C H O F Ministry

Tag: Living Waters

“If God is Love, Why Are We Told to Fear Him?”

Luke 1:50 (KJV)
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Praise the Lord Beloved.

Recently I was asked:
Bishop Houston, “If God is love, why are we told to fear Him?

This is an awesome question.

Beloved,
First I want to say, there is no denying our God is awesome and powerful!!!

Psalm 24:8 says, “Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.”

As most of us know, the wicked are terrified in God’s presence because meeting THE ALL POWERFUL ONE without Jesus is a scary experience.

But for a Christian, the situation is totally reversed. The thing we must understand is that God does not desire that we be filled with terror and fear at the thought of meeting Him.

In fact, Beloved, He sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us so that we wouldn’t have to.

Now, here’s God’s intent toward a Christian
Let’s look at what a few of the scriptures says:

1 John 4:9, 15-18:
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.”
“…All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.”

“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So, we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.”
“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love

Beloved, those scriptures simply remind us that the Lord God is worthy of our honor and respect. That doesn’t mean, it’s His desire that we be afraid of Him.

The Amplified Bible refers to the fear of the Lord as reverential awe.

Proverbs 15:33, (AMP) says:
“The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor”.

This reverential fear is full of respect and honor for the Lord. I encourage you to substitute the words honor and respect whenever you read a verse containing the phrase “fear the Lord.”

Beloved, I hope this will help you gain a deep understanding of the reverential fear of the Lord.

“To God Be the Glory”

March 8, 2017
“Pleading the Blood”

Colossians 1:13 (NLT)
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,…

Praise the Lord Beloved. Recently I was asked what “pleading the blood” meant.
This is an awesome question.

Beloved, pleading the blood is actually a legal term. Think of it like a lawyer pleading his case before the judge. He presents evidence and facts to support his/her case. In the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 24:15, and Psalm 43:1 gives us 2 great examples of this term.

Beloved, when the accuser says we’re guilty, our plea before God, the Righteous Judge, is the blood of Jesus. It changes everything. In Hebrews 8:6-7, 9:11-14, 22, 12:24 you’ll find that the blood of Jesus established a new and better covenant between us and a holy God. The blood is our defense. It declares we’re not guilty but free from all penalty of sin. The blood also gives us the authority and dominion to resist Satan and put him out of all the affairs of our lives and our families’ lives.

Beloved, because of Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary, the devil has no legal right to interfere in our lives anymore. He says we’re guilty!!! We “plead the blood!!!” When you have a chance, look at what James 4:7, 1 John 3:8, and Luke 10:19 says.

Beloved, we have every right and provision to walk in victory through the precious blood of the Lamb. Every day you have the right to exercise that authority by pleading what the blood of Jesus has done for you.

So today Beloved, refuse to give the enemy even one small inch of territory. Satan is a defeated foe and through the precious blood of Jesus we’re victorious!!!

“To God Be the Glory!!!”

February 22, 2017
Leave Worldliness”

1 John 2:15 (NLT)
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

Praise the Lord Beloved,

Beloved, Jesus fed a multitude but very few fed Him.

God loved the World so much that
He gave His Word so everyone could live,
but everyone doesn’t love The Word and many
don’t live their life by The Word.

Beloved, don’t think it’s strange when you have come up and out of the world things start to erode. In other words, when you stop doing the worldly things you use to do in the world, you’ll notice that the world will try to disrobe, rob, and will abandon you spiritually, mentally, physically, and financially. The worldly will keep you malnourished, unloved and friendless. The worldly is always trying to make you their slave even when they recognize you’re now a new walking and talking creation of God.

When this happens just remember John 15:18-25 (NLT):
18 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.
19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

“To God Be The Glory”

January 11, 2017
“Pure and Not Critical”

Titus 1:15 (AMP)
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to the corrupt and unbelieving, nothing is pure; both their mind and their conscience are corrupted.

Beloved, in life,
no matter how much good there is, you can always find something bad if you look for it.

You can find some fault, some weakness, something that you don’t understand or like. You can either develop an eye for the good, or you can develop a critical eye and always see the bad.

This is why marriages are in so much trouble in our society today. A spouse or both spouses have developed a habit of being negative and only seeing the negative. They’ve become too critical and view everything through their critical eye.

It’s like this lady I heard about. One Sunday morning Her husband wanted to do something nice for his wife before they went to church so he thought making her breakfast was an ideal choice.

He calls out to her “honey I’m making breakfast for you this morning how many slices of toast do you want?” she responded “two please one with butter and jelly and the other plain” So he made breakfast with her desired toast on the plate. When she saw the toast, she gave him this crazy look while shaking her head.
He said, “What did I do wrong now? That’s exactly what you asked for.” She said, “I should have known it. You Put butter and jelly on the wrong toast.”

You see Beloved, you can train yourself to see your spouse’s strengths, or you can train yourself to see their weaknesses. You can focus on what you like about your spouse and amplify their good qualities, or you can focus on what you don’t like and amplify the things that irritate, frustrate, or agitate you.

Some people have become so critically minded that no matter what the other one does, it’s not going to be right. They never see the good their spouse does anymore, and they’ve forgotten the reasons they fell in love and got married. It’s because they’re amplifying the wrong things.

Beloved, I know we all have faults and things that can get on each other’s nerves. But the key is, what are you amplifying? Are you just amplifying the irritation, frustration, or agitation, allowing that critical spirit to rise up? Or are you choosing to see the good and only focusing on the good?

You see, if you’re negative toward your spouse and you operate out of a critical spirit and it’s going to poison your whole outlook. You won’t communicate properly. You won’t want to do things together, and it will affect you in every area of your marriage.

After all, when we’re critical, we begin to badger and embellish and make a big deal out of things that aren’t big deals. Beloved, that’s when we start complaining that the wrong toast has the butter and jelly on it. “Well, you never wash your glass out.” “Well, you never want to take me out.” “You’re always busy.”

Beloved, I’ve discovered people respond to praise more than they respond to criticism. The next time you want your wife to wash and put up the dishes, instead of nagging and saying, “You’re lazy!!!
When are you ever going to wash these dishes? You haven’t put up the one’s from last night that I washed. This kitchen is a mess.” Just say, “Did I ever tell you that when you’re washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, you look so good?” or “When I see you cleaning up the kitchen you look so fine and so beautiful. You praise her like that, and she’ll wash the dishes and clean the kitchen every day!!! 😀

Beloved, people respond to praise more than criticism.

When we’re constantly critical, we must realize the problem isn’t with our spouse. It’s not even with our circumstances. The problem is with us.

There was this couple that moved into a new neighborhood. Early one morning while they were eating, the lady looked out the window and saw the neighbor hanging her wash out on the line to dry. She noticed that the wash was so dirty and so dingy. She said to her husband, “That neighbor doesn’t know how to wash. Her clothes aren’t clean. I wonder if she even uses detergent.” Day after day, she made these same comments. “I can’t believe she lets her family wear those dirty, dingy clothes.”

Several weeks later, she looked out that window, and the clothes were just as bright and clean and beautiful as could be. She was so surprised. She called her husband and said, “Honey, look. The lady finally learned how to wash. I wonder what happened.” The husband smiled and said, “Honey, I got up early this morning and cleaned our window.”

Beloved, the problem wasn’t that the neighbor had dirty laundry. The problem was the window she was looking through was not clean. She was seeing everything through a tainted filter. It’s the same way in our marriages. How dirty our neighbor’s laundry is depends greatly on how clean our own window is.

Here’s how the Scripture puts it, “To the pure all things are pure.” Beloved, if you can’t ever see anything right as you drive down the freeway, but only see the traffic and construction and potholes and never the beauty, or you only see the scratch in the floor and never the amazing house, if you never see what your spouse does right and only what they do wrong, then my encouragement to you is to clean your window. The problem isn’t with your spouse. It’s an internal issue.

You know in our home First Lady Donece and I like to make a pro and con list. If you struggle with internal issues, I would encourage you to make a list of the qualities that you like about your spouse. Write down the things that they do right. He may not be a good communicator, but he’s a hard worker. Put that on your list. She may have some weaknesses, but she’s a great mother, cook She’s smart. She’s intelligent. Write that down. Every day go over it. Start focusing on their good qualities.

Beloved, you have to make a switch. Decide today to start appreciating your spouse’s strengths and learn to downplay their weaknesses. If you do, your marriage will be filled with more peace, unity, and love, and you’ll see God bless your marriage in greater ways.

“To God Be the Glory”

http://www.christianhouseoffaithchof.net

December 14, 2016
“Examining Excessive Catastrophes”

Focal Reading: Isaiah 55:8-9

You know Beloved, have you ever noticed whenever a great disaster strikes, legitimate questions spring to mind such as: Why does the Lord let such things happen? Couldn’t He have stopped this? Doesn’t He care? The magnitude of death and destruction caused by earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, tornadoes or floods strips away all the everyday thoughts that normally occupy our minds and causes us to seek explanations for suffering.

Often we answer our own questions based on our relationship with God. Those who know nothing of Him have no frame of reference for understanding how He works. However, believers in Christ have the Bible to guide them as they wrestle through these issues. But even then, the accuracy of one’s perspective is determined by his/her knowledge of God’s Word. Those with a limited understanding of Scripture may very well come to inaccurate conclusions.

Beloved, we must guard against attempts at forcing God to act as we think He should. If He does something that won’t fit into the box we’ve designed for Him, we easily become upset, angry, or confused. The Lord will never stay within the parameters we set for Him. Since we are mortal, earth-bound, and sinful, we have a very narrow perspective and understanding of life. But our eternal, sinless, sovereign, and omniscient Creator sees and knows what we cannot perceive.

My dear friends, we must recognize and be sure that our viewpoint of God’s role in natural disasters comes from the Bible, not from our own limited “boxed perspective.” Scripture tells us of the Lord’s love, faithfulness, and wisdom. Whenever we cannot understand His ways, faith in His goodness must be our foundation.

“May God add many blessings to the life of the readers and doers of His Word.”

October 5, 2016
“Christened to Combat”

Focal Reading 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Peace be unto you my friends.

You know many Christians don’t realize that they’re in a battle. We have an Enemy who opposes us in every way. His purpose is to prevent us from becoming who God wants us to be and achieving what He’d have us do. The Devil frustrates our plans, confuses our minds, and brings feelings of anxiety and despair. But he doesn’t stop there. He also stirs up conflict, starts divisions in our relationships, ministries and churches.
There are several things that Christians should understand about this combat:
“The battle is real” – even if we can’t see it. The difficulty, pain, and discouragement Satan causes are genuine. His temptations are not imaginary, they overpower and entice us away from the Lord.
“The battle is spiritual” – Our struggle isn’t with one another but with invisible forces of wickedness. Although the conflict is waged in the spiritual realm, it impacts every part of us, our mind, will, emotions, desires, and even our bodies.
“The battle is tough” The Adversary fights dirty, and the encounter is “up close and personal.”
Our confrontation with the forces of evil is like spiritual hand-to-hand combat and flesh-to-flesh wrestling. He has a host of demonic beings who work constantly, even when we sleep.

Beloved, as long as we’re on earth, the war will continue.
Although the enemy is strong, there isn’t reason to be frightened. He’s no match for Christ, who lives within us. We’ve been entrusted with Jesus’ divine power over the Evil One.

Beloved, the only way we can access the Son’s authority is submitting to His lordship and walking in obedience to His Spirit.

“May God add blessings to the readers of this message.”

July 27, 2016
“Don’t Succumb to the Dispirited Attitude”

Focal Scripture:
Habakkuk 1:2

Beloved, have you ever felt trapped and dispirited?
If you have, then don’t feel bad because you’re not alone. At some point everyone experiences dashed hopes.

A person with a dispirited attitude is person that has lost enthusiasm and hope. A dispirited attitude is normally the initial reaction that occurs when there is an emotional response to a failed expectation. If a dispirited attitude is allowed to linger, it can turn into discouragement, which will hover you like a dark cloud. When that occurs, there’s no sense of happiness or satisfaction, no matter what you do.

Beloved, the conditions that activate these emotions can be unavoidable, but it all depends on how we choose to respond. We can either let sadness overpower our souls or face the situation with courage and bring it before the One who can help us.

Beloved, living with a dispirited attitude will divide the mind, making it hard to focus on anything besides our pain. Then as anger becomes habitual, we’ll look for someone to blame either God, the people around us, or ourselves. Frustration that isn’t controlled may develop into depression, which in turn will cause us to distance ourselves from others. I’m sure you know that many people don’t enjoy the company of someone who’s bitter and defeated. When Isolation occurs, it leads to a low self-esteem.

Finally, in the haze of the dispirited attitude, it becomes really easy to make poor decisions based on crushed emotions instead of truth. Obviously, choosing this self-destructive path isn’t God’s best for our lives.

Beloved, we’ll all face disappointment from time to time, but as Christians we should not allow ourselves to wallow in it. Instead, God wants us to trust Him with everything, even our unfulfilled expectations and deepest unhappiness.

Remember Beloved, Romans 8:28 tells us that there’s divine purpose for everything He allows to touch His children’s lives.

“May God continue to bless the readers and doers according to His will.”

June 29, 2016
“Parents It’s Your Responsibility”

Deuteronomy 11:18-20
Praise the Lord Beloved.

I can recall an interesting conversation I had with a young lady about several years back, who had just had her very first child. As we began to talk she allowed me to hold her infant son. I said to her, “It’s hard to believe that they are born with a sinful nature.” Well, she didn’t take to kindly to what I said and she began to oppose what I said. So, I used my better judgement and thought it was for the best that I not say anything else to quell an argument with her.

It has been a couple of years since I last saw her and I would love to talk to her now, to see if she thought any different since her son is now in preschool.

Beloved, at one point or another, all of us have felt a tug to do something that we knew was wrong. As adults and believers, we’ve learned that giving in to temptation is a sin against God. But small children do exactly as their natures dictate. Mother says, “Don’t touch,” but they reach out anyway.

You see, little ones don’t yet understand the wisdom of following a parent’s rules. Boys and girls must be taught to recognize the difference between good and evil before they can make the wise choice to do right. In the early years, a child is in a state of innocence. They’re neither righteous nor saved, but they’re safe from God’s wrath. So if the child dies, they go to heaven.

You find that the Bible refers to is as the innocent period.
In Deuteronomy 1:39 (NCV) which says: “Your little children that you said would be captured, who do not know right from wrong at this time, will go into the land. I will give the land to them, and they will take it for their own.”

And in Isaiah 7:16 (NCV) it says: “You are afraid of the kings of Israel and Aram now. But before the child learns to choose good and reject evil, the lands of Israel and Aram will be empty.”

Beloved, the Word of God confirms that there’s a period of time, when children are not morally accountable for their conduct. The age of moral responsibility differs from child to child. As little ones grow, they each develop the spiritual capacity to pursue righteousness or knowingly give in to evil.

Young parents, the years of innocence is the time for you to pour into your child or children sound biblical training and lessons on obedience. In other words, parents it’s your responsibility to teach your child or children how to respect, and comply. If you don’t you’re going to be held accountable.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 (NCV) says: “Remember my words with your whole being. Write them down and tie them to your hands as a sign; tie them on your foreheads to remind you. 19 Teach them well to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

May God encamp joy and happiness on everyone
who hears and does what thus says the Lord.

June 24, 2016
“Be Still”

Zechariah 2:13
“Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

There’s just too much noise!!! There’s just too much movement!!!

Beloved, have you ever pondered in your mind how some Christians can be going through so much hurt and misery and still they have happiness? It’s because they’re being still. They put all their worries in God’s hands.

Beloved, instead of paying attention to the noise of your apprehensions, listen to the voice of the Lord. We as Christians are not to let our joy come from our circumstances, because circumstances change.

The Lord remains the same. The Lord remains loyal, omnipotent, and loving. So allow your happiness to come from Christ. Be still, stop paying attention to the storm.
He has already demonstrated that He can calm any storm. Sometimes God allows trials so you can learn to be more dependent on Him.

God is saying I’m in control.
I can do all things. Stop fearing and trust in me instead.

So Beloved, when your thoughts are running rampant, don’t seek temporary help by watching TV, going on the internet, etc. Go find an isolated place. A place with no noise. When you stop and focus on the beauty of Christ, you’ll receive the peace that He has promised you. Believe me, when you cry out to Him in prayer you will feel His comfort.

BE STILL, and relax in the Lord. He’s in control.

Allow yourself to reflect on the times that He has helped you, other believers, and people in Scripture.

Beloved, God promises to help you and never leave you. Talk to Him, trust in Him, be still, and you will hear His calming voice and rest upon His strength.

“God Bless you.”

June 15, 2016
Daily Spiritual Deposit”

Bishop Houston’s “Living Waters”

From First Lady Donece “Niecy” Houston,
myself and CHOF Ministry,
We say “Peace Be Unto You!!!”

Beloved, have you encouraged or inspired anyone today? The Bible says to encourage one another daily. This tells me that encouragement should be practiced in our lives so that is becomes routine.

Growing up, my mother was a great inspiration. She always taught my brother Glynn Jr. and I to go out of our way to help others that needed help. And always be kind and always have an encouraging smile. Today I still make those spiritual deposits. When I look back over my life, the best part is the fact that I can inspire people with a smile and encourage many with a kind word. Today, I truly believe that I’m standing in some blessings because I’ve always tried to bring encouragement to some and inspiration to others. It’s something I was brought up to do and today I am able to pass on to others.

Maybe no one has taught you how to encourage or inspire and you may find it more challenging. But God says to encourage one another daily, which tells me He has put encouragement and inspiration into the minds and emotions of each of us. We all can cultivate a heart of encouragement and inspiration. It may just take a little practice.

The best place to be an inspiration and encourage is in your own home. If you make your home an environment of inspiration and encouragement, I believe that you’ll see peace and blessings in your life like you never expected. I believe your life will go to another level. I believe that if husbands and wives would encourage and inspire one another, families will go to another level higher.

When First Lady “Niecy” and I were first married, I would study her and watch what she was good at. I would thank her and encourage her. I’d read my Bible, and when a scripture would jump out at me, I would discuss with her. We may discuss it while in bed earlier in the morning while preparing for our day, during one of our breaks during the day or over dinner. One scripture that she loves and it encourages me says: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.” Beloved let me tell you, just to know that she believes in me that much has given me incredible strength in my life.

Beloved, I want you to always remember that the people who are closest to you need your encouragement and inspiration the most. Go out of your way to inspire and encourage your loved ones daily. Make those spiritual deposits and watch how God pours out His abundant blessing in your life in return!!!

Hebrews 3:13 (NCV) says: “But encourage each other every day while it is “today.” Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.”

“God Bless You”

June 9, 2016