C H O F Ministry

Tag: #Morning

  • “Generate Joy If You Can Discover It”

    Bishop Houston's Monday Morning Blog New PosterPraise the Lord.  Happy Monday to you.

    Apprehension. Arrogance. Monotony. Idleness. Overthinking. Crying. Feeling sorry, guilty, as if you’re not good enough. Hurting others with the truth or comforting them with a lie. Listening to a reply or trying to understand.

    Beloved, life becomes increasingly complicated. But really, it’s not. It’s actually dang simple. It’s hard, but simple.

    I believe there’s something that keeps everything in place so to speak. The Universe. Yes, it’s a work of art.

    In the world of men and women, what keeps everything in place is love.

    That’s because love is the only force on Earth that takes as many forms as fear does. Overthinking is a special form of fear. So is anxiety. Or shyness. Hope is a special form of love. You can feel it, don’t you? Even when nothing makes sense, even when your brain tells you to give up, there’s something inside you fighting to keep on going. Fighting because one day it will all make sense.

    One day you will understand.

    In life, we’re taught one lesson. How to love. Ourselves. One another. The world. What we do. What we have. What happened.

    Compassion is a different form of love. So is patience. Or courage. This world will break you until you understand this one lesson. If you don’t love yourself, you’ll always be chasing after people who don’t love you either. If you don’t see magic and beauty in yourself, you won’t see it anywhere else.

    You see what you are. You are what you love. You’re what you choose to be.

    Beloved, in life it’s not so important what you are, what your qualities are, but what you see. What you’re looking at changes according to how you feel inside.

    The world is but a mirror, showing us our soul. It’s also not important what you do, but why you do it.

    Being kind to others because you want to be perceived as kind or because it’s expected of you or you will ultimately made to feel unwelcomed, an outsider or like a fraud. You’ll always be afraid that people will expose you I’m speaking of your weakness to love and be loyal. But be kind because that’s the right thing to do, even if no one’s ever going to repay you or even show you gratitude… And there’s a very good chance no one will ever even notice… Treat others not according to who they are or how they treat you. Treat others as a reflection of your character. Be who you want to be, not what others want you to be. Know that happiness is not a destination, but a way of travel.

    And understand deeply that love is capable of conquering all. Sooner or later.

    Have a Blessed Monday Everyone

  • “Veracity”

    Bishop Houston's Monday Morning Blog New Poster

    Praise the Lord Beloved!!!
    Happy Monday to you.

    Isolation, Loneliness, Solitude. Beloved, these are three of the most common characteristics as pastors and church leaders encounter even though we’re surrounded by many people. Our position as shepherds, separated from the flock in many ways, can cause us to become closed off to much of the world.

    You see, living a private life in secrecy or inaccessibility leaves room for self-betray and, eventually, to what I call a culpability breakdown.

    So, to avert that breakdown, we need the openness that connecting with others provides. Recognizing our need for others means that we stay very alert of any predisposition to compromise. We also understand that we’re not invulnerable to a fall. We must be willing to be open and connect. So, we sustain genuine accountability as pastors.

    Now young pastors or church/ministry leaders, I have a little advise for you,
    “if “you want to sustain your veracity.

    Now, if you noticed, you’ll see your seasoned pastors or church/ministry leaders with only a few men with integrity. And the reason for this is because they can be themselves without any fall out. You see, for me personally It’s a common practice for me to choose people outside the scope of my work. As a ministry leader, I don’t choose too many pastors to hang out with. I try to connect with those who can evaluate my life with objective eyes and I choose people who aren’t in awe of my presence. I also seek the people who doesn’t have anything to gain or lose.

    Second, you must be committed to absolute, deep down honesty. In other words, you have refuse to hide, excuse or deny. That’s because self-betrayal is a danger for all people, especially pastors, ministers and leaders.

    truth-lies-accuracy-veracity-quintessential-leader

    I have found this within myself, that for some reason we as pastors or Sr. leaders feel that being an “example” means we never make mistakes, so we try to cover it up!!! I have found that in a leadership role you must be very attentive “cautious” against any half-truths, because the only ones we fool are ourselves.

    And finally, be determined to answer diversified questions on a variety of practical topics to facilitate your openness. A lot of times I’m painfully specific such as:

    *Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as negotiating?
    *Have any of your financial dealings lacked honesty?
    *Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
    *Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer this week?
    *Have you invested sufficient priority time to your family?
    *Have you fulfilled the directives of your pastoral or ministerial, role?
    *Have you just lied to me?

    LOL!!! And that last one is the clincher!!!

    Beloved, unless you’re a practiced hypocrite, answering these questions in a small group of individuals will provide you the spiritual and moral anchorages you need to accomplish your God-given role as a pastor or ministry leader.

    You see, when we intentionally engage ourselves with those who keep us honest, we safeguard our lives, our families, and our flocks from the backwash of the accountability breakdown. The pain of real accountability is nothing compared to the pain from a lack of veracity.

    Have a blessed Week Everyone.

  • “Tell Someone You Love – You Love Them”

    Momma recovery.png

    Praise the Lord Beloved.
    Happy Monday to you.

    This past weekend was one that saw horror, fear and some confusion as my family experienced a crisis we never saw coming. While visiting my brother and other family and friends in Austin, Texas, while preparing for a trip our beloved mother Elnoria Butler was found by a granddaughter unconscious and immediately rushed to an Austin, Texas area hospital for immediate surgery.

    Thanks to God first, a quick-thinking brother and sister-in-law our mother is
    as of this blog post recovering with loving family members by her side.

    Beloved, everyone’s life crashes into a serious illness sooner or later. Maybe it happens to you, maybe your spouse, or maybe someone else close to you, but no one is immune. Fear and uncertainty arrive at the moment of diagnosis, weighing down patients that are alert or for family members with an overwhelming question: What do I (we) do next?

    But, when the crisis comes it’s important that everyone come peacefully together to answer the question: What do I (we) do next?

    Now, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or frightened, or anxious when we’re told about a loved one’s illness. But you know beloved, many families are shredded apart when a crisis is centered.

    Some for personal gain, some for manipulation, and some for the purpose of true agape (love).
    But love and peace becomes futile when there’s massive unrest is in a family.

    I thank God for His Productive Words of healing in a time of a crisis.

    Ephesians 2:14-22  ESV)
    14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

    Beloved, today reach out to someone you love and tell them you love them,
    because telling them later- JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE.

    Please keep my mother and my family in your prayers as we go through this crisis.

    I love you all!!!
    Have a blessed Monday Everyone. 😀

  • “How to have Confidence in God Completely”

    New Blog Picture

    Beloved, I want you to visualize going to your favorite amusement park. You get on the rollercoaster, fastened in and just like that, nervousness grasps you. Your normal response is to improve your grip and reposition yourself to get some control, so you grasp the security bars tighter.

    Or maybe you’re the one who keep your hands wide open and enjoy the experience.

    Beloved, if you’re anything like me, you grip the security bar, close your eyes while tightening every muscle in your body while millions of thoughts of how to survive go through your mind. It’s in those moments I’m regretting I got on. But after it’s all over, I’m glad I did and want to go on again!!!
    Beloved, this is an example of how we tend to live out our lives with God.
    Either with a closed fist “wanting to be in control of all that’s happening out of fear”. This is nothing more than mere transitory security. Or, you have your hands wide open with no reservations of the unknown and no expectations, knowing that a Sovereign God has your life in His hands. And, has created all the threads and qualities of your life so complicatedly, like beautiful well-hung drapery.
    While the prior example may seem to present the most comfortable situation, I can tell you that God is after the latter. He’s always after your faith!!!
    Romans 8:28 tells us He works all things for your good!!!

    Romans 8 28

    Beloved, God wants you to completely have confidence in Him.

    While it’s easy to say you believe that God is Lord and you have faith in Him, He’s requesting you to also put your confidence in Him for all the complications you face in life.

    Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NLT) says:
    7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. 8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

    There’s one phrase that you’ll normally hear in most types of relationships is “just trust me.”

