Acknowledgement to Veterans

Veterans Day November 11, 2009

     Veterans’ Day is both a somber and joyful celebration for all Americans.  We honor the men and women who have given of their time, youth, strength, endurance, and family separation to serve their country.  We pay profound tribute to the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, to secure the safety and freedom of our nation and of the world.  Finally, we the Holland Grove Church Family stand together to embrace and celebrate the dedication and valor of the Military Services men and women of today, active and reserve, who are standing watch around the world, linked to this proud legacy as they fight the global war on terrorism and sure  safety of our homeland.

      We are clearly proud of the service of the Military Personnel in the wars and conflicts of our nation.  We also cherish the many peacetime activities and heroes who too have risked their lives so others may live.  So, we remember both our combat and peacetime veterans; those who have served for over 213 years to guarantee our freedoms and security, to protect and save lives and property, and to secure our resources and environment.  They have shaped the character and principles our service.  We can best offer tribute to them by our re-dedication to our values of honor, respect and devotion to duty.   Our competency and success as American’s Shield of Freedom has everything to do with their selfness service. 

      And now we are writing history again as we contribute to the Global War on Terrorism and the need to secure our homeland.  We can be assured that this Veterans’ Day finds our military forces vigilant, resolute, united and committed to the defense of the homeland and our fellow countrymen.

      Let us continue to pray for our Commander in Chief, President Barrak Obama and the thousand of brave men and women who serves in our Armed Forces.

 God Bless America

Tribute

Isn’t it strange how those that profess Christ have no time, patience, compassion or mercy towards those that have fallen or are outside of what we consider the norm? How easy and quick we forget that we were just there or better yet we are still struggling even now. We should be mindful of our life, attitude, words and deeds as we go about our day to day activities. Someone on your job, in your family, on the street even in your church is watching you. You just may be surprised as to whom you are ministering to. So ask yourself how well have I lived out God message?

 Prayer:

Dear Lord, please strengthen me so that I am well equipped to do your will. My aim today is to help someone so that you may be glorified in me. In the name of Jesus!  Amen!

Scripture:

Romans 15:1

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves

by: Sister Nikisha Smith

Never make a Permanent Decision in a Temporary Situation!  

 The children of God know the true essence of the word “Thank,” that we should thank God minutely, hourly and daily for his love and for bounteous blessing in every way and for everything.

 Here are some of the things we should be thankful for.

1.  We should be thankful that we are children of the Heavenly King, bought by a price, the price of Jesus’ blood, who suffered and died that we as His children have a part to the tree of Life.
2.  We can all be humbly thankful that we are human beings with hearts, minds and souls to think, do and share in helping to bless the world, and that we have a reasonable portion of health and strength. 
3. We can be thankful that we live, work and share in the wealth of this great country of ours.  We have the privilege and right to exercise the freedom granted every citizen, freedom of speech, press, religion, voting and congregating, and we can live in any town, city or state we desire.  Many citizens in many other countries aren’t as fortunate as we are. 
4.  We can be thankful for the rapid strides and progress that the Black race has accomplished in the past 55 years.  Everywhere you go now-days you see Blacks serving in every capacity- a Black President of the United States of America.  All praises to God, our Heavenly Father!!

 When we think of the rapid progress of Blacks we can attribute much of this progress to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth, James Farmer, their followers, the sit-inner, the marchers, the sufferers who received dog bites and water hose baths, the martyrs in Mississippi, the prayers.  The NAACP, the Freedom Riders, and above all, God, who is at the basis of all this.

Can’t you just image you hear your slave ancestry who suffered in agony, crying, O Lord, O Lord, How Long, How Long.  And another piteous feeble voice whispering, O Lord! Please let my people go.

 In this generation, we needed to build businesses, integrate, be prayerful, be loving, be broad and above all, BE THANKFUL!

Thanksgiving Blessing to all!!!!!

The Worthams

“Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back…”  Isaiah 54:2 NIV

Are you just barely getting by in an area of your life, or are you enjoying the abundant life God has for you? God wants you to constantly be increasing. He wants you to be happy in your marriage. He wants you to enjoy your work. He wants you to be continually rising to new heights. If you’re in sales, God wants you to lead that company. If you’re an athlete, God wants you to set new records. If you’re a mom, God wants you to be the best mom that you can possibly be.

We serve a big God with big dreams and plans for your future. Maybe some things haven’t worked out the way you thought they should because those plans were too small. Maybe it’s time to stretch yourself further and get a bigger vision for your life. If you’re not sure how to do that, start by asking God to increase your thinking. Ask Him to increase your capacity to receive from Him. Ask Him to enlarge your tent stakes; then watch and see what He will do in your life!

     Let me first thank each of you for the commitment and the sacrifices you made toward the success of this special service.  I know that we can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us.  I believe that as every sermon is being preached, every word that is being taught, and every service that is being rendered in the name of Jesus here at our church, is in some way teaching each of us.

     One of the most important aspects of your church membership is for me to let each of you know that it must be established and connected to a relationship with our Lord and Savior.  I strongly feel that when this happens in your life, your will began to see, feel, and help initiate the vision that God has given for this ministry.

     Holland Grove, we are richly and deeply blessed, and as we focus now on things that are ahead of us, we must remember to put God first in all we do.  Here are a few objectives that I would like to ask some of you to do and some of you to improve upon:

• Become deeper committed in studying the Word of God.  Study to show yourselves approved.
•  Become a faithful dedicated tither of the church.   That is your spiritual obligation, and when you become a tither, you can help to eradicate some of the assessments that are made in order to support the ministry, which is only supported by a faithful few.  This is your church facility and you should want to see it as adorable as if it actually belong to you (it belong to Jesus Christ and it was dedicated to him on September 27, 1997).
•  Become more involved and engulfed in establishing a positive prayer life.
•  Make every attempt to be at Sunday School, Bible Study and Morning Worship Service.
•  Pray that the Lord will give you a deeper anointing so that you will be determined to become a praise learner, teacher and a spiritual spokesperson for the Lord.
•  Become more mission-minded to love, care and share with the sick and shut-ins in the church as well as the community.
•  Give God your best in whatever part of the ministry you are involved in.
•  Be more courteous and considerate toward people in general.

     I really do fell that all of these objectives are obtainable with prayer, dedication and commitment.  When churches are fully committed to God, their total spiritual walk encompassed the total obedience to the will of God.  Then we will reach another level of spiritual maturity on this journey. 

     The mission is a dynamic one, but not impossible.  Luke 1:37

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgression from us.”(Psalm 103:12)

God has forgotten our sins, and thrown out our past.  But like a magnet we sometimes draw the memories back, dwelling on them to the point our forward progress stops.  I heard someone say this ” The reason why a car’s front windshield is so large and the rear view is so small is because we need to focus more on what’s in front of us, more than what’s behind us.  When  we are focused in the Lord’s direction, we don’t have time to focus on our past. If we don’t allow God’s forgiveness to cover our past, we’ll allow those things to get buried in us and start to decay. God desires to clean up whatever we’re holding on to from the source, so that it can’t thrive in our lives anymore.  Forgiving  ourselves, is just as important as asking someone else’s forgiveness. When we stop uncovering the past, God will put distance between yesterday and today and certainly our tomorrow.   “In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,     8Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence)”(Ephesians 1:7&8 AMP)

“Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth…”
(Isaiah 54:1, NLT)

Sometimes, when we don’t see our dreams and desires coming to pass, we can feel empty and barren like a woman who is unable to have children. But look at what this verse is saying: if you’ve got unborn promises, don’t just sit around in defeat. Don’t just give up and say, “Too bad for me.” No, God says when you’re barren, the first thing you need to do is sing a song of praise. You might think, “Well, Joel, I’m kind of depressed today. I’ll sing after I have my ‘baby.’” No, this passage wasn’t written to people who were holding their baby and had seen their dreams come to pass. It was written to empty-armed people; people who didn’t have what they were believing for. Do you know why? When you’re giving God praise, do you know what you are doing? You are activating your faith and putting yourself into position to give birth to that promise. You are setting yourself up for God to move on your behalf.

Why don’t you get into position today by singing a song of praise? All throughout the day, thank Him for what He is doing in your life and watch those dreams and desires come to pass.

In a recent Women Fellowship Conference held at the Saint Matthew Missionary Baptist Church of Athens, Louisiana.  1^st Lady Brenda Wortham set the spirit mode for worship as she challenged the congregation by speaking under the anointing of God, embracing the conference theme “Christian Women Sacrificing their Time, Talent and Themselves for the Betterment of other Women” Romans 12:1-2.  Holland Grove Church family is proud to have such a powerful Women of God representing the cause of Christ as well as our Church.

“Write the vision [dream] and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”
(Habakkuk 2:2, NKJV)

Have you ever known someone who had an exciting dream to do something great but did nothing to make it happen? It’s so important to act on the dreams that God has given you. You can take ownership of your dreams by planning and preparing for them. Remember, success is not accidental. Where do you see yourself in your career, finances or relationships? Put some action behind what you’re believing for. Maybe you don’t see how it can happen in the natural. The good news is you don’t have to have it all figured out. With your faith and obedience, God will work supernaturally in your situation to turn things around for good.

Believe in your dreams today. I encourage you to write down your short and long-range goals. Keep them in front of you so you will stay focused. When you make a move, God will direct your steps. He’ll make sure you come across the right people, at the right time. God will give you wisdom, insight and favor as you take steps to bring your dreams to pass.

Is it really necessary to attend church?  To understand why church attendance is so important, it is necessary to know the meaning of church.  We often thing of a church as a building, but the New Testament Greek word ekklesia, which is translated “church,” mean an assembly of people.  Literally, ekklesia means “the called out ones.”  So when the writer of Hebrews 10:25 urges Christians not to neglect their church meetings, he is not stressing the importance of a building, but the frequent gathering of Christians for worship, fellowship and study of God’s Word.  Going to church will not save you, but if you a Christian, you need to attend church for your own spiritual growth and the encouragement of others.  What church should I attend?  That question cannot be answered by a denominational name, style of worship, of list of weekly activities.  You need to find a church where:

1. Worship permeated every activity. May the (God) be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ (Esp. 3:21)?  Jesus said that “where two or three gather together because they are mine, I will be right there among them”.   So it5 must be that when Christians gather at Church, they experience a little bit of heaven, because Jesus is there.  In heaven the angels sings: “The Lamb is worthy…the Lamb who was slain”.  He is worthy to receive the power, and the riches, and the wisdom, and the strength, and the honor, and the glory, and the blessing (Rev. 5:12).   Attend a church where the people enjoy worshipping the Lord.  And that can be done in a variety of styles.  
2. 2.       The Word of God is taught accurately and clearly. “Faith comes from listening to this Good News the Good News about Christ”, (Rom. 10:17).   If you attend a church where the Bible is faithfully taught, you will find it easier to follow Paul’s instruction:  Know what His Word says and means, (2 Tim. 2:15).  And you will “grow in spiritual strength and become better acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ….” (2 Pet. 3:18).  Attend a church where you will hear God’s voice above all the other voices.
3. 3.       Fellowship is sweet among the Christians.   Fellowship is more that having dinner together.  It is a close bond between Christians that results in helpfulness, kindness, doing good, and encouragement (Heb. 10: 24-25).  Attend a Christ-centered church that clearly teaches the Bible where you can enjoy rich fellowship, not merely superficial relationships.  Service is performed in love and in the name of Christ.  Christian service may take many forms (singing, teaching, witnessing, helping the poor, etc.), but it is only pleasing to the Lord when it is the direct result of worship.  In fact, worship and service are inseparable: every task should be done worship unto the Lord.  “Remember what Christ taught and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say,  let it be a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with Him into the presence of God the Father to give Him your thanks” (Col. 3:16-17).  Attend a church where service unto the Lord is more than a Sunday affair.
4. 4.       Is Church membership important?  Acts 2:40-47 describes the growth and activities of the early church.  Verse 47 says that “each day God added to them all who were being saved”.  That clearly shows that all who are saved are port of the church.  So joining the local church is not a requirement for salvation, but a way you can publicly announce that you are a member of God’s family.  However, from a very practical standpoint, the establishment of a membership role enables church leaders to know who they can count on.  Consider church membership a commitment to Christ and other Christians, and be sure the church leader really can count on you.

Pastor Calvin Wortham

“…despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”
(Romans 8:37, NLT)

Many people struggle with letting go of past hurts and failures. They get caught up in how unfair their situation is. And the whole time, their dreams are lying dormant and unfulfilled. It’s time to realize that in order for a new door to open, you must let old ones close behind you. Maybe you got off to a rough start in life. You may have had more than your share of setbacks. Let me encourage you. It’s not how you start but how you finish that counts.

It may seem like your dreams have died, but God can bring them back to life. Your future is not determined by your past. But holding on to the past will keep you from moving forward. God has already given you the victory. He wants you to take hold of the dreams He’s given you. He will see to it that they come to pass as you obey Him and give Him your whole heart.

You can go beyond where you are today. Your best days are not behind you, they are in front of you. Shake off past discouragements, and take a step toward your dreams. Choose today to stop looking back, and fix your eyes forward on the new beginning God has for you.

PRAYER

“Father in Heaven, today I choose to let go of the things of my past. I realize that despite circumstances, I have the victory through Christ. I ask you to show me any dreams that are lying dormant, and bring them back to life in new ways. In Jesus’ Name. Amen”