C H O F Ministry

Tag: Glory

“The Skills of a Real Sheperd”

Praise The Lord Beloved. Happy Monday to you. 😊

Several years ago, First Lady Donece and I had the special opportunity to meet real-life shepherds on one of our tours. One event special to me was the opportunity to watch an actual presentation of one of the shepherd’s incredible skills as he directed his herding collies. He made it clear to us how much he understands and loves each of his sheep–he had names for each one; he knew how old each one was and respected their ability to provide for his life.

Beloved, as we enter Advent, we look forward to paying tribute to the birth of our Good Shepherd, Jesus. By coming to earth Christ exhibited His enormous love for each of us as He knows each of us by name and desires us to return in Glory with Him and His Father in Heaven. His angels came to visit the shepherds in their fields and welcomed them to visit the Newborn Messiah (*1). The angels confirmed the shepherds’ value by their invitation, but it still took courage for them to travel and seek this huge gift in a small bundle that they had long expected. Their faith and humility were compensated when they met the Savior of the world in a simple cave. Just like those shepherds realized, we too are led by an amazing Shepherd. Amen? Aaamen. ✝️❤️😊

Dear Heavenly Father help me be like the shepherds who didn’t waver to pursue You, respectfully kneeled before You, and recognize that you’re Lord overall, and You love and care for us. Let this time of Advent fill us with peace, joy, love, and hope. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen and Amen. ✝️

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 may enter our earthly room and blow out our candle. So today, reach out and touch someone you love and tell them you love them, BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE – TOO LATE. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Have an “AWESOME Monday and a FANTASTIC week!!! 😊

CHOF Ministry Cross-Reference Verses:

1. *Luke 2:8-12

December 2, 2019
“God’s Pace Is Proper”

I can remember my daughter coming to us to inform us that she was getting married. She was an active Christian and she was undoubtedly overjoyed. I wasn’t as jubilant – my “Baby Girl” all grown up, and as a Dad it was very hard for me to release, but I had to look past may emotions. So, I was happy for her. My wife and I did ask her why the rush in tying the knot because they had only been dating for about ten months. She was expecting, and I felt she was feeling pressured because we taught along with our other children the Christian faith, and she also told us that the baby’s daddy expressed his wishes to marry her. She wasn’t in favor of counseling before marriage because he wasn’t a Christian. So, I had to let go and allow her to “run her own race at God’s pace.”

My intention wasn’t to discourage them during a pre marriage counseling I wanted to enlighten them that they were young, and she was brought up in the Christian faith and had done very well. Since my experience with my daughter, I have over-hauled my my approach on many topics when it comes to individual agendas.

Beloved, each one of us has our own race to run. Each race is unique. We can’t run the race of others and they can’t run ours. With God, there’s no late or too soon. Everything with God is on time and in His time!!!

To God Be The Glory”

March 20, 2019
“Become a Contributor”

Sunday Morning Focal Verse – Psalm 35:27 (AMP)
Let those who favor my righteous cause and have pleasure in my uprightness shout for joy and be glad and say continually, Let the Lord be magnified, Who takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.

Beloved, if old school religion has taught you that God wants you poor and oppressed, I have some good news for you TODAY!!! 😀 The Bible says, “God takes pleasure” in your prosperity. Beloved!!! God wants you to prosper!!! 😀 Not just in the financial realm but in every area of your life!!! In Your Spirit!!! In Your Soul and In Your Body. No matter where you are or who you are, God wants to see you delivered from every opposing situation. That’s because He loves you and He have a job for you to do. He wants you to help meet the needs of mankind and He’s smart enough to know that you can’t give away what you don’t have. You can’t give to spread the gospel or buy food for the hungry when you’re broke. 😀 You can’t go out laying hands on the sick when you’re lying in a hospital bed. You can’t minister joy to others when you’re being held captive by depression. No!!!!!!!!!! You have to be blessed to be a blessing. 😀

So Beloved, if you really want to tap into the riches of God today, you have to have a “I’m all in- I’m sold out for Jesus” mentality to be a blessing to others, and before you know it, you’ll be receiving more from God than you ever dreamed.

That’s what happened to me. I decided years ago, first and foremost, to be a giver. I developed a lifestyle of giving. Giving doesn’t always mean money – You can give your time, an ear to listen, you can apply your creative skills, use your God given talent(s) or lend a helping hand. Today, I literally “live to give.” And I don’t mind telling you, God dumps all kinds of blessings on me by the truckload!!! And I’m here to tell you, He’ll do the same for you if you’ll become His servant—if you’ll lay down a little of your life’s attributes and your love for those who need it.

All you have to do is become a contributor—and God will take pleasure in prospering you!!!

“To God Be The Glory. Have a blessed Sunday Everyone.” 😀

March 3, 2019
“Remove The Limits Off Your Testimony”

Romans 3:3, (AMP)
3 What then? If some did not believe or were unfaithful [to God], their lack of belief will not nullify and make invalid the faithfulness of God and His word, will it?

You know Beloved, there will always be critics and pessimists in life. It’s not what’s said about you that affects your life, but what you say and believe about yourself. Beloved, have the opinions of other people caused you to water down your dreams, or your message? Have you allowed the censorship of the critics to turn your testimony into a testiphony? You know, one of the most important things you can learn is that other people don’t have to believe in you in order for your visions-ideas or your message to come to pass. Other people don’t set the limits for your life, “YOU DO. In Romans 3:3, the Apostle Paul is saying, “It doesn’t matter if other people don’t believe. Their unbelief isn’t going to keep me from believing in my visions.” When God sit a promise in your heart (mind and emotions), it’s not up to other people to bring it to pass. It’s up to you!!! You don’t need everyone to validate, legalize, or confirm who you are or what you do. You just continue to follow the voice of God for yourself and allow Him to order your steps.

Beloved, God sees the hidden treasures (knowledge, information, unmeasured creativity, Agape, loyalty, wisdom and resources) that you’ve had buried on the inside of you for years, decades. He wants to bring those treasures out and make your thoughts – visions and your visions – a reality!!! As you get rid of old, defeated thoughts and replace them with what God says about you, you’ll remove the limits and live the abundant life God has in store for you!!! I Am a living witness, and this is my testimony.

To God Be the Glory!!!

February 13, 2019
“Majestic Magnificent Feature”

Exodus Chapter 34:6-7 (AMP)
“Please, show me Your glory!”

Beloved, what would you say is the single, most outstanding thing about God? What’s His most important characteristic? Well, some people have told me it’s His power. Others have said it’s His holiness. But I believe God Himself would give us a different answer.

I say this because the answer is actually found in Exodus 33. There Moses is asking God to show him His glory. Now the word “glory” could literally be translated “Substantial Mass.” It refers to the heftiest, most important, majestic thing about someone. It’s the totality of their value.

So what Moses was actually saying was, “Lord, I want to see the most majestic magnificent thing about You. I want to know Your magnificent qualities.” So, what did God say to him in response?

The answer is found in Exodus Chapter 34:6-7. 😀 It tells us, “(6) Then the Lord passed by in front of him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness); (7) keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers].”

Beloved, just think about that!!! When Moses asked God to show him the most important thing about Himself, God showed him His mercy. (WOW!!!)

So, that means if you and I are to replicate God (Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father] ;), our most Majestic magnificent character quality must feature mercy too. Mercy, goodness, forgiveness and compassion must mark our behavior above all else.

Beloved, allow the most majestic magnificent character quality of mercy be your feature and others will see the glory of God in you.

Have a blessed Tuesday Everyone. 😀

January 22, 2019
“Release the Movement”

Hebrews 12:1-2
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Praise the Lord Beloved!!! 😀

This morning I’m going to speak on disciplining the flesh. For many believers (including myself) disciplining the flesh stirs memories of frustration and failure. Many (like myself) know it’s important. The Word of God clearly teaches that. But for many, they’re not sure exactly how to go about it. Some have given up, brushing off such discipline as impossible. Others are still fighting stubbornly to get their flesh under control and losing one battle after another.

This morning I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, we can’t afford to let it be that way. It will cost us too much.

You see, you and I are blessed to be part of the generation that will see the signs and wonders which the prophets of old wished they could’ve lived long enough to see. We’ll witness the Spirit of God poured out upon all flesh. But sin hinders the Spirit’s movement. And only as we rid ourselves of it will the power and glory of God be manifest through us. Only then will we experience the glorious things that are prophesied to take place in our generation.

So Beloved, put your past failure behind you. Make up your mind that you’re not going to let the sins of the flesh rob you of the glory of God. It’s possible to step out of the sin you’ve struggled with for so long and live under the Spirit’s control.

Look to Jesus!!! 😀 He’ll show you how.

Have a blessed Tuesday Everyone!!! 😀

January 15, 2019
“THANKFUL”

Praise the Lord Everyone. I hope everyone is enjoying this Thanksgiving Holiday.

You know Beloved, Thanksgiving Day is a day that is designated for everyone to give thanks. Now that this special day has come and gone, let us remember being thankful is an everyday occurrence as long as we have breath in our body. Let us all remember that we’re all called to a particular service by God. There’s nothing here on earth God hasn’t identified with. Though we all walk, work and entertain, we all do it according to the capacity that God has provided each of us. This is a daily occurrence, so we must be thankful daily. To every man, woman, boy and girl, God has spelled out something for each of us to be thankful for “daily”. Though twins are born the same day they’re not born at the same time, so each come in with a desired plan God has for them and them only. Their thanksgiving may be directed differently from each other.

So, this weekend Beloved, let each of us be thankful for who we are where we are, who we provide our duty of service to, and let us enjoy being thankful to the Master Planner who has committed His unadulterated unrestricted love toward those of us who are filtered into a marginalized, minimized, optimized, materialized, or personalized, way of life – To God Be the Glory!!!

Have a blessed weekend Everyone.

November 23, 2018
“God Deserves The Glory”

Focal Scripture John 15:8

There’s an old Full Gospel adage that says God gets glory from the wonderful way His children bear pain and agony and that the world is impressed by that. That is a flat out lie!!! Beloved, that’s simply an instrument of the devil to keep God’s children in suppressed.

Think about it. People all over the world already have all the pain and agony they want. They aren’t looking for a way into it. They’re looking for a way out. They don’t care what you preach. It’s the religious people who get worried about that. The world, the sinners, are smarter than that. All they care about are the results.
That’s why they’ll come to your church/ministry when they hear people are getting healed, delivered and set free from suffering. That’s what they’re looking for, and that’s what God wants them to receive.

Beloved, the Bible says in Matthew 15:31 that God gets glory when they see the lame walk and the blind see!!! Jesus said in John 15:8, ” When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” So, someone out there may be asking: “Bishop Houston, what is that fruit?” WELL I’M GLAD YOU ASKED!!! 😀 That fruit is lives being restored and healed by the power of God.

I can remember a few years back a woman came to a tent revival I was preaching, who was so far gone with cancer she had almost no energy or life within her. She didn’t even know the Lord, but she came expecting a miracle. During the revival service, the spirit of the Lord spoke into my spirit that someone was being healed of cancer, in the glands, in the throat, and in the chest. When the woman came up and to receive prayer, she said to me, “Bishop Houston, I left the hospital this morning with cancer and I am not claiming it!!! I’m cured.” I was told she went to the hospital 2 weeks later for her appointment and the doctors checked and re-checked. Her cancer was gone. As a result, the woman went to her church the following Sunday and received Jesus as her Lord, and the blessings got better!!! Later during that same service, she and her husband (they were separated) reunited and he got born again!!! WOW!!! healed and her marriage put back together in one day!!!

Now that’s fruit!!! Beloved, that’s what brings God glory. You see, when we minister healing and deliverance like Jesus on the earth, that brings God glory. So, let’s do away with religious adages and go with what the Word says. Let’s impress the world with Jesus Words, because God deserves the glory!!!
Have a Great Sunday.

June 24, 2018