Sis. Selena Clemons
This past year God truly blessed me beyond words. In the natural: I saw my cousin get in church, my Momma and my aunt grow in God, God has blessed me with a job and so much more. Spiritually: He has kept me, worked on me, allowed me to grow in Him, futhered the ministry that he has entrusted to me, and so much more.
This year in addition to seeing more of my family come in, my vision for my life is: to grow deeper in God, to fall more in love with JESUS, to fast more, to pray more, and to retain what I study better. I want to dedicate more areas of my life to God, and be a more effective witness. I desire God to make, shape, and mold me into a better person for Him.
HOLY GHOST EXPLOSION--I desire to see: greater unity in our youth and church, a hunger for God like never before, not just a want for God but that need' that deep craving for more of God and less of ourselves.
I want to start out by saying I am so abundantly blessed to have the ability to testify about what God has done in my life. God deserves all honor and glory. I read a quote that says, "I cannot brag about my love for God because I have failed Him, but I can brag about God's love for me, because His love never fails."
"Prepare your hearts unto the Lord..."
Base Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:3
Here are some things we must do to prepare our hearts unto the Lord:
Fast: Joel 1:14
Pray: Jude 20
Read His Word: Psalm 119:109
Allowing Jesus to search us: Psalm 139:23
Fellowship with other believers: Hebrews 10:25
Meditate on His word: Psalm 1:2
Think on Him: Philippians 4:8
Believe: Hebrews 11:6
Repent, be Baptized in Jesus name, be filled with the Holy Ghost: Acts 2:38
Praise: Psalm 146:2
Love Him: Deuteronomy 6:5
Be Holy: Leviticus 20:26, 1 Chronicles 16:29
Study: 2 Timothy 2:15
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"In Him there is..."
When we form a relationship with Jesus, we find everything that we will ever need.
Acts 17:28
Healing: Malachi 4:2
Joy: Psalm 16:11
Safety: Psalm 4:8
Peace: Psalm 29:11; John 14:27
Strength: Isaiah 40:28
Power: Acts 1:8
Love: 1 John 4:8
Comfort: John 14:26
Liberty: 2 Corinthians 3:17
Peace of mind: Isaiah 26:3
Rest: Isaiah 28:12
The power to be more than conquerors: Romans 8:37
Life: Acts 17:28
Power, Love, and a Sound mind: 2 Timothy 1:7
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I was not raised in this Pentecostal way. I was raised Baptist and started going to Wind of Pentecost after my mom and I relocated from Knoxville a little of six years ago. I remember the very first time God started dealing with me about being baptized in Jesus name. It was on a Wednesday night, and I remember I couldn't wait to talk to my Pastor and his wife about it after service. Because I knew that it was something I had to do in order to make it into Heaven. I was baptized the next Sunday night.
About a month later we had a pool of Bethesda service; the kind of service if you have a need you go forward and stand in the water, symbolizing the troubling of the water (John 5). One of the youth in the church was sitting beside of me, and she kept telling me to go up because I needed the Holy Ghost. I kind of brushed it off because I was so scared, but eventually God was dealing with me so strongly I couldn't brush it off any longer. So I went up and stepped in the pool and began asking God with all I had within me to please fill me with the Holy Ghost, and He did.
Well, in June of 2011 I began feeling God desired to do something deeper in my life, to use me to minister the precious Gospel. So I prayed and prayed about it. Because the Bible says to "make our calling and election sure" (1 Peter 1:10). And in October 2011 my Pastor (unaware at the time of how God had been dealing with me) asked me and another Brother to do "Word Night" where we shared nuggets we had received while studying. I took that and a few other things that happened as my "You know what you're supposed to be doing, now do it" sign.
I would love to say I haven't failed God in all the time I have been living for Him, but I have. I daily strive to be more like Him and that my life will line up with His Word. I am so thankful for God's grace and mercy that has kept me and forgiven me when I didn't deserve it. He is still working on me and by His grace I will one day look upon His face and hear Him say, "Well done." I pray God's continued blessing on each and every one of you in Jesus name.
