Don’t get stuck in your present. By Dr. Josimar Salum

Don’t get stuck in your present.
Dr. Josimar Salum

Reinhard Bonnke was a man of God that lived far beyond his capacity. From a small beginning in Africa he became the most successful preacher of the whole African continent. 

I posted this message he wrote:

 “When you do business with people you need money.  When you do business with God you need faith.  Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God.”

The point is not about doing business, but the relationship with God who teaches us that Faith is the only currency of the kingdom of heaven. 

People go after money and think money is the solution of their problems. 

Faith is what we need to live. Not money. 

Men talking is money! The whole world goes after money. Money is an invention of men. Money obscures faith because faith in God supplies everything, even money. Faith in God elevates you above your existence. 

Look at this! This is faith that doesn’t accept defeat:

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk‬ ‭3:17-19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Then someone eager to prosper and overcome the challenges of life replied:  “But it's not easy for some from western countries.”

Let me encourage you as I have encouraged him. 

You are who you think you are! If you think there is no hope for you, you already have given up!

If you look around you with a pessimistic eye you will get stuck at your present position and condition. 

If you see God beyond your circumstances you will dream beyond what you see. You will exercise your faith to get beyond what you have or who you are. 

Where you are now is just a station of transition. 

I encourage you to think differently. 

When everyone around you is complaining about their life, you are seeing yourself above your problems and the problems of others. 

Be creative. You will never get stuck where you are if you move. 

You may not change how you were born, but you can change your future by changing the way you think. 

Think positively. 

You were born to become a champion and a king. 

Start ruling above your circumstances. 

Make decisions to change your life, step by step, every day you do something that will help you to fulfill your dream. 

A lion don’t die hungry. You decide you will not live the way you live. You don’t know about those around you, how they will do. That is not your reference. You know about you and you have decided to overcome in life no matter how is your situation today.

Remember! You have not arrived your destination. Circumstances may not change but you will change. SOON, very soon, you will see your existing life far away behind you. 

#ASONE

Don't Give Up! By Fabrice Nyenzi

Don't Give Up! By Fabrice Nyenzi

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

If you are being overwhelmed by circumstances, and feel as though you're losing control - don't panic! You don't have to give up and give in to the stress. 

We want to remind you that you are never alone. You have an inseparable connection with the Holy Spirit, and the same power that lives in you is the power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

Fill your mind with the promises of God; believe that what His Word says is true. Then make sure you only speak words that line up with that Word. 

Act like someone who has received the victory, not as someone who is defeated. 

The devil has been defeated concerning you, and he has no power over you - no weapon he forms against you can prosper. 

So refuse to worry and don't be fearful about your future. 

Draw close to God as you delight in His Word, so you can rise up in faith and the authority Jesus has given you as a victorious child of God. He has made you capable to overcome everything through His strength that is inside you.

#JSalum
#ASONE

The Power of Failure By Joseph Mattera

The Power of Failure
Joseph Mattera
10/16/19

One of the great human freedoms is the freedom to fail and to get back up and try again! I have heard it said that before Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States, he went bankrupt and lost several local and national elections. To unleash potential, we must be willing to allow people to fail forward. Controlling others does not unleash their potential; trusting them to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes does.

Jesus was able to release potential better than anybody else, even though He had to work with people who were crude, unpolished, inexperienced leaders who often made mistakes. This was because Jesus allowed people to fail as part of their discipleship process. If Jesus were a micromanaging control freak who expected perfection from His followers, He would have failed in His mission of starting a global movement. We can see from reading the Gospels how all of His key people were entrusted with leadership even though they had a lot of rough edges and even failed when it came to some decision-making. For example, Jesus had to correct the apostles James and John for wanting to call fire down from heaven to destroy the city of Samaria because its inhabitants didn’t want to receive Jesus (Luke 9:51–56).

The apostle Peter was initially so unpredictable that within a span of minutes he went from being the first person to receive the revelation from God the Father that Jesus was the promised Messiah to attempting to talk this Messiah out of fulfilling His main mission of dying on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus actually addressed Peter as Satan because he was under the influence of the evil one (Matt. 16:13–23). In one episode Peter went from being influenced by God to a spokesperson for the devil!

Most of us probably would have given up on a person so unpredictable. But Jesus hung in there with Peter. After His ascension, Jesus used Peter as the spokesperson of His church even after Peter gave in to temptation and denied that he ever knew Jesus (Matt. 26:69–75). Consequently Jesus restored Peter back to ministry after He rose from the dead (John 21:15–17) and was proved correct, because in just a few short weeks Peter became the leader of the newly formed church and preached that great message on the day of Pentecost that led to three thousand people committing themselves to following Christ!

I remember when I first started our ministry in 1980. We had a young man fresh out of Bible school who had an incredible heart for God and felt a call to preach the gospel. He had a lack of confidence, which manifested through excessive stuttering. Even though he could hardly get a sentence out of his mouth without stuttering, I allowed him to preach on occasion and kept encouraging him despite his obvious limitations. I never told him that he stuttered, and despite how painful it was in those beginning days to hear him preach, the Lord kept showing me to have him preach. He began to transform right before my eyes and within a few years rarely stuttered. He eventually moved to another country with his family and did such powerful missionary work that a whole nation was greatly impacted by his ministry to the leaders of the church in that island nation!

To this day he has a strong and viable ministry that would have been in jeopardy if I would have corrected him for his excessive stuttering and told him that he couldn’t preach unless he overcame his speech impediment. Most people forget that Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school team and didn’t win his first (of six) championships with the Chicago Bulls until he was twenty-eight years old and in the league for about seven years! The Bulls became so dominant that most people thought that winning a championship was automatic for them, but they had to suffer many years of failure in the playoffs before they reached their potential.

Failure can actually lead to success and to the release of our potential when we can learn from our past and become wiser for the future. When we learn from our experiences, those experiences become a tool for us to grow. If we refuse to honestly assess our life and learn from our failures, we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over and will waste years of our lives. We need to view failure in the same way that scientists view it. While our American culture glorifies success and loves its winners, as illustrated in how we worship our sports heroes, the greatest advances in science and technology came about in Western history because scientists viewed failure in an experiment as just another process in their journey of proving their hypothesis. Thus, every failure was a continuum to build upon because it narrowed down the possibilities and got closer to finding the true hypothesis. If we would only view failure as scientists do instead of how it’s viewed in sports (with a winner-take-all approach), then we would continually advance in our quest toward releasing our potential in life.

Another way of viewing failure in a positive light is by realizing that sometimes we fail because we are taking on new and greater responsibilities that challenge our mental, spiritual, and physical abilities. For example, powerlifters will attempt to lift a weight they have never successfully lifted before in order to increase their capacity for muscle strength and resistance. In doing this, they will often fail to lift it by themselves, but they will have a person spotting them who will aid them by placing a finger on the weight to help them complete a full repetition. If they only lifted weights they were comfortable with and didn’t push their muscles to failure, they would never go to the next level.

When I first learned how to ride a bike, I continually fell for three days before I was able to successfully keep my balance and ride. A baby has to fall numerous times before he or she learns to walk and has to master walking before he or she can ever begin to run.

I was encouraging a man who was discouraged because he thought he was losing ground in his faith and back- sliding because he was failing in some of the tests and temptations that were coming his way. I told him that he wasn’t losing ground spiritually because now he had more responsibility than ever before and was failing merely because the tests were getting harder and harder and revealing weaknesses in his character that he had to overcome by continuing to mature. We have to remember that when we come to a new level, there will be a new and greater devil to meet us and test us!

Amazingly enough, as I finished writing this chapter, I came across an interview with Nick Foles, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. He said things in the article that line up with the principles in this chapter. I want to quote some excerpts of his interview:

“I think the big thing is don’t be afraid to fail,” Foles said. “I think in our society today, Instagram, Twitter, it’s a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. And then when you look at it, when you think like, wow, when you have a rough day, ‘My life’s not as good as that,’ (you think) you’re failing.

“Failure is a part of life. It’s a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would

you be? I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousands of times. Made mistakes.

“We all are human, we all have weaknesses, and I think throughout this, (it’s been important) to be able to share that and be transparent. I know when I listen to people speak and they share their weak- nesses, I’m listening. Because (it) resonates.

“So I’m not perfect. I’m not Superman. I might be in the NFL, I might have just won a Super Bowl, but, hey, we still have daily struggles, I still have daily struggles. And that’s where my faith comes in, that’s where my family comes in.

“I think when you look at a struggle in your life, just know that’s just an opportunity for your character to grow. And that’s just been the message. Simple. If something’s going on in your life and you’re struggling? Embrace it. Because you’re growing.”1

To summarize what I have learned about failure in life, the following are twelve principles I want to leave with you as I end this chapter. These principles are essential if we are going to have the attitude necessary to both teach and release people to unleash their potential and walk in their divine destiny. Why? Because everybody will be tested by failure—some more than others. How people react and respond to personal failure will determine whether they will be ordinary or extraordinary in life

#JSalum #ASONE

Something pleasurable in our Bubanza Province

Doing something which don't usually happen, the Governor of Bubanza Province has gathered the leaders of different parties to experience how to live in harmony. Great conversations took place. At the end they shared a drink. God bless our Governor and protect our country. — Thierry Nyomukiza #ASONE

“Love it and need more of it.” - Julie Marner #ASONE

“There is no more precious gift for BURUNDI at this moment than peace and liberty. Sincere reconciliation must take place first in your hearts. You are courageous and will not let the past dictate your future. Hearts filled with forgiveness and love will produce unity and onenesses beyond what you have seen. If everyone open their hearts a revolution of Love will spread all over the nation bringing progress, positive change and transformation. This is possible if you start and persevere do to others as you would have them do to you.” — Josimar Salum #ASONE

About Barak Obama and the LGBT agenda. Dr. Josimar Salum

About Barak Obama and the LGBT agenda. 
Dr. Josimar Salum

Somente shared an interesting quote in our School of Transformation WhatsApp group from former US President Barak Obama. And I had to made the following comment.

“Unfortunately this Barak Obama has been the president that has promoted more abortions in US and in Africa and has promoted the LGBT-gay agenda as any other President in US history. He has mocked the Bible, Christian principles and praised Islamism as a religion of peace. He had declared that US was not a Christian nation any longer and the changes he fostered have brought the nation far away from the Living God.”

You should read about it taking a look on this NBC article among many others:

*Obama's Quiet Mission to Export Gay Rights Overseas*
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna673861

Then someone sent me privately the following question:

“I still have problem about this issue is being gay a sin or do you understand the way someone may be gay and not be in sin.”

I will let the Bible answer this question without any comments.

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

*Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. * They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, *God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. * Furthermore, just as they did not think it worth while to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” Romans‬ ‭1:18, 21, 24-28‬

* ““ ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Leviticus‬ ‭18:22‬ *

* ““ ‘If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable ...“ Leviticus‬ ‭20:13‬ *

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers *nor men who have sex with men nor thieves* nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:9-10

“We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, *for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, * for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine” 1 Timothy‬ ‭1:9-10

“Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve (spiritual) death, *they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” * Romans‬ ‭1:32‬

#ASONE

UN: Global warming and an anti Christ agenda.

UN: Global warming and an anti Christ agenda.
By Dr Josimar Salum

Many people are waiting for the “antichrist” man to manifest, when in fact there are many antichrists in the world according to the Bible and not just one.

 This week a 16-year-old girl, sponsored by a wicked billionaire, spoke at the UN in the spirit of antichrist and delighted the world - and many believers.

 It alarmed the world with an imminent extinction of the human race due to the earth's climate conditions.

 How deceiving and deluding to so many people, to millions of Christians around the world who have learnt to repeat what the world systems, the world media and some governments say without any honest and diligent inquiry. You don’t need false science to convince you to take care of nature. 

It is just a frenesi all these reports that flood all means of communication that make somebody look fool for disagreeing with the status quo. 

  “The earth will be flooded with the melting of glaciers at the north and south poles.” Really?

 Place an ice stone in a bowl and fill the bowl with water to the mouth.  The ice will float like a small iceberg.  After the small iceberg is completely thawed, no drop of water will spill out.  The water level in the container will remain unchanged.

 Global warming is a scam.  Global warming is a myth. Global warming is a fraud.

 #ASONE

Dr. Salum;

This nonsense has been going on for decades.  It is all lies. The Bible is very clear that spring time and harvest will continue until the coming of Jesus.  

The last time they had one of the conferences was in Washington DC. Al Gore spoke about global warming and the city was strike with one of the largest snow falls in recent history.  I really believe God is mocking these foolish people.  

You are absolutely correct that we should take care of our environment, but to make the ridiculous predictions they make is all fear based and motivated by people who want to control the masses. 

Fear not!  Stand on the truth of God’s Word and know that the Truth will set you free. 

ASONE 

Dr Paul Taylor

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies promises

ALERT: “Is there anyone who might be interested in Crypto Currency and is a good team builder?“*

Have you noticed that wealthy respected people don’t have this “kind” of “money”. A currency that is fabricated on the web that you don’t know nothing about.

Please, get out of these fake promises of riches!

Some people may make money on this scheme to the expense our of naive and poor people. This is not right. This is corruption. Where is God in all of this?

WORK! WORK! Invest in tangible things. Produce real wealth and not in fogs of nothing. Please, think about it. -

 Dr. Josimar Salum

 #ASONE

My Letter to All Women of the World by Esperance Amani

MY LETTER TO ALL WOMEN OF THE WORLD by Esperance Amani

To all women who sacrificed their lives so that today I may have the right to study,

To all women who were killed so that today I may have right to stand in front of people and deliver my speech or give my opinions and share my ideas,

To all women who keep showing great examples in the world, to all women who are fighting for women's rights.

Happy women's day!!!

A woman is a very important person in a society. Once we ignore her, we ignore community development through many things such as: education, health care, justice, economy, gospel...

Remember, women represent above 60% of the population. 

Imagine if the 60%of the population still behind, 

Imagine if 60% of the population don't have access on schooling ,

Imagine if 60% of the population don't have the right to decision making

Imagine if 60% of the population don't have the right to share their ideas, dreams and visions publicly , 

Imagine if 60%of the population don't have the right to work where they want,

Imagine if 60% of the population cannot maximize their potential!

Just imagine! How will the world look like without those 60% of amazing and special human beings?

For women who don't support women like you,
Women who are always jealous when a woman like you goes higher, 
For lazy women who always wait to be given, for women who always discriminate, undermine and discourage themselves...
Remember you are unique and special. 

God has gifted you according to your ability,

Just find your purpose and do what you've been created for!

Women who disobey their husbands because of some misinterpretations of events like... 8th of March for some reasons or others, remember no matter how your husband is you still a woman.

I repeat no matter how your husbands are, you still are women in the house of God. He also gave you responsibilities; to guide and take care of your families. He commanded us to obey our husbands  (though I'm not yet married, I know it is in the Bible😉)

The Bible says: "The wise woman builds her family but the foolish one destroys it with her hands"

You are very unique, special, important and powerful human beings.

So take advantage of what you are to build,  not to destroy, give the best of yourselves and maximize the potential you have.

There's a reason to be born a woman. You are life givers if you didn't know! God believed in you and gave you a great role to play in the world, He made you the Heart, the cornerstone of your families. 

So, know that if you are well, your family will be well physically, economically and spiritually, the community will develop, the country as well.

Be the ones you've been created to be!

Happy women's day once more.

#WomensRights
#specialCreatures
#CornerstoneOfFamilies
#MotherSisterDaughter
#proudToBeCalledAwoman

The Health Benefits of Moringa Powder

The Health Benefits of Moringa Powder
Source: Sunfood Super Foods 

The moringa plant is a large tree that is considered miraculous among those who benefit from its health properties.  Unlike many other plants, the moringa tree is completely useful with everything from its leaves, flowers, pods, and seeds all being suitable and nutritious for human consumption.  While moringa trees normally grow in the Himalayan Mountains of India, the tree’s popularity has helped it travel to areas such as Africa, Asia, and America.  If you’re interested in learning more about moringa and how it can help you achieve better health, keep reading.  Listed below are ten of the greatest health benefits of the moringa plant. 

#1. Moringa Wards off Exhaustion. 

Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom conducted a survey about tiredness and fatigue, and the results were disturbing – approximately one out of every five people feels exhausted, and one in ten people battle fatigue at any given time. Problems like tiredness and fatigue make it difficult for people to succeed at work, accomplish tasks, and keep up with relationships.  Moringa helps by supplying a healthy serving of iron and vitamin A, providing a good fight against unwanted exhaustion.  Iron is a great asset in the battle against tiredness, while vitamin A makes it possible for iron to be properly metabolized.  When you choose to add Moringa to your diet, you can seek to cut out dangerous uppers such as sugary soft drinks, teas, and coffee which can actually cause anxiety when taken in high doses.    

#2. Moringa Gives Your Skin a Healthy Glow. 

If you battle wrinkling, dry, dull, or blemish-covered skin, moringa may provide the vitamins, you need to transform your appearance completely.   Moringa contains vitamin A which helps to heal skin and give it a radiant, glowing appearance.  If you’re worried about age lines, moringa also provides a healthy dose of vitamin E which helps prevent oxidative stress from damaging skin cells.   Moringa is rich in antioxidants with levels that are unmatchable by almost any other food or plant.  While antioxidants have a wide variety of health benefits, they are vital in the fight to keep skin looking young and healthy.  Through the use of moringa, you can look forward to skin that is smooth, soft, and blemish-free.   

#3. Moringa Keeps the Doctor Away. 

You’ve heard the old saying that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” – well, move over apples because a new health food is in town.  Moringa is full of fantastic immune-boosting properties such as iron and vitamin A.  These properties help to keep the immune system in fantastic shape and make it healthy enough to fight off potential diseases ranging from common colds to serious illnesses and infections.

#4. Kiss Stress Goodbye with Moringa. 

Stress is so common that we often start to wonder if it’s possible to live without it.  Research done by the Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics revealed that it is possible to kiss stress goodbye and that moringa leaves may plan a vital role in the process.  Moringa contains important adaptogens that naturally block stress from affecting the human body.  Not only do the adaptogens contained in moringa leaves give stress a kick in the butt, but they are also known for helping to improve attention and provide new energy for those battling exhaustion.  While we often turn to caffeinated beverages for a similar pick-up, moringa gives you the same results with no dangerous side-effects and tons of additional benefits. 

#5. Moringa Gets Those Muscles Growing. 

Have you ever tried working out and going to the gym, but discovered that your quest for that perfect, ripped body seemed impossible to attain?  If so, your workout routine might not be the problem – you may just need some more moringa in your diet.  To build muscles or even maintain your existing muscles, your body needs a good dose of protein – on its own, your body can’t produce protein, so it needs you to supply it with this important muscle-building supplement.  Moringa leaves are almost made up of one-fourth protein, giving them the opportunity to truly impact your muscle mass.  Moringa is especially popular among vegans and vegetarians who cannot receive protein through meat-based foods. 

#6. Moringa puts Up a Fight Against Diabetes.

Diabetes is a serious condition that affects many people in America.  While diabetes treatment can seem unhelpful at best, moringa is a natural way to combat the disease by decreasing levels of blood glucose.

The University of Eastern Finland recently discovered that replacing some meat protein with Moringa and other plant-based proteins can reduce the chances of one developing type 2 diabetes by almost 20%.

#7. Moringa Provides Strong, Healthy Bones. 

Breaks or fractures to bones can put a serious strain on one’s life – especially those who already battle illness or are elderly.  The moringa plant helps to keep bones healthy by providing vitamin K, protein, and calcium.  So, the next time you plan to make a smoothie don’t forget to add a healthy supply of moringa leaves to the mix as well

#8.  Get a Boost of Energy from Moringa. 

Not only does moringa powder help to ward off stress and tiredness, but it also has the potential to give consumers a boost of energy.  The energy boost from moringa is gained through the iron and calcium included in the plant, which both help your metabolism provide a supply of natural energy.  Since moringa provides natural energy, you can enjoy the boost without worry of a sudden crash like those associated with caffeine. 

