Grace & peace to the Rhema Family,

Our God has released us into The Year of Prosperity. Declare with me that there is nothing missing, nothing lacking and certainly nothing broken in your life!

As we make our exodus out of February, the month of fasting and into the month of March; the Lord has placed His word before us as a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway. Yes, March is Word Month and as such our ministry focus will be on a deeper desire for and a greater grasp of the Word of the Lord. I find it interesting that we are entering a month that is called March, and as we seek to move forward our marching orders must come from the Master’s Mouth --- His Word.

Here are three simple reasons why the Word of God is so important to and in the life of the believer.

God’s Word is the source of all things:

We are told that “In the beginning was the Word. . . and all things were made by the Word.” (John 1:1-3). In the Book of the Genesis of all things, when nothing existed, God through the power of His Word brought everything out of nothing. He simply “spoke and it was done” (Psalm 33:9). God’s Word is the prime mover and shaper of all things--- Let the Word be the first and foremost thing in your life today.

God’s Word is the sustainer of all things:

The Word of God has cosmological significance. It is the Word which sustains and upholds all of creation. This is referred to as the Word of His power, (Hebrews 1:3). The world in which you and I are living is kept and carried forth by the “breath of God’s mouth.” No wonder the Word of God is referred to as the Bread of Life. Your prayer this month must be “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11)

God’s Word is the success factor in all things:

When and only when believers delight themselves in the Word of the Lord is prosperity and good success promised, (Joshua 1:8). All that you and I will ever need for our ultimate prosperity has been placed within God’s Word. Your task is to remain consistent in the study of; the searching out and the seeking after God’s Word, (Psalm 119).

As we shed the cold of winter and prepare to be renewed by the warm winds of spring, let us also renew our commitment to the Word of God. This month I want you to give attention to the reading of His Word; to meditating upon His Word and ultimately to speaking His Word in every area of your life. Eat the little scroll and find good success!

Shalom and agape (grace and peace),
Pastor Orim M. Meikle

Dear Kingdom Citizen,

As I considered the Editor’s message for this edition, arriving at the decision to focus on obedience, the truth of which remains tangled in a network of negative associations was not a difficult one. After all, obedience, or the lack thereof, frequently gives pause for thought as the root cause of many ills that affect us daily.

Today’s culture meets the prospect of obedience and submission to authority with indignation; violently railing against it as an affront to personal freedom – the freedom to do what is right and true according to individual perception. As it turns out, the irony is that rather than detract from freedom, obedience makes it accessible. By removing entanglements which keep us from living inside of God’s will for our lives, its defining influence on character, personality, thought and then choices paradoxically result in the autonomy we seek – the autonomy that comes from the assuredness of walking in kingship.

When the Commander of the army of the Lord told Joshua, to take off his sandal, even though the man was a stranger, that’s all Joshua needed to hear in order to obey (Joshua 5:15). I tend to think that his ability to discern was important in this moment and came as a result of the faithful obedience he had always exemplified. As a result of his example, people prospered and obtained their rightful inheritance.

The duty of each kingdom citizen is to reclaim the promises of God and our rightful inheritance. This is not only for individual gain but as an example for the world to follow that they also may obtain theirs. When you come to understand the power of words it will be apparent that our responsibility is to seriously consider which words we reject and accept as having validity; Let us begin with the reclamation of obedience.

Jacqueline Evans

Chris Penrose

It was a night of powerful praise and worship when the house of Rhema was filled to capacity for the live recording of The Experience. Led by Rhema’s Chief Levite, Pastor Richard Brown and by Ms. Londa Larmond, one can feel the anointing on the recordings' many voices and rich instrumentation.

Pastor Brown recalls that night as being special, but sees the album as “a manifestation of what happens at Rhema at any given service”. While this standard of excellence may be business as usual for Rhema’s praise team, people across the continent have already taken notice. Pastor Brown has received inquiries about songs on the album from Colorado and Palm Beach, while Londa has received requests to write songs for others in the industry based on her penning of “A Wealthy Place”.

It is not just “A Wealthy Place” that is scripted within the house. Londa’s tone is thankful while explaining that every song on the album was written by Rhema members, adding, “I am glad that Rhema wrote the songs. We didn’t have to solicit songs from anyone. Our own people came with the anointing and came with powerful songs”.

The album itself is made up of twelve original songs, and is opened with a benediction from Pastor Orim M. Meikle. While this album is an international launching pad for the music ministry in the house, it is also the first step of a partnership with the recently formed Gen-re Records.

Label President Donald McLeod, recognizes the important role that Rhema’s infrastructure has lent to the project, which has already sold 3000 copies in pre-orders. What is important to note is, that figure represents an important milestone. "The Experience" is one of the most successful gospel albums, released nationally or internationally, to be sold in Canada.

Seeking to transform how gospel music is released, Donald adds that, “With Gen-re, we are trying to make sure that what we are offering is intellectual as well. Come with an intelligent word, or don’t come at all”.

On Saturday, March 4th, 7:30 PM at Rhema Christian Center, Pastor Orim M. Meikle and Gen-re present The Experience Album Release Concert. Tickets are $20 and include a free copy of the album. In the words of Pastor Brown, this night, like the album, “will have you on your knees in prayer as well as on your feet dancing”.

Opal Berry-Veira

2006 declared the "Year of Prosperity" and February, the month of fasting at Rhema. At a time of cleansing and seeking new direction from the Lord, what great power and authority we have to change the atmosphere in our lives, families, communities and our nation.

At this juncture I would like to share my testimony with you. At birth I was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia, today considered by science to be an incurable disease. My parents were told by the doctors I would not live to see the rest of my childhood years and they appeared to be right. Why? Because death paid me a visit.

One Sunday morning while getting ready for church, I found myself in excruciating pain, I felt my body growing cold, I was told that I had died for about four minutes. I was also told that my father immediately cried out to God for my life and God answered that prayer.

My family never stopped believing for my healing though. As time went on, we were invited to a healing crusade in Toronto. The bible says that ". . .if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt. 17:20) It has been 30 years, a marriage and a child later and I am still alive, well and healed.

To those seeking God’s healing in your lives, keep believing and trusting in Him. Tell him everything that troubles you about your faith in believing Him. He is a faithful and loving God who answers prayers. He will show you his plan and purpose in life for all you endure! It is your season of power, and prosperity. Are you ready?

Chris Penrose

On Sunday, February 5th, those attending the 8:30 AM service were surprised to find Minister Jaime Carrington preparing to deliver that morning’s word. The sermon, titled “Eagle Wings” was a motivational message embodying much of what Minister Carrington stands for in ministry: passion, practicality, empowerment.

As a minister at Rhema, and part of the Presbytery, Jamie serves as team leader over all of the ministerial staff under the leadership of Chief Elder Okechukwu Ononiwu. Now over ten years into serving in ministry, Jaime has had a wide range of experience preaching at various churches, conferences and retreats.

Having come to Canada from Point Fortin in Trinidad at the age of ten, her Catholic background had little influence on her first few years in Canada. Jaime recalls some major changes in the direction of her life taking place at the age of fourteen when she found herself under the influence of friends going in two very different directions.

'A girl at school invited me to her church. I liked the praise and worship church, so I started going with with her. At the same time I started seeing other friends that didn’t necessarily go to church. I was going to parties – drinking and smoking, and the like.'

The tipping point came when she was fourteen. 'We participated in a youth retreat and I was asked if I wanted to be saved. I didn’t know what that meant so I asked them. They said giving your life to the Lord I said of course, I’d love to do that.'

Jaime says of that time that, “I started doing both and I didn’t realize that they were conflicting”, adding, “I’d be at a party Saturday night then I’d wake up the next day at be at church”.

The tipping point came when she was fourteen. “We went on a youth retreat and I was asked if I wanted to be saved. I didn’t know what that meant so I asked them. They said ‘giving your life to the Lord’ and I said ‘of course, I’d love to do that’."

While changes were happening in her life, Jaime tells of a moment of clarity: “I was at a party in 1996 and my eyes just opened. I went to a lot of reggae parties, but this time I looked around; I heard the voice of God just say to me that I didn’t belong there anymore. I was convicted in that moment and I had to leave”.

By the age of sixteen, she had joined a choir called Faith Outreach which she says catapulted her growth.

The exhortation and singing then moved to preaching, and the preaching expanded into a focused ministry: “I call it Pursuing Purpose”.

Jaime explains the root of this theme, “I remember the people in my life that impacted me in a major way. I call them course-changers. I always wanted to be that in the lives of people as God would allow me; to be able to speak such a word that would direct them in the right path, keep them moving toward their destiny and lead them to their purpose which is to simply to live their life and give glory to God”.

While you may see Jaime, praying and praising in the congregation, she is just as at home on the pulpit. Yet even when delivering the message, Jamie explains, “I really sit with the congregants. When I listen it’s amazing to me; I’m not preaching at people, I am receiving whatever God has for me to say. It’s me being ministered to as well”.

In addition to her role at Rhema, Jamie is also a Program Clerk at the York Detention Centre, which she describes as a life changing experience. “Sometimes we can be so sheltered in the church that we forget that there is a real world with real stories. These kids have gone through a lot of trauma and things that would blow our minds”.

Having worked extensively with youth in and out of church, Jaime adds that, "A lot of the kids have issues that we don’t realize they are dealing with in the church. It might be a little more quiet, but they are dealing with some real things. We have a responsibility to not be so sheltered at church."

Speaking of her home church, affection rises in her tone. “I love Rhema because we are so 21st century. We are seeking to make change governmentally and city-wide. It’s very rare and refreshing to see a church stepping into the role that churches should be in – the light of the world”.

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