EXCERPT: “THE PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF VISION” by Dr.

Myles Munroe

Winter Edition 2004-2005

$5.00 USA

A
PROFITABLE
SERVANT
INTERVIEW WITH
FREDDYE “ACTION” JACKSON

Will your name be

found in the book
of life?

My testimony
from the path of
death to health

FAITH IS NOT BELIEVING THAT GOD CAN... IT IS KNOWING THAT GOD WILL....
www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 1 VISIONS
VISIONS 2 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com
www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 3 VISIONS
 Visions Christian Magazine
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Columnist
Pastor Sheritha Bowman
Athena Thomas

Writers/Regular Contributors
Denise Bess Romans 10:9-10
Deacon Curtis O. Gill
Nikki Jones 9
That if you confess with your mouth,
Dr. Myles Munroe “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your
Linda Ryzenga heart that God raised him from the dead,
Loretta Parker Spivey you will be saved. 10For it is with your
Rick Warren heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess
Graphic Designers and are saved.
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Fred Booker
Chauntika Broggin
Eresa Tardy

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Visions Christian Magazine, Inc
Contents
TESTIMONIALS
6 MY TESTIMONY FROM DEATH TO
HEALTH
I am a 51 year old black woman. For years I had
suffered many health problems related to obesity. Not
just obesity, but morbid obesity, I was on the path of
death ...
by Denise Bess

FEATURES
8 WILL YOUR NAME BE FOUND IN THE
BOOK OF LIFE?
Although you have accomplished much in your life and

10
undoubtedly has your name recorded in many journals,
books and registers, and most likely on some official cover story:
documents, today, I ask you, is your name recorded in
the “Book of Life?” .... “A Profitable Servant” by L.C. Tardy
by Deacon Curtis O. Gill
your own life...
15 RELIGION OR RELATIONSHIP: WHERE by L.C. Tardy
DO YOU STAND? 28 FIRST STEPS TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH
While many of us “saved on Sunday Christians” are
making a mad dash for our prestigious seats on the How to have a meaningful time with God...
front row, there are people out on the streets of our by Rick Warren
neighborhoods and communities sporting highly
flammable suits ready to knock the bottom out of
34 WILL THE REAL TERRORIST PLEASE
hell!....
by Nikki Jones
STAND UP
As a Christian, I am compelled to understand that there
is a terrorist who is far worse than Bin Laden. His tactics
14 IRAN CENSORS ALLOW “PASSION” TO make al-Qaeda’s maneuvers look like child’s play, and in
BE SEEN IN ITS ENTIRETY this war literally billions of lives are at stake—yours
Iran’s censors have approved the screening of Mel included...
Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in the Persian state’s by Loretta Parker Spivey
movie theaters ...
Associated Press COLUMN/SERIES
20 THE PRINCIPLES AND POWER OF 42 A SHOUT OUT TO THE VISIONARIES
VISION Allow God to lead you concerning with whom you share
Excerpt from Dr. Myles Munroe’s book, “The Principles your hopes and dreams...
and Power of Vision”.... by Pastor Sheritha Bowman
by Dr. Myles Munroe
43 PRESSING TOWARD YOUR FREEDOM-
22 MASADA: THE JEWS’ LAST STAND Part One
AGAINST THE ROMANS Before you can press toward freedom, you must know
At the western end of the Judean Desert, situated high what you need to be set free from...
on a rocky cliff, overlooking the Dead Sea, stands one of
by Athena Thomas
the most desolated and appalling sights in history. It’s
called Masada, which means, fortress, in Hebrew...
by Linda Ryzenga POETRY CORNER
24 HUMILITY BEFORE HONOUR 41 “I IN HE AND HE IN ME”
It is a slap in God’s face to think that you can handle by Daniel McNair

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 5 VISIONS

 testimonials
My Testimony
from Death
to Health
Denise Bess-Before
his is my testimony. I am a 51 year old black
T woman. For years I had suffered many
health problems related to obesity. Not just
obesity, but morbid obesity, I was on the path of
death. I have always been overweight, even as a
child. When I was in the sixth grade I was a size
sixteen. In the ninth grade I weighted 290 pounds.
As I got older, I gained more and more weight. Even
though I was overweight, I always was able to get
around, got a good job, a loving Christian husband
and lived a good life (so I thought). The older I
got, the more health problems I developed. I real-
ized some years ago that I had become a stress eater.
The more stress in my life (mostly job related) the
more I ate. In 2001 I tipped the scales at 535
VISIONS 6 Winter Edition 2004-2005
by Denise A. Bess
pounds. I had developed diabetes, high blood pres-
sure, arthritis; bone spurs on my knees, and acid
reflux disease. I was in a terrible state, greatly need-
ing help. When I would go upstairs (13 stairs in
my house), I would go half the way up and my heart
would beat so hard I would have to rest, then when
I got up the steps I would have to rest before I could
do anything else.
I am a Christian, have been “saved” since I was
19 years old, but I still had a problem. As many
Christians do, I went to church a lot, but did not
exercise or eat healthy. I realize now that I should
have turned to God for relief, but like so many oth-
ers, I turned to more food. I was so large, I could not
even get on my knees to pray.
One day in March 2001, I took a taxi cab to work and
met an “angel”. The cab driver was an older gentle-
man. He asked me if I would mind if he asked me
about my weight problem. I told him I did not mind.
He told me his daughter had been my size and suf-
fered many health problems related to obesity. He
proceeded to tell me that his daughter had gastric by-
pass surgery and that it saved her life. She can now
run up the stairs, he was so happy to see his daughter
regain good health. I thanked him for telling about
his daughter and for encouraging me. He was my
“angel” that day. I took his advice and talked to my
doctor about gastric bypass surgery. She was very
happy that I was considering having the surgery.
In December 2001, I had gastric bypass surgery at
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 Washington Hospital Center. The surgery was suc-
cessful. During the surgery, my stomach was made
smaller. Since my stomach is smaller, I eat less
food. I have lost 220 pounds. I am much healthier,
I am no longer diabetic, I do not take medication
for high blood pressure, I now walk without a cane,
I can go all the way up the steps without stopping.
I can pray on my knees and give praises to God
without loosing my breath. Truly the “joy of the
Lord is my strength”. Previously I was taking 13
pills a day, now I only take 4. I am still losing
weight, a little slower now, but I intend to reach my
goal of 230 pounds soon! Halleluiah!!
The doctors performed the surgery, but God allowed
me to come through, without fear. He guided their
hands and I give glory to God! Now, I encourage
others who have similar problems to seek God for
help so they won’t have to take the route I did, es-
pecially young people. For those who have morbid
obesity and who want to consider what I did, seek
God, ask Him for guidance and help. He brought
me through and He can
do the same for you. I
encourage you also to
develop healthier eat-
ing habits and exer-
cise for it the will of
God that we
“prosper and
be in health
as our soul
prospers”.

PS. My
husband
and I
h a v e
b e e n
married
for 26
years.
Now we
are act-
ing like
“vibrant”
young people
again! VCM

Denise Bess-After
www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 7 VISIONS
 features
 oday, I would like to congratulate you on your
T retirement! Your retirement indicates that you
have worked hard and endured much over a
period of years to achieve this mile stone. There are
probably many who started out with you who failed
by the wayside.
 
 In looking back over your life, I see that you com-
pleted high school, served in the military, completed
college and yes, raised some adorable children and
kept your family together during some trying times! I
Will Your Name Be Found In the Book of Life?
see that you received promotions faster than your peers
and reached the top of your profession quicker than
anyone in the history of your career field. Yes, your
life has been quite a success story! You have fulfilled
the American dream! You own a nice home in a
wealthy suburban area, a boat, a 4X4 truck to pull it
and two beautiful cars. You have season tickets for
all the local professional football and basketball
games. You even have some of the best and most
sought after seats in the stadium.
 
 I see that you have frequently gone on trips to some
of the most popular tourist cities in the world. I also
see that you really know how to throw a party and
when you do, you invite and expect officials from the
highest levels of the government to be in attendance!
I must not leave out the fact that you repeatedly dine
in some of the finest restaurants in the city and have
socialized in many of the most prestigious clubs
around. I see that you always dress well and most
people, who you come in contact with, envy you and
wishes they had what you have, without even know-
ing who you are.
 
 Although you have accomplished much in your life
and undoubtedly has your name recorded in many
journals, books and registers, and most likely on some
official documents, today, I ask you, is your name
recorded in the “Book of Life?”
 
 The reason why I ask you if  your name is recorded
VISIONS 8 Winter Edition 2004-2005
By Deacon Curtis Gill
in the “Book of Life,” is that as I continue to look
back over your life, I don’t see where you were at-
tending church. I don’t see where you placed God
first in your life. I don’t see where you kept God’s
commandments or His statutes. I don’t see where you
studied to show yourself approved unto God. I don’t
see where you were in fellowship or worshiped with
believers! I don’t see where you honored your father
and mother. I don’t see where you love your neighbor
as yourself. It is sad to say that I don’t see where you
love the Lord thy God with all your heart and leaning
by Deacon Curtis Gill
not unto your understanding. I don’t see where you
fed the hungry or gave drink to them who were thirsty
or took in strangers or clothed the naked. I don’t even
see where you visited those who were in prison! In
other words, I don’t see where you help the less fortu-
nate or the needy.
 
 What is the “Book of Life” you ask? Well, to my
understanding, the “Book of Life” is a record of your
life, which is being recorded by the Angels of God,
who are watching everything you do, go everywhere
you go and listen to everything you say! According to
“The Liberty Illustrated Bible Dictionary,” the “Book
of Life” is a heavenly book in which the names of the
righteous (the redeemed or saved) are written. The
concept of God’s having a “Book of Life” was prob-
ably first enunciated by Moses, who prayed that God
would blot him out of God’s book rather than doom-
ing his fellow Israelites. (Exodus 32:32-32) The Bible
tells us that “. . . there is nothing covered, that shall
not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What
I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what
ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.”
(Matthew  10:26-27 KJV) The “Book of Life” is
mentioned in the New Testament 8 times. In every
scripture that makes reference to the “Book of Life”,
it also makes reference to your name, your works or
your deeds.
 
 Why should you be concerned about your name be-
ing found in the “Book of Life”? You should be
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 concerned because “. . . we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may re-
ceive the things done in his body, according to that
he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Eccl 3:16
Hebrews 9:27 tell us that “. . . it is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Yes,
you will be judged by the Righteous Judge and He
will give you your reward according to those things
written about you in the book of life. What will be
in the book of life by your name and what will your
reward be?
 
 Matthew tells us that “A good man out of the good
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and
an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth
evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word
that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof
in the Day of Judgment.” (Matthew 12:35-3) To
me that is enough to be concerned about. If that is
not enough for you to be concerned, consider this.
The Lord said that, “. . . every knee shall bow to
me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then
every one of us shall give account of himself to
God. (Romans 14:11-12 KJV)
 
 Are you concern yet? Are you convinced that you
should be concerned or do you still need more time
and more reasons? I will submit to you that this is
time to be concerned. Look around you. The young
are dying faster than the old. There is evil lurking
about in every community. This year alone, I have
already been to eight funerals and four of them have
been for people below the age of 52. There have been
eight young people killed here in the city below the
age of 16 already this year. What about in your neigh-
borhood, have you witnessed an increase in crime in
your community? I again encourage you to get con-
cerned. You need to ensure that your name will be
found in the “Book of Life” and time is running out
on you. If your name is not found in the “Book of
Life,” you will be cast into the lake of fire. (Para-
phrased Revelation 20:15)
 
 What must you do to ensure that your name is re-
corded in the “Book of Life”? Now that is a good
question. It indicates that you are at least concerned
and that’s good news and a great place to start. I want
to assure you that there is still hope for you and room
for your name to be added to the “Book of Life.”
You must act without delay, for tomorrow might
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
be too late!
 
 To ensure that your name is found in the “Book of
Life”, you must do as Jesus did when He walked
here on earth. Jesus went about doing good. No
doubt you have heard the story, while Jesus walked
here on earth, He worked and you too must work!  I
know you have worked as indicated by all of your
achievements, but you worked to satisfy your
earthly desires and not for the Glory of God. Our
Bible tells us “Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal: But lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do
not break through nor steal: For where your trea-
sure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew
6:19-21 KJV)
 
 So in order to get your name in the “Book of Life”,
you must start to work for the Lord. I know you
have worked hard and long, but “except the LORD
build the house, they labour in vain that build it:
except the LORD keep the city, the watchman
waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up
early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for
so he giveth his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:1-2
KJV) My friend, you must assume the same atti-
“Book of Life” is a
record of your life, which
is being recorded by the
Angels of God
tude that Jesus did. Jesus said “I must work the
works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night
cometh, when no man can work.” (John 9:4 KJV)
 
 With that proclamation, he commenced to go to
work. He turned water into wine, healed the sick,
removed demonic spirits from a man, cleansed a
leper, raised the widow’s son, cast out a dumb and
continue on page 13
Winter Edition 2004-2005 9 VISIONS
 cover story
A
PROFITABLE
SERVANT
The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few”
Matthew 9:37
he Lord has chosen another “son of God,”
T to reign as “king on earth,” and his name
is Freddye “Action” Jackson. Mr. Jack-
son is the President/CEO and Founder of
Faith Funding Corporation. Mr. Jackson is a man
after God’s own heart, who has a reputation for
giving to others. Action Jackson has a special repoir
with people. He shares a spirit of joy and concern
for all those that he encounter. He’s a man of in-
tegrity, who believes in laying the foundation for
the heart of his organization, which is (the cus-
tomer)
The first time I met Mr. Jackson, it became clear to
me why he was called Freddye “Action” Jack-
son. Mr. Jackson explained that at the age of 9
years old he started his own business, that’s truly
amazing! God truly had his hand on Mr. Jackson’s
life. He continued to be an Entrepreneur until this
present day. As the scripture reads, “Still he holdeth
fast his integrity,” Job 2:3.
Mr. Jackson’s strong desire to help others has lead
him to experiencing the blessings in Deutoronomy
28. He is now a living testimony, and lives in the
VISIONS 10 Winter Edition 2004-2005
Interview by L.C. Tardy
“Land of Milk and Honey.” Mr. Jackson is quick
to tell you that he managed to make most of his
dreams and visions materialize by his strong con-
viction in God.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Jackson, and
ask him the following questions:
1. What motives you Mr. Jackson?
Because of my up bringing in a large family; we
watched mama and daddy working 80 hours to make
us happy. I had decided not to have to work so hard
to make ends meet. I knew from the beginning that
I wanted to work for myself instead of working for
someone else. I found out at an early age that I
could control my own destiny by working in my
own business.
2. Who is the greatest example setter in
your life?
My father and my uncle Jimmy Camp was the two
people in my life that set an example for me . My
fathers example’s was not always right but, it taught
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 Freddye “Action” Jackson at work
me how to hussle and fend for myself. I have al-
ways given my father the greatest and the most
credit, because he had a way of putting things to-
gether when it really mattered most. He always
taught me how to give when I saw someone with-
out. My father was a cheerful giver. This is why I
tell people that children are the greatest imulators
in the world, and we have to be very careful what
we say and do around them. I took my fathers
good ways of doing things and did it my way. How-
ever, the greatest example setter in my life pres-
ently is Jesus Christ.
3. Where do you get your energy?
When you experience the good things in life, you
never want to look back or go back. The philosphy
of it all is to go to bed with something on your mind,
and wakeup with something on your mind. Each
time I see my families needs, it motivates me to do
something about it. God has blessed me with knowl-
edge and the skills to make things work, so I use it.
4. What is the most important thing in
running a business?
The most important things about running a busi-
ness is being able to delegate to others. Anyone
who has a business and thinks that he can run that
business by himself, will not have a business very
long. You have to get the right people in the right
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
position and they will be the ones that will make
your business work.
5. What advice would you give a person
who is just starting out in business?
The most important thing about going into busi-
ness is staying focus. This business is your busi-
ness, you are the one with the vision. No one knows
your vision, but you. You are the one who has to
take this vision home with you. You sleep with it,
and wakeup with it. You have to continually have
this business on your mind; because if you don’t
nobody else will. People always see the outcome,
but they don’t see the struggle to get there. You
should always let your employees see you working
as hard as
they do. If you don’t take your business serious,
then they won’t either.
6. What is your favorite scripture?
My favorite scripture is Psalm 23, because the Lord
truly is my Sheperd.
7. Do you believe that all money belongs
to God?
Not only do I believe that all money belongs to
God, but I believe that all things belongs to God.
8. Describe Freddye “Action” Jackson
Winter Edition 2004-2005 11 VISIONS
 Freddye “Action” Jackson is a man that love
God. I believe that God has had my back from
the beginning of my first breath, and before the
world began. Without God I am nothing. I have
experienced many trials and tribulations, but
because God was on my side, I knew that it
would come to pass. I believe in walking by
faith and not by sight. What keeps me going is
knowing that God cannot lie, and He promised
that He would never leave me, nor forsake me,
and that He would be with me always.
BIOGRAPHY OF
MR. FREDDYE “ACTION” JACKSON
Freddye Jackson, Sr. is a native Washingtonian,
who learned early that “If you want something in
life you have to go out and get it.” Since the age
of 9 Mr. Jackson has been the navigator of his ca-
reer aspirations and for the past 69 years he has
steered his life in the pathway of many successes.
From his early beginnings as owner of his own pro-
duce business at the age of nine, he went on to es-
tablished himself as top in his profession as a sales
consultant and owner of an automobile dealership.
Mr. Jackson’s desire to succeed and be the best in
his profession earned him the nickname of “Action
Jackson” in the early “70s. As a sales consultant,
he was recognized nationally for his outstanding
achievements. Among his most memorable rewards
were the 161/2 consecutive years as the “Sales-
man of the Year,” award at Dave Pyles Lincoln
Mercury, and “Salesman of the Nation for seven
years. Action Jackson was also featured in the New
Observer, Washington Times, and the Fairfax Jour-
nal. Additionally, in 1991, Action Jackson was fea-
tured in Success Magazine as one of the top ten
achievers and on the cover of the Washington Post
Magazine. In the same year, he was appointed to
the Board of Ethics by Governor Parris Glendening.
Mr. Jackson will admit that the road has not al-
ways been easy and welcomed any difficulties as
“mindful challenge.” As owner of Brown Lincoln
Mercury, he developed the Christian Members
Buying Plan (CMBP). In the midst of the contro-
versy that ensued world-wide with news coverage,
he laid the foundation that allowed the Plan to work
VISIONS 12 Winter Edition 2004-2005
for the heart of his organization- (the customer).
Action’s commitment to the life blood of his orga-
nization and quality customer service took his East
Coast dealership that rated last place or No. 20 in
the zone to the No. 1 position in 14 short months.
This accomplishment earned him the “Outstand-
ing Salesmanship Recognition Resolution,” from
the Senate of Maryland in 1989.
He volunteers as a mentor in the community and
continues to do motivational presentations in edu-
cational and other orgainzational settings upon re-
quest. Currently, Freddye Jackson is working on
his autobiography and a “how to” customer ser-
vice skill building training guide.” He contends
that “If you want to succeed, you must have the
will, the stamina, determination, perserverance, and
faith in knowing that the reward will outweigh the
pain that precedes any victory.” He continues to
“think big” and concentrate all his efforts on his
present goals as President/CEO of Faith Funding
Corporation, a mortgage lending establishing based
in Prince George’s County Maryland.
Action Jackson is a man who believes that “Op-
portunities live within each and every individual
and it is up to the individual to consciously com-
mit to capitalize on it.”
He has experienced a multitude of victories in many
fields as entrepreneur and intrapreneur. His ac-
complishments in all positions have been substan-
tiated by individual and organizational growth, in
addition to national and international recognition.
Action is a man after God’s own heart. A dedi-
cated Christian and past Deacon. Mr. Jackson
spends time studying for ministerial work at “Spirit
of Faith Christian Center located in Temple Hills,
Maryland. On a more personal note, he plans to
celebrate his 28th year of marriage to Dr. Marsha
E. Jackson February 2005, in a rededication cer-
emony with their son, Freddye “Action” Jackson,
Jr., as his best man. Freddye Jr is also a carbon
copy of his father Freddye, Sr., who also has a heart
for giving to others. Freddye, Jr. is a firm believer
in this scripture: Give to him that asketh thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou
away. Matthew 5:42. VCM
Linda C. Tardy is a Freelance Writer/Author. She is the
Publisher of this magazine, Visions Christian Magazine.
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 features
continue from page 9
blind spirit, calming a storm, raised Jairus’ daugh-
ter, fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, walked
on water, healed a deaf and dumb man, cast de-
mons out of a lunatic boy, pulled a coin from the
mouth of a fish, raised Lazarus from the dead,
cleansed ten lepers, cursed the fig tree and He
showed love for His fellow men.
 
 When Jesus completed His work here on earth, God
declared that this my beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased and gave Him all power in Heaven and on
earth. What will He say about you when your life is
completed? When the night comes in your life, your
work must speak for you! I ask you to close your eyes
and listen to the voice of the Righteous Judge as He
read about you. What is He saying? Is He saying,
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler
over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.
Or, is He saying, Thou wicked and slothful servant,
and then instruct his host, to cast you into outer dark-
ness: where there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth?”
 
 You have the chance to get your name written in the
“Book of Life.” Jesus is “. . . standing at your door,
knocking: if you hear his voice, and open the door, He
will come in and He will sup with you and you with
Him. If you over cometh, He will grant you the op-
portunity to sit with Him at His throne, along with
His Father in Heaven. (Paraphrased Revelation 3:19-
21 KJV) Today is your day; use it to come to Jesus
while you still have time!
 
 All you have to do is confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteous-
ness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. (Romans 10:9-10 KJV) You must make
a proclamation and go to work for the Lord. You
must say Heavenly Father I have sinned and I am
sorry and ask Him to forgive you. After making
that confession, yield to will of God, forsake not
the assembly and start to live by the Ten Command-
ments.
 
 You need to study to show yourself approved unto
God and stop seeking man’s approval. Seek ye first
the Kingdom of God and all other things will be
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added unto you. You must love your neighbor as
yourself. You must go out into the highways and
hedges and compel men and women to come into
God’s house that it may be filled. You need to “let
your light so shine before men, that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.” (Matt 5:16 KJV) Finally, my brethren,
be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole Armour of God that ye may be
able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
 
 Some will tell you that all you have to do is have
faith. I would like to remind you that the Bible tells us
that “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so
faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26. That
tells me, you need to have more than faith.  Some will
even tell you that all you have to do is ask and your
name will be added to the “Book of Life.” However,
if you consult the Bible, you will discover that you
can carry yourself in such a manner that when you
call on God, He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:1-3 KJV)
 
 When you have done all you can in the Name of the
Lord, you can rest assure that your name “will be
found in the Book of Life!” And I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to
their works. (Revelation 20:12 KJV)
 
 Father God, I come to you in the Mighty Name of
Jesus, to give you all the Honor, all the Praise and all
the Glory for the Great things you have done, for all
that you are doing and for all that you are going to do
for me in the coming minutes, hours, days, months
and years.   Father, I realize that while I was still sin-
ning, you gave your only begotten Son that I might
have a right to the tree of life. Today I confess of my
sins and I ask that you forgive me and accept me
back as one of yours. I pledge my love, my loyalty
and my dedication to you and you only. Father, I know
that I am not worthy of love, but today I submit my-
self to you and your will. Please use me as you will
and send me where you would have me to go. Allow
me to be a example of your love, your grace and your
mercy! I will give you all the praise, the honor and
the Glory. Father, this is your humble servant’s pray
and I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen!
Editor: Brother Robert S. Childress VCM
Winter Edition 2004-2005 13 VISIONS
 features

VISIONS 14 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com


Religion or Relationship: Where Do You Stand?
“Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in
the house, that behold, many tax collectors and
sinners came and sat down with Him and His
?
disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they
said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher
eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus
heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well
have no need of a physician, but those who are
sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire
mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to
call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
?
Matthew 9:9-13
How many sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, child
molesters or murders have you supped with this
week? How many of them have you talked to about
the love and forgiveness of Christ? While many of
us “saved on Sunday Christians” are making a mad
dash for our prestigious seats on the front row, there
are people out on the streets of our neighborhoods
and communities sporting highly flammable suits
ready to knock the bottom out of hell! Do you know
what the ministry of Jesus was really about? Do
you know what Christ was passionate about? THE
?
SOULS OF THE LOST! Matthew 9:35-38 says,
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness
and every disease among the people. But when
He saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion for them, because they were weary
and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
Then He said to His disciples, ‘the harvest truly
is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore
pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into
His harvest.”
Jesus was passionate about winning the lost. Do
you know where His passion led Him? His passion
not only led Him into all the cities and villages
?
teaching, preaching and healing, but it led Him
straight to the Cross on Calvary to die for us and
those very same people that we have a problem
talking to. What are you passionate about and where
is it leading you? Getting your bills paid? Then
this passion leads you to working two dead end
jobs like a slave. Finding that perfect husband or a
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
By Nikki Jones
wife? So now your passion leads you to the gym to
loose those last fifty pounds so you can be fine. Or
getting that new house that you just know the Lord
wants to bless you with even though you don’t ever
pay your tithe? Most assuredly, wherever your
?
passion points is the direction that you are going.
When Jesus looked out on the multitudes of people
before Him, He was moved with compassion for
them because He could see that they were hurting,
lost and in need of direction. Do we not remember
that very compassion Jesus displayed was the
reason many of us are ex-prostitutes, ex-child
molesters and ex-murders today? People are
spending countless amounts of time, money and
?
energy going from one bad decision in life to the
next in search of something significant and life
changing. Why do you think the self-help and
psychic sections at Barnes and Noble are so highly
frequented? These are the very people that we see
everyday. People that are searching for the answers
to this life, but don’t exactly know how to find it.
“Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors
and sinners?” This is what the Pharisees asked.
“Why is she coming up in the church with that
little skirt on looking like a whore?” That is what
?
we ask today. So are we following the example of
Christ or the Pharisees? Since Christ was clearly
the example that God sent, how is it that we, just
as the Pharisees, have gotten so far off track? When
they questioned the disciples about their Teacher
eating with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus offered
them a very clear explanation. “Those who are
well have no need of a physician but those who
are sick.” As followers of Christ, we must look at
this passage of scripture and ask ourselves why
we too take the position of the Pharisees. We look
at people everyday, and if they don’t look like us,
act like us or have something for us, we dismiss
them. We dismiss the lost and hurting, but we show
up every week to fulfill our religious obligations.
?
We, the Christians, the leaders of the deacon boards,
finance committees and announcements; doing
church and dismissing the lost.
Jesus says, “But go and learn what this means: I
desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Mercy is
Winter Edition 2004-2005 15 VISIONS
 compassion, kindness and forgiveness towards
another especially someone that is a victim of
misfortune. A sacrifice is a ritualistic offering of
something to a deity; a forfeiture of something
highly regarded or valued. Jesus let the Pharisees
know that He desires for them to show love and
kindness towards the sick and afflicted rather than
?
them getting caught up in an abundance of religious
rituals. Jesus desires for us to show that same mercy
towards the lost today.
Unfortunately, we continue to take that very same
religious attitude as the Pharisees. The Pharisees
were very caught up in holding people bondage to
the law, even if they were not doing it themselves.
They preached religious morality rather than a
relationship with Jesus, and we tend to do the same
thing. What is most unfortunate is that the
He (Jesus) desires for them to show love and kindness towards the sick
and afflicted rather than them getting caught up in an abundance of
religious rituals. Jesus desires for us to show that same mercy towards
the lost today.
?
Pharisees were not only caught up in scrupulous
law keeping, external rituals and the condemning
of anyone that was not like them, but they
themselves were utterly ignorant as to what it meant
to have relationship with God.
Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews or as Christ called
him, ‘teacher of Israel’, decided to put his pride
aside and came out by night searching for
understanding from Jesus. Jesus says to him,
“unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.” Nicodemus questions what it
means to be born again; “How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter a second time into
his mothers womb and be born?” Nicodemus
being a Pharisee, one who conservatively held all
?
of the scriptures in an extremely high regard, did
not even understand what it meant to be born again
(John 3:1-21). With all of his knowledge of
scripture, Jesus had to teach him what it means to
come into relationship with Him.
Before we can hold someone accountable to the
scriptures, we must first establish where we stand.
The reason the Pharisees could not teach anything
other than religion and law is because that was the
VISIONS 16 Winter Edition 2004-2005
only understanding that they possessed. However,
once Nicodemus learned what it truly meant to have
a relationship with God and to be born again he
had a responsibility to go back and teach the others.
We too bear that same responsibility.
?
When we read about how Jesus dealt with people,
we see that He did not approach them in reference
to their sin but in reference to their needs. He
addressed their needs and at the same time made
deposits into their lives that would last in eternity.
What kind of deposits are we making into the lives
of the unsaved? When they leave our company, have
world?
?
they left with a deposit that will change their lives
for the kingdom of God or for the prince of this
If Jesus could sit and eat with sinners, tax collectors,
and talk to prostitutes what is our problem? Do we
believe as the Pharisees believed, that He has only
come for the “righteous” and not the sinner? When
is the last time you Christians sat and ate with the
sinner and allowed them to have a relationship with
?
you in order to lead them into a relationship with
Christ? Or are we too busy trying to make sure
that people don’t find out that we come dressed for
the big production, but we don’t ever make daily
rehearsals. We’ve got religion but no relationship.
All through the gospels we see example after
example of Jesus extending His mercy to the people.
That is what changed their desires from the way
they were living to live a new way. The Samaritan
?
woman at the well, the sinners and tax collectors,
healing multitudes of sick and afflicted people;
example after example of the ministry of Jesus.
Unlike the Pharisees, He did not zero right in on
their sin in a condemning fashion. However, when
it came down to exposing the hidden sins of the
Pharisees, Jesus question was, “He who is without
sin among you, let him throw a stone at her
first.”(Jn 8:7) Jesus didn’t trip; He just knelt down
and started exposing dirt down in the dirt. What is
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 being written in the dirt about you right now?
Matthew 5:20 says, “For I say to you, that unless
your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of
the scribes and the Pharisees, you will by no
means enter the kingdom of heaven.” The
righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was
externally adhering to the rules, but internally doing
the opposite. Religiously clothed in works
righteousness on the outside, but demonically
oppressed by pride and self on the inside. Religious
works will not allow us to enter into the kingdom
of heaven. It does not matter not the level of
involvement that we have in ministry nor how many
charities we donate to a year, most assuredly, if
you are not born again, unless your righteousness
exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will
by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven. And
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
He said to them, “Strive to enter through the
narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to
enter and will not be able. When once the Master
of the house has risen up and shut the door, and
you begin to stand outside and knock at the door,
saying, Lord, Lord, open for us’, and He will
answer and say to you, I do not know you, where
are you from. Then you will begin to say, we ate
and drank in Your presence, and You taught in
our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I do not
know you, where are you from. Depart from Me,
all you workers of iniquity.”(Luke 13:24-27)
“But go and learn what this means: I desire
mercy and not sacrifice.” Religion or
Relationship: Where Do You Stand? VCM
Winter Edition 2004-2005 17 VISIONS
VISIONS 18 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

IRAN CENSORS ALLOW ‘PASSION’
TO BE SEEN IN ITS ENTIRETY
“Iran, a predominately Shiite Muslim
state, is allowing the screening of the film
despite strong Islamic objections.”
April 30, 2004, 12:35PM Iran censors allow
‘Passion of the Christ’ to be seen Associated
Press TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s censors have
approved the screening of Mel Gibson’s The
Passion of the Christ in the Persian state’s movie
theaters, the official news agency reported
Wednesday. A committee of clerics and officials
within Iran’s Islamic Cultural and Guidance
Ministry unanimously decided Tuesday to let the
film be played in its entirety, with Persian
language subtitles, the agency said. The state-
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
Associated Press
owned Farabi Cinema Foundation, which is in
charge of foreign movies, bought a copy of
Gibson’s controversial film in February and has
negotiated with theater owners to screen it in May,
the agency added. Iran, a predominantly Shiite
Muslim state, is allowing the screening of the film
despite strong Islamic objections, particularly
from Sunni Muslims, to the depiction of religious
prophets in any form. Egypt, United Arab Emir-
ates, Jordan and several other Islamic countries
have already approved the screening of Gibson’s
film. VCM
HoustonChronicle.com — http://
www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: More
entertainment news This article is: http://
www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/2539250
Winter Edition 2004-2005 19 VISIONS
 An excerpt from the book
“The Principles And Power of Vision”
Written by Dr. Myles Munroe
The Nature of Real Prosperity
One of the Hebrew words that is translated
“prosperity” in the Bible is shalev (see, for ex-
ample, Psalm 30:6; Psalm 73:3), which means
“tranquil,”being at ease,””peaceable,” and “qui-
etness.” Another Hebrew word for prosperity
is shalom (see Psalm 35:27; Jeremiah 33:9),
which means “peace,””safe,” “well,” happy,”and
“health.” The Bible is saying that prosperity is
peace. Prosperity is also harmony. When Things
are in balance, we say they are peaceful. True
prosperity means to be free of worry and fear
and reflects a state of contentedness that every-
thing necessary is being taken care of.
Dr. Myles Munroe
God provides for the birds,
but He doesn’t hand-deliver food to their Every Purpose Has Its Own Prosper-
nests ity
Jesus used an analogy from nature to help ex-
plain prosperity: “Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are
you not much more valuable than they? Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his
VISIONS 20 Winter Edition 2004-2005
life?” (Matthew 6:26-27).
Some people interpret this passage to mean that,
since God is supposed to take care of them, they
don’t need to do anything themselves. They’re
going to just sit back and let the Lord bless them.
If they need anything, they will pray, and some-
one will bring groceries to their front doors or
pay for the gasoline in their cars or give them
several hundreds of dollars. Therefore, they just
wait for God to act.
However, let’s look at the implication of the
passage. How does God feed birds? He pro-
vides for them, but He doesn’t personally hand-
deliver food to their nests! The birds don’t just
sit around and wait for God to stop by witht
their meals. When Jesus said the Heavenly Fa-
ther feeds the birds, He meant that everything
they need has been made available for them, but
they have to go and get it.
God does not build a bird’s nest. He provides
the twigs. The bird has to find them pick them
up, and bring them back to the tree it has cho-
sen for a home. God does not leave worms on
the top of the ground every morning. The bird
has to go digging for them. It has to keep work-
ing, working, working until it finishes building
it’s nest. It has to keep working, working, work-
ing until it gets the worm.
Another fundamental aspect of provision is that
God has designed every purpose with it’s own
prosperity. Your purpose has built-in provision
for it. God never requires from you what He
does not already have in reserve for you.
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 ments, not on keeping up with the Joneses. We
should get rid of whatever is excess in our lives.
We are as rich as our purposes, and our visions
aren’t yet completed. We still have provision
coming to us that no one can hold back.

Sometimes, God doesn’t give us all the re-

sources we need to fulfill our visions because
He has called other people to provide them
for us. God may have provisions all over the
world waiting for you. He may move you a
thousand miles to get you where you were meant
to be, to do things you were born to do, to ful-
fill the purpose in your own heart while, at the
Here is the key: Your prosperity is directly re-
same time, fulfilling the purpose in His heart.
lated to your purpose in life. The nature and
degree of your prosperity is determined by what
Therefore, if you want to go to college, don’t
your assignment is. You were not born to have
abandon your dream just because your mother
too much or too little. You were born to fulfill
doesn’t have the money for it. Your mother
God’s purpose. When you capture your vi-
doesn’t need to pay your bills. Your heavenly
sion—the part you’re supposed to contribute
Father has promised to do that. Mary and
to your generation and succeeding generations,
Joseph’s money came from wise men on cam-
the role you’re supposed to play in history—
els. When they said yes to God’s vision, the
when you capture that and are doing it, you will
wise men traveled a great distance to get to
see that all your provisions are automatically
them. God will supply your provision, even if
built into it. In this way, you don’t ultimately
He has to have someone cross the desert to get
work for money or food, because you’re too
it to you. God has provision for you that no
busy living. You were not created by God just
one but He knows about.
to pay a mortgage. You were not given life
simply to keep food in the refrigerator. In your
Therefore, you have all the provisions you need
heart, you know that’s true. If this is what you’re
for your vision, including your finances, staff,
doing, you are probably frustrated with your
buildings and anything else that is required.
life situation. By the time you turn sixty, yo
There are people who were born to help you
will look back at your life and say, “Did I enjoy
fulfill your vision. There are people who went
any of this?” Perhaps you have nice home, but
to school to learn a skill just to work for you.
you are there only between 9 pm and 6am The
Right now, they’re in a pre-occupation job be-
rest of the time, you’re helping someone else
cause you haven’t started your business yet. All
get rich, and that person is at home playing golf
the resources you need are already in place; they
behind his house and enjoying the company of
will become visible in God’s timing once you
his family and friends while you are busy at
start pursuing your vision. VCM
work.
DR. MYLES MUNROE is a multi-gifted,
Your Purpose Has Built-In Provision international motivational speaker, lecturer,
educator, government consultant, advisor and
for it
businessman, addressing critical issues affecting
every aspect of human, social and spiritual
You and I have prosperity based on our assign-
development.

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 21 VISIONS

 “MASADA”
(The Jews’ last stand against the Romans)
t the western end of the Judean Desert,
A situated high on a rocky cliff, overlook-
ing the Dead Sea, stands one of the most
desolated and appalling sights in history.
It’s called Masada, which means, fortress, in
Hebrew.
The fortress was built by Herod the Great
between 31 and 37 BC. Herod had been
made king of Judea by his overlords and
was hated by his Jewish subjects. He built
the fortress, furnishing it lavishly, as a
refuge for himself. It included a casemate
wall around the plateau, storehouses, large
cisterns filled with rainwater, barracks,
palaces, and an armory.
After Herod’s death, about 75 years later,
during the revolt of the Jews against the
Romans in 66 AD., Jewish rebels over-ran
the Romans who were, at that time, still occupy-
ing Masada. At this time, there was the fall of
Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple
resulting in the Jewish rebels being joined by
zealots and their families who had fled from
Jeruselem. Making Masada their home base,
they raided and harassed the Romans for two
years.
Following
the fall of
Jerusalem
in 70 AD.,
Masada
was the
only
stronghold
of Jewish
resistance.
Flavius
Silva, the More Pictures of the “Snake Path” today
Roman
Governor was determined to capture Masada and burn the fortress and end their own lives rather
thus the Zealots. His troops established eight
camps at the base of the rock fortress and sur-
rounding it with a high wall, left no escape.
VISIONS 22 Winter Edition 2004-2005
by Linda Ryzenga
The Romans then built an assault ramp, some-
times called the “Snake Path,” to the top of the
rock, and after nine months of struggle, broke
through the last barriers erected by the zealots.
When the ramp was completed it was close to 300
“Snake Path” today
feet high, 600 feet long, and 600 feet wide at the
base. The Jews attempted to stop construction of
the ramp by rolling huge stones, each weighing
close to 100 pounds, down the side of the moun-
tain. Although this action caused some injury, it
was not enough to keep the Romans from com-
pleting their task. Thus, the famous “Snake
Path,” was completed. The Romans planned to
take the
mountaintop
fortress the
following day.
When the Jews
saw the all of their
efforts had failed,
led by their leader,
Eleazar ben Yair,
almost one
thousand men,
women and
children decided to
than be taken alive. When the Roman soldiers
reached the top of the mountain the next day, they
encountered not ony a mass of dead bodies within
a smoldering fortress, but they were greeted by
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 two women and five children who
survived the mass suicide by
hiding in a cave.

The only written source about

Masada is Josephus Flavius, “The
Jewish War.” Born Joseph ben
Matityahu of a priestly family, he
was a young leader at the outbreak
of the Great Jewish Rebellion
against Rome (66AD) when he was
appointed governor of Galilee. He
managed to survive the suicide pact
of the last defenders of Jodfat and surrendered to Most people now take the modern cable car to the
Verspasian (who shortly thereafter was pro- top of Masada, but some people  enjoy climbing the
famous “Snake Path”.
claimed emperor) events he described in detail.
Calling himself Josephus Flavius, he became a
Roman citizen and a successful historian. Moral when they become eighteen
judgment aside, his accounts have been proved years of age, are recruited into the Israeli military
largely accurate. Josephus describes the story and taken up to Masada to swear an allegiance
told him by the two surviving women. that there will never be another Masada.

“And so the Romans met with the multitude of
the slain, but could take no pleasure in the fact,
though it were done to their enemies. Nor could
they do other than wonder at the courage of their
resolution, and at the immovable contempt of
death which so great a number of them had
shown, when they went through with such a
action as that was.”
My husband and I visited Masada in the year
2000. It was over-whelming, so say the least.
The snake path is still visible today and many
climb it rather than taking the cable car to the
top. We were told that young men and women,
The Jewish people never cease to amaze me at
their courage and determination to be free. The
siege of Masada has been a symbol for the modern
state of Israel that “Masada shall not fall again.”
Masada is a symbol of freedom and independence
to the Jewish people, a determination to die for
their beliefs and to remain strong in the face of the
adversity are the ideals that have allowed Judaism
to survive so long. I, too, pray that there will
never be another Masada. VCM

I saw heaven standing open and there before me

was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful

and True. With justice He judges and makes war.

Revelation 19:11

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 23 VISIONS

 features
“Humility Before Honour”
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compare to the glory that will
be revealed in us
Romans 8:17
Humble yourselves
It is a slap in God’s face to think that you can handle
your own life. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:5
“For God sets Himself against the proud, and He
opposes, frustrates, and defeats them, but gives
grace (Favor) to the humble.
Seeking the Kingdom of God
You work two and three jobs to pay your mort-
gages, cars and to take care of your children. But
your finite mind is to small to believe that God will
take care of you. Did you know that God’s unmer-
ited favor on your life will sustain you from the
evil day?
You worry about your bills, your health, but the
Lord said, “The birds don’t worry, why should you?
“Are you not much better than them? The Bible
tells us to “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and
His righteousness, and all other things shall be
added unto you.” He does not want us to labor in
vain, struggle, and be in bad health. In other words,
Jesus says in (Matthew 6:24-34) You cannot serve
God and mammon. Mammon means wealth and
possessions. Jesus is not condemning wealth, but
He does not want us to have an improper attitude
of enslavement toward wealth and material things.
He says take no thought for your life. Don’t worry
about what you’re going to eat, drink, or wear.
Tomorrow has enough worries of it’s own. Then
Jesus ask a question: “Which of you can add one
cubic to your life? (He is saying by worrying we
cannot add 18 inches-cubic) to the length of our
lives. Man should enjoy his work as a gift of God,
but work is said to be apart of God’s curse, but it
can be made a blessing if we do it to the glory of
God. After the sin of Adam, God put a curse on
the laboring of man. In Genesis 3:17-19 Curse is
the ground for thy sake: Thy shalt eat of it all the
days of thy life. Now, that we (Saved) have been
VISIONS 24 Winter Edition 2004-2005
by L.C. Tardy
redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3)
we are no longer under the curse of the law, but
God is ready to bless us exceedingly, abundantly,
and above all that we may ask or think according
to the power that worketh in us. But the level of the
power within you has a lot to do with your (humil-
ity) In fact, the level of your humility determines
the level of your anointing. During times of trouble
God is searching for some Saints who believe in
the power of the Holy Spirit to the point whereas
he/she can stand still and wait upon the Salvation
of the Lord, and know that God is in control of all
things.
Power of God/true ownership
Through all your hard times, financial difficulties,
espousal arguments, loneliness, God is in fact tell-
ing you that it is He (GOD) who has been keeping
you, and fed you through the wilderness. You see,
everything you own belongs to God, your house,
car, job, husband, children, your business, and your
body is the temple of God, where the Holy Spirit
dwells. The Bible tells us in Psalms 24:1 “The
earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the
world and they that dwell therein.” If you believe
that your job, your supervisor, your husband, wife,
and even your own strength has anything to do with
your being prosperous, wealthy, successful, or
healthy, then you are out of line with God. The
word of God says, “It is God who gives you the
power to get (wealth) Deuteronomy 8:18. He
(GOD) also says that if you forget that He gave
you the power, you shall perish.
Shake thyself from the dust
Arise!! and sit down O’Jeruselem
Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck
O’captive daughter of Zion
For this saith the LORD
Ye have sold yourselves for nought
and ye shall be redeemed
without money
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 Isaiah 52:1-3
God’s Plan
The Lord tells us that He has a plan for us to pros-
per and not to harm us, but to give us an expected
end. (Jeremiah 29:11) and that He wish above all
things that you may prosper and be in good health,
even as your soul prospers. (2 John 1:2) So it is
imperative that we meditate on God’s word day and
night, observing to do all that is written in the Bible,
so that you will make your way prosperous and
have good success. (Joshua 1:8).
Live Holy
It wasn’t until I submitted my entire life to Christ,
and decided to live holy, trust in the Lord with all
my heart & soul, and allow Him to order my steps
and direct my path is when I began to understand
and see the power of God, and how He was in con-
trol of everything under the Sun, and above the Sun.
Holiness is more than just a divine call, it is total
consecration of man’s life to God.
A Servant of the Lord
During my walk with Christ I learned that the Spirit
itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God, and if we are the Children of God
that makes us heirs, and Joint-heirs with Christ, so
this means that we suffer with Him (Christ) so that
we would be glorified together. (Romans 8:16)
During the trials and tribulation in my life I learned
that obedience is the key that would unlock the door
to the Blessings that God promised to us. I had to
learn how to be a servant, and submit myself under
the authority and mighty hand of God. Being a
servant meant submitting yourself to those who have
rule over you. The Lord says obey your master, but
do it as if you are serving the Lord and not men.
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of the
Lord: This is a test of your faith, since God cannot
come down here, He uses people in order to bring
us to the next level before we receive the Blessings.
There are times when we might become frustrated
with our co-workers, friends, family, husband, wife,
supervisor, landlord, but just know that GOD IS
WATCHING YOUR ATTITUDE, establishing,
proving, and pruning you for the next level in your
life. Sometimes that could mean humility, which is
short for humiliation.
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
Servants, be obedient to them that are your mas-
ters
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling,
in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ.
Not with eye service, as men pleasers,
but as the servants of Christ
doing the will of God.
Ephesians 6:5
Obeying the Commandments of God
I remember when I started working in the Federal
Government. I had to take an oath, raise my right
hand and stand in front of the President’s picture,
swearing that I would not defraud the government,
and that I would be a loyal employee, and abide by
the rules and regulations. I believe the President
then was Ronald Reagan. I can remember feeling
out of place. After reading the book of
Deuteronomy I realized that there are command-
ments, statues, judgements, that are required of us:
(the saved) and that is, taking an oath of allegiance
to GOD. Only we raise our right hand to the LORD,
and we are to fear, serve, and swear in HIS Name
that we will not serve other gods, and do the fol-
lowing: (Deuteronomy 10:12)
a) Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God
b) Thou shalt follow all His ways (Commandments)
c) Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your
heart and soul
Obedience
Did you know that your arrogance, lack of patience
and vain knowledge can stop your Blessings, or
maybe an argument with a friend or family mem-
ber can stop you from receiving the Blessings that
God had all setup and ready for you to receive the
very next day? So my question is “Are you willing
to risk loosing out on your Blessings because you
refuse to be obedient, and abide by the command-
ments of God, and allowed a small circumstance
of arguments to control your life? Your willingness
to stand in the midst of the storm, (tribulation) de-
termines whether or not God will release your Bless-
ings. Let me ask you this: “What kind of attitude
do you have today”? Did you rise up early and eat
Winter Edition 2004-2005 25 VISIONS
 the bread of sorrows? or did you thank God for
waking you up this morning, and ordering your
steps and directing your path? When we take time
to acknowledge God, He acknowledges us. He said
in His word, “Abide in me and I will abide in
you.”(John 15:7)
All the commands which I command you this day,
shall you observe to do: that you may live and
multiply
and go in and possess the land which the Lord sware
unto your fathers. And you shall remember all the
way
which the Lord thy God led you these forty years
in the wilderness
to humble you and to prove you, to know what was
in your heart
whether you would keep His commandments, or
not. And He humbled you and suffered you to hun-
ger, and fed you manna which you knewest not,
neither did your father know:
that He might make you to know
that man does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth
of the Lord
does man live. Your clothes did not get old upon
you, neither did your feet swell, these forty years.
You should also consider in your heart that as a
man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God
chasteneth you.
Deuteronomy 8:1-5
The Peace of God
Once you totally commit yourself to God, and make
your body a living sacrifice to God; that is when
God starts to Bless you exceedingly, abundantly
and above all that you may ask or think, according
to the power that worketh in you. (Ephesians 3:20)
Then we began at this point to fellowship with the
Holy Spirit, then our battles become HIS, and we
learn to cast all our cares upon Him. You see, Jesus
is our peace now, that’s why He died for us. The
Bible tells us in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded
for our transgressions, he was bruised for our in-
iquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon
HIM; and with his stripes we are healed. He took
on all of our sins. So now we are FREE. You can
now live with the peace that surpasses all under-
VISIONS 26 Winter Edition 2004-2005
standing. Only the people in the world who don’t
know Jesus worry about their bills, and rely upon
their own strength. You are washed by the blood of
the Lamb now, and no longer under the curse of the
law. You have accepted Jesus as your Lord and
savior. This means that you have been redeemed
from the curse of the law, and release unto the bless-
ings of Abraham (Galatians 3) Jesus is now your
counselor, advocate, judge, mediator, and most of
all your PEACE. All you need to do is just call on
His Name when you are in trouble, and believe that
you receive when you ask, and not try to solve it
yourself. I understand though, we have been use to
carrying baggage all of our lives, but now we are
FREE, vengence is the LORD’s. The battle is the
Lord’s and not ours. Our battle is not with flesh
and blood, but against principalities, and powers,
spiritual wickedness in high places(Ephesians 6:12)
So let go, and let God handle your life.
I BESEECH you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:1
The Grace to Keep your Blessings
The next time you decide to get an attitude or be-
come inpatient because your bills are due, or Sally
don’t like you. Think about the Blessings and trea-
sures that God has laid up for you, and pray that
the Lord will give you grace to keep your bless-
ings, and bring them from the spiritual realm, and
have them manifested in the physical realm, so that
you can enjoy the Blessings that were yours before
the world began.
The primary reason why God blesses us is for us to
become closer to him, and bless others. The more
blessings you receive, the more Praise due God!
He inhabits the praises of His people! Praise Him
for all you have, Praise Him for all you don’t have,
and know this:
“The excellency of the power is of GOD, and not
of us.”
Know the whole duty of man is to fear God, and
keep His commandments.
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 “For God shall bring every work into judgment with
every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether
it be evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

FORASMUCH THEN AS CHRIST HATH SUF-

FERED FOR US IN THE FLESH
ARM YOURSELVES LIKEWISE WITH THE
SAME MIND: FOR HE THAT HATH
1 PETER 5:5
SUFFERED IN THE FLESH HATH CEASED
FROM SIN: “For God sets Himself against the
THAT HE NO LONGER SHOULD LIVE THE proud, and He opposes, frustrates,
REST OF HIS TIME IN THE FLESH and defeats them, but gives grace
TO THE LUSTS OF MEN, BUT TO THE WILL
OF GOD (1 PETER 4:1) (Favor) to the humble.

Remember that your Blessings from God are de-

termined by how patient and humble you are and
knowing that “The fear of the Lord is the instruc-
tion of wisdom; and before honor is humility.”
(Proverbs 15:33) VCM

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www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 27 VISIONS

 features
Once you’re convinced that a daily quiet time is
necessary for spiritual growth, then how do you go
about having one? You may be motivated to do it
but may not know how.
You need to consider four essentials elements of a
good quiet time:
• Start with the proper attitudes.
• Select a specific time.
• Choose a special place.
• Follow a simple plan.
START WITH THE PROPER ATTI-
TUDES
In God’s eyes, why you do something is far more
important than what you do.
by Rick Warren
2. Reverence - Don’t rush into God’s presence, but
prepare your heart by being still before Him and
letting the quietness clear away the thoughts of the
world. Listen to the prophet Habakkuk: “The Lord
is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent
before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20; see also Psalm 89:7)
Coming into the presence of the Lord is not like
going to a football game or some other form of en-
tertainment.
3. Alertness - Get wide-awake first. Remember that
you are meeting with the Creator, the Maker of
heaven and earth, the Redeemer of men. Be thor-
oughly rested and alert. The best preparation for a
quiet time in the morning begins the night before.
Get to bed early so you will be in good shape to
meet God in the morning; He deserves your full

First Steps to Spiritual Growth:

How to have meaningful time with God
(Condensed from his book,
Dynamic Bible Study Methods)

On one occasion God told Samuel, “The Lord does

attention.
not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at
the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
4. Willingness to obey - This attitude is crucial:
heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV*) It is quite possible
you don’t come to your quiet time to choose what
to do the right thing but with the wrong attitude.
you will do or not do, but with the purpose of doing
anything and everything that God wants you to do.
This was Amaziah’s problem, for “he did what was
Jesus said, “If anyone chooses to do God’s will he
right in the eyes of the Lord but not wholeheart-
will find out whether My teaching comes from God
edly.” (2 Chronicles 25:2)
or whether I speak on My own.” (John 7:17) So
come to meet the Lord having already chosen to do
When you come to meet with God in the quiet time,
His will no matter what.
you should have these proper attitudes:

1. Expectancy - Come before God with anticipa-

SELECT A SPECIFIC TIME
tion and eagerness. Expect to have a good time of
fellowship with Him and receive a blessing from
your time together. That was what David expected:
The specific time has to do with when you should
“O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You.”
have your quiet time and how long it should be.
(Psalm 63:1)
The general rule is this: The best time is when you

VISIONS 28 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

 are at your best! Give God the best part of your
day - when you are the freshest and most alert. Don’t
try to serve God with your leftovers (leftover time).
Remember, too, that your best time may be differ-
ent from someone else’s.
For most of us, however, early in the morning seems
to be the best time. It was Jesus’ own practice to
rise early to pray and meet with the Father: “Very
early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus
got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary
place, where He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
In the Bible many godly men and women rose early
to meet with God. Some of these were:
· Abraham - Genesis 19:27 · Moses
- Exodus 34:4
· Job - Job 1:5 · Hannah and
Elkanah - 1 Samuel 1:19
· Jacob - Genesis 28:18 · David
- Psalms 5:3, 57:7,8
(See also Psalm 143:8; Isaiah 26:9; Ezekiel 12:8.)
Throughout church history many Christians who
were used most by God met with Him early in the
morning. Hudson Taylor said, “You don’t tune up
the instruments after the concert is over. That’s stu-
pid. It’s logical to tune them up before you start.”
The great revival among British college students in
the late 19th century began those historic words:
“Remember the Morning Watch!” So we need to
tune ourselves up at the start of each day as we
remember the Morning Watch.
If Jesus is really in first place in our lives, we
ought to give Him the first part of our day. We
are to seek His Kingdom first (see Matthew 6:33).
Doctors tell us that the most important meal of the
day is breakfast. It often determines our energy lev-
els, alertness, and even moods for the day. Like-
wise, we need a “spiritual breakfast” to start our
day off right.
Finally, in the morning our minds are uncluttered
from the day’s activities. Our thoughts are fresh,
we’re rested; tensions have not yet come on us, and
it’s usually the quietest time. One mother sets her
alarm clock for 4 a.m., has her quiet time, goes
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back to bed, and then rises when everyone else in
the household gets up. Her explanation is that with
kids around the house all day, early morning is the
only time when it is quiet and she can be alone with
God. It works for her; you need to select a time
that will work for you.
You might even consider having two quiet times
(morning and night). Dawson Trotman, founder
of the Navigators, used to have code letters for his
night quiet time: HWLW. Whenever he was with a
group of people at night or home with his wife and
the conversation seemed to be ending, he would
say, “All right, HWLW.” HWLW stood for “His
Word the Last Word;” and he practiced that through
the years as a way of ending a day with one’s
thoughts fixed on the Lord (Betty Lee Skinner,
Daws, Zondervan, 1974, p. 103).
Stephen Olford, a great Christian and minister in
New York for many years, said, “I want to hear
the voice of God before I hear anyone else’s in the
morning, and His is the last voice I want to hear
at night.”
David and Daniel even met with the Lord three times
each day (see Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10).
Whatever time you set, be consistent in it. Sched-
ule it on your calendar; make an appointment with
God as you would with anyone else. Make a date
with Jesus! Then look forward to it and don’t stand
Him up. A stood-up date is not a pleasant experi-
ence for us, and Jesus does not like to be stood up
either. So make a date with Him and keep it at all
costs.
The question is often asked, “How much time
should I spend with the Lord?” If you’ve never
had a consistent quiet time before, you may want
to start with seven minutes (Robert D. Foster,
Seven Minutes with God, NavPress, 1997) and let
it grow naturally. You should aim to eventually
spend not less than 15 minutes a day with the Lord.
Out of 168 hours we all have during a given week,
1 hour and 45 minutes seems terribly small when
you consider that you were created to have fellow-
ship with God. Here are some additional guidelines:
• Don’t try for a two-hour quiet time at
first. You’ll only get discouraged. You must
Winter Edition 2004-2005 29 VISIONS
 grow in this relationship as you do in any other.
So begin with a consistent seven minutes and
let it grow; it’s better to be consistent with a
short time than to meet for an hour every other
week.
• Don’t watch the clock. Clock-watching
can ruin your quiet time faster than almost any-
thing else. Decide what you can do in the Word
and prayer during the time you have selected;
then do it. Sometimes it will take longer than
you have set aside, and sometimes less time.
But don’t keep looking at your watch.
• Don’t emphasize on quantity, emphasize
on quality. There is nothing super spiritual
about have a two-hour quiet time. It’s what you
do during your time - 15 minutes or two hours
or anything in between - that’s important. Aim
for a quality relationship with the Lord.
CHOOSE A SPECIAL PLACE
The location where you have your quiet time is
also important. The Bible indicates that Abraham
had a regular place where he met with God (Gen-
esis 19:27). Jesus had a custom of praying in the
Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.
“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives,
and His disciples followed Him.” (Luke 22:39,
emphasis added)
Your place ought to be a secluded place. This is
a place where you can be alone, where it’s quiet,
and where you will not be disturbed or interrupted.
In today’s noisy Western World, this may take some
ingenuity, but it is necessary. It ought to be a place
…
• where you can pray aloud without disturb-
ing others;
• where you have good lighting for reading
(a desk, perhaps);
• where you are comfortable. (WARNING:
Do not have your quiet time in bed. That’s too
comfortable!)
Your place ought to be a special place. Wherever
you decide to meet with the Lord, make it a special
place for you and Him. As the days go by, that
place will come to mean a lot to you because of the
VISIONS 30 Winter Edition 2004-2005
wonderful times you have there with Jesus Christ.
Your place ought to be a sacred place. This is
where you meet with the living God. Where you
meet the Lord can be just as holy as the place where
Abraham met God. You don’t have to be in a church
building. People have had their quiet times in their
cars parked in a quiet place, in an empty closet at
home, in their backyards, and even in a baseball
dugout. Each of these places has become sacred to
them.
FOLLOW A SIMPLE PLAN
Someone has said, “If you aim at nothing, you are
sure to hit it!” To have a meaningful quiet time,
you will need a plan or some kind of general out-
line to follow. The main rule is this: Keep your
plan simple.
You will need the following three items for your
planned quiet times:
• A Bible - a contemporary translation (not
a paraphrase) with good print, preferably with-
out notes.
• A notebook for writing down what the
Lord shows you, and for making a prayer list.
• A hymnbook - sometimes you may want
to sing in your praise time (see Colossians 3:16).
1. Wait on God (Relax). Be still for a minute; don’t
come running into God’s presence and start talking
immediately. Follow God’s admonition: “Be still
and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10; see also
Isaiah 30:15; 40:31) Be quiet for a short while to
put yourself into a reverent mood.
2. Pray briefly (Request). This is not your prayer
time, but a short opening prayer to ask God to
cleanse your heart and guide you into the time to-
gether. Two good passages of Scripture to memo-
rize are:
• “Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if
there is any offensive way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24; see
also 1 John 1:9)
• “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful
things in Your law [the Word].” (Psalm 119:18;
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 see also John 16:13)
You need to be in tune with the Author before you
can understand His Book!
3. Read a section of the Scripture (Read). This is
where your conversation with God begins. He
speaks to you through His Word, and you speak
with Him in prayer.
Read your Bible … has spoken to you through His Word, speak to Him
Slowly. Don’t be in a hurry; don’t try to read too
large an amount; don’t race through it.
Repeatedly. Read a passage over and over until
you start to picture it in your mind. The reason more
people don’t get more out of their Bible reading is
that they do not read the Scriptures repeatedly.
Without stopping. Don’t stop in the middle of a
sentence to go off on a tangent and do a doctrinal
study. Just read that section for the pure joy of it,
allowing God to speak to you. Remember that your
goal here is not to gain information, but to feed on
the Word and get to know Christ better.
Aloud but quietly. Reading it aloud will improve
your concentration, if you have that problem. It will
also help you understand what you are reading bet-
ter because you will be both seeing and hearing what
you are reading. Read softly enough, however, so
that you won’t disturb anyone.
Systematically. Read through a book at a time in
an orderly method. Do not use the “random dip”
method - a passage here, a chapter there, what you
like here, an interesting portion there. You’ll under-
stand the Bible better if you read it as it was writ-
ten - a book or letter at a time.
To get a sweep of a book. On some occasions you
may want to survey a whole book. In that case you
will read it quickly to get a sweep of the total rev-
elation. Then you need not read it slowly or repeat-
edly.
4. Meditate and memorize (Reflect and Remem-
ber). In order to have the Scriptures speak to you
meaningfully, you should meditate on what you are
reading and memorize verses that particularly speak
to you. Meditation is “seriously contemplating a
thought over and over in your mind.” Out of your
meditation you might select and memorize a verse
that is particularly meaningful to you.
5. Write down what God has shown you
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
(Record). When God speaks to you through His
Word, record what you have discovered. Writing it
down will enable you both to remember what God
revealed to you and to check up on your biblical
discoveries. Recording what God has shown you
is the way of applying what you see in the Scrip-
ture that pertains to your life.
6. Have your time of prayer (Request). After God
in prayer. This is your part of the conversation with
the Lord.
CONCLUSION
What if you miss a day? Don’t worry about it if it
only happens occasionally. Don’t go on a guilt trip.
“There is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NIV)
Don’t get legalistic because missing one day does
not make it a flop. BUT don’t give up. If you miss
a meal, it does not mean that you should give up
eating because you’re inconsistent. You simply eat
a little more at the next meal and go on from there.
This same principle is true with your quiet time.
Psychologists tell us that it usually takes three weeks
to get familiar with some new task or habit; it takes
another three weeks before it becomes a habit. The
reason why many people are not successful in their
quiet times is because they have never made it past
that six-week barrier. For your quiet time to be-
come a habit, you must have had one daily for at
least six weeks.
William James had a famous formula for develop-
ing a habit (Selected Papers on Philosophy, E. P.
Dutton & Co., 2000, pp. 60-62):
1. Make a strong resolution (vow). You must al-
ways start with a strong initiative. If you begin
halfheartedly, you’ll never make it. Make a public
declaration by telling others about your decision.
2. Never allow an exception to occur until the
new habit is securely rooted in your life. A habit
is like a ball of twine. Every time you drop it, many
strands are unwound. So never allow the “just this
Winter Edition 2004-2005 31 VISIONS
 once” to occur. The act of yielding weakens the
will and strengthens the lack of self-control.
3. Seize every opportunity and inclination to
practice your new habit. Whenever you get the
slightest urge to practice your new habit, do it right
then. Don’t wait, but use every opportunity to re-
inforce your habit. It does not hurt to overdo a new
habit when you are first starting.
To these suggestions I would add one more:
4. Rely on the power of God. When it is all said
and done, you must realize that you are in a spiri-
tual battle, and you can only succeed by the power
of the Holy Spirit of God. So pray that God will
strengthen you and depend on Him to help you de-
velop this habit for His glory.
__________________
If you have been convinced that this is what you
need to do, would you pray the following:
VISIONS 32 Winter Edition 2004-2005
A PRAYER OF COMMITMENT
“Lord I commit myself to spending a definite time
with You every day, no matter what the cost. I am
depending on Your strength to help me to be con-
sistent.”
__________________
This article was adapted from Dynamic Bible Study
Methods (Chariot Victor Books, 1989) by Rick
Warren. ©Copyright 2004. Used by permission. All
rights reserved.
*All scripture references from the New International
Version.
You may use this study guide for yourself or share
it with friends, but please keep the copyright infor-
mation within the document, and please don’t sell
it. VCM
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 33 VISIONS
 Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up
by Loretta Parker Spivey
Originally published in Message
Magazine
ince September 11, 2001, names
S such as Osama bin Laden,
Saddam Hussein, and Zacarias
Moussaoui have become house-
hold names. We frequently check the
FOX News ticker to see the Homeland
Security Advisory System levels. As I
write today, the advisory color is yel-
low, which means that there is signifi-
cant risk for a terrorist attack.
Homeland Security Advisory System
• Red Severe—Severe Risk of Terrorist Attack
• Orange High—High Risk of Terrorist Attack
• Yellow Elevated—Significant Risk of Terrorist
Attack • Blue Guarded—General Risk of Terrorist
Attack
• Green Low—Low Risk of Terrorist Attack
We now live with the harsh realization that it can
happen to us. We watch who boards planes with
us; we take off our shoes at airport security sta-
tions. Life is different now because some terrorists
did the unthinkable—hijacked our planes and then
flew our planes into our buildings. The words “Let’s
roll” no longer remind us of our favorite sporting
event. Instead, those words remind us of United
Flight 93 as Todd Beamer and others on that flight
decided that they would rather go down fighting
than just go down.
I still fly, but not without thinking of how terrified
those people must have been, knowing that they
were going to literally crash and burn.
The events of that day forced us to ask God some
hard questions. After all, where was He? Was He
too powerless to intervene? We have become in-
formed on the tactics and ways of terrorists. We
recognize their names. Our sons and daughters are
in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of fighting ter-
rorism.
Yet my Christian perspective beckons me—no, it’s
stronger than that; it demands that I look at this
from another perspective, a biblical perspective.
VISIONS 34 Winter Edition 2004-2005
As a Christian, I am compelled to understand that
there is a terrorist who is far worse than Bin Laden.
His tactics make al-Qaeda’s maneuvers look like
child’s play, and in this war literally billions of lives
are at stake—yours included.
In warfare a popular and often-used tactic is diver-
sion. Create a ruckus and get the enemy’s atten-
tion. Energy focuses on one area, when in reality
the real danger is coming from a completely differ-
ent place.
As we focus on terrorist cells, airport security, and
democracy in Iraq, could it be that we are missing
the real war? Saddam labeled the Gulf War of the
nineties the mother of all battles. It was great hy-
perbole, but woefully inaccurate. According to the
Bible, the mother of all battles started in heaven
when Lucifer began having some I trouble. “For
thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into
heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of
God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congre-
gation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most
High” (Isaiah 14:13, 14).
Although Satan was removed from heaven long ago,
in simple terms he still wants to take God’s place.
The heavenly throne is completely off-limits, but
there is another one. Today Satan, the real and ul-
timate terrorist, wants to sit on the throne of your
heart.
When man sinned, Satan declared victory. Our na-
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 ture went immediately from righteous (walking and
talking with God) to ragged (running from God). It
all happened in a moment, and we fell into the black
hole of sin, depravation, deprivation, and degrada-
tion. If the truth be told, had God not stepped in, it
would have been a victory for Satan.
Genesis 3:15 puts it all into perspective. When God
put enmity into the picture, He was putting Him-
self in the middle, literally. He was putting a mecha-
nism in place whereby our natural desire to sin,
allowing Satan to be on the throne of our hearts,
would be interrupted by His love and redemption.
It is the grace of Christ implanted in your heart that
causes the rub, the discord, the friction between good
and evil between you and sin; between Satan’s way
and God’s way.
Consider the following: Alcohol contributes to
100,000 deaths each year (National Council on Al-
coholism and Drug Dependence). 857,475 legally
induced abortions were reported to CDC for the
Alcohol, tobacco, and abortion kill 3,561 people each day in the
United States.
year 2000 (Centers for Disease Control). This is a
very conservative number because reporting to CDC
is voluntary (yes, I know that there are some abor-
tions that are medically necessary to protect the life
of the mother).
Tobacco kills more than 400,000 Americans each
year (NFIA: Drugs and the Brain).
You do the math. In one year, Americans make
choices that result in more than 1.35 million deaths.
These numbers don’t include deaths due to illegal
drug use, suicide, and lifestyle choices regarding
our poor diets and lack of exercise.
Satan keeps us focused on the se
cond-string terrorists. President Bush asked for, and
got, $87 billion dollars to fight the war in Iraq. Imag-
ine if half of that was funneled into helping people
to stop drinking, smoking, and using abortion as
birth control. How different our world would be!
The point is this: as a nation we were momentarily
www.visionschristianmagazine.com
paralyzed by the events of September 11, 2001. We
were collectively appalled that the terrorists could
kill 3,000 people in one day. Yet each year we make
personal choices that almost pale in comparison to
the deaths of September 11. Measure that. I’ll do
the math for you. Alcohol, tobacco, and abortion
kill 3,561 people each day in the United States.
You wanna get mad? Get mad at that!
Don’t send me mail. I was glued to the TV—
shocked, appalled, and devastated by the events of
September 11, 2001. I don’t mean to minimize the
horrific losses that occurred on that day—losses that
are still painful, and still lingering. I just want us,
as Christians, to keep it in perspective and remem-
ber who the real terrorist is.
Part of me understands the need to, in President
Bush’s words, “seek out and bring to justice those
who caused the devastation of September 11.” Yet I
really hate this war and the reasons for it. I hate
driving to New York, seeing the skyline, and miss-
ing the twin towers. I hate driving on the New Jer-
sey turnpike. What used to be interesting and kind
of cool now turns my stomach as I watch the planes
taking off and landing seemingly right over the high-
way. I hate that there is a whole fraternity of people
who are bound together in hurt because of the ac-
tions of a few terrorists. Yet it also bothers me that
more innocent people will die. It bothers me that
children will not grow up at all or will grow up
maimed for life because of this war. I think about
Tony, from my church, who is serving in Fallujah,
Iraq. He has a mom and three younger sisters; they
need his support, guidance, and influence at home.
He will spend his birthday (and theirs) and Christ-
mas in Iraq, and not in Connecticut with his family.
And most of all, I hate that so many American fami-
lies must adjust to life without their dads, moms,
and siblings because of war. Jimmie Carter said,
“War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But, no
matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a
good.”
Winter Edition 2004-2005 35 VISIONS
 When American and Allied troops leave Afghani-
stan and Iraq, evil will still be present. There will
still be factions trying to gain power. They will be
struggling at understanding democracy, and more
conflicts will inevitably arise.

But when the war between God and Satan ends,

there will be no factions. There will be no more
orphaned children, maimed fathers, or hurting wives
and mothers. There will be no fledgling democracy
or threats of future conflicts.

“Enmity” will have won out. Satan will be com-

pletely destroyed. I searched for a great wrap-up
illustration, but the Word of God says it best. When
the real terrorist, Satan, is destroyed, we can look
forward to this: There will be no more crying. No
more death, sorrow, or pain. All prospects of war
and evil will be completely obliterated.

And what about the real terrorist? “And the devil

that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire
and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet
are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever
and ever”(Revelation 20:10).

When our nation stands at yellow it means that the

threat of terrorism is elevated. But your spiritual
Homeland Security Advisory System must be on
red—Severe alert. There is credible, specific, and
most of all biblical intelligence that Satan, the real
and ultimate terrorist, is actively seeking to steal,
kill, destroy, and devour. VCM

LORETTA PARKER SPIVEY, our music and book review maven,

writes from Windsor, Connecticut.

VISIONS 36 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 37 VISIONS
VISIONS 38 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 Faith Funding Corporation-77 Kettering Drive Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 (301)499-2500
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VISIONS 40 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com
 poetry

“I in HE and HE in me”
I can attest
For the day I professed
That JESUS CHRIST is MY best
I can’t even begin to express
In words, how my life has been truly blessed
In HIM is where I rest
In HIM there is no contest
In HIM I never have to guess
In HIM there is no confusion nor things to be complex
In HIM I wear the full armor of GOD with righteousness across my breast
In HIM I am holy hence temptation is merely a test
In HIM I am complete therefore there is no need to fret
In HIM is why I move and so I thank you for blowing in me your breath
My life will never be the same and I can’t wait to see what’s next
In HIM is my empowerment
In HIM I am the epitome of SUCCESS!

Daniel D. McNair

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 41 VISIONS

 columns

PASTOR SHERITHA BOWMAN’S COLUMN

A Shout Out to the Visionaries

llow God to lead you concerning with whom but please don’t expect too much from people. Yes,
A you share your hopes and dreams. Don’t
assume that everyone who greets you with
even the brethren.

a holy hug and an occasional telephone call are
interested in your vision. There will be times where
you will be crazy excited about what the Lord has
spoken into your life. You will take off running like
a child who just got all A’s on their report card and
you begin to share what thus saith the Lord only to
get a forced smile or a “Really? That’s nice.” Al-
low me to sound the alarm here: Not everybody
cares about what the Lord is doing in your life.
Many are busy trying to find out what the Lord is
saying to them. Don’t take it personal. It’s not about
you and it doesn’t change the fact that God has
given you a vision. They really want to be excited
for you, but they can’t. Not until they too have heard
from the Lord concerning God’s will and purpose
Besides, you’ve not become a servant of the Lord
for applause and admiration, have you? Your la-
bor for the Lord is done from the heart and often
you will find you will be your most emphatic en-
courager. “…David was greatly distressed…but
David encouraged himself in the Lord.” (1st Samuel
30:6).
I’ll never, ever forget what Anson Dawkins of the
singing group Dawkins & Dawkins told me in an
interview. He said, “Your greatest accomplishments
may likely end up being the ones that no one cred-
its you for achieving. If God gets the glory, you
have done your part.”
Well spoken Anson. VCM

for their lives.

Oftentimes, your realizing and voicing God’s pur-

pose for your life forces others to face their own
fears and shortcomings. As a result, their feelings
of discouragement, discontent and envy that were
so cleverly hidden soon fall from their hiding places.
You then encounter a personality you’ve never met
before. Strangely different, with an iceberg chill
effect. You’re thinking that girlfriend or boyfriend
has changed. That’s not it at all. They haven’t
changed. You have. And now you are experiencing
this person’s normal reaction to the new and im-
proved you.
An excerpt from the book, “E-mails for the Christian Soul: 102
Messages of Praise, Hope & Revelation” by Pastor Sheritha
Sure it may sting a little bit. O, how we would like Bowman. Pick up a copy of this motivating, devotional today by
everyone to do cartwheels over our earthshaking, visiting John 3:16 Bookstore in Lanham, MD or visit
www.iuniverse.com on the web. Sheritha Bowman is senior
life-changing revelations. Maybe the angels in pastor of Soul Inspiration Church Ministries in Germantown,
heaven are doing a step show and having cake and Maryland, To learn more about the ministry, please visit
ice cream over the vision that God has given you, www.soulinspirationchurchministries.com or call
301.353.0602.

VISIONS 42 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

 Pressing Toward Your Freedom
Facing Your Issue or Disease
Mark 5: 25-29 (KJV) Part 1
25 And a certain woman which had an issue of blood twelve years.
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians and had spent all that
she had, and was nothing bettered but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus came in the press behind, and touched his
garment,
28 For she said, if I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in
her body that she was healed of that plague.

ur lesson deals with pressing toward your
O freedom. Before you can press toward free-
dom, you must know what you need to be
set free from. The issue of blood mentioned in the
scripture above can also be spiritual diseases or a
disease of sin. Therefore it can represent most things
that could make one spiritually unclean. These dis-
eases can cause us to fall into a state of bondage
where we cannot gain any relief, no matter what
we do.
down I really didn’t want to leave. I wanted my
marriage to work. What was it that made me want
to stay in misery? At one point I thought it was
love. I felt that I had no recourse. See if he had
committed adultery, then it would have been easier
to leave, but he did not. When I finally got up the
nerve to really do it, I ran into problems that pre-
vented me from leaving. It was then that I began
to really feel trapped and became severely de-
pressed.

When I got married I was not completely over a
past relationship, but I did develop a love for my
husband and was committed to the vows I took.
But not long after we married, I realized that I had
made a mistake. He started treating me differently.
He became distant, mean and verbally abusive to
me. I tried on several occasions to find out what I
had done to make him so treat me so bad, but he
would never tell me. About five years into the mar-
riage I had decided that I didn’t want to endure his
abuse any more and I was going to leave. But I got
pregnant and decided to stay. I thought the baby
would help our relationship, but it didn’t. It made
things worse or rather a new set of problems arose.
I was miserable and I didn’t understand why I
couldn’t leave. I threatened many times but deep
My disease was depression and low self-esteem.
God would not release me from this marriage
(bondage) until I understood why and how I got
there in the first place. I had to face those spiritual
diseases and be healed of them. But how? I didn’t
know what to do. The woman in the scripture re-
alized that the only way she would be healed was
through Jesus and she knew what she had to do to
get it.
Do you know what to do? Find out in the next
column. VCM
Athena Thomas is the owner of Host U 4 Less, a web solution
provider, and is currently working on her first book. To learn
more about her work contact her at aptenterprise@yahoo.com
or www.hostu4less.com.

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 43 VISIONS

VISIONS 44 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com
www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 45 VISIONS
 Dorothy Williams is a native of Lake City, South
Carolina. She grew up going to church with her
grandmother. She enjoyed the feeling of “dressing up”
on Sunday. When Dorothy moved to the Washington
Metropolitan area in 1967, she brought her love for
dresses, hats and gloves as part of Sunday attire with
her. She joined Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in 1979
where she was saved, and was involved in several
ministries there. Dorothy met her husband, Bravell
Williams, during a Revival in 1983; a year later they
were married and she joined him at Evangel Temple,
which is now Evangel Cathedral. For the past twenty
years she worked in various ministries at Evangel to
include new members ministry, hospitality and the
wedding ministry. Dorothy enjoys being a servant for
God, and that includes helping others.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

VISIONS 46 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

There was a time when we would go to our grandmother’s house and enjoy discovering the treasures that were contained in her
“special trunk”. Dorothy Williams recreates that magical feeling when you stop by Grandma’s Trunk Boutique. If you are looking
for clothes for a special occasion and don’t want the impersonal service you get at a department store, than this is the place for
you. The boutique is Dorothy’s dream that every woman should feel special when shopping, whether it’s for a sequenced suit or
that perfect hat and hat pin to compliment it. Relive that feeling of being special the way you did at grandma’s and get the
individual attention you deserve.
“Grandma’s Trunk Boutique – Where Every Item is a Treasure.”

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 47 VISIONS

VISIONS 48 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com
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To subscribe, make your check payable to:
Visions Christian Magazine, Inc.
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(202) 882-7945

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3 year subscription for only (24 issues) $37.50
Individual copies are $5.00

VISIONS 50 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com

www.visionschristianmagazine.com Winter Edition 2004-2005 51 VISIONS
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VISIONS 52 Winter Edition 2004-2005 www.visionschristianmagazine.com