South Africa: Missions to Miracles

by Nicholas Sowell

While attending ministry school in Northern California, one of the opportunities provided to us was to attend a mission trip with one of the pastors of the school. After narrowing the trips from over 30 down to only New Zealand (fresh off of a devastating earthquake) and South Africa, it was time for prayer. I felt God speak to me that South Africa was where he wanted me. After God brought confirmation that this was the country in which he wanted me to share the gospel, I decided to find out more about the country. What I found out was shocking.

South Africa suffers from extreme poverty, deals with child sacrifices regularly, is in the top five countries with the highest homicide rates in the world, is the number one country most affected by HIV in the world, and is considered the “rape capital of the world” partially because of the high incidences of child molestation. It’s these things that began to convict my heart and instill passion to bring the light of Jesus to this country. I hoped to bring the transforming love of God to this country so that those who had not heard the Gospel might be changed, and those trapped in sin and evil practices might be set free from the demonic strongholds and lies Satan had fed to them. To teach them that real freedom is found in Christ.
Arriving in South Africa was a blessing itself and a first hand experience of how truly different it was than the United States. The people of this amazing country were part of what made it so wonderful. Everyone seemed open and warm. Almost everywhere we went, a thousand smiles were sure to be seen. Most of the countries I’ve been in leave me cautious and guarded, but I found people here to be welcoming and loving – it was a great treat and super refreshing.

On our first day there we were all very excited to get out on the streets and meet people. Just being in a new place where everyone you meet is receptive seems such a different notion than the States. In the United States there seems to be a silent understanding that people don’t want their problems known. Many people are walled up and distanced from a stranger who shows love, as if it’s horrible to ask someone how they’re doing and have them actually answer truthfully and share their struggles. This trip was more unique than anything else I’ve been on in my life. I’ve seen God move in many miraculous ways, but never in such a mighty way from day to day throughout the entire trip. Many got healed instantly! I began to see the level of boldness my teammates had in being courageous with the gospel. The first night in town, we stopped to get some “petrol” and two-thirds of the team got off the bus to share the love of God with everyone pumping petrol, as well as the workers inside. People wanted prayer, they wanted to encounter the Holy Spirit.

The next day we went to a township, preaching and teaching to a small church. We started walking around the neighborhoods and could see the village kids playing football (soccer) with a makeshift goal made by two buckets. It was great to watch. We simply went up to people and asked if they needed prayer, we didn’t have an agenda, we weren’t trying to push Jesus in anyone’s face, we simply wanted to share the love shown to us by the Savior. To my delight everyone we talked to in that short period of time wanted prayer. It started out with a younger woman who had migraines in her head, we prayed for her and she was instantly healed. My wife prayed for another woman- again she was also healed instantly. This was the power of prayer being demonstrated in ways I was just beginning to see.

After leaving church in the township we went to a grocery store to pick up water for our team. Upon arriving, a man approached me. He said, “I need your help! I need help!” I thought he was going to ask me for money, but I learned something in Africa: if they want something, they’ll ask for it. He didn’t ask for money, rather he began to tell me how he was a drug addict and needed help to get rid of his addiction. I asked if I could pray for him and he told me yes. I led him in a prayer to receive Jesus (to accept him into his heart as personal Lord and Savior.) His countenance immediately changed and I told him how to pray against anything standing in his way. He walked off seemingly very happy, as did I.

At the same time, a few members of our team went into the grocery store. God gave them a word of knowledge that a man had back pain. A word of knowledge is when the Holy Spirit gives you a fact or something about a person that you would have not known otherwise. A word of knowledge many times can come as a thought or physical manifestation. The members of my team got their word of knowledge as pain, in which their backs started hurting as they passed the man. So they went to the man, asked him if he had back pain and he said he did! They prayed for him and he was instantly healed. It turned out it was the store manager. So our mission leader went to him and asked if we could have the microphone to the store and he obliged. Our leader started preaching the gospel over the entire PA system in the grocery store. He started sharing his testimony and about how Christ changed his life. He invited those who needed prayer or healing to come to those of us in the store from our ministry team. Then he asked if anyone wanted to receive Jesus. People in the checkout line started raising their hands! People started coming up for prayer. The first two women walked up to my wife Melanie; she put one hand on one lady and one hand on the other, they both were healed simultaneously! More and more people started coming up to us.

Our team of twenty was with people all at the same time, leading some to Christ and healing others through prayer. I got to pray for an alcoholic and did the same thing with him as the drug addict, I just asked God to come many times (I am able to better focus my heart and mind on him as I ask him to come). The man received Jesus. One man who was brought to the front had been deaf since birth. Another teammate and I prayed for him and he was also completely healed, hearing for the first time! Shortly after this happened, I saw a man walking around the grocery store limping and noticed one leg was shorter than the other. I walked up to him and asked if I could pray for him. His friend defiantly asked whom I pray to, and I said “Jesus Christ.” Then he asked why I wanted to pray. I told him I had Christ’s love and wanted to share it with him. He said, “Okay, go ahead and pray.” The man was standing on both legs as I put my fingertips on his shorter leg and commanded it to grow out in the name of Jesus Christ. At that very moment the leg grew out and became level with the other leg. The man started smiling and was in shock, he then walked perfectly straight! His legs were now totally even! We gathered the group after the event took place giving our own number of healings and salvations we’d seen personally. Within just under an hour and a half, over eighty people got healed and over forty people invited Jesus into their hearts! This is an awesome testimony of what God can do when we step out and share the Gospel boldly.

Days later, four of us were sent into a village to lead the community into worship and ministry. The most touching part of the entire morning for me wasn’t the amazing healings, but the small congregation that we preached to. The “momma” of the church ran the service and kept the mic the whole time she was up front. She was African, just like the rest of her tribe. What she said almost left me in tears. She asked those in attendance, “Who watched TV this weekend and what did you see?” Few of them even had TV, so only a few raised their hands. She asked them “what did you see?” She then answered, “you saw Japan and all of the horrible things that have happened there after the earthquake, which caused a tidal wave and the shut down of a power plant, leaving half of an entire city in Japan-dead.” She continued, “How many of you know that God loves Japan very, very much? God wants Japan to know he loves them and no matter what happens, he will be there to care for them. So I want us to pray for them right now.” The words this lady was sharing with her church and asking them to partner with her seriously choked me up. Here was this dirt poor township with little to nothing, dirt roads and barely a standing building themselves to call a church, wearing hand-me-down clothes, no cars, and one small microphone and speaker to make herself heard to her community. But yet, here she was, lifting up a country she’s only heard of. It was the most beautiful picture of humanity: caring and loving others they don’t even know. This revelation of a small town’s love seemed more than enough to power the world. I clearly realized this is what I hope to be – a person that loves those he doesn’t even know, and can always give thanks and glorify God if all I have is a dirt floor with four walls and a hand-held speaker and microphone. All it takes is one voice. All it takes is a willing and thankful heart. Funny thing how the world can leave such a mark on you in a positive way, I believe at the very core of all humanity lies love, just waiting to be unearthed.

South Africa: Missions to Miracles is a post from: New Identity Magazine

Soles4Souls

by Cailin Henson

Eradicating poverty with your uncomfortable sneakers or those pumps that pinch your toes? Possible? Soles4Souls thinks so. It was in the aftermath of the Southeast Asian tsunami of 2004 when Wayne Elsey realized something as simple as shoes would be a great help to victims of natural disasters. He began collecting new shoes from companies willing to help in the relief efforts and Soles4Souls was born soon after to facilitate the donation of shoes to the people that need them most. In addition Soles4Souls began collected used shoes to start-up and support micro-businesses in poverty-stricken areas around the world. Soles4Souls receives donations from a wide variety of sources, included churches, nonprofits, footwear companies and retailers. They also have two other divisions called Clothes4Souls and Hope4Souls that offer clothing and other necessities respectively.

Better Business

The micro-enterprising began when Soles4Souls received shoes that were “inappropriate for crisis relief – such as high-heeled shoes – and shoes that need cleaning or conditioning in order to be useful.” according to their website and wanted to find a way to use them that would benefit the local community and the families there-in.

Being Green and Being Of Help

Donating your lightly worn shoes is a brilliant way of recycling, because you know they are going to a person in need, rather than disintegrating slowing in the landfill. Soles4Souls recommends “stopping by a local shoe retailer in exchange for a discount on a new pair of shoes.” Many shoes you may have bought on a whim or realized too late that they just didn’t fit right, Soles4Souls creates a great opportunity to not let that purchase go to waste. There are thousands of drop-off locations around the United States.

What You Can Do in Your Community

Soles4Souls has many opportunities for ways you can get more involved and collect supportive shoes in your community. Specifically for church communities and congregations. From the Soles4Souls website:

6 Easy Ways to Get Involved

Host a Shoe Drive
Your congregation can help us sponsor a shoe drive by volunteering to collect and package shoes from your area.

Host a Barefoot Event
Congregations can be challenged to have all of their members leave their shoes at the door as an act of worship and selflessness. What better way to bring personal involvement to helping those less fortunate!

Travel on a Distribution Trip
Members of your group can travel with us on a distribution trip to see how the gift of shoes can change a life.

Host a Clothing Drive
Your congregation can help us sponsor a clothing drive by volunteering to collect and package new and gently worn clothing from your area.

Host a $1=1 Pair Fundraising Campaign
Choose from a campaign to raise funds for Soles4Souls or raise funds to benefit both your organization AND Soles4Souls! In this virtual shoe drive, you will receive a personal URL where people can donate – $1 = 1 pair of shoes to someone in need!

Sponsor a Country or Community
Raise funds with a creative fundraiser or a special offering to help an area of your choice. Through this method, your congregation can provide the financial support to have Soles4Souls deliver shoes to a destination of your choice! For more information, please contact us at fundraiser@giveshoes.org.

With over 14 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes given away by Soles4Souls since 2005, you may think your few pairs won’t make much of an impact, but they all add up to a pretty impressive gift for those who could really use them. For more information visit www.soles4souls.org

Soles4Souls is a post from: New Identity Magazine

Christian Perspectives on Fame

by Matthew Hamilton

Think of some of the most famous figures in history throughout the span of recorded time. Who are some of the people that we know by name even centuries after their passing? William Shakespeare, George Washington, even Jesus Christ. These and others have had long lasting legacies that will be passed on for generations.

In our world-wide connected age, the definition of fame has come to mean something more temporary; something that can change every day if not every other hour or minute, measured by website visitors, Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

Think of those who are famous now, and what methods people have used to get in the public eye. Some people are well-known because their work requires performing in front of others. For instance, if no one paid money to see one of George Clooney’s movies, he would be out of our collective attention and also out of a job. So many people are striving for fame, and never before in history has there been more opportunity to do so, especially for becoming so famous for doing so little. (Just take a moment to figure out why the Kardashian Family is famous in the first place–it will be tough to find an answer.)

When thinking about fame from a Christian perspective, it is important to realize that fame has as much to do with the person as with the situation. Mother Theresa became a worldwide celebrity while working in the squalor of Calcutta, India, but needless to say that there are thousands of other charity workers that work in similar desperate conditions all over the world on every continent. Many ministers preach about the simple gift of a life in Christ, but when the same simple message is given by an evangelist such as Billy Graham, it is heard by millions around the world. These examples among others throughout history show that being well-known can be used to do great things. It could be argued Christ’s legacy was in part because of large gatherings during some of his miracles, therefore allowing eyewitnesses to share his works with others by word of mouth, and passing along his works from generation to generation until this present day.

It is important to know that this new era of accessibility has allowed many people to make a positive impact that can be shared globally in a way that was never possible before. While nearly everyone now has a their own virtual soapbox to share their message, there are a few that stand out that provide significant food for thought. One person that is offering a new Christian perspective is Rachel Held Evans. The author of the book Evolving in Monkey Town, offers unique approaches to Christian living including documenting her year long experiment of following Old Testament laws regarding women.

