SALUTATIONS: Hello everyone, happy Sabbath! I hope that yall had a wonderful week. If you haven't been to church in a while, take up a loved one's offer and visit their church home, or come attend my church's service tomorrow at 11:30 am at Mt. Rubidoux SDA Church, 5320 Victoria Ave., Riverside, CA, 92506; if you cannot make it to church, you can also visit online via our live stream at http://rubitv.tv, hope to see you there. Be safe and responsible this weekend, and try to relax, stress less, and trust God more.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Please remember our anonymous sister in Christ who was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer; she has 5 small children and she begins chemo on Wednesday. Also, we have an anonymous brother in Christ who really needs to be delivered from several strongholds: addiction, anger, and negative influences. As we pray for them in the Spirit, let's also continue praying for one another, thanking Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by the enemy; ALWAYS pray for your desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps; you can buy it here https://goo.gl/NWEf7i).
PRAISE REPORTS: GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME! My son Josias is officially starting to gesture the sign language that I started introducing to him at 4 months. He actually began recognizing and responding to the signs at about 8 months, and now he is trying to make the signs himself.
BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God in the midst of adversity … Ponder this: “We may not all break the Ten Commandments, but we are certainly all capable of it. Within us lurks the breaker of all laws, ready to spring out at the first real opportunity” (Isadora Duncan). I'm no theological scholar, and even if I were a pastor or an expert on God's word, I would still advise you NEVER to take someone else's word as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (II Timothy 2:15), and CHALLENGE EVERYTHING by comparing it to the Word of God. If what you see, hear or read does NOT fall in line with the Word of God, then it is NOT true... The rest of this day isn't promised, let alone tomorrow, so why not strengthen your faith TODAY? Feed your body healthy nutrition, be cautious of what things you allow your eyes, ears, and spirit to be exposed to (e.g. media, books, TV, music, etc.) so that you can start anew and become a better you NOW, not later.
OPENING PRAYER: Yahweh, please clear our minds and open our eyes, ears, and hearts so that we may see, hear, and receive your intended message from this fellowship. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!
PASSAGE – MALACHI 3:2-4: "But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years."
**Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible; retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage**
REFLECTIONS:
A general definition of a refining process is a series of operations on something in order to change, improve, or preserve it. More specifically, to refine silver or gold, the substance is placed into the hottest fire, to be broken down into its lowest form, and become purified. In our passage we see God being referred to as a "refiner" - a "purifier" set to "purge" us as "gold and silver" so that we "may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." Although purifier to me seems self-explanatory, I'll define it as something that removes harmful substances, while purge is to remove or cleanse something unwanted. Zechariah 13:9 says, "And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God." In a nutshell, we are the gold and silver and God is our refiner; He sets out to purge us from the harmful things and people in our lives that hinder our spiritual growth, so that in the end when we offer ourselves to God, our hearts and intentions will be pure and genuine.
Our purification process comes in form of tests, not a furnace (refer to Isaiah 48:10 and Proverbs 17:3 here https://goo.gl/9dnTnK). God allows the enemy to test our hearts, and the more we endure the tests and trials, the more doubt, evil, and negativity are purged from us; God prunes us from the unwanted feelings, memories, and conditions that we were once bound to. Think about it, when you call for God in the midst of trouble, bargaining "Lord do this for me and I promise to do this [whatever that may be] for you," do you truly intend to follow through with that promise? Or, is it just a desperate attempt to hear a Word from God? The refining process purifies our hearts so that when we turn to God, we lay our burdens at the altar wholeheartedly, trusting Him to deliver us. So do you really think that God wants a half-hearted prayer or praise? Would you? If you significantly helped a loved one out, would you want a counterfeit "thank you"? Why then would you deem it acceptable to God, to call on Him with a doubtful heart? That's why the refining process is so important for Christians; we must be refined before we can offer anything pure and acceptable unto God.
Jeremiah 17:10 (NLT) says, "But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” If you were to assess your own character, without undergoing a refining process, how do you think God would grade your righteousness? I can't speak for anyone but myself, and personally, I know that there are still things that I struggle to fully trust God with - an unbelief if you will. Therefore, I see a significant need to be refined. Reading the Bible, going to church and listening to sermons does NOT refine us, rather it equips us with the knowledge to understand the impact that the refining process has in our lives. As we are equipped with the know how, we are then challenged - tested through our affliction, and in our endurance and our experiences we are being purified. Which is more reason for us to embrace God's proposal in Isaiah 1:25 (NLT), which says, "I will raise my fist against you. I will melt you down and skim off your slag. I will remove all your impurities." ACCEPT GOD'S REFINING PROCESS!
POWER IN PRAYER:
Yahweh, we know that our trust is best left in your hands and not man's. So we thank you for healing and comfort over our sister in Christ; bless her and her family with the peace that passes all understanding, so that in the midst of cancer and harsh treatments, they may remain positive and hopeful in you. Bless their souls, that they may focus on you in this storm and still see the many reasons to give you honor and glory daily. For our brother in Christ, we trust you to deliver him from the strongholds and bondage of addiction, anger, and the negative influences that keep him relapsing; release the shackles placed on him by evil forces, removing any demonic attachments from him as well as his surroundings. Lord help us to recognize your refining process in our lives; may we discern that which we need to improve upon or to change, and may we have the strength and will to let go of the things and people that hinder our spiritual growth, so that we may be purged from our impurities and made into a righteous people. Help our lives be a reflection of your love and influence, causing us to turn away from our selfish ways, and to apply your principles of life, daily. Baptize us with your indwelling Spirit, and cause us take heed to His promptings. Keep us humble, focused, disciplined, and driven as we work to become everything you have called us to be. Provide each of us, and those we stand in intercessory prayer for, the skill to balance our personal, professional, and spiritual lives as guided by you. Transform and convert us 100% according to your will. Achieve in us the ability to pray game-changing prayers – prayers that change people, change outcomes, and help your will to manifest. This is our trusted prayer, we submit to you in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!
HEALTHY LIVING TIPS:
Change begins within … I'm in my 3rd week of The New Life Challenge (for more info, refer to their website here http://getthenewlife.com/), and have been learning about the benefits of the most natural source of vitamin D - the sun; you can increase your vitamin D intake significantly just by spending 10-40 minutes a day in direct sunlight, allowing both your face and hands to receive the sun's rays. The amount of time you spend outside is dependant on your melanin of course; fairer skinned people should spend between 5-10 minutes daily in direct sunlight. Medium toned individuals should spend between 15-20 minutes in the sun daily. Darker skinned people should spend 25-30 minutes daily in the sun. It is safe for each of these groups of individuals to follow these parameters WITHOUT sunscreen, and you can divide your time throughout the day... 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there, and so on. Another benefit of sunlight and its natural vitamin D is a possibility for reversing depression; check out more benefits of sunlight here https://goo.gl/Edjz4c and for more info on vitamin D check here https://goo.gl/qLsUHC.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) still hasn't scratched the surface in our fundraising campaign to sell 100 Christian based t-shirts and/or hoodies; we must sell at least 15 in order for them to even start production, but we've only sold one. This fundraiser is our way to raise money to give back to the community – SHARE this link https://www.bonfire.com/campaigning-4-jesus/ on ALL of your social media networks, and if you’re able, please make a purchase on the preceding link as well; ALL proceeds go towards supplying the needy with food, water, and hygiene items. Recipients are selected by referral, and by canvassing the streets for deserving families and individuals throughout LA County and the I.E. You may also arrange any monetary donations or item contributions at any time via email at fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com. Another way FMBS Inc. raises funds is through the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program; you must go to their website here http://www.friendsindeedpas.org/get-involved/ralphs-community-contribution-program/ and link your rewards cards or telephone numbers ("Alt ID") to our organization each year, and we will earn money for every purchase made under your linked rewards. I also have a personal campaign, which in a nutshell, I'm raising funds to help illustrate and publish my two inspirational/educational children's books, and to open an e-commerce store so that I can remain a stay-at-home mother and home school my son; so far, you have helped me raise $400 of my $6500 goal. If you haven't already, you can make a donation here https://www.gofundme.com/josiaskhari, but even if you cannot make a contribution/donation yourself, SHARE these links and info with EVERYONE, and on ALL of your social media outlets because sharing is caring 😊. Your continued support is always appreciated. Please keep spreading the word. #SOW
JOIN OUR CAUSE: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate deserving individuals to extend our services to. Therefore, we are always in need of monetary donations and/or contributions of hygiene items, sealed snacks, bottled water, seasonal items (gloves, scarves, blankets, umbrellas, sunglasses, sunscreen), mini Bibles, reading books, etc.; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We also need DEDICATED volunteers and members – is this your calling? We are successful because of YOUR continued support. Please continue to back us up through participation, and/or by encouraging others to join our cause!
For more information about our organization contact fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com, as our website is currently under construction. Feel free to LIKE our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/fmbsinc.sustenance/ and follow us on Twitter @FMBSInc.
Very Respectfully,
Tylesha "Tye" Allen
Owner | CEO, T.Y.E. Childcare | Mobile Notary | FMBS Inc.
· Mobile: (951) 790-2127
· Address: Moreno Valley, CA
· Email: professional1_99@hotmail.com
· Change begins within; work on becoming a better You
· "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)
· Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/fmbsinc.sustenance
· Twitter: https://twitter.com/TyeDreamsBig
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