Be Encouraged!
the answer before the question, the testimony before the testby Terrence ClarkIt was May of 2013, the National Day of Prayer. As a journalist, I travel with the NJ state coordinator as she visits prayer events throughout the 21 state counties. It was around 10 am, when we disembarked the van, in the parking lot of the Mt Holly Mercer County municipal building. A gathering was scheduled there.
Coordinator Parthenia Dixon had spoken to me about a gentleman she wanted to meet from Trenton which is part of Mercer’s territory. I was greeted by a man---Caucasian, to establish the story—with a New York accent. He was medium build and nearly bald head. He shook my hand. Other than the normal greeting and meeting of a new person, I thought no more of the encounter. I began my reporter role and began interviewing the videographer. The interest, he was also involved in youth ministry. As always, I was looking for the story behind the scene. The other man had walked away. While recording the youth minister, I could see him, in the background, on the steps of the municipal building, pacing, moving his mouth, as if talking to someone. |
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I finished my interview just as the man returned. He warily asked me if he could shake my hand again. Okay, I replied. He did but it was more than just a handshake. The man began. “The Lord wants you to know that he is pleased with what you are doing---he was referring to my magazine---Voice of One CNC—He said, ‘be encouraged’.”
I stood, still waiting for the next words which I instinctively knew were coming. “’Tell Linda, I’m pleased.’”
Linda is my wife. I just met the man. I am sure that for whatever reason, he could have Googled me finding some association with my wife and her name.
Recently in May 2018, some celebrity was put in question for making fun of Christian talking to God. (I don’t understand the hype. There something in the Bible about believers being mocked and ridiculed by the world) I wonder what the celebrity would say about Christians to who not only speak to God, but God speaks to them.
The man continued, turning his head to the side, before each response saying, what’s that Lord? With the next statement, he called out the names of two of my adult daughters (I have three). His tongue stuck on the first letter as if he was hearing their name for the first time. My daughters do not have book listed names.
He, rather the Lord, got my attention. The man continued. The Lord told me to tell you, in front of your pastor that he is pleased with what you are doing. He was referring to the magazine. “Be encouraged,” he said. It was a word from God.
My oldest brother is the senior pastor of my home church. This was the first year he had ever traveled with me and the NDP team. And the only one, other than me, who knew that at that event was Parthenia Dixon the NJ state coordinator whom we were accompanying.
There were a few other things the Lord disclosed. One statement was hollered to me, as I crossed the street, away from the man, after prayer session was over. “All these things will happen within two years before your 55 birthday.” At the time, I was 53.
It was obvious, the Lord had my attention. Still, I wasn’t enthralled. I was blessed by the word and put it to heart. I was like Mary after she received prophetic salutation from Elizabeth about her being pregnant with the Lord.
I stood, still waiting for the next words which I instinctively knew were coming. “’Tell Linda, I’m pleased.’”
Linda is my wife. I just met the man. I am sure that for whatever reason, he could have Googled me finding some association with my wife and her name.
Recently in May 2018, some celebrity was put in question for making fun of Christian talking to God. (I don’t understand the hype. There something in the Bible about believers being mocked and ridiculed by the world) I wonder what the celebrity would say about Christians to who not only speak to God, but God speaks to them.
The man continued, turning his head to the side, before each response saying, what’s that Lord? With the next statement, he called out the names of two of my adult daughters (I have three). His tongue stuck on the first letter as if he was hearing their name for the first time. My daughters do not have book listed names.
He, rather the Lord, got my attention. The man continued. The Lord told me to tell you, in front of your pastor that he is pleased with what you are doing. He was referring to the magazine. “Be encouraged,” he said. It was a word from God.
My oldest brother is the senior pastor of my home church. This was the first year he had ever traveled with me and the NDP team. And the only one, other than me, who knew that at that event was Parthenia Dixon the NJ state coordinator whom we were accompanying.
There were a few other things the Lord disclosed. One statement was hollered to me, as I crossed the street, away from the man, after prayer session was over. “All these things will happen within two years before your 55 birthday.” At the time, I was 53.
It was obvious, the Lord had my attention. Still, I wasn’t enthralled. I was blessed by the word and put it to heart. I was like Mary after she received prophetic salutation from Elizabeth about her being pregnant with the Lord.