Another person that provides a unique perspective on Christianity and fame is Cathleen Falsani, a writer whose book The God Factor offers insightful interviews with famous people on the subject of God, including novelist Anne Rice, Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner and an early interview with then state senator Barack Obama.

For most people, finding satisfaction and happiness in life can be found in a job well done in the workplace, spending time with family or volunteering at church or charities. And most of the time these activities are in the company of few others. But there are some, Christians included, that seek to do these things on a larger scale. Which does bring into question, is being famous and living and working in front of the camera and the watching eyes of the public, necessarily a bad thing?

As we try to make our own contributions to the world, it is important to realize that much of what we do everyday is also seen through the eyes of others. For most of us, our audience are simply our family, friends and co-workers. There does come a time for some to ask of themselves, is it right to do what I do on a bigger stage?

Unarguably, humility is a very important part of the Christian life, possibly taking more importance than making sure that someone sees our benevolent actions. One’s motivation for speaking, singing, acting or whatever in front of others is important to consider. Is his or her motivation simply to be well-known and to gain the attention of others, or is it a means to share a positive message? That depends on the person. To borrow a phrase from Spiderman’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Some people want to be on a bigger stage, but it should be for the right reasons.

Christian Perspectives on Fame is a post from: New Identity Magazine

God’s Magnum Opus

by Patricia Everett

GOD’S MAGNUM OPUS
by Patricia Everett

The conductor raises his baton
Sweet music flows and fills the air
Entranced, enthralled, listeners are transformed
As the notes refresh and soothe the soul.

Jesus, God’s magnum opus to the world
Divine music, a masterpiece
His life orchestrated by God alone
A life’s work, a gift given.

I stand baton in hand
Harsh, sour, jarring notes erupt
A cacophonous symphony
Sounds are tuned out, no one listens.

Christ in me, God’s divine music
The notes, harmonious, sweet, melodious
Orchestrated by Him alone
My life, His magnum opus.

God’s Magnum Opus is a post from: New Identity Magazine

Welcome: Embracing Hospitality

by M. Chitra

One day when Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent near the great trees of Mamre, he looked up and saw three men standing nearby. He hurried to meet them and then bowed low to the ground, asking them if he could wash their feet and begging them to stay. Afterward, he went on to prepare a calf and asked his wife Sarah to bake some bread. The three men, of course, would later tell him that he and Sarah would have a child of their own by this time next year—something the both of them had assumed would never happen given their old age.

Those who have a more casual approach to receiving guests may have thought that Abraham knew that God was appearing before him and had good news for him—and hence the lavish gesture. In reality, though, Abraham would have treated any other guests the same way. Hospitality in ancient Middle East was considered a virtue, and even today Middle East natives are eager to make visitors to their land feel at home. They do this not in the hope of receiving something in return, but because they strongly believe that being hospitable to strangers is the righteous thing to do.

Conversely, people in the modern Western world have a different take on hospitality. As a rule we do find it natural to be sociable with visiting family or friends, but most of us would think twice about letting complete strangers into our homes—much less take the time to serve them food and entertain them. If we do welcome people with whom we’re not eager to have a personal relationship, it’s because there’s usually a monetary reason behind it. It’s no coincidence that hospitality now is also a several billion dollar industry. And while tourists are often impressed on thier visit to the United States with the service that they receive from their providers, they also leave the country feeling amused by Americans’ ability to be friendly without really being their friends.

Our general preference to not associate with strangers does have its basis in practicality. We are all busy enough as it is, and being overly friendly to strangers can complicate our lives in ways that we don’t even have the time to imagine. There are also, more importantly, the issues of safety. Most of us would probably want to help others out if we can afford to, but at the same time we have other considerations to think about. The media has led us to believe that bad things happen to people who trust others too easily, and the era we live in is one where kids are constantly reminded by concerned adults not to talk to strangers.

If everyone actually listened to this well-meaning advice, most of us would have wound up with a grand total of zero friends at this point of our lives. Everyone we now know, after all, was at one point a stranger, and they became our friends only after we took our chances and got to know them. Our distrust of strangers then isn’t as unconditional as it sounds—we selectively choose which strangers to be more hospitable to and by extension which strangers to be more hostile to, usually based on superficial characteristics that say nothing about a person’s character.

On the surface this may sound unreasonable and yet harmless enough, but in a melting pot like the United States the implications can be a bit unpleasant. A melting pot society encourages assimilation into the dominant culture, and those who are unwilling or unable to do so with ease are susceptible to discrimination. The typical American is still one who is—among other things—white, Protestant, middle-class, and heterosexual. Individuals who are close to this image are more likely to be thought of as “friends” and perceived as innocent, while those who aren’t are more likely to be thought of as “enemies” or at least viewed as potential threats. Although some may argue that some forms of discrimination are more tolerable than others, they are all based on irrational fear and hatred and can become a serious problem.

In recent years, for instance, there’s a growing number of Arabs and Muslims living in the Western hemisphere who report subtle harassment as well as direct threats. Ever since the 9/11 tragedy that stuck in 2001, Arab- and Muslim-Americans feel generally unwelcome in the part of the country they live in—sometimes even if they have lived in the same place all their lives. Even ten years later intolerance of Islam is at an all-time high, and a disturbing amount of glee was shown after Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were executed. This is a bit surprising and disheartening considering that the majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians who grew up on sayings like “turn the other cheek.”

Of course, historically speaking Christianity itself hasn’t always been on good terms with Islam. The Crusades are famously known as a series of violent wars that early Christians and early Muslims waged against each other for about two centuries. Even before the two planes crashed the Twin Towers in New York, elsewhere in the world Christians and Muslims were clashing with each other. Churches and Mosques were being destroyed, copies of the Bible and the Koran were burned, and mass murder was rampant. If Christians and Muslims were able to coexist in relative peace, it was usually because they actively avoided each other.

But in spite of what Christians have or haven’t done to Muslims throughout history, the Bible does allude to the virtue of hospitality several times. Romans 12:13 tells us to share with those who are in need and to practice hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 tells us to offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us to show hospitality to strangers. The origin of the command could even be traced back to Exodus 23:9, where God explicitly commanded the Israelites not to oppress a foreigner. The reason was simple. Having been foreigners in Egypt themselves, the Israelites would know how unpleasant it was to be in a strange land and to be treated poorly while they were there—and they should never do something that they wouldn’t want be done to them.

In addition to all of the above, there is also the story Jesus himself told when he was asked what God meant by loving your neighbor- the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, a Jewish man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him off his clothes, beat him up, and basically left him to die. A couple other Jewish men saw him lying on the street from the distance, but for whatever reason they decided to cross to the other side and ignored him. It wasn’t until the Samaritan passed by was the Jewish man taken care of and nursed back to health.

The significance of Jesus’ choice of hero may be lost on modern readers who are unaware of the context of the story. At the time, the Samaritans were considered a different racial group from the Jews and the two had a hostile relationship with each other—not unlike the relationship that Christians and Muslims have had for the most part. The Samaritan here was good not just because he did the right thing and helped someone in need, but because he did the right thing and helped someone who was perceived as the enemy. Telling that parable of the Good Samaritan to the Jews back then would be akin to telling a parable of the Good Arab or the Good Muslim to the Americans post-9/11—it just wouldn’t sit well with its intended audience, most of whom would prefer to hate someone based on the little they know about him or her.

Nevertheless, the parable provides an excellent insight into how Jesus viewed hospitality. Jesus may have loved everyone equally, but it was the oppressed he preferred to show more of his love to. Highlights in the Gospels include eating with tax collectors, talking to prostitutes, and standing up for adulterers—outcasts that other public figures would prefer not to associate with. Even toward the end of his life, Jesus was still willing to forgive those who crucified him and to welcome a criminal into his kingdom.

It is also clear through the Gospels that even as someone who was well-versed in the Scriptures, Jesus was less concerned about preaching what he’d read than about treating people with respect. If Jesus were to live in our society today, he no doubt would disregard social conventions and do as he thought was right. Not only would he talk to the sort of strangers who others would distance themselves from, but he would also speak up against injustice against them. He might disagree with some of their point of views, but he wouldn’t think of them as less of a person for it, let alone hate them for it.

The society we live in is a lot different from the Middle East that Abraham and Sarah or even Jesus lived in. Most of us look nothing like Abraham or Sarah, and since different cultures have different ideas on how to best receive guests probably none of us has ever dropped to the ground and offered to wash a guest’s feet. At the core of hospitality, however, is the universal concept of love and respect. All Jesus would want for us to do is to treat everyone the way we want to be treated. While Jesus is not known for giving instructions that are easy to follow, the fact that he was able to do as he preached shows that it’s definitely possible for Christians to do as Jesus had.

Welcome: Embracing Hospitality is a post from: New Identity Magazine

The Value of Community Groups

by Delbert Teachout

Small groups are for every Christian. The Bible provides the example. There were twelve followers of Jesus. The Bible calls them disciples. When he had a special occasion, sometimes there were only three. The apostle Paul had a small group of followers who supported him. Even when he was in his cell he had a small group. Whether they are called discipleship, support, or cell groups, everyone can benefit from belonging to one.

I live in Michigan. Michigan has two seasons: winter and construction. During construction season, contractors use steel rods inside concrete to reinforce the roads. The steel allows the concrete to hold up under heavy vehicles and traffic. The concrete would not be able to support the load without the reinforcements.

The Christian life is like those roads. We may think we are strong because we believe our conviction is as solid as concrete. But without reinforcements, our life could crumble. The weight of trials and temptations could eventually break down our resistance and our strong beliefs could erode like the concrete.

The reinforcements we need can be found in 1 Thessalonians 1:3. They are “work produced by faith, and labor prompted by love, and endurance inspired by hope…” These three, faith, love, and hope, reinforce the convictions in our Christian lives. We may have the convictions of concrete but these reinforcements help make the Christians life dedicated to pleasing Jesus.

The world does not need Christians who are somewhat committed to Jesus. Only dedicated people make a difference. For example, athletes who want to win are not somewhat committed; they are dedicated to improve so they can win. Business people are not somewhat committed to success, they are dedicated. What about successful writers? They practice their craft until they have it mastered, they too are dedicated. People who make a difference are dedicated to succeed.

Athletes, business people, writers, and Christians have some things in common. They have faith that they have prepared for success. They hope that when they have done the right things, they will succeed. One more thing that Christians have is the patience that comes from love. A life motivated and reinforced by faith, hope, and the love of Jesus will result in concrete convictions that endure all types of trials, and yet never fail. “It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,” (1 Cor 13:7).

How do we obtain a reinforced conviction to help us become dedicated for Christ?

Get involved in a small group where our faith, hope, and love can grow. Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in his name, he is there. By attending a small group we enter into the presence of Jesus. The group becomes the place we come together to experience more of the love of Jesus and love for each other. God never intended people to live alone. We all need each other. Once we commit to a group we should stay with it. Whether it is ten or fifty years, we cannot waver. Just like a good road that lasts under years of use, convicted Christians will last under years of service.

I have participated as a member and a leader of small groups and found two basic types: informal and formal. The informal group is the spontaneous gathering of friends while the formal group usually is scheduled and has a specified purpose.

For several weeks a half dozen families would meet informally at the home of one of the families. Someone would buy pizza, or there would be a pot luck dinner. We would meet after the evening service, or at times on a Saturday afternoon. Most of the time, we met just to hang out and build long-lasting friendships. Occasionally, we would discuss a question someone presented about the meaning of certain scriptures. Sometimes we would pray together. Group prayer seemed to bring the power of the Holy Spirit. People would be so full of love they would sob during their prayer and the rest of the group sobbed with them. Prayer did not consist of a round of prayer with each person saying something when it came his or her turn. Prayer was spontaneous and often people prayed two or three times as they were moved. Sometimes the presence of the Holy Spirit was so powerful everyone fell prone to the floor and savored the presence of God. When we got up we could see a new glow on everyone’s faces. Those experiences cannot be planned or forced. When it does occur, no other experience can match it.

Another type of small group is the formal group. These can be anything the group desires. Some are prayer groups; others are Bible study groups, support groups, or ministry groups. One group I was a member of studied The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Another group studied The Words and Works of Jesus Christ by Dwight Pentecost. One group had a bi-weekly ministry of taking a half block neighborhood and praying for and talking to the people there. We would go to each home in the neighborhood, give each home a loaf of bread and offer to pray for the family who lived in the home. Some rejected us and would not even take the bread. Others made us feel like part of their family.

Other small groups can meet for a particular purpose. A Sunday school class is a good example. Having served as a teacher and a Sunday school superintendent I have learned a few things. As a teacher I was so determined to cover all the material in the lesson, coupled with the insecurity of being asked a question I might not be able to answer, I studied prodigiously and filibustered my way through each lesson. To my amazement, most people liked it, because they didn’t have to study or talk and some people even decided to become Christians. Not much spiritual growth happened. As the superintendent, I became concerned with their spiritual growth. Teachers didn’t have to have all the answers but they did have to allow the Holy Spirit to move. Sometimes the lesson for the week wasn’t mentioned but people were growing in their Christian walk. Teachers don’t have to be experts as long as they can move with the Holy Spirit.

What is the value of a small group?

Group members have reported that small groups allow a connection to another person on a spiritual level. It allows for fellowship with others as mentors, prayer partners, and friends. Sometimes they are the only people who can strengthen them, offer hope and love, when they are weak or in a situation where they need someone to undergird them.

Some people report that a small group is like a support group. The group becomes like family. Members feel accountable to each other. They go to their group when they have questions of an emotional nature, or need encouragement, or an extra push to continue to believe in God’s words and promises.

Small groups allow members to grow in ways not possible as a lone individual or as a member of larger community worship. However, a person needs to remember that small groups do not replace corporate worship, personal Bible study, or prayer. Many years ago, the college I attended had a large group lecture session and small group discussion sessions for its classes. A student would have had to spend time in personal study and attended the large group lectures in order to participate intelligently in the small group. The relationship between a worship service and a small group could be similar.

In one of the small groups that I led we would talk about and improve our knowledge of the topic the pastor preached about on Sunday. We took notes during the service, read the passage for ourselves, and prayed about it. When we met in our small group everyone shared what they learned or how they interpreted or applied the material. We all grew from the small group experience.

What makes the large service special?

The first thing a worship service offers is a chance to engage in praise through music as a member of a large worshipping community (a regular church with fifty or more worshippers). Music moves me, as it does many people, and participating in a larger worship service moves me in ways not experienced in small groups. Feeling less inhibition due to the number of worshippers, I sing with more abandon, creating a more joyful noise.

Second, one of the duties of the pastor is to edify, build up, the church. A large worship service allows the pastor to preach and allows God to speak to the entire congregation at once.

Third, it’s a chance to see all the members of the church that would not be seen in small groups. I especially like getting to church a half hour early just for that purpose. It’s like a family reunion every Sunday.

Fourth is expectancy. A sense of excitement fills the sanctuary in anticipation of what God is going to do.

Fifth, it’s the time when all members can contribute to the operation of the church. Members share the cost of ministering through their local body by contributing financially to their church in the larger service.

Some people have abandoned the larger worship service altogether in favor of home churches. The joyful opportunity to take part in corporate praise and worship and to share in the expenses of a large church is lost in small home churches. For me it’s not a question of home church or large church. It’s large church supported by small groups.

Small groups come in many varieties. If your church has formal small groups, or even Sunday school classes instead of groups, let me encourage you to participate. You will grow in your faith, hope, and love. You will make friends that will always be a part of your life. Even years after the group stops meeting, those memories will linger. In life we experience all four seasons. To stay strong during each of them, allow yourself to be reinforced by what a small group can offer. A group somewhere is waiting for you.

The Value of Community Groups is a post from: New Identity Magazine

Loving Your Enemies

by Kelli Ward

As I write on the topic of loving my enemies, I can’t help but think about the times when someone’s words or actions have purposefully hurt me. More often than not I’ve been called words like ugly, or disgusting, told I’m not talented enough, or that I didn’t deserve the grand prize in life. This hurt me. This hurt me so deeply, to my core even that when I think of these past events, the wound somehow re-opens, claiming its hold on me for that moment in time. I cry, I yell, I even curse and none of it makes me feel better. I struggled to forgive my offenders and love them.

But then I prayed. This wasn’t easy. I prayed to God to let go of these feelings of resentment and pain, to remember that I am a child of God and he has created me just as I am and what is mine is mine. Then I prayed for the man or woman who hurt me. I prayed that they would know that words have just as much power as fists, that behavior and absolute statements are not for them to make, and I prayed that they would never treat someone like that again. I prayed for their families, their health, and their provision. Then I prayed that they know God and are forgiven. After this, I asked him for courage, power, and that I will never say or do something to someone like that which has been done to me. But it doesn’t stop here. As you’ve read, these events occurred in the past for me, but they seem to always come up, like somehow it’s not over, not fully forgotten or forgiven. Something that I hold onto everyday is the fact that above all else I must love God. To love Him means to forgive people of their actions that may have caused you pain. You will know you have forgiven them when you see them, and no animosity, pain, fear, frustration, or anger fills in your thoughts.

This is one of my favorite scriptures about forgiveness: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:44-48, NIV).

This startles me every time I read it. How is this possible? How do we open our hearts, and keep a smile on our faces around those that degrade us, and treat us like yesterday’s leftovers? We must remember that we are all children of God. To love your enemy is to not think about them in a fleshly manner full of glaring eyes, or a racing heart, and in contempt but to simply not think of them at all as the person who upset you, but to think of them as a child of God who makes mistakes just as you do. Jeanine Griffin, a devout Christian and mother of two adds that “the best way to love your enemies is to think of every person as your brother or sister in Christ. If we look at everyone with that in mind then it makes it easier to pray for that person earnestly. Now loving someone should also be unconditional. So that means that you embrace them and their habits and try to show them another way to live strictly through your behavior.” Loving them is walking and talking in his peace. Wow, this calls us to love the people that hate us and make us cry. But what if we just can’t let it go, if the hurt has etched itself on the inside of us?

In one of the instances mentioned in the first paragraph, I actually confronted the person who told me I wasn’t talented enough. To be honest, her behavior towards me really bothered me. Now I’m not one for confrontation, but I had to get this off my chest. Especially because she was in a mentor/teacher position and she gave up on me about half way through the session, marking me down as a lost cause. I was truly hoping that she wouldn’t do this to anyone else in the future. I told her how I felt and she had guilt written all over her face. Scrambling for words to match mine, I told her that I was going to be just fine, God has my back. That brought her to a halt. She was speechless. Know that God is our best defense against any hurt, anger, pain, etc. He’s a rock in a weary land. This helped me to accept what happened and to finally bring it to God’s feet, to lay it before him.

Jesus is the ultimate forgiver. He was on the cross, looking down at the men and women persecuting him, and he still asked the Father to forgive them. To forgive is to cease to feel resentment against an offender, pardon, to forgive one’s enemies. We are all called to be examples of Jesus. Jesus didn’t have time to wallow in the pain he felt towards those who were mistreating him. As we say nowadays, he kept it moving, kept it stepping to eternal salvation. He was on a mission. See, many times things pop up in life to keep us from achieving our destiny. Pain from the past will have a hold over our future. But we all know that when we are reborn in Christ we are new creatures, the old things passed away. Another help in the process of forgiving your enemies is to know that your relationship with God and your salvation is more important than any grievance. After all, God prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies. (Psalms 23: 5) Remember, we have the same blood of Jesus covering us and flowing through us which means we have the same will to forgive.

You may still be asking why Christ wants us to love our enemies in the first place. It’s because he wants us to all be in one accord. Now you may be asking, how is it possible to be in one accord with our enemy, isn’t that reserved for Christians only? The answer is no. To be in one accord means to be in agreement, to reconcile. When you’ve fully forgiven said enemy you’ve been reconciled with them, you’ve agreed to forgive. Sometimes the enemy that we refer to is someone who works in the church with us, we may be on the mother’s board together, or in an auxiliary, but we must always remember that in the church we are there to serve Jesus. At times this may mean loving people you don’t even like very much. Romans 15: 5-7, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” As Christians we have to be living examples of Christ. In church a few Sundays ago, the speaker quoted Gandhi, who once said “I like your Christ, but I don’t like your Christians, because your Christians don’t look like your Christ.” We need to look like him, talk like him, and walk like him, and live like him always because to those who are new believers or do not yet believe we are the only example or evidence of Christ that they may ever see in this world. We are living vessels of God. If we ask God for a forgiving spirit like Jesus, the Holy Spirit will help us to do this sincerely.

Right now in the world we can see the evidence of people not loving each other and what happens as a consequence. The hate killing that took place almost six months ago in Mississippi on June 26th, 2011 is an example of what happens when we do not love each other. In this crime, a black man was severely beaten by a group of white teenagers and run over by a truck. One teen is said to be the lead conspirator. It’s truly sad because the attacked man did nothing to this young man; it was purely a racial hate crime. In this young man’s eyes, this man was an enemy, but for no reason. If hate can be that powerful, think about how much more powerful love can be. I just found myself looking through Yahoo! News to find evidence of what happens when we love each other, i.e., charitable deeds, sheltering the homeless, feeding those without food, and I couldn’t find one thing. But I did open the Los Angeles Times to find an article about how college students who are illegal immigrants may begin to receive public aid. What I take from this is that love has the ability to extend far beyond one’s self. It can reach hundreds, thousands, and even millions and change lives for the better.

Loving your enemies may not seem like the right or “normal” thing to do as a human born into sin, almost like going against the grain. It may actually feel a little weird at first, but as a Christian, reborn into the body of Christ, this is what we do. This is what Jesus calls us to do. When you think about the actions of forgiving and loving, it’s truly beautiful. It can only be ascribed to the love that God has for the world, and that is the same love in us.

So now that our enemy is forgiven, we must pray for a healing. Ask God to restore you, to heal you from the hurt and to remind you daily that the past is in the past for a reason. Keep praying for his power, keep asking for him to suture your wound(s), prayer is the ultimate way to see God’s anointing at work in your life. Ask God to, “forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Know that as we mend, the Holy Spirit is working things out in our favor. As he is our comforter, he is not only healing us, but he’s chipping away at the scab so what remains will be a clean slate. A do-better. Yes, we’ve gone through things but God has allowed them to be nothing but a hiccup in our past.

I still think about the woman who hurt me, but the difference between now and then is that now I see that hurt at a distance. It is no longer a part of me. It no longer governs over me or dictates my mood. How to love your enemies is to forgive, to live well, to love, and to “press forward to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14).

Loving Your Enemies is a post from: New Identity Magazine

From Tragedy to Triumph

by Jennifer Maggio

As the nurse left the room of the local, free health unit, tears began to roll down my face. My seventeen-year-old frame began to shake uncontrollably. The nurse confirmed that I was indeed pregnant. I was six months along, homeless, and alone. I had no money, no job, and no future. What would I do with a baby? Just a few months ago, I was Class President, Valedictorian, and on my way to a top-notch university with a full paid scholarship. Now, my life was over. And there was nothing I could do.

As a child, I had already walked through my share of heartache. My mother was killed unexpectedly and I was raised by my dad who went on to marry six times. I was molested for more than nine years by different relatives and neighbors. I was forced to steal and forced to view pornography. I was physically beaten and malnourished.

Is it any wonder that I fell into sexual promiscuity at the ripe old age of thirteen? I became desperate for attention, love, and validation. By the time I was seventeen years old, I found myself pregnant for the third time. Two miscarriages should have been my clue that my life was quickly spiraling out of control, but here I was, a seventeen-year-old graduating senior with a third baby in my belly.

