Megachurch pastor Jonathan Stockstill challenged hundreds of leaders at a worship conference to make sure they have the character to support their gifts. 

Stockstill, a pastor’s kid who is now lead pastor of Bethany Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has led in ministry since he was 17. He said he knows by experience what it’s like to be gifted but not have the character to support his giftings.

“I had a gift, but I wasn’t as big as my gift. I’d like to tell you that when people celebrate you, they’re not celebrating you. They’re strictly celebrating your gift and you have to know that. It’s never you being celebrated,” he told pastors and worship leaders gathered at gospel singer William McDowell’s second annual Deeper Worship Intensive last week.

“There are two things that you had nothing to do with [which were] God [given],” Stockstill explained. He listed having giftings and callings as the those two things.

“The Bible says giftings and the callings of God are without repentance. Your calling is not deserved, God just gave it to you. God equipped you naturally to do certain things well,” he continued. “If you have a gift to sing, you did not give yourself that gift. If you have the ability to play or you have the ability to speak, you didn’t give yourself that. Every gift you have is simply from the Creator, the Maker, so there’s no glory in it for you.”

Stockstill is an internationally recognized worship artist who has recorded more than 10 albums and wrote over 100 songs by age 30. He used his time at the Deeper Worship Intensive to warn the many worship leaders present about the pitfalls of church fame.

“When somebody gives you praise they’re praising your gifts, and you had nothing to do with your gifts. It’s the Creator that gave you those gifts,” he reiterated. “There’s a huge distinction between your gifts and you. There are so many people who are way smaller than their gifts; their character is way smaller than their gifts.”

Stockstill shared a story about a time when he was living on his own and stayed out too late, then overslept and ran to the altar minutes before he was scheduled to lead worship. God still moved mightily that day, he said, but it had nothing to do with him.

“We had a great day of worship, but it wasn’t because I was great on the inside. I didn’t have character. I wasn’t there on time. I inconvenienced the whole worship team. I was selfish, thought only about myself. I had no character, but my gift was there,” he confessed.

“Unfortunately, in churches [today], people with gifts get positions without having the character to support it.”

Becoming senior pastor of his church nine years ago has really given Stockstill a new perspective when it comes to the people he allows to serve in his ministry.

“It’s one of the toughest things in the world to care about somebody’s true person more than their gifts. Because we [as pastors] have a tendency … if a person can sing to let them sing, if a person can play, let them play,” he acknowledged.

The minister wants leaders to understand that they need “to really be focused on who you are. Take your gifts away, are you an example worth following?” he asked.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Jeannie Law

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Turkey is the only Muslim country in the world with no state religion. Although it is officially a secular nation, Turkey is 99.8 percent Muslim. Christians make up less than 0.2 percent of the population. So it’s a big deal that SAT-7 TÜRK, a Christian satellite TV channel, is celebrating its 5th anniversary in Turkey.

SAT-7, a satellite TV ministry to the Middle East and North Africa, started SAT-7 TÜRK five years ago to reach Turkish speakers with the Gospel. SAT-7 TÜRK made history as the first Christian satellite channel on the government-regulated Türksat 4A satellite.

David Middleton with SAT-7 says, “To be actually accepted by the government and given a license and given the opportunity to actually broadcast our programming, in a sense, I think that that trust speaks partly to the reputation we have as a ministry.”

“The team [members] still turn the television on and pinch themselves when they see the channel broadcasting on the air live. It’s still a sense of thanks and gratitude that we have this opportunity.”

The SAT-7 TÜRK team is relatively small as far as media is concerned. Forty team members work full-time on the 24-7 broadcast.

In the next couple of years, SAT-7 TÜRK wants to grow the interactive aspects of their live programming, specifically on social media. The channel also wants to feature more dramas and high-quality programming that uses television to its full potential.

“Some programming tends to be low in its reliance on video so that, for instance, a speaker or a talk could equally be covered on radio. It’s not really using television to its full advantage,” Middleton says. “But programming like drama, you’re getting writers and people who have a real knowledge of the culture to express themselves…through the visual medium.”

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Lyndsey Koh

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Much is changing in Sudan, and women play an important role in the transition.

Some estimates say women made up two-thirds of the protest movement that ousted President Bashir last spring. Sudan’s transitional government appointed the first female chief justice in the Arab world in October, and the draft constitution requires a 40-percent quota of women in future hires.

“Women are really excited to play a greater role in the new Sudan… they are working towards achieving that with encouragement and help [from] the wider community,” says a Gospel worker we’ll simply call “Ida.” She serves in a significant leadership position within Sudan.

“Women have really stood up and they have started [taking] their first step. They’re making good progress; moving ahead and taking up roles, and fighting for their rights.”

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Katey Hearth

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Every now and then, I read an article about some fairly well-known person who says, “I was a Christian, but I’m not a Christian anymore.”

So how does this happen? How does someone get to that point?

I can guarantee that the steps that led to that statement go back a long way. It doesn’t happen suddenly. They didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to deny my faith and turn from God today.”

No, it’s a series of steps and compromises that always lead to something like that.

For example, we know about Simon Peter’s open denial of Christ. But where did it start? It began with a prideful attitude. In the upper room, Jesus told His disciples that one of them would betray Him and that He would be crucified.

But Peter said, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will” (Mark 14:29, NLT).

Then Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me” (Mark 14:30).

Peter thought there was no way this could happen. That was pride. And the Bible says that pride goes before a fall. This was Peter’s first step down.

His next step down was sleeping when he should have been praying. Jesus took his three friends Peter, James and John to the Garden of Gethsemane and said, “Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matt. 26:41).