At the end of the day, at home, I sat in the car, in the driveway with my wife. I shared the events of the entire day. Including the morning encounter with the prophet named Frank. My wife wanted to know what I was thinking as the man, by God, read my mail, sharing a portion of my life and giving me encouragement. I was grateful, I shared, but not overwhelmed. I expect God to do that I explained. As a believer first and also a minister with a prophetic anointing, I expect the miraculous, divine intervention, and God manifesting his glory. I actually look for him. I look for his signature on everything. In fact it the motivation behind the magazine at its inception.
It was November 2013. I sat at my desk, in my chair, in my downstairs home office. I was working on the latest edition of the voice of one magazine. 13 year had come and gone since we answered the call from the Lord to produce the paper.
For one, it was to be a gospel answer to the tabloids----a publication that published wonderful stories of God’s intervention in the lives of believers all over the world.
The magazine was called as a multi-denominational, multi-cultural, multi-generational spread with the heart to represent unity in the body of Christ. There were several scriptural bases. Psalms 68----prophesied to me by a well-known evangelist. Ephesian 4:18 was the unity foundation with the tag--- “Reaching the Body of Christ and the World”. It was later changed to---“Reaching the Christian Community and the World”. The idea was to make known that the body of Christ was more than a Sunday service, but daily a living entity. The vision was centered on the miraculous. We were the tornado chasers of the gospel, not looking for big storms but looking for the wind and work of a big God.
The Voice of One Christian News and Commentary began as an 11x 17 folded over bulletin. Well before 2010, it had grown to 64-page, jammed pack, black and white magazine. A viable work filled with columns from contributors, articles, comics, a children’s sections, a business’ section, and of course testimonies and miracle reports.
It was November 2013. I sat at my desk, in my chair, in my downstairs home office. I was working on the latest edition of the voice of one magazine. 13 year had come and gone since we answered the call from the Lord to produce the paper.
For one, it was to be a gospel answer to the tabloids----a publication that published wonderful stories of God’s intervention in the lives of believers all over the world.
The magazine was called as a multi-denominational, multi-cultural, multi-generational spread with the heart to represent unity in the body of Christ. There were several scriptural bases. Psalms 68----prophesied to me by a well-known evangelist. Ephesian 4:18 was the unity foundation with the tag--- “Reaching the Body of Christ and the World”. It was later changed to---“Reaching the Christian Community and the World”. The idea was to make known that the body of Christ was more than a Sunday service, but daily a living entity. The vision was centered on the miraculous. We were the tornado chasers of the gospel, not looking for big storms but looking for the wind and work of a big God.
The Voice of One Christian News and Commentary began as an 11x 17 folded over bulletin. Well before 2010, it had grown to 64-page, jammed pack, black and white magazine. A viable work filled with columns from contributors, articles, comics, a children’s sections, a business’ section, and of course testimonies and miracle reports.
"Still, it was a lot of work. I was coming back from an interview one weekday. I had taken off from my secular job to work on the magazine. I had others waiting to be typed, other stories to be gathered, and production to meet. I asked the Lord. Why me? Why did you give this to me?
He answered, “Because I know what you would do with it.”
He answered, “Because I know what you would do with it.”
A lot of work, as expected, went into production. It was a small team—mostly me. Hours upon hour went into creating each issue. I would search out the articles and stories, engage the columnist and contributors, conduct a lot of the interviews, translate the taped version into print and a story, create and draw the comics, do the typesetting, and a who lot more.
Often through benevolence with the secular company I worked for a lot of printing was done at their facility. However, most times, it was I who bought the paper, loaded the machines, mastered the software, ran the huge printers, load the boxes, and transport them away.
The next thing was to deliver the magazines to the subscribers and facilities. The Lord had given us divine favor. the Voice of One was given access into multiple churches of various denominations within a five-state area. Again, it was me transporting stacks of the magazine, as per the number of congregants. It usually was a two-day distribution task. God had blessed, Voice of One was showing up in diver’s locations---schools, books stores, salons, homes etc.
Still, it was a lot of work. I was coming back from an interview one weekday. I had taken off from my secular job to work on the magazine. I had others waiting to be typed, other stories to be gathered, and production to meet. I asked the Lord. Why me? Why did you give this to me?
He answered, “Because I know what you would do with it.”
There were many days, I slept at my desk, in my home office. It’s humorous, but true, sliding down the chair, and sleeping on the floor, awakening to get in another hour before going to the corporate job. I’ve been tired. I’ve been physically tired producing the magazine.
Often through benevolence with the secular company I worked for a lot of printing was done at their facility. However, most times, it was I who bought the paper, loaded the machines, mastered the software, ran the huge printers, load the boxes, and transport them away.
