Understanding the Ways of God

By Reverend Lelia Burgess

Reverend Lelia Burgess is an Associate Minister of the Galilee Baptist Church located in Suitland, MD, and Washington, DC, one church with two locations where the Reverend Dr. Lloyd T. McGriff is the senior pastor. Accepting her call to ministry, she preached her first public message in June 1992, and subsequently was licensed as an evangelist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Black Lacquer Press & Marketing Inc.
• Release date: Oct 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948288613

Reverend Lelia Burgess

Reverend Lelia Burgess is an Associate Minister of the Galilee Baptist Church located in Suitland, MD, and Washington, DC, one church with two locations where the Reverend Dr. Lloyd T. McGriff is the senior pastor. Accepting her call to ministry, she preached her first public message in June 1992, and subsequently was licensed as an evangelist. Reverend Burgess was licensed as a Minister of the Gospel in December 1993,  and ordained as a Reverend to the ministry in October 1998 by the former pastor of Galilee, the late Reverend Dr. Eugene Weathers. At present, Reverend Burgess serves on the Ministerial Team, the Director of the Nursing Home and Shelter Ministry, a team member of the Prayer Team Ministry, the Evangelism Team Ministry, and the Pastoral Care Ministry for the Sick and Shut-in at Galilee Baptist Church, and a Hospice volunteer. In addition, Reverend Burgess has served as the Chairperson of the Membership Ministry for eighteen years, as a Deaconess on the Deaconess Ministry for twelve years, as a Sunday School Teacher for 10 years, a member of the Woman Ministry and as a member of the E. W. Chorale for sixteen years. Born and raised in School Neck, North Carolina, Reverend Burgess moved to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area after graduating from high school to pursue an education in business. She completed ministry training in the Elijah Academy of Galilee Baptist Church, being taught by the late Reverend Dr. Eugene Weathers, founder and instructor. Reverend Burgess is a retiree from the federal government after 33 ½ years of dedicated service. She is pursuing the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biblical Studies with a concentration in Pastoral Ministry. Reverend Burgess is also the author of two other books, “Understanding the Word of God” and “Annointed for Success”. An anointed and spirit-filled woman of God, Reverend Burgess has preached at numerous churches in the metropolitan area. She preached the Word of God for four years every Sunday on WOL 1450 AM radio station and Heaven 1580 AM radio station. She has preached on the radio in Atlanta, GA, New York City, NY, Her International Radio Broadcasting Ministry has been aired in all of Africa, North America, South America, Central America, all the Caribbean Islands, and the Middle East. She has a passion for winning souls for God’s Kingdom and has a love for all people. She understands and believes that “man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Luke 4:4). Reverend Burgess is exited to have the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus wherever and whenever God provides the opportunity. She is married to Deacon Levine Burgess and they have three daughters, LaTonya, Lolita, and Lakesha and four grandchildren, two granddaughters: Kiara, and Simone and two grandsons: Chris, and Che.

Book preview

Copyright © 2004, 2018 by Lelia Burgess.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the author’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

All scripture quotations are paraphrased from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Registration number: TXU1-172-657

Published in the United States of America.

Black Lacquer Press & Marketing Inc.

3225 McLeod Drive

Suite 100

Las Vegas, Nevada 89121

USA

www.blacklacquerpress.net

Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the address above.

Contents

Foreword

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Creation

Chapter 2: God’s Covenant with Man

Chapter 3: The Old Testament for Modern Day Christianity

Chapter 4: Salvation: What You Must Do To Be Saved

Chapter 5: Are You a Disciple?

Chapter 6: On Line with Jesus

Chapter 7: The Ministry of Love

Foreword

This book expounds upon the Word of God and how it is applicable to life, from understanding the creation to being connected with Jesus Christ. Probing questions are raised so that readers might examine themselves. After reading this book, one should develop a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In other words, readers should come away with a greater understanding of their missions and how they fit into the Kingdom. The author shares insights on how to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ. The author reiterates the Word of God as being the final authority and that by applying its wisdom and following God’s commandments, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ day by day. Studying the Word of God is the key element. Truly, the Word of God is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).

I wish to commend Rev. Lelia Burgess for taking the oral to the written.

Because of Calvary, I am,

Rev. Dr. Lloyd T. McGriff

Pastor, Galilee Baptist Church

Dedication

First, I want to dedicate this book to God, my Father; to Jesus, my Savior, Lord, and Soon-Coming King; and, to the Holy Spirit, who endowed me with the power of the anointing to write this book for such a time as this. I also want to dedicate this book to the memories of my father, the late Mr. William T. Dempsey, and of my mother, the late Mrs. Maggie Dempsey, both of whom loved me and were always there for me. They were the best parents anyone ever could have hoped for. I thank God for them because they did not spare the rod and spoil the child. They loved me and corrected me every time I needed it and I am very thankful for that. I also want to dedicate this book to the former Pastor of Galilee Baptist Church, the late Rev. Dr. Eugene Weathers, who took time out from his busy schedule to pour into my life with his many encouraging words and who taught me how to handle skillfully the Word of God. I was birthed into the preaching ministry under his leadership. He was a kind-hearted and gentle man who made a difference in the lives of the countless persons he touched. He left a legacy that can never be forgotten by those of us who had the opportunity to be taught and ministered to by him. He made every member of his church feel special and important with his unique way of remembering their names even though there were more than 10,000 members in the congregation. He was so special because of the love he had for others. He was always willing to see the good in others and not beat them down with cruel words. He was truly a man of God who loved people unconditionally. Rev. Weathers was not just our pastor; he was also our dear friend whom we loved very much. He was one of a kind and will always have a place in the hearts and memories of my family. I considered it a privilege and honor to have sat at his feet to gain knowledge and insight into God’s Holy Word.

This book is also dedicated to my current Pastor, the esteemed Rev. Dr. Lloyd T. McGriff, and his wife, Monica. They are truly blessings to their congregation. I am thankful for Pastor McGriff’s leadership and encouraging words that inspired me to continue my education in Bible College and Seminary. I pray that God will bless them with a hundred-fold blessing for their love and kindness to us. To my Galilee Baptist Church family, my Maple Springs

Baptist Bible College and Seminary family, my extended family, and friends, this book is dedicated to them as well.

I also would like to dedicate this book to my three beautiful daughters: LaTonya, Lakesha, and Lolita; to Lolita’s husband, Chris, and their three children (Kiara, Simone, and Little Chris, my precious grandchildren). Finally, but not least, I would like to dedicate this book to the love of my life—my best friend in the whole world, my confidant, the priest of our home—my husband, Deacon Levine Burgess, who has been the wind beneath my wings for thirty-two years. Thank you, Levine, for your gentle, loving, meek, and kind spirit. Thank you for all the support you have given me and for being so understanding while I was wrking on this book. I thank God for bringing us together and for making us one in the Spirit, not only with each other but also with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Ghost.

Introduction

The purpose of this book is to help readers understand the ways of God. I honestly believe that in order to understand the ways of God, it is important to understand the written Word of God. Understanding the written Word of God is contingent upon having accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is what Christians mean by being saved or born again. At the moment of salvation, believers receive new, yielded hearts, and the Holy Spirit indwells them and begins to work out their souls’ salvation. Unbelievers (or the unsaved), on the other hand, have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and still have old, hard, unyielded hearts. Such persons cannot understand spiritual things because they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit Who discerns spiritual things. As true believers of Jesus Christ, we have been given wisdom from the Holy Spirit to understand the ways of God:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But He that is spiritual judges all things, yet He Himself is judged of no man. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he might instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).

Spirit-filled persons have been exposed to God’s revelation and can discern earthly and spiritual things. When the Word of God is preached, what is