leader of men. Shortly after that confirmation my wife and I planted Believers In Christ in Colonial Manor nursing home in York, PA. That was August 2017. By November we were in our former church building and by December 2019 by the grace of God we purchased the location where we are at now.
to. I would not be where I am today without this type of spiritual support system that the Lord has cultivated around me.
G&G: Do you see yourself as a role model for young aspiring ministers? What advice would you give to other young ministers? Pastor Castillo: I laughed when I read this question because I still consider myself to be a young minister. The biggest thing I would say is be yourself. Do not be your daddy, do not be your preacher, do not be your bishop just be you. I have taken some flack over the years for changing our dress code; for withdrawing from some of the ritualistic aspects of the church that I believe is really legalism clothed in tradition. There was a time when I would wear the three-piece suits and try to give three points and a hoop and then I realized that is not how I communicate. I converse and teach and break down scripture where it is relevant to the believer in today’s world. The text does not change but the presentation does. Paul said, “I became all things to all men that I might save some.” All this means is do not change your nature, but at times you have to change your approach. I think this is one of the reasons statistics show that the church is losing the population of black men. I think as a body we are still trying to impress the women of the church with church theatrics, and heart stringed rollercoaster sermons. Men, however, want to learn and be taught so that as Peter says, they can have a reason and an answer for the validity of their faith. G&G: Pastor Castillo, is there anyone I would also suggest to the young preachers who has had a tremendous impact on a strong accountability team. Even Paul had your life such as a mentor, leader, etc.? accountability; before he was released by the Pastor Castillo: I am a firm believer in church of Antioch to go out and plant churches, mentorship and accountability. My parents Pastor Matthew and Lady Vanessa Castillo, Dr. Dennis and Victoria Castillo raised he spent time there with Barnabas. Learn to and son Elijah me and gave me life and cultivated an follow so you can learn to lead. I would also opportunity for me to receive the gospel truth when the time add do not be rogue. Just because you have a platform on social was appointed by God. My spiritual father Bishop Vibert media does not mean that you should be using it. It is called LaRose taught me about how I should carry myself as a man of restraint. You might have the ability to do something but until God. My brother Kevin Hillman did not let the seed the Lord God releases you to do it, you could be operating out of order, planted in me fall to the way side, when I told him about my even though the intent was pure. visions of preaching. Elder Curtis Hopkins taught me how to do church, and how to minister, while I was serving in his ministry. ◆◆◆ I also counsel and fellowship with Pastor Danny Haas who has been teaching me how to be the CEO of a growing church G&G: Pastor Castillo, let’s shift gears to your ministry. Would ministry. God has been gracious to me by whom He has placed you tell us about the journey that led to the start of the Believers in my life for training and accumulation of wisdom and counsel. In Christ Church? I also have a small circle of pastors that I remain accountable Continued on page 10 www.gracenglorymagazine.org 9
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Pastor Castillo: In all honesty, I felt the call and moved on the call. I believe that the environment was conducive for my wife and I to plant and start a ministry. I did not know how we were going to do it, but I knew God was involved. We spent our own money. We went out with a passion to serve God and to be as basic as possible without the legalism, outdated rituals, high seats in the church, or sense of entitlement that often creeps into churches. So, when we planted in a nursing home we wanted to move into our own building. There were six of us and I saw a building that was nice but needed to be rehabbed. I agreed to take the building though I did not know how we would rehab it. After agreeing to rent a Spanish church around the corner that had the assets, we wanted the building and they wanted us to take the one they were already in. God worked that thing all the way out. We were literally able to move in and have service the first week of November that year. We started our Harvest Outreach Food Pantry and clothing closet immediately and started to feed the community weekly. I began to participate in Borough Counsel meetings and community recreation meetings to begin to know the leadership in the area that surrounded the church. After some time, I pretty much became the pastor of that community. We put on park events, fed the community, baptized the community and were part of the community. Then the opportunity for us to purchase an old Lutheran style church building fell into our laps by the grace of God. We did not have any money; I was personally financially tapped out, but we trusted in God. God told me to buy the building. My wife and I put up every last dime that we had to purchase the building. After that I showed other believers the church prospectus that we developed and many believed in the vision that God had given me and began to pour in financially, with man hours, and with wisdom. It has not been easy, but it has been God ordained. G&G: Pastor Castillo, you shared with me that the ministry is three years old, what challenges did you face in building this ministry? Pastor Castillo: Besides the purchase and rehabilitation of 10 10 January January 2021 2021 || Grace&Glory Grace&Glory
