DOM KING
March SACRIFICE MARRIAGE IS... SHARINA GEORGE Brianna O
AMAZING GRACE
2019
CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
Minister Donna R. Patrick
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS Evangelist Carmella Hill
Bishop
JACQUELYNE J. PARKER
Pastor/Founder of Kingdom Builders Fellowship Center, Inc.
Ministry in the 21st Century
CEO Jesus
PUBLISHER
Xcellence Publications
FOUNDERS
Pastor Greg George Pastor Sharina George
CHEIF EDITOR Sharina George
EDITOR
Greg George II
Cover Photo Rita Betts
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Xcellence Marketing
Contributing Writers Donna R. Patrick Carmella Hill Sharina George Angela Mosley Carmella Hill Brianna O Alan Chester Genesis 1:28
All rights are reserved and no part of publication can be copied or reproduced without permission from Xcellence Publications LLC.
The Founders
Pastor Greg & Sharina George
CONTENTS COVER ARTICLE
ISSUE 39
MARCH 2019
12
4 FOUNDERS PAGE
Pastors Greg & Sharina George
6 MARRIAGE IS SACRIFICE... Pastor Sharina George
Bishop Jacquelyne Parker
6
8 WHAT I’VE LEARNED (RE-RUN) Minister Donna R. Patrick
12 COVER STORY
Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
Pastor Sharina
8
18 IMAGE OF A MAN
Pastor Alan L. Chester
22 HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS Evang. Carmella Hill
24 AMAZING GRACE Brianna O
Minister Patrick
26 INTERMITTENT FASTING? Minister Angela Mosley
24 Brianna O
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KingdomChristianMagazine
Sacrifice MARRIAGE IS... By: Sharina George
There are many times in a marriage that one will need to sacrifice. Sacrifice is to surrender something great for something greater. In a marriage both people bring their own unique ideas and experiences, depending on the life they lived prior to marriage. It’s important to value your spouse enough that you are willing to sacrifice some of the things you “know” to better understand one another. Many people jump out of relationships just as fast as they jump in because they are not willing to sacrifice. God showed us what sacrifice was really all about. It is thinking of others more than you think of yourself. Marriages today will not just survive but “thrive” if we can embrace what God showed
us through his son, Jesus the Christ. While this may be what they call “a hard saying” all things are possible through Christ that strengthens your marriage. In order to sacrifice the way God desires, Jesus must be at the center of the union. The Bible says, without me you can do nothing. Without Christ being the center focus of the both of you, selfishness, arrogance and pride is bound to be the driver of the marriage. In those cases many marriages do not survive. According to Google‘s definition, a
marriage is: a combination or mixture of two or more elements. Two people striving to become one in thought not just body. Not preferring themselves over the other. Again, that brings us back to the word sacrifice. One must apologize when one does not feel wrong, and one must take into account the feelings of the other in everything that is thought, said or done. My marriage has not been the perfect marriage but it’s a submitted marriage. We’ve had our share of ups and downs, times of laughter and times of sorrow, times of embrace in times of “get away from me” but through it all Christ has been the third strand and a three strand cord is not easily broken. I just want to encourage you man and woman of God that your sacrifice is well worth it. Love should be the underlining reason why you want to sacrifice.
Love is in the air!
By: harina George
@SharinaGeorge
@Kingdomwarriorsg
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
MINISTER donna renay patrick
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7)
“W
elcome to the New Year! Whether you were ready or not the year 2019 swept in here right on schedule. The year 2018 is now a thing of the past, and God has given you another opportunity to start over, and in a different direction this time. New beginnings are necessary, and I believe they are a wonderful blessing from the Lord (Phil. 3:13). I can certainly relate to the concept of new beginnings. Somewhere around the Fall of 2018 I began committing the coming new year to the Lord. I don’t wait until December 31st, and I typically don’t make new year resolutions. But in 50 years of living (plus a few more) there are some things I have learned on this journey of life, and in my Christian experience that I will share with you: 1. I’ve learned that sitting at the “popular” table isn’t always the table where God wants you to be. Why? It is because God doesn’t want your obsession with someone else’s popularity to drown out His revelation to you. Being popular isn’t my purpose; staying in the will of God is (Joshua 1:8, NLT).
stand before God. And on that day His concern will not be who you networked with to grow your business or ministry (Romans 14:12). What did you do to glorify Him in the earth?
2. There is a difference between support and surveillance. There are those who support you, and there are those who are watching to be sure you’re not doing better than they are. 3. The people we spend time trying to cozy up to, impress, etc., won’t be there when your day comes to
5. God will answer your prayer, but it may not be the answer you planned. God won’t always come from the direction we think He’s coming from; in fact, He very often flips the script on us. But His answer is always for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28, Proverbs 16:9, NLT).
4. Family is extremely important. Enough said.
Minister
DONNA RENAY PATRICK 6. Purging is preparation and
correction. When we go through difficulty that we did not create, God may be performing surgery on our hearts, our thoughts, and motives (Proverbs 16:2, NLT). #CleaningUpAndCleaningOut.
7. There is nothing wrong with
people knowing your name and what you do. But the main person you want to know your name is God! Your name may be known and recognized around the world, but the question to ask yourself is this: “Does God know my name?” “Does He know who I am?” (Matthew 7:22-23).
6. Purging is preparation and
correction. When we go through difficulty that we did not create, God may be performing surgery on our hearts, our thoughts, and motives (Proverbs 16:2, NLT). #CleaningUpAndCleaningOut.
are not Him; nor am I (Isaiah 42:8).
10. I’ve learned to filter my speech
when necessary, and that communication is very important. Talking and communicating are not the same thing.
11. Whether good behavior or bad,
7. There is nothing wrong with
people knowing your name and what you do. But the main person you want to know your name is God! Your name may be known and recognized around the world, but the question to ask yourself is this: “Does God know my name?” “Does He know who I am?” (Matthew 7:22-23). 8. People change, God does not (James 1:17, NIV). 9. There is only one God, and you
there is a reason people act as they do.
12. I’ve learned to stay out of God’s
business; He operates on a “need to know” basis. He will tell me what I need to know in His time, not mine (Isaiah 55:8-9).
13. Those of us who serve in Christian ministry, we are responsible to serve spiritual food to those we lead, but we are not responsible for how it is consumed (2 Timothy 4:2-3).
Donna Renay Patrick is an author, musician, choir director, worship leader, and radio host. In addition to self-publishing two award-winning devotionals; At All Times, and It’s In Your Praise, she recently co-authored a stewardship-themed devotional entitled The Perfect 7. Her passion is training and development in worship ministry, and often speaks in the areas of knowing your purpose, and effective leadership. Visit her website at www.donnarenaypatrick.com to order her books, invite her to speak, or learn more about her ministry.
Minister
DONNA RENAY PATRICK
MINISTRY
In the 21st Century Bishop
Jacquelyne Parker
Having given my life to Christ at the early age of 12, I’ve been attending church for a long time. As a child, ministry as I knew it consisted of shouting, footwashing and the banging of tambourines in our little African Methodist Episcopal church in Cahaba Heights, Alabama. However, when we moved from Birmingham to Cleveland in 1959, my mother decided to attend the Baptist church because the ministry resembled the AME church in Alabama. I remember attending Friday night fish fry fundraisers with homemade ice cream and how families in our church would take turns inviting the pastor to Sunday dinner. We’d have week-long revivals three times a year and people would come from all over the city to hear the word of God. Attending church 3-4 times a week was normal, which included Sunday school, Sunday service, bible study, prayer meeting and sometimes choir rehearsal. We were taught early on the difference between our “church clothes” and regular clothes, what behaviors were acceptable in church and which were not, how to respect our elders and that everything in God’s house was to be done “decently and in order”. Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
MARCH COVER STORY As I transitioned into parenthood as a wife and mother, my family attended a Missionary Baptist Church, whose ministry continued to mirror the churches I’d grown up in, but now included “junior church” an optional separate service for the children during the regular Sunday service. We would sometimes fellowship with other churches on Sundays for afternoon services and my children would attend Bible Camp each summer for a week, as my siblings and I had in my childhood. We were taught the importance of tithing, your offering, building funds and how the church supported one another during times of difficulty.
In the past 40 years, ministry as I knew it and how people regard the church has changed dramatically. The new definition of church seems to be come as you are, when you feel like it and give whenever you want. There is no longer an emphasis put on commitments outside of Sunday service. I believe that our teaching should be built on the truth of the word of God. Collective bible study is just as important as personal bible study. Junior church should be just as informative as adult church, not a place where the kids are simply being babysat while they play with iPads, cell phones and tablets. These tools are simply being used to entertain the youth like the word of God used to. Gone are the days of “church clothes” and “Sunday’s Best” and a much more relaxed attire has become more commonplace. Sunday morning devotion has transitioned into praise and worship service and church choirs have been morphed into praise & worship teams, flag ministries, pantomime ministries, and praise dance ministries. Streaming online live to hear the message on Sunday morning where a sermon can be heard via Facebook, Instagram or Youtube is just as meaningful to some as those who sit on a pew on Sunday mornings. So now, the question is, what works? As the generation before us clings to the ways of the old church, and the younger generations embrace today’s digital world, which is constantly changing, how do we close the divide? How do we reconnect with one another and create a oneness in Christ that fulfills spiritual Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
relationships across the board while clearly redefining ministry as a whole? We must first recognize that the role of a minister is no longer confined to one leader of the church, but ministry should be embraced by all its members seeking a greater relationship with God and those who have a desire to spread His word. I am impressed with college campuses organizing evangelistic teams and traveling around the country witnessing and bringing souls to Christ. I am also fascinated with ministries involving praise dance, pantomime, flags and gospel rap/hip-hop. I strongly believe these ministries ignite the “stirring up of gifts� in the youth in our churches today. I believe in the rendering of service as opposed to performance. It would be nice to see churches return to testimony service. One person’s testimony can give hope to another. Some people have a problem with the relaxed dress and attire for the church of today, but the bible says do not worry about what to put on and as long as everything is covered appropriately, all should be well. A major difference in the generations is how they praise and serve God. When the church fully realized that the veil has been rent and we could gain entrance into the holy of holies, we finally began to worship, listen and reverence the very presence of God. Where it was once deemed mandate to fellowship church to church, singing A & B selections and securing offerings between visiting services, we are now commissioned to go out to the hedges, highways, and byways to preach and teach the word of God. I celebrate marketplace, youth Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
explosions in the park, church on the beach, nursing home ministries and prison ministries because they are reaching people who may not necessarily go to church or have accessibility to church. It is important to attend church to encourage and uplift one another. However, we minister to each other Sunday after Sunday and we are the saved, but what about those who have not yet been introduced to Christ? We have a charge to keep and a God to glorify. We must embrace other forms of ministry instead of focusing on conforming to a traditional set of rules. What is much more important is the level of commitment established within your ministry and recognizing Jesus’ great desire for us to become one. He wants us unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. We have to ask ourselves, “Are you helping to unify the body of Christ, the church? We can pray for other believers, avoid gossip, esteem others more than ourselves, work together in humility, give our time and money, exalt Christ, and refuse to get sidetracked by the enemy. These things should transpire so that the world will know God sent His son, Jesus. Instead of focusing on a definition of the old church vs the new church, we must embrace a revised ministry that focuses on bringing others to Christ with whatever tools by which we are equipped. Our ministry tools must creatively expand to levels of flexibility that will use the platforms of social media through livestream, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to His glory, if we want to bridge the gap across the Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
generations. Using a combination of the old and the new will minister the goodness, mercy and the grace of the Lord and equip your ministry with the necessary tools to save souls across the board. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.� Philippians 2:10-11
Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker, Pastor/Founder Kingdom Builders Fellowship Center, Inc 17403 Harvard Avenue (Upstairs) Cleveland, OH 44128
Bishop Jacquelyne J. Parker
Pastor Alan L. Chester
“The Image Genesis 1:26 shares with us; “ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…”
” I remember as a young boy growing up in the streets of Baltimore, I had heroes that I saw on television that I wanted to be just like. I had basketball heroes like Michael Jordan, football heroes like Tony Dorsett and Lynn Swann and other great sports figures that I looked up to. I remember Jordan’s ability to elevate from the free throw line and seem to fly through the air and slam the ball while being defended by several opposing players. I remember watching Tony Dorsett drive out of the backfield and run over the defense as if they weren’t even there and Lin Swann taking a sideline with unbelievable speed and pull down a pass in the end zone for the touchdown. I watched in awe as these men defied gravity and overcame great odds to bring their teams to victory. These were the images that I desired to see when I looked in the mirror as a young boy. Yet, out of all the great men that I desired to imitate, I never got a clear picture of who I was as a man until I gave my life to Jesus. As men we are not always nurtured into understanding who we are and who we are supposed to “become”; sometimes because of a lack of parental guidance, lack of Godly examples or even environmental norms that shaped our thinking as we go from boys to men. Yet from the very beginning of time, God had a full understanding of what He desired man to see when he looked in the mirror. When God formed Adam, He had purpose in mind. He knew exactly what he wanted man
Of A Man” to look like when He communed with him. God did not see man in the image of a great sports figure. God did not see man as a mighty war strategist or a nominee for the Sexiest Man in The World but God desired man to be created in His image and after His likeness. God’s desire was for man to take on the image and the attributes of his divine creator. God’s desire was when you looked upon man you would see God; that he would look just like his Daddy. No DNA test necessary, without a shadow of a doubt, ”God is the Father!”
