It’s been nearly 30 days since President Trump shut down the federal government – making this the longest shutdown in history. Over 800,000 families are affected – many are working without pay. The livelihood of these families are at stake, and to that, the President says, “These federal workers want the wall. The only one that doesn’t want the wall are the Democrats.” Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, GA (formerly the late Bishop Eddie Long’s church), has stepped up to help, offering $300 from the church to families affected by the furlough.
“At some point, you gotta do more than pray because they are trying to take care of their family. I challenged the church, let’s put something in their hands and the church, overwhelmingly, responded.” Bryant said in an interview with WGCL in Georgia. Bryant believes it is the duty of the church to be open for the community when in need.
Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Pastor of House of Hope Atlanta, also provided relief aid to federal workers impacted by the shutdown. His church donated $500 to more than 20 federal employees. He also gave away grocery gift cards and had a member who paid light bills for furloughed families. “It’s one thing to tell people Jesus is bread in a starving land. It’s another thing to take two fish and five barley loaves and provide it to them,” he said.
If your church is providing relief for those affected by the government shutdown, we invite you to leave your information in the comment section. Gospel Pages is praying for everyone during this time of hardship.
The life of Dr. Eric Ibegbu is a picture of hope and inspiration, and a wonderful testament to the power of confession, faith and prayer. He is a Gastroenterologist, Plastic Surgeon, and Bariatric Specialist practicing in Kinston and Jacksonville, North Carolina. He is also the Pastor of Living Water Ministries, where he has “dedicated his life to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ and the speaking of the prophetic word of healing to the Nations of the earth.” Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Ibegbu moved to Kinston over 10 years ago along with his wife, Shelly Ann Ibegbu, after Pastoring a church in Jacksonsville, Florida. “The Lord orders our steps,” he says. “The demands of family and the medical practice morphed my ministry style to become more evangelistic.”
In an interview with Gospel Pages Today, Dr. Ibegbu shared how he grew up in a less-fortunate household with a single mother. His mother was saved, and she constantly spoke words of prosperity and faith over his life, declaring that God showed her that he would be a physician. This belief contradicted his circumstances at the time, as he had the lowest grades in his class and could not understand his schoolwork. Through years of academic struggle, his mother kept faith in the word that God had given for her son. She followed through with action – walking nearly five miles each day to get tutoring for him throughout grade school. “She would wait for at least three hours outside while I received extra instruction,” Dr. Ibegbu shared. The faith and determination paid off and he graduated number one in his high school class!
Dr. Ibegbu was accepted into Nigeria’s most prestigious medical schools. During his second year, he gave his life to The Lord. Away from his mother and siblings, he was like a crazy kid running wild with freedom. “I wanted to party but, without anyone knowing, The Lord touched me, and He took the appetite for that lifestyle away.” He went on to lead a campus fellowship called Gospel Youth International in Nigeria. The motto was “For young people led by young people.” He is still connected to that ministry today, and there are about seven campuses in Nigeria. “Alumni from that ministry are spread around the world and have gone into different areas of ministry.”
Following Dr. Ibegbu’s example, here are 10 ways to accomplish life and ministry goals:
Come out from among “them.” After completing his medical training in Florida, Dr. Ibegbu had the opportunity to stay there and practice among many others in his field, but he realized that dreams can be stifled within a crowded field. This led him to look elsewhere to open a practice. He was also offered an opportunity to practice at the top hospital in Nigeria – a position that over 1000 students desired, but he chose to leave where he was to pursue dreams in America. He believed that his life could have more of an impact on those at home if he were to come to the United States for work.
Look for opportunity. When Dr. Ibegbu learned that Kinston had no outpatient endoscopy clinics, he decided to open a clinic there. He learned of the opportunity through a friend who had a practice in the Kinston area. Always be on the lookout for opportunity.
Keep intentions pure. Dr. Ibegbu saw an opportunity to save patients thousands of dollars. Prior to him opening his practice, everything was done in hospital setting which costed patients a tremendous amount of money, even with insurance. His clinic offers routine procedures in an outpatient setting, saving patients time and money.
Don’t be afraid of risks. “Step out into the ocean. We only live an earthly life once.” He was advised by prominent people not to leave the first practice to go to Kinston, but he decided he “would rather try and fail than to never try at all.” The odds were against him. He wasn’t born in America. He would have to compete with established organizations that are 90% Caucasian. He wondered how he would survive. But his faith in God, prayers and confession of his mother, and support from his wife pushed him to take the risk and pursue his dreams.
Acknowledge and appreciate your supporters. “I was confident [in decision making] because of my wife’s encouragement.” “I received a jewel in the form of my wife.” Dr. Ibegbu also expresses deep gratitude for his mother, who passed away in 2005.
Ministry should always be a lifestyle. This means that all areas of life, including one’s profession, are to be considered platforms for sharing the Gospel. In all we do, we are Christians first. Dr. Ibegbu does not see his ministry works as being separate from his medical practice. “My medical practice and ministry have always been intertwined.” He “carries Christ with him wherever he goes and always aims to lead people to the Lord. Church is not something to do just on Sunday.”
Be responsible for those you support. This could mean kids, a congregation, employees – anyone in whom you are entrusted. Dr. Ibegbu shared many times how his mother guided him physically and spiritually. She gave him a target, pointed him in the direction, and walked with him until he found his way. She dedicated prayer time for his well being.
Allow god to strategically position you for impact. He recalled a time when he told The Lord that it was too much to go into full-time ministry while in medical school. “The Spirit of The Lord spoke to me saying, ‘The audience you will have as a physician will be bigger than in ministry alone. People are in desperate situations and they will be open to hear the gospel.’” He then knew that giving up medicine was not an option. Don’t forfeit your platform because it seems to be too much work.
Know the difference between church business and church as a business. “Ministry today has become more of a business. That has never been the case for my wife and me. Ministry should never be a way to make money.” The Ibegbu’s never took a salary for the ministry and never asked people to do things that they aren’t comfortable doing.
. Have an unshakable belief in accomplishing your dream. “I’m a person coming to excellence in everything I do – in practicing medicine and serving The Lord. Prominent people told him he was crazy to leave an established practice. “You have to believe in your dreams so much so that, no matter who says it’s impossible, YOU know that it IS possible.”
We asked if Dr. Ibegbu had anything else he wanted Gospel Pages readers to know. “Dream beyond where you come from. It doesn’t matter if you’re the first to do something – dream and take steps to accomplish that dream. Dreaming is easy. Nothing will happen unless you act towards the dream. You have to remove the limits that we allow others to put around us.”
A few months ago, a video of a young boy getting slapped in the head by his mother with a church program for screaming during church, went viral. It was funny to many, especially those who grew up in church because they could relate. There were some who did not find it funny, calling the incident child abuse, but come on…she hit him with a piece of paper. It would be a strain to call that abuse, especially since the little boy (Josiah) was not hurt. He can be seen on the video still mouthing the words, “This is too loud,” shortly after the smack-down. This does spark a conversation though: Are we paying attention to children at church or are they supposed to be seen and not heard while we “get our praise on?”
As the world turns, children are becoming more stimulated by electronic devices and less prone to pay attention in church. What are we teaching them by allowing the use of devices during services and back-handing them when they speak? Is ministry not for them as well? Let’s be clear, Gospel Pages Today does not condone this child’s behavior, nor do we condone or promote smack-downs. However, we do support the notion of attentiveness to the needs and concerns of children and their spiritual growth.
To find out why many kids seem disinterested in church today, we turned to the experts: my nieces and nephews, Zemirah (12), Nathanael (14), Lindsay (17), Ayanna (11), Benjamin (8) and Romeo (10). Here are their likes:
The Worship
Choir
Design/Interior Decor
Food (???)
Children’s Church
Snacks (???)
Team discussion
“You can sleep.”
“You can draw.”
“Chairs are lit”
What they did not like are:
Standing too much
Too loud
Can’t play games
“Big Meanies”
Disrespect of Children
Lengthy services
The people gossip
Their lists were pretty hilarious, and as you can see, Josiah isn’t the only child with noise complaints at church. Surprisingly, two of the expert kids actually enjoyed the worship portion of service. And who would think that children check out the interior decorating of the church? How can we minister to children on their level in this age of technology? What are some things that your church does to be attentive to the children?
While on social media, I stumbled across a debate about how Christians tend to judge some sins more harshly than others. I decided to open a recent speaking engagement by playing an icebreaker game called, Two Truths and a Lie. I asked each participant to write down two factual statements about themselves and one lie. I listened as each one shared their statements. Some were funny, some were straightforward, but all were surface-statements. At the end, I took the microphone and read my own:
I’ve had an abortion
I’ve had an affair with a married man
I’ve given someone money to buy drugs
Like many of you reading this, their faces immediately dropped. They had no idea which were the truths and which was the lie. I lost many of them instantly, before delivering my message. Hopefully, I haven’t lost you. For some, the fact that either of these could be true makes me the scum of the earth. Honestly, 10 years ago I would have agreed with you. I would have been the main one judging, throwing stones and condemning you to hell. I was raised with the belief that you are either right or wrong. You are either a perfectly polished saint or a dull, tarnished sinner.
While I do believe that some situations are either black or white, most of us tend to live in the areas that are gray. We rationalize our mistakes while criticizing others for theirs. We use mistakes as reasons to crucify instead of using them as teachable moments.
Now, on to my truths…
I’ve given someone money to buy drugs. Truth. Would your opinion change if I said that “someone” was my mother? What if I told you I was 12 years old? We’re all familiar with the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I was that child. My mother was lost in a world of substance abuse. My father was stationed in Korea and I was sent to live with my grandmother. A sickly, 65 year old woman coupled with a rumbustious nine year old was a recipe for disaster. Thank God for the village who just so happened to be flawed, unashamed and nonjudgmental. I often wonder how my life would have turned out if, instead of making me respect my mother during her darkest moments, they would have judged her or even worse, taught me to judge. Since I was taught to respect, when she told me to give her something, I did – even money.
I’ve had an affair with a married man. Truth. What if I told you he was 13 years older than me – someone I looked up to and respected? What if I told you that he was patient, persistent and reassuring. He convinced me we were friends and I naively found myself in an unfamiliar place, living an unfamiliar life. I went from clutching my pearls at the mere thought of being a sidechick to wondering if women were clutching their pearls at me. Now, I am in no way, form or fashion condoning my behavior. It was wrong, anyway you look at it. Sometimes the fear of judgement from the church keeps people stuck in the prisms of gray; even when the issue is seemingly black or white.
Maybe these aren’t your truths. Maybe your truths aren’t as deep as these. But then again, maybe they are. It’s the start of a new year, so I would like to challenge you to stand boldly in your truth while allowing others to do the same. I once read a quote that said “we’re all products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” If we don’t have to be prisoners of our past, why do we hide our past scar? Why do we judge and hold a person’s past against them? Why do we constantly make people relive a mistake that God has already forgotten about?
In 2019, let’s focus less on one’s sins and more on their salvation. As Christians, we should never allow anyone to feel like their sin was so great that salvation isn’t an option. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (I Peter 3:18 NKJV). Are you up for the challenge?
Last week, a video that aired in June of last year resurfaced of Pastor John Gray confessing to infidelity in his marriage. This came on the heels of a social media frenzy in response to the $200,000 Lamborghini he bought for his wife, Aventer Gray, causing many to speculate that the car was a “makeup” gift. If so, that’s a pretty expensive way to say “I’m sorry.” But seriously, the costs of infidelity are particularly high whether couples salvage the marriage or not.
The hoopla with the Grays brought back memories of the Kobe Bryant affair, when he allegedly bought his wife a four million dollar ring to get back into her good graces. Added to that are the costs of filing for divorce and getting separate residences. Fortunately, the couple ended up reconciling – but what a high cost for temporary pleasure. Tiger Woods’ infidelity ended in divorce, but still costed millions.. His ex-wife bought an island from the proceeds among other things.
Apart from the financial costs, cheating destroys the lives of families, fans, church members, children…anyone close to the couple. For Believers, it is much deeper. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). Before falling into the tempting trap of cheating in marriage, recognize the bait of the Satan – DON’T TAKE THE BAIT! The enemy attacks us often by dangling the things we long for right in our face. He will give us a taste and it’s so so good FOR A MOMENT but it’s not enough to fill us up and guilt, anger, sadness, or sorrow follows. After awhile he dangles that bait again, we bite it again thinking this time it will fix everything, only to have another great moment followed by even greater disappointment. It’s a cycle that will drain the life out of you spiritually. This is because we are spiritual beings in a body of weak flesh.
Understand that the bait itself isn’t necessarily sinful; however the place we give the bait or the compromises we make when taking the bait to fill our void is sin. (The apple Eve bit wasn’t sinful, but the acts of insubordination and disobedience were). The Bible teaches that payment for sin is death and death can occur spiritually while our flesh is still physically alive. Each time we “take the bait” we allow a piece of our spirit to die until eventually we can be walking around but dead. Symptoms of a dying spirit are numbness and indifference to sinful things that we were once adamant against, permissiveness of unGodly things, lowered standards, feelings of helplessness, and sometimes physical depression.
The good news is that God is a resurrector dead things! Take your life back!
Identify the source of your void.
Evaluate the things that you do or allow to fill the void. If they don’t match up to the standards that God’s Word sets, stop feeding them.
Feed your spirit by reading the Bible, praying, getting still and quiet so you can hear God. Listen to worship songs, join and faithfully attend a local church for support, growth, covering and guidance. This will give you more of a spiritual appetite and encourage a hunger for God.
If you are spiritually dying or dead, you CAN live again! Anything we feed will grow. The Bible says that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be FILLED. That is the only way to fix our voids. Don’t settle for an appetizer when God has prepared a feasting table. Let’s not allow the enemy to tease our appetites. Allow God to fill the voids.
Is it really Cheaper to Keep Her? Considering all costs, probably so. Here are some thoughts to consider if you’re struggling with the temptation of cheating:
You hurt YOURSELF. I Corinthians 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” Proverbs 6:32, “He who commits adultery is senseless. Doing so, he destroys himself.”
You emotionally (and possibly physically) damage your spouse. Mark 10:8, “and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.”
God commands against adultery. Hebrews 13:4 (CEB), “Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery.”
Trying to fight temptation is extremely difficult, which is why the Bible says to “FLEE” from it (I Corinthians 6:18). That means, don’t even try to fight the feelings, just RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Don’t wait until your in the middle of temptation – at first hint of it, get your Forrest Gump on and “RUN, Forrest, RUN!!!”
Tyscot Records recording artist and 2016 Stellar Award winner for New Artist of the Year, Casey J, is slated to release her sophomore album entitled “The Gathering,” on January 25, 2019. Her single for this project was released in October. The Gathering is described as an “eclectic compilation” that “brings to life the beauty and power of corporate worship in an unrestrained, organic form.”
Much like the lead single off her debut album, “Fill Me Up” which spent 14 weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Gospel Charts, “If God,” the lead single from The Gathering is a powerful worship song for the masses. “If God” seamlessly merges Casey J’s contemporary style with the old hymnal “Nothing but the Blood.” The worship song takes you on a spiritual journey while answering “life’s most difficult questions with the resounding affirmation” noted in Romans 8:31: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
The Gathering is currently available for presale and will be released in stores and on digital platforms iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon.
The internet, talk shows, and social media sites are on fire about the recently aired Surviving R. Kelly docuseries which exposed the secret (though widely publicized in jest), horrific, and grotesque sexual life of R&B Singer, R. Kelly. The frustration, anger, and sadness stems not only from the pedophilia, but also from the fact that Kelly’s celebrity status seemingly kept him in good graces publicly while innocent lives and families were manipulated – ripped apart in plain sight of those who assisted him. Whether the allegations are true or false, Surviving R. Kelly has sparked an opportunity for dialogue about recognizing and preventing sexual abuse in children and adults, generational curses and cycles of abuse (Kelly claims to have been sexually abused in childhood), as well as tolerance verses accountability and forgiveness.
The chatter in regards to Surviving R. Kelly brings to mind the lyrics of his song, I Wish:
"Voices in my head be telling me to come to church Said the Lord is the only way for you to stop the hurt Dreaming of windows black tinted like a hearse When waking up to life sometimes seems worse And all I ever wanted is to be a better man And I try to keep it real with my homies now For me to save the world I don't understand How did I become the leader of a billion men? How I used to street perform on Friday And how I used to go to church on Easter Sunday Standing here throwing them stones at me Somebody pray for me"
The lyrics suggest that God has been dealing with R. Kelly. What would happen if Believers took time to pray with people fighting demons of past abuse? Psychology Today describes the outcomes of childhood sex abuse: “Symptoms can extend far into adulthood and can include withdrawn behavior, reenactment of the traumatic event, avoidance of circumstances that remind one of the event, and physiological hyperreactivity…children abused at any early age often become hyper-sexualized or sexually reactive.” This could very well be the case with R. Kelly; hurting people hurt people. Unfortunately, this creates a cycle of more hurt people who often go on to hurt others.
Many believers have heard and even repeated the cliche’ “separate the sin from the sinner.” For most people, that is extremely difficult but necessary! In order to fully operate in love, we must be dedicated to see beyond the people-mask and identify the evil plots and schemes of the true enemy. People look to the church in search of healing and deliverance in hopes that, no matter what wrongs they have done, there is a chance to make it right. In other words, people are really looking for God, whether consciously or subconsciously.
There is always a spiritual force behind attacks of sin, and Believers should always be prepared for battle. The spiritual forces behind “wrongs” is what Believers are charged to combat using the weapon of prayer. “…My house will be called a house of prayer…” (Isaiah 56:7). If there was ever a time for The Church to pray, now is definitely that time. Let’s be The Light – let hurting people find God in each of us.
On January 5, John P. Kee announced (via social media) that He signed a new record deal “making him one of the oldest artists ever to own their own master recordings.” This is a huge deal in the music industry and an example of excellence in business, as many artists get entangled with record companies and lose control over work they created. Kee says, “Instead of arguing about who’s the real king, I’d rather discuss who really knows the meaning of Kingdom! It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you what’s already yours.”
“By owning your master recordings, you keep creative control and you’re free to release your music however you want via whichever channels you choose,” says Paul Hitchman, President of AWAL (A UK-based record company). Kee credits his “management, team of amazing lawyers (including Attorney Tim Smith), musicians, singers, engineers, and producers” for helping him to achieve this milestone. One of the first things he mentioned doing with this new ownership is to re-record his hit single, “I Do Worship.”
A few months ago, I was sitting outdoors having breakfast with my family. The calm of the morning was broken by an unfamiliar sound. Out of nowhere, we saw a panic-stricken doe running at 50-60 miles/hr within a few feet of where we were seated. He darted through the parking lot and very quickly disappeared around the corner into the woods.
At first, I was amazed that the deer had come this far into the densely populated area of the city. Soon I understood that this graceful animal was most likely running from a buck!!! (The things females have to put up with!! ) I was reminded of a scripture that has meant so much to me over the years: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (Psalm 42:1)
Clearly, a deer running at that speed in full adrenaline overdrive would have created a thirst that only water will quench. Yet there are great hidden lessons here for all of us to capture. The streams the deer is looking for is not merely to quench its thirst. No! The streams serve an even bigger purpose! Once the deer steps into a stream, the scent of its trails are LOST! How does the predator accurately follow its prey through turns and bends in the thick forests and woodlands, with no GPS and no SIRI??? You got it! They follow the smell!
So the Lord teaches us a mighty lesson through the life of the deer: If we can “jump” into the flowing streams of his WORD (the Bible calls the word of God flowing streams of water), we will not only be satisfied and refreshed, but the “enemy,” who is in hot pursuit of our souls will literally lose our trail, therefore we will be saved.
The psalmist calls God the “Rock of Ages” and he prays: “…Cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.” He is described as “High Tower” into which the righteous run into and are safe. My encouragement today is for us to recognize that the only place of true safety is in the Word of the living God. Many don’t read the Bible because they feel they either won’t understand it or it’s written in unfamiliar language. Some feel they are not qualified to read the Bible and that they need an expert to explain.
The role of pastors and theologians are vital but to depend on that as the only source of spiritual food would be like thinking that Mcdonald’s is the only source of a meal! The truth is that you and I can gather up ingredients and make a meal at home.
There’s a story of an old preacher who asked a young man, “Why don’t you read the Bible?” The young man answered, “I don’t understand it and every time I read it, I forget what I read once I close the book!” The preacher then asked the young man to take a basket laying beside him to the tap, fill it with water and bring back to him. The young man thought, “this dude is senile.” With a laugh he said, “the basket can’t hold water. How am I to do this?”
With continued urging from the preacher he reluctantly took the basket, turned the tap on and placed the basket under the tap and waited. Frustrated he took the empty basket to the old preacher and said: “you see, it’s empty like I said it would be!” The preacher smiled and said, “you must admit it’s cleaner.” So it is with the Word of God. Every time you read it, whether you retain much or not, it cleanses you!
This truth is spoken clearly in Ephesians 5:26 King James Version (KJV): “That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Read The Word today and everyday. Your life depends on it!
Leandria Johnson has been hurt by “The Church.” “I’m not afraid…y’all want to get on me for what I said…but y’all [are] not dealing with what’s going on in the church,” said Leandria Johnson in response to the backlash she received after she angrily ranted “…F___ the church…f___ Christianity…” on Facebook Live. She referred to pastors as good business people, and while church attenders are “believing God” for breakthroughs, pastors are building wealth through their offerings. “[Church-goers] attend conferences year after year, only to find out that the person they’re serving is the same as them…’f’ed’ up.” Though her message was harshly and profanely delivered, it sparked an interesting conversation in the Christian and secular communities. How do we deal with church hurt?
For many, the church is a refuge for bleeding hearts. For others, it’s the root of their pain, and that pain is why they don’t “do church.” It can even be the reason some are in backslidden states. Although church hurt is a very sensitive topic, most of us have experienced some form of church hurt. Not too far gone are the days of “what happens in this house, stays in this house.” A lot of Christians have adopted this mentality when it comes to the church. There are some areas where we don’t necessarily agree, but the good outweighs the bad and it saddens us to hear anything negative about the church. However, for others, the bad so heavily trumps the good that any negativity adds fuel to their “that’s why I don’t go to church” fire and further confirms their distaste for the church.
Leandria Johnson’s voice in the video and the comments of so many others wreaked of tear-jerking pain. Her frustration, though distastefully delivered, was understandable. Many can relate to her disappointment and can even understand her pain. Those who grew up in the church can testify about being told, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15, NKJV). They learned very early that the church was bigger than the leadership and not to put anyone on a pedestal. However, that does not shelter people from hurt. Church hurt can be harder for them because they have high expectations of fellow Christians; and even higher expectations of clergy. That’s what makes church hurt one of the worst types of hurt; it has the ability to affect people on so many different levels.
When things go awry at work or within our families we turn to the church for comfort, but when things go awry within the church, where do we turn?
It can be hard to separate the disappointment of church hurt from the love of God. We go to church to talk to God, to release the weights of the world, to get the extra push to the finish line, to fellowship, to get much needed encouragement and to hear revelations and confirmations. So when things go wrong it can leave us feeling lost and cause us to blame and question God. We know that God is perfect so we expect perfection from the church. The sooner we remove the mask and accept that the church is full of imperfect people, living imperfect lives, trying to come together to serve a perfect God, the sooner the church can start to release the hurt and fully heal.
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