Volume 5 Issue 18 15 May 2008
The E-pistle

The Father’s Love

by Deacon Tonna Eidson

To have a full comprehension of the Father's love, we will have to wait until we are with Him in heavenly places, however, we can get a glimpse of His love for us by looking at how we show love in human relationships. Here are some scriptures that reveal God's love for us and how He shows it.

No lack of salvation: John 3:16, Romans 8:2, Romans 8:16, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8

No hunger: Matthew 6:25-32, Luke 12:22, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 107:9

No homelessness: Philippians 4:19, Psalm 68:6

No loneliness: Psalm 68:8, Matthew 19:29

No lack of employment:Philippians 4:19, Jeremiah 29:11

No sickness or pain: I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5, II Corinthians 12:9-10, Psalm 147:3

No lack of clothing:Luke 12:22, Matthew 6:25-32, Philippians 4:19

No lack of peace:Philippians 1:2, Philippians 4:7, II Corinthians 13:11, Romans 5:1, Psalm 85:8, Proverbs 13:13, Romans 8:6

No lack of comfort: Jeremiah 31:3

No depression or heartbreak: Romans 14:17, Psalm 16:11, Psalm 147:3

No lack of protection: Psalm 12:5

No defeat: Romans 8:37, Deuteronomy 28:7

No hunger: Matthew 6:8, Deuteronomy 28:5, 12

No rejection: Hosea 1:10, John 3:16, Romans 8:1, 15-17

Read this great letter about The Father’s Love:

http://www.fathersloveletter.com/flltextenglish.html

Remembering Our First Love

by Pastor Paul Walker

In my quiet time the other day I asked God why some people who call themselves Christians can be doggone mean. I heard the Holy Spirit say, “The reason why so many believers are joyless and mean is that they’ve lost their first love.” Then I asked, “How did they come to leave their first love?” The Spirit said, “Many believers believe IN Jesus, but many don’t BELIEVE Jesus.”

As a child being raised in a fundamentalist church I heard the salvation message over and over but very little else. In my own life I can truly say that I believe IN Jesus; for salvation, healing, intercession and more. But I do not always believe the things Jesus said, Jesus said in John 14:16, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” That seems pretty simple, right?

In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets.”

The Word says that King David was a man after God's own heart and yet we know that David made many serious mistakes in his life. What made the difference? I believe we can find it in the attitude of David's heart when he said, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139:23).

Our birthright in the Kingdom is RIGHTEOUSNESS, JOY, and PEACE, (Romans 14:17). Do politics have you dismayed? Don’t concern yourself with it, God has promised justice at the right time. Are you disillusioned with religion? The word says to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:24). Worried about money, houses, cars and stuff? Don’t waste your precious time, it’s all going to burn! The only thing that should really matter is your first love, JESUS. He loves you with an everlasting love and desires your heartfelt love in return.

As an example, when Todd and I first started dating I would make him one of my favorite dinners; grilled ham and cheese sandwich (grilled slow so that the cheese is gooey) and tomato soup. Todd would eat every bite with apparent delight. This made me happy. Later on I learned that sandwiches weren’t exactly his favorite thing (carbs!).

The reason he delighted in the meal was because I had made it and we were together. Nurture your relationship with your first love by spending time with Jesus; sing Him a song, share your day, read His Word, hold tight to all His promises and bask in the warmth of His presence. Your right relationship with Jesus will make all the difference in your life.

A Minister of Music Get's Booted, Experiences Defeat, Then Finds Meaning in Life (My Testimony)

By Ed Yancey-Smith

When I was first asked to put my testimony down on paper, I realized that it was something I had never done before. At first, I didn’t see the reason or need for it; but as I began to pray about it, I came to the realization that my story, no matter how trivial it may seem to me, just might inspire someone else who is going through similar circumstances in their own life.

I was born the eldest of 4 children into a very “Christian” family. My dad was a deacon of the Bloxham Heights Pentecostal Holiness Church and my mom was the choir director. The two of them were in charge of the youth group for many years. Every thing I did revolved around the church. Being Pentecostal made me feel that I had something more than the few friends I had at school. I was of the chosen few that were “full gospel” even though I really didn’t know what that meant. I was not allowed to go to school parties or dances. The only music I could listen to was gospel. I didn’t even know what I was missing, since I had never been exposed to any of the other kinds of music in the world.

I first new that I was “different” when I was about 8 years old. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew I couldn’t be gay, because that was a sin and God would not make me a sinner – He loved me too much to do that to anyone. So I just knew I was different. At first I thought it was a test, to see if I would follow God. As I got older, the test got harder. By the time I was 16, I new I was gay and was not able to reconcile my spiritual life to my sexuality. I was simply failing God and would never make into heaven. Then I decided to give myself another chance. How? I would get married, have children and let her change me. So another lie started for me. I found a wonderful girl that I really and truly fell in love with (I thought I knew what love was). I didn’t have far to go, she was my pastor’s daughter.

We fell in love and I asked her to marry me. I figured a good Christian woman would be able to “change” me to “normal” and I would be okay again. We married in May of 1979, and were very happy, for about 6 months. Then my true nature started to creep back out. I had “friends” all around town that were only to eager to help me out – some were even in my home church. Spiritually I died; I forgot all about God. After all, he couldn’t use a queer man. I was still struggling with the spiritual side of my life. By this time I was the Minister of Music in a large Assembly of God church; I didn’t know where I was spiritually, I couldn’t understand why God was still using me to lead His people in Worship.

We had two beautiful boys. Joshua and Jeremy; born 11 ½ months apart in November. They were the joy of my life. Now I had to tell my family that I was gay but didn’t really know what that would mean to my little family. I was the minister of music at a large Assembly of God church and knew that I would be giving that and my family up when I came out. We had two services on Sunday morning, so I decided to talk with my pastor between services. During the 8:30 service, God moved greatly and there was a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit during our praise & worship. After that service I let the pastor know I needed to speak with him about something very important before the next service. We went into his office and I told him that I was gay. Before I could finish my thoughts to him, he relieved me of my duties and called my assistant in to the office and asked him to take over until further notice. My partner Tommy likes to tell people that I was defrocked when the pastor found me wearing one.

That afternoon, I talked with my wife about this “problem” that I had. She sent me packing. Then the opportunity of my life came about, I was moving to Atlanta, GA to go to Mortuary school, alone! I moved to Atlanta in 1990 and started a whole new life for myself. A life very much alone and depressed. After about six months in Atlanta, I knew that I was gay. I had met someone; a man that I thought I was falling in love with. My wife had agreed to a divorce, but then she dropped a bomb on me – she had it fixed in the courts so that I could not see my boys without supervision. This crushed me; that she would even think that I was a danger to my children. So for the first 4 years of my “gay” life, I was unable to see my children for any length of time. They began to wonder if I cared about them. Had I chosen my new boyfriend over them? That is the way it looked to them. My boyfriend, who was by now my live in partner, then decided he loved the bottle more than me. He chose to go his own way instead of trying to beat his addiction. He has passed away now, of liver cancer. When he left, I found that my life was missing something. I had turned my back on God. This was a new realization for me. After all, I was gay and God didn’t like gay people. I picked up a book called “What the Bible really says about Homosexuality’” by Daniel Helminiack. It opened my eyes to the fact that God really does love me. I tried to go to a local Assembly but the first Sunday I attended, the message was against gay people. Needless to say, I never returned to that church. I found myself studying God’s word by myself and I came to the understanding that God was right beside me the whole time; he never left me.

My ex-wife called me on my birthday, September 6^th in 1996, and told me she wanted me to forgive her for the way she had treated me and that she wanted to know if I would like to spend more time with my kids. She had gone to the court and had the order changed; I could see my kids whenever I wanted. They were 14 and 15 at this time. They came up to visit me and we were able to get (what is now a great relationship) going. It was rocky for a while, but as long as I was honest with them they were able to understand and finally were accepting of whom their father really was. In August of 1997 I met Tommy Yancey. It was a fix-up by mutual friends that thought we would be good for each other. I fell in love with Tommy almost immediately. He was attending a Methodist Church in downtown Atlanta, so I tagged along. Before long we started going to an MCC church, but never really felt at home anywhere. Tommy was raised Baptist, but knew there was more for him in God than he was getting. Little did I know he was still having issues with being gay and Christian.

My spiritual life was better, but I still longed for a church that offered more of what God offered. We moved to Orlando, FL for about 2 years, then back to Atlanta. We moved from Atlanta to Gainesville, then to Athens. This is where God has placed us. Why we moved to Athens we did not know, until recently.

God has moved greatly within our lives, our relationship, and our home in the past 6 months. We are so excited about what God has planned to do in the Athens area among the gay community. We consider it a privilege that God is allowing us to be a part of his great work. We also thank God for sending us to New Covenant of Atlanta.

Pastor’s Corner & More

Lighthouse Ministries

by Pastor Brian Grizzle

Isaiah 52:5-9 (Message Bible) "God's message, the God who created the cosmos, stretched out the skies, laid out the Earth and all that grows in it, who breathes life into Earth's people, makes them alive with His own life: 'I am God. I have called you to live right and well. I have taken responsibility for you, kept you safe, I have set you among My people to bind them to Me, and provided you as a Lighthouse to the nations, to make a start at bringing people into the open, into light: opening blinded eyes, releasing prisoners from dungeons, emptying the dark prisons. I am God. That's My name. I don't franchise my glory, don't endorse the no god idols. Take note: the earlier predictions of judgment have been fulfilled. I am announcing the new salvation work. Before it bursts on the scene, I'm telling you about it.'"

I wanted to share these two testimonies:

Rusty, a straight gentleman who came to our Bible study in Clayton had a real problem with gay people all of his life, he came for prayer a couple of weeks ago in tears. God really touched his life and opened his understanding, not only to gay people, but he welcomed the Lord back into his life. This week he had a miracle as we prayed for him to be released from the hospital because he didn't have enough sick leave, he was released the next day! He praised God for his miracle!

Tracy and Tracey, owners of the Allstar Bar (where we have been holding services), have placed a grill in their facility to begin serving meals. We prayed Thursday night for their upcoming health inspection, and they received a 100% rating from the Health Department the next day. They were both excited and gave God glory for great news and will begin serving food immediately.

The Bible study continues to grow with new people every week! Keep praying for us!

All Alone

by Pastor Angela Brown

How many time have we been in the midst of hell and in that moment could not see anything but the flames that surround us?

We so through trials and tribulations and may wonder “Why, When, or What?” while in the situation. Then we emerge out of the flames and realize that we were not burned but instead the fire strengthens our spiritual growth and increased our testimony. It doe not matter what the enemy may throw at us or try and throw us into, we belong to God and the devil has no hold on us.

Rom 8:35-39 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

. Confession of Faith by Pastor Joan Castle

I separate myself from every unclean thing. I submit myself to God. I resist the devil and he flees from me. I give no place of opportunity to the devil.

I choose the fear of the Lord which is to hate evil, pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the disobedient mouth. I consider Jesus and His presence in me. I love God more than anything this world offers.

I present my body as a living sacrifice to God -- holy, devoted, and consecrated to please Him, which is a part of my spiritual worship to Him. I am not conformed to this world's way of thinking, but I am continually being transformed by the renewing of my mind to His Word so that I can prove what is the good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God in my life.

I have the mind of Christ. Jesus said, "The prince of the world comes but he has nothing in me." Just like Jesus, I decree that satan has nothing in me.

I cast down imaginations and ever thought that tries to exalt itself against the knowledge of God. I bring my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and His Word.

Fire Institute

May 11-17 Read 1 Samuel 16 – 2 Kings 15

May 18-24 Read 2 Kings 16 - 2 Chronicles 35

Come ready to discuss these amazing passages!

Announcements

The Don't-Have-a-Yard-Sale Sale

New Covenant Church of Atlanta now has an open account with Treasure Mart, 3641 Pierce Drive (off Peachtree Industrial near Chamblee-Tucker), Atlanta, GA 30341 (770) 458-1200. Their hours for accepting consignments are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

All you have to do is call and make an appointment to drop off your items for the church. They will price them and sell them for you (and they do get much more than you could get in a yard sale for the items). Be sure and tell them it's for New Covenant Church of Atlanta. It's a HUGE warehouse and you might get caught up for hours shopping there and finding the bargains.

The items are priced, then if unsold, the price reduces 10% per month until sold. Items valued at $5.00 or less will only be held for 30 days and then reduced 50% (space is limited). Each month they will cut a check for the church and mail it. It's as simple as that, get rid of your junk, free up your time and enrich the Kingdom of God at the same time. If you can't get it there yourself, bring it to church with you on Sunday and Deacon Tonna will take care of it for you if it's not heavy furniture.

Here's what they don't take: clothing, exercise equipment, electronics, rugs, mattresses/box springs, drapes, bedding, records, sofas, light fixtures. It's easy if you think decorative! Make sure your items are clean and in good condition.

Marietta Home Group is Moving

Effective June 3rd, the Marietta home group will be meeting at Pastor Joan and Rose's home, 1575 Longwood Drive, Marietta, GA 30008

Pride 2008 - If you are interested in volunteering to work in planning and/or at the event this year, please contact Apostle Randy at pastor@newcovenantatlanta.com for call the New Covenant office at (404) 929-1400.

Spiritfest 2008 - May 25-28, 2008

Joshua Ministries International is hosting a GLBT Christian Conference, SpiritFest 2008, at the Omni Hotel (downtown) at CNN Center in Atlanta, GA. over Memorial Day Weekend. They invite ALL people to join them for this exciting event. .The speakers and presenters are anointed men and women of God and they include: Apostle Craig Franklin, Rev. Janet Robertson, Rev. Tony Sirten, Apostle Randy Morgan, Rev. Brian Grizzle and Ruth Cooper. Worship leaders are Don Lewis and Paul Revere.

Registration fee is $125.00. E-mail for more information. Registration forms are in the New Covenant Church of Atlanta lobby or on the Events Page of the Church website.

Joshua Ministries, 411 S. Westmoreland, Dallas, Texas 75211, (214) 333-9779

Ministry of Helps

We need your help on a one-time or regular basis in the area of cleaning the church. Let us know if you are willing to participate at least once see Deacon Chuck Markins or Sara & Shelley.

Events

SpiritFest 2008

May 22-25
Location: Omni Hotel in Atlanta
Registration $97 until May 1, after that it's $125
DON'T DELAY, REGISTER TODAY!

-Registration Form and contact information is on the bottom of this page.

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Upcoming Events

June 6- Women's Basketball Game @ Phillips Arena
For more information contact Pastor Angela

June 14 - Youth Gathering
June - Family Reunion (Picnic in the park) - All Day Event
June - New Covenant Cinema Night

July - Pride Festival is July 4th-6th on the Atlanta Civic Center Property.
July- New Covenant Cinema Night

August - Pool Party

September - Putt-Putt at Malibu Grand Prix in Gwinnett

September - Gentlemen's Brunch Fellowship
With a Key Note Speaker and Praise and Worship.
-If you identify as male you will not want to miss this special event.

October - Halloween Party on Nov. 1st.
October - New Covenant Cinema Night

November - Thanksgiving Potluck - Dinner and a Movie

December - New Years Eve. Party - Back by Request

Singles

Quarterly Events Posting Soon - check back often

- Looking for Married Couples to volunteer for chaperoning Singles Events.
If you are interested please contact us.