Date: 11/20/2023

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 month’s key phrase is: Grateful. This week I ask the question, “Is there a Difference Between Being Grateful and Being Thankful”?

Psalm 95:2 tells us, “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms”. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:5-7. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Thanksgiving and thankful both mean to be actively gracious and grateful as an act of worship to Go. God implores us constantly to be THANKFUL.

Gratefulness is pleasing to God when we are thankful and show it through worship and praise, not just through song, but in everything we do. Thankfulness positively affect us and those around us, as it permeates everything we think, do, or say. Therefore, let us be GRATEFUL for “…receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let us offer to God  acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). The word grateful means the act of giving thanks to God with deep gratitude. It means joy, to rejoice, and be glad. God wants us to be grateful as a way of life. Gratitude and thankfulness are synonymous with faith and love. They are a natural response to God’s goodness and gifts of grace. God is glorified through the thanksgiving of His people. As Believers, everything we do should be infused with gratitude and thanksgiving. It becomes an act of worship. Colossians 3:17 tells us, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him”.

In closing, the only viable choice we have to make to live and prosper in health is to turn away from self and turn to Jesus, remembering that He is ever-present, continually loving, caring, and providing all that is needed. When we entirely rely on the Lord to handle any situation, He will make our crooked “paths” straight, and remove any obstacles, as we journey through life. He doesn’t promise that life will be easy and without problems. When we learn to trust Him completely: This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Proverbs 3:8 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”. Until next week, Let us always remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: 10/30/2023

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 month’s key phrase is the same as the month of September: Be Different! This week like discuss, What does it mean to Dare to be Different?

By faith, we can Dare to Be Different. To dare means to “have the courage to do something.” The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul tell us how we can be transformable in Romans 12:1-2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. Our God is saying here, “Dare to be Different”.  If you think about it, we are all different.  We are constantly in a struggle not to conform to the world around us. God has called us out of this world. John 15:19 states, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you”. Being different is often being an example. 

My brothers and sisters, following Jesus Christ means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people as He did. This is what being an ambassador for Christ (II Corinthians 5:20) is about, “…we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God”.  It’s about bringing the difference to the territory we have been assigned: our homes, our offices, and our friendships. John tells us in I John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him”.  James says in James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God”. Noah chose to be righteous when all around him was evil and wickedness (Genesis 6:7-8). Lot refused to identify himself with  the grievous sin that reigned in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20). Daniel, stood out by declining to eat the food provided by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in order not to defile his body (Daniel 1:8). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego on their part separated themselves from the crowd by not bowing to the image made by King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:16-18).  When these men dared to be different, they stood alone. But alone we must stand, because when someone else does something, it does not make it right.  Apostle Peter tells us in I Peter 1:17, to live our lives as strangers here. “And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear”.  As servants of God the great men and women in the Old Testament were called to be different from those around them. We are to be children of the light, not darkness; of day, not night (I Thessalonian 5:5). Believers are called to a life of respect, peace, and kindness.

In closing, today we have opportunities to be different, to go against the flow. We must not be ashamed. Before Jesus’ death, He spoke candidly to His disciples. He let them know if the world hated them, to keep in mind they hated Him first; if they persecuted Jesus, they would also persecute the disciples (John 15:18-20). Ultimately, if we want to succeed in our calling to be different, we must see our estrangement from the world as a small price to pay for eternal life and the rewards God promises (II Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:10-12). Until next week, make a difference by daring to be different for Jesus; remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26b).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: 10/16/2023

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 month’s key phrase is the same as the month of September, “Be Different”.  Different – to be alive and sensitive in one’s spirit. Different – to show emotion. Different – to listen to what is going on in God’s house, ready to hear, to respond. Different – to take Jesus Christ seriously.

Ought not Christians be different? Ought not we be distinct, separate, not the same, out of the ordinary, unusual? Jesus Christ was distinct, separate, out of the ordinary, and He called His followers to be like Him. The Biblical word “holy” describes the word “different”. A holy person is not an odd person, but a different person. A holy person has a quality about their life that is unique. Their present lifestyle is not only change from the past lifestyles, but is set apart from the lifestyles of the unbelievers around them. A holy person takes Jesus Christ seriously.

Believers in Jesus Christ have been called to live this unique life and different lifestyle. Peter wrote, “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy” 1 Peter 1:15-16. We may choose a married life or a single life, but it is not left to us to choose whether or not we live a holy life. Holiness is not an option. It is mandatory. My brothers and sisters the problem with being different is, we don’t want to be different. Why is that? (1) We value conformity: we don’t want to be perceived as being odd. We have  become an assembly line society. We are terrified of being set apart. (2) We visualize a caricature of holiness: We don’t want to become known as holier than thou, we think holiness communicates an attitude. (3) We misunderstand what it means to be holy: We think that holy people live in a far-away monastery, separate from others, any kind of fun and frivolity, and trade in their luxury cars, comfortable homes, and well-paying jobs.

In closing real holiness, the genuine authentic character of being different is none of those things outline above. Yet it is more than that. What does it mean to be different”  Next week, the Apostle Peter answers that question. What is the meaning of being different?  Until next week, remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26b).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop