WITNESS ~ INSTRUCT ~ NURTURE / Volume 2 Issue 5
Mar 1, 2006
Hi !
In this issue, you'll read:
THE BOOK OF 1st CORINTHIANS - PART TWELVE
SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION
A WORD FROM THE EDITOR - THIRTY SEVENTH EDITION In the previous few editions, I have been spotlighting one of our ministers at this point in the newsletter. However, I though I would share with you some pictures of the fellowship that took place this past Sunday between two of our churches. Destiny of Hope Fellowship of Aberdeen Washington and The Upper-Room Fellowship of Everett Washington held a joint service of praise and worship to our Lord on Sunday March 5, 2006. Although I was unable to attend, after speaking with Bishop David Lathrop of The Upper-Room Fellowship and Pastor Dell Johnson of Destiny of Hope Fellowship, I am fully convinced that it was a wonderful time for all. Here are some of the pictures from that service. Hebrews 10:24-25; " Until next time...God bless each of you in all that you undertake! In Jesus Name, All editions of The W.I.N. E-Mail Newsletter are available on the Internet. To find them, navigate to Each morning, read a Scripture passage of your choice. Talk with the Lord as you read his Word. When you are finished, go back and select one or two verses that you believe the Lord is using to speak to your heart. Meditate thoughtfully and prayerfully on what he is saying to you. II. Bible Study In this edition, we will be reading 1 Corinthians 14, which flows on from chapter 12 and chapter 13. In this chapter, Paul continues to instruct the Corinthian Christians in their operation of the gifts of the Spirit. Before you read this section, please read the Insight page on "Women Should Remain Silent?" Chapter 14 can be divided into three subsections. Read each subsection and answer the questions associated with them. Type out your answers (or jot them down on a piece of paper) and place in your Bible for further meditation and study. Read 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 1. The Corinthian Church operated frequently in what particular gift of the Spirit, to the exclusion of many of the other gifts? (note 14:2, 6) Read 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 1. Whenever Christians gather together, what should they bring? (14:26). Read 1 Corinthians 14:34-40 1. According to the Insight page, who is it that said the words of 14:34-35? Women Should Remain Silent? The two verses of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 have caused great controversy in the Church. Some see these verses as being a direct command from God, through Paul, against the ministry of women in the church. Others try to explain that this was not in fact what Paul is meaning, but he is simply addressing the disruptive talk of women in the church. Others simply ignore these verses altogether, regarding them as a culturally distant, no longer relevant to modern Christians. How then should we approach these two verses? If we are to take this verse at its face value, Paul is not just instructing that women cannot teach or minister, he is saying that they should not speak at all. Note 14:35: "If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church." Paul, it would seem, is not talking just about ministry here; he is talking about "inquir[ing] about something." Very few who use 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12 as the biblical basis for saying that women cannot teach God's Word are willing to impose the terms of full silence upon women in the church, as pronounced in 1 Corinthians 14:35. Yet if Paul is in fact saying that women should remain silent in the church, why does he allow women to pray and prophesy aloud in 11:5? The message coming through seems to be very mixed. The key to understanding what Paul is saying is found in a little phrase often overlooked in 14:34: "...as the Law says." Let's read that problem verse again: "...women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says." Now if we know anything about Paul, we should recognize that this statement is totally out of character with the Gospel that he preaches (note Romans 6:14; 7:4-6; Galatians 5:1; Colossians 2:14). In this passage, Paul is actually answering the questions posed by the Corinthian Christians in their letter to him. He is quoting their own question before answering it, and their question is drawn from the teaching of the Judaizers. This is why, in 14:36, Paul answers: "Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached?" This question is not, in fact, addressed to women, but to those of the Judaizing party in the Corinthian Church, who considered themselves "prophet[s]" and "spiritually gifted." What Paul had taught from the beginning to the Corinthians was to remain "the Lord's command." We have been set free from the Law. III. Memory Verse 1. Ask the Lord to help you remember his Word (see John 14:26). 2. Use the version of the Bible you are most familiar with. What you normally read in your Bible is what you need to be memorizing. 3. Don't just memorize the contents of the verse; memorize its "address" (the verse reference) as well. You can do this by following this pattern: Step 1: reference; Step 2: verse content; Step 3: reference. Then repeat steps 1-3. Note that you are quoting the reference twice as many times as you quote the actual verse content. This gives the verse a clear "reference tag." 4. After you have read your memory verse out aloud several times, try going through your memory verse without reading your computer screen. 5. Look up your memory verse in your Bible. Look at its immediate context and read the verses that come before and after your memory verse. 6. Print out your memory verse or jot it down on a piece of paper. Take this paper with you when you go to work or do other daily activities. Meditate on the meaning of the verse throughout the day. 7. During your noon appointment with the Lord, take out your memory verse and go over it again. Talk to the Lord about what this verse means to you personally. 8. In the evening (at either your evening study or your evening devotions), see if you can quote your memory verse from memory. Then, without looking at the memory verse itself, see if you can find it in your Bible. 9. The next day, before you begin committing a new verse to memory, rehearse your previous day's memory verse and see if you can remember it (without cheating!). 10. Finally, at the end of the week (possibly on Sunday), collect all your week's memory verses, rehearse them and see if you can recall them without reading them. Spend a little extra time on any verses you have difficulty recalling. 11. Remember: Don't just memorize a verse. Put it into practice (James 1:22). It is not being able to quote a verse from memory that counts. It is His Word abiding in your heart that counts (John 15:7). When you actually apply a verse consistently to your daily life; that is when you truly know that verse! This article is Copyright © 1999, The Online Bible College. It is used by permission and formatted for presentation in this newsletter. On Friday the 28th, we will be kicking off the convention with a meal together followed by an evening service. At this time, we are tentatively planning on a "Round Robin" format. For those who are unaware of this approach, each of our FCGM ministers, excluding the featured speakers for the remaining services will be asked to speak for about 10 minutes each, with a closing by Bishop David Lathrop. While I realize it is hard for a preacher to limit his words to 10 minutes, we will need to allow all those in attendance to get a chance to testify. On Saturday morning, following breakfast, the Board of Directors will be meeting in closed session. This will be followed by a closed FCGM minister's meeting when each minister will be asked to share with the other ministers what is going on in his or her ministry. While this meeting is taking place, we will have a worship service for those persons attending the convention whose presence is not required at these business meetings. At this time, we are trying to coordinate an afternoon at the park on Saturday, which will include a noon [or shortly thereafter] meal, followed by an afternoon outdoor service and baptism for those candidates who might be on hand. The evening meal will be followed by an evening service. This service will be special this year since we are expecting Bishop Daniel from India to be in attendance and we have asked him to speak during the evening service. Sunday morning will be the Bishops' service, during which any candidates for minister license or Ordination will be presented to the ministry for the laying on of hands. Bishop Sam Leigh will be speaking during this service. Although the message will be for the entire congregation, there will be a special challenge given to all FCGM ministers in attendance. This service will conclude with communion followed by a lunch to close out the convention. Please make a special effort to come to this special event if at all possible. It will be a time of refreshing fellowship for all those who attend. If you are unable to attend, please keep the convention and all those who can attend in your prayers. God bless you all and I am looking forward to seeing you in Aberdeen. Bishop Sam T. Leigh Unless otherwise noted: All Scripture is taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Welcome to this edition of the W.I.N. E-Mail Newsletter. Please accept my apology for the delay in getting this edition to you. Things are real hectic right now as we come into the Spring season here at the Administrative Office. In addition, for those who are unaware, Sister Rosezetta and I are expecting our fifth grandchild in October. We are planning a trip to Virginia to visit our daughter and her family in May and working out all of the many details to make this possible is adding to the workload. 
Bishop David Lathrop and Pastor Dell Johnson
Praise and Worship
More Praise and Worship
Rev. Sam T. Leigh
Presiding Bishop
Freedom Covenant Global Ministries
E-mail:
Website: www.fcgm.org
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THE BOOK OF 1st CORINTHIANS - PART TWELVE
I. Devotional Reading
2. What is the purpose of the gift of tongues? (14:2,4)
3. What is the purpose of the gift of prophesy? (14:3-4)
4. What gifts should we seek to excel in? (14:12)
2. What must all things be done for? (14:26)
3. Fill in the missing words: God is not a God of ________ but God is a God of _______ (14:33).
2. What is Paul's answer in 14:36?
3. What should we be eager to do and what should we not forbid? (14:39)
4. What is the main criteria for the operation of any gift of the Spirit? (14:40)
1 Corinthians 3:11; "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
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SEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION
As mentioned in our last edition, this year's Annual Minister's Convention will be held in Aberdeen Washington USA and hosted by Destiny of Hope Fellowship; Rev. Dell Johnson, Pastor. The dates for this year's convention will be July 28 - 30, 2006.
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This newsletter Copyright © 2005, 2006 Freedom Covenant Global Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Individual articles displaying copyrights from other ministries are used by permission, have been formatted for use in this publication, and remain the property of respective ministry. Permission is granted to copy, print, and distribute this newsletter for ministry purposes, whether whole or in part, so long as ALL copyrights remain in place and no copies are printed or distributed for sale or commercial purposes.
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