MOMENTS Volume No. 8 Issue No. 4

December 2007 / January 2008

REFLECT  A  MOMENT 

Inside this Newsletter

Make Us One
Reflecting on some excerpts from a series of articles specifically for the Body of Christ... to usher us into oneness.

Moments of Meditation
Something for you to think about.

Straight From The Heart
 By Ornatta Monique McFadden
A.K.A. Sista Divine Mind
 

Poetic Expressions
From Me To You...
From a Man's Point of View
By Franklin Tyrone McBryde

Heartbeats
By Suzanne B. Lester

The Sower...
Sows the Seeds

 
   

For this generation, we spread abroad, WORLDWIDE, a beam of light ( YESHUA), a glimpse of Hope and Truth, as we prepare the way and usher in the imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Following are excerpts from a series of articles which the Father has graced me to write entitled Make Us One. As it’s name implies, my hearts cry is for the Body of Christ to come together in oneness; Jews and Non-Jewish believers together, walking as one man; coming into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Yeshua the Messiah). I pray like Jesus prayed....

Father Make Us One

In His Eternal Love & Service,

Gods Handmaiden

Make Us One

As we prepare to cross over into 2008, we do so with anticipation and excitement, as we await the dawning of a brand new beginning. For so many of our sisters and brothers, 2007 has evolved into many tests and trials of our faith. But thanks be to God, our Heavenly Father, the One Who we love and adore, He *always* causes us to triumph in Him. So, therefore, we march forward with new direction and new purpose for 2008, keeping our eyes focused on the Most High God, pressing towards the mark for the prize, of the high calling of God which is in Christ Jesus!

My sisters and my brothers, just like the Apostle Paul, I count not myself to have apprehended: or to have arrived at, or to fully understand all things, but this one thing I do . . . I’m forgetting those things which are behind me, and I’m reaching forth unto those things which are before me. Oh yes my friends, I’m reaching forth to fulfill my Divine assignment in this earth. What about you? Do you want to be in the right place, at the right time in 2008 to fulfill your appointed assignment in this earth? Remember Queen Esther in the bible? God groomed her and prepared her for a strategic time, just like now, in the Kingdom of God. You see many of you, God has raised up and prepared for such a time as this. Oh where are the warriors? Where are the soldiers? Where is the army of the Lord that is preparing to meet our soon coming King? Church just like Queen Esther, my hearts cry is this . . . Lord if I parish . . . Just let me parish, because I am going to see the King! Selah Oh I want to see Him yall. I want to see Him in all of His Splendor, and in all of His Glory. In 2008, I want to see Him high and lifted up, and I want His train to fill *this* temple. Do you also remember Isaiah the Prophet in the Word of God? It wasn’t until King Uzziah died that *he* (Isaiah the Prophet), was able to really see the Lord in a different dimension. And like him my friends, some things in our lives are going to have to “die” in order for us to move up into the next level, where our Lord desires for us to go. Let’s check out that account.

IN THE year that King Uzziah died, [in a vision] I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the skirts of His train filled the [most holy part of the] temple. Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew. And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory! And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone and ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Isaiah 6:1-5; Amplified)

Do you see that saints of God? After King Uzziah died, and Isaiah was able to see the Lord, then did he realize that he was a man of unclean lips, and that he dwelt in the midst of an unclean people. You see, it is just something about being in the presence of a Holy God, that we are able to see just how filthy we are. Many of us in 2007 have had to deal with some horrible situations. For some it may have been bad relationships, for others sicknesses in your body, and still for others, it may have been dealing with family members, or situations on your job. Whatever the circumstance may have been, these things have all ushered us straight into the presence of a Holy God, and what a wonderful place to be, for as His Word declares, in His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right Hand, there are pleasures for ever more.

I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety, For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one [Holy One] to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:7-11; Amplified)

  

Oh Glory to God . . . Glory to God . . . Glory to God in the Highest! He is the One Who shows us the path of life. It is not by chance that we are where we are right now. Our Heavenly Father directs our path; for the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. Even our tests, and our trials, are strategically ordered by the Lord. You see, God in His Omnipotence, knows exactly what it is going to take, to conform us into the image of His dear Son. Let’s listen to James as he admonishes us, the twelve tribes of Israel, through the Word of God.

JAMES, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)! Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. (James 1:1-2; Amplified)

Hold up yall, our dear brother James admonishes us to count it all “joy” when we fall into divers tests or trials. Oh we don’t have to be discouraged. We can even be assured, and this assurance is based upon what we know. Listen . . .

Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. (James 1:3; Amplified)

Saints of God, the testing of our faith demonstrates our uncomplaining endurance under distress. Have you been able to endure in 2007? The bible goes on to say. . .

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. (James 1:4; Amplified)

In other words, let our uncomplaining endurance under distress have its complete work in us . . . go through its complete cycle, so that we may be mature and complete, needing nothing . . . or be in a place where all of our needs are met. Oh I don’t know about you all, but I want patience to have its “perfect” work in my life, so that I can grow up, and be mature in God . . . lacking in nothing. We have to go through saints. We have to go through, in order to get to . . . the other side. Our faith is going to be tested, and our faith is going to be tried, but listen to what the Apostle Paul had to say about it.

THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. (Romans 5:1-3; Amplified)

Hold up my friends….Did you all catch that? The Word of God says that we are to triumph *in* our troubles, and rejoice *in* our sufferings. In other words, we don’t thank God *for* our troubles, or praise God *for* our sufferings, but while we are *in* these circumstances, we can rejoice and be exceedingly glad because of what we know. Selah Oh my friends we know that all of our troubles, and all of our sufferings, and the pressure, affliction, and hardship that it brings, produces patient and unswerving endurance.

And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. (Romans 5:4-5; Amplified)

My friends I don’t know about you all, but as we move forward in 2008, that’s where I want to be, having the Godly kind of character that produces the habit of joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. With that kind of hope, we shall never be disappointed or ashamed. Therefore, let us march forward with God’s love, which has been so richly poured into our hearts, through the Spirit of the Living God, which has been so freely given to all of us, who have received Him.

Moments of Meditation

Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. (Psalm 91:8-10; Amplified Version)

  

Straight From The Heart
By Ornatta Monique McFadden


Ornatta McFadden

Anointed and appointed to share an end time word with the Body of Christ, I am honored and blessed to have Ornatta Monique McFadden, AKA Sista Divine Mind , a fellow member of Baltimore’s Kingdom Poets to enlighten us through the Word of God. Sista Divine Mind has been a *faithful* member of the Poetic Moments Forum, as well as the Kingdom Poets since it’s inception back in 2002. Also since January 7, 2007, with the launching of the Voices of Victory Radio Broadcast on The Praise House.Com, my dear precious sister has also been *faithful* to be on the air every Sunday evening. Saints of God, the Bible says that it is required of stewards to be found faithful. Truly I praise the Lord for this bold soldier in the army of the Lord, and how God is using her for His Glory! Sit back and be blessed as the Spirit of the Living God uses her to pen His words to strengthen and fortify you as they come straight from her heart to yours!

In His Eternal Love & Service,
God’s Handmaiden... Margie Epps

God Proves Himself Daily

As I walk this journey called life, I have experienced a few things. I have been through being raped, living out on the edge, I have smoked, and I used language that made God cover His Ears. I have treated my body unworthy of being a child of God. I have said and done things to people and myself that I should have never done. Yet God in all of His Wisdom proved Himself to me when He said that I am your Shepherd and I shall not want for anything. He meant just that. (Read the 23 Psalms). Listen to me and listen good, God can not, and will not lie, so if He tells it to you, you have no choice but to believe Him. After the way my walk in life started, I couldn’t believe that anyone could love me despite all of my faults, but God told me that “ If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just, and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness” I John 1:9. What a small price to pay for God’s forgiveness. Just think, for you and me, the Father let people lie on Him, they called Him everything but a child of God, they whipped Him, and then He hung, bled, and died. How could I not trust this wonderful Savior? He has proven Himself to me. You see God proves Himself in how Faithful He is to His children. Just like with the children of Israel, God was Faithful when He told Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, and how many times did God have to show His Hand to prove that He was Who He said He was. He parted the Red Sea so that they could escape. God could have left them there because they kept doubting, but He didn’t. He was Faithful because His Word can not, and will not, come back void. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of the mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” Isaiah 55:11. (Read the whole chapter) Just because you start off rough, God can use you to minister the Word of God. Listen to what God has to say about this. “I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in My heart and mind. I will firmly establish his house, and he will minister before My anointed One always” I Samuel 2:35. My sisters and brothers, it is time to stop living in the past, and of what you did, and what you said. Now let me just show you how He is still proving Himself to me. I had surgery October 31, 2007, and I have not had a meal since October 30, 2007, up until the time of this writing, early December, and I am not dead. See God said that man shall not just need natural food to live, but God is holding me on nothing but water and juice sometimes. Yet I have not fell out. I am not weak, and I go to work. Look this is what the Father says about bread. “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4. He thought it was so important that he said it twice. God repeated Himself in Luke 4:4. He also showed me that when I would drink, that He was my water. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life John 4:14. It’s time to let God prove Himself to you. Stop jumping the gun, some of you. If God tells you that something or someone has to do something, allow God to bring it full circle, as this is His way of proving that what He said is what is going to happen. Too many times we know what God has said, and we don’t want to wait. Well if you go before God tells you to, you are out of order, and how can God move in confusion. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” I Corinthians 14:33. So let God prove Himself to you today. All God wants is for His children to have and do, all that His Word says, for our Father desires for us to excel in every way. Open up your heart, and allow the Lord to come in and prove Himself, as He has done so many times for me. Just look at the world we live in today, and if you don’t believe that it is God every day keeping you, proving that His Word is true, then there is much work to be done. Just know in the fullness of time, God is going to prove Himself to everyone. Peace and Blessings my sisters and brothers.




POETIC EXPRESSIONS

           FROM ME TO YOU...

A Man's Point of View
By Franklin Tyrone McBryde


Franklin McBryde
FrankOvations
 franklin@kingdompoets.com

As we await the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah, I am honored and blessed to present to you the genuine and unique poetic gift of Franklin McBryde, also a fellow member of Baltimore’s Kingdom Poets. God has given him a very special gift to minister poetically to relationships and particularly to the emotions of a woman. With so many marriages failing and relationships falling apart each and every day, the Father’s heartfelt desire is that we grow up and mature in this area, and have a sincere and genuine love for one another in our relationships, even as Christ also loves the Church. May Franklin’s insight in this area, as well as other topics of interest, touch your heart and soul in a very personal and intimate way . . . coming respectively from a mans point of view.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5:31-33)

In His Eternal Love & Service,
God’s Handmaiden



To be blessed with more of Franklins Poetic Expressions . . . From a man's point of view, please take a moment to visit his unique and inspiring WebPage entitled New Love by Clicking Here. 



More Precious Than Life

The warm thoughts of you
I can’t erase

The dimples that rise so full
On your beautiful face

The abundance of beauty
You wear so well

The fragrance about you
I love to smell

The happiness you bring
Whenever you’re near

Removes all sadness
Removes all fears

Although I don’t know you
There’s one thing I find true

If ever given a chance to love you
How can I not want to

My ultimate goal
Is to make you my wife
Because there’s nothing more precious
Or more pleasurable
Than having you as part of my life

 


Suzanne B. Lester
AGAPEgirl
 suzanne@kingdompoets.com

Once again we come to that wonderful time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a time of celebration but also a time of reflection as we think of all this part year has brought us and taught us. I think of my column, Heartbeats , and my mind begins to think back and wonder how many heartbeats God has blessed me with over the past year. Heartbeats for times when I was lonely. Heartbeats, for times when I was sad. Heartbeats when I was sick. Heartbeats when I was discouraged, disrespected and disgusted. Yes, He gave me heartbeats at those less than happier times, but I chose to call them preparatory heartbeats. Through each experience that I would have chosen not to go through, God gave me heartbeats to prepare me for better days. He gave me heartbeats during lonely times that I might appreciate the times of fellowship and love with family, friends and coworkers. He gave me heartbeats during the sad times so that I would appreciate the happier times in my life and not take them for granted. He gave me heartbeats when I was sick so that I could overcome the sickness and be a witness to His awesome healing powers. And He gave me heartbeats through times of discouragement, disrespect and disgust so that I might appreciate all the wonderful things He has prepared for me as a part of my destiny in Him. As I close out this year, I can't say that I did everything right or perfect or even acceptably, but I can say that through it all, I learned to depend upon God more. I learned how to use my trials and tribulations as praise pushers and prayer motivators. I've learned through the awesome teaching of my pastor, Bishop Jerry F. Hutchins, that our mindset determines so much in this life and that as long as we have our mind set on God and His plan for our life, nothing can stop us from achieving all that is ours as His children. I've learned through my sicknesses that as much as I'd like to be able to do it all, it's okay for me to let others help me out sometimes. I've learned that some friendships are seasonal. I've learned that God really does know best. I've learned that though His promises are delayed sometimes, that does not mean they are denied. Through it all, I've learned that I cannot and will not give up---all because of the heartbeats He lovingly gives to me each day of my wonderful life.




Where I’m Supposed to Be

Lord, each day, please help me to stop and realize
that I’m right where I should be and to see it through your eyes.
Help me impatient never to be while stopped along life’s way,
but to trust you know what’s best for me as you’ve planned each passing day.

When it seems some other person is where I’d like to be,
please help me stop and realize that’s not your plan for me.
When it seems I’m in the back of the line and the line’s moving so very slow,
it’s then I need your assurance that all about it, Lord, you know.

When it seems I’m not progressing and barely getting by at best,
remind me, Lord, this stopping place most likely is just a test.
I know I am impatient as far as my future, Lord,
but staying where you put me, I must admit, is hard.

Although it’s hard to understand , I’m where I’m supposed to be,
for after all is said and done, you’ve planned the best for me.

By
Suzanne B. Lester © 2007

 

The Sower . . . Sows The Seeds

God in His Infinite Wisdom has given us everything that we need to grow up in Him. As these scattered seeds are sown into the depth of your heart, may they be a cultivating tool to help grow you up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.

And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; (Matthew 13:3)




Eagles and Butterflies
She wanted to be an eagle but was born a butterfly
Often in prayer she would ask GOD why

But GOD never answered why she was what she was
GOD seldom explains why he does what he does

Unable to cope with life's pressures and strife
Butterfly questioned the value of her Christian life

Tears stream down her face as she watches eagles soar
Bitterly disappointed that she herself could not do more

She flutters from flower to flower drinking in their nectar
Quietly pollinating as they are felt and touched by her

But in her tortured mind she thinks that she only takes
Never seeing what a difference to others her life makes

Eagles are strong and powerful this is very true
But eagles cannot minister in the way that you do

.....peace.....


But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.  (Matthew 13:8-9)


 This newsletter is to exhort the Body of Christ. If you have a poem of encouragement
that you would like to share, please submit it to margie@reflect-a-moment.com.

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