Transforming Tuesday: Learning How To Submit

Have you ever had to submit? I'll be the first to say that I have my struggles with bowing down to authority. I naturally do not like to, but I am aware of the many foreseeable consequences that lie ahead if I do not submit. Today the Bible taught me that not all submission is bad! Actually submission is something that God rewards. Who doesn't want to be rewarded by God??? I know I do! That's my daily agenda.

Today's reading in Ephesians teaches us about submission in the household, meaning submission in the church and submission between spouses. We are told as the church to submit to God, just as wives are to submit to their husbands. Now since I am not married, I will choose to refrain from the submission between spouses lol. As I think about my personal church I am reminded of the importance of submission. I may not necessarily agree with everything that may happen (that's just life in general), but without submission how could we ever get anything done? There is an implied chain of command in the church: God is always first, then next the Bishop, the preacher, .... the congregation. Submission is effective because it cultivates this notion of unison. The Bible tells us to be gathered in one accord and that means that eventually someone has to submit to a greater authority.

Submission does not mean that you are weak or a pushover. Submission instills a sense of humility in each and everyone of us. What happens when we are humble?? When we become humble it gives God enough leeway to bless us more than we deserve and/or expect. Who doesn't like blessings??? And more importantly when we submit we are taking ourselves out of the equation and living out our daily duty of making this life about Jesus. As Jael stated in yesterday's Merciful Monday's post, "Jesus is our mark. He is the person we should strive to be like, the person we should imitate. He is the prime example of love because he sacrificed everything for us, including his life, in order to please God." Prior to Jesus dying on the cross for all of our sins, he had to first submit to authority from God. He had to submit to his faith. He had to submit to his spirit and denounce all fleshly desires. I can't imagine dying on a cross and subjecting myself to vast amounts of pain all for individuals who curse my name daily. However, my emotions, thought process, and calling are some of the things that separates Jamera from Jesus -- I'm human and perfectly flawed :)

So when there is an opportunity where we have to submit,

let's all try to "imitate" Jesus and take it all in stride. Submission does not always have to break you down -- it can actually build you up. We should start by looking at the positive in any situation. We submit to the law every single day: you can't text and drive, if you murder someone you're going to jail, if you don't pay your rent you're getting evicted. It's so easy to submit to all of these man-made laws but when it comes to submitting to who matters: God, it's a difficult task. We can start by honoring our submission to God by submitting to our leaders in the church. No one has to agree with every decision or even be excited about changes, but if we all develop the attitude of Christ and believe that our submission (and therefore involvement and commitment) will work for the greater good, then God will truly reward us all. Wouldn't it be great to have an entire church be collect recipients of God's blessings simply because they have learned the art of submission? Respect God and your church leaders enough to know that this life is never about us -- it's about our obedience to God in every aspect. Learn what ideas, notions, beliefs, activities, and choices you can and should submit to and what things you should not submit to.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for who you are today, tomorrow, and who you were yesterday. You have yet to change and as the days go by you remain the same. We come before you to ask that you allow us to be humbled before your name so that we can learn how to submit to your will. If it your will for us to be more active in the church, more proactive in our callings, and more effective in our ministry then we ask Lord God that you give us the motivation and the desire to do so. Allow us to remove ourselves out of the equation and focus solely on WHO and WHAT you have planned for us to be. We only want to submit to your will Lord. Everything else is secondary. Thank you in advance for the blessings that you are about to bestow upon our lives simply because we yearn to do only what you have requested of us. In your precious name we pray AMEN.

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAY :)

TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA

Merciful Monday: Imitation is Intimate

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. It shows that you think so highly of a person or thing that you want to do what they are doing. I often imitate (or try to imitate) characteristics of people that I think are admirable, like my grandmother’s mild-mannered nature, Martin Luther King Jr.’s will to create social change based on biblical principles, and even my cousin’s boldness in talking to straight up strangers without hesitation. Although I don’t always imitate these characteristics in true form, I try anyway. Sometimes we even imitate people unknowingly, out of habit. I’m starting to realize that I do so many things like my mother! The person that we should imitate above all though is God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Jesus is our mark. He is the person we should strive to be like, the person we should imitate. He is the prime example of love because he sacrificed everything for us, including his life, in order to please God.

But the first step to imitating someone is knowing them and knowing their habits. I always imitate the way that my dad walks when he is in a hurry because I know exactly how he does it. I’ve witnessed and even examined it enough times to know what it looks like and when it will most likely come in to play. I could not have come to this conclusion about my father had I not experienced it on multiple occasions. The same is true of our imitation of God. In order to imitate him, we have to know and experience him! We have to know when he usually shows up and when he usually does not, what makes him angry and what makes him happy, his favorite things, how to develop our relationship with him, where to find him, etc.

A lot of times to imitate something correctly, we have to see it in the light of day. In the darkness it is hard to see a facial expression, hand gesture, or a certain head nod in order to imitate it, but if you see it in the light, it’s much easier. Even with certain characteristics, it is hard to see them when they are hidden. A lot of times people hide things like infidelity for years, so their partners do not realize it until it is reveal as bright as day.  Or you may just not be in the proper environment to notice them. I’m not married but it seems this might explain why lots of husband and wives don’t know their spouse’s habits with things like which side of the bed they wish to sleep on, how hot they like their shower, etc. When characteristics are brought to the light, we see them in their truest form. And as imitators of Christ, we will develop the insight to determine whether they are good or bad, and whether they are things we should also take part in.

Ephesians 5:11-14 says, “Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. 

Basically, you can never go wrong if you seek to imitate Jesus! You will develop a relationship with him and an uncanny ability to determine good versus bad. 

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31

Salvation Sunday: I Am

As we go through life sometimes, we forget who God is. We forget that God is there with us ALL THE TIME!! I know that for myself there have been times where I forgot about God being there on my behalf. Sometimes I forget that God is here to help fight my problems and I try to do it myself. But we have to remember that God is ALWAYS there for us. God is the Almighty King!!! He is the King of Kings!!! He is The Lord of Lords!!! He is the Deliverer, the Savior and everything that we need!!! Everything that we go through, God is there to solve it. God is always ready to protect and take care of us. 

Also as Christians, we belong to God!!! I know sometimes we don't like to think to belong or be somebody's property. Sometimes we don't like to answer to someone. But if you think about, if there is something that belongs to you, then you protect with everything that you have. You take care of it and make sure it can fulfill it's purpose to the best that it can. With God, it's the same thing. Our Almighty God is our protector and He is who we belong to. He wants to protect us all the time. He wants to make sure that we are successful and operate in our purpose. The issue is will we let God do it. Will we trust God and let Him be who He is. We are His people and He is our God. There is no God beside Him and no one before or after Him. Since there is no one like Him and we belong to Him, then we are set to go.

Stay blessed!! 

Salvation Sunday: Steven 

Saturday Sacrifice: Servant of the Lord

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

    my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

    and he will bring justice to the nations...

“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
    I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people
    and a light for the Gentiles,
⁷ to open eyes that are blind,
    to free captives from prison
    and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness."

~Isaiah 42

Check out these videos about SERVING GOD=)

WHAT IF  SERVING GOD IS LESS LIKE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ams7_2i5tcY==>

AND


LOVE ON

 

Stay in God's Peace, not in pieces=)

Saturday Sacrifice: Hannah

Friday Fellowship

What is so Great About Having God in Your Life?

^{Isaiah 41}

²⁰ That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it

God wants to be involved in our lives. God also wants us to be cognizant of his intervention. When we apply God’s word to our lives and seek to know God more, we are inviting him into our lives. Once you invite God into your life, you are inviting the Great Things of God such as favor, blessings, direction, promises, peace, mercy, grace and this list can continue.

I’ll use my return to college as an example of HOW GREAT IT IS having God in your life! Also, how God showed me he was working in my life. The process of me returning to my former school, Montclair began with a conversation with my advisor. He informed me; I had to complete a semester at community college before returning.

    

   After, I completed a semester and my written re-admittance letter; he told me the decision process for my re-admittance would take a couple weeks. Weeks later, I called discovering I was accepted and I was ecstatic. However, soon after my advisor informed me the whole process I just took, was unnecessary. All that was required of me was filling out a form. I was shocked and in dismay that the same advisor was the informant of both contrary facts. I felt anger rise in me, and I was about to begin my combative questioning, until God stopped me.

      

God stopped me, by reminding me of the many moments where I thanked God vehemently for shutting down my plan. My plan was to directly attend Montclair. But, I simply was not ready; I had many cobwebs and needed the semester to regain my confidence. How could I complain to this advisor, when God was responsible for my path and it worked for my good? Had the advisor gave me the right information, I would’ve been at Montclair earlier, but not prepared to succeed. This situation is exactly like four other events that occurred in me returning to school. All things have simply worked out for my good! Things I thought went wrong, was simply God taking the wheel. Seeing things I considered wrong turn out to be undeniably better fills me with gratitude and whole hearted appreciation toward God in my life.

Romans 8:28

 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Thirsty Thursdays: Tis The Season

December is here, time to spread the holiday joy.  It is time to put up the tree, hang lights, decorations, stockings, listen to Christmas music, sing Christmas carols, and be with loved ones. Many people would agree on Christmas being their favorite holiday of the year and Christmas season being their favorite time of the year. Along with the décor and just general atmosphere, many people love Christmas because it is a time to give and receive gifts. Who doesn’t love gifts? Presents under the tree, wrapped up in wrapping paper just waiting for you to tear it open. New clothes, shoes, electronics, etc. What was one of your favorite gifts that you received on Christmas? While the lights, tree and material gifts are all very nice, we mustn’t forget “Jesus is the reason for the season”. Better than any gift anyone can give us is God’s grace.

God’s grace is his unmerited favor and love for us. One thing I read made an acronym G.R.A.C.E. that stood for God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. The blessings upon our lives, saving us from the punishment of sin, giving us eternal life, the strength and guidance he provides daily are all things we do not deserve yet get. “1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved…For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:1-5,8.

There is no Christmas without CHRIST. So while sipping eggnog enjoying this wonderful time of the year always remember and be thankful for our greatest gift, God’s grace. Unlike Santa who only rewards and gives gifts to those were nice while bringing coal to those who were naughty, God loves us all and his grace is available to us all as believers. It is by grace that we have been saved, through faith and it isn't from ourselves but it is a gift from God. “28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” Isaiah 40:28-31

Stay Thirsty My Friends

Thirsty Thursdays

Warrior Wednesday: Praise the Lord!

Have you ever sung "Praise is What I Do" by William Murphy?
I have included the lyrics below take a couple minutes and sing the song.

Solo
Praise is what I do
When I want to be close to You,
I lift my hands in praise.
Praise is who I am,
I will praise Him while I can.
I'll bless Him at all times.

Chorus
I vow to praise You
Through the good and the bad.
I'll praise You,
Whether happy or sad.
I'll praise You

(This is my testimony)
In all that I go through,
(Somebody said why)
Because praise is what I do,
Cause I owe it all to You.

Verse 1
(Come on church)
Praise is what I do
(Come on church)
When I want to be close to You,
(I lift my hands-somebody lift Him)
I lift my hands in praise.
(Somebody say it so the devil will hear you)
Praise is who I am,
(Come on praise the Lord)
I will praise Him while I can.
I'll bless Him at all times.

Chorus
And I vow to praise You
Through the good and the bad.
I'll praise You,
Whether happy or sad.
I'll praise You
(Somebody lift your voice and say)

Verse 2
Praise is what I do,
Even when I am going through,
(See I've learned...)
I've learned to worship You.
(See I want to let the devil know tonight, even though...)
Though my circumstance doesn't even stand a chance,
My praise out weighs the bad.

(So I vow to praise)

Repeat Chorus

Now somebody lift your voice
And just go to praising him right now
Somebody lift your voice in this place
Lift up your voice in this place


The song is a beautiful expression of the author's praise to God. The writer states he will praise God through the good times and the bad. During my senior year in high school I remember singing this song and making a commitment to God that I would praise him in good times and in bad.  My prayer was extremely sincere. I knew my life would not always be as easy as it was in high school.  I was preparing myself to give God the praise he is worthy of despite my situation.

As you can imagine, I began to face difficult situations however, I never forgot my commitment to praise God. Every time I gave thanks I would begin to feel better about my situation. If you are discouraged this is the perfect opportunity to praise God! Praising God will make you feel better as God works on your behalf.  As the song states "...my circumstance doesn't even stand a chance, my praise out weighs the bad." Your praise will begin to minimize the challenge you are facing. So praise him!

Psalms 150
"Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power."
"Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness."
"Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp."
"Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with the stringed instruments and organs."
"Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals."
"Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."

What is your praise style? Do you praise God while driving, in your home or at church? Do you sing, speak, or dance your praise? Do you shout or do you give God a quiet praise? Praising God is exciting. He is worthy of all of our praise. So praise him with all that is within you. The author of this last Psalms tells us to praise God with a variety of instruments and dance. If you have breath which you must since you are alive you need to praise GOD!

 

 

Stay Blessed and Continue Warring for Christ!

Warrior Wednesday: Brittney

Transforming Tuesday: Being Accountable For Your Calling

Have you ever gotten into trouble for something someone else did? Being one of six girls, this was always something I had to deal with while growing up. If remember when my sister fell outside while I was home and my mom yelled at me. I was so confused as to how I got punished although I was neither outside with her nor did I have any involvement her falling. Today, after reading Ezekiel I understand the importance of being held accountable. Being held accountable doesn't always mean that you have some involvement in a situation or that you had some contribution to a negative situation. Accountability simply means that someone holds you in such a high esteem that they trust you enough to put you in charge. Do you desire to grow spiritually, mentally, and emotionally? Or are you comfortable with your stagnant situation? If you desire to mature into a leadership position you must be also willing to accept the challenge of accountability.

If you have never been held accountable for anything in your life God still holds you accountable. We're held accountable for our sins, our thoughts, what we harbor in our hearts, our God-given talents, and our actions--those we choose to do and the ones we don't do. Believe it or not, the Bible holds us accountable for the sins/actions of others. As stated in Ezekiel 3:18-19 "When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself." How is it that God holds us accountable for the sins of others? Well just as the mentality that my mother displayed to me while growing up, God expects so much more from us as believers. Why is that? As believers we hold the keys and tools to achieving eternal life so it makes sense that he would hold us to higher standards than he would for others who do not know how to gain access to eternal life. A parent wouldn't hold a 2 year old in the same regard as they would an 18 year old. With different maturity levels comes different responsibilities and with those responsibilities comes a different level of accountability.  

What Exactly Are You Being Held Accountable For?

Quite often I find that we confuse accountability with punishment. This is no punishment--this is a blessing. God trusts you enough to do his will. Ezekiel in today's reading was called to be a prophet and as a result, he was held to a different level of accountability. In essence like Ezekiel, we as Christians are held accountable to our gifts and whether or not we obey the will of God. Ezekiel was only going to be accountable for the sins of the Israelites if he didn't warn them against sinning. However, if he did what he was called to do by God then his life would be saved.

The message is clear!!!

If you want to advance in the calling that God has over your life, then:

1. You must be willing to be accountable for the actions of others. When God calls us, he does in a manner that will not only benefit us, but also others. God is a giving God -- he gives grace, love, peace, protection, mercy, etc. and in our journey of being more like him we have to develop that same giving attitude. Try to display the love of God all over you wherever you go, because you might be the one encounter that someone needs to give their life to Christ.

2. You must be willing to be ostracized from the crowd. People scream that they want truth, but when they finally get it they don't know what to do with it. Ezekiel was ordered by God to go into Israel and preach truth to rebels. God constantly reassured Ezekiel that he shouldn't be afraid. This just goes to show that God is always there.

3. You must always understand that there is a 100% chance that you will gain enemies while you’re doing the will of God. And in gaining those enemies you must remember that people aren’t necessarily rebelling against you, but rather the Jesus or the truth in you. Ezekiel 3:7 states, “But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.” The battle isn’t yours; the battle is the Lord’s.

4. You must trust that when God gave you your talent, he also equipped you with the necessary tools to carryout your task. God doesn’t leave anything undone or halfway finished. He is God and perfect in all of his ways. The Bible states in Ezekiel 3:8-9, “Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead.” When we get our assignments, we also get our tools.

5. You have to be willing to execute the plan/calling that God has for you, by listening and establishing truth in your heart. According to Ezekiel 3:10, God required Ezekiel to hear the word from God and also receive it in his heart.  It states, “Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears.”

-Erma Bombeck

My prayer is that our talents, passions, and hobbies link perfectly with the calling and purpose that God has for our lives. In the case that they don’t, it is my prayer that God somehow makes it so that we gravitate towards and develop a love for what he calls us to be/purpose that he has placed over our lives. And lastly, I pray that we use each and every talent that God has given us--leaving nothing unused.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRANSFORM YOUR TUESDAYS :)

TRANSFORMING TUESDAY: JAMERA

Merciful Monday: Overcoming the Flesh

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. -Newton's 3rd Law

For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. So for every good out there there's an evil; for every kind  person there is an unkind; for every joy there is sorrow. It's just a natural law, it's the nature in the universe, it's how God created things. As our previous guest blogger, Devin mentioned, we are constantly warring and battling to do what's right. And this basic explanation is part of the reason why. 

