C H O F Ministry

Tag: #Blog

  • “We Are Children of The Light”

    New Blog Picture
    Praise the Lord Beloved!!! 😀

    Happy Monday to Everyone.

    I like gardening. I like to look out and see the colorful leaves that bud, and I enjoy watching the plants develop to maturity. I thought about making a little garden in our backyard. But, because it has a park-like setting its mostly shade and not suitable for plants that need full sun. So, it would be useless to buy the seeds plow the soil to plant. It would not be a problem caring for and cultivating my garden, but the plants wouldn’t be happy in my back yard. My care and attention wouldn’t be enough. You see, they would need sunlight, which I cannot provide. I thought about creating an alternative to generate something for the lack of light that would bring the attention the plants would need.  But, for some plants it doesn’t work that way. Some plants need what they need. And so, do people.

    Beloved, although we can survive for a while in less-than-ideal conditions, we can’t thrive. You see, in addition to our basic physical needs, we also have spiritual needs that can’t be met by any substitute.

    The scripture says that believers are children of light. Psalm 89:15 (NLT) says: “Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” This means that we need to live in the full light of God’s presence to thrive. Ephesians 5:11 (NLT) says: “Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”

    Beloved, if we try to live in darkness, we’ll produce nothing but “fruitless deeds”. But if we’re living in the light of Jesus, the Light of the world, we will produce the fruit of His light, which is good, faithful, and true.
    Please pray with me this morning’s prayer:
    Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for redeeming me and giving me new life. Help me to continue to live as a child of the Light.

    In Jesus’ Mighty Name I pray, Amen.

    Have a Blessed week everyone!!! 😀

  • “Dress Yourself In Humility”

    New Morning blog Picture Black History
    Praise the Lord Beloved. Happy Monday to you. 😀

     
    Beloved, you’ll find in 1 Peter 5:5 it says: “And be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
     
    This is an awesome verse. 😀 The reason I find this verse to be so on point, is most believers don’t know anything about true humility. That right!!! Let me say it one more time: “Most Believers Don’t Know Anything About True Humility”. You see, if you tell them they’re the righteousness of God, they’ll fight to keep from believing it. You can give them scripture references to prove it, and they’ll still argue with you. They’ll say to you “Oh no, “I’m not righteous. I’m just an old sinner saved by grace.” Now, I realize that most people that say this is making a sincere attempt to be humble. But they’re sincerely wrong. They’re so afraid of being exalted by pride that they’ve let Satan trick them into falling right into it.
     
    Let me show you what I mean Beloved. According to 1 Peter 5:5-6, to be truly humble is to submit to God. That means when God says something, you believe it no matter how foreign to your “religious” thinking it may be!!! When He says you’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, you say that too. In fact Beloved, you shouldn’t want to say anything else because to do so would be challenging God and actually disagreeing with Him. And, when you get right down to it, that’s the ultimate form of pride – You Think?
     
    Beloved, don’t let Satan keep you back-stroking in the dust of false humility. Agree with God. Find out what His Word says about you, then be bold enough to say it yourself!!! 😀 Expel pride by submitting to His truth.
     
    Beloved, clothe yourself in true humility. I’m sure you’ll look great wearing it.
     
    Have a blessed Monday Everyone. 😀

  • “Turn Away From Discord”

    New Morning blog Picture Black History

    Praise the Lord Beloved!!! I hope you had a blessed weekend.

    This morning, my morning Bible reading was a great one. It was Proverbs 20:3 (AMP).
    It says: “It is an honor for a man to keep away from strife [by handling situations with thoughtful foresight], But any fool will [start a] quarrel [without regard for the consequences]. (Proverbs 20:3 AMP)

    Beloved as we start another week, let us start it by standing on the foundation of peace.
    You know in life, many of the challenges we face are basically disturbances from the enemy to keep us from pursuing our calling. This week you may encounter someone on your job that isn’t as friendly to you as you’d like. You may encounter a neighbor who always parks in front of your house or blocks your mailbox. Those things may be frustrating, but they have little implication when you look at the big picture of eternity. Beloved, you can’t allow the little things to cause discord in your life.

    The Bible tells us, just before David fought the giant Goliath, his brother Eliab tried to confront him. But David knew that arguing with Eliab wasn’t even worth his time and strength. He knew his real battle was with Goliath, and he didn’t want to be distracted. He simply “turned away” from Eliab and kept his focus on what he was called to do.

    Beloved, as we start this week, let’s follow the example of David and keep our eyes on what’s most important in life. Instead of being led away by frustrations, let’s focus on the big picture. Know when to turn away from discord and receive the mark of honor the Lord has for you!!!

    Have a blessed week Everyone!!!

  • “Keeping Conflict Out – ANGER”

    New Morning blog Picture Black History

    Praise the Lord Beloved!!!

    In Galatians 5:14–15 it says, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself. If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

    You know Beloved, conflict can destroy relationships. It amazes me at how many Scriptures there are that address the subject of conflict. I found 43 scriptures, and that doesn’t even include other synonyms like discord and dissention. Beloved, conflict is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed.

    The definition of conflict is — controversy, hatred, disagreement, competition, disapproval. These are things we all must deal with in our relationships, no matter who we are. And the good news is that we can learn to deal with them in a healthy godly way.

    Beloved, if you’re struggling in a relationship, today is the day to change your outlook. It’s time to let God birth a vision in your heart. Ask God to help you and show you what you can do. Start believing God to come up higher in your relationships and become more aware of the causes of the conflict(s) that’s entertaining your life today.

    Over the next several weeks I will blog on the elements that causes conflict and allow the Holy Spirit and the Bible to deliver to us the knowledge that will help us keep conflict out.

    Now, the first major cause of conflict in relationships that I’ll address is “ANGER.”

    Proverbs 29:22 says:
    “An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins.”

    Wow!!!  Beloved, if we’re not alert, we can get into lots of trouble when we’re angry.
    The fact is that we all get angry with people, but the Bible says that we can be angry and sin not. It’s what we do when we’re angry that makes all the difference. When you’re angry with a person, it’s better to keep your mouth closed, cool down and go to a neutral corner before you do or say something you’ll regret, or before you trigger a blown out of proportioned fight. How many times have we said something or done something in anger, and later, regretted it?

    Proverbs 29:11 says, “A foolish person gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Beloved, a foolish person depletes all his/her anger. Let me tell you Beloved, you’re not going to have many friends or loving family members if you do that. But a wise person holds back and thinks about his/her response. A wise person thinks about the feelings of the other person before they start throwing verbal or physical blows.

    Conflicts can be resolved without a fight and without yelling and screaming at each other. Proverbs 15:1 says: that a soft answer turns away wrath. Beloved, you can have a strong healthy debate about something without being angry. It may be a heated debate, but at least you’re talking it out!!! So, the next time you’re angry with your wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, co-worker or child, be intelligent and sensible, stay calm, and think before you speak.

    Amen? Amen!!!

    Please come back next week as I continue our quest to gain the knowledge to “Keep Conflict Out”.

    “To God Be the Glory!!!”

     

  • “Don’t Stop Listening to God”

    New Morning blog PictureFocal Scripture: Genesis 3:1-6

    Good 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.
     

  • “A Great Opulence”

    Morning Blog

    Praise the Lord Beloved!!!
    I pray that your weekend was blessed.
    I send my love prayers and respect to my friends and family
    who lost loves ones and I say God’s speed to my family and friends who are sick or entered the hospital.

    Beloved over the weekend I had the honor to minister to a young couple about their faith in God and God’s ability to prosper them when they put their faith in Him and Him alone “full time.” I told them that a full-time faith in God, will open the windows of heaven and bless them with so many blessings from everywhere they wouldn’t be able to receive them all. Of course, they asked me what did I mean when I said, “full time faith”?

    Beloved, full-time faith is having a “no doubt-unwavering attitude” in the things God can do in your life. You see, before He starts to put checks in your mail-box or floating money your way, your passion about the things of God must become in depth and personal,
    just like a marriage. Your mental positioning must be stationary, and focused on Him before He starts planting the seeds of opulence in your life. In the Book of Genesis, you’ll find that he was sold as a slave to the Egyptians, and he didn’t have a dime to his name. He didn’t even have his freedom. He’d been sold as a slave. But, right in the middle of his slavery, God gave Joseph such wisdom and ability that he made his owner prosper. As a result, the man put Joseph in charge of all his possessions.

    You’ll find that later, Joseph was put in prison. And many of us know there’s not much of a chance for development in prison. But God gave him insight that no other man in Egypt had. Beloved, that insight landed him a position on Pharaoh’s staff. Not as a slave but as the most honored man in the entire country next to Pharaoh himself. He rode along in a chariot and people literally bowed down before him.

    Now watch this – 😀
    When the worldwide famine came, Joseph was put in charge of all the food.
    NOW THAT’S PROSPERITY!!! This was all accomplished by God, because Joseph had an unwavering full-time faith in God.

    Beloved, no matter how depressing your state of affairs may be, no matter how unbearable your problems may be, God is able to disclose the spiritual secrets that would open the door(s) of success for you as your unwavering full-time faith grows.

    Beloved, God will bless the seeds of prosperity He plants in your life and grant you great harvest of opulence.