#9.  Moringa Keeps Your Vision Clear. 

While we are rarely as thankful as we should be for our vision, having good eyesight is an important part of daily life.  From being able to see to read a book, drive a car, or appreciate the sweet faces of loved ones, vision makes a huge difference in one’s life.  Nutrition plays an important role in vision and, thanks to the great source of vitamin A in moringa, it is the perfect plant to help maintain normal eyesight. 

#10.  Moringa Improves the Digestive System. 

Many people battle with digestive problems that lead to constipation, stomach pain, and the need for laxatives.  Moringa helps to regulate the digestive system by providing a rich supply of calcium that will keep digestive enzymes functioning normally.  Also, moringa has a good supply of fiber which can get the digestive tract back in order and keep bowels moving properly.  Getting your digestive system under control can also reduce your appetite, help you lose weight, and assist you in maintaining a healthy metabolism. 

These are only a few of the many benefits of the moringa tree.  These plants are truly remarkable containing 25% plant protein, the nine essential amino acids, 24% fiber, vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and antioxidants.   With such a wide selection of beneficial vitamins and minerals, it’s no wonder moringa is considered one of the healthiest plants on the market!

What Does It Taste Like?

When something is this good for you, it’s hard to imagine that it would taste at all pleasant; however, Sunfood  Moringa Powder offers a fantastic surprise!  Moringa leaves are known for being delicious and presenting an earthy, spinach-like taste that makes consumers want to eat more. Those who are familiar with matcha green tea also claim that the taste of moringa is similar.  Rather than being something to avoid, moringa is a good-for-you plant that may have you craving more and more! 

How Do People Use Moringa Powder? 

With its delicious flavor, many people love to add moringa to their meals and drinks.  Most people opt to mix in moringa powder to their morning or post-workout smoothie. 

How is Moringa Powder Better than Synthetic Supplements? 

While the benefits of moringa definitely seem appealing, some people feel that it is better to turn to synthetic supplements and vitamins for their health needs.  While synthetic products may be better than taking nothing, they are no match for the natural benefits of moringa powder.  Because moringa powder provides the nutrients naturally, they are more easily absorbed into one’s body, making it possible to enjoy the greatest selection of health benefits.  Forget ordering capsules that will be hard for your system to absorb – instead, incorporate them naturally through the use of moringa. 

If you want to experience the greatest health benefits available, you should start implementing the moringa plant into your diet.  With its wide selection of proteins, vitamins, and minerals, moringa provides a full-body boost that will keep you healthy from the inside out

#JSalum
#ASONE

Developing a Christian Culture that Results in Human Flourishing, Part 2

Developing a Christian Culture that Results in Human Flourishing, Part 2 

Joseph Mattera

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead proves that a new heaven and new earth inauguration already began. Jesus, as the first fruits, and His saints will follow at the climax and culmination of history and full manifestation of the new heavens and earth when our bodies are also resurrected in the last day (see 1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

The following realms of society were reframed at the resurrection because of the Lordship of Christ:

POLITICS 

Politics

Acts 17:7; Jesus is the True Caesar:

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Since the church was spreading among the Gentiles (not merely limited to the Jews) Rome had a huge problem on their hands since their empire was held together politically with Caesar worship. Now thousands of people were proclaiming that there was another King who is Lord of everyone else, including Caesar. This is what eventuated in the violent reaction of Rome against the church.

THE WORKPLACE 

Business

The church functioned as a benefactor community for all people in their community; Titus 2:13,14;3:8:

“waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”

These two passages elucidate the fact that the early church saw themselves as a community of people called to serve and better their community. This reframed even the workplace and the purpose of wealth as each believer used their time, treasure, and talents to serve their city and extend the reign of Christ through a practical demonstration of His love.

FAMILY

Family

Their leaders modeled a family unit in submission to Christ as the head. Read Ephesians 5 :21-33 and 1 Timothy 3:5, which gives as a primary qualification for church elders the call to be faithful to their families:  “If a man cannot manage his own house how can he manage the house of God.”

