This Sunday starts Pilgrimage to Pentecost which is an initiative of our Presiding Bishop that sets aside time for members of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. (COGIC) to come together in a time of consecration. This year Pilgrimage to Pentecost starts April 20, 2014 and will continue through June 8, 2014. Please take time to be part of this awesome time and spread the news to all of the local churches.

Click Here to download the 2014 Pilgrimage to Pentecost Guidebook.

Please take some time to wish Mother Frances Kelly a very Happy and Blessed Birthday in the comments section below.

Forgiveness is a central part of Christianity. Christ's forgiveness extended to us and our forgiveness extended to ourselves and others. The grace and forgiveness we find in Christ is incomprehensible and unparallelled. 1 John 1:9 states, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." The word "sins" is not qualified. Whatever the sins, however reprehensible they may be – we can find forgiveness through the shed blood of Christ Jesus.

Although we may have trouble understanding the grace and forgiveness extended to us through Christ, we have come to accept this truth. However, it seems that we may struggle with extending forgiveness to ourselves and others. There are times, in this Christian walk, where we can become so frustrated with choices that we make, hurtful words that we say which can never be unsaid, and many other sins we commit – that is may seem we hold a grudge against ourselves. We must understand that if Christ has forgiven us for the sin we committed and we refuse to forgive ourselves, we are implying that our standards are more holy and right than Christ's standards – which is definitely not the case. If we refuse to accept forgiveness and allow that forgiveness to internalize, then we are refusing to walk in the freedom which Christ gave His life for us to have. Let us not allow His dying to be in vain in our lives, but may we accept the gifts of grace, forgiveness and love He has afforded us.

Lastly, we must forgive others. This is not optional. The mandatory forgiveness we must extend to others is not based on the severity of the sin, the number of times someone hurt us, how bad it hurt us or the people we love, or even if the offender has asked for forgiveness. In Matthew 6: 14 & 15 we are told, "If you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." The forgiveness we extend others is a requirement of God's forgiveness to be extended to us. God has grace, mercy and forgiveness that are ours for the taking, but He will not indulge our hypocrisy if we refuse to forgive others as He so graciously forgives us.

Take a moment to read this awe-inspiring story about forgiveness in the aftermath of South African apartheid, as related by Desmond Tutu and his daughter Mpho in The Book of Forgiving:

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“He had many wounds.” She spoke with the precision of a coroner. “In the upper abdomen were five wounds. These wounds indicated that different weapons were used to stab him, or a group of people stabbed him.” Mrs. Mhlawuli continued her harrowing testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She spoke about the disappearance and murder of her husband, Sicelo. “In the lower part, he also had wounds. In total, there were forty-three. They poured acid on his face. They chopped off his right hand just below the wrist. I don’t know what they did with that hand.” A wave of horror and nausea rose in me.

Now it was nineteen-year-old Babalwa’s turn to speak. She was eight when her father died. Her brother was only three. She described the grief, police harassment, and hardship in the years since her father’s death. And then she said, “I would love to know who killed my father. So would my brother.” Her next words stunned me and left me breathless. “We want to forgive them. We want to forgive, but we don’t know who to forgive.”

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Such powerful words from such a young soul. Bottomline is this: We must forgive others regardless of the offense and only when we do will we find freedom from the unforgiveness which has us bound.

 

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CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST (COGIC) NOT AFFILIATED WITH

ONLINE DATING SITE

 

(Memphis, TN) March 19, 2014 The Church of God in Christ does not own, operate nor is it affiliated with any kind of online dating site.

A website, without the church’s permission, has listed Church of God in Christ calendar events on its site. The denomination’s legal department is working to resolve the matter.

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About the Church of God in Christ

The Church of God in Christ is one of the oldest Pentecostal denominations in the world and the 5^th largest Protestant group in the United States with churches in 59 countries worldwide and a membership of nearly 6.5 million adherents.

In observance of International Women's Day, we would like to take some time and honor all of the COGIC Women who have made this Great Church what it is today, as well as all of the women who continue the work of the Lord. We thank God for the virtuous, praying women that God has graced this church with, including:

• Our Very Own General Supervisor of the Department of Women, Mother Willie Mae Rivers
• Our First Lady, Lady Mae Lawrence Blake
• Our First General Mother, Mother Lizzie Robinson
• Our Second General Mother, Mother Lillian Brooks Coffey
• Our Third General Mother, Mother Annie L. Bailey
• Our Fourth General Mother, Mother Mattie McGlothen
• Our Fifth General Mother, Mother Emma F. Crouch
• Dr. Arenia C. Mallory, President – Saints Jr. College

Although we cannot list all of the great women who have impacted the Church of God in Christ, Inc. and have played a significant role in the Kingdom of God, our churches and our individual lives – we want to say "THANK YOU" for giving of yourselves and being an example to follow. We salute each and every Mighty Women of God today!

If these women, or any other women, have made a difference in your life, please feel free to post a tribute below!

We all know that God has called us to live out the Great Commission. We understand that people need to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. However, we must understand that God knows exactly what needs to happen to draw others to Himself. There are times when people need to be shown compassion and we can meet basic needs to demonstrate the Love of Christ. James 2:16 tells us that if people are hungry, we can preach to them all we want, but at the end of the day they still need to be fed. A member of Ecclesia Fellowship COGIC in Garner, NC posted the following status update about an upcoming Women's Day event – as you will see, she offers people transportation if they need it:

Sometimes it really is the little things that make a BIG difference! Maybe there are some who would go to church if you would offer to pick them up. There may be others who do not feel their clothes are good enough for church and you could help them out. Still others may love to have their own copy of The Bible. Just some things to consider. How do you seek to Serve Christ by Serving Others? After all, these are the things a deeply distressed and troubled world needs!

A Special Thanks to Nicole Smith-Bridgewater for inspiring us today! Her Pastor is Pastor Gerald W. Gause and Ecclesia Fellowship COGIC is part of the North Carolina Second Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction where Bishop Stenneth Powell is the Jurisdictional Prelate. Thank you all and keep about our Father's Business!