But instead of praying, they fell asleep. Then, when the temple guard came to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant.

The problem with Peter was that he boasted when he should have been humble, he slept when he should have prayed and he fought when he should have trusted the Lord. Then he ended up openly denying Him.

Those smaller steps led to bigger steps. Small things turn into big things. And little sins become big sins.

SOURCE: Charisma News

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

Pope Francis livestreamed his prayers to giant screens in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday — breaking centuries of tradition because of Italy’s deadly spread of the novel coronavirus.

The 83-year-old pope — who tested negative for COVID-19 after suffering from a cold — appeared for a few seconds at a Vatican palazzo window to wave to the small crowd gathered in Saint Peter’s Square.

But he made no comments from the window, with his traditional Angelus Prayer and blessings for the first time ever being streamed onto large screens in the square, broadcast live from the Vatican’s apostolic library.

Francis said he felt “caged” as he delivered his blessings in a way authorities hoped would keep away large crowds during the outbreak that has seen 233 deaths and 6,000 cases in Italy, Agence France-Presse reported.

“I am close through prayer with the people who suffer from the current coronavirus epidemic,” the pope said in his message, AFP said.

SOURCE: New York Post, Lee Brown

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

A prominent Episcopal church in Washington suspended all activities Sunday after announcing that one of its senior leaders was the first person in the nation’s capital to test positive for the coronavirus.

The Rev. Timothy Cole, the church rector, was in stable condition after being hospitalized Saturday night, according to a statement from the Rev. Crystal Hardin, the assistant rector.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Christ Church has canceled all activities including church services until further notice. We recommend that concerned community members contact their health care providers,” the statement said.

“Above all else, we know that whether we meet in person or in spirit, not one of us is alone while we have each other. And, we firmly believe that we are held in God’s embrace through it all. Praying without ceasing for all affected, for all in fear, and for all who are working to find solutions,” the statement said.

According to the church’s website, Cole has been the rector since September 2016. “He brings with him the depth of his experience in service with and to young people and families, a dedication to pastoral care and community building through outreach and prayer, a joy in traditional liturgy and music, and a commitment to scripture,” the site says. He is married and has two children.

Officials on Saturday had announced the district’s first positive test, but identified the victim only as a man in his 50s. A second local positive test involves a man who visited the Washington area from Nigeria, but he was being hospitalized in Maryland, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

Health officials said Sunday said they had determined as part of their investigation that “an individual’s visitation to Christ Church Georgetown warrants precautionary measures” and they recommended a temporary halt to services.

In response, the church publicly identified Cole as the victim.

Virginia recorded its first case Saturday when a Marine stationed at Fort Belvoir was found to have the virus. On Sunday, Virginia officials announced a second case involving a Fairfax man in his 80s who took a Nile River cruise.

District officials said they had no plans to cancel any events, including the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts March 20 and draws thousands of tourists.

“We recognize that it is fluid and every day we will monitor the situation on the ground in the district,” Bowser said.

Dr. Jennifer Smith, who leads Washington’s public health laboratory, said officials have the capability of testing about 50 patients per day. The district has also ordered more than 42,000 masks to be delivered to the district’s fire and emergency medical workers, officials said.

Officials said they were in contact with their counterparts at health departments across the U.S., including in New York and California, after two people who attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee event in Washington recently were diagnosed with coronavirus.

Maryland officials said a person who attended the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in suburban Oxon Hill had tested positive for the virus. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the conference. The White House said there was no indication that either had met or were in “close proximity” to the infected attendee.

The Marine at Fort Belvoir was the first military case of coronavirus reported inside the U.S., said a Pentagon official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case.

The Marine was being treated at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, located south of Washington, and had recently returned from an overseas assignment, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said on Twitter.

Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology and population health for the Fairfax County health department, said the Fairfax man developed systems of respiratory illness on Feb. 28 and was hospitalized on March 5. He remains hospitalized but is in stable condition and not in an intensive care unit, Schwartz said.

“Fortunately, the individual had limited contact with others while ill, and therefore the risk to the general Fairfax community remains low,” said the county’s health director, Dr. Gloria Addo-Ayensa.

Virginia state epidemiologist Dr. Lilian Peake said testing for the Fort Belvoir case was done at Walter Reed medical center, and testing for the Fairfax resident was done at a state lab in Richmond.

“The two cases are not related,” Peake said. “At this point, there are no signs of the virus spreading in the community in Virginia.”

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Michael Balsamo and Ashraf Khalil

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

TEXT: Matthew 11:25-30

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

26 Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.

27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

——

Jon Bloom said, “What is happening here is a yoke-exchange. In the cross, Jesus takes our inconceivably and unbearably heavy yoke of sin’s condemnation and penalty, and offers us in exchange the easy yoke and light burden of simply trusting him and obeying Him. He does all the work and gives us all the rest. And his work not only fully addresses our sin problem, but also provides the supply of every other need we will ever have. All we are required to do is trust him and obey Him!”

A yoke was a wooden frame which was put on the backs of animals and around their necks joining the two animals for a common task, such as plowing or pulling a load. If you were yoked with Jesus Christ, who do you think would “pull the load”? Obviously the Lord. And so in order to manifest meekness we must yoke ourselves to Jesus, for He is the very essence and epitome of meekness. The picture would have been very familiar to Jesus’ audience for in Biblical times a young ox was commonly yoked to an older, more experienced ox so that the older ox might train the younger to perform properly. For example, by bearing the same yoke, the untrained ox would soon learn the proper pace and how to heed the direction of the master. By analogy, believers learn by being yoked to Christ as we surrender to His will in every area of your life.

——-

Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “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… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source