Friday Devotion and Prayer – March 31, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. …
Month: March 2023
Thursday Devotion and Prayer – March 30, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div. Thursday Devotion and …
Wednesday Devotion and Prayer – March 29, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div.
Wednesday Devotion and Prayer. March 29, 2023.
“Persevering in Afflictions”“Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.” (Romans 12:12)
If you’ve found it hard to pray for patience, you’re not alone. But I have good news for us today that just might change our perspective on patience. Our apprehension in praying for patience has kept us from seeing the beauty of what God has to say on the subject. I breathed a deep sigh of relief when I discovered the meaning behind Paul’s powerful words in Romans 12:12, “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”
This is not the verse you want to quote to someone facing a long-term health battle. Yet these Holy Spirit-inspired words hold so much hope for our hurt. The Greek word for patient in this context can mean “to stay behind; to stand firm, endure, or persevere.” I love the NASB translation which reads, “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer.” (Romans 12:12 NASB, emphasis mine)
The word persevering gives us a broader picture of what it looks like to exhibit godly patience. God doesn’t call us to simply tolerate the hurt; he expects us to trust him with it. The Believer’s Bible Commentary says, “We are exhorted to be patient in tribulation—that is, to bear up bravely under it.” To bear up bravely. What a call to action for us all! That’s what Paul did, and what God admonishes us to do, too. Then, God’s promise goes even further.
God not only refuses to leave us in our suffering, but He also goes before us. “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you…” (Deuteronomy 31:8) By staying safely behind Jesus Christ— our guiding Light we allow him to lead us through affliction. He will whisper a quiet, calming peace on even the most difficult days. In this way, he teaches us to persevere and draw strength from him. So, as we stand behind our Lord and persevere through the trials we face, let’s rejoice in our new understanding of godly patience in affliction. We can do this, with Jesus leading the way. We must commit to persevere and bear up bravely in affliction.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your guiding presence. I know you are here in the midst of my suffering. It’s hard for me to be patient and endure the trials I face. But you are a faithful God, and I trust you completely in the good times and the struggles of life. Your Word says in Romans 5:3, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” I don’t always feel like giving praise when I’m sick or afflicted. Sometimes I try to understand why suffering exists on earth. But your truth reminds me that through the hardest seasons of my life, you are helping me “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) In difficult times, I learn to persevere. Thank you, Lord. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Sunday Devotion and Prayer – March 26, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div.
Sunday Devotion and Prayer. March 26, 2023.
“The Gift of Humility”
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6)
Humility is truly a gift from the Father. As humans, just like the fruit of the Spirit, it is difficult to walk continually in this godly trait. We need God’s help, His grace. To be granted His heavenly grace gifts, we must become humble before the throne of God. James tells us in chapter 4: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
When we think we can control our life better than God, we will eventually fail. Pride comes before a fall. “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). We must acknowledge our prideful, self-reliant ways if we want to experience the sustaining and empowering grace of God. For me, in that providential moment, I began to experience this deep conviction that I was living a reckless and sinful life that offended God, who is altogether holy, and that I had been running away from the Father. It truly was my prodigal son moment— I came to my senses and the end of myself and no longer wanted to live in the filth of my sinful life. “Luke 15:7 tells us, “I say unto you, that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance”.
Immediately, I knew I needed to repent of my sin and start running toward the Father. Right there, with hands lifted in worship, and tears streaming down my face, I repented of my pride and rebellion; I told God that I didn’t want to live this life on my own anymore and that I wanted to surrender to His plan, stop living for myself, and live for Him instead. As I loosened my grip on the plans for my life (one finger at a time, of course), I began to discover my purpose and identity in Christ and His great love for me.
I laid down my prideful desires, picked up my cross, and committed to truly following Jesus, no matter the cost, for the first time in my life. I am so incredibly grateful for that moment of humbling and destruction of my pride. Now, I am still a recipient of that grace- I am given the opportunity to come humbly and boldly to the throne of grace every single moment of every single day to receive His strength and mercy. What a gift!
Heavenly Father,
I repent for my self-reliance. I realize that I cannot walk through life without Your help. I ask for Your beautiful gift of humility to penetrate my heart. I lay down my pride and selfishness, and by Your grace, clothe myself in humility that comes from You. Jesus did not consider equality with You a thing to be grasped and emptied Himself of all privileges, He humbled Himself even to the point of dying on the cross for my sins. I want to reflect selflessness to the world, but for me to do that, I know that I need to walk in humility and put my trust in You alone. Thank You for the gift of Your grace to be humble and prefer others above myself. May You be glorified in all that I say and do. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen
Friday Devotion and Prayer – March 24, 2023
By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. [15] He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him …
Weekly Message from General Chief Overseer 03-20-2023
Church of the Living God
The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Which He Purchased With His Own Blood, Inc.
Jewell Dominion
Menu
Weekly Message from General Chief Overseer Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem
Date: 03/20/2023
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This week let us look at “Our Attitude”.
Our attitude toward God should be rejoicing in the great treasure we have found in Jesus Christ! Willing to give up everything to follow Him! Holding back nothing that might hinder us from seeking Him!Viewing nothing that we possess, not even our lives, as having any value compared to the incredible riches of knowing God. As Paul states in Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” We must, “ Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews12:14). This scripture tells us that holiness is personal, a life of warring against sin in thoughts, attitudes, and actions. It is essential that we give up everything to be Christ-like. We are to declare righteousness in all manner of conversation. His moral perfection, and his obedience to the will of God, are credited to our account through faith. Even though it is faith alone that saves us, the faith that saves is not alone. Genuine faith, saving faith produces a zeal for holiness and a hatred for sin, As Jesus said, again in the Beatitudes, “ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Saints, seeking the Lord, and hungering and thirsting for righteousness, are two sides of the same coin. Hebrews 12:14 also tells us that holiness requires intentional effort. “Make every effort,” it says “to be holy.” It doesn’t happen automatically; it doesn’t become infused into us by some process of spiritual osmosis. We must work at it. In fact, the Bible portrays it as more than just working; more than just laboring. It’s warfare. And that means it’s not always a calm, peaceful, genteel activity. It is only for those who are willing to let God expose the ugliness inside of us, so that he can do the necessary work of healing, cleansing, and purification, by the power of his Holy Ghost. And he will do that, if we let Him; if we acknowledge our sin, confess and repent.
In closing, we all need to pray the prayer David prayed in Psalm 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts”. Because the nature of sin, is that it deceives us. We are blind to our own faults. We overlook and excuse our own sins. We make allowances for them, and minimize them, and call them by other names. Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)” Next week “Let us examine our emotions/feelings”. And remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
In His Service,
Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem
General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop
Message from First Lady Worthem – 03/14/2023
Church of the Living God The Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Which He Purchased With His Own Blood, Inc. Jewell Dominion Message from the Desk of First Lady Deaconess Linda Worthem March 14, 2023 I greet you my brothers and sister in the name …
