As of June of this year, there were 36,300 homeless people living in the streets of Los Angeles. The causes include mental illness and substance abuse. According to an article in the New York Times, city officials in Los Angeles say the primary cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing. That complaint is…
The May 2019 issue of Encourage magazine is ready to read and download! Its purpose is to encourage all ministers, church members, and lay leaders whether in local congregations or other expressions of denominational leadership. In this issue of Encourage, you will find articles by several well-known speakers and authors including Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham, Lee…
Justice and injustice are more than individual acts. Justice and injustice are manifested in the mores and laws of people groups, communities and nations. Whether it applies to people groups, cities or nations, God’s concern for justice is expressed throughout the Bible. God’s justice addresses the totality of people groups, cultures, languages, and how they…
When I was a young woman, I had an unsettling experience after being invited to another church to sing. Before my solo, I began sharing thoughts about the song. Suddenly, a man came up behind me, placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me to the side. I thought this man was trying to…
Life is difficult! Those words appear at the beginning of the book, The Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck. By nature, I am an optimist. It’s easy for me to see the good, even in tough circumstances. But I’ve come through a few situations lately that caused even me to say, “Life is difficult!”…
Justice is a primary theme in the New Testament from Matthew to Revelation. In the earliest stage of His ministry, Jesus announced that His mission was going to be directed toward the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). This inaugural address provided a signal that Christ’s heart would be toward the…
The April 2019 issue of Encourage magazine is ready to read and download! Its purpose is to encourage all ministers, church members, and lay leaders whether in local congregations or other expressions of denominational leadership. In this issue of Encourage, you will find articles by several well-known speakers and authors including Presiding Bishop Doug Beacham, Lee…
The 25th commemoration of the historic “Memphis Miracle” occurred in March. IPHC leaders joined with the nearly 200 delegates of Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) to thank God for the courage and humility demonstrated by Pentecostal leaders in 1994. I was honored to represent the IPHC there. One of the key leaders…
Wow,” I said. My one-word-is-enough description was my response to what I noticed as I parked the car. I stared at vehicles covering the parking lots, people of all ages and nationalities walking in the cool December air and children ice skating outside. We were there with the crowd to attend a Christmas presentation at…
The prophets of the Old Testament saw the needs of people. Seeing the lack of instruction and desperate need of redemption from oppression, they became mouthpieces for the God who sees. An unfortunate condition of the poor and outcast is their invisibility. Author Christopher Wright says the poor are both invisible and inaudible—but not to…