Today's reading in Galatians breaks down our human internal conflict of good versus evil. This conflict is between the flesh and the spirit. The flesh inherently wants to do evil. That's why people gossip, lie, cheat, steal, etc. so easily. It's basically natural. On the other hand, the Spirit (the capital "S" denotes the spirit of God, aka the Holy Spirit) wants nothing but good for you! And when you allow the Spirit to reside within you and you decide to walk in the characteristics of the Holy Spirit, you take on some of that desire for good. See, the only way to overcome the works of the flesh is through the Holy Spirit.

Butttt just because you are a Christian and have the Holy Spirit, does not mean that your fleshly desires will ever fully go away. Like you hear of people being delivered from alcoholism or from mental illness, but they still sin in some way, just like we all do. The Holy Spirit helps you to manage your fleshly desires, though, and gives you a little nudge in the opposite direction when you are headed toward pleasing your flesh. The reality is that we need that. We need something bigger than ourselves. Like I wrote about last Monday, we need help! Galatians 5:16 and 17 says, "So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions." 

A lot of people think that it's cool to sin because they find pleasure in fulfilling their desires. But really it's the other way around. Going AGAINST your sinful nature is really what's cool and rewarding. Sin is simple. It's easy to give in to what you were already set up by evil forces to do, but it's harder to stand up against that and try to do and be better. It's harder to be Christ-like, so let's stand up and meet the challenge! 

Merciful Mondays: Jael

^“For the Lord your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the solemn covenant he made with your ancestors.” Deuteronomy 4:31

Salvation Sunday: BE FREE!!!

Lamentations 5 talks about how the people feel bound, hopeless, helpless and strangers in the land. They feel that they have no hope or no help. They feel that God has forgotten about them. Or that God is not listening to them. They feel that God doesn't want them anymore. They were looking for a way out of their mess. They wanted to be FREE!!

Many of us think at times that God is not hearing our prayers or that God is not near us. Some may ask "Why did you let this happen?" or "God where are you?" or "Where is my help God?".  But I want to encourage you that God is always there for you. When you feel like God is listening or you feel like no one is caring about you, just remember that God is always there. God loves you and He just wants you to work a little bit for your help. Sometimes He wants us to push our way through freedom and trust Him through the process of it all. The way out is through praising God!!! If you can't think f something to praise God for or use in prayer, Psalm 147 is an awesome chapter to use. God is a healer, deliverer and your Savior. I encourage you to read it honestly and believe it. He is awesome and has crazy power. His understanding is INFINITE. That means He knows it all. He knows what you can handle and He knows what is necessary for you to endure. Yes, it's not gonna be something you like. But if you don't go through it, you can't grow and become better. Trust God and praise Him like crazy and see your way out. Praise is the way out!!! Praise is our way to freedom and to have the breakthrough. You want to be free from your past? Praise God!!! You want to be free from emotional hurts? Praise God for who He is and let Him work on ya. We have to trust God and do it through praise!!!

Once you are free, you gotta keep praising God. And then you gotta go help others become free. Your liberty is to be an example to others about the goodness of Jesus. When we become free, we should want to become invisible so that people can see God. When we become invisible and show others the love of God, then people will see true love and become FREE!!! People won't see you as a religious nut. They'll see you a real person who loves God. They'll see that you're a real person like them and they'll see that they can be FREE just like 

you. And to be honest, there are tons of people who are hurting and yearning to know God. There are people who are contemplating suicide and because of the love that they receive can change their minds and make them want to know God. I can't stress it enough. People are hurting, dying and yearning for someone to show them God. Be invisible and let them see God!!!

Let's be invisible so that others can become FREE!!! 

Today's Prayer:
God, I'm thanking You for Your grace and mercy. If it was not for Your hand upon my life, I have no idea where I would be. I thank You for Your love and for Your example of how to live. I thank You that You see something in me and for trying me to become a better person. I thank You God for Your healing and your deliverance. I am asking that God we will continue to remember what our purpose is in this life. Remind us that God You are the main person that we are to focus. Remind us that God there are tons of people who are hurting and need to BE FREE!! God continue to guide and direct us so that they can be FREE!!! Thank You for Your love!!!

Stay Blessed!!
Salvation Sundays: Steven Gable
 2 Chronicles 6:41 "Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness."