Tag Archives: Christian values

The Spiritual “CURE” for Covid-19

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“If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”…2 Chronicles 7:14

It is August 18, 2020 and Covid-19 is still an “unwelcome guest” in our nation. Many businesses have closed their doors, schools are in-session via virtual learning, masks are now considered an essential piece of clothing, and unfortunately, the fear of catching “Covid-19” is greater than the fear of The Lord. You ask yourself, how did America find itself in this predicament, the answer and the only answer lies in The Bible.

Yet, it is NOT The Bible that people are looking to for the answer to this “pandemic”. We are still a stiff-neck people, lovers of ourselves and of our puffed up knowledge, prideful in refusing to believe that this pestilence can only be cured by GOD! There, I said it, “God is the cure for Covid-19”. Yet, we say, “Let’s look to science, the doctors, the WHO, the CDC, and most famously, “the mask”. Yes, we have devolved into believing that a “mask” can keep us safe from Covid-19, the most deadliest virus of 2020. What is ironic is that THE deadliest virus of 2020 only requires three simple weapons of defense… a mask, frequent hand washing, and 6- feet social distancing. Don’t they sound so powerful and effective? <insert sarcasm> PLEASE do not answer this rhetorical question. I am afraid that too many people would probably say with confidence, a resounding YES! So now that I have stridently revealed my displeasure of Covid-19 for the interruption of my life, let’s look to the Word of God for its cure.

First, let’s establish the purpose of the Word of God. In 2 Timothy 3:16, it reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. God clearly left instructions for His people to follow in order to remain steadfast in faith, righteousness, and safe underneath His wings. It is our disobedience and sins that drive us away from Him which results in our defeat, bondage, and judgement. But God thru His agape love for us always provide a way of redemption. We just simply have to follow His directions thru His Word in the Bible.

Since God is bound by His Word, we can rest assure that He will perform it as long as His people are being obedient. 2 Chronicles 7:14 states that, “If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. Here is the cure to Covid-19, God as Jehovah Rapha, will heal our land upon certain conditions that we must first do:

  1. Humble ourselves
  2. Pray
  3. Seek His Face
  4. Turn from our wicked ways

And then God will be bound by His Word to do the following:

  1. Hear from Heaven
  2. Forgive their sin
  3. HEAL their land.

Wow, the cure has been here for thousand of years way before Covid-19 reared its ugly head. It has nothing to do with the work of scientists and doctors, the WHO, or the CDC. It is a covenant promise made only by the One True Living God! This pestilence can not and will not be cured by man’s human ways or means. Only the hand of The Lord will bring about the healing of our land and the eradication of this pestilence…PRAISE THE LORD!!!!

As always, I pray that this message bless you, provide encouragement and faith in God’s Word. If you would like to partake in the promises of God and become saved, please say this scripture out loud and believe in your heart and you will be save.

Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt 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”.

If you confessed this scripture and believed in your heart, then you are SAVED! And the angels of heaven are rejoicing! As a follow-up to your new salvation, please be sure to get into a Bible believing church and start reading your Bible starting with the Book of Matthew…I am excited for your new adventure with God!

Always sharing God’s Word in Love,

Tamela D. Bowie

Count it all JOY!

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“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” …James 1:2

As I am sitting here writing this article, America is in one of its biggest trials, COVID-19.  This virus has caused a national and international mayhem of fear, uncertainty, and worst of all…death.   If we reflect back on the scripture I shared above, one might find it crass or a lack of sympathy to suggest that we should “count it all joy” in such a time as this, but if we are true followers of Christ, we should know that COVID-19 did not come as a surprise to God nor did it catch Him off-guard. 

The purpose of this article is not an attempt at trying to explain if God knew this was coming then why did He not prevent it from happening, but more to provide encouragement on how we should respond to His allowance of trials and tribulations in our lives.

In the scripture of James 1:2-3, James suggests that a person should “count it all joy WHEN you fall into various trials”, so let’s focus on the word when.  “When” is an adverb and it is defined as, “at what time”. So, it comes as no surprise that James chose to use the word “when”, because he knew as well as Jesus Christ did, that as Christians we will have trials on earth.  (John 16:33, Romans 5:3, 1 Peter 4:12). Therefore, as followers of Christ, our expectations of trials should not be, “none at all”, but they should be “but when”.

Next in the same scripture, James suggests that we should “count it all joy”.  Wait a minute, “joy”, we are expected to be joyful when going thru trials?  Yes, we should.  We should be joyful because of the fact of knowing that the trials do not last for long. And most importantly, any trial that we are faced with, Jesus has already overcome the world ( i.e. trials) so we will not be in bondage to it.  In the Book of John, scripture verse 16:33, it reads, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me, you may have peace.  In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.  Therefore, if God is telling us to “be of good cheer” in our trials, it is because He knows that we will come out more mature in our faith and have freedom from bondages. And lastly, as Christians, we are the light and salt of this world, so when the world sees us going thru trials with joy, it clearly shows that there is a One True Living God.

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience”…James 1:3.  The word “testing” in this part of the scripture sometimes causes a lot of confusion with believers.  Many Christians oftentimes view their “trials” as a form of punishment from God.  If God is allowing a trial in our lives, it is because He is the author and only good will come from it.  Trials do not mean that God is displeased with us nor is He testing us to see if we will fall or sin.  When we are facing trials, His mission is to grow us into the maturity of our faith and walk more closely with Him.

“Faith produces patience”…James 1:3. Before I tackle, “faith produces patience”, there must be a clear understanding that trials do not produce faith. A person either had faith going into the trial or no faith at all.  For non-believers, going into a trial is not going to magically produce a faith outcome. For the most part, a non-believer is not going to understand the premise for the trial and will most likely sum it up as a streak of “bad luck” or “bad karma”.    For believers, that is God’s intent and purpose behind a trial is to mature or grow our faith.    Since trials do not produce faith, then what does?  What produces faith is reading and hearing God’s Word on a daily basis.   Romans 10:17 reads, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”.

Now that we have an understating what produces faith, let’s learn about what faith produces during a trial. According to James 1:3, …”faith produces patience”.  It is no surprise that patience is produced from a trial seeing that it is one of the Fruit of the Spirit.  Patience is defined biblically as the quality or virtue of endurance or forbearance. It is a quality of self-restraint or of not giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation.  Many of our trials can come by way of being provoked or non-provoked.  Either way, sometimes anger, resentment, and bitterness can take root in a believer which can cause them to want to escape the trial.  However, escaping the trial prematurely will prevent faith maturation and most importantly prevents God’s plan for your victory on the other side of the trial. That is the reason why in James, we are encouraged to allow our faith to produce patience so that we will not miss out on what God is trying to impart into our lives spiritually.  It is during the trail that as our faith matures, we will develop patience and wisdom to know that God still sits on His throne, He is in control, and that He only wants the best outcome for His children.

Many believers struggle thru trials because we lack the proper “tools” needed to prepare and endure. Here are the Five R’s” to dealing with a trial:

  1.  “Recognize” that is a trial.  Especially if it comes out of nowhere and it is unexplainable.  
  2. “Remember” it has a purpose.  Seek God thru prayer for the purpose of the trial.
  3.  “Refocus” your eyes off of the trial and focus on God.
  4. “Restore” your prayer life and time with God.
  5. “Rejoice” in knowing that God’s promises are true and that the trial will pass.

 Hopefully this article has opened our eyes to the purpose and reasons behind our trials.  In addition, I pray that the “5 R’s” to dealing with a trial will find themselves useful at a time when we find ourselves facing a trial.  

In closing, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and would like to be saved and have everlasting life, then please read the following scripture aloud and believe in your heart, then you will be saved and the angels will rejoice in Heaven and your name will be written in the Lambs Book of Life.

Romans 10:9…”that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.  Amen!

Go with Christ today!

Sharing in God’s Love,

Tamela D. Bowie

MONDAY MOTIVATION

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“Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails”…Proverbs 19:21

“Winning at the Game of Life”

Some say winning at the game of life is oftentimes like playing a game of chess.   We are faced with certain limitations,  positional movements, and consequences that we must overcome. Every decision made will have an impact on the rest of your life.    Winning requires strategic planning, clear vision, and unyielding patience. However, the difference between winning a game of chess versus winning at the game of life is who we allow to be our strategist.  Will it be us or God? God has already set up a winning strategy for our victory…all we have to do is to participate, be flexible and most importantly be faithful.   According to scripture, God has dealt to every man a measure of faith (Romans 12:3) and it is that measure of faith,  that we should use like a chess piece.  Instead of us strategizing our goals and plans, we should allow God’s plans to navigate us through the game of life because He always has the winning plan!

God’s Winning Plan!

1.  Seek God and His Plans for your life
2.  Stop Striving and Start Abiding
3.  Allow God to be in the driver seat
4.  Be still and allow God to do what He does best
5.  Trust the Process

In closing, in order to be able to implement God’s winning plan in your life, you must be a member of God’s team. It is very easy to join and there are no membership fees required. It is very simple…You must first accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. So if you are ready to become a member so that you can implement God’s Winning Plan into your life, then say this prayer out loud and believe it in your heart:

Romans 10:9

That if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved.

If you said that prayer and believed it in your heart, then you are saved, and God, Jesus Christ, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing!!! Praise The Lord!!!

The next step is to find you a Holy Spirit filled, Bible believing and teaching church, and start to read your Bible. If you do not have a Bible, please contact me and I will be more than happy to have one mailed to your home or place of business. To God be the Glory and Go with Christ today!

In Christ’s Service,

Tamela D. Bowie

Taking On A Greater Cause Than Yourself

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Photo Courtesy from Funkyjunkinteriors.net

 

Taking on a Cause Greater Than Yourself!
When we step outside of our selfish boxes we can better get a grasp on the realities of life. We are able to see clearly the needs of those around us and how we can affect a change in the lives of others. There is always going to be a cause that needs someone to champion or take the reigns. No one is an island of and to his own and we all need someone to anchor us.

Jesus did exactly that for us when He died on the cross for everyone and our sins. He knew that there was a greater cause at stake…saving us from our sins, redeeming us back into a righteous relationship with God, removing the sting of death, and giving us the opportunity to spend eternity with God. Jesus was and is the Champion of the greatest cause because it gave us freedom!…Jesus Christ is the perfect example of what happens when we take on a cause that is greater than yourself…Hallelujah!

Not only did He champion a great cause but He also commanded that we champion a great cause by going out and sharing the Good News about Him…Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.

So you see when we champion or take on a cause greater than ourselves, a few things will happen:

1.  We will be able to serve others and meet their needs. Helping others bring joy into our lives because we are stepping outside of our own selfish needs which takes away the focus off of us and onto making someone else happy. Jesus, whose Feet was worthy of being washed by all, washed the feet of His disciples to show humility and servant leadership.

2.   We will be able to effect or make a change. Change only comes by way of action. Praying, planning and prepping (the three P’s) are the ways challenges are met and changes are made. There has never been an instance when a successful event or venue did not include proper preparation. Even Jesus Christ knew that He had to go through each planning process that would eventually lead Him to the cross in order to make a change.
3.  We will be able to see the fruits of our labor. If you have great belief in a cause you will work tirelessly to see it come into fruition. We have all heard and seen people working sun up to sun down campaigning for their candidate. We witnessed blacks and whites marching, getting arrested, and even killed for wanting the equal rights for blacks in the 1960’s. And as always, Jesus is the perfect example because He spent the last three years of His earthly presence teaching and ministering so that He could see the fruits of His labor of Love for us on the cross.
So now we see the importance of taking on a cause greater than yourself. It has more to do with others than it has to do with you. Let’s be thankful that we were commissioned by Jesus to continue the greater cause of leading others to Him and to salvation…There is no greater cause than that!

 

Sharing in God’s Love

Tamela

Hallways of Preparation: Waiting on God

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Being an interior designer, we view hallways as areas in homes where your eyes are able to get a “respite” before taking in the decor of another space in the home.  Not too much design attention is given to hallways because these are areas that do not receive much of the homeowner’s interaction or time. Hallways are basically meant to be used as a means of functional transition or preparation for what’s to come in other spaces in the home.

I am able to relate this message to what I do as an interior designer because as hallways serve as a functional purpose for our homes, they are also spiritually functional in our lives.

As human beings, we will always find ourselves one time or another in the “hallway of preparation”.  The hallway of preparation is a place in a person’s life when God has closed one door but He has not immediately opened another door at the same moment.  We are basically waiting in the “hallway” until He decides to open another door of our life.

If our lives consisted of no hallway preparation moments, we would continually be on a transitional mission, always coming and going with rest, reflection, and proper preparation.  We need those hallway moments to get refueled, recharged, and sometimes redirected by God especially when we have steered off His path for our lives…“A man’s heart devise his way: but the LORD directs his steps”…Proverbs 16:9

Because we are a nation of people who are always wanting our way all the time, used to things being fast-pace, quick, and always looking for the next fast opportunity, those hallway moments can sometimes feel like punishment.  We can sometime feel that God is not listening, or He has not heard our prayers, or that our lives are on a path leading to nowhere.   These things are not the case.   We have to realize that there is power and purpose in those hallway moments just as there is power in closed and open doors.  The hallway provides a chance for us to breathe and get ready for what God has in-store next  for us.

 

Here are four things to do while waiting in the “hallway of preparation”:

  •  Accept that you are in the hallway.  Calm down, rest, and be content.  Just know that God is working on your behalf to get you prepared for the next level or season in your life.
  • Continue to work on yourself spiritually.  Get deeply immersed into God’s Word because this is the time when the enemy will try to test your faith and your obedience to God.  You will need to know God’s Word and His promises so that you can defeat the lies of the enemy as you wait on GodAllow this time to deepen your relationship and walk with God.
  •  Do not try to look for another way out.  This is not the time to put into action the old saying…”when the going gets tough, the tough gets going”.   God is at His best when we are at our weakest moments or when things look somewhat unsure or uncomfortable.   It is easy to open a pre-mature door or seek an alternative path, but we do not want to miss out on what God has planned ahead for us…just stay put in the hallway!
  •  Be faithful, obedient, and be PREPARED!  We have to remain faithful to know that God is behind the scenes creating the perfect opportunity, creating a favorable atmosphere, changing hearts and getting everything perfectly prepared BEFORE He opens the next door.  That is The God that we serve, He only wants the best for His children…“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning”…James 1:17

Hopefully this message has shown the importance of “hallway preparations” in our lives and what to do when we find ourselves standing in the hallway waiting on God.  When you find yourself in your moment of a “hallway of preparation” be mindful that God is up to something great and this is your opportunity of respite before your next promotion in your life.

Sharing in God’s Love,

Tamela