It wasn’t long after my father found out about the pregnancy that he quickly ushered me from the family home, never inviting me to live with them again. I was on my own. Where would I go? What would I do? I had only the clothes on my back. My future had been flushed away and I was certain I had ruined my life. It was in that moment that I had a choice to make. Would I allow this to defeat me or would I make a way for myself and my soon-coming child?

The future seemed bleak, at first. The best I could do was obtain government housing and used food stamps and welfare to help make ends meet. I landed a full-time job ten days after giving birth and started college full-time during the evenings. I had little furniture, no extra money, and an old clunker of a car that left me roadside weekly. But I was making it. I began to see a glimmer of hope, only to find myself pregnant again!

I was embarrassed and ashamed and was the closest to suicide that I had ever been. Where was my life going? Would I always be a single mom living below the poverty line, unable to give my children the things they needed? I began to toy with the idea of going back to church. Despite my past, I had always been in and out of church. I knew the ways of God and the things of God. But how could I go back? I had two kids outside of marriage and a barrage of other mistakes lingering in my past. They weighed on me like the weight of a thousand years and I was certain the walls of the church would cave in when I walked through the door. But…I went anyway.

I would like to tell you that I had some life-changing, God-encounter on my first trip back to church, but I didn’t. However, I did continue going. Before long, I found myself attending two to three times a week. Slowly, very slowly, I began to have a new outlook on life. I was refreshed, optimistic, and more at peace than I’d ever been. During one of the Sunday services, the pastor began to speak on the principle of tithing– giving ten percent of your income to the church. This was not the first time I’d heard the concept, but my instant thought was “How can I give the church money when I barely make ends meet?” Over the next several months, I could not stop thinking about tithing and what the pastor had said. I decided to give it a try.

It was the hardest thing I had ever done, but I decided to write my first tithe check. Within six months, I landed a job almost doubling my meager income. Within two years, I landed one of the most coveted jobs in our area and eventually became a highly-recognized corporate executive within one of the largest Fortune 500 companies in the nation. With God’s grace and mercy, he had chosen to pull me from the depths of financial poverty and put me on solid ground. I was living the life I had only dreamed about – taking family vacations, driving a dependable car, and purchasing a lovely home. I didn’t deserve any of this, but my Father in heaven chose to bless me with those things. I am always careful to point out that my tithing was from obedience to the Lord not because of what I thought he would give me. He didn’t care about my past mistakes or the choices I’d made. He loved me and had forgiven me. It wasn’t long before he brought me the man of my dreams and we married shortly, thereafter. I cry, even today, thinking of how God chose to bless me and I am certain it was so that I could share this very story with you.

I eventually left that Corporate America job and all its lavish amenities to pursue my God-given passion of ministering to single moms. I embarked on a journey of reaching out to the poor and hurting – the widow, the teen mom, the divorcee. Through the generosity and leadership of Healing Place Church, we opened our first single moms ministry, which has grown more than 700% since its inception. The ministry hosts hundreds of women varying in age from teens to women in their fifties. Some are highly educated single moms who need parenting advice or spiritual growth opportunities, while others do not have their GED. Some are “churched,” while others are “unchurched.” But no matter their backgrounds, lives are being radically transformed for the cause of Christ. Atheists have found Christ. Drug addicts have been set free. The broken-hearted are now whole again.

With seventeen million single moms in our country, I challenge every church across this country to open a single mothers group or ministry. Sixty-seven percent of all single moms do not actively attend church anywhere, many citing fear, judgment, and shame as reasons. We’ve been called to minister to the poor and hurting, the widow and the orphan. What better way than to help the single mom? I’m in. Are you?

From Tragedy to Triumph is a post from: New Identity Magazine

Life During Pregnancy

by Eric Lee

Life is never going to be the same. That is something that kept getting drilled into my head. Something that my wife Cyndy’s aunts and uncles kept telling me over and over again. Your schedule is his or her schedule now. Freedom is over. These things didn’t discourage me from becoming a father; something I have always wanted. But these warnings made me treasure the free time I do have.

Change You Can Believe In

Sacrifices will have to be made. Time spent playing video games or watching my favorite program would have to be reserved for when my son takes his naps. In the end, I was not dreading becoming a parent but I knew that I would have to give up or get creative with how I would pursue my hobbies. Some examples of this are having to wait for Cyndy to come home before I can go running or waiting for my son Eli to fall asleep before I watch my shows on TV. Looking back, I wish I would have mourned the loss of my freedom more.

My life changed and so did my wife’s. My wife has a very even-keeled disposition in general so I didn’t have to deal with severe mood swings. But her hormones did intensify her emotions. Things that wouldn’t normally touch a nerve, made her cry – a lot. So that Hallmark commercial, Kodak ad, or Oprah episode would start the waterworks. She got more upset about things she wouldn’t normally. The best advice I’ve heard for dealing with mood swings came from Babycenter.com. The first tip is to talk to your partner about it. Keep the lines of communication open. Let your spouse know how you’re feeling. Especially for the mother-to-be, it’s best to try not to do too much. There is a temptation to want to redecorate, re-organize, do things you think you should have done years ago. Slow down. Indulge yourself by doing something just for you. That can be going for a walk, getting a prenatal message, or seeing a movie with a friend.

Something else that will change will be what the expectant mother puts in her body. Nutritionally speaking, my wife took the advice of her doctor and took prenatal vitamins. These vitamins are not only good for the baby, but they helped give her immune system a boost as well. My wife got heartburn, something she doesn’t usually get, when eating spicy food. She ate crackers to combat this. There are also foods that are taboo for the pregnant woman. Things like medium rare steak (this one really annoyed my wife), seafood, and luncheon meat.

Ready But Scared

Along with the excitement and anticipation of becoming a parent, come fears and concerns. Fear of the unknown has to be one of the top fears that my wife and I had. After all, this was going to be our first child. How do we compare him to anything at all? What if he is a difficult child? Are there going to be family members that can help give us a break when we need it?

Fortunately, we had family and friends we could talk to that had children already. The last concern was a little trickier. For one thing, my parents are older. That would make it out of the question to leave my son with them for extended periods of time. My mother-in-law and in-laws live in another county. So it took a little extra effort to get my son over there to have them watch him.