The next thing was to deliver the magazines to the subscribers and facilities. The Lord had given us divine favor. the Voice of One was given access into multiple churches of various denominations within a five-state area. Again, it was me transporting stacks of the magazine, as per the number of congregants. It usually was a two-day distribution task. God had blessed, Voice of One was showing up in diver’s locations---schools, books stores, salons, homes etc.
Still, it was a lot of work. I was coming back from an interview one weekday. I had taken off from my secular job to work on the magazine. I had others waiting to be typed, other stories to be gathered, and production to meet. I asked the Lord. Why me? Why did you give this to me?
He answered, “Because I know what you would do with it.”
There were many days, I slept at my desk, in my home office. It’s humorous, but true, sliding down the chair, and sleeping on the floor, awakening to get in another hour before going to the corporate job. I’ve been tired. I’ve been physically tired producing the magazine.
"There is a difference between physical tiredness and spiritual tiredness."
A sidebar, most of the funding came from me and my wife. The magazine was free. And, we heard the stories. People were being blessed. Pastors and people from different denominations were engaging. We were covering many events taking our readers behind the scene. The Lord was putting us in front of well-known people in the church, as well as revealing the stories of those not heard. Unfortunately, there was little recompense for the ministry.
I muse of my encounter with a Rastafarian man selling flags. I didn’t know who he was at first until he told me. I had stopped to see if he had a Christian flag. He didn’t. As a witnessing tool, I handed him a copy of the Voice of One Christian News & Commentary. He asked, did you do this? I said yes. He said this is a lot of work. Immediately, the man pulled out his wallet and handed me twenty dollars because he saw the value.
Back to that day in November. I was sitting at my desk. The magazine was now digital and available via internet (website). It was still a lot of work---just no printing. I had left my corporate job to do ministry full time---which included the magazine. A voice came to my head. It sounded like me. It was addressed to God. “I don’t feel like doing this anymore. I’ve done it. Let someone else do it.”
There is a difference between physical tiredness and spiritual tiredness. Physical tiredness is the result of bodily and sometimes mental activity---stress. Spiritual tiredness rises from within. It comes to sabotage a vision. It causes people to give up. I heard it. It sounded like me. Thankfully, I knew better not to speak it.
The moment after that voice dropped, another arose. This one came from within. It was the word the Lord gave me in May, though the prophet.
“Be encouraged!”
When it came, the spiritual tiredness vanquished. I praised God. He had given me the answer before the question. He had given me the testimony before the trial.
I muse of my encounter with a Rastafarian man selling flags. I didn’t know who he was at first until he told me. I had stopped to see if he had a Christian flag. He didn’t. As a witnessing tool, I handed him a copy of the Voice of One Christian News & Commentary. He asked, did you do this? I said yes. He said this is a lot of work. Immediately, the man pulled out his wallet and handed me twenty dollars because he saw the value.
Back to that day in November. I was sitting at my desk. The magazine was now digital and available via internet (website). It was still a lot of work---just no printing. I had left my corporate job to do ministry full time---which included the magazine. A voice came to my head. It sounded like me. It was addressed to God. “I don’t feel like doing this anymore. I’ve done it. Let someone else do it.”
There is a difference between physical tiredness and spiritual tiredness. Physical tiredness is the result of bodily and sometimes mental activity---stress. Spiritual tiredness rises from within. It comes to sabotage a vision. It causes people to give up. I heard it. It sounded like me. Thankfully, I knew better not to speak it.
The moment after that voice dropped, another arose. This one came from within. It was the word the Lord gave me in May, though the prophet.
“Be encouraged!”
When it came, the spiritual tiredness vanquished. I praised God. He had given me the answer before the question. He had given me the testimony before the trial.
So today the Voice of One continues. God has sent more help (and more is needed). We are continuing reporting on His goodness from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Colorado, Around the USA, Israel, India, Africa, and around the world.
Would you consider partnering with us? Your contribution of any amount will go a long way to help fulfill the calling God has given us bring the move of God to the body of Christ.
Today the voice one can be read on voicecnc.com or be viewed on ChristianVisionEntertaiment.com
Help to keep the vision free. And please send in those testimonies and miracle reports.
Would you consider partnering with us? Your contribution of any amount will go a long way to help fulfill the calling God has given us bring the move of God to the body of Christ.
Today the voice one can be read on voicecnc.com or be viewed on ChristianVisionEntertaiment.com
Help to keep the vision free. And please send in those testimonies and miracle reports.
You can contribute/invest via PayPal link or mail check or money order to
The Glory Cloud publications PO Box 193 Sicklerville NJ 08081 |