Hi guys, this is for all of you, who like me, are gaining freedom from various areas of bondage in your life. God's wish is that fasting or consecration of any kind should lead to you being freed from all manners of sins and spiritual, soulish,and physical insufficiencies. I hope this blesses your heart.
ISAIAH 58:6
"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
This is one reason why we fast; we know that some things can only be loosed through fasting and praying. We must remember that prayer ALWAYS accompanies fasting. Always. This is a serious thing, we don't just fast because we want a quick answer and to lose some weight in the process. As we crave and miss the thing we consecrate from, we think of how our suffering means nothing compared to His. As we contemplate the loss of freedom in this area of our lives for this short time, we meditate on where we would be if we lost Christ. And as we focus on what we want to change and give up to God, we look upon this scripture and remember that He has promised to break our yokes and set us free! He has already come to earth and experienced all the trouble, temptation, and guilt that we did; don't get it twisted, he experienced it all. The difference is, he didn't act upon it: the lust, pain, shame, jealousy, bitterness, anger, sorrow, loneliness, fear, doubt. He cried for his friend Lazaruz, he asked God to take this cup from Him, He asked His disciples could they not stay awake with Him-so many examples of FEELINGS.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Events for this Week:
Howard University Community Choir (RHC) OPEN CALL WEEK
Monday:
Prayer/Info Table - Lower Level of Blackburn 10am-5pm
RHC Bible Study - Slowe Hall 7pm
Tuesday:
Impact Movement Bible Study - Locke Hall Room 257 7:30pm
Thursday:
Word Up Bible Study - Dave and Busters 7:30pm
Friday:
Donuts and Devotions - Truth Hall Lounge (Tubman Quad) 7am
Prayer at the Flagpole 1pm
~Dove Sisters Liselle Coker and DeAnna Rhodes~
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
MUSIC: ACross Life
Hello everyone! Today I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite bands: ACross Life. These guys have a true heart for God, and their music will leave you in total worship.
My first experience with them was at University of Maryland College Park's campus, listening to a song entitled "I LIKE JESUS A LOT." I had never heard this kind of music before. I was jamming, yet filled with the Spirit. I was alternately speechess, overwhelmed with emotion and then passionately shouting my love for Him. I had to meet this group personally and buy both a CD and a rubber bracelet (with I LIKE JESUS A LOT engraved on it). Another favorite of mine is "How Can I Love You Even More." The words are so simple, yet powerful. They make you think, how can I love Him even more, because I'm clearly not doing enough. But the thing is, we can't! He changed our lives, and we could worship Him all day, but it wouldn't be enough! He's holy, He is mighty, He's our Savior...I'm getting into worship mode just thinking the words to this song. These men of God are truly talented musicians and examples of how to let yourself diminish and the Spirit of God shine through and take over.
Established in 2006, this self-proclaimed "Christian Hip-Hop" group has been spreading across the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD region and beyond. Their debut CD "The Marathon" (which is sold on ITunes, CDBaby.com, Verizon Wireless VCast, WalMart Downloads Store, and several other digital distribution sites) and heavy performance schedule has earned them numerous fans and supporters. In 2007, they participated in the Emergenza International Music Festival and earned 2nd place overall in the region. In 2008, they were featured in the March/April edition of Christian Lifestyle. They are international music artists, having sold CDs all over the US, Japan, and Switzerland.
The meaning of ACross Life comes from Psalm 108:1-3, John 3:16-18, and Matthew 16: 23-25. Their music touches on experiences we all go through across our life span as well as the description of a true believer taking up his/her cross daily thereby living a "cross" life, denying self and following Christ (whose death is the message of salvation, a cross leading to life). The members of ACross life are Chris Chiles (rapper, vocals), Giovanti Greenaugh (electric guitar, background vocals), Chris Harris (secondary keys), Nathaniel Harris (keyboards, background vocals), Steve Treal (lead vocals), Joey Price (bass), and Marcus Womack (drums).
Every third Friday, ACross Life performs at the Church of Love Faith Center in Temple Hills, MD. Doors open at 9pm, and it is $3 with CD or flyer and $5 at the door. This is their "home spot," complete with open mic, food, and more.
More information, as well as a 5 minute documentary and the full meaning of ACross life which is very interesting, can be found on their official website, http://www.acrosslife.com.
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
My first experience with them was at University of Maryland College Park's campus, listening to a song entitled "I LIKE JESUS A LOT." I had never heard this kind of music before. I was jamming, yet filled with the Spirit. I was alternately speechess, overwhelmed with emotion and then passionately shouting my love for Him. I had to meet this group personally and buy both a CD and a rubber bracelet (with I LIKE JESUS A LOT engraved on it). Another favorite of mine is "How Can I Love You Even More." The words are so simple, yet powerful. They make you think, how can I love Him even more, because I'm clearly not doing enough. But the thing is, we can't! He changed our lives, and we could worship Him all day, but it wouldn't be enough! He's holy, He is mighty, He's our Savior...I'm getting into worship mode just thinking the words to this song. These men of God are truly talented musicians and examples of how to let yourself diminish and the Spirit of God shine through and take over.
Established in 2006, this self-proclaimed "Christian Hip-Hop" group has been spreading across the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD region and beyond. Their debut CD "The Marathon" (which is sold on ITunes, CDBaby.com, Verizon Wireless VCast, WalMart Downloads Store, and several other digital distribution sites) and heavy performance schedule has earned them numerous fans and supporters. In 2007, they participated in the Emergenza International Music Festival and earned 2nd place overall in the region. In 2008, they were featured in the March/April edition of Christian Lifestyle. They are international music artists, having sold CDs all over the US, Japan, and Switzerland.
The meaning of ACross Life comes from Psalm 108:1-3, John 3:16-18, and Matthew 16: 23-25. Their music touches on experiences we all go through across our life span as well as the description of a true believer taking up his/her cross daily thereby living a "cross" life, denying self and following Christ (whose death is the message of salvation, a cross leading to life). The members of ACross life are Chris Chiles (rapper, vocals), Giovanti Greenaugh (electric guitar, background vocals), Chris Harris (secondary keys), Nathaniel Harris (keyboards, background vocals), Steve Treal (lead vocals), Joey Price (bass), and Marcus Womack (drums).
Every third Friday, ACross Life performs at the Church of Love Faith Center in Temple Hills, MD. Doors open at 9pm, and it is $3 with CD or flyer and $5 at the door. This is their "home spot," complete with open mic, food, and more.
More information, as well as a 5 minute documentary and the full meaning of ACross life which is very interesting, can be found on their official website, http://www.acrosslife.com.
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
Friday, October 2, 2009
GO GET YOUR DONKEYS: Stay Focused
1 Samuel 9: 10-22
11 As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”
12 “Yes,” they replied. “Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. 13 Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”
14 So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
18 Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20 And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
21 Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.
The end of the story! Saul went looking for donkey, something totally random, but His Father told him to go, so he went. He had along with him a servant, carefully chosen. And at the end, he is appointed king!
Isn't this a metaphor for our lives? God tells us to do something, and all we have to do is follow His will, no matter how crazy it seems. You see that Samuel says to Saul, "Don't worry about those donkeys." Don't worry about what you are doing or what is going to happen; God has it under control (Jeremiah 29:11). If you just follow His will, you will get your crown.
But hold on, just one thing in this story just seems unneccessary. They meet a group of women and ask where is the seer. The women tell her, and they go along their way. Seems harmless, right? But imagine, these are some sexy mamacitas. They are wearing some fly, flesh-revealing dresses on their way to be seen at the waterhole. Their hair is done up, they got manicures and pedicures that match their stilettos, and they just came from the hair salon. But Saul and his servant are so intent on their mission, they only notice them because the women are coming from where they are going and they need information. What does this tell us? REMEMBER WHAT GOD TOLD YOU TO DO; DON'T LET DISTRACTIONS GET YOU OFF COURSE!
Now, people, I did not think of this myself. Like I said on Wednesday, I was HONORED to hear this from, well, when I remember, I will let you guys know. lol But its amazing. So everyone, go get your donkeys!
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
11 As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, “Is the seer here today?”
12 “Yes,” they replied. “Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship. 13 Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won’t begin eating until he arrives to bless the food.”
14 So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.
15 Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.”
18 Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20 And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”
21 Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.
The end of the story! Saul went looking for donkey, something totally random, but His Father told him to go, so he went. He had along with him a servant, carefully chosen. And at the end, he is appointed king!
Isn't this a metaphor for our lives? God tells us to do something, and all we have to do is follow His will, no matter how crazy it seems. You see that Samuel says to Saul, "Don't worry about those donkeys." Don't worry about what you are doing or what is going to happen; God has it under control (Jeremiah 29:11). If you just follow His will, you will get your crown.
But hold on, just one thing in this story just seems unneccessary. They meet a group of women and ask where is the seer. The women tell her, and they go along their way. Seems harmless, right? But imagine, these are some sexy mamacitas. They are wearing some fly, flesh-revealing dresses on their way to be seen at the waterhole. Their hair is done up, they got manicures and pedicures that match their stilettos, and they just came from the hair salon. But Saul and his servant are so intent on their mission, they only notice them because the women are coming from where they are going and they need information. What does this tell us? REMEMBER WHAT GOD TOLD YOU TO DO; DON'T LET DISTRACTIONS GET YOU OFF COURSE!
Now, people, I did not think of this myself. Like I said on Wednesday, I was HONORED to hear this from, well, when I remember, I will let you guys know. lol But its amazing. So everyone, go get your donkeys!
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
Thursday, October 1, 2009
GO GET YOUR DONKEYS: Choose Wisely
Picking up where we left off:
1 Samuel 9: 3-10
3 One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” 4 So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.
5 Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!”
6 But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”
7 “But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
8 “Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece.[a] We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” 9 (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)
10 “All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.
This is very simple: choose wisely the people with whome you interact and even just associate. What if Saul hadn't picked this particular servant? He would have never kept going on to meet the man of God which, you will find out tomorrow, would have prevented him from finding out his purpose. We have to be on our guard always concerning whom we let influence us.
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
1 Samuel 9: 3-10
3 One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” 4 So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere.
5 Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!”
6 But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”
7 “But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
8 “Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece.[a] We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” 9 (In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go and ask the seer,” for prophets used to be called seers.)
10 “All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.
This is very simple: choose wisely the people with whome you interact and even just associate. What if Saul hadn't picked this particular servant? He would have never kept going on to meet the man of God which, you will find out tomorrow, would have prevented him from finding out his purpose. We have to be on our guard always concerning whom we let influence us.
~Dove Sister DeAnna~
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