C H O F Ministry

Tag: Unconditional

“Unconditional Love, Compassion and Redirection”

Praise the Lord!!! Happy Tuesday Everyone. 😀

Beloved, some Christians feel vindicated when they condemn others for their behavior based on how long they’ve been saved or how “good” they’ve been. If Jesus, who’s our example, and the “ONLY” perfect person “NEVER” condemn others, what makes some of us think we can condemn others?

You see, condemnation is an act that leaves a person sensitive, perplexed, embarrassed, feeling guilty or humiliated. Jesus had a justifiable reason to condemn this woman caught in adultery. Instead of condemning her, He demonstrated grace (unconditional love) and mercy (compassion – kindness) towards her. At the same time, He didn’t excuse her sin, but what He did do was redirected her by saying “sin no more.”

Mixing grace (unconditional love), mercy (compassion – kindness), and redirection lovingly adjust unrighteous behavior. These are the essential tools a person needs when they know they’ve done wrong.

Beloved, the next time someone has missed the mark, don’t condemn them. Show grace (unconditional love), mercy (compassion – kindness), and redirection towards them. Amen? Aaamen. 😀

Let Us Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Unconditional Love, Compassion and Redirection. In Jesus’ name, I pray, 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 will be permitted to enter our room and blow out our earthly light. So today, reach out and touch someone and tell them you love them, BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE – I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Have an enjoyable Tuesday. 😀

Let Us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Unconditional Love, Compassion and Redirection. In Jesus’ name, I pray, 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 will be permitted to enter our room and blow out our earthly light. So today, reach out and touch someone and tell them you love them, BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE – I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Have an enjoyable Tuesday. 😀

September 24, 2019
“The Most Incredible Gift”

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound -That saved a wretch like me. – I once was lost, but now am found – Was blind, but now I see.”

For over 200 years “Amazing Grace” is perhaps the greatest adored spiritual hymn ever written and sung. It unfolds deep religious-philosophical jubilation. It’s estimated to be performed over 10 million times every year and has been on over 11,000 albums. The words of this celebrated song were created by John Newton. In the mid-1700s, Newton worked on a slave vessel and was labeled as the most disrespectful man the captain had ever met. During a storm, Newton directed his sailors to tie themselves to the ship to evade being washed overboard. He then pleaded to God for mercy. It’s written that God found him in his despicable mentality and redeemed him and it was that experience Newton recognized the gift of God’s grace.

Beloved, grace is the unmerited favor of God. Romans 3:24 reminds us that we were once condemned because of our sin, but we’re now saved by God’s grace. We haven’t done anything special to merit this act of mercy from God. We can’t do enough in our power, in any way to prove ourselves good. There’s no way we can lift one finger to save ourselves. It’s God’s grace that provides a path. In our text this morning, Paul thanks God for the grace that saved the church in Corinth and brought them together as the body of Christ.

We’re multiparty recipients of this grace, united by this act of divine mercy, it’s a gift we all share. And this grace produces results. In Verse 5 Paul says by grace, we’re improved in every way, including our speech and the way we think. Grace produces many changes in our lives that are visible to others. It’s grace that’ll see us home!!! Verse 8 says, “He will also keep you firm to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Beloved, not one of us could appear faultless before God without this amazing gift of grace!!!

Let Us Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, this morning we thank You for Your Amazing Gift of Grace. If it was not for Your Amazing unconditional love this unmerited undeserved favor could not be applied to our life. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound -That saved a wretch like me. – I once was lost, but now am found – Was blind, but now I see.” 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 be permitted to enter our room and blow out our earthly light. So today, reach out and touch someone and tell them you love them, BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE – TOO LATE.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! – Have an “AMAZING” Sunday.

September 22, 2019
“Personally, Adjudicating Your Neighbor”

Praise the Lord Beloved. Happy Monday to you all. 😀

You know Beloved, it’s very, very – VERY, easy to discover and intensify the errors of others, especially when it overshadows our own weaknesses and inadequacies. Actually, it’s easy to insult or criticize someone at the expense of their misfortune(s) “especially if we dislike them”, while we ignore our own failures. Beloved, if you claim the Christian faith these kinds of acts can’t and shouldn’t be taken lightly!!! It’s wrong and a very serious misguided step on your spiritual journey. You see, trying to make yourselves look better or standout, by employing dishonorable means is just outright wrong and only smears “YOUR” character and reputation. This is “hypocrisy” at its best, which our Savior avoided and ignored and repetitively warned His disciples about!!!

Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not saying stop applying godly discernment, and good old common sense, to discern right from wrong, to differentiate between ethical ideologies and unscrupulous corruption. But what “I am saying” is you should NEVER judge your neighbor from a predetermined, impartial, or instigated platform. Fact is many of you insult or criticize a person or people you’ve never personally met or spoken to, so you don’t know their life’s story- THIS IS WRONG ON SO MANY LEVELS. Your information is from gossip-hearsay “he said – she said” mess!!! (*1)

Beloved, there’s only one magistrate and that is the Lord. (*2)

Someone out there may be asking: So, Bishop Houston, who is my neighbor? – “Well I’m Glad You asked. 😀 It’s everyone!!! Whether a friend or rival, a Believer or not, rich or poor. We as Christians should treat everyone alike with unconditional loving kindness.

To put it simply, just don’t speak evil against one another. Remember, with each judgment we make of our neighbor, the exact same measure will be handed to us. (*3)

Amen? – 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 be permitted to enter our room and blow out our earthly light. So today, reach out and touch someone and tell them you love them, BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Have a wonderful Monday and a great week. 😀

CHOF Ministry’s Cross Reference Scriptures

*1. Leviticus 19:16, James 1:26, Proverbs 10:18, Romans 1:29-32

*2. James 4:11-12

*3. Matthew 7: 2

July 8, 2019
“Stop, Resolve, Return”

Praise the Lord Beloved!!! What an awesome day to serve the Lord!!!

Beloved, Jesus expresses to us soundly to stop praying for forgiveness until we’ve made things right with people we need to forgive or ask forgiveness from. I believe many of us try to do that. Several weeks ago, I was asked a tremendous question: Bishop Houston, what if it’s impossible for me to reconcile because one, the offended person has died, and two, the other person won’t hear me out to accept my forgiveness? I’m very upset and mentally frustrated. I can relate to this question and maybe some of you may be in this same predicament.

This is what I suggest (it helped me tremendously) – share your burden of guilt with someone who you can trust—your spouse, a therapist, your pastor. Don’t beat around the bush!!! You must be detailed and completely honest. Pray with that person and confess openly the wrong and the guilt of your soul. In such cases prayer and the presence of unconditional consideration, and an encouraging individual will provide the release you need so desperately.

You know, after David had indirectly murdered Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, his guilt was massive. Think about it – ADULTERY, and HYPOCRISY on top of MURDER – just about did ol’ King David in. Finally, when he was caving in, he broke his silence and pursued God’s forgiveness, but Uriah was not there to hear his confession. He had been dead almost a year. The broken king called on the prophet Nathan and poured out his soul, “I have sinned . . . .” then Nathan followed quickly with these words: “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.”

Beloved, when you have been the cause of an offense, that’s, when you’re the offender, have the heart of a servant. Take a break from what you’re doing, go resolve the issue, and then return to your daily activity.

There is nothing wrong with confessing your sins one to another. Pride is the only element that will stop you – and we all know what God thinks about pride.
Amen? – Aaamen.

Let us Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for waiting to ask for forgiveness to the ones that are no longer present. Lord there are many with unforgiving hearts, help them to take off the shackles of hatred, malice, hurt, so that the pathway of conscience be cleared and ethical activity will presume according to Your spiritual resolve.

In Jesus’ Name I Pray, Amen and Aaamen.

Have a Splendid Friday and an Ethical Weekend.
www.chofministry.net

July 5, 2019
“Pure/Sure Love”

Praise the Lord Beloved. Forgive me for the late post.Stayed up and watched the Raptors vs. Warriors basketball game last night. I hope your day has started off awesome. 😀

You know a couple of my desires in life was to find a mate and a networking family that loved me just as much as I loved them, and to have a pure/sure “Unadulterated Unquestionable” love, one without hidden agendas and/or worldly material characteristics. I thank God for my beautiful spirited wife (Donece – “Niecy”) and those of you who have solidified your unconditional interactions with me and CHOF Ministry.

Beloved, to know that you’re loved affects much in your heart and your mind which affects your emotions. A huge factor that impacts the attitude of the child is the feeling that their parents love them. The love of God is unlimited, and it exceeds all our immoralities. His love is higher than anything in this world, and that kind of love is freely given to us. That’s why God can save us from all our sins. 😀 His love is greater than all our sins.

Therefore, we who have experienced this kind of love should reproduce it towards those around us. We can share God’s great love with others in many ways. But first, we have to realize and recognize that God loves us so, so, so much. At times we don’t realize that’s why many people are still in an unhappy place or situation, disheartened and disconnected, hostile and unreceptive, and in pain – hurt. But when we come to understand that God loves all of us so, so, so much, it’ll bring us pure/sure joy and hope, and it’ll change our attitude towards many things in life. Amen? – 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 be permitted to enter our room and blow out our earthly light. So today, reach out and touch someone and tell them you love them,
BECAUSE TELLING THEM LATER JUST MIGHT BE – TOO LATE.

Beloved, I thank you for being such an inspiration to us. 😀
I LOVE YOU ALL and have a blessed Tuesday Everyone.

June 11, 2019
“Living an Agape Life”

Bishop Houston’s “Word of the Month”

Beloved,
The word Agape (agápē) is a Greek word translated to mean love.
It’s the highest form of love, especially brotherly love, charity. It is the kind of love God has for man and man has for God. It’s an “UNCONDITIONAL adoration.”
If we’re going to live in “Agape” love, we have to learn to forgive one another.
The Bible says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, but instead, forgive. And above all things, put on love.”
*That means: above having your own way, above your own agenda,
choose to put on love.

The apostle Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17 that we would be “rooted and established in love so that we would have power together with all the saints.”

Beloved,
when we choose to walk in love, we have the power of God in our lives,
as well as healthier relationships. We should always look for the best in each other. That’s one of the things I love about Lady Donece “Niecy” Houston. I used to think that she didn’t see the things that people did wrong or were doing to her. Then I realized: It’s not that she doesn’t see them;
she chooses not to focus on them.
That’s what Jesus taught. One day a group of Pharisees brought a woman to Him who had been caught in adultery. The Law said that she should be stoned, but Jesus didn’t condemn her. Instead, He said, “Those of you without sin, go ahead;
you throw the first stone.”

*The woman’s accusers began to look within themselves.
Then, they walked away.

Friends,
we can all throw rocks and point out each other’s faults, but we need to make allowances for one another. We don’t know what some people have been through. We don’t know the pain and heartache they’ve experienced.
When the woman’s accusers had all slipped away, Jesus told her,
“Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more.”

Beloved,
let’s learn to walk in “Agape” unconditional love and see the best in everyone.
A house divided will fall.
That’s why it’s so important to keep peace in your home and in your family.
Be the first to apologize. “Be quick to forgive.”

Someone once asked me If Lady Donece “Niecy” and I argue. Yes, we disagree, but you can’t argue with someone who won’t argue with you, and Lady Donece won’t argue!!! She’s made up her mind that we’re going to walk in love, because that is where the power is. At times, Lady Donece “Niecy” and I have said, “All right, we can’t see eye to eye on this, so we’re just going to agree to disagree.”

I can’t help it if she’s wrong sometimes!!!

When Lady Donece “Niecy and I got married, I like my own way, and when I didn’t get it, I wasn’t happy. Then God spoke clearly to me: Bishop Houston, if you don’t change the way you’re acting, you’re going to change the woman you married.

Well, that got my attention, because I didn’t want to change Lady Donece “Niecy’s” personality.
I love Lady Donece “Niecy” (Unconditionally). That’s why I married her.
I knew that I had to be willing to make some changes.

In many relationships, after time, people neglect to walk in Agape
(unconditional) love.
One day, they realize that their hearts have changed. You hear it all the time:
“We just grew apart.”

Lady Donece “Niecy” and I remind ourselves often that God brought us together. He’s got a good plan for our marriage. You need to remind yourself that God has put that person in your life, and He’s got good things in store. If you will do your part by being kind, respecting one another, treating each other the way you want to be treated, God will do His part, and you can live in Agape love!!!

God Bless You All.

August 24, 2015