Today, the 30-day shroud of the Pastor’s chair with a vibrant rose was removed. The shroud served as a memorial to the life and legacy of a great Christian leader: none other than our own Pastor Roland H. Warren, Sr. – who recently passed. Pastor Warren, along with his wife, Mother Laura Warren (who preceded him in leaving this life), will both be in our hearts for the generations to come. We will live the principles that he taught us and serve the LORD, following his example of a lifetime of dedication to the Almighty God.
If you would like to leave a comment for the family of Pastor Warren and members of Trinity Temple Church, you may comment on this post.
We are glad to announce that Trinity Temple has re-opened with appropriate precautions. If you missed the most recent fellowship, here is a recap…
Brother Morris read the opening scriptures.
There were several inspiring testimonies (unfortunately, my video equipment was not cooperating).
We had a grand time in praise and worship (lead by Sister Shenica).
We welcomed guest minister, Elder Lonnie Ingram along with his wonderful family (featured in photo at the top of this post). Elder Ingram gave the message: “Don’t Count Me Out.” (Due to file size limitations, I had to break the video into three mp4 files of about ten minutes each.)
“Don’t Count Me Out” PART I
“Don’t Count Me Out” PART 2
“Don’t Count Me Out” PART 3
If you’re in the market for an exceptional vehicle, contact Elder Ingram!
We wished Sister Ayeshah a happy birthday!
ANNOUNCEMENT: Trinity Temple Church will host a major family fellowship and worship music event in July of 2021. This event is a fundraiser for the Pastoral Committee and the Building Fund. It will be professionally managed by đť„ž RSR Entertainment. For more information, contact Sister Anita (Pastor’s Aide Committee) or Sister Shenica (Pastor’s Aide Committee), or visit our events page.
You may not have an expensive cross hanging from a gold chain around your neck, but you wear a cross… everywhere! God infused the human body with the protein called, Laminin, which literally holds your entire body together, inside and out, cell to cell. What’s more, it is shaped like a cross! The Word says, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Even otters pray. Maybe every cell of your body knows the Lord, even if you don’t – but you can! (Romans 10:9)
The following definition of Laminin is found on wikipedia:
Laminin is a protein found in the extracellular matrix, the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the basement membrane. It is the major non-collagenous component of the basal lamina, such as those on which cells of an epithelium sit. It has four arms that can bind to four other molecules. The three shorter arms are particularly good at binding to other laminin molecules, which is what makes it so great at forming sheets. The long arm is capable of binding to cells, which helps anchor the actual organs to the membrane.
Structurally, the laminin protein is made up of three polypeptide chains – α, β and γ, giving it a total of six “ends”, accounting for a lot of its flexibility in connecting various molecules. They are a family of glycoproteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding in almost every animal tissue. Laminins are secreted and incorporated into cell-associated extracellular matrices. Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together. Improper production of laminin can cause muscles to form improperly, leading to a form of muscular dystrophy.
Is it Really a Cross?
Some argue that Laminin’s shape is not really a cross, but a sword. Well most Christians could take that explantion and raise you a John 1:1 – 5:
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
The Word is also called the Sword of the Spirit – and man is both spirit and body. Still some say that Laminin is portrayed as a cross only so the human eye can more easily conceptualize the parts of the protein. Jesus also spoke in parables! But let’s consider a real image of laminin. The protein often appears bent.
Why would a cross be leaning this way. Well, I’m glad you asked. It reminds me of the palm tree. When the storm winds blow, the palm tree bows low, bearing the force of the storm. When the winds subside, it stands aright again. The body moves in all different directions, like a storm over molecules. When we are going through something, the bond that hold us together is able to bow and sway and stay through the wind until we reach calmer motion. Maybe Laminin is bent in this picture, but straight in another – when the motion was different.
Honestly, for every naysayer, a faithful person could come up with some reason to believe because that is why it is called faith – you have the substance of hope because you want to believe. It is a choice. I choose to believe that Laminin is shaped like a cross.
I CORINTHIANS 1:25
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Last night, I watched the movie, “What Would Jesus Do?” A minister almost lost his faith. A corrupt individual almost became a corrupt government official. A Christian recording artist has to choose between money and fame, or a life on the streets. A homeless girl gets an amazing gift.
Listen to a song from the movie soundtrack.
Sometimes in faith we take the long way home in order to avoid sin. Do not give up on following God because of circumstances that can change. God is never changing. When you are weak, He is strong. If you need direction, just ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22 AMP
The Seeds of Promise Devotional Series
Lord Have Mercy
Memory Verse
“Yet I will leave some of you alive [a remnant], for you will have some who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered throughout the countries. Ezekiel 6:8 AMP
Song of The Day
Listen to “Lord Have Mercy” by Michael W. Smith.
Bible Basis
September
Book
Read From
Read To
Devotional
2nd
Ezekiel
Chapter 5
Chapter 9
Lord Have Mercy
Key People
Here is a list of key people – the who’s who of overcomers, found in today’s reading (in order of appearance) with bios from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ezekiel. Acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet. In Judaism and Christianity, he is also viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which reveals prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, the restoration to the land of Israel, and what some call the Millennial Temple (or Third Temple) visions.
In today’s reading, Ezekiel was commanded to shave the hair of his head and beard. As God is holy and Ezekiel upright before Him, the unjust will not stand in God’s presence and Ezekiel signified the presence of God. The shaving of Ezekiel’s hair symbolized a complete removal of the people from the presence of God.
The hair was to be divided into three parts, representing the three-fold judgment of God, including that a third of the people would be devoured by famine and pestilence, a part by the sword, and a part would be scattered by the wind. Those “scattered” would be taken captive by other nations, and or driven from the land by fear, hence they would be fleeing for their lives and would run into other countries seeking refuge.
God was grieved by the idolatry of the people. He said in Ezekiel 6:9, “…I have been broken [hearted]…”
God testified to Ezekiel against the house of Judah (Ezekiel 8), whom He had loved and chosen to be His people. He had chosen them, but they had not chosen Him. You can imagine God’s heart growing more and more heavy as He carried Ezekiel about Jerusalem in the Spirit, showing greater and worse abominations being committed by His chosen people. Each time God seemed to utter shock saying to Ezekiel, “Can you believe what these people are doing? – after all I have done for them?”
17 Then [the Spirit] said to me, Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too slight a thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here, that they must fill the land with violence and turn back afresh to provoke Me to anger? And behold, they put the branch to their nose [actually, before their mouths, in superstitious worship]! (Ezekiel 8:17 Amplified Bible (AMP)).
After all, it was not the land or any idol god that had sustained them, though they tilled the ground and ate the fruit thereof and offered sacrifices to false gods. The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness of it also belongs to Him. Therefore it grieved the heart of God that the people would rebel against His commandment to have no other god(s) before Him. The people did not appreciate God’s way, but held Him in reproach because God was not like a lamped genie, bowing to their every whim.
They did not like to hear the words, “wait,” and (especially not) “no.” This is not an uncommon occurrence for the ungrateful heart. When the mind is not given to thankfulness, it becomes like the seed Jesus explained that was choked by weeds. Weeds do not need fertilizer to grow. They will come up on their own and take over the crop if the ground is left unattended. Therefore the expelling of weeds is something that takes effort. Such is the heart condition. Gratefulness is a state of being that must be cultivated, else it will cease to exist.
Though a remnant were to be saved of the people, those who had utterly rejected God would not escape His wrath without repentance. God told Ezekiel that some of the people would be left alive to bear in remembrance the judgment that was had on the rest for idolatry. These remaining were charged with reminding their descendants of the people’s calamity in order that they should avoid the same end.
Woe is for those who must be reminded who God is by suffering great loss. God repeated several times to the prophet Ezekiel that after the famine and pestilence and sword and scattering of the people, then they would surely know that He is God. God was getting their attention in a last-resort way. He had shown them kindness and they did not respond to Him with gratefulness. Rather, they melted their gold and made idols on which to lavish their affections. They also behaved lewdly before God. Still, when God said that He would utterly destroy them, He yet vowed to save a remnant of the people alive.
God works fervently to draw our hearts to Him. He does not want to destroy His glory – which is man (and woman) that He created to praise Him. We have the ultimate choice, that we may choose life – which is to serve God in the beauty of holiness. If we cannot bring our hearts under subjection, to reverence our divine maker, we fail to put our treasure of life in the proper place – the hand of God. Without so doing, our very lives are in danger.
Without the shadow of the Almighty in which to stand, we are exposed to the worldly elements driven by the prince of the air, who seeks whom he may devour. God desires a relationship with His people, and we desperately need Him to survive. The sooner we realize our void without Him, the sooner we can accept the fullness that only comes from His divine intervention.
Living without the presence of God is more dangerous than any threat anywhere. We understand by Ezekiel 9 that God is willing to restore the soul that realizes its disparity, that repents of its sin. Finally, when God sent forth six men holding battle axes and one man clothed in white linen, with (a pen mightier than a sword) a writer’s ink bottle, God commanded the writer to mark the people who were grieved about the sin that had been committed. These people were saved from the final destruction of the axes (Ezekiel 9:4-5).
We should feel in our hearts that we cannot afford to worship anyone or anything other than the one true God. In your time of need, when all you can say is “God have mercy,” who do you want to answer your call?
God is a master strategist. He knows every move of the enemy, before the battle is set in array. He already has the victory. He knows where to place the kingpin. He knows were to put the watchman. He can see over the wall.
He has Bishops who have never bowed to Baal. He knows were to move the chariots of fire. And just when the devil thinks all hell is breaking loose and he commands his imps to fire on God’s property, it doesn’t work because no weapon formed against you shall be able to prosper!
The enemy wants your joy, so you can give up the fight. Tell that old serpent, The LORD rebuke thee. God is not through with me, in the name of Jesus.
Devil, you might have a pawn in the midst of the garden, but I know a man from Galilee: HE IS THE KING OF KINGS! And at His name, every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall confess it: HE IS LORD.
Lord Have Mercy
