Current Mood: Prayerful & Still-Standing

Some people discover their best friend in grade school, high school, college or through others; however, my story is a little different.  I didn’t have the privilege of meeting my best friend in college, high school or grade school.  Actually, I got something better.  You see, the connection between my best friend and I is divine as it was set up before the foundation of this world.

Since birth, my best friend was there for me -teaching me about God; the ways of life; right from wrong; accountability; maturity; humility and much more.

Unlike other “friends” who I’ve held on to in the past, my best friend never walked out on me when times got rough or uncomfortable.  They were there for me through thick and thin; always having my back when no one else had it.  My best friend was just about ready to fight when I didn’t have the strength or courage to fight for myself.

My best friend has truly been a blessing and an inspiration to me.  Whenever I’m down, going through trying times, or just need to talk, my best friend is always there to listen and give wise sound godly advice without casting judgment.

As I’ve grown, so has my appreciate and gratitude for this divine setup.  God has set the two of us together as mother and son not out of coincidence but because He saw fit to place such a godly women who’s nurturing, loving, compassionate and understanding in my life.  You are a blessing to me in many ways than which you know.

Who else would put up with my ways?  Who else would answer the millions of questions I have about ‘life’?  Who else would I confide in?  Who else would God entrust to raise someone like me?  That person is you.  I thank God that He’s given me such a jewel; such a precious stone.

So on today I dedicate this writing to you as a way of saying thank you.  Thank you for your wisdom; sound advice and encouragement.  Thank you for being patient, kind, generous, nurturing and thoughtful.

Thank you for being not only my mother, but my leader and my awesome best friend.  I thank God that out of the billions of mothers in this world, I have the honor and privilege of saying that YOU ARE MY MOM.  I love you.  Happy Mother’s Day!

© 2010, Naquan Williams. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International

Current Mood: Blessed & Faith-driven & Filled with Praise!!!

Bishop’s Thoughts…

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

     This verse opens to us a great spiritual truth.  If we are doing well, we shall reap.  Our caution must be to faint not.  We must strive to encourage ourselves in the work of the Lord.  Satan’s desire is to wear you out.  He knows that if you faint (give up), you will miss the blessing that you have due you.

     God has promised to bless you in “due season.”  That means that your problem has an expiration date.  There is a season of blessings for you!  Psalm 1 says that you will bring forth your fruit in your season.  Don’t let life wear you out.  Don’t let people tire you out.  Don’t let Satan run you down.  Hang on in there!  Your season is coming.  Look hell in the face and tell every demon… I refuse to faint!!!

Your servant, A. Ray Rouson

© 2010, Bishop A. Ray Rouson, Sr.. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International

Praise be to God for the great things he has done. I give him honor and praise for being the faithful God that he is. It gives me great pleasure and honor to present to you the highlights from Sunday, March 28, 2010.  As promised God met us in the sanctuary and it was no more “Church as usual” Those who came to be delivered was delivered!  Those who came to be set free, was Set Free! And those who came for strength, was strengthened! Our senor pastor, Bishop A. Ray Rouson, stepped forth with a life changing word. His anointed message “You Can Face It” came from Luke 9:51. If you have a problem facing anything or dealing with hardship in your life…. Then this is the message for you. Here are the highlights:

You can Face It – Luke 9:51.

No matter how hard it is you can face it. Christ is our example and he said that greater works will we do.  He was telling us that if I (He) did it then you can do it. He wasn’t talking about greater in quality; he was speaking of greater in quantity.  When we look at the life of Christ we are examples, you see not everyone loved him and not ever one supported him (or was for him).  We as Christians will go through the same thing.  Not everyone will be for us, and not everyone will support us and let me tell you that not every one is going to love you either.  Paul said in the scripture that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So don’t think that you got this thing all together, if there are any props to be given, they will be given for being obedient to God.  Jesus was facing a hard task and he knew that if God did not give him strength to do it, it could not be done.  Luke 9:51 says “We shall be received up- talking about Jesus. He almost ran out of Jerusalem, but it was the appointed time for him to face what He had to face. God will not allow stuff to go on in your life before it’s time. It was God’s time.  

Have you ever had a dead line that you had to face? Let me tell you that you can face it.  When the time came Jesus Steadfastly set his face and dealt with it, because it was time to face it.  We must remember that “they that live godly will suffer persecution.”  Life is not just separation.  Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time for everything under the sun. There is a time for mourning, a time for dancing a time to laugh and a time to cry a time to break down and a time to build up. God does not give extensions of suffering, there comes a time in this life when we just have to face it.

Jesus knew it was just time. He could not put off what he was put on this earth to do. As hard as it may have seemed he knew that it must be done.  Luke stepped all over the hard things that Jesus was going to endure, the details were left out, it said, and “He will go up” But Christ said I can’t ascend until I am crucified.  Some time we wish we could have an extension from God so we will not have to face our deadline. How many of you know about extensions? How many have paid bills and needed an extension? The power company will sometimes give you another week to pay your bill or maybe even till payday. God does not deal with extensions… when it’s time to face it you must face it. You must know that if the Lord brings us to it, He will bring us through it.  You can face it.  When God delivers you everyone will see it.  Jesus had to be crucified before we could see His glory.  And like Jesus’ example we have to crucify our flesh and face hell just like He did in order for others to see God’s glory in us.

Don’t worry… “You can Face it”  

There are three expectations we can be sure of when we make up our minds to face what you have to face:

1. Expect the devil to put fear in you- Luke 13:31-33- on the way to Jerusalem the Pharisees told Jesus to get out of here (look for the devil). He will always present himself. When you make up your mind to face what you have to face. The devil will put fear in you. Jesus said in (Luke 13:31-33) I cast out devils.

1. Expect people to change on you- They will change on you. When Jesus entered Jerusalem there was a crowd of people. Let me tell you that you can’t trust a Sunday face. On Sunday everyone is for you and smiling and shouting and rejoicing. But by Friday, the real you will be out.  The same people who cheered for him in the previous chapters were the same ones who cried “Crucify Him” in the 23^rd chapter of Luke.  The same people who crucified Jesus will do the same thing to you. When you make up your mind to face what you have to face. People around you will change.  The same people he fed when they were hungry, and healed when they were sick, the same ones He gave sight to and delivered turned against him. When the people who are close to you change, let it happen.

1. Expect God to work for you- It would not be put before you if He could  not bring you through it. Everybody is facing something and he gives us the ability to handle it.  We can over come whatever we need to as long as we face it.  We must walk in integrity and face it like a soldier. What ever you have to face, face it with integrity. What ever is before you today, know that it’s time for you to stand up and  face it. You can face it! God will give you the strength you need, He will give you the courage you need he will give you the peace you need. Just face it and let God’s glory be revealed in your life.

© 2010, Elder Alvia Cabbler. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International

Glory and Honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It gives me great honor to bring to you the highlights for Sunday, February 14, 2010. Yesterday, our Associate Pastor Elder James Edwards brought forth an encouraging message entitled, “Firewalker.”  It was an in-season topic for those of us who find ourselves going through a series of trials. His text came from Daniel 3:23-25 & Mark 4:35-40. Elder Edwards began by talking to us about trials and reminding us that there may be times when things do not seem fair in our lives. Mark 4 tells us a story of the 12 disciples and Jesus traveling to the other side of the Sea.  Jesus had 12 good men with him.  Twelve  anointed men.  Twelve men who were appointed and he almost killed them in order to get to one man who had an unclean spirit.

When I was a sinner,  I use to think that all I had to do was get saved and then everything else would fall into place. Sometimes we look around at other Christians and we think they have it all together. It looks like they are perfect. We tend to think that God is suppose to pay all our bills when we need it, supply us with the right job when we need it and give us all the money we need to be happy, then I heard the word say, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” I did not want to hear that, because I believed if you had troubles it meant that it came through disobedience. It was later in life that it was revealed to me through Job 14:1, that I was not quite there yet. I had not made it to the point of maturity that I thought I needed to be. I was not yet there, but I was walking in the midst of the fire. We as Christians are not perfect but we are walking in the midst of his presence. What do you do when you are doing all you know how?  You are fasting, praying, reading and studying your word and troubles hit your life. You are almost in shock because you can see this happening to someone who does not give God reverence, someone who does not trust God or who is not serving God. But what happens when it’s one of us? What happens when the troubles are not coming from Lucifer, but coming from the Lord?  It doesn’t add up when we keep fasting and praying; we are filled with the Holy Ghost and still trials and tribulations come. What do you do when everything gets taken from you even when God is with you? Loss after loss, trial after trial. It seems like the sinner man is prospering and we are losing everything. What do we do?
Psalms 37:1 says to fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither be envious because of the workers of iniquity. I came by to tell you to take your place.

Three Positions for the Believer:
1. Keep Walking-The Law of the Lord got the three Hebrew boys in trouble. They did everything right, they served God and they were put in the furnace. The enemy does not want anything you have except your worship. He wants to take your ability to praise God. What do you do when living right doesn’t seem to work? Just keep walking because God will use what you go through for ministry.

2. Use the right formula- All my life I loved math anything with numbers, calculations or money. With math, the most important thing to remember is, you must have the correct formula or either it’s right or it’s wrong. Without the right formula you would make an error. When I was young I did not use a calculator. I had to learn how to add by using the “long” formula which consisted of many steps, and if you missed a step, you would get the problem wrong.

3. Carry God with you- One part of long addition was to carry one over to the other and add. When the three Hebrew boys were thrown into the fire, it just didn’t seem to add up to Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 3:24, he said wasn’t there three in the fire? I see four loosed and walking in the fire. I could imagine Nebuchadnezzar saying, “It Just don’t add up”. Nebuchadnezzar missed a step. When he added, he forgot to carry the one. He was not aware of the one who said “I will draw men unto me.”  He was not aware of the one who said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  He was not aware of the one who will always be there. What ever you do, don’t forget to carry the one.

The one that Isaiah called Emmanuel which means “God with us.” Nebuchadnezzar forgot to carry the one. God was made invisible to him. When you find yourself in the midst of the fiery furnace, don’t forget to carry the one who can help you.

3 Pro’s to Victory in the fiery furnace:

1. Preparation- When God puts you in a situation he does not send you unprepared. Moses and Joseph went through things to prepare them for their title. While they were in the enemy’s camp, they learned the movements and the ways of their enemies. According to the Scofield bible there are 7 dispensations or periods of time in which man is tested in respect to some specific revelation of the will of God. We must remember that our trials have an expiration date. God knows when to stop it. God wants to reveal his Glory through you.

2. Proposition-God will make your enemy proposition you. After Jesus had fasted for 40 days, he was led by God through the wilderness. The enemy propositioned him and asked him to turn the stones into bread. He propositioned him on the mountain top, telling him that he could have all the kingdoms in the world if you worship me. Our proposition came to us while we were in Cape Henry, but we did not allow ourselves to become distracted by the fire. Don’t allow the enemy to keep distracting you from what God has for you. “I now pronounce you Firewalkers”.

3. Promotion-God will allow the enemy to promote you. In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. When you are tossed into the furnace of affliction, God will destroy everyone that put you in there. The Hebrew boys were more gifted and anointed than anyone that Nebuchadnezzar had ever known. He told them that if they would bow down and worship him, they would not be tossed into the fire. The Hebrew boys knew that God was able to deliver them. Nebuchadnezzar promoted them in his kingdom, but God promoted them by allowing them to reveal the glory of God to the people. Romans 8:18 the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the Glory that shall be revealed in us. God wants to reveal his Glory.

Think about where you are right now; think about the storms you have been through. You are still here. It may seem that you missed your ministry because of the furnace, but you do not have to be consumed. You have two choices; you can live in eternity with God or in hell without him. Whatever you are going through, God has a way of escape. He is able to deliver you while you are in the fire. God will give you the ability to be a Firewalker!

© 2010, Elder Alvia Cabbler. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International

With the winter season upon us, have you notice the leaves are falling from the trees, trees that were once in full bloom look dead and lifeless, some trees have no leaves they are bare, many leaves are just blowing down streets and around corners, some trees that should reproduce next spring season appear that they will not make it through the winter.

The trees we see resemble people we know, our family, friends, neighbors and people we bump shoulders with every day. Winter is here many of us are depressed an have no idea how we will make it another day, The joy they once had is gone. We never know when the storms of life will hit us, As Christian it is your job not to let brothers and sister die in the winter season.

Personal witnessing is a trigger that releases power in our lives. Doing your part releases faith. God does the rest.

PSMS 107:2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.

1 John 1: 5-10 (Contemporary English Version)

5. Jesus told us that God is light and doesn’t have any darkness in him, Now we are telling you.

6. If we say that we share life with God and keep on living in dark, we are lying and are not living by the truth.

7. But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other.  And the blood of his Son Jesus  washes all our sins away.

8. If we say that we have not sinned, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth isn’t in our hearts.

9. But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.

10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar and his message isn’t in our hearts. Or because we have not accepted his message.

Let us love one another, give a hug ,smile , give a word of encouragement today.  Don’t let your love ones die in winter, be a witness to the glory of God someone needs to hear your testimony. Share your story God gets the glory.

Humbly Submitted,

If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away , behold all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17.

© 2009 – 2010, Elder Berlynda. All rights reserved. A part of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International