    As a Minister, I say that a lot to many people when I’m trying to get them to try something new that’s extraneous to them. As a Minister, I would never put my fellow followers in harm’s way or have them try something that would upset, wound, or offend them, it’s the reverse!!!

    I want them to find gratification from this something new.
    Beloved, it’s the same with God. He wants to do good to us, it’s His desire, while also transporting to Himself the honor He’s due.
    Now, my question to you is: What Door(s) Are You Knocking On To Put Your Confidence In?
    Not long ago, First Lady, Donece asked me to go to lunch with her. She wanted to take me to this fast food restaurant that didn’t serve the food I liked. I went back and forth with her trying to persuade her to select something we both liked. But because she knows me well, she knew that they had something that I would love despite my past experiences with this type of food. I finally gave in, and you know what? I ended up loving this specific sandwich she wanted me to try!!!

    Beloved, all along she kept saying to me, “Just trust me.” You see, I thought I already knew what was best for me, so I wanted to regulate in other words “control” the situation.

    This is what God is saying to us daily because He knows us!!!
    He’s saying just to trust Him!!!
    Trust Him with our:
    • jobs
    • children/grandchildren
    • finances
    • marriage
    • family relations
    • school
    • health
    With absolutely everything!!! Without questions!!!

    God is saying to you: “Stop holding on!!! Let Go!!! I Got You!!! Take hold of my hand and just trust Me!!!”

    Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) says:
    5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
    6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

    Proverbs 3 5 6

    Now I must admit, this area is a little scary in terms of understanding this.The unidentified or strange can be startling!!!

    But when the Lord reestablished my relationship with Him, that was one of the first and scariest things He had me do!!!
    To surrender control and select to have faith over fear was the key. It was essential for my transformation. I wouldn’t be doing ANY of what I’m doing today without that step of faith.

    Beloved, it absolutely was the best decision of my entire life.

    Sure, I might have closed my eyes tight and turned my head back, but my hands were wide open.

    Many of you know my past!!! I’m sure many of you are amazed at my transformation. Let me tell you from my life experience, God is able-if you allow Him to take control.

    Beloved, is the cry of your heart, “God, have Your way?”
    Or, are you still repudiating to let Him have complete control?
    My question to you is, why are you so afraid to let go and let God?
    There’s a song sung by the late Rev. James Cleveland called “I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired” the words of the song are awesome.

    “I don’t feel no ways tired,
    I’ve come too far from where I started from.

    Nobody told me that the road would be easy,
    I don’t believe He brought me this far to leave me.”

    If you allow God to take control, He will not drop you off and leave you.

    Let me tell you Beloved, even though at times countless methods of perceived trials come up against you, you may feel all alone or no one is paying attention to what’s going on in your life, just remember God is in control of everything that’s going on. Everything is at the mercy of God, and nothing can touch or overtake you without almighty God’s authorization or endorsement.

    When your life is held in the palms of His hands, you have no reason to be frightened or stressed out. Allow yourself to get to that place where you say repeatedly, “I don’t believe You brought me this far to leave me.” Not because you know what your future holds, but because you serve a great God who does. 

    Now let me tell you right here, God won’t pry open your hands to receive His plans for your life. But, He’ll always accept the invitation if you let Him in.

    Beloved, you must have complete confidence in God.

    Hebrews 11:1-2 (NLT) says:
    Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

    In the Bible, there was a former prostitute named Rahab who lived in a city that God commanded the Israelites to destroy and take over.
    When Joshua and his men came into the city, terror gripped the people who lived there. But Rahab showed a significant amount of courage and faith. She didn’t know their God, but she heard about and His mighty acts. Instead of running, and showing terror, she risked her own life by hiding the two Hebrew spies in her home.
    Beloved, it was her act of faith that allowed God’s plans to succeed, and her entire family was spared!!! Sure, she could have easily turned the men in or hardened her heart against this foreign God. She could have rejected them by just saying, “No.”
    But she didn’t!!! She allowed her faith, her confidence to be bigger than her fear.

    Faith Bigger Than Fear.png

    Little did she know that God had a great plan for her life!!!