    Have a Great Week Everyone!!! 😀

  • “Respected Courtesy”

    Morning Blog
    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!!! 😀

  • “Let the Exposure Begin”

    Morning Blog1 Timothy 2:3-4
    For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

    Hello friends!!! I hope you had a great weekend.
    On yesterday I spoke with a few people at a restaurant after my morning message to a great congregation in Miamisburg Ohio. After church a few of its members invited the First Lady and I to a wonderful Mexican restaurant (Chuy’s). As we all set there talking about the message and other church things, the people setting around our tables started to engage themselves in our conversation. I had no idea that, so many were listening to our conversation until the questions started. 😀 I found myself in a question and answer forum right there in the restaurant.
    ALL GLORY GOES TO GOD!!!

    As I talked with them I couldn’t help but notice how many of them have gone to great lengths to squeeze knowledge from God when all they needed to do is go to the Bible.

    Beloved, God’s not holding Himself back from anyone. It’s His will for every man and woman to walk in exposure with Him. One of the statements made to me yesterday was from a gentleman who said: “Well Bishop, Houston- that is your name, correct?” I responded with a smile and a “yes.” He said, “God’s not going to give everyone that’s a sinner in here a revelation.”  And I responded with a question to him, “Really?” Then I asked him a few more questions. I asked, “Why do He think God sends His chosen ministers, to preach to the sinners? Why do you think He sent His Word?” He sent the Word to expose what we hide.

    He sends His ministers to reveal the truth!!!

    Beloved, if you want to know the truth, just open the Book and read it. All of it!!! Not just the parts that are in red. Those aren’t the only parts Jesus said. He said everything in Genesis. He said everything in Exodus. He said everything in Numbers. He said everything in Deuteronomy. He said everything in Leviticus. He said everything in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He said everything in Romans. He said everything in the Book. That’s’ because He’s the Word!!!  In fact, if you’ll read Galatians 3, you’ll discover that every promise made to Abraham was for Jesus!!! It was the promises that brought Him. It was the promises that enabled Him to heal and deliver people. He didn’t minister by some special power no one else could have. He based His ministry on the exposures He’d received through faith in the written Word of God. You see, when the devil came to tempt Him, He didn’t fight him off with a special legion of angels who’d been assigned to protect Him because He was God’s Son. He fought him off with the phrase, “It is written.”

    Beloved, God has equipped you to do the same. He’s given you His written Word, and He’s given you His Holy Spirit to help you understand it. He’s more than ready to give you the knowledge you need.  Beloved, we don’t have to squeeze it out of Him. All we have to do is just open the Book and let the exposure begin.

    Have a wonderful Monday and great week ahead!!! 😀

  • “An Exceptional Benefit”

    Morning Blog
    Many of you that know me, know I love to pray and praying for others has never been an issue with me. As a matter of fact, I spend most of my prayer time praying for others. Over the last several years I have come to realize that exerting my energy to pray for others when I’m hurting has a very exceptional benefit.
    The last couple of weeks was kind of a rough week around here. Attending business meetings for our new travel agency, our ministry video podcast season had arrived and needed a lot of studio enhancing and tweaking and a few other things that needed to be addressed.

    But the silver lining to that, was my prayer life was very active. However, I must admit, I didn’t spend much time praying for my children and grandchildren, mother, myself or my wife. I was more attentive on praying for a lady that had fallen back into her drug (heroin) addition, a Facebook friend whose daughter had a breakdown at college, for a close friend whose 16-year-old was in a coma after a suicide attempt.

    Beloved, when my own life is tough, I have found that praying for others is actually, a form of self-care, part of what keeps me healthy, productive and sane.

    Now, just in case some of you think I walk around with a halo, I assure you this is a learned behavior. I have a strong tendency to turn inward and block out others’ problems when I’m facing tough times, in other words, shrink into my imaginary secret closet to focus on myself because in my mind, I feel I don’t have the bandwidth to cope. But, I’ve come to understand that tendency doesn’t come from God.

    I recognized this, when I belonged to a prayer group during a particularly hard time in my life. Hearing and honoring the needs of others whose concerns were different from my unbalanced affairs was, extremely energizing.

    You see, it didn’t matter how big or small the other people’s needs were, they all pointed my heart toward God.

    Beloved, that experience taught me that making an effort to pray for others when there are concerns has an exceptional benefit. It prevents my prayer life from shrinking to the size of my anguishes.

    And more than just that, it expands, develops and rejuvenates my conversations with God.

    Let me tell you, it really does some good!!! 😀
    Now, how great is that???!!!

    Beloved, we’re given the ability to add good to the world, even when we’re suffering ourselves.

    Take care and take it one step (one day)
    at a time. You’ll be glad you did.

    Have a blessed Monday. 😀