The Rock Almighty Devo The Church and the LGBTQ Community and Godly Singles

 

GODLY SINGLES

by Creflo Dollar | 

In the natural realm, the single life can sometimes seem like we’re navigating a land mine. If we’re not careful, some of the dating relationships we enter into can put us in a compromising position.

Popular culture tells us to abandon our Christian principles if we want to find the right person for us. However, as born-again believers living in the supernatural realm, we know that this is simply not true.

Meeting that one special individual can be like running a marathon. It doesn’t happen right away; we need faith to endure in the search. Faith isn’t simply “putting up with,” but being constantly, consistently the same in all circumstances. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:2, 3, NLT). Being joyful in the search isn’t something the world is familiar with, but we find our joy in our relationship with Jesus.

We can meet all kinds of people with all kinds of motives. If we were to conduct our search without God’s help, there are too many unknowns. When we’re not sure of someone’s motives, we can ask the Holy Spirit. He knows things we’re completely unaware of, and He wants to warn us of impending danger so we won’t be blindsided. “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

We all want to be happy; however, the world’s idea of happiness is fleeting and temporary. We don’t find it in another person, a social event, or a particular marital status. We only find happiness through a relationship with Christ. Being in His presence grounds us and prepares us for a successful, happy relationship with another person. “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually” (1 Chronicles 16:11).

Most people confuse happiness with joy; there’s a difference between the two words. Happiness comes from how we feel; joy comes from what we know. The more we study the Word of God, the more we know about how He feels about us. “…For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:8). When we realize we’re God’s beloved, we tap into a source of joy that radiates from the inside out.

A relationship with God is like no other earthly relationship. It strengthens, comforts, and sets us apart from the rest of the world. Because He loves us, we can love ourselves. The ability to love and respect ourselves enables us to love and respect others and develop healthy relationships with them. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8, NIV).

There’s no reason to let secular influences get to us when we can rely on the influence of God, Himself. He knows just what we need; we can trust Him in everything, including in our personal relationships. Things always turn out well when we let God take the lead.  

The Needful Thing and CDM GLOBAL MISSIONS’ IN-PERSON OUTREACH

 

by CDM Staff |

Creflo Dollar Ministries (CDM) has partnered with organizations around the globe to be the hands and feet of Jesus in communities where lack exists. We do this work through the Creflo Dollar Global Missions (CDGM) department led by Pastors Archie and Melissa Collins, and under the leadership of Pastor Ken Terry, who is responsible for all outreach activities. (Continued below.....)

CDGM has committed to changing the world, one person at a time. In metro Atlanta alone this year, we have been able to meet needs of the homeless at Renaissance Park, as well as those residing in the Atlanta Children’s Shelter and Trinity Community Ministry (a shelter for men). The COVID-19 pandemic impacted our ability to do any face-to-face outreach for over a year. Many shelters and facilities in the community did not allow groups to physically enter their buildings to directly provide resources and outreach. We had to donate items to the organizations so that they could redistribute them to people in need. However, once COVID restrictions began to lift, our team of volunteers was able to do in-person outreach.

First In-Person Outreach Since COVID

We recently caught up with Tiffany Johnson, a CDGM volunteer, to get a glimpse of their first in-person outreach activity since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Tiffany joined CDGM in mid-2020, and, along with Mari Sawyer and Jerome Curry, is part of the planning group for local outreaches. They help manage the logistics of the local outreach events, such as the Back 2 School, Thanksgiving Feeding Families, and the Christmas Giveaway, as well as smaller events. Tiffany was tasked by Mari Sawyer with heading up the local homeless outreach this year and took on the task with zeal. She is passionate about the face-to-face interaction; her concern was the ministry of a human to a human. The Global Missions team felt there was something that we, as World Changers, needed to reactivate coming out of COVID, and that was the human to human contact.

Tiffany began by visiting the warehouse at the CDM College Park campus to see what inventory we had on hand. She saw that, though CDM has been conducting weekly outreach through drive-thru food giveaways, a lot of non-food items hadn’t moved during the year. Creflo Dollar Ministries had a surplus, and Tiffany’s heart was to get the supplies out there to the folks who need them. She contacted multiple metro Atlanta organizations in person or by phone. Some are not allowing people to come in and interact directly with their clients; others didn’t return her phone calls. In several of the organizations, their clients are mobile and there was no guarantee that there would be enough clients available to receive all of the supplies on whatever day the ministry was there. Despite these obstacles, CDGM found an organization that would allow them to come: the Salvation Army Red Shield Service.

About the Salvation Army Red Shield Service

The Salvation Army Red Shield Service is a 320-bed facility. According to their website, the purpose of The Salvation Army Metro Atlanta Red Shield Services Emergency and Transitional Housing Facility (Red Shield Shelter) is to provide strategic intervention, refuge, and safe lodging for homeless men, women, and families with children in crisis.

Tiffany appreciated that the facility takes a wholistic approach to being a resource for its clients. This shelter has a total life outreach in that they don’t just provide a bed. They have a teen lounge, a gym, a living space with bookshelves and a television, and a full playground. They’re aware that homelessness is not just a need for a roof, and they attempt to minister to the whole life of each person seeking temporary shelter there. In their cafeteria, they have an annual father-daughter dance where dads can create new memories with their daughters, and host an annual alumni recovery picnic. There are caseworkers onsite for emergency financial assistance and rapid re-housing for families and individuals who need assistance getting back into housing, as well as with the required rental down payments and rental fees.

Volunteers’ Preparations

Of the items donated to Salvation Army Red Shield clients, a third came from the CDM warehouse, 50% came from CDGM volunteers (hygiene and snack items), and the remainder came from Tiffany’s community of Fayetteville, Georgia. The evening before the outreach event, the Global Missions team met to prepare all of the collected items. They packaged hygiene kits, snack kits, linens, ironing boards, toilet paper, and food, such as rice, juice, and cereal cups.

On the day of the event, CDGM volunteers set up tables in the parking lot outside the facility from which to distribute the supplies they brought. Some things CDM had in inventory in the warehouse (such as towels and ironing boards, diapers and other high-demand items) were brought in on two pallets to give directly to the shelter. The Salvation Army Coordinator, Kristie Wood, got her staff to come out to help unload these pallets onto their loading dock.

The other two and a half pallets of items would be given directly to the clients. At this shelter, the clients get breakfast, typically leave during the day, then come back for dinner and to sleep. They were filtering back in for the day when our volunteers arrived. Once the Red Shield Shelter’s staff made an announcement to their residents that CDGM was there, the Global Missions team engaged with the shelter’s clients for two and a half hours, distributing the supplies they brought and ministering to the recipients. Those table moments were huge. It was edifying for our volunteers to have a “heart” interaction with the residents, to actually engage in conversation and provide encouragement as opposed to just dropping off a check or supplies. Sharing the grace of God that changes lives while also meeting the physical needs of God’s precious people is what outreach is all about—reaching out to become God’s hands and feet in the earth.

Click here to hear more about this outreach event!

US High School Softball: Defense: Fielding to Throw with Bonnie Tholl and Ainsleigh Albert 2022 Middle Infield/Outfield Softball Skills / Recruiting Video

by National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Description

Increase your team's defensive prowess with drills, tips, and insights from one of the most respected coaches in the game. A solid defense is a must-have for all successful teams and this session will give you the jump start that you're looking for.

The Coach

National Fastpitch Coaches Association

Wolverine associate head coach Bonnie Tholl is in her 26th season as a member of the Michigan softball coaching staff and her 17th as associate head coach. A long-time fixture in the first-base coaching box, coach Tholl has been a part of all 12 of Michigan's Women's College World Series appearances, beginning in 1995 and most recently in 2016. Coach Tholl primarily works with the Wolverine defense and, off the field, coordinates the program's recruiting efforts. She has recruited 32 of the 38 Wolverine players who have received All America honors. Every four-year player since the 1991 recruiting class has been to the Women's College World Series. Book this course.......

Real Nutrition With A Real Purpose! The StrengthCast Power Show

We're going to discuss the way most of us currently measure food as a fuel source: the calorie.

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A calorie-focused approach to nutrition has many limitations, but it still has important uses in certain situations. So, let's try to provide a little clarity, and try to help you make the most of the information that's on a food label. | Essential Ideas From The Video | • The calorie is not a universally accepted system of measurement. But every point made about it in this video can also be applied to other measurements like joules, kilojoules, or kilocalories. • The biggest advantages to calories are that they give you an objective way to measure very different meals, and to make more informed decisions about portion sizes. This can be helpful because portion size has increased immensely in restaurants and homes in recent decades. • Calories can also help you see how small indulgences, like a daily soda pop can add up over time. One soda a day is enough extra calories to add 15 pounds of weight in a year! • Beer, wine, cocktails, and coffee drinks may not have food labels, but they're definitely not calorically "free." • A major downside to calorie counting is that it's never totally accurate, even if you take the number on the label as gospel. •Packaged foods have been shown in research to have a lot of variability in caloric accuracy. It's normal for them to underreport both carbs and total calories by 25, or even up to 95, percent. Learn more.............

Hidden Epidemic- Interview with Dr. Thomas Levy and When should we take a child to the dentist?

 

• Author Laura Smith

The dental health of a child is also very important and that every parent should take into account. Although many will wonder when is the ideal time to take children to the dentist. In this article we are going to talk about when children should go to the dentist. In fact, it is not common for many children to go to the dentist until they are 10 or 12 years old for the first time, and actually dental associations recommend that children be taken to the dentist as soon as their first teeth appear.

This usually occurs by six months of age. Although it can wait until your first birthday to have your baby's first teeth checked. Yes, babies can also and it is advisable to go to the dentist, since, in this way, the dentist can check that there is nothing abnormal in the appearance of the teeth. Also, if you notice anything that looks abnormal in your child's mouth (white spots, lesions, bleeding, etc.), make an appointment right away.

Why start taking a child to the dentist so early?

In fact, according to studies, tooth decay affects almost 1 in 5 children under 5 years of age. By detecting any condition a child has early, the dentist will be able to diagnose and treat it effectively and prevent problems in the future. In this way, they will do everything possible to ensure that your child can have healthy teeth and mouth for life. Your pediatric dentist will be able to check for cavities, injuries, and other problems during your visit, and will be able to review the changes that occur in the mouth as your child grows.

Choosing a pediatric dentist

You may be able to take your child to their personal and trusted dentist, but there are several reasons to go to a pediatric dentist. Pediatric dentists are specialized in the evolution and growth of children's teeth, and they will be able to make this experience more bearable, as it can be scary for many children.

Pediatric dentists also have a specially prepared space for examining children. In addition, the rooms are adequate, and the décor of the examination room should also be attractive to young people, such as brightly coloured décor and attractive murals. Games, magazines or comics are also important for children in waiting rooms.

Children's gums can be washed from the first year of age. But it is also important to know that children should not use fluoride toothpaste until they are at least two or three years old, as it can lead to fluorosis. This is fluoride can cause tooth staining, discoloration and, in serious ways, can even create holes in your teeth. Having a gum cleaning routine will get your child used to a dental routine very early and will help your baby feel more comfortable on his first visit to the dentist.

The first visit to the dentist

During the first visit of your baby or child to the dentist, a routine exam will be performed where they will examine for cavities and check the gums, jaw and bite of the child, it is also very important to check that there are no problems such as the frenulum or other problems that may affect teeth or speech patterns. A cleaning of the gums of the child or the baby can also be done.

Most dentists recommend going to routine appointments at least twice a year to follow the evolution of the child's teeth. At Idiáquez Dental Polyclinics ( http://www.policlinicadentalidiaquez.com/) they will be able to review and recommend the best treatments for children and advise you on any questions. Many children often develop cavities in their early years, even when they are 5 or 6 years old, and this requires routine check-ups. This is why a visit to the dentist is so important.

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Concealed Carry Featuring: Brand-New Mossberg MC2c 9mm Handgun is Here, How Does it Compare to the MC1sc?

 

by Matthew Maruster 

Mossberg follows up their 2019 release of the MC1sc sub-compact, 9mm handgun, with a new compact version called the MC2c. Here is a quick look at the latest offering and a breakdown of its specs.

The Mossberg, MC2c 9mm, semi-automatic, compact, handgun.

MC1sc Vs. MC2c:

The MC1sc is Mossberg's version of the single-stack, sub-compact self-defense handguns such as the Glock 43, Ruger LC9, Springfield XD-S, Walther PPS, et Cetra.

With the MC2c, Mossberg aims to compete with the increasingly popular double-stack sub-compacts like the Sig P365, Springfield Hellcat, Glock 43 X.

The gun appears to be primarily the same as MC1sc, with similar grip texturing, trigger, and controls like magazine release and slide stop. It also is available with the same cross-bolt safety as the MC1sc. More on the safety in a minute.

The Mossberg, MC1sc 9mm, semi-automatic, sub-compact, handgun.

There are apparent differences in size and capacity, as indicated in the table below. The MC2c also has more aggressive slide serrations and lightning cuts.

Unfortunately, the MC2c suffers from the same blind spot. The lack of an optic-ready model. The primary market for both handguns is self-defense, everyday carry (EDC). There is an apparent demand for gun manufacturers to offer a gun that can accept an optic straight away.

Specification Comparison:

Conclusion:

I mentioned the peculiar cross-bolt safety of the Mossberg handguns. The safety is similar to what you would find on a trusted Mossberg 500 shotgun. Located on the grip, the safety mechanism is situated just above the magazine release. Pressing from right to left deactivated the safety, while pushing it the other way activates it. I see some issues with accidental activation, and while one could likely learn how to deactivate the safety during the draw stroke, it doesn't seem intuitive. It could also be more difficult for left-handed shooters to work the safety consistently and maintain a good shooter's grip.

That said, I haven't seen a slew of hatred for the cross-bolt design. Furthermore, Mossberg offered it again on the Mc2c, so it would appear there was enough interest in it with the MC1sc to offer it with the new design. In other words, maybe I'm in the minority of folks who don't really dig the safety.

I am not a fan of the cross-bolt safety design.

I don't own one, but it seems like the MC1sc has been a pretty solid gun so far in terms of reliability. The MC2c MSRP is at around $500 but likely will be available for slightly less from your local gun dealer.

We will have to wait and see how well the MC2c does. If you have experience with the MC1sc, let us know in the comments.

Mossberg isn't the only manufacturer who has released a new handgun this month. A few days ago, Rock Island Armory announced the release of their STK100. A 9mm striker-fired handgun aimed at the self-defense, EDC market.

UNLOCKING THE DOOR TO FINANCIAL BLESSINGS and The Rock Almighty Devo....

 

by Creflo Dollar | 

For as long as we can remember, most of us have had some type of relationship with money. When we were little, we had pretend money from a board game.

As teenagers, after-school jobs gave us cash; as adults, we learned that the world expects us to earn as much income as we can. But what if we suddenly discovered that everything we learned about finances and wealth was wrong?

The world operates according to the mindset that says, “Whoever dies with the most stuff, wins.” We’ve been conditioned to accumulate as much physical wealth as possible, and those with less money are looked down on. Every day we see and hear reports of crimes resulting from an obsession with money. All of this stems from ignorance of God’s Word concerning money and how it should fit it with our lifestyle.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:6-10, NIV).

There’s actually nothing wrong with having money; the problem stems from loving and trusting it more than God. It’s okay to be wealthy, but developing a wrong relationship with wealth is what trips most people up. Receiving compensation for an honest day’s labor is biblical, as long as we don’t get greedy and fall into the temptation to chase after ill-gotten gains. The “get rich quick” mindset can hypnotize us and lead us the wrong way. “Wealth [not earned but] won in haste or unjustly or from the production of things for vain or detrimental use [such riches] will dwindle away, but he who gathers little by little will increase [his riches]” (Proverbs 13:11, AMPC).

