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SHARE Magazine Jan 2020

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MyDevotion.today A New Creation Saul who used to persecute the church and kill Christians ‘died’ (in a manner of speaking) when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Then he was ‘born again’ a new man IN Christ. It would be unfair to call the new man by the old name that had such negative associations so they changed his name to Paul. ‘Saul’ no longer lived and the new man ‘Paul’ was like Christ in thought, speech and deeds. Christ was now living through him. “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;..” Galatians 2:20 Imagine Saul being like an all- in- one overall, that was worn by the Devil. When he met Christ the Devil had to get out so being cloth he fell to the ground (dead) then Jesus took him up and put him on. Now, unlike before, he walks and works with Jesus. When I got saved people who used to know me soon realised that they were now dealing with someone else, a new me, a complete stranger to who they knew before. Just as it happened with Saul it happened with me and possibly to you too. The songwriter says, “Just one touch from the King changes everything”. We cannot remain the same if we truly met Christ and was awakened to the revelation of who He is. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Do not be surprised if after Jesus saves you old friends become strangers and people who used to like you don’t like you anymore. Cheer up, your best days are ahead. You will never be alone Christ is in you, your hope of Glory and all things to come! V2 Devotion For January 1st 2020 By Homer Slack


inside 6 EDITORIAL

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FEATURE ARTICLES The Breast is Best Discussion on the effects of substitutes.

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Sisterhood of Praying Partners 8 The strength of the sisterhood in praying partners. Nurturing the Seed of Intimacy 26 Preserving the Holy seed within our spiritual wombs. Humility and a Change of Heart 12 Positioning ourselves to receive the latter-day outpouring. Born Blind 14 Being Born again Vs Entering the Kingdom.

TESTIMONY 18 From Crack to Christ REFLECTIONS #YouthSHARE 20 Can you pass the test? Jesus at the brazen alter Jesus the once and for all sacrifice for sins.

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Storyteller 24 Girls’ Man to God’s Man Pregnant with Purpose 10 Now that you’re born again, what next? Poem: Follow Me Dude! By Lana Smith

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In Praise Of Hymn I am a new creation

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I am the Gate 16 Jesus is the gate as represented in the Tabernacle.

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SHARE|MAGAZINE Volume 8 - Issue 1

About Us

EDITORIAL

THE MIRACLE OF A NEW LIFE Come let us make man...

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In Genesis 1, The Godhead decided to create life as we know it when they said...Come let us make man in our own image...We are said in to have been made just a little less than angels, that is, the other celestial powers and rulers of the heavens. Hebrews 2:6-8 says, “What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honour, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” We are definitely placed in high priority in God’s mind and heart. In Psalms, we are described as, “the apple of His eye.” We were not randomly but ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ by design with the purpose to worship and fellowship with God. Psalm 139:14 The Gift of Life As it was in the garden so it shall be in the end, God’s original plan for life on this earth was one of complete harmony and fellowship with humans and all creation. The post-Adamic fall has necessitated a plan of restoration towards that intended end. Returning to life IN CHRIST is the meaning of this Life! “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) We have been predestined for good works that have been prepared for us before the 4

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foundation of the earth. So everything is by divine design and our lives are ordained by God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV) The Sanctity of Life is Lost It must be reclaimed and restored to the church. How precious are the saints in the sight of the Lord? He knitted us together in our Mother’s womb and numbered the hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). Only God can create new life, its the mother of all miracles and yet we take the gift of life for granted every day and hold it in contempt by aborting new life physically and spiritually. How many countless babies have died in utero - prematurely cut off, denied existence in the world and left to exist only in the spiritual realm? How many plans, visions, dreams, and purposes has God placed in our spiritual wombs only to have been neglected to dormancy and then eventual death? We need a new passion with which to pursue the purposes of God in our lives. It must be His purposes that preserve and propel us forward towards the end goal. Start as You Mean to Go On So where do we go from here? Begin in humble obedience to what God has already said in His word, don’t linger waiting and deliberating over deep revelations and interpretations of scripture or even an understanding of things as they unfold around you.

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SHARE MAGAZINE is a FREE Christian quarterly that deals with challenging Christian topics that have been mostly ignored or left unanswered. The magazine includes written articles, poems and thoughts etc. Read our online version at www. TheShareMagazine.com where you can go to our blog to discuss articles or order a printed version. If you would like to submit articles, join our writers group, or to get involved in any other way kindly email us. SHARE MAGAZINE is produced by Select Arrow, the publishing arm of United In Christ charity number 1140448.

Disclaimer

Throughout this magazine the editor & contributors seek to present a balanced and accurate view of Scripture’s teaching. We are all on a journey of studying and understanding God’s Word. Because of this, all we can offer is as balanced an understanding as the Holy Spirit has offered us at this time. The views or opinions represented in this publication are personal to each of our contributors and may not fully represent those of any other contributor or editor. Some writers may use UK spelling while others may use US spelling as our writers are from different regions.

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“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

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Obey the clear instructions of God for everyday living. Like newborn babiescreep, walk and then run with all your might! Happy New Year blessings. p

Angela Slack

Editor and Co-founder

You have questions we’ve got answers

ARE JEWS AUTOMATICALLY SAVED?