In Genesis 1:26 the Hebrew word “tselem” pronounced “selem” is used for the word “image”. Its original Hebrew context is defined by the word resemblance. The word is described as a metaphor by the phrase “Shadowing forth” (Strong’s ). The shadow is a person’s resemblance when light is cast behind them. In appearance we may not look exactly as God looks but in character, integrity and authority we should be His shadow. As the Light of Jesus Christ is cast on us, we should move as God moves, flow as God flows and walk like God walks. Our lives should shadow His every move and resemble His loving attributes that separate the godly from the ungodly. In the New Testament Epistle to the Romans chapter 8 and verse 23 it says “ For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son…” Jesus came to give us back the image, the resemblance, the shadow that Adam lost in disobedience.
Pastor Alan L. Chester After the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3, Adam and Eve tried to hide themselves from God because they had disobeyed the Lord’s one commandment of not eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Giving in to the devil’s temptation had caused Adam to lose everything and now what once shined in the splendor of the glory of God, was reduced to a fig leaf to cover what he lost. Have our characters been reduced from the glory of God to uncontrolled anger, rage, addictions, unforgiveness and more? As men have we surrendered to the temptations of the devil and as believers begin to “conform to this world” that has no resemblance of the image of our God at all? Does our outlook look more like what God is not then the true reflection of who God is? In Genesis 3:9, God knowing that the relationship that Him and Adam shared was no more, asked the question “...Adam… Where art thou?” Please don’t assume that the omniscient God asked a question because He did not know where Adam was; Oh no! God asked the question because He did not recognize the image of Himself that He left to have dominion in the earth. When as believers and men of God, we take on the image of our so called worldly heroes and fall into the sins that please our flesh, feed our lust and stroke our egos; the sons that God used to know He doesn’t recognize and has
to ask us all “Where art thou?” “You’ve lost the image, the likeness and the dominion I destined for you to enjoy.” Yet, God loves us so much, that He gave His only begotten Son, the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:45) to pay the penalty of death on the cross; that we might be saved and resemble the image of our Heavenly Father again. Hiding our sins didn’t work for the first man and it won’t work for us. The Bible says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We don’t have to hide behind the fig leaves of guilt and shame but because of the gospel of Jesus Christ we can once again walk in the true image of a man, by living in the image and likeness of God. The more we look to our Heavenly Father to mold us and shape us into ...that perfect man… to the measure and the stature of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4 ), the more we will take on His image; which is the true image of a man.
Pastor Alan L. Chester Fresh Fire Ministries 1108 August St. West Columbia, SC 29169
Mental Health Corner
HEALTHY BOUNDARIES & HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
Evangelist Carmella Hill, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with supervising credentials (P.C.C.-S). & Founder of Empower to H.O.P.E. Services, LLC.
W
hat mental image comes to mind when thinking about boundaries? Perhaps a border of some sort comes to mind. Perhaps a fence or gate comes to mind. Regardless to what image may be reflective of boundaries in your mind, understanding boundaries and establishing healthy boundaries is essential to having healthy relationships
Healthy vs Unhealthy Boundaries Recognizing unhealthy boundaries while in a relationship can be tricky. Our minds tend to see, hear, and perceive what it wants to that may be more favorable to us. It is the mind’s way of protecting us mentally and emotionally. This is why it is important to learn and understand what healthy boundaries look like to increase the likelihood of having a healthy relationship.
Two Warning Signs of Unhealthy Boundaries 1. Losing oneself in a relationship
When someone forgets that he/she is an individual with unique qualities, abilities, strengths as well as challenges, it might lead him/her to believe another person is responsible for these things. As a result, one may be taken advantage of and left emotionally, mentally and possibly physically harmed in the process. This is the breeding ground for domestic violence situations to develop and grow.
2. Be aware of the past’s impact on the present Believe it or not, how people were raised greatly impacts their understanding of boundaries (healthy or otherwise). Were you the caregiver or played a similar role in the family? There might be a tendency to overlook boundaries under the guise of “helping” the other person(s). Also, there could be a tendency to only feel a sense of self when helping others. (This is not to be confused with servanthood.) Were you the one being cared for or played a similar role to being a baby/
younger family member? There might be a tendency to seek out others who will cater to and reinforce this role. Overall, these things may result in justification for maintaining the unhealthy boundaries.
Two Signs of Healthy Boundaries 1. Knowing your wants/needs and can communicate them
It can be challenging to effectively express one’s needs and wants without being adversarial or manipulative. When one is able to express themselves effectively, this will enhance and foster a healthy boundary in a relationship.
2. One does not compromise values for others
Sadly, it is not uncommon for values to change based on who “approves” them. However, unapologetically expressing an uncompromising value will help to create a healthy boundary in a relationship. Mental Health Challenge:
Create boundaries in your heart/emotional space! If more
time is spent displaying or reflecting negative emotions than positive ones due to a relationship…time to create a boundary.
Create boundaries in your mind/thought space! If more time is spent worrying and being overly concerned about matters that are out of your control in a relationship…time to create a boundary.
Create boundaries in your physical/behavioral space!
If you find yourself doing things that seem unwarranted or detrimental to your well-being all the while maintaining unhealthy connections with people, places, and things…time to create a boundary.
THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER Assess your current relationships and determine where there are red flags that could be the trigger for unhealthy boundaries to manifest. Sometimes the biggest red flag is ignored until things are seemingly out of control! SELAH
Renewed Mind
Amazing Grace
H
Brianna Oyewo
ave you ever felt the relief of releasing some deep dark secret sin with a friend, a spouse, a pastor, a therapist, and how when the secret falls on wise, non-judgmental ears it feels like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders? Instead of being met by disgust, anger and rejection, that person does everything they can to convey to you that you are still loved and accepted and that you are only human, and they remind you that you are not the sum of your past and mistakes, and they invite you to see yourself in that moment the way God sees you which is; forgiven, renewed, transformed, victorious and unconditionally loved. I’ve experienced this before and if you have not yet, you will. This is a reflection of God’s grace, if flesh and blood can love you like this, can you even imagine how much God does? As a friend recently told me over tostones and red beans and rice, “There is nothing my children can do that will make my love run out for them.” She is always filled with love for them, in their short comings and in their success, there is nothing a child has to do to earn a mother’s love except be born, and so it is with God. However, it’s amazing how we try to work for something that we cannot earn, we work more and receive less, we stress, and strive in ministry, and in our careers and with our family and friends, to be better, not realizing the key is not to try to be better, but to try to be still, and rest in God, if we could just do that he would fill us with more than enough living water to never run dry, so that we can be poured out again and again and never feel empty. On the other spectrum some of us feel so condemned by the sins of our past however recent
that we somehow get stuck there and can’t move forward to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives because we are too entangled in the failure of our past to get a glimpse of how bright our future can be in Christ. The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your doing.” Romans 11:6 says “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” I know it’s difficult to grasp, I know it’s unbelievable that a Holy God, has grace, and mercy, and peace and joy and love for sinners, but he does, this beloved is the Gospel. So if you find yourself working to earn something he’s already given you, REST. If you find yourself stuck in the past because you can’t seem to stop condemning yourself for previous sins, forgive yourself, God has forgiven you, and move forward by faith into the purpose God has for you. The world needs you, there are lessons you have learned in your sin, in your affliction, in your deliverance, and in your victories, that God wants to use for his glory. As my Pastor John Stickl at Valley Creek Church recently stated “Don’t try harder, trust harder, don’t behave better, believe better.”
Brianna O.
WHAT IS INTERM Minister Angela Mosely
Intermittent fasting is one of the newest trends of weight loss. In my studies, people are not only using it for weight loss but they are using it to improve their health and simplify their lifestyles. Also, it has a powerful effect on the brain and body and may even help you live longer. Intermittent fasting consists of an eating pattern where you cycle between periods of eating and fasting. Please note this pattern does not say anything about which foods to eat, but rather when you should eat them.
There are several different methods, all of which split the day or week into eating periods and fasting periods. While you are sleeping, you already are fasting but intermittent fasting extends that fast a little longer. Let’s explore the first method - The 16/8 method (This is the most popular method). It is when you skip breakfast and eat your first meal at noon and your last meal at 8 pm. Basically you are fasting for 16 hours a day and restricting yours eating to an 8-hour eating window. The second method is the Eat-Stop-Eat. This involves fasting for 24 hours, once or twice a week, for example by not eating from dinner one day until dinner the next day. The third method is the 5:2 diet. This method you consume only 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days of the week, but eat normal the other 5 days. Basically, all of these methods work but it depends on the individual person to choose which one is best for them. When you reduce your caloric intake, you will have weight loss as long as you don’t compensate by eating too much during the eating periods (Don’t Overeat – Plan low caloric meals!).
MITTENT FASTING? As you can see most people find the 16/8 method the simplest, most sustainable and easy to stick to. That’s why it’s the most popular. In closing, if you want to try this intermittent fasting for weight loss purposes then go ahead and try it but do more research for yourself. I have one last comment, when you start the new type of fasting keep quoting the popular scripture to encourage yourself, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 Blessings in Jesus Name