~My Perspective~

I want to enlighten, edify, and utilize this blog for the glory of GOD. JESUS died on a cross so that we may have a chance at eternity. Here you'll find words of inspiration, interviews of pastors, artists, and everyday Christians in general. The purpose of the interviews is to show how GOD is using each willing participant. We are here to serve GOD, so one way is to showcase the works of HIS kingdom. If you'd like to be a participant in sharing how GOD is using you via an interview, to promote your GOD given talents, or just share your testimony, please email me at Calzcorner@gmail.com Thank you for stopping by!







Sunday, June 22, 2014

**The Works of GOD'S Kingdom** ~featuring Pastor Ralph L. Godbee, Jr.~




1. For starters, tell us a little back-story regarding your life as a Christian, and when you initially gave your life to Christ...
  • I was raised in the church. I was baptized at around 7 years of age, at the Leland Missionary Baptist Church by it's then Pastor, the late Rev. Eugene Rhodes. I knew of, and felt the Holy Spirit at a very early age. I always admired preachers. My dad accepted his calling into the ministry in 1977, so I am a “PK” as well.


2. Where is your place of worship located, and if any, which denomination are you affiliated with?
  •  I currently serve as the Senior Pastor of the Inner Court Christian Center located at 4240 E. 11 Mile Rd, in Warren, MI. We are non-denominational; believe that the bible is the infallible word of God authored by God and written by man by way of divine inspiration and authority of the Holy Spirit. We believe in the Trinity; the triune nature of God being God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit.

 
3. As far as baptisms, which formula does your place of worship, utilize? i.e., do you baptize in the name of Jesus? Or the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
  • We baptize in the name of the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. However, I understand that doctrinally some baptize in the name of Jesus only. I personally do not feel that God is going to invalidate anyone's salvation over the different interpretations of doctrine by man regardless of which methodology a Pastor subscribes to.

4. Would you consider your place of worship to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
  • I would absolutely say that our worship experience is Holy Ghost led, ordained, and filled. I do feel we have to be careful though not to always associate "Holy Spirit Filled" with the decibel level of our service. No matter how proficient we are in the outward demonstration of Praise and Worship, only God knows the heart of a person. We must stop these monolithic categorizations of what "Spirit Filled" means, looks like, and sounds like.

5. Explain to us the Godhead...
  • The Godhead is the triune nature of our deity. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Just as we are three parts Mind, body and soul. We are made in God's image and His likeness, which is personified in the personage of Jesus Christ.

6. Tell us three things that you feel will draw more souls to God....
  • There has to be a level of transparency that unfortunately, church leadership is unwilling at times to display. The hypocrisy of "church folks" is not that they do wrong, but it's the pretense of perfection, and the judgment that accompanies it that turns most people away from today’s church. We overcome by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our "testimonies"! People need to hear and know what God has brought you through in order for them to understand that God is capable of delivering them as well, from whatever their particular sin bondage is. 
    -We also need to be more forthright in our asking for money, and what we need to sustain our respective ministries. Salvation is free but administration of the ministry has a cost to facilitate it effectively. We as church leaders must be good stewards over what is entrusted to us by the congregation. Some of the extravagant trappings of some more prominent men and women of God have turned many people away from the church and some see the church as just "another hustle". We have to be mindful of how things "appear" to the world because the word of God instructs us not to let our good be evil spoken of. All things may be lawful for me but not all things are expedient as penned by the Apostle Paul.
   
7. Lastly, on lighter note... Give us a little insight into your favorite Christian music... I am positive the readers will appreciate it...
  • I am a huge fan of a lot of our homegrown gospel artists and I will get myself in trouble if I start naming them because to me Detroit is the proverbial "Mecca" for gospel music and you could fill a 30GB I-Pod on Detroit gospel artists alone. I have to say, however, my musical tastes have expanded greatly in Gospel and Christian music. Lord, I tap danced around that better than the late Sammy Davis, Jr.!!!!  

A special thank you to Pastor Godbee for blessing us with his awesome words of wisdom.           

Thank you for reading!



**Slightly Modified



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