Many of those of the Messianic move among Gentile believers would give the impression that Jews are somehow a special race of people that will get automatic entry into God’s everlasting Kingdom. This only serves to highlight, again, how completely ignorant we are of God’s word totally misunderstanding what scripture means when it refers to the Jews as ‘God’s people’. The fact however, that they were God’s chosen people does not mean they are saved. Under the Old Covenant God chose Israel as His people, His nation upon the earth through whom He would demonstrate His love and power and most importantly through whom salvation (Jesus) would come. Jesus the Son of God would be a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” John 4:22 Jesus who is Salvation was Jewish. It is the, “...Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” Romans 9:4-5 They are God’s people according to the flesh but not necessarily according to the Spirit. They gave Jesus a nationality but this doesn’t make them saved. Jesus and salvation are inseparable both under the Old and the New Covenants. A person can only be saved through faith in Jesus Christ no matter what point on the time continuum you lived, Old or New Testament. If you lived before Christ’s birth, to be saved, you would have to put your faith in the coming Messiah as proclaimed by the prophets. It made no difference whether you were Jew or Gentile and the same rings true under the New Covenant. Both Jews and Gentiles must believe in Jesus as Jesus Himself and His

apostles preached. The ‘born again’ experience that is so often spoken of today was an explanation given to a Jewish leader by Jesus. Jesus in John 3:3 told a Pharisee named Nicodemus that he needed to be born again to see or enter the Kingdom. Why then are people today turning the Jewish people away from salvation by telling them they are already saved because they are natural descendants of Abraham? Nonsense! How many times must scripture tell us that, as pertaining to salvation, God does not discriminate based on a person’s nationality, sex or social status etc. “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus... There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-28 Addressing the Jews who thought they had a favoured position with God and would be judged differently Paul said, “There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism.” Romans 2:9-11 Further Reading There are two Israels, natural Israel and spiritual Israel. Read Romans 9:6 and Galatians 6:16. Even those who are natural Israelites (the Jews) must be ‘born again’ to become part of spiritual Israel. There are also two streams of people descending from Abraham. There are those who are his natural descendants but most importantly those who are his children through faith who are also members of God’s eternal Kingdom. Read Galatians 3. p January - March 2020

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The

Breast is Best “G

“God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 CEV Breastmilk and breastfeeding is God’s perfect provision for babies. God made the earth and all that was in it in the way He knew was best. Women were designed to bear children: they have a hollow space called a womb where men have none. The woman’s body, similar to

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other mammals produce milk to feed her offspring in a complete way that causes the offspring to grow to the size of its parents. All the nutrients found in each mammal’s milk directly relates to the size the offspring is to become. God designed it so and “it was good.” Over the years, women breastfed their babies on demand. This was the custom. But as women entered the workplace, something else had to take the place of the God initiated way. Women now needed to get their babies accustomed to the idea that mommy will not be around and so bottles were introduced and formulas found their way into our lives.; but the breast is still just best. It is best for mama and baby. FOR BABIES Many medical experts, including the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. Also, highly recommended is breastfeeding for a year at least with other foods which should be started at 6 months of age, such as vegetables, grains, fruits and, proteins. When I became a mother, I needed no convincing that this was the best way to go for my baby. I was sold on the concept that “babies who are breastfed for at least a year, grow up to be significantly more intelligent as adults.” Researchers report in the journal Lancet Global Healthy that breastfed babies did better than other babies and earned more money than those who were nursed for a month or less. What is more, I learned that the breast milk of the mother adjusts to meet the need of the baby. So at least for the first 6 months, everything a baby needed nutritionally, could be found in breast milk. My doctor also taught me that if my baby got sick, my breast milk adjusts to support the baby, during his illness.

Breast milk goes down easily. It stays down and goes out easier than formula too. Breastfed newborns suffer far less frequently from constipation and almost never from diarrhoea compared to formula-fed babies. Breastfeeding is designed by nature to ensure maternal-infant interaction and closeness. In fact, nursing mothers tend to be with their infants altogether more than other mothers. In the first 10 days after birth, nursing mothers hold their babies more than bottle-feeding mothers, even when they are not nursing. This is critical for babies as they can literally die without physical affectionate touch. Babies thrive when hugged and cuddled and kissed. Young babies bond emotionally with people who give them regular care and affection. FOR MOMMIES It is true that breastfed babies do eat more often than babies who take formula because breast milk digests faster than formula. This means mom may find herself in demand every 2 or 3 hours (maybe more, maybe less) in the first few weeks. This is not necessarily negative, as new moms need as much rest as possible. Having to stop to breastfeed can give a mama regular time to relax quietly with her newborn and bond. This regular breastfeeding has the effect of burning calories, so it can help the mother lose the extra pounds gained during pregnancy faster. While breastfeeding, the hormone oxytocin is released, which helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth. Studies suggest that breastfeeding may even lower one’s risk of breast, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis, too. I remember being happy that I did not have to stop to prepare bottles when I had to be out, at a concert or church or the store. I did not have to buy and measure formula, sterilize nipples, or warm bottles. I could just grab my baby

and go because I came armed with all the food he needed. The Bible encourages Christians to, “Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved.” Clearly, just as breast milk helps babies grow, “believers should be building up our foundation with the milk of the word,” so that we can grow. We should know the gospel story and become familiar with Jesus and how He lived while on earth. As these truths become cemented in our minds and hearts and begin to affect our life we will “reach a point of maturity and can progress into the deeper things of God referred as the meat of the word.” Just like a baby needs a loving mama or guardian to provide this food which is nutrient-rich and provides a firm foundation for their growth and health; so we too need to be discipled and be held accountable by those gifted by the Christ, to pastor and teach us. In so doing we will grow strong and learn to serve the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12 p 1. Busted: 14 myths about breastfeeding | UNICEF Parenting 2. More evidence breastfeeding makes babies smarter - Today Show https:// www.today.com › health › more-evidencebreastfeeding-makes-babie 3. Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding (for Parents) KidsHealthhttps:// kidshealth.org › parents › breast-bottlefeeding 4. Benefits of Breastfeeding for Baby and Mom What to Expect Oct 1, 2018 https://www.whattoexpect.com › firstyear › breastfeeding › benefits 5. Nursing Mother, Working Mother Child Development Institute https:// childdevelopmentinfo.com › childdevelopment › preparing_for_birth 6. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/ baby/nursing-basics 7. 1 Peter 2:2 CEV By Lorraine Rainford Women’s Pastor and Integrative Nutrition Health and Lifestyle Coach.

