Today we celebrated Bishop Alexis A. Thomas' 30th Pastoral Anniversary and his 47th birthday. Each year the celebration gets better and better! The Phoenix Symphony Orchestra presented a selection written especially in honor of Bishop and they joined with the combined choirs and band to bless us with beautiful songs. Yolanda Adams was the guest psalmist, and she tore the house up!
Bishop Neil C. Ellis was our guest speaker. He preached and prophesied, "I Feel Something Coming!" He used Isaiah 54:1 as his reference scripture.
Bishop Ellis cautioned us and encouraged us to pay attention to the plots of the enemy. Our enemy is trying to curse our future, rob us of our inheritance, short circuit the flow of our blessings, and deprive us of the opportunity to build and fund the Kingdom of God. In spite of our enemy, God has preserved us! The Prophet Jeremiah wrote, "I remember well all my troubles, and I am very sad. But then I think about this, and I have hope: We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends. Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal! I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him." Lamentations 3:20-24 (Easy-to-Read Version)
Bishop Ellis taught us that the number 30 in the Bible generally carries a negative connotation. It is usually associated with sorrow and weeping. For example, the Children of Israel mourned for Aaron and Moses for 30 days. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Our enemy wanted to stop our celebration today and he's probably been picking on you as well. Our Bishop has faced serious health issues this year. The enemy wanted this day to be a day of mourning, and weeping. But the reference scripture provides a secret for our escape! "Sing, O childless woman! Break out into loud and joyful song, Jerusalem, for she who was abandoned has more blessings* now than she whose husband stayed!" Isaiah 54:1 (Living Bible)
Sing can be translated, rejoice and celebrate. The King James Version uses the word "barren" to describe the woman in this passage. Barren can be defined as unproductive. God says, "even the person that has no reason to sing, should sing!" Sing because something good is coming! Sing, rejoice, and celebrate that God can be trusted! If he promised, he will provide! Sing because your due season is coming! Sing because God has delivered you from the hand of your enemy! Sing! Sing because you will see it, "I will move past my enemies with this one, sure hope:that with my own eyes, I will see the goodness of the Eternal in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13 (Voice)
Starting this week with singing, love and prayers, Cynthia
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