BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

As Brother Kenneth Hagin used to say, “You can’t do anything about the birds that fly over your head, but that doesn’t mean you have to let them build a nest in your hair.” If you have a thought that’s contrary to what God has spoken to you, cast it away. Don’t let it fester. Conform your thoughts to the Word of God. Only speak what the Holy Ghost has spoken to you. Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Manage your thought life by consistently hearing and speaking the Word. Then your faith will remain strong. How We Bring About Change You need strong faith and a no-quit attitude because change is coming. Our country and our churches need it, and you and I are a big part of it. As a pastor, I know each church is a piece of God’s plan to unify America. A big part of our high calling is to unify people with different backgrounds, perspectives, giftings and talents. We’re to bring them together to release a corporate anointing that will change this earth! Knowing that, here’s how our church started putting these principles into practice. First, we received a vision from the Lord. He said, 'Take steps as a church to be as racially diverse as you can possibly be.' So, we started moving in that direction. Many churches say they’re diverse, but really their diversity is a small percentage of their congregation. The fact is, we’re most comfortable with people who look like us, talk like us, and have the same life experiences. But that’s not God’s best for us. The Body of Christ should be as culturally diverse as the earth’s population. So, knowing diversity was our vision, we started setting marks. One intermediate mark was to invite people who might not have otherwise heard about our church to join us. Instead of putting door hangers on the houses in the white suburban neighborhood around our church, we ventured into areas that were different than where we lived. We pressed on with maximum sustainable effort and today, on any given Sunday morning, the diversity of our congregation is wonderfully apparent. Then, we set another mark. We started a Spanish-speaking service so people who didn’t speak English could still feel like they’re a part of our body. Next, we started cultural sensitivity training, a fancy term for sitting down and investing time with people of different cultures to learn how they live and view life. We get together—whites, blacks, Asians, Latinos—all of us, and we talk regularly. It’s continual dialogue, and we’ve begun to see significant change. We’ve had to invest a lot, but it’s the fulfillment of the vision God gave us. Because of our obedience, I believe that corporate anointing will come and destroy a yoke in America that will set us free! It’s Your Turn What is the change God has laid on your heart? What’s your high calling? What part do you have in God’s vision for His Body? Take time today to pray about it. Write down the vision God gives you. Set your marks. Then press on with maximum sustainable effort—no matter what resistance you face. If you’re consistent, you’ll enter into your high calling. And we need that…because as we obey Him together, our whole world will change! V Mac Hammond is senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center, in Brooklyn Park, Minn. For more information go to lwcc.org. Watch Mac on bvovn. ********** ADVERTISEMENT ********** Hear the Word from ministers you can trust! bvovn® BELIEVER’S VOICE OF VICTORY NETWORK REAL. LIFE. FAITH.® Send us your testimonies about how BVOVN has blessed you. KCM.ORG/TESTIFY * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * WATCH ON: dish® CHANNEL 265 apple tv® 4th Generation Roku® bvovn.com YouTube® amazon fire TV ********************************************* BVOV : 11

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