“Better is the end of a thing than its beginning”   - Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV 

Back in April, I announced the establishment of the Excellence In Character Scholarship to recognize a graduating senior in Tarrant County with plans to expand each consecutive year. The intent of the scholarship is to communicate the tangible love of God to the recipient as he or she pursues the destiny God has designed and assigned. My wife and I want to see the next generation positioned for success to attain their destines as we have seen in our adult children. Recently, we had the opportunity to see the fulfillment of the scholarship award. Take Back Ministries first recipient of the Excellence In Character Scholarship was presented and celebrated.
 
From the report of members of the scholarship committee, it was a tough decision making just one selection due to the outstanding applications received for the scholarship.  Thank you to everyone that helped to get the word out to school counselors, families, neighbors, scholarship outlets and the Tarrant County community at large. We could not have done this, without your assistance. Your support is greatly appreciated. The Lord willing, we will do this again next year.
 
Elle Munoz-Diaz is Take Back Ministries 2016 recipient of the Excellence In Character Scholarship. This young lady exemplifies leadership, perseverance, initiation and compassion to serve voluntarily in the community. To stay focused and not give in to despair in the face of hardships is a leadership quality that is only learned in the trenches. Elle did just that and has influenced many people in her network. The youngest of six children, Elle witnessed the passing of her father who was in the care of hospice and several hospitals. With deep grief that she experienced, she persevered and sought for a way to help other families who had loved ones in hospice. Elle began to volunteer at local hospice and other organizations.  In fact, her mother shared that Elle, would ride the train from Fort Worth to Dallas to serve monthly at the Dallas Society of Visual Communications.
 
Elle is a graduate of Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Fort Worth Independent School District, where she graduated with a 4.17 GPA.  This fall, she is heading to Pratt Institute in New York, where she has been accepted as a freshman in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Communication Design. It is with great joy that I present Elle Munoz-Diaz- 2016 recipient of the Excellence In Character Scholarship. We wish her very well and pray open heaven blessings on her and her family as she begins her college journey.  Thank you to our dedicated board members and friends who came out to celebrate Elle. God Bless you!
 
For The Cause of Christ,
 
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti

“He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.”           
    - Micah 6:8 NET
A nation in mourning- the effect is compounding, the heartbreaking tragedy here in Dallas, Louisiana and Minneapolis last week, and the many lives lost in our nation through the years. Last week’s tragedy of our fallen police officers, Alton Sterling and Philander Castile enlightened followers of Christ to the deep problems in our nation. Micah 6:8 has been resonating in my spirit during prayer.  Our nation’s problems, we have ignored for too long as God’s people. It’s time to acknowledge the root causes that we have a racial and policing problem in our nation. These are not problems for polarization, but one that God is calling His beloved Bride to represent Him fully for His glory and for healing to manifest in the hearts of His created beings. Jesus is our only hope, not just here in America but the entire world. He alone can heal hearts and our land.
 
During our monthly prayer gathering for the nation last Saturday after the tragedies, my wife, close friends and I spent some time than usual in deep discussions on policing and race before praying. From diverse perspectives, it was helpful for us to process all that had happened and in unison lead our hearts to our heavenly Father. We felt the powerful presence of God as we soaked our hearts in Him and petitioned (Matthew 18:20).  We are the salt and light of the world. We are Jesus’s hands and feet to every created being in the image of our heavenly Father (Genesis 1: 27). God’s people can no longer overlook the state of our nation. If not God’s people, who else has the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim hope and healing?
 
It’s time for us to put transformational action to our faith for change as God’s people. We must address injustice of any kind to anyone created in God’s image.  We must continue in prayer as stated in 2 Chronicles 7:14 to experience transformational change. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
 
God wants to restore the integrity of His Bride to the world. Above all, God is calling His bride to demonstrate His genuine love to a world that desperately needs Jesus.  If for any reason we have removed our “clothes of love”, it's time to “put them back on” and keep them on till our Lord returns! So dear brothers and sisters, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12).
 
For The Cause of Christ,
 
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
 
 

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow
  the springs of life." - Proverbs 4:23 NASB

This is a continuation to my post from last month. God has been stirring so many things in my spirit about standing in the gap for lost souls. Take any place in the world and you will find there is enough evidence there is a hurting world that desperately need hope, which is found in the person of Jesus Christ. My wife and I hosted 8 young couples about two weeks ago. One major concern they wanted us to address was how we (my wife and I) have succeeded in protecting our hearts in the midst of so much polarity, political upheaval and hate in the world through these years. 
 
Our discussion on how my wife and I keep our hearts free from any form of crud that could block the flow of the anointing on our lives is what I am about to share with you. Jesus never promised a test-free life as His follower (John 16:33).  In fact if you are a follower of Christ, by now you know you are on satan’s watch list. If you are not on his watch list, take some time to find out why. There should be enough evidence that you belong to Jesus. There should not be any relation with the enemy of our souls (1 Peter 5:9).
 
As we celebrate America’s Independence Day, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, let us as followers of Christ consider the governance of our hearts because everything we do in life flows from the heart. The heart must be free from all cruds of unforgiveness, hatred or unbelief in other to live the abundant life.
 
Ephesians 3:14-18 gives us a good description on how to properly govern and experience freedom of heart.  The first two verses talks about our worship to our commander “I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth is named.” To worship God the way He wants to be worshipped demands we continually empty our hearts of any crud (John 2:24).  In worship we give God His worth! The giving of His worth does not change who God is, but it dramatically changes us to be Christ-like. Do this frequently, you become an overflowing vessel for God to work through anytime.
 
Verse sixteen talks about a supernatural exchange of what happens when we give God His worth. Our Source of Life and Energy makes a supernatural deposit into our spirit being and we receive a supernatural strength to do what is impossible in the natural.  “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being.” With God's very own power dwelling in you, there is a richness of His presence that exudes through you.
 
Lastly verses 17-18, talks about the power of God’s love that passes any human understanding. When we first come to Christ, we don’t fully comprehend the depth of God’s love. However, through a consistent relationship, God reveals the depth of His love to us and a transformation takes place that is irreversible. The revelation of His love is what brings complete wholeness. We become restored to our default setting by God. This transformational life carries an unquenchable light that shines brighter day by day (Proverbs 4:18).
 
So, dear brothers and sisters, despite the fall of stock markets, political climate, turmoil, political polarity, hatred, violence and the list goes on and on; be sure to vigorously take charge and govern your own heart from any crud that could block the flow of God’s presence and blessings in your life. This is your freedom of heart! Happy 4th of July!
 
For The Cause of Christ,
 
Dr. Johnson Obamehinti
 
P.S. We have a winner for the Tarrant County Excellence in Character Scholarship Award. Stay tuned for more information on this well deserving high school graduate.