One concern I had was my age. I never pictured myself having a child at forty years of age. I feared I wouldn’t have the energy. When my son is twenty, I’m going to be sixty! Is that too old? My dad had his first child when he was forty. How will I handle it? Is it fair to my kid? Will the baby be healthy? These are things I wish I had discussed with my dad before. I had to really pray that God would give me the energy to run after my son and keep up with him. So far so good.

When it came to trying to conceive, my wife and I had a very difficult time. She went so far as having to take medication to help her ovulate. A lot of things went through her mind. “Am I infertile? Are we trying on the right day? Are we meant to have children naturally? At one point, I thought that I might be the problem. I thought at least if I get tested for sperm count, we would know for sure. I made an appointment, gave my specimen, and the results came back with a good count. Still, it’s frustrating as a couple knowing that you may have to pay for expensive fertility treatments or the even more expensive alternative: adoption. For us, the treatments would have been covered by insurance. As far as adoption, financially, it would have been very difficult to do on one income. We prayed that we would be able to have a child. Right before my wife would’ve had to have fertility treatments, she got pregnant.

We also prayed for a healthy, easy-going baby. God definitely answered this prayer. Our son, Elijah, has no allergies, eats just about anything, and is a generally sweet, good-natured boy. However, the “terrible twos” are upon us now. If your child ends up being not so easy, there are strategies that you can employ to make life a little easier.

Use positive reinforcement. Cheer for them and make a big deal when they share a toy with another child. You might have to use distraction if your child constantly plays with things he shouldn’t. Time outs are also a good option.

Another concern my wife Cyndy had is that our child would be a child with a disability. Being a special educator herself, she sees firsthand how much patience, love, and understanding, it takes to teach children with disabilities. Her advice to parents that are having a child with a disability would be to seek out community resources such as parent groups, play groups, and professional services.

She also worried that our son would be a colicky baby. She heard stories of babies that would cry for long periods and could not be consoled. It would be extra stress on both of us. That’s why it’s so important for the husband to be there to give some relief. If it got to be too much for my wife, I could take over or vice-versa.

When It’s All Said and Done

Even though Cyndy heard so many horror stories about the pain, long hours, and difficulty of childbirth, she tried not to think about it. In the end, she wished she had prepared herself more for the pain that would come with labor. First of all, she had to be induced. So our son was born a week earlier than first predicted by the doctor. Then she had something called back contractions. On top of the usual contractions, she had pain in her lower back area. My son was pushing up against her tailbone area during labor. This has to be some of the worst pain a person can experience. In hindsight, I wish we had gone through Lamaze classes. If only I had known about how to use pressure points during her contractions. I learned that on the day of our son’s birth. Knowing that alone could have eased her pain quicker.

My wife also worried about who was going to take care of our child. At the time, I was working sporadically and wasn’t sure about my job situation. In the end, since I was just substitute teaching and not enjoying it, we both agreed that I would stay home to take care of our son. I sort of had mixed feelings. On the one hand, I understood the practicality of my wife continuing working her full-time job (benefits, seniority, etc). At the same time though, I knew I hadn’t found my ideal career yet. Now I’m getting the best of both worlds. I get to stay home and watch my son and do something I’ve always loved – writing.

Things did work out in the end but it wasn’t smooth sailing. You can’t predict everything that will happen. Your wife may need to have her labor induced. Or she may experience more pain than she thought she would. For us, having a baby was very much a lesson in faith and perseverance. For us there was a certain amount of anxiousness and trepidation. Having a baby for the first time, became very much about having faith that God would help us through our fears and concerns.

Life During Pregnancy is a post from: New Identity Magazine

The 8th Commandment

by Erica Mongé-Greer

The verses in Exodus chapter twenty that make up what we call the Ten Commandments were not accepted by the ancients as a systematized set of commands. They were accepted as a simple summary of basic ways to live in community with one another. Christians today gather in churches from week to week with other people with whom they might otherwise have nothing in common. However, because of a simple act of faith, they have a religious conversion upon which to base communion and fellowship. Likewise, for the ancient Israelites, a simple act of faith brought these people together in a desert, following a leader who spoke directly with God. It is through this relationship and its meaningful history that Christians today are given the Word of God. The eighth commandment is given in this context, a simple command to help in the structure of community among the ancient Israelite people.

The eighth commandment says you shall not steal. Modern understanding beckons us to dismiss this commandment as irrelevant. We live in a society where theft is wrong. Robbery makes the news, and it is often associated with chaos and revolt. Why would such an obviously devastating activity need to be acknowledged even in this most basic way? It’s not because the ancients were chaotic, stealing from one another. Instead, it is a reminder of stewardship. Stewardship is a frequent theme in the Bible. A faithful person is expected to be a faithful steward, which means he or she is responsible to care for any possession with utmost attention. An unfaithful steward squanders possession and time; an unfaithful steward is a thief. A faithful steward honors God by caring for his or her possessions and being faithful with time. The commandment to refrain from stealing may apply to so many individual circumstances, but the most important is to honor God as a faithful steward.

What does it mean to refrain from stealing in today’s world? Most of us are not caught up in committing acts of crime. But all of us have opportunities as stewards of God’s creation. For one, we have a commitment to care for our environment. God’s people are people who are faithful to care for the planet and its resources, as a gift, not to be stolen, but to be looked after and cared for. We are also stewards of our relationships. Jesus teaches us clearly that all the commandments are summed up in two things: we are to love God and love one another. A friend recently pointed out that Christians have a duty to be stewards in their relationships, especially in dating. A kiss, or physical touch, that comes outside of marriage may be stealing from another man’s or woman’s future spouse. And, when married, we are called to be faithful stewards of our spouse and relationships with our children. Even in our jobs, we can be faithful stewards by showing up on on time and honoring company policies and procedures.

As faithful Christians, we are also called to be faithful stewards. Refraining from theft is not enough. Maintaining faithful stewardship of the good things that God gives us is at the heart of this commandment.

The 8th Commandment is a post from: New Identity Magazine