July 2010 - theXalter

Exalt: to lift up in praise and adoration;
to encourage, strengthen, or urge one to
do better, be better, and grow better in the
things of God. (Vines)
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name that is above every name: That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things
in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. (Phil. 2:9-11) KJV
Message of Exaltation from the Editor:
Come out of the Wilderness!
G
reetings to you! We want to begin by thanking
you for an overwhelming response to our June
2010 message of exaltation, Go Bold. We want
to also thank you for your views regarding our featured
persons of the Month, Assoc. Pastor Sean and Mrs.
Lori Chrysostom who gave us some tidbits regarding
marriage and what to do after we say, “I do.”
Lastly, we want to also thank you for your inquiries
to theXalter’s Empowerment Segment which we have
coined, cReAte yOur Own NoRmaL! ™, what is your
NoRmaL? ™ This month, we are proud to feature up
and coming Gospel Artist, Brandon Camphor who’s hit
gospel single, Its Possible (Gotta have Faith), is climbing
the charts. He will share with us how at 23 he has begun
to step into the purpose God has for him as He allows
God to help him create his own normal. But first, we
will begin with this month’s message: “Come out of the
Wilderness!”
For the past several years, I have heard many folks
say, “I am having a ‘wilderness experience;’ or, “I’ve
been in this valley too long! God has got to get me out
of this wilderness;” or, “It seems like I’ve been in this
wilderness so long, that I’ve taken up residency and put
my feet up on my front porch, because it seems I have
been here for so long.”
In the book of Deuteronomy, which is the fifth and
final book of the Torah, the Pentateuch, or the Laws of
Moses as most would say, God shares with Israel of the
vastness of obtaining His promises as long as they keep
His commandments. By being obedient, God promised
to bring them out of the wilderness that they had been
dwelling in for 40 years.
A wilderness is defined as a tract or region
uncultivated and uninhabited by human beings; an
empty or pathless area or region; an obsolete, wild or
uncultivated state; or, a confusing multitude or mass,
(Merriam Webster)
See, Israel had had their time with God throughout
the beginning of the Old Testament, with the servant
Moses at the helm. They had experienced defeating
Pharaoh, had been brought out of the land of Egypt
and out of the house of bondage, had experienced
the parting of the Red Sea and the birthing of the Ten
Commandments, just to name a few. All the while, they
were steadily reaching towards the “good land” that
God had promised them. Israel was told repeatedly,
of this blessed and plenteous place, and now their 40
years in the wilderness was nearing its end and finally,
they were being granted the opportunity to cross over
into better terrains.
By the time they were getting ready to get out, Israel
was in anticipation of their new future, a future where
they would no longer be in the wilderness; but would
dwell in the land of milk and honey.
God told them that He had allowed them to dwell
in the wilderness for so long because He wanted to
see if they would keep His commandments; in turn, He
wanted to humble them and prove them so that He
would know the condition of their heart. (Deuteronomy
8:2).
Even today, God will sometimes allow us to linger in a
situation for a period just to see if we will stay committed
to Him and to His Word. God wants to know what is really
in our hearts and if we are committed unto Him, despite
going through a wilderness experience.
See, God placed before Israel a choice to either
choose life so that they and their seed may live or death
and the destruction thereof. (Deuteronomy 30: 19);
and just like them, God allows us to make the choice
to either choose Him, His ways and His statues, or face
the destruction and the consequence of choosing
otherwise.
Once moving toward this promised land, God then
began to prepare Israel for the future they were about
to embark upon. He told them what to expect when
they got there and how to behave once getting there.
Providing they keep His commandments, their transition
will cause them to be blessed in the city and blessed in
the fields; blessed shall they be in their coming in and
blessed will they be in their going out. (Deut. 28: 3, 6)
Saints, in order to continue to move from Hole-ness
to Wholeness, we gotta adopt a “coming out of the
wilderness” mentality that Israel had to assume. The
closer that Israel got to the “promise land” the more
God instructed them on what to expect when they got
there. God repeatedly stated what the consequences
would be if they did not keep His law. Now I know we are
not bound by those laws because we now live under the
dispensation of grace, but there are still consequences
if we disobey God.
God desires the very best for us. He came so that
we might have life and have it more abundantly. He
repeatedly told Israel to “go out and possess the land.”
So not only does God want to transition us from our
wilderness experience to “a land of milk and honey”
where His promises will reign true, once we get there we
have to go out and possess it with all power and might.
So our challenge this month: get ready to come out
of the wilderness. If we are to move from Hole-ness to
Wholeness, know that God will prepare us for the move
and the Holy Spirit will instruct us on what to do, where
to go, and what to expect when we get there. And for
those of you who have been wandering and wondering
when know that God has already begun your Exodus!
Allow Him to prepare you for the next level and just
believe that your wilderness experience has and will
come to pass.
So, get up and mentally pack up your bags and
prepare to move into the new arena that God has for
you. Don’t commit to staying where you are, but commit
your faith to the unseen as you get ready for your great
departure into the future God has in store.
