Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges: I found my identity through Christ

The Certain Ones Magazine:  Prophetess share with us information on your upcoming Women’s Jamaican retreat.

Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges:  June 13th-15th 2013, we are going to be in Jamaica to worship and praise God.  I call it worship on the water. We get to worship God in tropical place.  We so often think we can only worship the Lord in a traditional manner, in the four walls of our local church. That’s not true; you can worship and praise God anywhere. I preach in my singles ministry, whether you are married or not I tell them, “Girl you better get a life!” A part of getting a life is getting on a plane, going somewhere you have never been, going somewhere fun and relaxing and enjoying God while you are there.

The Certain Ones Magazine: What advice would you offer young women who desire to one day to get married?
 
Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges: There is nothing wrong with desiring to be married. That is something that singles in the Lord will have, is that desire. I tell people that if they don’t desire marriage, what are they supposed to desire? I minister this a lot; and I would invite you to visit my YouTube page at Youtube.com/TeraCarissaHodges. I have a snippet where I minister the sermon “Come out the cave.” For so many women their life is just work, home, and the grocery store; and they are wondering why they are not being found.

Now God can do anything, He can send your husband to your front door, there is also a huge chance that He is not. Everyone talks a lot about Ruth and Boaz, understand that Ruth left her home Moab and went to a different country called Judah. We are not saying move to Russia or Kenya, He is saying add more to your life to increase your chance to be discovered.

The Certain Ones Magazine: Salvation should not be boring, it should be fun!  Some folks are just too wrapped up in church alone.

Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges: Absolutely! I say this a lot as I minister, that some women just don’t live life. Go to the movies, to the spa, go bowling, and go to 5 stars Restaurant. There is no sin in living; we think if our life is not church then everything else is a sin. That’s not true. I implore people to understand, there is so much more to you than what you’ve done. There is a big world out there.  Take some cooking classes, go the museum, and art gallery. It is a whole life out there that awaits you.

The Certain Ones Magazine: How do you differentiate the woman and the prophetess and your ministry?

Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges: I found my identity through Christ. Through personal prayer, worship, Bible study, and conversation with the Lord.  I implore people all the time to build their relationship with God; because that is how you’re going to find out who you are – and why He designed you the way that you are.  When I say that, I mean that it’s not by happenstance you have the parents you have and that you had the life experience that you had.

I know it might feel like someone else is in control of your life but you have to understand that God is all knowing and there are something’s that He allowed because it was tied to your spiritual DNA, who He was fashioning you to be because it was linked to your ultimate purpose and destiny.
When I started out in ministry I confessed to God, that I am human.  One thing that God told me was “Do not allow the people to make you an idol.”  So for those who follow me on twitter understand that I just don’t teach scriptures only. I tweet that I am getting my hair done or I am at the Atlanta Hawks Game.  I am not going to allow people NOT to let me be human.

People fall because they act so different from others, we all have a call, and my call may be different. God doesn’t just expect holiness from the leaders but from the saints as well.  I surround myself with people who don’t pull on my gifts. I have some pretty strict perimeters that I don’t allow people to cross.

The Certain Ones Magazine: Congratulation on your article in Essence Magazine!

Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges:  Thank you very much! Sophia Nelson, the author of that piece reached out to me because of this phenomenon taking place in the body of Christ right now: which are single women wanting to marry Pastors.  They want to marry Pastors because they are seeing the glitz and the glamor of “being the first lady”, but don’t understand that what it takes to walk in that position. I tell women, you don’t want a man with a title, you want a peaceful marriage.

Just because a man has a title, that doesn’t mean that’s who he is, when he is not functioning in that title or office on Sunday.  I tell women to build their own life, so you are not looking for a man to give you a life. When you can take your own self on a shopping spree, and driving a nice car because God has blessed the fruits of your hands, when you can take yourself out to a 5 star restaurant, so that when a man comes along; who can or cannot do that for you, you’re not easily moved.  Because you are not checking him out for what he is driving, but what is driving him and that is his character, which is the most important. Everyone can have a great life if they put their trust in the Lord, and not running behind a man.

The Certain Ones Magazine:  One of the most key issues that women has a problem with is time tables. The waiting process can play havoc on the emotions on many of women. They are advancing in age; their biological clocks become overwhelmingly loud.  So, now their want has become greater than their need. In the middle of this all is the lack of identity. They don’t know who they are and often times seek validation in the arms of a man.

Prophetess Tera Carissa Hodges:  I would reminder women that your husband is designed mate is design to be that your mate and not you’re God. You should have an identity before you get married. Your purpose and life should be figured out. A marriage is not a rescue. Too many people are looking for a rescue not a relationship. You have the power to work on your own life.

How can a woman know if he is the one?  Well number one is he pursuing you?  In the Bible (Genesis 2:23) it was Adam who made the declaration “”This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” What kind of declaration is he making over you?  Because a man who is in love with you, who is ready for you, and is ready to be your husband, he will make a declaration over you; without you having to prompt him to do so. Boaz was the one who inquired after Ruth immediately “Who is she? Who does she come from?” He began to make provisions for her, leaving extra for her in the field as she was gleaning.

When a man loves a woman, he protects her; number two what provisions has he set up for you? What safety net has he put over you?   So often women get caught up in the fantasy and illusions they’ve created in their own minds.  The Bible says to cast down all imaginations that exalt itself against the knowledge of God.  Part of the knowledge of God has it relates to marriage is that you don’t get all these spiritual confirmation without some natural affirmation. Because marriage although it is heavenly designed is an earthly institution that has to walked out in the earth realm.

Tera Carissa – Relationships

                            

Marcus D. Wiley “aka” Bishop Secular is a G For Jesus

 

The Certain Ones Magazine:  It is a unique  dichotomy so I have to ask you this burning question. Some may not know that you”re also a college professor at Texas Southern University.  How did you come to be one of the co- hosts on the phenomenal Yolanda Adams Morning Radio Show?
Marcus D. Wiley: Well um, she owed me some money! Just kidding.  I got hooked up with Yolanda actually, as she was being honored at show here in Houston; in which I was hosting. I had no idea at the time the morning show was looking for a comedian for her radio show. They had one, but something happened. So, they were searching, she remembered me. I at the time had no idea she had a show.  I auditioned for three straight days and I eventually got the job.

The Certain Ones Magazine: How did your alter-ego “Bishop Secular” come to life?

Bishop Secular “He’s a G for Jesus”

Marcus D. Wiley: Growing up a preacher’s kid, I never aspired to be a preacher.  My dad, grandfather, and great grandfather, were preachers. To me traditional preachers didn’t look happy. They didn’t have the perks that they have today.  These new Pastors today, — they’ve got it going on! Things have changed, there’s no knock on it.

Bishop Secular came from that, it’s the new look in the church. Secular is not a bad word, it means not sacred. There are sacred people who do a lot of non-sacred things. Pastors are good looking, are looking good, and they are looking like entertainers.

The Certain Ones Magazine: Standup comedy you are good at that and we definitely appreciate your 
clean dialogue.

Marcus D. Wiley: I can do stand up at a church or club, sometimes it is better when I do it at a club. When I come up behind someone who has been cussing, with my clean presentation, I get the response “Man, you don’t cuss?” It has a stronger effect. Some people just grow up in a cussing household; I grew up in one too. I was just blessed to be able to change.

The Certain Ones Magazine: What’s on the horizon for you?

Marcus D. Wiley:  We are looking over television scripts; we think we are ready now.  There is a book hopefully coming soon titled, “Haven’t had a bad day yet.” It is basically writing itself.  This is what we are working on. We just want to be successful, whatever that is.

 

Marcus D. Wiley alter-ego Bishop Secular!

                                      

Gospel Recording Artist Pastor Beverly Crawford

Gospel singer, Beverly Crawford is co-Pastor with her Husband, Todd Crawford of Gainesville Family Worship Center in Gainesville, Florida.

The Certain Ones Magazine: Your women’s conference is five year strong, congratulations! How did Calling All Women 911 come to fruition?

Pastor Beverly Crawford: Right now the Lord has blessed us with five years. In January we started our church seven years ago. And the Lord told me to start a Women’s conference. I was like ‘Lord wait a minute you want me to start an annual women’s conference and we are starting a church?  God said “yes, because women all over the country will have an opportunity for this call of fellowship time.”The Lord told me to name the conference Calling All Women 911,  to come together no matter what color you are, where you live, or what car you drive in.  It’s about healing. God wanted me to be the first speaker to open up the conference, He had given me a sermon titled “In the waiting room”.

Here is an analogy. While waiting to be seen at the hospital, it seems like everyone name is being called except your name, you forget there are other people in the waiting room who are hurting also. The question is: what do you do while you are waiting? Stop complaining and start praying. I am excited about what God is doing; in this conference, we have it every year in the month of September.

The Certain Ones Magazine: How did you morph from singing on The Bobby Jones Gospel Show to where you are today?

Pastor Beverly Crawford: My husband Todd Crawford, I was in a group with my sisters, we would perform in surrounding areas.  One day we performed at a small church and someone had filmed it. They gave a copy of the VHS tape to my husband, who then made several copies of it, after sending it out to several radio shows, it was a year later Dr. Bobby Jones (who was the only one)  responded back to us.  He requested that I  along with my sisters and brothers come to Nashville.  We did the Gospel explosion showcase, Dr. Bobby Jone at the time, was looking for a singer for New Life; I went that year and ended up staying for six years. Through that the doors were opened up at Warner Brothers Records.

I then moved to Nashville for almost eight years, when that door closed, the Lord told me to move to Dallas. Once their I connected with Bishop T.D  Jakes, and signed under his Dexterity Record Company, I did two albums with him, — then I signed with JDI Record Company out of California. I then moved from Dallas to Florida to help my father out with the ministry.  I thought my career was over! It was so hard, that was a hard period of transitioning for us. But God provided. And this is where we are today.

The Certain Ones Magazine:  You’ve mentioned earlier about waiting  for the appointed time to be seen. What would you say to someone who is, as you stated “In the waiting room.”

Pastor Beverly Crawford: Don’t give up, while you are in the waiting room, make sure you are in the right place; so when your opportunity comes, you will bloom.  Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like you are in the right place. Your blessings are in the right location, you just got to get there to get it. Keep praying and believing. What I went through, I now have a peace.  The baby is coming, because your water has broken!



                                      

J Moss talks IMMA Do It!

 

The Certain Ones: J. Moss, please tell us about your album V4…The Other Side. Imma Do It! Is my favorite track, tell us about how that song come to fruition.

J Moss: PJAM always trying to do things!  It’s just us. We like to bang. Keep it street.  There are a lot of albums people put out in my genre and it sounds the same, and PJAM doesn’t like to do that. I think there needs to be more versatility on the radio and in live concerts. We want to give our young people alternatives, so they won’t allow other stuff into their spirit. We give them that rumble or beat that they need and at the same time, giving them a pure message.

The Certain Ones:  Did you do all the vocals on your album?

J. Moss: PJAM and I produce them together… me and Paul Allen. We produce ideas and concepts
together, and “Imma Do It!”,  Is a product of our coming together. We have been doing it together for over twenty years. We wanted to bring one out for the streets.

The Certain Ones: You certainly did put the fire to this album. It is motivational and galvanizing. It also good to listen to when participating in Zumba classes!  Where can we purchase our very own copies?

J Moss:  Thank you very much!  The ringtone to the song “Good Day” is on ITunes and Ringtones. These are good witnessing tunes. It is a perfect opportunity to witness to somebody.  It is about spreading the word, getting people to heaven.