Date: October 14, 2024

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, power, and dominion forever and ever, and to the Holy Ghost, who continues to dwell within us, guiding our steps.  This month’s messages delve into Humility: “Pride Gets in the Way of Humility and Teachability.”

Saints, pride usually gets in the way of us failing to listen to God’s wisdom, and to being teachable. There is a good pride (proud of our country), a negative pride (arrogance, puffed up on ourselves) and a more subtle pride (pride of self-sufficiency). Many are guilty of having the prideful attitude of being independent and self-sufficient. But the wisdom of Proverbs reminds us that pride of any kind eventually leads to our downfall. Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility” (Proverbs 18:12).

Brothers and Sisters, pride will eventually bring us down because we fail to seek the God who knows everything and His wisdom, we will eventually make a bad choice.  Hence, we will not be following God’s will, because God only reveals His will to those who seek it. Therefore, it is the humble who are honored before God, who grow in wisdom because they realize they don’t have all the answers, and they intentionally seek God’s wisdom. They are the teachable and God honors that.  Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us about God’s promise that when we humble ourselves, pray, and seek His face, turn form our wicked ways, then God will forgive our sin and heal the land.

In closing, healing doesn’t come without humility and seeking God’s face. Next week, let us shift gears and delve into the habits of the humble and teachable, according to the book of Proverbs.

Remember in all that we are confronted with daily, “…with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). 

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: September 30, 2024

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, power, and dominion forever and ever, and to the Holy Ghost, who continues to dwell within us, guiding our steps.  This week’s message is the culmination of the series on Holiness: “It’s Holiness or Hades (Lake of Fire): Which Do You Choose?”

Holiness is a crucial distinction between God and sinful humans, particularly in our fallen state and our redeemed condition, where we entirely rely on God for any holiness within us. God’s holiness, an essential concept, signifies His complete moral purity and the moral gulf between God and those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, consequently changing our lives.

The prophet Isaiah declared, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Isaiah 6:3). It is the only description of God repeated in the three-fold formula. God is GENUINELY holy. This scripture served to remind Israel in the original context, and us at present, that God’s holiness is a matter of enormous spiritual significance.

In conclusion, the greatest hope of the Israelites and us today is to see God, and our greatest fear is not to see God because absolute holiness is attractive and terrifying. The holiness of God is evident throughout Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This is why so few of Jesus’ contemporaries understood him as described in the Gospels. When God appears in history, His presence is mysterious. Therefore, the first appropriate reaction is worship and gratitude. When God appears in history, His presence is mysterious. Therefore, the first appropriate reaction is worship and gratitude. When God sends His holiness into our lives, our lives should help change communities through His Holy Spirit. The good news of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection should be preached to all nations.

When God defeats evil, there will no longer be a need for a temple with a “holy of holies,” as the Holy God will dwell among his people forever and ever.

Let us remember, “…with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). This message of hope and possibility is a constant reassurance of God’s power in our lives. 

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop

Date: September 9, 2024

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, power, and dominion forever and ever, and to the Holy Ghost, who continues to dwell within us, guiding our steps. This week, we delve into the: “Characteristics Needed to Live A Holy Life.”

The Bible tells us that our God is holy and calls for us, His chosen people, to live a pure and holy life. “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy’” (Leviticus 19:2). I firmly believe that God does not place an expectation upon us that He does not provide for.

The characteristics needed for holy living and the five steps required to help us get there:

1. Accepting what God wants for us. If we want to be followers of Christ, we must embrace the reality that holiness is what God wants for us. He told us through his word that it is what He expects from our lives. We must deny ourselves and follow the word of God. If we love God, then our lives become evidence of it.

2. Accept that you can live a holy life. Obedience to God’s word is necessary for a holy life because we must follow Jesus’s commands daily so that His perfect will for our lives is done. Our belief in the word of God is based on faith; because of it, holy living is possible for you. So, with obedience and faith, we can live a holy life pleasing in the sight of God.

3. Live a sacrificial life. We are called to give ourselves entirely to God. Romans 12:1 tells us, “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.” Holy living is a consequence of having the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must live a life of consecration daily.

4. Follow the word of God continuously. Holy living involves consistently following Jesus unconditionally and unapologetically rather than just following the word of God for a short time.

5. Demonstration in the community. When we start living a holy life, we will become a powerful and encouraging blessing to others in our family and around us. God will use you in ways you could have never imagined. His presence will go with us wherever we go, sharing his insights to help us live the life he has called us to.

The song “When I See Jesus, Amen” emphasizes that living a holy life is synonymous with living a righteous life. It suggests we will attain eternal life by learning to endure suffering.

Remember, “…with God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop