FAV O R A B L E F E AT26U R E S Wade "The Barber" Menendez (cover feature) Master Barber from Maryland uses his talent to not only cut the hair of celebrities but to help those with alopecia regain their confidence and reveals other gifts and talents
10...The Jewess Believer 12...Chef Kenneth Temple 18...Elisa Rodero 20...Keenya Kersey Courtney Crosson
36 Make-Up Artist and Gospel Singer share with readers her main reason why she embraced the arts.
Rachel Zello (cover feature) 38 Dove Nominated writer and Contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter elaborates on being a child sex trafficking advocate...
23...PK Kersey 28...Frankie Wilson Jr.
29...Rich Wessenberg 32...Gugulethu Nkutha
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Brad and Danielle Alden (cover feature)
Nationwide and international worship leaders are also founders of TheJeansProjectÂŽ, a cause-driven, premiumjeans brand supplements church ministries across the country gets in depth about hit song "Lord of All"
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FEATURES Koryn Hawthorne (cover feature)
44 After placing 4th of Season 8 of the hit show Voice, Contemporary Christian singer is showing exactly what God can do...
“I didn’t know how it would happen, but I had faith this was where I would be. I believe God had a plan for me and with Him all things are possible.”
34...Sheila Piper 47...Doug and Jennifer Foster
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Tasheka Green
Educator, Coach, Publisher, Inspirational Speaker reveals her greatest award of all
48... Monique Daniels 50...Michelle L. Myers 53...Kinite McCrae
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Anthony Brown (cover feature)
40 Chart-Topping, Multi~Award Winning
International Worship Leader talks about connecting to God, social media and more...
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Chef Terrance J. is a self-taught renowned Chef-Owner of Two Fish & Five Loaves Catering who specializes in Southern Style, BBQ, Fine Dining Cuisine. His passion for food came from his mother who's Catering Company beard the same name. To his credit he has been a featured chef on WUSA9 Great Day Washington, Resident Chef on The Renee Allen & Friends Show, Radio One, The Central Mission Heart & Sole with Celebrity Chef Rock Harper & Friends, Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria, Metro DC Cooking Show, to name a few.
Chef Terrance J. | Personal Chef - Owner 2fish5loavesbbq.com #
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Only the Good Die Young?
“Only the good die young” should rub every believer the wrong way! This phrase is sung about, passed to next generations, and worst of all, believed! “Only the good die young” is a lie and ignorant excuse to explain away the reality of the two spiritual powers at work in this world. This phrase needs to be exposed for its lack of spiritual integrity.
Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? Ecclesiastes 7:17 God never wants us to die before our time! The good don’t die young! What this means is God has given all of us a certain amount of time to steward. We can be good stewards or bad but, in the end, how long we live is something we believe for. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour: I Peter 5:8 All believers have a personal adversary, called the devil, and is walking about seeking whom he may devour. Hebrews 2:14 goes deeper, revealing the devil’s power of death. The devil desires death before our time.
Chance, luck, bad circumstances, only the good die young, has nothing to do with it. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil Hebrews 2:14 Life and death come from two spiritual sources. Life is of God and death is of the devil. As we grow spiritually, we should develop spiritual discernment of the powers at work in this world. The things that are revealed to us are ours (Deuteronomy 29:29) but not all energized power is revealed but will be in the next world to come (I Timothy 5:24). This means, not in every situation are you going to know why someone died. Only God knows the heart. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel. Psalm 128:5,6 God’s desire is that we live long and see our children’s children. This is a promise of God. All promises of God must be believed to be received. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him. It’s the goodness of God that inspires a close relationship with God. Also, believing without works is dead (James 2: 17). The days of our years are threescore years and ten (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80) yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut o f, and we ly away. Psalm 90:10 “Reason of strength,” is first a spiritual condition to fulfill for long life, and secondarily, a physical condition. However, both are critical to life span, and both are worked for. If God is going to be a spiritual strength in your life, then your daily relationship with Him must be a priority. My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Proverbs 3:1,2 The human body is holy, wonderfully made, and designed to a degree to heal itself, but at the same time is corruptible, and because of the original sin, dies. Diet, exercise, and taking good care of our bodies as we age, is a physical condition to fulfill to inherit the promise of long life. Moses set the bar high and took great care of his physical body. And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. Deuteronomy 34:7 Also, God’s grace and mercy goes a long way! None of us is perfect, and we need God’s ways to escape (I Corinthians 10:13) the power of death: you must believe, recognize it, and act. Biblical examples to learn from: Lot’s wife did not listen to the Angel’s direction; Uriah needed to out believe David when being sent into battle; Judas allowed guilt to supersede the forgiveness given to him; Stephen did not heed God’s revelation to escape. “Only the good die young” is a lie! The truth is, there are two spiritual powers at work in this world. If you have holes in your believing, spiritually or physically, the door to die young is open. In some cases, we will not know until the world to come why someone died. The devil is a respecter of persons, has the power of death, and is the source of long life for some (Ecclesiastes 8:12). However, God is no respecter of Rich Wessenberg is the Author of Top Selling book “Treasures persons and the other source of long life. God can always go above His Word and will of the Believing Heart” which shows how to build a strong always make a way to escape. It’s up to us to make the most of His Word, His revelation, believing heart, is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble; or what others are telling us (many times God’s voice is in those closest in our lives when Follow Rich on Twitter @richwessenberg we are not listening) to not die before our time.
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W i L s o N
F R a N K i e
Frankie C. Wilson Jr. is an award-winning syndicated radio host and national speaker from Dallas, Texas. In addition to his busy schedule, he is one of the newest contributors to His Favor Magazine. Frankie is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in General Psychology in addition to his Master's in Divinity (MDiv) and Masters in Business Administration (MBA). Frankie is founder of The Giving Project 501c3 which feeds up to 1,000 people a year and is dedicated to his message of self-ownership, discipline and success. www.MrFrankieWilson.com @MrFrankieWilson (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter)
You know more o ten than I’d like, I witness moments where Christians or religious leaders openly criticize, humiliate and even degrade others while hiding behind the Word of God in an e fort to compel people to salvation. And it’s really shameful because Jesus never had to minister to the lost in such an overly aggressive, accusatory and sometimes even hypocritical fashion. Instead, He lead through love. Love comes in many forms including chastisement but when considering the most ideal way to lead and in luence by the example of Christ, we must look at stories like the one found in the 5th chapter of Luke where Jesus was scolded for eating and fellowshipping with a tax collector by the name of Levi along with other tax collectors and sinners. For clarity, tax collectors were considered traitors who collaborated with Roman authorities at the expense of their own people. The sinners were in a special class by themselves. These people were deliberately and persistently breaking the law. Prostitutes were also included in this group as they sold themselves to a life of sin in deliberate disregard for the law of God. Perhaps now it is easier to understand the surprise and disgust for some when they witnessed the savior of the World, King of kings, Son of God, Jesus the Christ, sitting and fellowshipping with tax collectors and other sinners. As followers of righteousness, it can be easy to believe that you should never comingle with others that are not like you. However, this is a secular practice and belief that does not belong to the people of God. Separation, elitism, classism, racism even nationalism and more should never be our response. When Jesus was asked why He would ever consider sitting among their kind, he responded, “It’s not the healthy that needs a doctor but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” On another occasion in the book of Matthew, Jesus told some religious leaders in Jerusalem “tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you!” How could that be the case? The answer lies in the divine approach of Christ as Jesus, being Spirit-led, always ministered through love. Love embraces di ferences in order to create relationships. Those relationships yield the opportunity for in luence. Thus, when you learn to love about others, others will love to learn about you. And once engaged in a relationship that’s built on love, there’s an opportunity to impart in luence because they’ll want to understand the di ferences that make you so special. That’s why Jesus was so impactful in his ministry. He exuded such a potent, unconditional and unequivocal type of love to everyone he met that those who experienced him wanted to know more which granted countless opportunities to be taught, reached and even converted to a life that would please the lover of their souls. I’m not saying to hide your light of truth, nor am I saying you should accept or encourage lifestyles that are against your beliefs. What I am saying is that the redemptive and encompassing love of God can cover and compel anyone, therefore God’s approach through love should always be our answer. And in case you’re not sure how to take the first step, the 4th chapter of Luke gives us the secret which was that Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit first and that Spirit is what will help you also lead others in and through love forever. Be blessed~ 29
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It’s important for Christians to be able to say, emphatically and with great confidence, “I am a Christian, This is Why.” Often Christians have a hard time or avoid altogether conversing with skeptics or people of other religions because, while they know what they believe, they have difficulty articulating why they believe with logical and reasoned answers. The funny thing about it is, “Most false religions know the lie, better than most Christians understand the truth.” My goal helps bring change to this issue. Yes, my own life, I didn’t grow up in the church or even in a predominantly Christian environment. I mostly grew up around Jehovah Witnesses and the Nation of Islam. In my early adult years, I was extremely skeptical about organized religion and the authenticity of the Bible and other religious canons. So I set out on a journey to research the major world religions and hopefully discover the truth and through this journey, I ultimately concluded that Christianity was logical and true. I know that sounds narrow, that is, that one religion could be the truth when there are so many religions out there. “However, the truth of the matter is, that truth is narrow. After all 2+2 will always equal 4 no matter how many other numbers are out there.” Some people may say well all religions have some truth in them, to that I would agree after all the best lies always include some truth. “However a half-truth is still a whole lie.”
About 5-years ago the Holy Spirit placed a burden and desire in me to help equip other Christians with tools to defend the faith. In other words, better explain why they believe what they believe, which are two different questions and answers. Additionally, to reach skeptics who are on the fence about what they believe because they have not heard any logical arguments that validate the truth about Christianity. And finally to engage and plant a seed in those who practice and believe another religion.
e t i Kin e a r McC
Yes, my book is not an indictment on the character, morals or values of anyone who practices another religion. It is a statement of why I believe what I believe, and while I am making a definitive truth statement about Christianity, It is backed by much reasonable evidence as outlined in my book. I encourage anyone practicing any other religion, to not base their decision on familiarity, family tradition, culture, environment, or just because its comfortable or makes them feel good. Rather, examine what you believe and seek evidence for its truth.
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