Also, Ephesians 5 speaks about a husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church in the midst of a Roman/Greco culture that generally devalued women and used marriage only as a way to have children and perpetuate their family legacy (romance was often connected to arrangements outside the bounds of traditional  marriage); hence, the command to love their wife connected both romance and sacrifice in the marriage which revolutionized Western Civilization.

EDUCATION 

Education

They honored the Scriptures as the primary way of equipping and maturing the saints starting from childhood.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 says: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Scripture was used to catechize new believers and disciple their children (see also Deut. 6:6-9) which eventually became the impulse to create a “Grand Synthesis” that universities (starting in about the 11th century) utilized, in their attempt to orbit all truth and every discipline around theology and the study of the Bible.

PHILOSOPHY 

Philosophy

The Apostle Paul challenged the wisdom of this world with the wisdom of God demonstrated in Jesus (see Paul before the Areopagus in Acts 17, in which he challenged Greek polytheism, idolatry, and quoted their famous poets to make a case for worshipping the One true God). Read 1 Cor. 1:17-24 to see how the Gospel of Jesus challenged the philosophy of the times.

In Colossians 2:8-10 Paul says:

“…..See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

RELIGION 

Religion

JESUS turned the religious world on its head when He challenged the dark powers of the false deities, worshipped in Roman/ Greco culture. As we see in Matthew 16:16-19, Jesus said He was building His church upon the rock that was next to the goat god “Pan” which was connected to the cave/pit called the gates of hell (where people were alleged to be thrown alive into the pit if they did not appease the goat god Pan in their immoral rituals and worship).

We also see Paul challenging polytheism and witchcraft in Acts chapters 14 and 19 in his Gospel messages.

ART 

Art

Paul re-characterized art and poetry by renaming and reframing their statue to the unknown God and giving meaning to popular Greek poetry (see Acts 17).

A new genre of music was created for the gentile world!

Ephesians 5:18,19 says: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart”

Music

Paul taught the church to make use of the Hebrew Psalms, as well as the creation of new hymns and spontaneous spiritual songs of the heart, which created a new genre of music for the Gentile world.

All of the above demonstrated that the church—as a new nation—was not focused merely on going to heaven but rather introduced a new vision for life on the earth related to family, politics, business, music, art, and philosophy as the “new man” (see Ephesians 2). The church was called to envision and walk out a new creation (see 2 Cor. 5:21) which began at the resurrection and ascension of the true King of kings and Lord of all—JESUS Christ.

As they modeled the Kingdom of God in their own subculture, they were able to export it to every aspect of the communal life of the city they were immersed in.

In light of this article, we need to ask ourselves some questions:

Do we embody and celebrate biblical values or the values of the secular humanistic Worldview?

Are we a disciple of Christ that integrates our faith in the workplace or merely a Sunday church attender?

Should churches empower disciples for the workplace or only the church place?

#JSalum
#ASONE

God's Kingdom is a treasure.We need to dig and find it by Dr. Paul Taylor

We have shared with you many times that the Kingdom of God is discovered!  

You have to search for God and He will be found.  

You have to recognize that the Kingdom of God is a treasure and dig for it, to find it. 

G.K. Chesterton onces said,  

"How much happier you would be, how much more of you there would be, if the hammer of God could smash your small cosmos, scattering the stars like spangles, and leave you in the open, free like other men to look up as well as down!  As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity.”  

We must all seek to find the wonderful treasure that we possess in Christ!  

“For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”  Matt. 7:8 -- 

Dr. Paul Taylor  #ASONE

Developing a Christian Culture that Results in Human Flourishing, Part 1 By Joseph Mattera

Developing a Kingdom Culture that Results in Human Flourishing, Part 1 By Joseph Mattera

As I begin, we need to ask ourselves the following questions:

What is the culture of our family, church, and/or organization?

Is it a healthy culture that walks out its biblical values or a dysfunctional culture that does not correspond to Scripture and its missional perspective?

Do we have a robust application of Scripture that reinterpret and reframes our surrounding culture? 

Before we attempt to answer these three questions we have to define three key terms:

What is a leader?

