Outpour Magazine - Nov. 2020 Issue

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Krystion Nelson COPY EDITOR Bryndle Bottoms CONTENT EDITOR Joy Shamberger CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Donald Currie, 12/24 Media

SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Justice Zimmerman Nov. 2020 CONTRIBUTORS Brian Evans Melissa Tate-Scruse Miah Manns Toni Campbell Eric McCombs Ronald Obie

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THEOLOGY EDITOR Ronald Obie

Published by Issuu Inc. Cover/Article pictures: Envato Elements CONTACT info@outpourmagazine.com Outpour Magazine, Oct. 2020 (c) All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible.

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However, OM is not responsible for services and/or products provided by advertisers, and their placement in our magazine does not equal to an endorsement or full alignment of their church, event, products or business practices.

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Letter from Editor Krystion Nelson

Founder & Editor ial Direc tor

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Happy November! It's hard to believe that we are so close to the end of the year. But I am thankful and grateful that the Lord has allowed us to make it this far.

This is the month that most of us gear up for Thanksgiving with family and friends, start our holiday shopping and begin putting up our Christmas decorations. But... before we do all of that, let's take a brief moment to remember to give God thanks. What are you thankful for? Family? Friends? Life?

Health? Salvation? May we be as the psalmist and "...give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds" (Psalm 9:1 NIV).

In this month’s issue, we invite you to meet a couple and their son from Tennessee (page 16); learn how to get through the holiday season despite losing a loved one (page 10); and understand how God can help you overcome obstacles in your life (page 12). Also learn more about gratitude (page 21); Jesus’ example of servant leadership (page 28); fun family holiday traditions (page 14); and how we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings (page 30). And lastly, meet the leaders of Beulah Baptist Church in Leasburg, NC who talk about their 29 years in ministry and why discipleship still matters (page 23).

We pray that as you read through this month’s issue, you will rest in the Father’s enduring love. And we pray that you will continue to "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever" (1 Chronicles 16:34).

Please don’t forget to subscribe to our FREE magazine at outpourmagazine. com and share as a free gift with your family and friends this holiday season.

And we’d love to hear from you! How are you spending the holidays this year? Contact us and send us prayer requests at info@outpourmagazine. com.

We love you and are praying for you!

God Bless!

*Follow us on IG @outpourmag for more daily encouragement and inspiration!

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Melissa Tate-Scruse writes how your faith in God can help you get through the holiday season after losing a loved one.

She lives in Charlotte NCStennis and Tikelia attends Have Life Church.

Eric McCombs calls us to view servanthood through the eyes and actions of Christ – and walk in love and service to Him and others. He and his wife live in Huntersville, NC and attend St. John's Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC.

Miah Manns gears us up for the holiday shopping season with budgetary and fun traditions, but reminds us to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. She and her family live in Fort Mill, SC.

Contributors Thankful and Grateful Meet the Writers of this Issue

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Brian Evans uses his life experiences to show how gratitude is a mark of maturity for the believer.

He lives in Charlotte, NC and attends Have Life Church.

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Toni Campbell writes about how we can trust and have faith in God, no matter what obstacles come our way. Toni lives in Crosswicks, NJ and attends Princeton Alliance Church.

Ronald Obie walks us through scripture to show us that we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings by God the Father. He and his wife live in High Point, NC and attend Prospect Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC.

Want to write for Outpour Magazine? Contact us today at info@outpourmagazine.com

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Contents 28

FAMILY FEATURE STORY PASTOR SPOTLIGHT

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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Holiday Cheer or Holiday Fear?

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A Resurgence of Servant Leadership

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Pastor Spotlight

Meet Dr. Jerry and Cathy Wilson of Beulah Baptist Church in Leasburg, NC.

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Gratitude: The Mark of Maturity

Learn how gratitude towards God, in all circumstances, is a mark of spiritual maturity for the believer.

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Family Feature: Thaxton Family

Meet Clay, Andrea and Charles Henry. They sat down with us to talk about their faith in God and their love for their son and others.

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Holiday Cheer or H oliday F ear ?

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By Dr. Melissa Tate-Scruse

The sun is in its seasonal transition to Autumn. The leaves have begun to fall, the wind is a little bit sharper at night, and the Christmas commercials are showing up on television. Yes, it’s that time of year.

The time to begin preparing the menu for a Thanksgiving feast, a family gathering, Christmas shopping, decorating the house, and traveling to visit loved ones. For most people, ‘tis the season to usher in the holiday cheer; while others are heavy-hearted over the loss of a loved one, fighting off their lingering grief and holiday fears. Holiday sadness. Holiday schmoliday…Bah humbug.

I remember the first Thanksgiving after my father’s death. He passed away at the end of August, right at the onset of my children’s school year. This meant planning a funeral around Labor Day weekend, the day after my husband’s birthday. Getting all excited about back-to-school events, birthdays, and the upcoming holidays just did not feel the same. Although I was blessed to have my newly-widowed mother visiting from Virginia, grief was still on our hearts. Hers was laden with the loss of her childhood sweetheart and husband of nearly 50 years, while mine was missing my fatherly embrace and customary forehead kiss. All the adults were standing around the kitchen island dividing responsibilities for the Thanksgiving menu: turkey, ham, collard greens, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, candied carrots, stuffing, peach cobbler, and apple pie. I noticed a missing necessity and my heart sank. I purposefully said nothing as my husband noticed it too. “Wait, we need cornbread. Who’s making the cornbread?”

He did not realize that cornbread was dad’s

annual contribution to the holiday dinner. I was instantly flooded with memories of his prideful smile, from ear to ear, with his pan of buttered, fresh-out-the oven, cornbread.

“NO MORE CORNBREAD EVER!”— is what I said in my head as my husband volunteered to take on the task. In actuality I said, “Ok, sounds good” as I walked upstairs to my bedroom for a moment.

Teary-eyed in prayer, I cast my grief of losing my father to my Heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:4 NIV reads, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” This scripture fell on me heavily in my bereavement prayers since his passing. As I was going through the most difficult mourning period I had experienced to date, I needed God’s blessings. I needed His comfort. I needed Him to hold my hand. I needed Him to hug me like only a loving father could. I needed Him to turn my mourning into dancing and clothe me with joy (Psalm 30:11). I didn’t need to be tearful over cornbread or whatever the next reminder of my father’s absence would bring. Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and other important milestones were destined to come. But I couldn’t live with the idea that it would always come with holiday fear or anniversary anxiety, time after time, and year after year. I prayed fervently for God's comfort. Tears rolling. Heart heavy. I asked Him to walk with me and the revelation came.

I experienced a distinct comfort and relief in my heart that both my earthly father and my Heavenly Father were together

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I have the testimony of God turning my mourning into joy and I feel the blessings of His comfort over my grieving heart. Hallelujah!

How great is His faithfulness and comfort?

How great is our God to allow me to keep holiday cheers over fears? God did not give us the spirit of fear; He gifted us power, love, and

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"And just as the physical

absence of my Heavenly Father has not kept me from experiencing His spiritual love and feeling the presence of His Holy Spirit, neither would the memories of my earthly father leave me, despite his physical absence."

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a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). For it is the love we experienced on this earth with our loved ones that preexists our grief. I have found gratefulness in the idea that I got to love and be loved in a way that prompted grief. That is a blessing in itself. So, I am aware of the hedge of protection over me, for that same hedge carries double blessings over me—fatherly blessings from earth and from Heaven.

Be encouraged my dear sisters and brothers in Christ. If you are experiencing grief and heaviness this holiday season, talk to the Father. For the Lord keeps track of all our sorrows and collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). That means our sorrow is important to the Lord. Our grief is important to the Lord, and He is the only one who can mend our broken hearts. Reminisce over the legacy of love that your loved one poured into you. It is there you will find the blessings and comfort of the Lord.

I pray for you and your family to experience a heartfelt mourning that brings God’s comfort, blessings, and holiday cheers. Amen.

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watching over me. I found comfort in the vision of a double-hedge of fatherly protection reigning over me. And just as the physical absence of my Heavenly Father has not kept me from experiencing His spiritual love and feeling the presence of His Holy Spirit, neither would the memories of my earthly father leave me, despite his physical absence. The legacy of who he was on this earth as a man, a father, a husband, a beloved coach, teacher, and community mentor was engrained in the fabric of me as a “Daddy’s Girl.” Because of everything he poured into me, I may have desired his physical presence—but I did not require it in order to feel a sense of security in who he raised me to be. His job as my father was faithfully done well, and still present in me.

Just as our faith as believers in Christ Jesus has allowed us to receive His indwelling presence (1 Corin. 3:16), my father’s smile, his jokes, his work ethic, and his wisdom still lives in me. And when I miss him just enough, God has been ever gracious to bring him to my dreams with the most comforting hugs that only a father could give! Thank you, God!

Dr. Melissa Tate-Scruse is a wife and mother of 5 girls in a blended marriage. She has been a licensed mental health professional for over 15 years, helping individuals navigate their personal journey to better health and wellness in all areas of their lives.

Through all of life's twists and turns, God has been the ultimate Lord over her life. She is the author of "Blessed Passenger," "Blind Passenger" and film producer of "Thony." You can find more information about Dr. Melissa Tate-Scruse and her work here: www.drmetate.com and follow her on IG @drmetate.

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by Toni Campbell

“Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

(Psalm 34:9-10 NIV)

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Living paycheck to paycheck was my reality for many years–even when two paychecks were coming into the household. I lived frugally; still, something always seemed to claim whatever small savings I had accumulated. But in May of 2008, I found myself in a bigger financial dilemma than I had ever experienced and it centered around my car insurance.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to cancel my current policy and get a new one reissued. However, that process led to a comedy of errors on the part of the car insurance company that was not at all amusing. They never received the fax to reissue the paperwork, so they dropped my coverage. By the time I realized what had happened, they wanted $20,000 to reinstate it! After a myriad of phone calls, I found the one person who understood where things derailed.

Although she agreed to reinstate the policy, I had to first come up with $1,600. It might as well have been a million dollars.

At that time, I attended a small group and we were reading through Mark Batterson’s book “In a Pit, With a Lion, On a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars.” The book is inspired by just two verses of scripture–a story you may well have skimmed over in 2 Samuel 23. Verses 20-21 tell the story of one of David’s brave fighting men, Benaiah who chased a lion down into a pit on a snowy day and killed it.

“Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian.

Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.”

(2 Sam. 23:20-21 NIV)

A quote from Batterson’s book intrigued me. “What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure … your greatest fear?” I wanted to believe that, but in the midst of a failed marriage and a huge financial mess, I wasn’t seeing victory. This was not the life I dreamed of, nor the future I had imagined.

The next Wednesday when the prayer request sheet was passed around, I shared that rather than chasing down a lion of opportunity, it felt like a lion was pursuing me. A huge financial lion only God could wrestle and conquer. As the class wound down and people stood around chatting, the leader walked up to me and stuck a piece of paper in my purse. When I got home, I discovered the paper was actually a check.

A $100 check. Touched by her generosity, but overwhelmed by the immensity of the remaining need, I cried out to God. “This is barely a cup of water in an ocean of debt. It was a sweet gesture but what good will it do?”

The following day the senior pastor called.

Apparently, my small group leader had also made him aware of my financial need and he asked for more details. I shared how everything had just converged at once putting me in a tight spot.

“How much do you need?” he asked. “The bill is $1,600 and I absolutely need $1,200 by Tuesday. I only have $100 of that. The last $400 can be paid in two weeks.” “Well,” he said, “that’s a lot of money. No guarantees, but I’ll bring it to the deacons and see what we can do. This Sunday is our deacon’s fund collection.”

I hung up and began to pray. “Okay God. You know the need. The church knows the need.

If I don’t pay the car insurance, I can’t legally drive to the job YOU got me, Lord. You know, the one that’s keeping a roof over my kids’ heads and food on their plates.”

Looking back, I realized I even tried to coerce God through prayer. I’m so glad He was patient with me!

Sunday evening the phone rang. “We had a number of families in need this month,” the pastor began. My heart started to sink. “But the outpouring of response from the congregation was amazing. We received enough today to help

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had often prayed God would meet my needs but had never spoken to someone who had personally responded to God’s instruction to do the “meeting.” I prayed I would be that sensitive to His direction if the opportunity arose to be used that way in the future.

God used that trial to strengthen my faith and trust in Him. He showed me clearly that He hears our prayers, He knows our needs, and He is in every detail of our lives. I asked for help to battle a financial lion, but the Lion of Judah not only provided the $1,200 immediate need, He gave abundantly more than I asked for and took care of the entire $1,600. It was not the first time God provided for me and my children and it would not be the last, but it may have been one of the most creative ways He orchestrated an answer to prayer.

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Toni Campbell is a lover of Jesus, mom of two adult children, and proud grandma to one amazing little girl.

Her passion is helping hurting people see God's love through practical acts of service. God allowed her to marry passion with profession when she became the full-time Benevolence Ministry Leader at her church six years ago. In the evenings, Toni enjoys writing. On her website, tonicampbell.org, you can read her Lakeside Lessons blog, order "The Identity Effect," a book she co-authored last year, and look for information on her upcoming book "Jesus Has Left the Building: The Nitty Gritty of Creative Church Outreach" which is slated for a February 2021 release.

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Abba Father, we lift your name in praise. We know You hear our cries and see our needs. Thank you that when we can't see a way, You are already making one. Help us to trust your goodness even in the midst of the most desperate circumstances.

Your faithfulness is eternal and true and we are grateful. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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the others and meet your need.” I wept. I’d only attended this church a few months. No one really knew me, yet they were willing to give me $1,100. It was more than I could comprehend.

The next morning, I opened my Bible to Psalm 34. When I reached verses 9 and 10, I stopped in disbelief. The scripture leapt off the page: “Fear the Lord, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:9-10 NIV).

I’m not sure I’d read those verses before, but if I had, they’d never been so meaningful and alive. I couldn’t stop praising Jesus for His provision!

Just when I thought I’d been blessed all I could, God had one more surprise. The day God gave me the gift of Psalm 34:9-10, the phone rang.

It was the mother of my son’s girlfriend. “Did Ken bring home a small bag the other day?” “I think so … did he grab it by mistake?” I replied. “I was just wondering if you’d looked in it” she said. “No, why?” I asked. She answered, “there’s a card in there for you.”

It wasn’t my birthday or a holiday, so I thought it odd, but retrieved the card. I opened it and was overcome with tears of joy for the second day in a row. “Why…why am I holding a check for $400?” I stammered.

“We’ve been saving an offering above our normal tithe not knowing where God wanted it to go,” came the reply, “but I really felt like God told me it was to go to you. That you needed it. Do you have a need?”

I could barely compose myself to tell her how she was the last piece of the $1,600 puzzle. I

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Can you believe it…Christmas is just over a month away! For many, that usually means spending quality time with family, decorating the house while listening to your favorite rendition of "Joy to the World," exchanging gifts and of course enjoying some delicious food.

However, this Christmas may look and feel different for many of us due to the pandemic, and pressures to make it feel special may be at an alltime high. Even if you are a planner, unforeseen circumstances may have put a strain on your finances this year.

But I am here to remind you that you are not obligated to continue Holiday traditions that leave you stressed, overwhelmed or in a financial bind. In fact, this could be a great opportunity to create new holiday norms that bring you and your family closer to God, experience more joy, and gain wisdom when it comes to handling your money.

Interested in some ideas to create some new traditions that won’t break the bank? Check these out: 1. Read about the life of Christ. Beginning December 1st, read one chapter of the book of Luke each evening. There are 24 chapters.

On Christmas Eve you will have read an entire account of Jesus’ life and wake up Christmas morning knowing WHO and WHY we celebrate!

2. Wait before you purchase. If you feel compelled to buy anything new, go through your closets, kids toy bins, the infamous “junk drawer” and see what you already have in the house. Are there items you have that you can start using? Items you can sell and bring in some extra money? Have some clothes that no longer fit, or things you won’t use? Consider giving those away to someone in need.

If there is something you have already planned for, be sure to do your research and shop around for the best price and any incentives (i.e. gift cards) that retailers may offer on certain purchases. Also, this could be a great opportunity to support a local business.

3. Start an annual tradition. For example, on Christmas Eve, my husband and I watch “A Christmas Story” and although we know how

the story ends, it's something we look forward to every year. You can try something fun like decorating cookies or even something in your community, like checking out the best Christmas light display. Check out your city’s local events calendar for fun, and often free, activities to do.

4. Do a non-traditional gift exchange. Set a reasonable spending limit, pick a holiday theme and see who can make or put together the most creative gift. Another fun and slightly competitive way to give gifts is the plastic wrap ball game...if you haven’t heard of this or done it before, it's one you definitely will want to try out.

5. Set a budget and stick to it. I know how easy it can be to get caught in the holiday shopping frenzy with all the advertisements and sales; however, you can avoid getting swept away.

Starting in January, start setting money aside on a routine basis. Some banks even have accounts (called a holiday or Christmas club account) specifically designed to save for Christmas shopping and holiday expenses.

Before you start your holiday shopping, see how much you have saved and spend only that amount…yes, you can do it!

For this year, I encourage you to assess how much you can afford to spend without racking up any credit card debt or draining your savings.

I hope these ideas help you and your loved ones start some new and fun traditions. But most importantly my hope is that you do not lose sight of Christ during the holidays. During this season and these unprecedented times, remember to always share the goodness and love of God. Miah Manns is a financial advocate and founder of "A Manns Harvest," a financial education organization. She and her family live in the Fort Mill, SC area and love serving God and others. If you have any fun holiday traditions or savings tips you’d like to share, feel free to send them to amannsharvest@gmail. com

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Meet The

City, State: Whitleyville, TN Favorite Family Activities: living on the farm; fishing, hunting and boating Church: First United Methodist Church of Gainesboro Favorite Bible Verse: Psalms 34:17-18

Photos provided by the Thaxton family

Thaxtons

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Meet the Thaxton Family: Clay, Andrea and Charles Henry. They sat down with us to talk about their faith in God, their love for others and their hopes, prayers and dreams for their son.

“No, I remember seeing them in your bedroom,” Millie explains.

“Oh, my goodness. Well, grab him, and we will figure it out when we get inside.”

Inside the “park,” there is no one because we Outpour Magazine: Tell us a little bit about are at the wrong place (laughs). What in the your family: Who are the Thaxtons? world? We climb back in the truck, and I tell Andrea Thaxton: The Thaxtons live on a small Clay not to say a word! I forgot Charles’ shoes farm and enjoy living in “God’s Country.” Clay and drove us to Legoland or something that and Charles love fishing, hunting, riding, and resembles it. boating. Unlike everyone else in my family, CT: We finally made it to Magic Kingdom, and I am not fond of fishing or hunting because I we bought him a pair of $80 Star Wars Crocs. don’t want to see things hurt, so I catch up with Crocs! family and friends through calls, texts, social media, Facetime, or even visits.

AT: We saved our fast passes for rides and character meets. The one ride Millie wanted to Clay Thaxton: We are very loyal and honest to ride was only available at 8:00 PM, and it was everyone we meet. What you see is what you shut down due to malfunctions, so Millie did get. not get to ride it. Charles also punched Mickey OM: What have been some of your best in the nose during his character meeting with memories as a family?

Mickey (I got it on video) (laughs). My phone crashed right after that, and I can’t get my AT: One vivid memory is when Charles pulled photos or videos of that trip, but I do have a up in his bed after they took out his drain tubes lot of memories of that trip that still make me after his open-heart surgery. He smiled and laugh out loud till this day. was like look at me!

Another memory was when Charles OM: That's funny! Sounds like a great Henry was two [and] we were vacationing in trip, definitely great memories! When was St. Augustine with Clay’s family before Drew, another time you laughed so hard that it Clay’s brother, left to be stationed in Fairbanks, hurt?

Alaska. I decided it would be a great idea to AT: Riding home from school the other drive from St. Augustine to Orlando. At 5:30 afternoon, Charles was playing around with AM, we jumped in Clay’s truck and headed to the seatbelt. He calmly said, “Mom, we have Disneyworld for the first time and the last. a situation here.” I look in the rearview mirror

We get to the “park” at 7:30 and climb and see his leg tangled in the seatbelt. How out of the truck. I said “Look, Clay, no one is can that possibly happen? I tell him to take it here! Hurry, we will be the first ones inside!” I off. He said, “I tried, but I can’t click the button.” happily exclaim.

I pull over and get out and walk around and

Clay hesitantly asks, “Ummm… Andrea! push the button to release the seat belt. When Where are Charles’ shoes?”

I did, it made things worse. I had to grab him “They are in there. Just look, ” I bark at him. by his legs and flip him around and through the seat belt. His reaction was priceless. Charles “Andrea, they are not in there,” he calmly replies. said, “Mom, I thought for a minute there we I ask Millie, Clay's sister, “Millie, do you see were going to have to cut off my leg.” them?”

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AT: This season, like all seasons, is ever changing and blooming. During these times, we are doing a lot of our Bible studies online. We have had a

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OM: How would you describe this season in your family’s life?

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CT: My job involves serving my community, which I love to do. I try to go above and beyond in serving others.

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OM: How has your faith been foundational in lot of sickness around us and feel it is safer for your family’s life? us to worship at home. Daily prayers are said on our way to school and on the way home.

AT: Without faith would there be any family? It is faith that brought us together. My husband is OM: What has been the most difficult season the kindest, gentlest man you will ever meet. I in your life? How did God help your family knew God would put the perfect man in my life, get through it? and He did. He placed Clay in my broken road.

AT: There have been two difficult times in our

And for this child we prayed! My journals lives: our miscarriage and Charles’ open heart are proof of my faith. I knew God would give us surgery. We remained grounded in our belief our perfect son to enjoy for as long as He sees that God will see us through all hardships if we fit. We are truly blessed! let our cares be known. I shared our story with our friends and family on social media, and OM: Both of you love helping and serving God heard all of our prayers! Praise be to God! others. Why is that important to you and how are you teaching your son to do the same?

OM: What are your hopes, prayers and dreams for your son, for his future?

AT: Back before this pandemic, I helped with AT: Our hope for Charles Henry is for him to Sunday school lessons. It was difficult at first use his mended heart to bring kindness to because I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. others and make this world a better place We studied some amazing stories and I was for everyone to live in. We don’t know where able to learn new things myself.

Charles’ road will lead, but our prayers are for

At our school, I help Coach King with our him to be the best person he can be and to Fellowship of Christian Athletes Club. Coach make good decisions. - OM King asked Charles and me to camp, and we had a blast. We look forward to the day when Charles will be able to be a part of the fellowship instead of going for the food! In times past, we have also put together Alumni games to pay for presents of underprivileged teens. I have also done a couple of food drives in our community as well.

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Gratitude: The Mark of Maturity by

Brian L. Evans

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When I was a young lad, I one day dreamed of having a shiny new Honda scooter. Even though I had my cool BMX-inspired bicycle with which I had won many neighborhood races, when I saw my friend and his father roll out of their garage on their new matching Honda scooters, I knew I had to have one for myself. I imagined myself being the envy of all my friends as I zipped past them on my new scooter. So, what does a young 13-year-old lad do when he just has to have a new toy? Does he pull from his investment accounts? I don’t think so. How about get a second job? I think not. Of course, he does the next best logical thing and begins negotiations with his parents. When I approached my parents, I pulled out my best negotiation strategies, from offering to do extra chores, to making all A’s on my next report card. When I realized none of that was working, I eventually swallowed my pride and resorted to begging. Imagine my dismay when all of that was met with a big fat “NO.”

It was not until I matured years later that I began to view my plight through a different lens.

What I did not understand at the time was my parents’ perspective regarding me on a scooter.

See, one day while riding my bicycle, I was

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(I Thessalonians 5:18 NLT)

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“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

involved in an accident. I was hit by a car while crossing an intersection, and I almost lost my life. It was a pretty traumatic experience for my entire family. While lying on the ground, in and out of consciousness after my accident, I did not realize what my family was going through. When they arrived on the scene, they saw me lying in a pool of blood, wondering if I was going to live.

So, when I asked for a scooter a few years later, it now made sense why I was met with a “NO.”

As I reflect on this experience, I see many similarities between my relationship with my parents and our relationship with God. Due to our limited perspective, there are times when we do not realize God’s “No” or “Not yet” may be divine protection. Additionally, we often fail to remember the times when God actually did answer our prayers and blessed us with the things that we asked for. We tend to forget that the things we have now were once the things that we hoped and prayed for.

Learning how to be content requires spiritual maturity. It does not just happen. In fact, the Apostle Paul posited that he had to “learn” how to live from a place of contentment.

He beautifully elucidated in Philippians 4:11-13 NLT, “…for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” If Paul, who penned over two-thirds of the New Testament, had to learn how to be content, then I think learning the art of contentment and gratitude in our everyday lives is a noble endeavor worthy of pursuit.

I will be the first to admit that this concept is easier said than done. It requires a mindset that the majority of people in our culture do not cultivate. Many of us are like the ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17 as He was traveling between Galilee and Samaria. After healing all ten of them, only one came back to thank Him. Only one out of ten. How many of us actually take the time to approach God in prayer each day and thank Him for the life He freely gives us? Are we like the nine lepers that went on their merry Subscribe at outpourmagazine.com

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way, or are we like the one who took the time to express his gratitude?

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"How many of us actually take the time to approach God in prayer each day and thank Him for the life He freely gives us?"

Living in a place of gratitude carries benefits that are only understood and experienced by those who have mastered the art of looking beyond their own selfishness. Some of the benefits of living in a place of gratitude are: 1. Elevated Perspective - Gratitude brings us into a place of elevated perspective and helps us to see even our challenges as opportunities for thanksgiving. One of the most beloved scriptures of all time can be found in Romans 8:28 NLT, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Our response to this truth should be complete and total contentment in Christ, knowing that He will always have our backs. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT states, "‘…My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” Even in our worst times, we can rest assured that God will never leave us alone.

2. Emotional Protection - Gratitude has a protective quality for our minds and hearts.

According to Philippians 4:6-7 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will

guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Living from a place of gratitude in Christ protects our minds from the onslaught of the enemy’s emotional attacks.

3. Exalted Position - Gratitude and thanksgiving brings us into the presence of God as we reflect on His goodness to us. David penned in Psalms 100:4 NLT, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and praise His name.”

Gratitude should be a part of our daily devotion to God. It brings us into contact with what God has done for us in the past and what He desires to do for us in our future.

When we are feeling depressed, we can exalt our position and lift ourselves by practicing gratitude and remembering what God has done for us and how He always listens to our prayers.

Expressing gratitude is one of the true hallmarks of spiritual maturity. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." During this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday season, may we never forget the importance of living from a place of gratitude as mature believers. In spite of the uncertainty that has recently plagued our world, life in Christ is still a beautiful gift. James 1:17 NIV states, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Amid the daily vicissitudes of life, our Father’s love for us remains constant, and for this I am forever grateful.

Brian L. Evans is an inspirational author and speaker who currently resides in Charlotte, NC. He is a manager at one of the largest healthcare organizations in the Triad/Piedmont region.

He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling. Brian is the author of "The S.P.E.A.R. Paradigm: Encountering God," and manages his own blog called "Wisdom’s Quill." Connect with Brian at brianlevans.com, wisdomsquill. wordpress.com, and @brian_l_ evans on IG and FB.

Photos provided by the Wilson Family

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Meet the Leaders of Beulah Baptist Church

We sat down with Dr. Jerry and Cathy Wilson of Beulah Baptist Church in Leasburg, NC. They talk about their ministerial journey, discipleship, and the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

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Outpour Magazine: Please tell us a little bit about yourselves and your ministry.

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Cathy Wilson: I am married to Jerry and I am very active at the church. I am the superintendent of Sunday school and teach a class once a month. I sing and direct the choirs, all except one at the church. I am an Associate Minister - something that I don't really tell a lot of people. But for me I feel like I am really different from a lot of people I’ve met and know.

I believe God has chosen me to be different for a reason and I am just me. You take me or you leave me; that’s just kind of the way it is. I am not saying that to be offensive. I’ve tried before to be the “pastor’s wife;” but I’m just supposed to be me and I think that helps a lot of people to be free in Christ as they are.

Jerry Wilson: I’ll just add to that. Neither one of us dreamt of being where we are, in Caswell County at Beulah Baptist Church. Previously, I was the Youth Pastor at Mt. Zion. We had left a pastorate and we would travel 140 miles one way - we did that for about two and half years, down to La Grange, NC from Greensboro.

Because of the gifts of working with children and youth, we tried the Youth Pastorate thing.

It was wonderful. Cathy was happy to get back home to Greensboro, NC - she sang in the choir at our home church, which was about two miles down the road where I was serving as Youth Pastor. I was there for four and a half years. I think Cathy came there about five times, if that many (laughs).

We then left where we were to go to Beulah Baptist. I went to preach because there was an invitation to preach. And the first time I got there, I sensed the Spirit of God moving in a way in terms of attachment [to the church]. I thought it was me, that I was just missing the pastorate. The second time I was there to preach, I knew God was going to do something. I didn’t know how, because I felt like I had been called to do youth ministry. So one thing led to the other...I preached at Beulah in 1990 - started the pastorate the 2nd Sunday in February in ‘91. And the rest is history. Cathy has grown in the ministry. When we first started coming, she would come in a separate car….

CW: and leave as soon as possible (laughs).

JW: But the Lord….when we say “prayer changes things,” well prayer [also] changes

people. God’s done a mighty work in us both, particularly in her, I believe, because she really loves people.

OM: That’s an amazing journey! Additionally, discipleship has been a continued theme throughout your 29 years of ministry - from the college campus ministry to your current pastorate. Why is discipleship still important and how can the church teach people to live for Christ wherever they are?

JW: Discipleship is important because it’s the heartbeat of God. Jesus came - He lived, He died and He rose - and before He ascended He reinforced what He’d already told His disciples He had come to do. I believe that was enough of what they needed to wait on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And of course during that setting, there was a lot of stuff that went down….[yet] the assignment was never taken away from them. He just wanted them and wanted the others that were in the upper room to be empowered to go and make disciples.

That was the charge; it never changed. At UNC-Greensboro [where] I got saved, I was the first male other than the campus minister that was in deliverance fellowship. The person that led me to Christ, discipled me. And we somehow got connected to Campus Crusade for Christ evangelism and they taught us to follow up with people. [But] they didn’t call it discipleship as much.

I think that’s where we missed it as a church. When I went back to my home church, they were more about church - going through the formalities - than they were about getting people saved, getting people established in the faith and doing what the Lord told them to do. And I’ve confessed because for a while we kind of lost the way by not making disciples. Had we done our job, more of our family members would be saved, more of our co-workers, community, and so forth. I believe that now God is getting us to refocus on what we were supposed to be doing anyway - getting people saved and getting them established in the faith, teaching them what we were taught and if we are doing that, it's a blessing to see that kind of heritage passed on. We were supposed to be the conduits for our families, our friends, coworkers, community, whomever; we missed it. So [we must ask] God forgive us, now ignite us to do what we’re called to do.

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OM: Rev. Cathy, can you talk more about your Sunday school teaching program and why that’s an important part of your ministry?

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CW: The word that keeps popping up in my head is “infiltration.” [Christians] are supposed to infiltrate the world. And when I think about that word, it means being subtle in what you are doing but before you know it, you are all up on them, telling them about Jesus.

JW: We’ve got to find ways to build relationships. We had a really challenging time with our bible study, the real life discipleship.

Some people dropped out because it causes you to commit. The person that led me to Christ challenged me to commit to growth and development. There’s something about commitment and how we help people to commit. Before the pandemic, we had people in the class role play and present before the church. For a while it was like pulling teeth Subscribe at outpourmagazine.com

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and strategically set folk up so we can give them the gospel. We have to do a Holy Ghost setup to reach the folk. So that’s where we are, trying to get people to rethink what they are doing. Even in big churches - megachurches - not sure people do discipleship. Many times they just do “church.” They are involved in activities and good things, but we are supposed to be about sharing the gospel so that people’s lives will be changed and transformed.

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JW: I will piggyback on what Cathy said - we have to apply the Word of God. When we first went to Beulah, probably the strongest ministry we had was the children’s ministry.

You are talking about 29 years ago; now even the lap babies are grown and gone. And we are refocusing now, making the Word more practical, more applicable - even in this pandemic time. [Thinking about] what are we doing in our homes? What are we doing with our grandchildren? And challenging people not just to do church - not just doing the activity of religion - but how do you convey the need for people to know Christ. We have to get back to it and this is an area that you can pray with us.

Because we do believe that God has called us to rethink how we can reach the community.

We have a school up the street, about three miles up the road and we are looking to see how we can reconnect with that school.

We are even doing real life discipleship training with some people. As Cathy mentioned, a lot of folk are 70, 75 years old and the light just came on. They said to us, we just didn’t know how important it was that we be involved. So we are praying. Yes, we are reading the Word and praying [as a church] but how do we practically

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OM: Yes, the applicability of the Word - how we apply it each and every day. And that leads us to evangelism. Why must Christians get outside the walls of the church to “preach the gospel to every creature?”

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CW: Pretty much, our congregation now is older people but even with them we are still teaching them about loving God and following His commandments and doing things that He wants us to do. One of my goals when I am teaching is that I like to take whatever lesson [we are talking about] and give a challenge to help them open up their minds and think, "how am I going to make this effective in my own life." We have to take the story and make it applicable to you. If the lesson is about loving others, then we are going to talk about the scripture; but before it’s over the question is “how are you going to love others?” So this is going to make you have to do some work the next weeks and after.

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(laughs). People have become so settled in [the church] that we have to challenge them differently. I pray that we would be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves (Matt.

10:16). We’re so used to people feeding us and we are not used to feeding other people. We need to develop some “feeders.”

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OM: You’ve mentioned that many people are lost even in the church - by being too caught up with “religion” as opposed to living a “spirit-filled life.” Can you talk more about the difference here?

CW: Religion is all kinds of different things.

Religion for somebody might be worshipping a tree or I go to church everyday so I’m ok. But being Spirit-filled is being led by the Lord’s direction. And humbling yourself to Him and allowing Him to lead you, guide you and direct you.

JW: People can believe in Christ and still not live for Him. And one of the things we were taught was not only to be saved, [to see] Christ as our Savior - but allow Him to become Lord.

Everybody wants to get saved to escape “hell.”

And in this culture we are in, we’ve taught the wrong thing. It is not about us getting stuff, but God is looking for people to want Him. A lot of people come to the Lord for what they want instead of coming to Him for what He has come for. We love hearing Matt. 11:28-29 KJV “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

He says come and I am going to give you this.

Now we love that kind of invitation - we’ll run to that. But then when you follow Luke 9:23 KJV: “And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” One of the invitations speaks loudly about life and being given more life. But He speaks in another way [saying] everyone who is coming after me, let them come to die. And not many people want to die. [He's not talking about] physically; but [Christ] is talking about being willing to give up anything that you put above Him.

I don’t know how else to say this but most of us are surrounded by baby Christians and there’s no accountability. It‘s not about what you get; it’s really about what you give.

And the only way you can give the life God has given you is that you yield to Him.

We’ve got to keep that old man, our flesh, nailed to the cross.

Now when we are saved, we have the indwelling of the Spirit. But when we go through our day-to-day life, we are not always filled. In Campus Crusade for Christ, we talked about inhaling and exhaling. We have to ask God to refill us. We have to be more cognizant of our need for the Holy Spirit and ask Him to refill us. The Holy Spirit is the one that is present in our lives and we act like we don’t know Him. We’ll talk about the Father; we’ll talk about the Son and make little or no reference to the Holy Spirit. And He is the one that is closer to me than Cathy because He’s in me.

We need to just yield to Him. We [as a church] don’t talk about the Holy Spirit enough - who He is and what He is capable of doing, of empowering us to live for Christ, for the Father.

Most of the time, we are living in our own strength. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that will change things. - OM

Learn more about Beulah Baptist Church, and Dr. Jerry and Rev. Cathy Wilson here: https://www. beulahbaptistchurch119n.com/

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A D V E R T I S I N G

I N F O :

O U T P O U R M A G A Z I N E . C O M / A D V E R T I S E

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L E A D E R S H I P

A Resurgence of Servant Leadership

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By Eric S. McCombs

Have you ever had a boss that you legitimately respected? Is there a community leader or politician you felt compelled to follow? Have you ever had a coach that made you overcome an insurmountable obstacle?

Do you currently have a role model that you wholeheartedly believe in? If you find yourself affirming any of these questions, odds are there are a few characteristics each of these might have in common.

For centuries now, people of all ages, races, and religions have debated who the most influential leader is of all time. One might say Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., maybe Abraham Lincoln, perhaps Mother Teresa, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Nelson Mandela, or Pope Francis. Each of these aforementioned leaders are certainly at the top of any list, but where does Jesus rank? Odds are He may be near the top for most people, but for me, Jesus is unquestionably at the top, and here’s why. Was He nice? Yes! Did He care for His people? Absolutely! Was He moral? Of course!

Was He compassionate? Yes! Was He honest?

Undeniably. While these qualities contribute to impactful leadership, the real quality that defined Jesus as a leader was His “servant leadership." This can be seen specifically with His humble act of cleansing His disciples’ feet.

Let’s paint the picture according to John 13: Jesus and His disciples were at the Last Supper. As you can imagine at that time, they all walked in sandals on the filthy roads of Israel which made their feet dirty. At some point during the meal Jesus rose from His seat, wrapped a towel around His waist, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the feet of each of His disciples. During that time period, the washing of one’s feet was the work of the lowliest of servants. I would have to imagine it was inconceivable for Jesus’ disciples to witness an act of such incredible humility from

none other than their Teacher, Lord and King.

But when it came time for Jesus to wash the feet of Simon Peter, scripture (John 13:6-8, 1217) tells it and the rest of this story the best:

"He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?' Jesus replied, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.' 'No,' said Peter, 'you shall never wash my feet.'

Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.'” (John 13:6-8 NIV) "When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place.

'Do you understand what I have done for you?' He asked them. 'You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

(John 13:12-17)

Can you imagine being at that table and witnessing what that must have felt like?

Close your eyes and honestly try to image that Jesus, a person you look up to and trust, admire, love, respect and care for is cleaning

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your feet. Visualize Jesus, Teacher, Lord, Prince of Peace, and the King of Kings, getting down on His knees in front of YOU, removing your dirty sandals, placing your filthy feet in water, and literally washing them with His bare hands. This is a clear act of humility, but more importantly servanthood.

Once, I had the distinct opportunity and pleasure to provide such an act. I was working for the UNC-Charlotte Women’s Basketball team. Myself, along with several players, washed the feet of nearly two dozen homeless men, women, and children. It was an experience for which words cannot express my exact emotions, but suffice it to say, a memory I will cherish and relish for the rest of my life.

God Bless you and all your endeavors!

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I would submit the type of servant leadership that Jesus displayed is even more necessary now than ever before. Jesus’ act of servant leadership is a direct contrast to today’s acts of leadership. Can you name a boss, coach, or political figure that would demonstrate this type of servanthood to their followers? Likely not. Unfortunately, there is much turmoil, division, animosity, and apathy in our country.

Perhaps, the absence of a servant leader(s) is a reason why. What if servant leadership was the norm? What if leaders thought of themselves

as one amongst the people as opposed to one above the people?

I am unwaveringly hopeful that there will be a resurgence of servant leadership that will be implemented, replicated, praised, and ultimately appreciated. My vision is that one day servant leadership will become the foundation of our humanity, resulting in a peace that will outlast us forever. May we look at servanthood through the eyes and actions of Christ – and walk in love and service to Him and others!

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"Visualize Jesus, Teacher, Lord, Prince of Peace, and the King of Kings getting down on His knees in front of you, removing your dirty sandals, placing your filthy feet in water, and literally washing them with His bare hands. This is a clear act of humility, but more importantly servanthood."

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Eric S. McCombs currently works as a Territory Manager for a medical device company selling medical equipment to hospitals and clinical offices. Upon his graduation from UNCCharlotte with an undergraduate degree in Business Management, he then went on to the University of Miami and completed a master’s degree in Sports Administration.

Eric has been married to his wife, Kelli McCombs, for over 4 years and they reside in Huntersville, NC. He has been a member of St. John’s Baptist Church of Charlotte for 5 years where he was recently ordained as a Pastoral Deacon.

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BLESSED B y R onald O bie

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Eph. 1:3 KJV)

God has blessed us. In Eph. 1:3, Paul the Apostle blesses and praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who (God the Father) has blessed us (all of us, all those in Christ) with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Note that this statement is a statement of fact. It tells us that we are already blessed, not that we are going to be blessed one day, but that we have been blessed, with all, or every, spiritual blessing. If I have been, then I am now. It belongs to me now, I am blessed now! Blessed with what? ALL spiritual blessings; I am blessed with all that there are. There are not any left over, nor any left out; but I have free access to all of them already; all of them are available to you and I right now. They belong to me now. They are mine. In the mind of God, they belong to me, now. When we truly come into the light of this, we then, like Paul, will begin to declare “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We too will laud him and speak well of him, make our boast of Him, and bless him; praise will begin to flow from our hearts and our lips, because we realize that He has blessed us so abundantly.

To come into the light of something means that illumination has taken place in our hearts and an understanding has been revealed to our spirits and minds such that no one, no thing, no situation, no circumstance, no trial, no persecution, no fiery dart [the thoughts and imaginations spoken by the enemy to our minds] can make me doubt it or convince me that it is not so. When we know this to be true, we will no longer allow our physical circumstance to define whether we are blessed or not; a shortage of money in our wallets or pocketbooks will not disqualify us as being blessed; a lack of position or status will not disqualify us as being blessed; the color of our skin will not qualify us nor disqualify us as being blessed.

Some may say, Brother Obie, I see what you are saying; I see now that the Bible does say that I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places; but it doesn’t feel real to me. If I am blessed in this manner, if these blessing are mine, then where are they? How do I possess them?

Paul, in this text tells us that 1) these blessings are spiritual, and 2) these spiritual blessing are in heavenly places, in Christ. In other words, these spiritual blessings are in the heavenly realm, in Christ.

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high and strong consideration to those things of the heavenly realm. Listen to Colossians 3:1-2, The Passion Translation: "Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm." (1 Col. 3:1-2 The Passion Trans.)

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The keys to receiving these blessings that we are blessed with are: 1) Knowing that the Word of God is Truth 2) Knowing that according to God's Word, we are blessed 3) Believing in our heart that we are blessed 4) Receiving God's blessings by faith 5) Giving glory and thanksgiving to God for the blessing even before we see them with the natural eye

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Remember, we are blessed. Walk in the spiritual blessing of the Lord.

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When I say that they are spiritual, immediately some begin to reason, well, spiritual blessings have no impact on my life in the here and now; they think that they are some transient future reality that we will only realize when we get to heaven. But no, nothing could be farther from the truth. When God says in Philippians 4:19 “that my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory” that applies to your need now, whether physical, financial, mental – that is God saying I will meet your tangible need.

When God says – "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV). That is saying that God wants you to have everything you need to abound to every good work. Is feeding your family a good work? Is clothing your family a good work? Is your being able to take care of your husband or your wife or your children a good work? Then that applies to you right here and right now!

These blessings we have been blessed with are for us in the here and now!

Now, in order for us to possess them, in order for us to make them a reality in our lives in this physical realm, we must find out how to get them out of the heavenly realm into this physical realm.

The Bible teaches us that there is a physical realm, the realm of the senses; that is, that which can be seen, touched, smelled, heard, tasted; this is the sense knowledge realm; and, there is a spiritual or heavenly realm, a realm that cannot be seen with the natural eye. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV)

The things which are seen have to do with the physical realm. We have physical bodies so that we can contact and operate in the physical world or realm. This physical realm, just like our bodies, is temporary (enduring only for a while). 2 Corinthians 4:18 encourages us to not give undo consideration to the temporal, or natural realm, even our natural bodies. But there is an unseen realm which is eternal. We are exhorted to give

Ronald Obie is a native of Roxboro, NC and currently resides in High Point. NC. He is an Associate Minister at Prospect Hill Missionary Baptist Church serving under Pastor George Harris, Jr. and is ordained in the Cedar Grove Missionary Baptist Association. He and his wife Vanessa have been married 40 years and are the parents of three adult children and five grandchildren. He is Founder and CEO of Wood Coatings Research Group, Inc., an independent research and development materials science laboratory.

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M A G A Z I N E

THE CHRISTIAN BOOKSHELF

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In this Christian classic by J.I. Packer, learn more about God and grow a deeper, closer relationship with Him!

Can God really use what I am going through, for His purposes? Yes! No matter what you are facing, God can use it for good!

Pray for your children in each stage of their lives using these prayers by bestselling author Stormie Omartian.

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What does it mean to be a Kingdom Woman? And how can women live more confidently in their call and purpose for God? Pick up this powerful book to find out!

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Spend your evenings in prayer, devotion and intimacy with the Holy Spirit!

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Help your kids see Jesus as their savior and friend in this devotion. Kids will learn just how much Jesus loves and cares for them!

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EDITOR’S FINAL THOUGHTS God Loves You

God loves you. Let me say this again – God loves YOU! His love is perfect, unassuming and unconditional. He loves you right where you are and loves you enough to help you not to stay where you are. And “because [His] love is better than life, [we should] glorify Him” all the day long (Psalm 63:3 NIV). Knowing, feeling and trusting in God’s love is key to how you view God and how you view yourself.

When you know and feel and trust that God IS love and that He loves you, you no longer have to hold on to labels of: • “abandoned or fatherless” because your Abba Father will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6 NIV); • “lost and abused” because He restores your soul (Psalm 23:3 ESV);

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• “unlove and unwanted.” When you feel the love of God, there is so much more confidence in who you are in relation to who He is that you will have a boldness and assurance like never before!

But, there is no relationship without intimacy. The way in which to build that intimacy is by being connected to our Father the way a branch is connected to a vine. John 15:4-5 KJV says “abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can

ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” God desires for us to know Him, but we can only do that truly by knowing His Word. Just hearing someone else talk about Him at church once a week or on a radio podcast, does not equate to us knowing Him for ourselves.

And just like biological DNA, our spiritual DNA is embedded in the Father who created us, just waiting to be infused and imputed in us!

1 John 3:16 NIV claims that “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us…” Jesus, the Son of the Triune Godhead, is the incarnation of God, the Father (same God, in three persons). Further Jesus claims in John 14:7 NIV “If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.” Therefore, we can know without a shadow of a doubt, that God IS LOVE.

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