Inspirational Capsule #6

May 6th, 2011

UFBL’s sixth statement of faith

WE believe, with Jesus, that the basis for right thinking is LOVE – love of God and all that is good in our fellowmen and ourselves.

 Article 6:  Love Harmonizes

It is a generally accepted belief that of all our spiritual gifts, Love is the greatest.  The apostle Paul, in his treatise on Love in 1 Corinthians: 13, compared Love to two other spiritual gifts; Faith and Hope.  He chose Love as the greatest, since without Love all our deeds are like salt that has lost its savour; of little or no value.

 Our Way-Shower, Jesus, condensed the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, given to Moses in the Old Testament, into two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).  We are commanded to love God and to love our fellowmen as ourselves.  This is the basis for living the righteous life. When we let love be the prime motivator in our life and affairs, we reap untold blessings, spiritual as well as personal.

 New Thought philosophy teaches that our thoughts create our experiences.  What greater quality can we add to our thought- process than Love?  If you spend some quiet time pondering this question, you would conclude that Love is the essential ingredient in achieving health, happiness and prosperity.  Love, as the basis of our thoughts, will ensure that our words are positive, pleasant and productive.  Love, as the basis of our thoughts, will ensure that our feelings are positive, joyous and uplifted.  Love, as the basis of our thoughts, will ensure that our actions are positive, kind and beneficial.  Love, as the basis of our thoughts, will ensure that our reactions are positive, supportive and harmonious.  Can you see what a wonderful effect would be created in our world if we were all motivated by love in all aspects of our lives!  We would have to describe such an effect as tsunami-like, not just a ripple!  But we must not feel overwhelmed by such a commission.  If we add a little love in our everyday affairs, together we will create a more loving and unified world, one household, one community, one nation at a time.

 Contributor: Janice Thomas

Affirmation:  I let my Love shine through my thoughts, feelings, words, actions and reactions.  I let all that I think, feel, say and do reflect the love of God onto all who are a part of my world.

Bible Corner:  “These things I command you, that ye love one another”. John 15: 17

                          “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”.

 Luke 10: 27  KJV

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ICIT’s 8th Annual Retreat

April 15th, 2011

They came for answers concerning their relationships and everyone of them left with something to work on regarding their relationships. All seventy five attendees reported that they spent a wonderful and inspiring day at ICIT’s 8th annual retreat at Green Meadows in Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago, on the 30th March 2011.

“It is is getting better each year.”   “The speaker was so powerful, she spoke directly to me.”   “I have to agree with the speaker, Sampson and Delilah lives inside of me. I have got to flush them out.”  “I enjoyed the meditations and the alone time. I spent the time connecting with the trees and the beauty around me.” These are some of the comments that the participants left on their evaluation sheets.

This year we began our Love Journey trilogy, part one; a three part series on relationships. Our speaker was Rev. Dr Sheila McKeithen, senior minister of the Universal Centre of Truth in Jamaica. She led us through three eye opening topics: ‘Sampson and Delilah are not dead,’  ‘Are you in a relationship that binds you or frees you?’  and ‘Outrageous Love’. We were well fed spiritually, she really touched us in the right spot; in our minds and hearts.

What a day! A day of  laughing, crying, discussing, questioning, singing, resting, meditating and even dancing.  We are certainly looking forward to Part 2 of this relationship trilogy next year, same date, same place.

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Inspirational Capsule # 5

October 11th, 2009

UFBL’s Fifth Statement of Faith

We believe that learning to listen to the whisperings of the ‘still small voice’ within us will ensure that we are guided into right action.

Article # 5: Be still and know

Shhh! Quiet your mind and listen. Listen as the voice of Spirit speaks to you from inside you. It is only when the mind is still that it can receive messages or ideas from the Spirit. Just as Elijah had the profound revelation that God was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in a still small voice, so too you will receive your revelation.

Recently as I was walking through a mall I distinctly heard the still small voice instructing me to start affirming the truth about myself. I immediately responded by saying some of my favourite affirmations and declaring my oneness with God. At once there was a new spring in my step as my body became more erect and my stride more purposeful. Suddenly I heard a commotion behind me but paid little heed until a young man bolted past me with something in his hand. It was then I recognized that the person walking just behind me had been the victim of an armed robbery as he exited the bank. Once again I heard the still small voice whispering to me in reassurance ‘a thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand but it shall not come near you.’

Learning to listen is not the same as hearing; when we really learn to listen we automatically obey. Learn to listen through disciplined practice. Like Jesus it may be necessary to go apart awhile, away from loud noises and yes even from loud people! Shut the door on those tumultuous thoughts and emotions. As a matter of fact command them to be still by speaking the words: ‘Peace, be still!’ You are then ready to connect with the presence of God within which will guide you unfailingly into paths of pleasantness and peace. Just obey the promptings of Spirit – no resistance! When you maintain a consciousness of the omnipresence of God and you listen to and follow the inner guidance you give off higher vibrations which repel negativity and attract good, positive experiences. Are you listening?

Affirmative Prayer

Speak, Lord, I am listening. In the stillness I hear your voice clearly and I know what to do and I do it. I am assured that you are always with me, leading me to my highest good. I know that I am always divinely guided and divinely protected. I know I will always take the right turn in the road. Thank you God. And so it is.   

Bible corner: I Kings 19: 11-12 (NKJV)

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Carol Joseph

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Stop the abuse please.

October 11th, 2009

This week I have had to counsel too many people on how to come out of an abusive relationship. To all those who have given up their lives to another, allowing them to take away the free choice God has given you, please wake up and know that no man, woman, boss, child or parent is the source of your supply. God is your only source of supply and God’s Spirit dwells in you. Do not feel that you have to depend on them for anything. Of course you can live your life without them. With God in you, you have the wisdom and strength to get out; with God in you, you have complete power over your life. Others have made it out of lack and limitation and so can you.

To all people who have forgotten that slavery is abolished. Let me remind you that

1. To enslave another is to enslave yourself because you have to stay near to the cell to watch over the prisoner/slave.

2. When you abuse someone you are committing murder. You are killing that person’s spirit, soul/mind and will, causing them to die to their true powerful self. Matt.10:28 Jesus said “Fear not those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul/mind; but rather fear him who can destroy both soul/mind and body in hell.”

3. When you abuse someone you deprive yourself from getting the best of that person. They conform and comply our of fear. Wouldn’t you feel more loved if they did the same things and more on their own? Besides, after squeezing the life, individuality and joy out of them, you are left with a zombie, a mere shell, a living dead.

4. As abuser you are living a life of fear just like your victims.

  • You are afraid they will not love you so you force them to love you.
  • You are afraid that they will leave your life, so you hold them captive.
  • You are afraid that they will hurt you and redicule you, so you do it to them first.
  • You are afraid that if you reveal your true feelings the fears, hurts and joys you will be so vulnerable that you will be taken advantage of so you become the advantager.
  • You are afraid that your love partners will not love you, for who you are and love you enough to want to have sex with you so you take it by force.
  • You are afraid that you are not good enough, bright enough, good looking enough, rich enough, healthy enough, fair enough, educated enough etc. so to make yourself feel good about yourself you have to put down those, who in your opinion, are better than you or have the potential to be.
  • You are afraid that if you allow your partner to succeed at work or a personal project that means that they are better than you, so you prevent them from a life of service and creativity.
  • And finally you are afraid that your friends and work colleagues will find out that you are an abuser, so you are always acting when in public.  

Can’t you see, you are living a life of fear instead of love and trust? How stressfull! You cannot force someone to love you. You can get all that you want and more from the same person by pouring out the love that dwells inside of you. Try it, practice it and it must come back to you. In you is the beautiful individualized Spirit of God waiting to express Itself as you. It is waiting for you to turn within and draw from that well of divine qualities that cannot ever be depleted. To all abusers please turn within and stop looking for what you want outside of yourself.

I pray for the abuser and the abused. The Spirit of God is now freeing your mind from the bondage of negative and erroneous thoughts and fears and frees you to be the loving, wise and powerful spirit that you were created to be. Stand up and claim your freedom. AMEN!

Rev. Cheryl Hernandez

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ADVENTURE IN FAITH 2009

August 6th, 2009

Rev. Cheryl and Neale Donald Walch in TrinidadHOW STRONG IS YOUR FAITH?

Do you trust God even when He tells you to take what seems to be a risky step?  How do you know when God is talking to you? If there were a way that you could learn to discern  and identify the voice of God talking to you , would you be interested in learning how to identify it?

Well ICIT has good news for you. All you have to do is join us, as we take our annual Adventure In Faith Series. On this journey we work on developing our Faith in seven key areas of our lives;  Spiritual, Mental/ Emotional, Social, Physical, Relational, Vocational and Financial.

In this series we challenge you to work on an area of your life where you have been afraid to take a risk. If you know in your gut that you should leave your job and start your business, this adventure in Faith will help you make the leap of faith. If you have been hesitating to make a particular move in a relationship, we urge you to take the adventure and see where God leads you. If you have been living your life for others and not for yourself, we invite you to let this adventure free you.

If you decide to take this journey then there are four things that you must put in your napsack. 1. Your bible  2. The text for study, i.e. Conversations With God Part 1 by Neale Donald Walsch  3. A journal   4. Your workbook

This eight week series begins on September 6 th and continues every Sunday till October 25 th.  You can also join our worshop sessions on Wednesdays from September 9th to October 28th.  Here you will get a chance to work  on your own personal issues with guidance from the bible, the text and from Rev. Cheryl Hernandez.

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