our new location the hardest time in ministry for me was when my wife and I lost two children in the span of 12 months. My wife had been diagnosed infertile, but we believed God and conceived. Our first child was born at 5 months and 2 days premature and did not survive. I remember taking my wife to the hospital on a Thursday and losing the baby that night. He was born breathing and we held him in our arms as he took his last breath. I just remember the Lord telling me to name him Isaiah which is God is my salvation. My wife had an infection and if the baby had not forced my wife into premature labor, they might have both died. That Sunday we were in service praising God; my wife was leading praise and worship, and I was preaching. We felt that it was important for us to be in the Lord’s house to show the church how much we depended on and trusted in God. I just knew that they needed to see us there and it was the most emotional service I have ever experienced. I preached about Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law and after being healed she immediately began to serve Jesus. The deliverance from the pain we felt was going to come in serving Jesus the more and going deeper in our faith. A year later in August we suffered the same fate with another baby. We named him Ezekiel, God is my strength; that time my wife nearly died from septic shock and spent two weeks in the hospital. Those were the hardest times. We never thought of giving up, but we knew that this was part of the attacks that come with ministry. Our church community stepped up like you would not believe. That is what they always do. Whenever we are in need, they step up! They allowed us time to refocus on God and when we came back, we continued to go harder for the gospel. G&G: Pastor Castillo, tell us about your most rewarding accomplishment in building the ministry of the Believers In Christ Church? Pastor Castillo: The most rewarding accomplishment was opening that new church sanctuary that we owned for the first time this past August. In the middle of a pandemic, God allowed us to rebuild His house that was once destroyed. It was like Ezra and Nehemiah all over again. It was such an emotional time and team accomplishment. Something Vanessa and I could have never done on our own. Fox News was there and did a story on us and the people that had participated in this rebuilding process came out. The body of Christ looked so beautiful that day; people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, colors, and upbringings, all together in one house praising what God had done. It gives me goose bumps just to think about that day. God is awesome! I was literally able to see God that day. Funny
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remembered this is God’s building. He owns this. This is not one of my real estate projects this is the Lord’s work. In my weakness His strength was surely perfected.
thing is I yelled so loud that when I got to the pulpit I lost my voice. The enemy tried to silence the Word, but God had the final say. Another thing that is a huge accomplishment is when I see relationships in the church cultivated outside of me and my wife. When I see people begin to love each other and have relationships outside the walls of the church, it brings a joy to my heart. Some of these relationships would have never been cultivated if not for the mutual love of Christ. G&G: During these last three years did you ever think to yourself what have I gotten myself into? Have you ever just wanted to throw in the towel? Pastor Castillo: I remember standing in the middle of the new church one day by myself. I stood on the pulpit and began to cry my eyes out. I had taken every last dime that my wife and I had to purchase this building and there was so much work that needed to be done. Allegedly there were drugs being sold out of this building, prostitution, and all kinds of ungodliness. We had to tear out all of the carpets because they had animal fecal all over them. The kitchen had to be torn out and drywall ripped off the walls; there was so much garbage and debris. I was so overwhelmed by the task at hand I just cried. I felt like giving up. I felt like it was a mistake. I felt like I had let my wife down and failed everybody as a leader. I was thinking how I am going to get all this money back that I spent. I thought I was wrong. I needed that moment of release with my Father in heaven. In that moment God consoled me. He gave me a holy hug and reminded me that this building was getting restored in his strength and timing. I submitted at that moment and
G&G: Pastor Castillo, tell us about the community that surrounds the Believers In Christ Church, what will you do to continue to invest in this community? Where would you like to see the Believers In Christ Church in the future? Pastor Castillo: Believers In Christ Church is in York Haven, PA. It is a 90% white community that has and deals with many of the same issues as any inner city does. Since we are located there, we do our best to serve that community as well as York City with various ministries. We have our Harvest Outreach Food Pantry and Clothing Closet to give out food and clothing to the community. We also have BIC Academy which is the 501c3 arm of the church community. Our goal is to open an alternative school for the youth where we will educate utilizing a Christian framework. Also, within the academy we offer resume building, and interview skill courses for adults, financial workshops, and life building skills. We started out near York City with diverse cultures and ethnicities, and we remain partnered with a few pastors and ministries there doing outreach. The goal is not to just be a Sunday church but to be an everyday fixture in the community. Peter called us as Christians a holy nation and it requires five factors. The first being a constitution which we have as the holy written Word of God. A nation also needs a food source, a bank, a hospital, and an education system. We have the food source with the Harvest Outreach food pantry, our education system through BIC Academy and we are praying one day to lock arms with other churches to create a credit union and have access to a clinic as well. One of the major projects for 2021 is BIC Staffing Agency which is a subsidiary of BIC Academy. We are in the process of setting that up to provide employment to the community and to be a bridge between employer and employees. What will set us apart is everything that the academy brings to the table which will make the man or woman more marketable for employment. We must build strong families if we are going to build a strong church. A strong church cannot help to build a strong community with weak families supporting it. I do not feel comfortable asking community members to sow their hard-earned money into BIC unless we at BIC are supplying an education system for people to learn what to do with what they Continued on page 12 www.gracenglorymagazine.org www.gracenglorymagazine.org 11 11
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keep. It is our responsibility to teach our community members how to live spiritually in a natural world or we have drastically failed them as spiritual leaders. ◆◆◆ G&G: Pastor Castillo, churches and ministries all over the world were shut down and impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, being a relatively new ministry, what steps did you have to make to keep doing the work of the Lord? Pastor Castillo: We went 100% doing church online. We used as many resources as we could to do so. We were strategic about building a team to help with this and sought out any information that we did not have. It is interesting that during this pandemic our church presence grew not only in views but in community members. This has been all a work of God. One thing about BIC is we do not have church members because church members come and go but we have community members that are fixtures in the church. I told all the community members at the onset of this pandemic and subsequent quarantine that we needed to come out of this better than how we went in and if we don’t then we wasted our time. Just like Israel went into quarantine on the night of the first Passover. They went in a people but came out a nation, then went in not knowing where God was but came out with Him as their front and rear guard. They went in, in bondage and came out a free people. One of the things we wanted to do in the New Year was to partner with churches that might be struggling in that area and see how we may assist them. G&G: Lastly Pastor Castillo, what are you hearing in the spirit, what do you believe God is saying to the church as we look forward to this New Year? Pastor Castillo: : I just read 1 Corinthians Chapter 2 and it really resonated with me. Many times, we’ve heard it preached or taught the text, “But as it is written, What no eye has seen,
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no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him., Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” We often hear this text preached referring to the future, but if we really look at it, Paul is quoting Isaiah from Isaiah 29. So, in Paul’s mind as he was writing to the Corinthian church it was a prophecy that was being revealed in the present tense. We commonly say God has got something in store for you, He’s going to open a door for you, this year is your year, and yada, yada, yada. When we read this verse from Paul’s quote it reveals that God has already revealed these things to us by His Spirit. Now this is hard for me to grasp as a visionary but what I’m saying is right now Christ has given us all things pertaining to godliness. We are right now attached to Him in heavenly places, we right now can be partakers of His divine nature, right now He lives in us as the hope of glory, and right now we are joint heirs. I think we need to focus on the right now, meaning how can I glorify Christ right now. Oftentimes we want to wait until man’s manufactured calendar for the next year to declare this is my year, but we can declare right now that this is our year from this moment right now. With that said I believe if we begin to operate in the right now and prostrate our hearts before the Lord, God will reveal Himself to us in ways we have never imagined. I can testify, I never imagined pastoring a church or being the CEO of a 501c3. I never envisioned our church would be starting an academy and a staffing agency and serve the right now needs of the community. My hope is that we can continue to lock arms and partner with other churches. I am praying for church unity and I am praying that the body of Christ will assume its rightful place and role here on earth. To God be the glory!
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prophetically speaking
APOSTOLIC TIMES
2020 Lessons from 2 Timothy As a church, we now find ourselves in a critical season, as we come into a New Year, with what has been the most abnormal ten months in most of our lives, with no clear end yet in sight. Many of us are starving for the grace God gives us, the Archbishop Ralph L. Dennis way he feeds our souls, in the regular face-to-face interactions we have as Christians in the church. Fellowship is a vital means of God’s grace. In weekly corporate worship and regular small groups, God shapes, nourishes and gives stability to our souls. If you feel spiritually empty, or sluggish, it is no great surprise. God actually does something for us and in us and through us as we gather together. To one degree or another, we all are feeling the spiritual effects of these ten months dispersed. Will we coast? Will we reengage? We have come to an important moment in the life of our church. 2 Timothy is an especially well-timed word for us in this moment, dispersed and fatigued by a global pandemic, with winter bearing down on us. A pandemic brings the consciousness of death to the fore. And every winter is a kind of rehearsal for death. In 2 Timothy, Paul contemplates his own death. And this letter is a bold call for endurance, and holding fast, in the face of affliction and suffering. This letter is just what we need right now as a church.
Three Words for the Church
As we start into 2 Timothy, we look at verses 1–2. I want us to get a preview of what God may have in store for our church through this letter in this season. I want to draw our attention to one truth in verse 1, and another in verse 2, and look at the bigger picture of the letter and get a foretaste of how 2 Timothy maps our time.
1. Christ promises life beyond this world. (verse 1)
Verse 1: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus . . .” 14 January January 2021 2021 || Grace&Glory Grace&Glory 14
In 2020, we have been surrounded by voices that tell us overtly and subtly that this life is all there is. Whether it is conversations with neighbors and coworkers, even family, or the messages on the big screen, small screen, and pocket screen, or what we read online, and what we hear on the radio and through podcasts — at every turn we meet the subtle assumption, if not overt message, that this life is all there is. Or at least all we can really live-in light of. All we know is what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. So, get all you can out of this life, because this all there is! But here Paul, facing death, begins with “the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.” Death now looks as real to Paul as it ever has — just as to some of us, death has looked as real as it ever has in recent months. Death is coming. It is certain, and now it is near for Paul. And in that moment, he clings to “the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.” He says more in 1:10: the grace of God “now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” What does it mean that he “abolished death”? Jesus has defeated the very thing our world fears most: death. He has emptied death of its power. He has defanged death. And having conquered death, by rising again, he has invited us to be united with him by faith, and to say with him, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). But Jesus didn’t just abolish or destroy or set aside death. He “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” In a world scared to death about its mortality, Jesus brought immortality. He brought the answer every living human is looking for. He himself took the death we deserved for our sin, that we might share in the life he has as fully God and perfect man — that is, eternal life. And oh, how we, and our world, need to hear Paul talk of “the promise of the life” (verse 1) and “immortality” (verse 10) and “eternal glory” (2:10) and Christ’s “heavenly kingdom” (4:18) and the “hope of eternal life” (Titus 1:2).
Now, Jesus does promise life in the present, not only eternal life to come. In 1 Timothy 4:8 see that godliness “holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” Yes, there is life, and life to the full (John 10:10), here and now in Christ. But that is not the main emphasis in 2 Timothy, as Paul writes from a Roman jail, certain that soon enough they will take off his head. Christ promises life beyond this world. Let us not be snookered by our secular society and its propaganda. Everywhere we turn, the assumptions are increasingly secular. God is increasingly ignored in public discourse and polite conversation, if not said to be altogether out of bounds. Without the word of God and the people of God reminding us that the sights and sounds and tastes and smells and textures of this physical world, real as they are, are not all that is real, we will be deceived. This is one of the great deceptions in our day, and perhaps the deepest: that this world and life is all there is. Rejoice, because Christ promises life beyond this world.
2. Christ provides family beyond this world. (verse 2) Verse 2: “To Timothy, my beloved child . . .”
It is amazing to see how Paul talks to Timothy as his son in the faith: 1 Timothy 1:2: “my true child in the faith” 1 Timothy 1:18: “my child” So also, to Titus, in Titus 1:4: “my true child in a common faith” Then here in 2 Timothy 1:2: “my beloved child” Also in 2:1: “my child” To be clear, Timothy and Titus are not Paul’s biological sons. Nor are they legally adopted sons. They are more than that. They are “true” sons, he says. Not like sons, they are true sons. This shows the kind of relationships God means to create and sustain in Christ. “In Christ, what we have in common is the single most important reality in the universe.” This kind of familial — and deeper than familial — bond is not unique to Paul and Timothy and Titus. Rather, this is the offering, and indeed the norm, for those who claim the one true Lord as their greatest allegiance. Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). And he said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29). In Christ, what we have in common is the single most important reality in the universe. Sharing biology and blood does not compare. Sharing the same Alma mater does not compare. Sharing the same neighborhood, the same city, same state, same nation, skin color, subculture, political causes, occupation, or hobby does not compare to sharing Christ. In Christ, we share in common the unrivaled, single most important reality in all the universe and in all of history: we have God himself in Jesus Christ.
3. Christ protects his people in moments like these.
So, Christ promises life beyond the world, and Christ provides family beyond this world, and now, I want to give you three themes from the rest of the letter, under the heading: Christ protects his church in moments like these. In times of unrest and uncertainty, we’re asking,
“What might we find 2 Timothy saying to us in the winter of 2020/2021? Consider three refrains that meet us in this moment.
A. HE CALLS US TO ENDURE (AS OTHERS TURN AWAY).
There are times when it seems like few are defecting, and other times when it seems like more than a few. Paul wrote 2 Timothy in what seems to be a lean season. It did not seem like revival. Times felt tough; perhaps even the churches seemed thin. Paul writes in chapter 3 of “those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions” (2 Timothy 3:6). And he warns in chapter 4, “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3–4). But this wasn’t distant for Paul; it was painfully close. He says in 1:15, “All who are in Asia turned away from me.” And if that doesn’t sound heartbreaking enough, he mentions Demas — the same Demas he mentioned as part of his team in Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24. He says in 2 Timothy 4:10, “Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” Can you sense the ache in his heart as he writes “in love with this present world”? As leaders, we have seen the good and bad of the pandemic. Let us not pretend; this has been a trial. It is sifting the church like wheat. For some, these have been precious days of new depths of seriousness and focus and devotion. Some will think fondly back on 2020. Yet for others, these times have eroded and hollowed out the heart of faith. Roots are loose. Some are turning away. And in a day in which the ways are parting, Paul’s call to Timothy, and us, is to endure. Paul himself endures, with “eternal glory” in view (2:10), and he promises in Christ, “if we endure, we will also reign with him” (2:12). He says, “the Lord’s servant must [be] patiently enduring evil” (2:24). He mentions the “persecutions I endured” (3:11). And he says to Timothy directly, “Continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it” (3:14). And he warns, “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. . . As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (4:3–5). People of God, in these days, when some are drifting away, like Demas, in love with the world, let’s follow Paul and be able to say in the end (4:7), “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Let us transition through this segment of the race God has put before us in this season, and keep the faith together, as we come into this fresh season of church life. The Lord recently require of me to instruct the saints on TRANSITIONING STRONG, instead of finishing strong. We must enter into the new from a moving start.
B. HE CALLS US TO SPEAK THE TRUTH WITH GRACE (AS OTHERS SPEW LIES, VENOM, AND FOLLY).
It is striking what a contrast there is in 2 Timothy between how Paul characterizes the false teaching and what he says Timothy should be. First, he gives us the negative, what to avoid, what characterizes the false teaching (and it may not be what you think): 2:14: “Charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does Continued on page 16
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handling the word of truth” (2:15).
no good, but only ruins the hearers.”
C. HE CALLS US TO KEEP THE END IN VIEW (AS OTHERS LIVE ONLY FOR THE MOMENT).
2:16–17: “Avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.” 2:23: “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.”
The apex of the letter is 4:1–8. There, Paul solemnly charges Timothy, for the final time, to preach God’s word, and then says, “The time of my departure has come” (4:6). And in this final section of the letter proper, before his closing comments and notes, Paul twice draws attention to the coming of Christ:
It sounds like the false teaching Paul is concerned about is more like the daily drivel on social media and television than it is like formal teaching. Some false teachers are preachers and teachers, no doubt. But most are not. They “creep into households and capture weak women.” They sow seeds in polite conversation. They don’t mount a pulpit but fill our ears. Think of is way: half an hour a week of preaching, versus ninety hours a week of other influences.
Verse 1: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom . . .”
COVID-19 has further accelerated the already troubling tendency of Christians being shaped more by online life and its partisan ideological ecosystem than by church life and its formational practices. In quarantine, Christians have been driven yet farther into a fully online existence: drinking from the often-toxic well of internet discourse in ways that poison their souls. Largely devoid of meaningful immersion in Christian formative practices, Christians are instead being formed in whatever online echo chamber they call home.
Paul keeps the end in view. Christian endurance does just that. It does not just endlessly grunt out one more day. It looks to the end and looks to Christ and his grace for daily strength (2:1; 4:17), considering his final rescue.
This is perhaps the biggest Meta threat facing the church in the 21st century. Social media can be a cesspool. Wisdom for some is avoiding it altogether. For others, there is a calling and opportunity to do good, speak truth, have some small influence. But do not just float in without intentionality. Your mood will be encumbered; your hope will be taxed; your vision of the world will be skewed; which is, in microcosm, what it’s like to live in this world. But this is important to note: In the ancient content war going on in Ephesus, Paul doesn’t just say to plug your ears. He doesn’t just say to cover your eyes. He doesn’t even say to not talk. He has something positive to say: Use words to give grace, to speak truth, to provide clarity, to produce peace. Speak and type constructive and clarifying words rather than destructive and confusing words. Use careful, intentional words, rather than flippant, uncareful words. And see that you get a regular stream of such clear, constructive, life-giving, soulfeeding words into your ears and hearts. Here’s how Paul puts it in 2 Timothy 2:24–26, saying “the Lord’s servant” so that we know it’s not just for Timothy but for all of us: The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. And we have a standard and source, as Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” And to Timothy in 4:2: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” So, Timothy must “do [his] best to present [himself] to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly 16 January January2021 2021||Grace&Glory Grace&Glory 16
Verse 8: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
The pandemic will end. This life will end. This age will end. Jesus Christ is coming back, which is spectacularly good news to his people, and an untold horror to his enemies. He is coming as “the righteous judge” (verse 8), who will “judge the living and the dead” (verse 1). He will bring full and appropriate and uncompromising justice on those who have rejected him and turned away from him. And he will bring rescue and reward, not just for Paul, but for “all who have loved his appearing”: RESCUE — 4:18: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.” REWARD — 4:8: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” To Brighten Our Eyes This brings us to the place where we not only look back but also forward to the end of this season. And to the end of this age when Christ comes again to repay his enemies and rescue and reward his people. God gives us this place in the present for our endurance. Here Christ gives us spiritual food and drink, to receive in faith, to restore our souls, brighten our eyes, strengthen us in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, to endure, to hold fast, to not blow over in the storms and not tap out in this trying season. STAY GOD STRONG! We are almost there! ◆◆◆ Archbishop Ralph L. Dennis (rldkfcm02@gmail.com) is Presiding Prelate of Kingdom Fellowship Covenant Ministries, and Pastor-Emeritus of Kingdom Worship Center in Baltimore, MD. He is also President and Chancellor of Dominion Leadership University (DLU) that he founded in 1984 as Ministers in Training Program. He is a prolific writer and sought-after preacher and teacher. Though retired from pastoring, he yet spends much of his time seeking to improve the quality of life for the people of God, through training, equipping, empowering, and mobilizing the saints.
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to your good health
A New Year, a new season, new beginnings are all experiences we have been looking forward to especially since last year was a shocker for many of us. We faced many painful experiences in 2020 that we will remember the rest of our lives. Long food lines, businesses closed, job losses, millions testing positive for coronavirus, and hundreds of thousands dying in our country alone is how we ended the year and it seems more challenges are ahead. Churches have had to go on-line and in-person everything has been altered drastically. These are challenging times, but they are not the only concerns we have. We have an opportunity to make changes that will help us, and others see beyond the pain and madness of the moment. Our hope is not only in the vaccine, a new administration in Washington, people following public health guidelines and taking personal responsibility for their
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actions, our hope is in God. We are assigned by God to be light in darkness and hope in this dying world. We are empowered by our faith to press through the afflictions and unanswered questions. Our country, county or city may be under attack by the coronavirus, the Russians, the political division or the lack of resources but through all of this we are called to be a witness to the glory of God. These times call for us to step up and step in to be the Body of Christ and to be hope in these days of rapid change and transition. In Romans 8, we are reminded of who we are and in what conditions we are called to live and to be a beacon of hope. “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption …For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is
seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” The pandemic and all of the emotional, spiritual, and physical upheaval that resulted has changed us forever. We can make the best of the lessons learned from last year and usher in the hope of Christ. In this season of working through the ups and downs, we must give those around us hope not in our skills and gifts but in our witness of faith. There is hope but it is up to us to bring it to the communities that need it. We have to work together and be the ones to help navigate the path in this New Year. Given the hits we all endured last year, we all needed a reminder of the source of our hope. Our hope is Dr. Carla Debnam, Founder, Dr. Carla Debnam, Founder, Renaissance Christian in God. Renaissance Christian Counseling Center
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monthly manna
SLACK Will NOT Be Part of Your Story in
2021!
Happy New Year! If you are reading this article, by God’s grace, you have crossed over into 2021! I don’t know about you, but this is a good time to give God praise and thanks for His faithfulness. I know 2020 was taxing for many of us mentally, spiritually, emotional and financially, but remember it’s the just that live by FAITH! I was thinking about what would be a good message to challenge you this year. In my time and meditation with the Lord, it is imperative that you do not SLACK on your purpose, goals and desires. The word tells us in Proverbs 10:4, “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” If you want to see some things turn and shift in 2021 you must be assiduous. If you desire for your story to change in 2021, you
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must be hard-working. What I personally hate about slack is it takes you around the same circle over and over again. Where can you possibly go by circling around the same path? As a Christian, your growth is in your journey, not going around in circles. When you allow “slack” to enter your spiritual journey, I guarantee you frustration and stagnation are close by. Being “slack” will only slow you down. Everything you do must be intentional and professional. What I hate about slack is not only will you miss opportunities, but also personal development. If you’re slack, you’re neither 100% personally nor professionally. If you’re slack you are too loose with your spiritual growth and mindset. Let’s talk about mindset for a moment. As a Christian having
a mindset that is focused, sharp and energized is imperative regarding your intimate relationship with Christ. A lot of what we do and do not do starts with the mind. You may not agree with this, but even the foods we eat and the things we listen to, as a Christian, impacts our mindset. You can’t have an “I don’t care” approach, but expect God to move on your behalf. The action and or activity of being slack also exudes in your energy. When you are slack it shows in your character, personality and behavior. What I also hate about slack is it blocks your creative flow! Everything comes to a halt. We cannot depend on family or friends to keep that momentum going. Trust me when you are not giving your best, you are performing below average. As men and women of God, we are not purposed for average. “Slack” is such a spiritual choker, and is not a friend to your growth in Christ! As you start this New Year, be honest with yourself. Are you allowing “slack” to slow you down? Are you really giving your best in what you believe in? Are you ready to make a change moving forward? Are you ready to delete the word “slack” from your spiritual vocabulary? I challenge you this year to create a mindset, work ethic and prayer lifestyle that will keep “slack” where it belongs; far away from your destiny! In Min. Carenda Deonne Jesus Name… www.carendadeonne.com 888-473-2221 Amen! admin@carendadeonne.com Happy New Facebook: @carendadeonne Year! Twitter: @cdpgem Instagram: @carendadeonne Live life on Linkedin: @carendadeonne the promise YouTube: @carendadeonne of IMPACT! Anchor: www.anchor.fm/takeaim
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woman’s perspective
Dream Again What is a dream? When I was a little girl I remember hearing this song from the movie Cinderella written by Walt Disney. The lyrics say, "A dream is a wish your heart makes, When you're fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches, Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams and someday, Your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, If you keep on believing, The dream that you wish will come true." At a young age, I was taught to believe and dream, but somewhere between life and reality I, like many others, stopped dreaming as I grew older. Not only did I stop dreaming I stopped acting on the dreams that I had already dreamed. In Habakuk 2:2 the author says, “Write the vision and make it plain on tables, that he may run who reads it.” The dream is what God gave you. The plan is your vision being written so that you can run with it. Joseph, in the book of Genesis, had a dream, and even in spite of what others thought of him and his dreams, or what was even said out loud to him concerning his dreams, they still came into fruition. We are moving into a time and era where both the dreamer and their dreams in action
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are necessary. Some made it through what many would consider a troublesome year. 2020 came and went but carried in it a lot of disappointments and loss. In order to survive some people had to reinvent themselves; while others had to learn a new craft to stay afloat. Businesses had to move in different directions as well. Breweries started making sanitizer. Pizza places began making shields. Partnerships were forged and communities banned together as families. Dreaming wasn't lost. It was renewed. As I reflect on 2020 and look forward to 2021, I see this New Year as a year where the dreamer is going to have to dream again. Some may be tempted to say, "I’m too old to start over", but let me tell you this: it’s never too late to dream again. In elementary school my teacher asked me what I dream I’ll become when I grow up. I pose that same question to you. What was your childhood dream that you allowed someone to extinguish. I repeat: it’s never too late to dream again. During this Pandemic my family faced some loss. My mother in law passed away right when the pandemic got serious. We feel that the cause could possibly have been COVID, but because of its newness the treatment was uncertain. During the time that she was in the hospital with a breathing tube down her throat and cords connected to her temples to control
the seizure activity, my husband was at home dreaming again. He pushed through the hurt and pain he felt from not being able to be with his mother, and did what He felt God was calling him to do; not to abandon the dream. His God given dream will be beneficial and helpful to others in the New Year. It was crucial for him to keep pursuing even in the hardest of times for him. 2020 was a year that many of us wish we could have a do-over for making it a much better, more enjoyable year as a whole. 2020 was supposed to be a year of vision and things becoming clearer, and in retrospect it was. The year as a whole brought clarity to many areas that we as a nation were blind to or chose not to see; from racial injustice to political wars to the state of our economy. With the clarity that we have been given by 2020, let’s Pastor Rhoda Turner make 2021 Christian Faith Fellowship Church better. Let's Chandler, AZ dream. www.cffaz.org
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trinkets to triumph
Happy New Year! You made it through the unprecedented year of 2020 and you are now ready to begin again in 2021. God gave you the benefit of a new beginning to get back the things you lost, to bring clarity to situations, and to bind up anything that stands in your way. You may have experienced a delay in the delivery of the blessings you asked God for last year but that does not mean that the desires of your heart were denied. You may have experienced some sort of suffering, but the benefit of a new beginning is another opportunity for you to believe that the pain was not punishment but will be used to propel you to receive God’s promises. Last year was filled with burials, burdens, and bad experiences but begin to believe God that 2021 will be the beginning of a bumper crop of blessings. Begin to see yourself basking in restoration, renewal, and receipt of the riches of a new beginning. The benefits of a new beginning is the blessing you have to look forward to after you suffered awhile that include restoration, support, strength and a firm foundation (1 Peter 5:10). You, or someone you know, may have
suffered the loss of a loved one, felt secluded, or had a slip downward in your finances, but a new beginning is the opportunity to build back better. Job suffered a tumultuous time but it transformed into a triumph. His suffering was a set up for him to become more successful. His riches were raided and turned into ruin, he lost sons and daughters, and suffered a sickness but it didn’t move him to give up and as a result, experienced the benefit of receiving double for all of his troubles (Job 1:13-2:10; Job 42:10). Just as He did for Job, God is going to get you out of your jam, give you a jumpstart, and jolt you towards your new beginning. The benefits of a new beginning is the opportunity to forget failures (Philippians 3:1314). You have the opportunity to learn the lessons from your mistakes and make moves to start over. It gives you the opportunity to forgive yourself and others and give them the grace that God gives you. It also gives you the opportunity to move forward with no regrets and only ready to receive the blessings God has for you. The benefits of a new beginning give you the reset you need to get you ready to win the race and receive your reward. The benefits of a new beginning give you the opportunity to renew your covenant with Christ. It gives you the opportunity to examine yourself and ask God to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you (Psalm 51:10). It gives you the opportunity to thank Him for daily loading you with His benefits (Psalm 68:19). God bestowed on you the birthright; now start reaping the benefits of a new beginning. Tracey Nicole George
www.traceystrinketstotriumph.com
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health matters