By contrast, God’s Word gives us the correct view of money; lining up our thinking with it leads to true prosperity on every level, not just financially. It’s His will for the believer to be prosperous and successful in life, but prosperity God’s way comes from a higher source than banks or earthly treasuries. “If you start thinking to yourselves, ‘I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!’—well, think again. Remember that GOD, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today” (Deuteronomy 8:17, 18, MSG). God—not our own financial dealings or business savvy—is our source for everything. Although most people won’t accept it, this truth will never change.

Financial blessings are only a part of prosperity. Godly prosperity covers not just our finances, but our health, our happiness, our relationships with others, and our ability to succeed and thrive in every area of our lives. It begins on the spiritual level and translates into the physical realm. “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2, NKJV). Believing that God loves us and wants to bless us positions us to receive amazing abundance, not just in our bank accounts, but in every other facet of our lives as well.

The Battle of the Mind and Pursue Your Purpose - Supercharge Your Life

 

Pursue Your Purpose - Supercharge Your Life

• Author John White, Jr.

Do you ever feel that, as a Christian, you’ve lost that desire to pursue your purpose? You see people living out there dreams and knowing their purpose in life, but you can’t quite get there yourself. When you pursue your purpose, an inward change must take place if you want to supercharge your life!

As a Christian, realize that you were engrafted in Christ and became a new creation altogether. Your old moral and spiritual condition has ceased to live. You have been given a fresh and new moral and spiritual life. Therefore, it is imperative that you invest time studying the Bible for yourself with the intent to change and pursue your purpose as a new creature in the Kingdom of God. This is how you experience the reality of God and supercharge your life. By doing so, your life will become 3 things:

1. An Attractive Life to Others. When people see your uncompromising

2.  commitment to keep God's Word 

3. in your heart and to live a lifelong devotion to His service,

4.  it will definitely attract their

5.  attention because they'll see a difference in you. 

6. They will see you changing into the 

7. character of Christ before their eyes. It is the change 

8. within you that

9.  will make them want to be around you.
   

10. An Interactive Experience with God. When God's character is 

11. displayed through your life, 

12. you become a reflection of praise to Him. By allowing the

13.  Holy Spirit to communicate God through 

14. you to those whose lives you touch, the Word of God in you 

15. becomes the revelation of God in Christ revealed to them.

16.  As a result, your life becomes a confession of Christ to 

17. the world. In this way, when they interact with you, 

18. they experience God through your life.
    

19. An Empowerment of Blessings. When you give to others Who God

20.  is within you, God, 

21. in His providence will repay it back to you. Give God the 

22. glory in your gifts and talents as you pursue your purpose,

23.  vision and dreams for He is not unrighteous to forget it, 

24.  will pay it again. God often makes use of men and women as 

25. instruments of His rewarding justice. If you, in a right 

26. manner, give to others when they are in need, God will 

27. incline the hearts of others to help pursue your purpose, 

28. dreams and vision when you need them.
    

If you really want to experience a supercharged life, you must not fall in with or adapt to the external, superficial customs and fleeting fashions of this world, which is your old nature. Instead, apply God's Word in your life and undergo a deep inner change by the entire renewing of your mind as the Spirit of God alone can work in you. His desire is to shape and fashion your life into His image so that you can pursue your purpose, dreams and vision He placed within you. This is how God wants to supercharge your life.

To effectively pursue your purpose, you must have a total commitment to God and His Word. When you allow God to reign, rule and live in your life through Jesus Christ, allowing the Holy Spirit mold you into the character of Christ, you are then empowered to live the supercharged life He predestined for you to live.

For more inspiration to keep you focused on pursuing your dreams, get John's unique book of poems entitled Seeing In the Unseen. And while you're there, be sure to get our FREE EBook: "The Ultimate Motivation Handbook" and discover how to get motivated to do anything and reach your goals.