Featured Preaching Woman

Imagine yourself sitting in a room full of people when all of a sudden a tornado straight from Heaven makes its descent distributing the matchless, miraculous wind of God amidst the people! Can you really envision that? Do you really believe that it did and still can happen? The Moffat translation of the Bible in Acts 2:1-2 says, "During the course of the day of Pentecost they were all together, when suddenly there came a sound from Heaven like a violent blast of wind." The scripture continued to declare that all of the people gathered there came subject to the invincible power of God brought on by the blast of wind, or tornado, if you will. This phenomenal event not only symbolized the birth of the church, but it gave credence to that fact that we too can experience such a supernatural move of God! We, just like the people in Acts 2, can experience the difference that the presence of God and His anointing makes! Are you ready?

PreachingWoman.com garnered the prestigious opportunity to share with you an exclusive interview with this month's featured preaching woman, Pastor Dr. Tamara Bennett of This Is Pentecost Ministries based out of Sacramento and Oakland, CA. She graciously accepted our invitation to be published on our site and share with us some biblical principles of "experiencing the anointed difference!"  

Abiding in the beauty of holiness and the grace of God, Pastor Tamara Bennett is an immeasurably anointed woman of God renown for the prevailing mantle of prayer and supernatural power of God upon her life. Showing forth a genuine, loving, and sincere spirit to all she encounters, Pastor Bennett has an immense burden for souls and for the church to be prepared for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Embracing an apostolic and prophetic anointing, Pastor Bennett's ministry imparts biblical principles that transform, empower, and purify all who encounters it so that they will produce effective works for the Kingdom of God. Her desire is that every person hearing the message of the ministry will know the value of the wealth of the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and take their rightful place as an exceeding great army for His glory.

As one of the leading voices of this age regarding the necessity, power, and supernatural demonstration of prayer and its effectiveness, Pastor Bennett will be the first to tell you that prayer is not an option, it is a lifestyle. Serving as a testimony of God's deliverance through the power of prayer from the rebellious behaviors of her childhood, the grief of losing her first husband, and other impactful woes, Pastor Bennett knows that it is essential to instill and impart the value of prayer to the church as well as to the world so that all will know that they are able to have fellowship with God and experience His "anointed difference." PreachingWoman.com's founder, Nichelle Early (NE), embraced the opportunity to speak candidly with Pastor Tamara Bennett (TB) about her ministry and we want to share what we learned with you!

NE: Pastor Bennett, why do you believe people know about prayer, and some have experienced the power of prayer, but yet they choose not to pray?  Why is that in your opinion?

TB: Well, I think sometimes, people really don't understand the value of prayer.  Often times, I've found that people see prayer as a sacred tradition instead of a lifestyle that provides a way for them to stay in touch and in fellowship with God. I love prayer. For me, prayer is not an option, it's a lifestyle. Prayer provides a way for me to tell God everything knowing that it's going to stay right there with Him. No matter how good, bad, or embarrassing, I know my concerns are safe with Him. I trust being on my knees, because when I get up, I know that I can expect answers.  Many times, we turn to Facebook, Twitter, or other social media to share and talk about our concerns, but if we turn to God, He will certainly answer our prayers.

NE: Amen, Pastor Bennett! I truly believe that! Now, let me ask you this: For those that know you, they understand that prayer is the core focus of your ministry. How important has prayer been in your life and for the ministry's sake?

TB: Oh, Nichelle, I believe that prayer makes the heart and spirit sensitive to the things of God. I receive instructions and clarity for life and ministry through prayer. For example, I will share with you an good example as to how prayer was absolutely essential in our ministry. Through the passing of our Founder (my first husband, Pastor Donald Curling) our ministry was shattered and devastated.  At the time during the year 2000, our ministry was predominantly young people straight from the streets, with no church experience. The night before the home going, the Lord spoke to me through prayer and He simply said, "I am never wrong. I will be your shepherd and we will build this church!  The next month in July, God lead us to begin what I call prayer therapy. For 30 days, we had prayer nightly at six o' clock p.m. During this time, we were able to mourn and grieve through prayer. After those 30 days, God called us again during the months of September, October, November, and December to begin a series of three day revival services. Now understand that during this time, we were still grieving, but the people were coming from all over.  The work was still moving…As we entered the New Year in January 2001, God then called us to a 30 day revival. As we continued to press forward in prayer and praise, God took the grief and the pain away. Yet, the souls kept coming!

NE: Wow, what an amazing testimony of God's goodness, even in sorrow, through prayer His strength is made perfect in our weakness…

TB: Amen!...

NE: Now, Pastor Bennett, one a different note, one of the things that people can say that you speak and minister about is "the anointed difference." What is "the anointed difference?"

TB: "The anointed difference" is when people can come to church and not experience church as usual.  It's when the priest, ministers and singers are all with one accord in order to evoke the presence and anointing of God.  It's essential that every part of ministry flows under the same level of anointing.  I'm saying, the intercessors and prayer warrior's prayers should be the beginning of yokes being destroyed so that the people can receive; The praise and worship leader's singing should compass the congregation with songs of deliverance; By the time the Messenger is ready to deliver the word, the people's hearts should now be ready and open to receive the Bread of Life promised to them; and that's the anointed difference!  We should experience the supernatural power of God so much so that saints and sinners are immediately affected by an ambiance that's not common to this world.  This is the anointed difference!

NE: Wow! Every church should have that same spiritual mindset…

TB: Yes, and that takes me back to why prayer is so essential to ministry. We must enter in through prayer. The Bible says in Isaiah 66:8, "…as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children." Travail causes things to be brought forth. And the "anointed difference" causes deliverance of souls to began to happen before they get to church, so that when they encounter the presence of God, their lives are changed and they are able to be brought forth as children of God out of a life of sin and transformed into the true purpose God planned for them in the very beginning. I want to see them be all that God has called them to be for His glory!

NE: Amen, Pastor Bennett! That is so important in ministry. We should travail with people until they are brought forth as everything God has called them to be.

Well, let's talk about holiness, because I don't think we can talk about prayer without talking about holiness. What does holiness mean to you?

TB: Holiness is the personality of God and who He is.  It is not a religion.  The scripture says in Leviticus 20:7, "Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy for I am Holy."  We are called to represent the beauty of holiness. Instead of us coveting what the world has, the world should covet the beauty of holiness upon us which shows our love, pureness, peace, forgiveness, kindness, good character, and excellence.  I don't live holy to make people feel guilty, but I do strive to live holy in order to show forth a lifestyle in front of others that they know that this thing is real. The world is looking for a higher power, they are looking for authenticity.

NE: I agree. I truly believe that people can receive from someone that not only talks holiness, but lives holy and displays it in such a way that it lovingly convicts them of their sins.

TB: Yes…because it was God's love and goodness that brought me to repentance. The Bible declares… But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20). So, if we present holiness and the gospel with clarity, it will provide people with the ability to choose right and repent. And, that's why I don't mind being persecuted for preaching the truth, because the process is worth it for the souls that are won from it.  I can not come down from striving to live holy and telling people the truth. It is what I'm called to do!

NE: Amen! And to be honest, unfortunately we don't really hear a lot of people really teaching holiness, and teaching against sin, especially like they used to when we were coming up in church back in the day, LOL! What principles can you offer to the Body regarding this?

TB: Well, I believe that we should:

• Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and turn from anything that is against His will.
  
• Sincerely make purification our priority! We must go back to preaching principles of purity and the judgments of sin. Although, the world has to know that the wages of sin is death, they should also know that there is enough Love, Grace and power in Jesus Christ to be forgiven.
  
• Do the work winning souls.  As the Body of Christ, we recognize all of the signs of the second coming of Jesus Christ, however, the world may not know it.  The Bible says in Luke 14:23, "And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

NE: Absolutely!

TB: The role of my entire church is to get souls for Jesus! Our ministry is based on the needs of the people.  Our neighborhoods need to see the church as flesh, as a living breathing church that can meet their needs. We must be a breathing church in this season! People are longing for a real church; they are saying, "don't judge me, heal me and help me!"

NE: My God! That is awesome! Well, I know your time is precious, so let's talk the woman behind the ministry. Tell us a little about your family.

TB: Oh Yes…I love my family.  Family is huge to me! In 2003, the Lord blessed me to marry again. My husband, Quentin Bennett, and I have four children:  Jazzmin, Myles, Chaya and Charis. My husband is my head and my children are my balance. James 3:4 says: Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm…my husband is the helm that guides me. I am no more anointed than I am submissive to letting my husband guide me.  It's extremely important to me that people know that God is balanced and always in order.  I am blessed with a companion that covers me, protects me and prays for me and allows me to fulfill my purpose.  I do what I do with his blessings and permission.

NE: I love it! Especially when you said that you are no more anointed than submissive to your husband.  That is so important!

So, what do you believe God is saying in this hour?

TB: I believe that God would have us see the world through His eyes. I believe that God would have us understand that we are anointed and blessed enough to find His children and bring them to the Master's table because Jesus is soon to come!

NE: Pastor Bennett, thank you so much for accepting the invitation to be featured on PreachingWoman.com! In closing, what is it that you want the world to know about Pastor Tamara Bennett?

TB: Nichelle, if I wanted the world to know anything, it would be the lyrics of the song, "I Serve Him, Because I Love Him." That's why I do what I do.