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The

SISTERHOOD

Sisterhood of

Praying Partners

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Many years ago, when I was first a Christian, I was very blessed by a Christian Jamaican neighbour who went to the same church as me. I loved Aunty Mary very much. She was a lady whose prayer life was amazing. She faithfully prayed for me, mostly without my knowledge. One Thursday when I was at work in my signal box, on the railway, I felt so sad, I had been feeling slightly depressed for a while but this day I cried out to the Lord as I was particularly sad. Suddenly at precisely 7.15 pm, the depression lifted and I felt so much better and was praising God. The next day Aunty Mary came round and asked me if I felt OK. She just dropped into the conversation that she felt the need to pray for me at house group. I asked her if it was 7:15 pm and her face lit up, “Yes, that was the time exactly.” There were many other times that she felt the need to pray for me and others; what a faithful woman of God! I still miss her and remember her with great affection as she has now gone home to better things. She “got” me and was a great encourager in my life. I want to talk about two other wonderful ladies from the Bible who held each other up when life was at its hardest. The first one was Elizabeth, a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus. Elizabeth and her husband Zecharias, were both “righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” Luke 1:6 They were getting along in age and had no children. She was probably criticised

heavily by all around them as being the result of some hidden sin in their lives. Zecharias, after his name was drawn by lot out of nearly 1000 names, just happened to be praying in the temple, he was a priest from Aaron’s line and it was the turn of his section. Then Angel Gabriel came to tell him his prayers had been answered and Elizabeth would have a baby. He was struck dumb by Gabriel as he couldn’t believe it at first. Everyone outside knew something had happened in there because of the length of time he took, so they presumed that he must have had a vision. Imagine Elizabeth’s face when he tried to tell her when he got home!

with Holy husbands were joined together not only by family bonds but Holy bonds, chosen of God for purposes bigger than themselves, that would change the world forever. Both were pregnant with God’s promises. John, meaning

Young, sweet innocent Mary also was also visited by Angel Gabriel a little while later, like Zecharias she would have been terrified. Seeing an angel was normally been associated with death in the Jewish tradition. Imagine how hard it must have been to explain to a young virgin girl, as good as married to Joseph that she was already supernaturally impregnated with God’s child? The only way out of that betrothal was divorce and a lifetime of shame and poverty ahead or being stoned to death, not good news for a virgin but her response is one of quiet submission in obeying God’s will. Joseph, we are told in Matthew had considered quietly divorcing her but an angel came to him also and explained what had happened and encouraged him to look after Mary.

What better person for Mary to turn to? Who else would know what Mary was going through, who else could comfort this young girl? Elizabeth had seen the effect on her husband of seeing an angel and the miraculous outcome that had followed so she obviously could see the same effect upon her younger cousin.

the Lord is gracious, was to pave the way as a Nazarite, like Sampson (Judges 13:5) to begin the deliverance of Israel for Jesus. And Jesus, a Greek form of Joshua, meaning that the Lord saves, would go on to save the World.

There is a strength that cannot be measured in the sisterhood of praying partners, we are not made to battle on alone. If you are not blessed yet with that edifying relationship, try praying and asking God for the right person to come along. That is why it is so valuable to go to assemble together to worship the Lord. The prayer of agreement is doubly powerful. p

Soon after Mary travels to Elizabeth’s house and the Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth as the baby John leapt in her womb.

By Teresa L. Randle Missionary, Preacher and Bible Teacher

These Holy women

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Nurturing the

Seed of Intimacy 10

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Intimacy with God had its beginnings in the Garden of Eden. It threads through the entire Word of God and it climaxes in Revelations 21:1-5... where God came to walk with Adam in the cool of the day. Noah was so intimate with God that God gave him the entire plan to build the Ark. God called Moses His friend and revealed the blueprints of heaven for him to build the Tabernacle - so that God could dwell among His people. God calls each one of us by name today, wanting to share His heart with us. WHAT IS INTIMACY? It is the quiet, assuring, deep relationship with someone that you love and the knowledge that you are loved and valued back. It is the quality time spent together; not asking for anything, but just enjoying each other’s company and learning about each other. It is about knowing God through His Son, Jesus and visiting the throne room of God. This has been my most rewarding life’s experience: talking with God and walking with God. It is about enjoying and staying in His presence, waiting upon Him and learning who He is. It is about identifying with His heartbeat. There is a secret that God reveals to His servants that is hidden from all others. It is the secret of His presence. He delights to walk and talk with us but He will only do so in the “secret place of the Most High.” David reveals this secret in Psalms 91, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…” Once we enter into the secret place, we learn from God

Himself His plan and destiny for us. The saints of old knew that the secret to a fulfilled and joyful life was an intimate relationship with God. They also knew that the cost to an intimate walk with God is high. Dare we be a people who want to walk with God as Enoch and Moses and Elijah did; what does this cost? HOW DO WE DO IT? It means not partnering with the world’s values and beliefs and its worldly riches. It means a sacrifice of your time and self-will, selfsufficiency and self-dependency and to be set apart for Him. Dare we forgo the riches and the trappings of this world to sit at the feet of El Shaddai to discover the abundant and everlasting life? Jesus said, that the secret place for believers is the “closet of prayer” in Matthew 6:6. The Greek word in Strong’s Greek Dictionary is ‘tameion’ meaning a closet, secret or inner chamber where you retreat to find solace and quietness. “When you have entered into your “tameion” (secret chamber), shut the door...and pray in secret!” (Matthew 6:6). God longs to have an interlude with us in that secret chamber. God has already shown us how to approach Him in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Lord’s Prayer. The secret to His presence is worshipping God not for what He has done for us only but rather for who He is - His goodness, His faithfulness and His steadfast love. Firstly, stillness is paramount, meaning a quietness, slowing down

and focusing on God’s attributes. One cannot hurry to settle down into the presence of God. God is not in a hurry, He will come but you must wait on Him. We have to let go off the hurriedness and distractions of the day and learn to focus on God. Stillness is a posture of surrender. Stillness is a state of mind and soul waiting on God. Like any relationship, we need to nurture and protect this seed of intimacy with God. You don’t expect to begin walking with a stranger and already know everything about them. You have to develop a relationship by spending time with them. We must have the desire that David speaks of in Psalm 63 “my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for you…” Secondly, intimacy takes discipline developed over hours and weeks and months and years of falling on your face and being a regular worshiper at the throne room of God. It cannot always be rushed. For Jacob, it took wrestling all night at Peniel before he could say, “For I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved!” (Genesis 32:30). Jacob finally had intimacy with God! Practice stillness. Practice being at rest. Practice hearing God’s silence before you hear His voice. Practice until you hear that still small voice of God. This is where intimacy begins and we will learn that the joy of being in His presence satisfies us as nothing else can. p

By Suyin Sutherland Business owner, a lover of God’s presence, loves to introduce others into God’s secret place.

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I recall as we prepared to exit 2015 and enter 2016 our small group of early morning prayers became aware of the Holy Spirit releasing a ‘Rhema’ word into our spirits: 2 Chronicles 7: 14

“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways I will hear from heaven and heal their land.” As we prayed into this scripture, we became aware that God had released a fresh mandate to the Leadership of the Body of Christ in our town. We were tasked to release and decree this Word through prayer. We quickly realized that the call was first to us to humble ourselves, causing us to scurry through the scriptures to view God’s picture of humility. We discovered the scriptural way to do it in Psalm 35:13b “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself (my soul) with fasting, and my prayer would return to my own heart” We underpinned these scriptures with Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Firstly, humble ourselves We can pray and ask God to humble us but this scripture is saying that God does not humble us, we must humble ourselves. One scriptural definition of humbling is ‘abstaining from food for some spiritual purpose.’ Examples from the Old Testament confirms how fasting is an appointed scriptural way of humbling ourselves. Leviticus 16: 29-31 and we read in 1 Samuel 31:13 & Esther 4 how history has been shaped through prayer and fasting. Additionally, we discovered that fasting intensifies prayer allowing us to pray out of humility, brokenness, based on a humble dependence on God, out of the acknowledgement that we need God desperately and there is no other source of help that can meet our need. I believe that humbling ourselves comes first. Arrogance, selfseeking and self-sufficiency will not move the arm of God (Hosea 10:12). 12

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Humility and a

Change of

HEART A response to 2 Chronicles 7:14


When Introducing 2 chronicles 7:14; to fellow believers, I have observed how offended the invitation to ‘turn from our wicked ways’ makes them. So the question to be addressed is who is right? You or God? The truth is we have not even taken the first step in humbling ourselves. Yes, it is subjective but Jesus has given us simple and practical steps-through repentance and confession of sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”1 John 1:9 “Confess your trespasses (sins) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” James 5:16a Then God... ‘will hear from heaven and heal their land’ I am grateful for God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 14:7 ‘to heal the land’. On January 20th 2017 Mike Pence, vice President of the United States tweeted, “We begin this historic and humbling day as we do every day, with a moment of reflection and prayer.” He requested that the Bible on which we would take the oath of office to be opened at 2 Chronicles 7:14, and as he was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas he placed his left hand on 2 Chronicles 7:14 indicating his desire that God would heal the nation. The UK has had a difficult year but Rev. David Hathaway’s Days of Prayer for the nation where believers gathered from across the nation in London and humbled themselves prayed and sought the Lord once again to free the nation and to heal her was most significant. We came to the close of 2019, the year when the nation expressed outrage, fanned

to flame by social media, reaching epidemic proportions during the recent Brexit election process. My prayer for 2020 is that we calm down and be content with no worse than our addiction to caffeine, sugar and fast food. Let us learn once again to love one another and to value our faith, remembering to believe in God who is greater than ourselves and to understand the importance of humility. “Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate a fast, call a secret assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and nursing babes, let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, and the bride from her dressing room, let the priests who minister to the Lord weep between the porch and the altar, let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and do not give your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them etc’.”Joel 2:15 Leviticus 16: 29-31 (Day Atonement, day of fasting)

of

“This shall be a statute forever for you. In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” p

By Pastor Maureen Hanson Serves the body of Christ in counselling and prophetic gifts and in intercession.

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Born Blin Born Blind 14

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S

Sight is a wonderful thing. The saying “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” was made famous by Desiderius Erasmus has deep implications. Though it seems like a stretch of the imagination to envision a nation of blind people with only one person having partial sight, truth be told, the reality is even worse than that. The whole world today is blind, totally blind. Jesus speaking to Nicodemos who came to Him under the cover of night to enquire regarding the way of salvation said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). His Kingdom is a Spiritual Kingdom that cannot be seen with natural eyes. We were all born Spiritually blind and therefore cannot see this kingdom unless, as Jesus stated, we are born again. The greatest wonder of the whole universe is hidden from human eyes. There is nothing to be compared with its splendour and beauty yet only a chosen few are blessed with the ability to see it. They are the ‘born again’ ones. “‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:910 There is the answer. God reveals them to us through His Spirit. We are born again by the Holy Spirit Who is also the revealer, the opener of eyes. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5-6 We were first formed in the water of our mother’s womb and birthed as natural beings into this natural world however, for us to have the right of access to enter the Kingdom or the ability to see it we must experience the second birth by the Holy Spirit. To those of us who are born again and have

the right of access and eyes that can see, Jesus says, “...seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33 The struggle to find and enter the Kingdom has now begun and this very mandate must be our top priority. Now that you can see start looking for the Kingdom but be careful. Now that the Spiritual world is open to you, be aware, you are also now a focus of the spiritual world. Jesus continues to warn us, “Enter by the narrow gate…” Matthew 7:13 Why? “...for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Luke’s account was even more emphatic. “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:24 To be sure we are on the path to Jesus’ heavenly Kingdom we must first go through the narrow gate. Those who go through the broad gate will end up in destruction, not in God’s Kingdom. A search can only be productive and yield results if one knows what they are looking for. Therefore use your newly acquired spiritual eyes to look for the narrow gate. Remember that only the diligent few will find it. You will know you’ve been through the correct gate when you come upon the difficult path. Be aware also that there are many deceivers pointing people in the wrong direction towards the wide gate. Jesus continues, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16 Those pointing people in the wrong direction will not, themselves, enter. Many are the obstacles one must overcome to enter the Kingdom but you must patiently endure and faithfully persevere for, like Noah’s Ark, only those who enter shall be saved. p By Homer Slack author, preacher, Bible teacher, IT tutor, programmer & graphic designer

January - March 2020

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I AM the GATE

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We’ve probably heard a sermon or two about Jesus being the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep taken from John: 10. In vs3 Jesus said, “the watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice.” I believe the ‘watchman’ is referring to the Holy Spirit opening the consciousness of our hearts to Jesus. John the Baptist; who was anointed by God, was opening the gate by calling the Jews to a baptism of repentance in preparation for Jesus. In this day and age, we are so far removed in our belief in God. We question why there is so much injustice in the world if God is this almighty entity. If we were confronted with the challenge to be baptised and repent, how would we react? Could we consider and acknowledge publicly that it is our sin that separates us from God? I wasn’t fortunate to have believing parents so as a result, I grew up knowing very little about God or Jesus. At secondary school, we occasionally sang hymns during morning assembly. Occasionally on a Sunday; for something to do, I went to the Methodist church in the village where I lived. I suppose this is where I first believed there was a God as I remember sharing this enthusiasm at home only to be told it was nonsense. So, I carried on with my life in ignorance in a sense, which seemed normal to me living in a world where God wasn’t a reality, a life-changer, or a reason for life itself. In vs7 Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth ‘I AM THE GATE’ for the sheep’; which He also repeats again in vs 9 this time declaring that whoever enters through Him will be saved. I believed the ‘gate’ to be a

has something to tell us about God’s Deity and Christ. The gate (can also be referred to as a door or entrance) was dressed in coloured linen: Blue representing blue sky up beyond into the heavenlies, purple symbolic of Royalty and power and scarlet of blood. Approaching and waiting before the gate would surely make them conscious of their human condition and need to be made clean through their sacrificial offering. metaphor for heaven.

How do we approach the gate?

Similarly, when I have read Psalm 100 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” and Psalm 118:19, “Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord;” or Vs20, “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter,” I hadn’t realised that the ‘gate’ and the ‘court’ are the descriptions of the Tabernacle in heaven that were represented in the Tabernacle of Moses, here on earth. Exodus 25, Moses had been 40 days and 40 nights in the presence of God on Mount Sinai, God gave Moses instructions of a sanctuary ‘a type of heaven’, in which he would dwell amongst the people. Exodus 24:v9, ‘Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you”. In some translations (KJVA, ESV, ASV, OJV) the Tabernacle entrance is referred to as ‘gate’ interestingly the Orthodox Jewish version is translated: Exodus 27:16 ‘And for the ‘Sha’ar’ (gate) of the court shall be a hanging of twenty cubits of blue, purple and scarlet linen’…

Jesus is from the kingdom of heaven, He is the blood, it is by His blood that we have been given the power to overcome. Power over sin and death and have therefore been restored to us who enter into His Kingdom. How did I approach the gate? I became conscious of being separated from God; sin separated me, although I didn’t really understand sin because I thought I was a good person. If I wanted to be right with God, I had to follow up on the promises I had made consciously. When I said the prayer of repentance, I would confess I had given my life to Jesus to the first person I met, although I didn’t really understand what that meant. Secondly, I would attend Church. I am thankful that God brought me out of my ignorance; I gradually began to realise who and what Jesus had done for me. Through examining myself I humbly confessed my sins and realised my need for God. p

We notice the tabernacle was not a man’s design but Gods, each instruction, material and purpose January - March 2020

By Caron Moore Retired Primary Schools Educator and Methodist Lay Preacher

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TESTIMONY B

Born in a hospital in Devon, left after sold out for my daddy! He was my 2 hours by my mother, still to this world! I was a daddy’s girl. I loved day for reasons unknown. going everywhere with him, my dad was my hero! Until one day he didn’t Adopted by my adopted parents and come home, as usual. later, I found brought up in Peterborough for a few out he had an affair and left my mum years, I was absolutely and totally and I. We had to move house to a

dingy council house over the other side of Peterborough. It was horrible and run down, I would ask my mum where he was and she would cry and say he’s not coming back, he doesn’t love us any more!


“Having absolutely no confidence and struggling in school with study’s I started to hang around with the wrong crowd, missing school, nicking cars and sniffing glue.” hospital where there was rows of babies and I chose you! You a special baby girl.” That would put a huge smile on my face, my mum became my everything! After a couple of years, my mum met another man, I instantly disliked him. I thought he was going to take my mum away from me, so I wasn’t very nice to him. Time went on and we eventually moved up to Luton, by this time there was absolutely no relationship between my mum’s boyfriend I. Also, I couldn’t recall the last time I saw my dad, as he stopped turning up to collect me on a weekend.

By Natasha Wyer

From a very young age, my mum told me I was adopted but she didn’t just tell me, she would make up a beautiful story that would make me smile! She would say, “Natasha, you are a very special little girl, mummy didn’t give birth to you, I went to the

Having absolutely no confidence and struggling in school with studies, I started to hang around with the wrong crowd, missing school, ‘nicking’ cars and sniffing glue. Things were always kicking off at home with my stepdad, him hitting me and putting me down with his words. I got into a relationship with a gipsy who I was with for 5 and a half years. I fell pregnant at the tender age of 15 and had to have a termination. He had an affair with my good friend and got her pregnant and left me for her. I was devastated and left emotionally scarred for life. After this life spiralled out of control, what started as a way to medicate my pain, left me with a 15-year crack and alcohol addiction. I sold my body to feed my habit, robbed my mum and children, robbed dealers, shops and anything that wasn’t bolted down. I battled ongoing mental health and was sectioned. One day in Luton Town Centre a church was out doing what I called, ‘Bible-bashing’! I was in a queue

trying to get some money out of a cash point. I head them speaking the word of God but I didn’t know that then. All I knew is that I felt something inside I had never felt before in my life! As I went to walk away I heard a voice, I heard many voices in my time but this wasn’t the same… it was gentle and He said, “Take my hand, I want to give you life but if you walk away, it’s death.” Then I felt something gentle tug at me, I walked over and took a flyer from the lady. I went to church the next day and a lady led me through the prayer of repentance! I came out of that church and the sky looked bluer, the sun looked brighter like I was seeing life in HD! I was clear of all addiction and sold out for Jesus a full year; until I messed up and returned to my vomit. That relapse cost me six whole years! Sin is so ruthless, it will take you further than you wanted to go and will keep you longer than you intended to stay. I rededicated my life back to Christ up North in Leeds, where I live every day knowing Jesus is the breath in my lungs! I have all my children back with me now and we are a family on fire for God! God has made me a walking, talking testimony to HIS goodness! I live to serve him. By God’s grace I now have my own ministry, Natasha Wyer – Retrieving What Was Stolen. I now help people retrieve what has been stolen from them because of sin. p Read more in her book, ‘From Crack to Christ’ now available on Amazon. Read more in her book ‘From Crack to Christ’ now available on Amazon.


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Are you Born again…

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Can you pass the test?

I asked my youth group recently two questions that are considered diagnostic questions, to gauge what exactly they believed the state of their salvation was. I got an array of responses from my youth, who in the majority grew up in the church.

The first question was: If you were to die today, where would you go? And why? The second question was: If you died today and God asked you why he should let you into His heaven, what would you say? Responses: “I think I’d miss heaven because I didn’t fulfil my purpose.” Some flat out said, hell, others were uncertain and would plead to God as a fair judge to send them to where He knows they deserve. Those who said, hell their reasoning was they didn’t complete their purpose and if they committed a sin right before they died they know for sure they’d go to hell. Question 2. also had some interesting responses like, “God I’m a good person, I lived according to good values.” Others said they’d just ask God to let them be the gatekeeper at the entrance, they don’t even have to get in. One girl said, “I’d tell Him that I did want I needed to accept Jesus, it’s nothing I’ve done but what you did for me through your Son.” The activity pointed out two very important points for me. 1 there is

a temptation for us to rely on what we have done rather the finished work of the cross. Secondly, there is an unfortunate uncertainty about one of the most important things that need to be considered in this life, our eternal destiny. A question for you I said the sinner’s prayer after an altar call at an evangelistic meeting 30+ years ago. Does this mean I am saved? In Jamaica, saying the sinner’s prayer is almost as common as reciting the “Our Father” prayer. Jamaicans are religious and when asked if they’re Christian, popularly respond, “I am Godfearing,” yet they continuously live in sin. So is the “sinner’s prayer” enough?

Most variations of the sinner’s prayer go like this: “Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and I am in need of a Saviour. Thank you for sending your son to die for my sins and for bringing me back to you. I repent of all my sins and accept Jesus into my heart to be my personal Lord and Savior and from this day forward I will follow you.” The Bible tells us in Romans 10:910, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

Therefore according to this framework for the sinner’s prayer, a few of the elements are covered. There is one element though that the sinner’s prayer can’t cover and that is life after the prayer. Since we cannot assess the sincerity of each person’s heart in the moment of repentance, how do we truly know that someone is saved? In recent times there has been a lot of talk about prominent person’s salvation, like the two young pastors who committed suicide or the backsliding Hillsong musician and most recently Kanye West. Matthew 3:8 says, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” this was said to the Pharisees who’d pride themselves in their lineage but this new way of following Jesus that John preached would require more than their ancestry but an actual change of heart. This is what needs to be considered for each person who ‘gets saved’. Are there tangible and visible fruits that point to a regenerative work? Repentance is key but there is also an outworking that must follow your salvation. We are encouraged to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, this reiterates the idea that there must be an outward manifestation of your internal salvation. This journey of faith is a step by step relationship which doesn’t end after you go to the altar and say a prayer‍. We must bear fruit and fruit that remains. p

January - March 2020

By Jhonelle Grant Youth Leader and Freelance Writer

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Jesus at the brazen alter

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The Tabernacle of Moses reveals Jesus and yet many Christians do not understand its significance to us today as they have been misled into thinking the Old Testament is irrelevant. There are over 40 chapters dedicated to it therefore God must want us to have a deeper understanding of it. Why? It is after the pattern of worship in heaven, our ultimate destination if we know Jesus as our Saviour.

your offering of the livestock—of the herd and of the flock. If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord. Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him.’”

Leviticus Chapter 1

There must have been a horrible stench because of the continuous smell of dead and burned carcasses slain as an offering to God for the sin of Israel, not the world you will note. Black smoke would ascend daily so everyone for miles around

“Now the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: ‘When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring

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At the Entrance

January - March 2020

could see it. Daily sacrifices would be brought by each family hoping their offering of a lamb or goat or whatever was available would be good enough for God to accept, to cleanse them from sin. This was all new to Israel and they acted in obedience to what Moses had said that God required of them. Imagine you are standing in the line of people waiting to give your offering, that this offering was hard for you to give as you had developed a relationship with that animal and you didn’t want to part with it especially as you knew it was going to be killed, FOR YOUR SIN. (Hebrews 9:22) And according to the law, almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding


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of blood there is no remission of sin. This innocent animal was being offered for you. Can you imagine the emotions running through your mind? Yet you knew this had to happen.

never see God or even come near to His Presence. You only knew He was with you because you could see the Cloud of His glory by day and fire by night.

Jesus said: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17) and when He hung on that cruel cross as a sacrifice of sin for the whole Well thank God He made a more world, not just Israel’s. He cried out, excellent way for us to be cleansed ‘IT IS FINISHED! from our sin. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse No more lining up to bring an us from sin as we put our faith and animal for sacrifice, no more feeling trust in His atoning work upon afraid in case it did not satisfy Him the cross. Now we can know God and no more guilt and shame after through Jesus, now we can come it was done. into His Presence. p

As you near the entrance to the Tabernacle you begin to hear the cries and shrieks of other animals and see the tears of those who offered them up as they sloped back to their tents. Your animal sensing danger begins to shake in your arms and when it is your turn you hand it over quickly and run “For God so loved the world that filled with guilt at what you have He gave His only begotten Son that done. whoever believes in Him should not Continuous slaughter day after day perish but have everlasting life.” to satisfy God and yet you would John3:16

January - March 2020

By Barbara Payne intercessor, evangelist, minister, holds Women Unite events in the UK

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From a Girls’ Man to God’s Man

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STORY TELLER To book the story teller email: editor@thesharemagazine.com

While I attended a well-known high school for boys in Kingston Jamaica, I was labelled as a homosexual. This was not correct but experience soon taught me that the more I resisted name-calling the more it was done to me. In trying to dispel any doubts in my schoolmates’ minds, I began to “study” well known

pornographic magazines in order to be more conversant with popular terms. I believed that the more smut I spoke the more my schoolmates would “respect” me as a “girls-man” and it worked. I got the “respect” from my schoolmates, friends and neighbourhood for being conversant with smut.


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I got transferred to another high school that had both male and female students. I became interested in a very attractive girl, school mate. The only drawback was, she was a committed Christian. I figured that if she saw me as being “Christian-minded”

her that I was a “proper Christian”. This was the perfect plan for I was used to going to church and knew how to ignore altar calls. My plan was to go to ISCF that week and let her see me there. I reached the meeting early and found a seat on the far side of the classroom. The meeting started and after 20 minutes I realized that she wasn’t going to be present that day. I decided that I could bear one more of these Christian meetings and stayed on but as God would have it they gave an altar call and I was the ONLY PERSON who accepted the Lord. God had called me for certain and I answered. The interesting thing is that I was so focused on my encounter with God that I completely forgot my reason for attending the ISCF meeting. This happened in May 1979 and I never remembered the girl until about September 1979 when school resumed after the summer break. That summer was one of the most exciting times of my life. Tremendous changes began to take place in my life. Those changes included: 1. I stopped reading pornographic magazines.

then that would increase my chances of a relationship with her. I came up with this plan to help to convince her that I was a good and decent guy. The plan was, I would start to attend the Interschool Christian Fellowship (ISCF) meetings that were held weekly; this should surely convince

2. I stopped undressing girls in my mind and describing them to my friends. One of my neighbourhood friends saw a girl approaching where we were standing and told me. I looked at her and continued our lively chatter about football. He was very surprised that I didn’t quietly, verbally disrobe her for my friend’s entertainment as was my usual practice. “David is really serious about being a

Christian for true”. 3. I started praying for my friends to be ‘born again’ of which a number of them did. I remember a schoolmate saying if ‘Fergy’ (the shortening of my surname) can become a Christian then anybody can change. I led him to the Lord later that year. 4. One change that took a long time to happen had to do with my thought life. I had filled my mind with loads of smut from the pornographic material. Even though I did not want to entertain those smutty thoughts they plagued me. I remember going to crusades and had to be shaking my head vigorously because thoughts were coming to me about the female evangelist who was preaching. I was constantly tortured. I overcame this by declaring, “I rebuke you, you unclean spirit, I command you to stop bringing those thoughts to my mind in Jesus’s name”. The harassment became less and less until it finally stopped about nine months after I had given my life to Jesus. When I accepted Jesus in my life I immediately became a brand new, never before existed person. I did not desire to continue sinning and had to deliberately resist satan until my mind was totally free from sexually impure thoughts. If you accepted Jesus in your life you have also become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and can achieve the same victory over sin, satan and his plans. p Story by David Ferguson Bible teacher, Pastor of Restoration Family Church Int.


PREGNANT

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PURPOSE

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If we really sat back and keenly assess the lives of our friends, loved ones, bible characters and even our very own life we will come to realize that everyone has a passion which plays a significant role in their existence. If you had asked me what my passion was a few years ago I would have probably hung my head in frustration, I searched high and low and still couldn’t find it. At least that was what I thought until one day while standing at the altar in a church, a person was receiving a word through one of God’s servants that, ‘purpose is within her’. Whether or not this individual received this word I cannot tell but what I do know for sure is that I took those words as if they were mine and ran with them as if my entire life depended upon it. It was in that season of my life where I discovered that I was already pregnant with purpose. My purpose was birthed in my passion for helping others who were searching for that unexplainable peace in God and needed help to manoeuvre out of dark situations where they felt bound and knew no escape. I then discovered that though I was timid and mostly stuck to myself this was always who I was, my passion was never lost but I had unknowingly begun to live it. I was ‘born again’ from the tender age of twelve but never

really started a deep connection with God until in my late twenties. At that season in my life, I went through what I called the ‘black hole’ of life. Everything was broken and I had no other option but to run into God with whatever little strength I had left. Yes, I know, God was supposed to be my first and not last option. Nevertheless, somehow in the midst of my darkness Jesus became my light. I fell in love with Him all over again. I kept fasting, praying, reading the Bible, stayed true to Him and invested time in many other opportune ways that would help to strengthen my relationship with God. I grew spiritually and became quite sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, that was when I learnt fully whose I am and who I am called to be. My confidence of who I am in Christ and my God-given purpose keeps propelling me forward in life for I have experienced Romans 8:28 for myself which reminds us, “...that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are called according to his purpose.” After been born again, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, begin walking in obedience. Seek after Jesus through reading the Bible and listen for His instructions, communicate with Him through Prayer, let it become a routine and begin building your relationship with Him. Remember, fasting is not a gift, it is necessary

to take you to the next level in God, listen carefully for His instructions on when to fast and the types of fast required by him. Let lose the negative people and allow God to fill your space with positive people, ones who can help to push you where he is trying to take you. As human beings, we are made up of body, soul and spirit (1Thessalonians 5:23). Our soul consists of mind, will and emotions which our personal agendas stem from. Our will and emotions change like the weather and are never satisfied. Today we want to drive, tomorrow walk, two seconds after we prefer to ride a bike. Our personal agendas should never be used as a driving force to our lives as we are indecisive souls. However, when it comes to the purpose given by God, it is His thoughts, it is inscribed in our DNA it never changes. Rather, it is for our good says Jeremiah 29:11. Let us then be reminded that anything given by man can always be taken but what has been experienced or given by God is yours forever. The Collins online dictionary defines passion as having a very strong interest or liking for something. Therefore, pursue your purpose with passion for God! p

By Cypriana R. Parkinson, Construction Engineer (B. Eng., MJIE), Youth Vice-President. “Graced by Yahweh”

January - March 2020

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F ollow M e D ude ! I was Lost and in Darkness I was heading for hell My life was before me so much I could tell I was going so wrong I was losing my way But hey dude I heard I can find a new way Hey dude I would say won’t you tell me today How I can be saved and move hell out the way The darkness gets darker more lost I do feel The darkness surrounds me I’m down at my heel I was lost and in darkness I was heading for hell The darkness is crushing me then I heard someone yell Hey dude I can tell I can show you the way Just follow my Jesus He’ll move hell out the way This Jesus I said how can you know He’s the way to life he can show? A loud voice I heard so much louder than before It said Follow me my son! am the door I will lift you from darkness I’ll show you the way You’ll be set free if me you’ll obey Hey dude he said I’m not any guy My name Christ means Messiah I live in the sky If you give me the word I will live in your heart Move all the darkness give you a new start Give me a new start I said “hell is in me”? I Want you to come for this dude to be free “My son it’s not true don’t believe this lie You belong to me you don’t have to die You are my dude I love you so much my message is clear it’s not double Dutch 28

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I died on the cross for your sinning and shame This is the reason to earth I came To bring you to me give you a new heart Just give me the nod and you’ll have a new start So I gave him the nod I said I need you right now I will follow you if you show me how He opened my eyes so I could see He came in my heart I saw who I could be He gave me new life new hope so much more Now I knew what he meant by the open door A new world! could see A bright light I could be To tell all the dudes I knew come see what I see I see a great dude who gave all for me He paid the price for my sin when he died on a tree Come meet him my dudes he can do it for you He can take al! the rubbish and make your life new Come to my Jesus I Know it is true He did it for me so he’ll do it for you Just give God a chance come hear what I say He’ll come in your heart and take hell out the way There’s no one too low so far out he don’t know If you call he will hear make the devil let go The drugs or the beer the wine and the fear You’re a lost child in God’s eyes lets bring him in near You’re losing me dudes I’m not going your way If you don’t come with me in the darkness, you’ll stay I can’t stay with you now he showed me the way To goodness and peace in his presence I’ll stay I don’t want sin no more I have a new way

© Lana Smith 2019

To live out my life and keep hell out the way January - March 2020

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I am a new creation

In Praise of Hymn

I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God, I stand My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God, I stand And I will praise you, lord Cause I will praise you, Lord, And I will sing of all That you have done

I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God, I stand My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God, I stand

I am a new creation No more in condemnation Here in the grace of God, I stand

And I will praise you, lord Cause I will praise you, Lord, And I will sing of all That you have done

Reviewing Great Christian Hymns Written by Dave Bilbrough. Copyright:Š 1983, Thankyou Music https://hymnary.org/text/i_am_a_new_creation

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A joy that knows no limit A likeness in my spirit Here in the grace of God, I stand

A joy that knows no limit A likeness in my spirit Here in the grace of God, I stand

My heart is overflowing My love just keeps on growing Here in the grace of God, I stand

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And I will praise you, lord Cause I will praise you, Lord, And I will sing of all That you have done

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January April - June - March 20192020

A joy that knows no limit A likeness in my spirit Here in the grace of God, I stand


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Available on

This book is an honest and telling, real-life story of tragedy, abandonment, addiction and loss but ultimately of how deposits of rejection unchecked and uncured left a child still screaming for her father even though her body had matured. This truly is an insignia to the writer of her triumphs and through the extremes of her many challenges, we find all our stories being interwoven into the tapestry of each chapter.

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