Religion

F.O.G (Favor of God) Warning

Published

9 years ago

February 17, 2015

Oakland Post

by Pastor E. A. Deckard

Special to the NNPA from the Houston Forward Times

“God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you’re able to pay off your house. That’s God shifting things in your favor.” –Joel Osteen

“Many have a vague idea that they must make some wonderful effort in order to gain the favor of God. But all self-dependence is vain. It is only by connecting with Jesus through faith that the sinner becomes a hopeful, believing child of God.” –Ellen G. White

Forward Thinkers, I have a spiritual forecast to announce and you need to prepare yourselves for a heavy F.O.G (Favor of God) Warning. Fog is formed or developed when two different climates come together; climate is described as the present condition one is experiencing. Therefore, a fog is created when two opposite weather conditions come together at the same time. Forward Thinkers, when cool air meets dry land, fog is created under these conditions. I know by now you are asking Pastor, “what does fog have to do with what I’m dealing with in my life on today”? Remember Forward Thinkers, the bible says whatever happens in the natural is always present in the spirit and whatever is loose on earth is also loose in heaven.

FOG = Favor of God (spirit) fog (natural) is produced when two opposite conditions meet.

Forward Thinkers, when the condition of sickness comes into the presence of healing these two opposite conditions produce fog (favor of God). The “favor of God” causes believers to declare they are now healed.

Forward Thinkers, when the condition of poverty collides with the condition of prosperity these two opposite conditions produce fog (favor of God). The favor of God produces a new condition of being free of debt.

Forward Thinkers, when the climate of depression gets mixed up with the climate of joy these two opposite climates producesthe favor of God (fog). Forward Thinkers, in the midst of the fog you can declare you’re now smiling.

Forward Thinkers, here is one more example of fog (favor of God) being produced. The condition of frustration blows into the condition of peace and fog (favor of God) shows up and the new condition for the Believer is satisfied.

Forward Thinkers, the FOG (Favor of God) covers you and moves with you and the “Favor of God” is ready to turn your condition around today.

Psalm 90:12-17 (NIV)¹⁷May the favorof the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

Forward Thinkers, King David is saying the Favor of God will make you forget all the days of trouble which you have experienced in your past. Thank God now that the Favor of God don’t have you looking like what you been through. The favor of God is getting ready to cause everything you put your hands on to succeed this season. Forward Thinkers, your season of failure is over and you are now experiencing the favor of God (fog).

Proverbs 8:35-36 (NIV)³⁵For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord.³⁶But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”

Forward Thinkers, wisdom allows us to receive favor from the Lord and wisdom + favor allows us to reach our full potential in life. We must stop seeking the foolishness of the world and chase after the wisdom of the Lord, because wisdom produces “favor”. Forward Thinkers, I don’t know about you but, I need the favor of God operating in my life this season.

Forward Thinkers, here are five facts on the Favor of God

1) Approval

The condition of rejection combined with the condition of approval produces FOG (Favor of God) and the favor of God produces the new condition of being approved and accepted. Forward Thinkers, the favor of God allows you to experience yes over no.

Luke 5:8 (NLT)⁸When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, “Oh, Lord, please leave me—I’m too much of a sinner to be around you.”

Forward Thinkers, God looks at your credit score, background check, work history, level of education, and your resume; then says “ok, is there anything too hard for God?” He then stamps APPROVED on your future in spite of your past.

Warning: Forward Thinkers, when your credit is restored don’t go out and blow it by repeating the same mistakes which produced a negative climate for you in the first place.

Forward Thinkers, when Jesus asked the question, who do they say I am, all the other disciples could not answer but Peter shouts “you are the Son of God.” Peter received the Favor of God. Forward Thinkers, it’s time to acknowledge the favor of God is on you.

2) A Generous Act

Forward Thinkers, the Favor of God will cause someone to show you uncommon favor this season. Forward Thinkers, the favor of God will cause miracle money to show up in your life right on time and men will unexpectedly pour favor into your life.

Exodus 12:36 The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

Forward Thinkers, their faith was strong enough to ignore the past facts and their obedience to do what God said, “released the Favor of God into their lives under some very difficult conditions”.

Remember the bible says give and it shall be given to you. The favor of God will be pressed down and running over in your life this season. You can start shouting Greater Favor in 2015.

3) Preferential Treatment

Forward Thinkers, the Favor of God will also release unexplainable success in your life causing you to experience breakthroughs even if you’re still in the back of the line.

1 Samuel 16:11-1211And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

Forward Thinkers, they say it’s not your turn but the Favor of God now says it’s your time.

Notice David was a man known for praising God even before the favor of God showed up. Forward Thinkers, if you need the favor of God to show up in your house then start praising God in your house first.

4) One Granted Privileges

Forward Thinkers, with the Favor of God, you will be able to do what you have not been able to do before. The Favor of God turns failed attempts into successful testimonies.

John 21:3-7 ³“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. ⁵He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. ⁶He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. ⁷Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,”

Forward Thinkers, Peter declared the “Favor of God” and today I challenge you to do the same and start declaring it is the favor of God that’s turning your condition around this season.

5) One Most Likely To Win

Forward Thinkers, with the Favor of God you are no longer the underdog now, you are the favorite, therefore; it’s time you shifted your mindset.

Forward Thinkers, during this season of favor stop replaying your past and fast forward into your future; if you don’t like what you see, hit pause and edit the picture.

Isaiah 38:2 When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

Forward Thinkers, when Hezekiah didn’t like his current condition he prayed and reminded God of His promises and covenant protection. The Lord granted him Favor and changed his outcome. Forward Thinkers, we serve the same God of favor that extended the life span of Hezekiah.

Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, 16711 Ella Blvd. Houston, Texas, 77090. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com or the church website www.ghic.net.

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COMMENTARY: Prayer is Your Power

Published

1 year ago

February 6, 2023

Oakland Post

Prayer is about faith. It is believing that God hears us.

Faithful Utterances

By Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew | Texas Metro News

This week, a friend informed me that she was following the ambulance to the hospital with her husband. Her husband was going through a major health crisis. She wasn’t the only one who reached out—a friend’s mother had unexplained pain and another friend contacted me about her friend’s son who was hospitalized with pneumonia. Each of them asked that I pray for them.

I consider it an honor to pray for others. Prayer is powerful and I love that I have a group of friends who I can turn to that I call the “prayer warriors” that when I send a text to lift up the concerns and issues of others before God, they go into battle mode.

Prayer is a weapon and I think many of us don’t understand its power until we need it. For many of us, it’s a routine, something that’s more about religion than it is about relationship. We have gotten prayer twisted as some exchange solely for stuff. God is not a celestial Santa Claus dropping off gifts. Prayer is an opportunity to go before to God sincerely in relationship. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:5–8)

Prayer is about faith. It is believing that God hears us. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) I realize that my prayers are even more powerful when I am in relationship with others seeking God: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). It’s dangerous when we see prayer as a way to manipulate God into doing what we want. There is nothing wrong with bringing your requests before God but it’s important to check our motivation and intention. It’s also important to know that just because God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way that we want does not mean that God doesn’t love us.

It doesn’t mean that God does not hear us. It does not negate the omnipotence or goodness of God, either. We must believe that God is able. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) It’s easy to blame God when things don’t go the way we want them to—”the rain falls on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Terrible things happen to good people often. We live in an unjust world with people making decisions that are informed more by profit than people. We cannot take those principles into our relationship with God. We must believe that “… all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) …. God is concerned with our hearts, with people and cares for us even when things don’t go the way we’d like. I can report that all of the individuals we prayed for had excellent results.

God is good! Yet, I realize that this isn’t always the case. Prayer is powerful. God wants us to have this daily form of communication. 1 John 5:14, tells us: “And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Don’t use prayer just when you need something. Just as all relationships require consistent communication for growth and results, the same is even more important in our relationship with God. Prayer is a powerful partnership with God that can move mountains when we believe!

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the host of the Tapestry Podcast and the author of three books for women. She is also the Vice President of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas. To learn more, visit drfroswa.com.

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Black History

AFRICAN-ISH: The First Christmas Story

Both Joseph and Mary were of the lineage of David, Joseph descended from David’s son Solomon (and Bathsheba), and Mary extended from another son Nathan. Therefore, they were required to go to the little town of Bethlehem, in Judea and there, in a cattle shed Jesus was born. (Bethlehem is 70 miles south of Nazareth and 5 miles southwest of Jerusalem).

Published

1 year ago

December 26, 2022

Oakland Post

The four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John chronicled the full theme of Christ as the universal Savior.

By Simon Burris

The narrative of Jesus’ birth and proof of his Hamitic (Black) African bloodline* began in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis chapter 10, in the Land of Ham, located in southwest Asia and Africa. Three most prominent Hamitic personalities: Abraham, Isaiah and David.

People and places of Hamitic origins are underlined.

(1) Abraham the patriarch was Babylonian (Ethnic Ethiopian). Gen. 11:31; (2) Isaiah a prophet lived 750 years before Christ, predicted the virgin birth was a nephew of Amaziah a Judahite (Canaanite) king; and (3) David the great king of Israel was a descendant of Abraham, also of Tamar and Rahab (Canaanites).

The (Hamitic) Genealogy of Jesus Christ: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-34

The Birth of Jesus: (about 6-4 BC)

Mary the virgin mother of Jesus and her husband Joseph the “foster” father of Jesus, a carpenter, lived in Nazareth, a town in northern Palestine.

At this time Emperor Augustus of the Roman Empire decreed that a census would be taken. Everyone in his domain had to go to his or her hometown to register. He probably ordered Cyrenius ( Quirinius ) the Afro Roman governor of Syria / Judeadistrict to take charge and supervise the mandate.

A short time later shepherds from the countryside as well as Wise Men (Magi) from neighboring countries Arabia, Babylonia,and Persia traveled to the nativity site, paid homage and worshiped the infant-Savior.

Now Joseph was warned by the Lord in a dream that Herod the Edomite king of Judea was plotting the murder of the child, fled with his family to Egypt, returning to Nazareth after the death of Herod.

Jesus had siblings, brothers Joseph, Simon, Epistle writers James, Jude, and several sisters. The last mention of Joseph occurs in the Gospel of Luke when he and Mary take the 12-year-old Jesus to Jerusalem. Mary played a vital role all through Jesus’ life, from the day He was born till the time of the crucifixion.

Conclusion: The four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John chronicled the full theme of Christ as the universal Savior. *Descendants of Ham’s sons Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (Libya) and Canaan (Ancient Palestine/Israel). Genesis 10: 6-20

Footnotes: Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

The ancient Romans celebrated the winter solstice on December 25 as the birthday of the SUN; the Babylonians and Persians -SON of the SUN. Some 300 plus years after Jesus’ earthly demise, Roman Emperor Constantine in 336 legalized this date as the birthday of the SON of GOD – JESUS the CHRIST! Originally: Christ’s Mass.

Eurocentric racism: Pope Julius II in 1508 commissioned Michelangelo, Raphael and other Renaissance artists and church scholars to portray and depict almost all major biblical characters as Europeans (Caucasians), save servants and slaves.

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Activism

SDA Churches Join Outreach Efforts to Find Solutions to Upsurge of Violence

the Northern California Conference of Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) held their annual Convocation at Grand Avenue Seventh Day Adventist Church in Oakland. Seven hundred people came together in celebration and worship. The theme was “Embracing Change.”

Published

2 years ago

October 16, 2022

Oakland Post

From left to right: Pastor Raymond Lankford, Elder Busayo Alabi, Pastor Damon Washington, Sister Rose Robinson, Pastor Garrett Anderson, Pastor Edwin Brown, Pastor Willie Johnson, Pastor Virgil Childs.

By Post Staff

On Oct. 8, the Northern California Conference of Seventh Day Adventists (SDA) held their annual Convocation at Grand Avenue Seventh Day Adventist Church in Oakland. Seven hundred people came together in celebration and worship. The theme was “Embracing Change.” The guest speaker was Dr. Myron Edmonds, who pastors in Cleveland, Ohio. He spoke about how Christ wasn’t a traditionalist, and the work isn’t being done because some in the church don’t wish to change and they tend to demonize new ideas.

Throughout the day, the Mobile Medical Health Van operated by Immanuel Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church out of Oakland sat in front of the church and provided health screenings and community resource information to the general public. The Medical Van, which was gifted to the church by Pastor Raymond Lankford of Healthy Communities, has provided free health care services throughout Alameda County for the last few years. The prayer of Pastor Damon Washington of Immanuel Temple Church, who was ordained during the afternoon program, is for their health ministry to partner with the other providers like OPIC and Oakland Workforce Agencies and to combat the ongoing health disparities and violence within the city and beyond.

They have pledged to work with the Chaplains, the OPIC and the Formerly Incarcerated Giving Back, who want to make amends for the damages they have done to harm Oakland.