Happy New Year! We can all agree that the year 2020 was unique and challenging. Many individuals consider engaging in a spiritual fast or consecration at the beginning of the New Year to dedicate the year to God and renew their spirit. Fasting can produce spiritual and physical benefits. It draws you closer to God, it can provide a clearer perspective to spiritual questions, and can serve as a method to reduce the intake of various foods. Jesus instructs us that certain situations cannot be changed unless we add fasting to prayer. Fasting while praying can add power to your supplication to God. As we fast, we deliberately weaken the strength and influence of our flesh over a situation and strengthens our relationship with God. Fasting requires reasonable precautions, especially for those with an illness. Individuals with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, or who are pregnant or nursing should not fast without medical supervision. If you take prescription medications, always consult your physician before you fast. Talk with your physician to find out how your medications could be affected by a fast. People with diabetes should never go without eating while taking insulin or oral medications to reduce blood sugar levels. A fluid only fast can be detrimental to patients with congestive heart disease or who are on dialysis. Not taking your medications during fasting is not recommended. Your fasting plan may need to be modified to achieve desired outcomes without causing harm to your body. There are several different types of fasts [1]: • The Disciples Fast- (Matt 17:20, 21) Fasting for freedom of addictions. 28 January 2021 | Grace&Glory
• The Ezra Fast-(Ezra 8:21-23) Fasting for a specific purpose • The Samuel Fast- (1Sam 7:1-8) Fasting for revival and the outpouring of the Spirit of God. • The Elijah Fast- (1Kings 19:2-18) Fasting to break fear, emotional and personal strongholds. • The Saint Paul Fast-(Acts 9:9-19) Fasting for insight and decisions • The Daniel Fast- (Dan 1:12-20) Fasting for health and healing. • The Esther Fast- (Ester 4:16) Fasting for protection from evil and deliverance. Fasting may involve abstaining from certain foods like caffeine, sugars, meats, bread, solid food, etc. A full fast requires the participant to drink only liquids for several days. Some fasts last for 3 days, other types of fasts may last for 21-days or longer. Participants may fast from 6:00 am to 3:00 pm, or for 12 to 24 hours. Prepare your body for the fast by beginning to eat smaller meals and increase your fluid intake. Resist the urge to have that “last big meal” before the fast. Prepare your mind by seeking the presence of the Holy Spirit. No matter which type of fast you engage in, it is important to add prayer and meditation on related scriptures to bring full benefit to your efforts. Prayer facilitates communication with God. Fasting can be an effective way of hearing from God, and showing devotion and worship to Him. Proper thought is needed to engage Dr. Denyce Watties Daniels Associate Professor at in the right type of fast that brings Coppin State University spiritual results and honor to God.
DWatties-Daniels@coppin.edu healthytips 025@gmail.com
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body basics
Many people start off with only one component when attempting to lose weight. They start a fitness program, but fail to change their eating habits. The fact of the matter is that weight loss is a three-part process: good nutrition, cardiovascular and resistance training. About 90% of our population at one point of time will have some concern about their weight, especially the mid-section. Your metabolism is critical to your weight loss, because your metabolism is a major factor in how you shed the extra pounds. Your metabolism is like a motor of your body. It is the rate at which your body uses fuel and burns calories when at rest. Typically, we use 60-70% of our calories at our resting metabolic rate and can burn more calories when we participate in physical activities. However, it isn’t just the activity rates that affect our metabolism. The amount of muscle tissue we have plays a major part on where the bulk of our calories are burned. Unfortunately, if we are not participating in a weight training program, we will not maintain our lean muscle mass. The average person will lose approximately one-half pound of lean muscle every year, typically, around the age of 30. So, the more lean muscle mass we develop, the better our metabolism will function. In addition, weight training is essential for keeping the weight off once we reach our desired weight. Research has shown that people who lost weight through a combination of weight lifting, cardiovascular training and good nutrition were better able to keep off unwanted fat versus those that only use fad diets.
If you are new to exercise, but plan to shed excess fat, be sure not to focus so much on the scale. The scale can help you track pounds lost, but you don’t know if those pounds are fat or muscle. A better way is to evaluate how your clothes fit or by a sudden flow of compliments. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you may be gaining muscle and losing fat and the scale is not a true gauge. Don’t be obsessed with number watching. Let the way you feel be your motivation. Here are some weight training tips that can help you reach your weight loss goals. • When weight training, target all the major muscle groups. Focus more on exercises that work your back and leg muscles. • Mix up your exercise routine for each muscle group. Use free weights one week and machines the next. • As you get stronger, you can increase your weights biweekly. I hope that you start a weight training program this year. Weight lifting will give you a more sculpted body that will rev up your metabolism and allow you to keep the weight off that you worked so hard to get rid of! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Charles and Ursula Harris
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Fitness Experts
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