For comments about this article contact
Ms. Jenkins at [email protected]
Min. Mark S. Jones, Corresponding Writer,
The Amazing Race:
Every calling is great when greatly pursued: Pursue Your Calling
Philippians 3:12-15 (NRSV)
12 Not that I have already
obtained this or have already
reached the goal; but I
press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has
made me his own. 13 Beloved,
I do not consider that I have
made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly
call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us then who are
mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently
about anything, this too God will reveal to you.
The CBS reality television show, The Amazing Race,
will enter its 17th season this fall. The show consists of
contestants, or rather teams, who embark on a race
around the world in competition with other teams.
Contestants strive to arrive first at “pit stops” at the
end of each segment to win various prizes; arriving last
can carry the possibility of elimination, or a significant
disadvantage when starting out on the next leg of the
race.
Contestants travel to and within multiple countries
in a variety of transportation modes to include planes,
balloons, helicopters, trucks, bicycles, taxis, rental cars,
trains, buses, boats and even foot to try to win. There
are clues in each leg which lead the teams to the next
destination; their challenges are related in some manner
to the country or culture where they are located. It is
here that we see the strain of the team members as their
relationships are each tested while striving to complete
their challenge under the deadline.
Throughout the race, the contestants are facing
detours. They are facing roadblocks. They see yield
signs. They are given U-Turn signs. They see intersection
crossings, and sometimes, they are given a fast forward
sign, enabling them to bypass an obstacle. Sometimes,
God will enable you to bypass an obstacle. All of these
components, incorporated into the design of the race,
raise the stress level of team participants; as a result,
team members fight and argue with each other and at
other teams until they are eliminated one team at a time.
But why do they continue? Well, they continue because
they have one goal in mind—the end of the race, the
finished line where they will win one million dollars.
Okay, you say, “Well that’s all well and good, but that’s
still television. Even though it’s a reality show, it is not
really real, and what does it have to do with me?”
Well, I’m coming down your street right now! Look at
the challenges you may have been facing over the past
few years just to get to where you are! Look at the races
you have endured over the past few years that have
had you on an “amazing race!”
Drama at home or with your family—Yield Sign
Drama on the job—Intersection
Finances—Roadblock
Health Challenges—Roadblock
Financial Aid—U-Turn
Drama here, drama there, and if it is not this thing, then
it is that—anything to keep you from remaining focused
and pressing forward to pursue your call and continue
on in the race. Paul the Apostle offers insight on how to
press on while we are on our own amazing race.
Like Paul, YOU can not afford to look back, you
must press forward because God has certified you as
possessing the necessary skill-set to go on to the next
level in Him.
Biblical and academic scholars say that Paul is second
only to Jesus in his contribution to the development of
Christianity; he is a former Pharisee and persecutor of the
church who later spearheaded Christianity’s mission to
the Gentiles. His letters, which form the third unit of the
New Testament, represent the religion’s first attempt to
interpret the meaning of Jesus’ death and its significance
to human salvation.
Lastly, Verse 15 states: “Let those of us then who are
mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently,
this too God will reveal to you.” What Paul is saying here
is for you to surround yourself with people who are doing
positive things and pressing forward and are of common
goal. If you are struggling with some form of addiction,
surround yourself around people who have traveled that
road and successfully gotten off their addition to help
you get off of that thing.
A part of Paul’s amazing race includes the fact that as
a Pharisee, he killed Christians all over town until he met
Jesus on the road to Damascus, who called out to him
and said: Paul! Why do you persecute me?
Paul calls this meeting with Jesus, “a revelation.” The
Greek word for revelation is APOKALYPSIS, and after this
meeting with Jesus, Paul was changed and given a new
route to follow on the race to the finish line. Paul’s new
route, or calling, would take him all over the world, but
he would still encounter detours, roadblocks, yield signs
and intersections, to include beatings, and being thrown
in jail, as he pushed forward to establish the first Christian
congregation of Europe, including Philippi, which is the
focus of this biblical text.
All of us has not yet arrived, and as Paul explains, we
are still on the amazing race. Hopefully by now, we all
should have graduated from the things that hold us
back; we should be pressing forward toward the goal of
the heavenly call. We should be vigorously pursuing the
heavenward call of God in Christ Jesus.
If God has blessed you to live to see another day,
you are still on the amazing race; however, if God is not
glorified in your works, then you have not answered your
call. Your calling is great when greatly pursued. In fact,
every calling is great when greatly pursued.
Amen…
In Verse 13, Paul says that “I do not consider that I have
made it my own, but this one thing I do: forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”
Beloved the problem with many of us is that we do
the opposite: (1) We hold on to the past, and then (2)
magnify what is behind.
• If you are still holding on to things that have
happened to you years ago, you are magnifying it.
• If every time you see someone who has
wronged you and you’re still thinking about what
they have done to you in the past, and that thing
still makes you bitter, you are magnifying it.
• We don’t strain forward as Paul states! To strain
forward, we must push ourselves beyond the hurt
of what someone has done to us in order to focus
on a better future. This requires putting forth some
exertion and some effort beyond the normal
capacity, and to move past your established limits.
In Verse 14, Paul says “I press on toward the goal for
the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Here, Paul is explaining to us that like an athlete running
a race, he concentrates on the goal ahead: the prize of
the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
You see, Paul is focused although while he is writing this
passage, he is in jail. What he is telling us is that although
being in jail is a detour and a roadblock, he still remains
focused on the end of the race, the finish line.
We must realize our goal: the prize of the heavenly
call of God in Christ Jesus. Sometimes, not everyone
will understand that your calling is great or where God is
taking you, but we must endure. Paul’s acceptance of
his calling took him all over the world and most biblical
scholars say that, even today, duplicating Paul’s travel
ministry would tire out most. Paul went on to places
where no other Christian had ever preached.
For advertising opportunities, please contact [email protected]
cReAte yOur Own NoRmaL™
what is your NoRmaL?™
How did you cReAte yOur
Own NoRmaL!™ by pursuing
this profession?
Well, I realized that this
generation is tired of church
but, they love Jesus. One of the
hardest age groups to reach is
the young adult community
(18-30), so I try to create an atmosphere through my
events or whenever my group, Brandon Camphor &
OneWay minister’s, we try not to present tradition but to
always to present JESUS.
As a youth, you were probably forced to go to church
with your parents; but now that you are an adult you
probably figured you’d live your life to the fullest, but
now is the time to get serious! As a young adult, you have
the CHOICE to go to church or not and unfortunately,
many choose not to.
As a young adult myself, I try to create an atmosphere
that I would want to go to church and with that I started
The Encounter. The Encounter is a night of worship for
young adults, which I started here in the DC, Maryland,
and Virginia area (the DMV). We host it at my church,
Hope Christian Church, every 4th Sunday. Here young
adults come to experience freedom in God’s presence.
It is an awesome picture of heaven to see this generation,
in a state of abandon, to the Father in worship. I’ve also
tried to create a norm of righteous living. My group,
Brandon Camphor & OneWay is comprised of all young
adults and we all strive to live a life according to God’s
Word. We try to offer tangible activities that influence
righteous living such as, Jesus Rock: Live it Loud, which is
another event I started.
Jesus Rock is a college tour which offers an exciting
concert for young adults to engage in, that shows them
that Jesus Rocks and in turn, we encourage them to
go out and Live it Loud! Through all of these events and
activities we are showing our generation that it is ok to
live right and develop a love to worship God, and that
is the norm!
Do you feel this is your purpose and this is what God
intended for you to do in helping others meet their
goals? What was happening in your life to finally cause
you to step into this purpose?
I do feel this is what God intended for me to do. Part of
my testimony comes from how I dealt with my parent’s
divorce. When I was 18, my whole life changed when
my parents announced that they were separating. So,
here I was leaving for college and on the same night
my mother moved out of the house. So I was headed
to college: FREEDOM, but bound by the anger and
pain of this new family setup. I had my years of rebelling
in college and the crazy thing is that the more steps I
took away from God, the more grace and compassion
I would receive from Him. It only made me fall more in
love with Jesus.
Romans 8 became my story. There was NO
condemnation in Christ Jesus and nothing could
separate me from His love. I started pursuing my ministry
off of that moment. Songs were birthed and connections
were made with people who are a part of my ministry
today; I knew, even then, that this was God’ will.
What has been the impact of you creating this normal?
How has it fulfilled you?
At the age of 23, it has been assuring to be content
with what God is doing. A lot of people start something
and before it is complete, they have started two or three
other ventures. When you are in God’s will, He makes
provision for you. So instead of struggling trying to make
other things work, I just focus on where God’s provision
are and invest time and energy there. It is fulfilling to
see the completion of something that God has birthed
through you. Many opportunities have come from being
faithful to God’s will. In December, as a matter of fact,
our ministry will have the blessed opportunity to travel
to Africa to Ethiopia to help build sustainable places for
water. We will also minister at revivals in their capital city
while there.
How has creating this normal impacted the lives of
others?
It has been a great thing to see lives come to Christ at
almost every 4th Sunday experience at The Encounter.
It has also been great to see the confidence of others
change as they view others living for Christ and that
living for Him can be the cool/normal thing to do. Many
people have also expressed their appreciation for
our stand and faith to step out and try new things. It is
my hope that efforts of Brandon Camphor & OneWay
would only shine light on the ability of God to move His
people into new territories when you are obedient to
His plan. I am not the only person with big ideas on how
to impact the world, I just want to be an example of
what God can do by being an obedient servant!
Final words for those who want to do what you do.
The word of God states in Mark 9:23 that ANYTHING
is possible to him who believes. That means that if you
believe in the dream, the call, or the assignment that
God gave you, it
then becomes possible.
Stay the course, and
don’t let setbacks
or detours distract
you. Focus on the
prize! That is God’s
glory. And that is
how I created my
own normal. Now
I ask, “What is your
normal?”
Contact Information:
Brandon Camphor & OneWay
http://www.bc1way.com
http://www.jesusrocktour.com
Darrell Edmonds,
Booking Manager [email protected]
Jihad Bruce, PR Rep [email protected]
For advertising opportunities, please contact [email protected]