What is culture?

What and how is culture shift?

WHAT IS BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP 

What is a leader? A Biblical leader is a person who has influence and exerts responsibility

for the sake of others; hence, a kingdom leader is really a servant.

Mark 10:42-45 says:

“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, ‘You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

Consequently, the biblical locus that defines CHRISTIAN growth and maturity does not comport with the contemporary American CEO model of top-down visionary (directive) leadership but with what Jesus described as (bottom-up) model of Servanthood. (The SERVANT is considered great in God’s kingdom- not the one being served; see Luke 22:27.)

CULTURE 

What is culture? Culture is an unspoken or spoken value system and its concomitant methodologies that are expected and celebrated in an organization or entity.

HOW DOES A CULTURE SHIFT?

In order to establish and/or shift a culture, those recognized as leaders within an entity or system need to embody and model the values, so they become the norm.

IE, the perceived leaders of a church need to walk out the values celebrated and taught, or it will frustrate the church and reduce the values to nothing more than abstract propositions. Consequently, it takes “buy in” from those within the primary circles of influence of the lead pastor. And “buy in” is only demonstrated when said circle of influence function as exemplars at the ground level among the people.

We have to thus conclude that culture shift takes place, commensurate to the ability of each concentric circle, expanding its influence to other circles of influence within the church.

(For example, if only the new Christians and new disciples are excited about the vision and the older recognized leaders lag behind — the church culture will shift from anticipation and passion to cynicism and frustration, resulting in a loss of momentum).

The New Testament Pattern of Church leadership 

The early church framed their activities initially with the Apostles doctrine:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42

This enabled them to frame every subsequent activity with a biblical worldview.

In addition to this framework was the fact that their focus was missionally-based on Acts 1:8:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As a result, they planted the gospel in cities and went house to house—not limiting their CHRISTIAN activity and proclamation to meetings in buildings (we now call churches) like we do on Sundays today.

Planting the Gospel in a city also implied the application of the Lordship of Jesus in every aspect or realm of a polis or city.

As we examine the Book of Acts, we observe that all of the effective Gospel activity took place outside of a religious building in their communities except for the initial church services in the Jewish Temple.

IN EVERY REALM!

Furthermore, in reading the Biblical narrative we see a reframing of politics, business, education, philosophy, religion, family, art, music at the inauguration of the post ascension New Heavens and New Earth that began to manifest the reign of Jesus on earth.

Read Part 2 next week as I expand on the realms of society that were re framed at the resurrection because of the Lordship of Christ.

How some church leaders consider the Kingdom of God? By Pr. Jeremie Manirakiza

How some church leaders consider the Kingdom of God?
By Pr. Jeremie Manirakiza

Some church leaders consider the four walls of the church as the Kingdom of God, when in truth, the so called "temple" is one small element of the Kingdom of God. 

They put all their efforts in organizing the Sunday service and the believers in the church have the impression that they are serving the Kingdom of God only during the Sunday service and other services in the designated “church area”. For them, any place outside the church, God simply doesn’t reign. For many wrongly think that Satan rules the world. All areas of society are ruled by our enemy. What misconception is this? The One who rules the whole universe is Jesus. "The Lord Reigns" is the message of the Gospel. This is the Gospel.  “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Colossians‬ ‭1:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In addition to that, they focus merely on rapture, the last days and trying to escape the Earth instead of engaging in it. They postpone the reality of this world until they reach heaven. Though there is plenty of rebellion on Earth the Lord reigns and our prayer is and always should be “your Kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” We are ambassadors of King Jesus and work in all areas of society (the world) until “the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation‬ ‭11:15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

John Mattera states in his book “The Divided Gospel” that when we take away the call of the believer to steward the Earth, we hinder our ability to make disciples who will be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.  We also weaken the church’s call to be an equipping center to fill the Earth with believers in every facet of society to His glory.

John Mattera continues to say that without the reign of God on Earth as our focus, we are left with little more than merely experiencing God during Sunday church services, thus limiting the Kingdom of God to operating only within four walls of the church building for two hours every Sunday.

#ASONE