*For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
Tag: Bishop
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“Become Sensational”
2 Corinthians 2:15 (AMP)
*For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; -
“The Grandest Directive”
“Walking the Spiritual Path” with:
Bishop Houston and First Lady Donece Houston -
“Promises, Vows and Pledges”
Q: Bishop Houston people make promises, vows, and pledges every day. Is it deceitful to produce something that could possibly be voided?
A great question!!! Thank you for asking.
A: To answer your question, it’ll help to comprehend why promises, vows, and pledges were established in the first place. Commitments, vows, and oaths were introduced and created in Old Testament times to resolve disagreements. Back then, it wasn’t uncommon for men to be dishonorable – loyalty and morality was not a friend of truth. It was the lack of integrity, why vows were applied.
Promises, vows, and pledges aren’t something to be taken casually. From the beginning, making promises vows or pledges has been profoundly a problematic situation. Whenever a vow was made in God’s Name, His Name, reputation, and integrity were put on the line. If what was promised in God’s Name wasn’t met, then the one who made the vow was in sin. To those that knew about the situation, it made God look like a fool and would become a stumbling block to those who didn’t know God. For that purpose, a vow was entered into with intense awareness, so that God’s Name wouldn’t be slandered.
The best practice is to “keep it simple” and do what you say. In Matthew 5:34-37, Jesus said: “But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. 36 Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”
Beloved your uncomplicated yes or no should be so overflowing with sincerity and integrity that the one you’re coming into agreement with will see that you’re a person of your word. It would be best if you didn’t have to accentuate your words with other terms, such as a promise, pledge, or vow.
Thank you for your question.
Bishop, W. F. Houston, Jr. -
“God Has Your Plan Ready”
When we confront challenging circumstances, we can mentally be alerted into wondering if we’re on the appropriate route for our lives. And yes, occasionally, we make poor choices that get us off track. But when your heart is following after God, when you’ve decided to be confident in your faith and put Him first in your life, you can be self-confident that you’re right where God has designed you to be!!!You might say to yourself, “This couldn’t be right. This situation feels awkward, seems difficult, painful, or not sure. Somebody isn’t playing by the set of rules they gave me.” Beloved, God “WILL NOT” permit a challenging task to come into your life without His divine objective for it. It’s true, nothing in life occurs to us; it materializes for us. In other words, God uses those challenging and complicated things to develop us, reach us, and take us to another level.As we continue to perform collective separation, let us all use this time to explore the way we think and act. If you find that you’re spiritually offbeat, off course, or unsteady, there’s no better time than the present to seek God and ask Him to arraign or rearrange your steps.Beloved as we end this week and head into the weekend, stay in prayer, remain faithful, provide the right attitude, and let Him lead you into the excellent plan He has prepared for you!!! Amen? Aaamen. ✝️❤️😊Let Us Pray:Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for arranging my steps. I’m ready to receive Your plan for my life. As I receive Your plan, I have confidence that You’re at work in my life when I don’t understand – even during this pandemic. Give me the spiritual, mental intensity, and courage to do what is right in Your sight. I’m so thankful. You’re in my life today and always. In Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen and Aaamen. ✝️❤️Have a lovely Friday and a Protected and Sensible Weekend, Everyone. ✝️❤️😊 -
“Jesus Is The Master Teacher”
Praise The Lord Everyone!!! Happy Sunday!!! ✝️❤️😊Beloved, I give thanks to God for blessing me with spiritual insight and the platforms to speak, teach, and pray for people all over the world. As a spiritual clergyman, I focus on presenting the divine instruction of God that morally guides, encourages, and inspires. I love talking with those of you that I’m able to talk with. There are so many of you that it’s very hard to speak with everyone. I love talking to you about what’s going on in your life, your encounters, and the way Jesus meets you. God is “SO” awesome. His grace is profound, and every one of you that I’ve talked with has made serving God from my platform a marvelous experience. I’m an enthusiastic admirer of Jesus Christ, that’s why I do all I can as a follower of the Master Teacher from then platforms I’ve been blessed with. ✝️❤️😊
Our Sunday morning reading shows us the mind of Christ who regularly taught with parables, using pictures and stories from everyday life. Jesus wanted the significance of the subject to be clear to those listening in faith. (*1). He was impeccably in tune with the minds and emotions of His audience, and He constantly lectured following the larger “lesson plan” of His Father.