    Beloved, she was a woman shamed and looked down upon in society!!! But not in the eyes of God!!! He saw who she would become through His grace, mercy, and power.
    God ended up blessing Rahab, and she became the great-grandmother to King David!!! And eventually, her name was written down in the actual lineage leading up to the birth of King Jesus!!!
    ​Now, if Rahab was able to open her hands at that moment and trust an unknown God, then how much more can you trust a God that you do know?!!! 😀

    To God Be the Glory.
    Have a blessed week Everyone.

     

  • “Confirm Your Reservation”

    New Blog Picture

    Praise the Lord Beloved!!! Happy Monday to you. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a joyful Sunday.

    This morning I was led by the Holy Spirit to read Ephesians Chapter 2 and it put a great smile on my face because I saw my past, present, and eternal life.

    Beloved, God has raised us up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus!!!
    YES!!! That’s what the Word of God says. There are very few who actually believe this. And  know actually, we’ve elevated Jesus. We’ve exalted Him, and this is the way it should be!!! But, at the same time, we’ve unintentionally belittled what He did by not allowing Him to bring us along with Him.

    You see, that was God’s purpose at Calvary “to bring us along with Jesus.” To make us what He already was.

    You see Beloved, Jesus didn’t need exalting. He was exalted before He ever came to this earth. He was already one with the Father. He didn’t need to get authority over the devil. He’d never lost it!!!

    He put on a physical body so that He could come to earth as a man and gain authority over sin and illness, demons, distress, deficiency and all the other curses that came when the law of death moved into the earth, and He did just what He came to this earth to do. Yes!!! He succeeded!!! He mastered everything in the world of the “intellect”, everything in the physical world.

    But before He ascended, He said, “All authority is given unto Me both in heaven and in the earth.” Then He turned around and gave that authority to us by giving us His Name. “HALLELUJAH!!!”

    You and I are the reason Jesus came to earth and died and lived again. He didn’t do it for Himself. He did it so He could bring us together with Him. So, we could wear His Name and exert His authority on the earth. He did it so that we could stand before God and be everything to Him that Jesus is.

    Beloved, when you were born again, you were made the righteousness of God in Christ!!! So, this week as a born-again believer, let us all continue to accept the challenge to receive God’s message, to meditate on it and to act on it.

    Beloved it’s time to confirm your reservation around the throne.

    Have a blessed week Everyone.

  • “Yea!!!-The Yoke Is Coming Off!!!”

    New Blog Picture
    Praise the Lord Beloved!!! Happy Monday to you. 😀
    I hope you had a marvelous weekend and a rejoicing Sunday.

    This morning, I want you to know that God never created you to be ordinary. He created you to leave your mark on this generation. 😀 Beloved, God wants you to do something “BIG”!!! He wants you to go further than anyone in your family.

    Believe it or not, you my friend, have seeds of greatness inside of you. I want you to know that the yoke that’s been around your neck of being who the world has called abnormal is coming off!!!

    Beloved, God is about to push you to a new level of destiny. You’re going to have a new purpose in life, your intentions will now have pathways. 😀 That’s because your spiritual ability has grown to a mature level that can hear and recognize God’s calling on your life.

    Beloved, your life is going to be extremely copious!!! It’s going to be much greater than what you could ever envision!!! This is a new day, and you’re going to see the harness-destroying, burden-removing power of our God like never before!!! 😀

    Beloved, if you’ll receive this into your spirit and not talk yourself out of it, your faith will ignite and become a reality. Let these words go beyond being an encouragement and grab hold of it in your spirit.

    Beloved believe then say: “THIS IS FOR ME!!! THIS IS MY DESTINY!!! SOMETHING NEW IS BEING BIRTH!!! I HAVE FAITH THAT BURDENS ARE COMING OFF OF ME!!! CHAINS ARE BEING BROKEN!!! I’M BELIEVING WHAT GOD’S WORD IS SAYING TO ME, SO I’M STEPPING INTO MY DESTINY RIGHT NOW!!!”

    To God Be the Glory!!!
    Have a blessed week Everyone. 😀

  • CHOF Ministry-Morning Inspiration

    Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)
    20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

    Monday Inspiration

  • “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!!! 😀

  • “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!!!

  • “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.