Date: 12/04/23

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. As we approach the end of 2023, this month’s phrase is the: New Birth in Jesus Christ. Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jesus was speaking to all of us when He said, “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You and I must be born again, or we will not see the kingdom of God. This means we will not be saved; we will not be part of God’s family or go to heaven. Before the new birth happens, we are spiritually dead. We are morally selfish and rebellious. We are legally guilty before God’s law and under His wrath. Apart from God’s amazing grace in our lives, it is unsettling when Jesus tells us that we must be born again. Teaching about the new birth is unsettling because it refers to something that is done to us, not something we do. John 1:13 emphasizes this. It refers to the children of God as those who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  Peter stresses the same thing: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3. 

My brothers and sisters, we do not cause the new birth, God causes the new birth. Saints, any good thing that we do is a result of the new birth, not a cause of the birth. This means that the new birth is taken out of our hands. It is not in our control. And so, it confronts us with our helplessness and our absolute dependence on God outside ourselves. This can be unsettling. We are told that we will not see the kingdom of God if we’re not born again. And we’re told that we can’t make ourselves to be born again.  I know how unsettling this message on the new birth can be. But I don’t want to give false hope to those who have confused morality or religion for spiritual life. We have no power in ourselves to give life, but God does.

In closing, I am hopeful that God will do what He says in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved).” Saints, God loves to magnify the riches of His life-giving grace where Jesus Christ is lifted in truth. My hope is that this month’s phrase will not just unsettle but stabilize and save others. Next week we will look at What Happens in the New Birth?  Until then, let us not forget, “…with God, all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

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