Now, the second story, that was revealed later was an allegory. It was created about a problem (*2): A decent man planted wheat, then his enemy came and planted weeds in the same field. They were not aware of the weeds until the undesirable plants and good plants began to grow together. The decision was made to separate them at the harvest (*3). Now, there may be some of you out there that are asking: Bishop Houston WHY DID THEY HAVE TO WAIT? Well, I’m glad you asked!!! 😊 It was to make sure the wheat wouldn’t be affected or destroyed.
Then we see the disciples’ come to Jesus and ask Him to explain the meaning of the story about the weeds (*4). The good man is the Son of Man (Himself), while the enemy is the devil. The field is the world. The wheat represents people of the kingdom of God, the true loyal believers in the Son. The weeds represent everyone else. The harvesters are the angels and the harvest is the final judgment.
Beloved, our core lesson for this Sunday morning focuses on two different destinies: Sinners will be punished-thrown away -burned, while at the same time, strong, holy lives will grow up – mature and beautify the kingdom of their Father.” (*5).
Let Us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being the miracle we need here on earth. Thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to educate us and thank You for allowing us the opportunity to have an insight into Your word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen and Aaamen.Beloved, life is very short. It comes and goes like an unannounced gust of wind. None of us know the hour or day when that gust of wind will enter our earthly room and blow out our candle. So, reach out and touch the ones that need your agape, dissolve the divisions among you, continue to encourage one another, be united in the same mind, the same reasoning and continue to build one another up.
I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Have a fantastic Sunday. ✝️❤️😊
CHOF Ministry Bible Reference:
*1. Matt. 13:10–17
*2. Matt. 13:24–28
*3. Matt. 13:29–30
*4. Matt. 13:36–41
*5. Matt.13:42–43 -
“God Loves You on The Inside”
Praise the Lord Beloved!!!It’s a joy to be counted among the ones who live.Beloved, do you belong to a church or ministry that focuses on how a person dresses. I’m speaking of the spiritual edifices where high class fashion is God first. If you’re not wearing the top of the line suits, dresses or hats you’re frowned at or looked down on. Beloved, God looks in the heart of man and not at their external appearance and achievements in life. This morning’s scripture is a great parable. Jesus Christ linked the tax collector and the Pharisee together. The tax collectors are publicly known as a sinner for their dishonesty in collecting taxes. They’re called thieves because they steal money from people. The Pharisees on the other hand, are publicly known as holy, righteous and law-abiding people. They openly display their religious acts such as prayer, fasting, and charity. Many people who looked up to them were impressed by their activities, but God wasn’t. When Christ came, He exposed their private sins, their pride, and self-righteousness. In this morning’s parable, the Pharisee began to “brag” about his righteous acts while the tax collector humbly admitted his wrongdoing and asked for God’s mercy. God honored the prayer of the tax collector, but he hated the self-aggrandizement of the Pharisee.Beloved, you don’t have to wear the top of the line attire or achieve the highest honors to be acknowledge by God or any authentic spiritual Bible based edifice. If you’re required to, then it’s time to find an authentic Bible based spiritual edifice.As we go into this weekend let us all remember that no matter who we are or what we do, or what we wear, God’s willing to accept us if we humble ourselves and submit to His mercy. Amen – Aaamen. 😀Let us Pray:Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us a recap about shady selfish pride that doesn’t give You pleasure or glory. Help us to stop looking at our spiritual achievements and start focusing on Your great love, mercy, and grace.In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen and Aaamen.Have an Awesome Friday and a Great Weekend. -
“Keep Beating The Door”
Praise the Lord Beloved!!! Happy Monday to you all.I’m sure there’s many of you (like myself) that have prayed a heartfelt petition for God to do something, change something, or stop something. We want to jump for joy at the good news when our prayers are answered. Now allow me to ask you a question: what do you do when you pray and pray, and it seems like you’ll never get an answer? Have you ever had that to happen to you? I sure have. 😀This morning I’d like to help you get a breakthrough.Let’s look at the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. Here, Jesus describes a woman who went many times to an evil judge asking him to grant her justice until he had no choice but to finally grant her request, if for no other reason than for her to cease coming to him with the same request.Beloved, if that evil judge, who “had no fear of God and no respect for anyone” (according to Luke 18:4) finally granted her what she asked, how much more will our Father in heaven, who is a just and good God, give us what we ask for? He already knows what we need before we ask Him, and before we are done speaking, He has heard our prayer. So, go to Him in prayer every chance you get, and I’m very confident when I say-He’s been lovingly waiting for your knock.
Have a blessed week Everyone!!! 😀 -
“Don’t Stop Listening to God”
Focal Scripture: Genesis 3:1-6Good morning Everyone!!!
I hope your Monday has started off blessed in the Lord.
Beloved, listening to God isn’t a onetime event. We must continue to keep His Word before us, or we’ll begin to listen to the wrong voices. You’ll find in Genesis 2:16-17, the Lord gave a command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve began to listen to another voice and didn’t hold firmly to her Creator’s words. You see, all Satan had to do was plant one single doubt about God’s integrity and offer Eve one interesting benefit of doing things her own way, “AND SHE FELL FOR IT. She stopped listening to God. He mentioned wisdom, but using “HER OWN” reasoning, Eve added two more benefits to the temptation: the fruit is good for food and a delight to the eyes.
Beloved, the systems of the Enemy have not changed. He still whispers lies and twist the truth to convince us that (1.) God cannot be trusted and (2.) His ways are not the best. In every temptation, there’s a deception about the character and motive of God, plus an attractive promise of a better way.
The world is filled with voices that compete for our attention and influence our thoughts and actions. Beloved, as you go through the day, think about the messages that were sent your way at church, through social media and while talking with other people. Consciously compare what’s being said to you and what Scripture says about God and His ways.
Beloved, remembering what God says in the Bible is our safeguard against deception and temptation. Daily devotions won’t protect us if they’re quickly forgotten during the day. Follow Christ’s example in Matthew 4:1-11 and be ready with truth in your mind and on your tongue whenever temptation strikes.
Have a blessed Monday Everyone.
Let us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to among the land of the living on another Sunday. Lord, I know that there are many people and some things, that will try to take my eyes off You. But, today I’m going to stay focused and test every word and thought by Your Words.Thank You Heavenly Father for your inspiring words.
In Jesus’ mighty name I pray,
Amen and Amen.
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“Respected Courtesy”
Good Morning Every!!! 😀I hope everyone had a blessed weekend and a joyous Sunday.Over the weekend I read the writings in Esther and in chapter 2 verse 15 caught my eye. It says: Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Mordecai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her.Beloved, the words “respected courtesy” came to my mind.Respected Courtesy is when anyone that’s in your presence revere you.Beloved, in Christianity we become revered when our change from immoral characteristic to moral characteristics are completed. Once this change occurs then God grants us His respected courtesy which permits us to step into His realm of favor. When God displays His respected courtesy toward us everyone that sees us can’t help but notice.Have a Blessed Monday and an Awesome Week Everyone!!! 😀 -
Ministry Name Change
Praise the Lord Beloved!!!!
Over the next several months Christian House of Faith, CHOF will be phasing out our CHOF Ministry name and changing it to “Bishop, W. F. Houston Jr Ministries”. Everything will be basically the same, with a few minor changes to better assist the ministry.