[find the full message on the Second Baptist Church of Washington Facebook page found at this link.]

Be still and know that I am God. 
We find the overflow of GOD’s HOLY GHOST POWER in the stillness.

Psalm 46 1-7, 10-11
God is our refuge and strength,
A[a] very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the [b]midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the [c]tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be [d]moved;
God shall help her, just [e]at the break of dawn.
6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

10 Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

AN AKA AT DELTA HEADQUARTERS
For about 3 years, starting in 2019, I took a position as trademark counsel for a national sorority headquartered in Washington DC.  Interestingly enough I did not work for my sorority, AKA Sorority Inc. Instead I worked for the other organization- you know the one, our sisters in crimson and cream.  I survived . One of my fondest memories from that time centered around one of the Howard law school interns that I recruited.  She was going through a rough period. She was ill and the doctors could not figure out the cause. She was dealing with a difficult relationship with a boyfriend. And she was juggling her internship and law school.

One day, she asked to speak with me, she wanted some encouragement and prayer. 

Before we got into the full conversation, I asked her to tell me about the God she serves.

And she proceeded to tell me about how her God – which was my GOD!- the ONE who delivered her from a variety of bad situations. She recounted how she had been healed in the past, how she had passed her LSAT and was doing well in school. How she got this internship and had her own place.

HER COUNTENANCE SHIFTS
Before long and before I had opportunity to say anything, her countenance began to shift.

WHY? she took a minute in the midst of her melancholy to reflect on the goodness of the LORD. 

When you PAUSE and you remember, what God has done, all of His mighty works, the little things, the big things, the miraculous, the unbelievable things you can't help but be restored, renewed, and revived.

FROM PREACHER'S KID TO ADVISOR
Most of you know my story.  I am a PK - born into a family of strong Christian believers. We had bible study at home. My first book was a children's bible full of Old Testament stories in bold colors and large print which I read over and over again. When I left home for college, I was steeped in Christian theology.  I knew my Bible.  And during college at Johns Hopkins and later at Pace U, I made a name for myself as being the best advisor. My advice was always centered on biblical principles, even though my friends did not know that. 

HARD WORK IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR GOD
But somewhere along the line, after law school AND after I had been in the job market for years, I slowly began to put more emphasis on my work ethic and less emphasis on scheduling time to study the word of God.  I never stopped going to church. But, I did begin to adopt some of the world’s teachings - I started to believe that if I worked hard enough I could achieve my goals.  This belief in the power of self to solve problems is a FALSE NARRATIVE that is not of God.  (Faith and works) In Hebrews 11:6 – We learn that “Without Faith it is impossible to please God.”

A FORCED RESET
Then in 2015 - I hit a wall literally.
I was in a terrible car accident. I broke my leg in 3 places. Have you ever been in so much pain that you have an out of body experience? Where you actually leave your body and look down on yourself? I have.  And what compounded the ordeal even more was, first, the drugs I was prescribed did not agree with me. And second, I had to move out of my beloved dollhouse and move back to my parent's home in SE. 

For a year, I was stationery - laid up in mom and dad's big bed.  Do disoriented that I could not work.  So weak that I could not move. With nothing else to do,  I began to read the Bible again.  I already knew a lot about Jesus and about Yahweh, the creator as revealed in the OT and New.  I did not know much about the Holy Spirit. And so I searched for clues.

A NEW DISCOVERY -
This is what I discovered.

The HOLY SPIRIT is as real as Jesus Christ; and God, the Father.

Acts: 2:1-4 describes what happended when the Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost – It reads:

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues a as the Spirit enabled them.

The Holy Spirit GIVES US the POWER of GOD.
When we are filled with the HOLY GHOST – we have access to a variety of gift.

• Discernment
  • Capacity
  • Judgement
  • Telepathy
  • Love
  • Wisdom
  • Joy that passes all understanding
  • Good health
  • The desires of our hearts.

How do we gain access to Holy Ghost power that grants us these things -

Once we are baptized, we are filled with the Holy Spirit- or POWER. And this Spirit resides with us in our body - At which point, we become the temple for the Holy Spirit of God.

With this power we can over time become like Jesus; and can survive the evilness of this world.

BUT there is a CATCH -
To fully actualize The Holy Spirit power, it must be activated and nurtured DAILY.   Seriously. EVERY DAY. 

As you study the Bible, you will come to understand who GOD is.  He is a peculiar, fantastical and wonderful God.  And as such, His ways ARE NOT OUR WAYS. 

So while God promises divine efficiency and divine power – HE dispenses this power in doses – in fact this power is metered out like daily bread.

In other words, God grants us just enough Holy Ghost Power to allow us to navigate the ups and downs of each day.  We must replenish the well of power every day by taking steps to activate it.  Once we flip switch and activate our daily dose of POWER, we can do anything.

How do you activate the POWER within?  It’s simple!

YOU Praise Him.
You spend quient time with HIM.
You read your Bible.
You apply Biblical teachings to your life. 

But bear in the mind, that just like you can turn on your daily dose of HOLY GHOST POWER you can also diminish your power to such an extent that you turn it completely off.

HOW do you do that?

Your power shrinks when you

• Stop spending daily quiet time with God
• Stop reading your Bible
• Stop honoring the sabbath

You turn off our POWER  supply completely when you consistently offend the Spirit. 

See, The Spirit of God is really sensitive. You can offend the Spirit when you surround yourself with wordly things: Bad language. Horrific imagery. Evil companions.

The Holy Spirit will retreat even more if you do things to destroy the temple (or your body) that houses it – So, when you drink in excess, take drugs, disobey the Word of God the Spirit will retreat.

The good news is that the Spirit never completely abandons a believer. You have a chance every day to activate it anew.

In John 16:33 - Jesus said  "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus overcame Satan and He gave us the Power to do the same thing.

​But in order to win, we must check evil daily by meeting with God and activating the Holy Ghost power within.

Today is Sunday. Tomorrow is the first day of a new week.  I invite you to carve out 15 minutes every day this week to sit before God bask in HIS glory, and activate the POWER you have within.

I am a visual learner. So, before I start my day,  I PAUSE and sit quietly and visualize a spotlight being shined on me. I imagine myself covered by soft  pink light. As the light shines on me, I  reflect on the goodness of God, thanking Him for his mercy and asking Him to activate the Spirit in me so that I can deal with the issues of the day.

My dad has said that when he lays flat on his back he can still his mind to hear from God and pray for others.

My grandmother, Minnie Belle used to get in her rocking chair, a bible on her lap, and call out the name Jesus over- Fix it Jesus, Fix it Jesus….

Where do you go to be with God?.  Your car? Your kitchen late at night. Your closet.  You don't have go far because the Spirit of God dwells with in you.


I am a witness that Holy Ghost Power is real.
It is the only way you can make it today.
It is the only way you can save your children from dark forces.
It is the only way to get healing for your body.
It is the only way to be delivered from addiction.
It is the only way to determine fact from fiction. 
It is the only way to push beyond your physical limits.
It is the only way to forgive evil doers.
It is the only way to find happiness here on earth.

You have to know God to gain access to his POWER.

Today, on this Women’s day, we invite you to open your heart to the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. You already have everything you need to defeat the evil of this world.

My prayer for you is the same prayer I have for myself -  May God's vitalizing energy flood your whole consciousness so that you are healed today.  

God answers prayers.  It is a promise, darling.

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©️ May 18, 2025 - Mariessa Terrell