Category: love

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Posted on by Admin VGC

Generally speaking, people establish their first impressions based on presentation – right? Think about the last time you passed by someone who had pink hair. You immediately thought that person was wild. Or, how about the last time you saw a black male with his pants below his butt. You thought to yourself that he was a “thug” and had no home training – right? You probably took extra precautions with your handbag or wallet.

We’ve all experienced this. I’m no different. I’ve learned over the years not to place meaning on things I see and what I hear. Rather, I like to shed light on the talents God has given to us from creation. Each and every single one of us, including you, have talents that we are to be grateful for. We have talents that we ought to develop. We have talents that we are not to hide, but to use according to God’s purpose. This is why it is important not to judge a book by it’s cover. We all have an inner beauty. Unfortunately, this inner beauty, which is suppose to manifest through our talents is covered up by the distractions of this world. What is meant to be fruitful and productive becomes an enemy to God’s good plan for our lives. What are some things stripping you of your beauty? Beauty is not about looks. True beauty deals with inner beauty. And, inner beauty is rooted in your God given talents.

In 1 Peter 4:7, we are told that “everything in the world is about to be wrapper up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer” (NIV). What are you allowing to be wrapped up? Take some time to sit down in a quiet place and reflect on your purpose. Ask the Lord to reveal why He created you.

When you’re able to communicate with the source of life, then you’ll be able to give glory to God with your talents. This is the beauty of life.

I’m ready to be a wife to the man of my dreams

Posted on by Admin VGC

I’ve been married for more than 35 years by the grace of God. The one thing I can share with you is this: the man of your dreams is created, not found. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but in case you need a friendly reminder, because we all do: there is no perfect man. There are simply two imperfect people who come together to create new possibilities each and every day. It takes two to make a marriage work. Similar to the way anything else in this world. It takes the sun and the moon to create day and night. It takes a bee and a flower to create honey. It takes a man and a woman to create a baby. Everyone has a role. We must understand our roles and the things that we must do in our roles.

A wise woman once told me that husbands are like the head of the body and wives are the neck. In order for the head to move, the neck needs to be functioning. What does this mean for us as women? This sheds light on the type of power we possess. We are able to use this power to speak and create our dreams into reality. It just doesn’t show up.

There are many things to consider in the role of the wife. I’ll share my top three. First, be submissive. Ephesians 5:22-24 begins, “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord..” (NIV). The secret to this entire verse is this line. It reminds us that our submission is not about our dream husbands, but about our Lord. Our husbands are imperfect, but our Lord is perfect. So whenever you feel like giving up because of their mess ups, remember it’s bigger than the problem.
When you learn the power of submission, then being your husband’s number one fan becomes easy. That is my second secret; cheer him on always. Hebrews 4:12-13 emphasizes the power of the word of God. What you speak about your husband is a reflection of how you honor the Lord. It’s important to only speak life to your relationship. Rather than killing the possibilities of living your dream, you can create it through language.

Lastly, pray for him. When you are able to love him, thank him, and pray for him, you’re able to allow the word of the Lord work through him. Your prayer touches areas that you in the physical cannot. Your spiritual relationship is the biggest weapon against any demonic attacks toward your relationship/marriage.

There are many more things to consider, but these top three has
For more on how to define true love, read the 10 Commandments of a Wife written by Bishop E. Bernard Jordan.

Why you deserve true love

Posted on by Admin VGC

One of the greatest teachings on love is spelled out beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4. The biblical verse reads, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (NIV). Love has been described a million ways, but this verse sums it up in one line. Certainly, searching the word “love” in Google will list a plethora of quotes, definitions, songs, movies, and art about love. There are just so many things that have been said about it.

For instance, when you say, “God is love”, people will see it as another cliché. But even so, if you want to know the true essence of love, my advice would be to look in the Bible. From cover to cover, you will find the greatest love story ever told; the love story between God and humanity.

Love is defined by what Jesus has done on the cross. If we want to know what love truly is, it’s important as a community to look back to the Author of love and see what He had to say about it.

Another similarly important bible verse is 1 Corinthians 13. It’s important to know this versus what the world tells us. The world tells us to “love yourself first” and the one who cares less has the greater power. General advice on love goes from “following your heart” to “saving some love for your self”. However, this is far from the biblical love that Jesus extended to us. The Bible tells us that you cannot follow your heart, because it is deceitful.1 Moreover, he poured out every bit of himself to the point of death on the cross because of how much he loves us.2 He cared more. Even when we were still sinners, he loved us first.3 The world tells us that love is conditional and divorce is always an option. But Jesus displays an unconditional love for us and that nothing can separate us from his love. 4 The biblical perspective of love seems so different from the way the world perceives it to be.

As a mother, wife, pastor and leader in the community, I often have to refer to these biblical verses to keep myself balanced. All the responsibilities of these roles can become overwhelming. And truthfully, every now and then I find myself straying away. If you’re feeling this way, know that you are loved. The love for your life far surpasses the worldly love plastered on social media and television screens. You are important because Jesus died on the cross for you.

For more on how to define true love, read the 10 Commandments of Love written by Bishop E. Bernard Jordan.

 

The burdens of the church are bigger than me, Lord

Posted on by Admin VGC

I’ve been in ministry all my life and have seen and know the multiple aspects of running a church. I say all my life because my parents raised me in the church. And before I married my husband, I was serving in the church, prophesying from the tender age of 13. So hear me when I say, I understand how it feels to take on the burdens of the church. This is a feeling many of us experience, but too few of us share amongst each other. Right? As servants of the Lord, especially women in clergy, we feel it is our responsibility to continue to extend ourselves as long as we are doing the Lord’s work. Wrong or right? You don’t have to agree publicly, but nod to yourself.

After years of feeling overwhelmed and drained about up-keeping the house of the Lord, the Spirit revealed to me the strength in enrolling volunteers to support in doing the Lord’s work. Quickly, how many of you can identify at least ten people who you can call on to support with church work? Church volunteers are imperative to the growth of the church. I’ve decided to share five important

characteristics to look for when building a team of volunteers.

You must be a true believer and lover of God

Be an effective communicator

Value relationships

Value integrity

Be a good leader and servant

There are a slew of characteristics to look for in a volunteer, but these five are non negotiable.