Date: 04/10/2023

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. Over the next three weeks, we will look at “ The Steps in Healing from Hurt.”

The church has the power to gather, encourage, and heal God’s beloved people. Hurt stems from experiencing someone abusing their power whether spiritually or naturally. The first step to healing is to define the hurt. Hurt never just go away! Time will not bring complete healing. Nothing happens if you have not clearly defined the offense. You can’t forgive something if you don’t know or are not able to articulate what the hurt is. You must give your heart to Jesus, letting Him become your Lord. You must forgive (release) the person who has hurt you. Matthew 5:23-24 reads, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way; first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift”. Hurt can affect us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The purpose of this step is not to harbor resentment. Instead, the initial process of healing hinges upon you naming the wrong behavior that occurred.

Apostle Paul gives us a simple model for healing hurt in II Corinthians 2:5-11. “But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted on many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”.

Looking back on hurt is not what God has called us to do (concentrating on situation) Philippians 3:13-14 tells us, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. Drawing us to look back at offenses and hurt is one of Satan’s tactics in keeping us spiritually immobilized. If we are consumed by the past it will hurt, we will come to a standstill in our Christian Walk. Brother and sisters there is nothing we can do to change the past. But do not allow the past to control your future or destiny.  Because God has created each one of us for a purpose.  Psalms 139:15-16, 14 tells us, “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. “ ⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well”. Our main purpose is to glorify Him (Jesus Christ). Because letting go requires the personal discipline to resist the temptation to repeatedly fight the battles of the hurt and remain focused on the victory that awaits in the future. Until we find the true source of the hurt and turn it off through forgiveness, it will continue to cause negative emotions.  Until next week let us remember, “… with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26b).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: 03/27/2023

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 Examine Ourselves and our Internal Feelings”.

As Christians we sometimes struggle with integrating emotion into our spiritual lives and end up falling victim to dangerous tendencies. One danger is emotionalism, in which we allow our feelings to interpret our circumstances and form our thoughts about God. This is putting our feelings before faith. The other danger is a kind of stoicism, where faith is rooted in theology but void of affection. This tendency removes feelings from faith altogether. While it is true that our emotions should not lead our theology, it is vital to our faith that theology lead us to a deep experience of our triune God. We must learn how to live beyond our emotions/feelings. God calls us to learn to manage our emotions and feelings rather than having them manage us. In Paul’s day, the people thought with their hearts and felt with their gut. This is where we get term “gut feeling.” So, when Paul says, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 3:19).  He is saying the problem is being led by our emotions, our emotions are our God, and we take pride in the shameful things we do. Our minds are set on worldly things.”

There are four reasons why we need to learn to deal with how we feel. First, our feelings are unreliable. They can lead us in the wrong direction and down the wrong path. Because not everything we feel is right. We need to learn to manage our emotions/feelings. Proverbs 14:12 says this, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death”. So, our emotions are not infallible. The second reason is,  we don’t want to be manipulated. If we don’t control our emotions/feelings, they will control us. If we are always guided by our feelings, we will reject the truth of the Word of God. If  we’re guided by our feelings, others will take advantage of us. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:28, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls”. Not only are we defenseless against manipulation of others, but we are defenseless to the manipulation by our old nature. The sinful nature in us, can use our feelings against us and against the Word of God. I Peter 5:8 says this, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. The third reason we need to control our emotions/feelings is, we want to please God. God cannot be God in our life if emotions/feelings are god in our life. Romans 8:6-8 reads, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then they that are in the flesh cannot please God”. Saints, if we obey our human nature, we cannot please God.” The fourth  reason is because we want to succeed in life. In fact, I Peter 4:2 tells us, “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God”. Psalms 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. What is our heart? That is where our emotions are.  Psalms 19:14 reads, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer”. What is inside our heart will come out of our mouth. Jesus said in Matthew 15:11, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 

In closing,  the key is not to pursue our emotions/feelings but pursue the Lord Jesus Christ,  by looking to Him, knowing His ways, pondering His promises, and obeying His commands. And remember, “…With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: 03/13/2023

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 “Seeking the Lord and Holiness.”

Seeking the Lord requires a commitment to growing in personal holiness. In other words, reading and studying the Bible is something we are to be doing all our lives. We never reach a point when we have learned enough to just coast.  We must pursue God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. My goal is that we would live our lives from this day forward as we believed that God is our greatest treasure and hope for salvation. I also desire that we might all live according to the glorious reality, that knowing God is far superior to anything life can offer. Proverbs 8:11 tells us, “…wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” If you read Proverbs chapter 8, you will see that “wisdom” is not an abstract idea, but a Person. This chapter is talking about Jesus Christ, who is the wisdom of God personified. It also speaks of this Wisdom as being eternal, as being the craftsman at God’s side when He formed the earth. It promises that “whoever finds me finds life.”  Proverbs 8:35 reads, “For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord.” Paul confirms this in I Corinthians 1:24 when he writes that, “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God”. The eighth chapter of Proverbs tells us that Christ is more precious than rubies, that nothing we desire can compare with knowing Him, David concurs in Psalm 73:25-26, “ Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”

In closing, when we seek God by striving for personal holiness, we must be prepared for a battle. A war. An armed conflict. This is not a walk in the park. Holiness is serious business. As Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-17:  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”. When we come to faith in Christ, sin’s power over us is broken; however, it remains a part of us. It is in constant conflict with the Holy Spirit, who has now come to indwell us. But not only do we have this internal struggle with sin; we also have a mortal enemy, Satan, who hates the people of God, and who will do everything in his power to keep us under sin’s influence. He will employ every kind of temptation, deception, attack, diversion, falsehood, or threat that God permits him to use, to hinder your progress in holiness, and if possible, undermine or weaken your faith. He knows your vulnerabilities and will attempt to exploit them. He is cunning and malicious, a wicked deceiver, and liar, and murderer. As I Peter 5:8-10 warns us,  ^“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Next, week we will look at “Our Attitude”. And remember, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop