This Week's Revivals

This has been a great week in the Lord. The meeting in Lebanon, Tennessee with Pastor George Wallace was an awesome encounter with God. Each evening found us being drawn closer to the presence of God. Pastor Wallace made this declaration several times during the meetings; "This is a come to Jesus meeting." I believe that these are the times that we must respond to the need to follow after God not just in our words but in our actions. I was truly blessed by the meeting at Lebanon and my desire to pursue God was re-ignited through the unction of the Spirit. I am now involved in two nights of a Gospel Tent Meeting in Tullahoma, Tennessee. A young minister, Roy Woods felt led of the Spirit to call several churches together for a time of seeking after God for the needs of the community. God is answering his prayers as Pastors and local churches are coming together to cry out for God and the needs that we are facing in America. I was privileged to minister the Word last night and pray in the altar for numbers of people. I am anticipating another great move of God tonight. I still believe and I still declare that this is the day of awakening and revival for America. We must arise from our apathy and assume our spiritual role of responsibility. Will you answer that call and assume your spiritual responsibility?

Gospel Tent Revival

I am preparing for the evening service at a Tent Revival in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Bro. Roy Woods has organized this meeting and he has invited me to preach tonight and tomorrow night. I became acquainted with Bro. Roy at the Browntown, Alabama revival where he came to visit. I am both blessed and excited about what God is doing in the Kingdom of God. He is calling for His people to unite in the purpose of reaching the lost and sharing the power of the Gospel message. We need to rejoice in the fact that God is calling us to join Him in what He is doing in this world to reach the lost and hurting. O God, let us see the fields that they are ripe for harvest; we pray for laborers to be raised up in this day and time. Let us be willing to give our best to this great cause of Jesus Christ.

Focus

The Lord keeps reminding me that I need to stay focused on Him and what He desires to do in our lives. It is easy to focus on us and not on Him. It is easy to make church about us and what we are doing rather than the presence of Christ to touch and change the lives of those who are in the service. We must learn to check our egos, attitudes, agendas and opinions at the door of the church and allow our focus to be turned in sincere adoration to God. I desire to be a worshipper of God and to allow His name to be lifted up on High so that men and women can be drawn to Him. He will minister to us when we recognize His authority and His leadership.

Promise of God's Presence

The service last night at Lebanon was awesome. The presence of God was recognized by all that was present in the service. Many of us moved forward to offer our sincere worship as the Holy Spirit challenged our hearts during the invitation time. As we began to offer sincere worship to God, the Creator of the Universe, the Spirit began to minister to the needs of those sincere worshippers. The lives of people were changed by the presence of God. The devil does not want the church to be hungry for the presence of God; but I am refusing that tactic of the enemy. Many of us hear God calling and we are running to Him and in His presence we are being transformed. Psalms 31:19 says this to us: "Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You. Which You have prepared for those who trust in You. In the presence of the sons of men!" (NKJV). During prayer time I was reminded that God has made preparation for my future and that God has reserved blessings and opportunities for that future. That promise is spoken to all of you today as well as to me; we can have confidence in God as we continue to place our trust in Him. I am ready to walk in the promise of His presence.

Sunday Services

The meetings at Lebanon were very anointed and powerful yesterday. The altar was full in both services as people responded to the call of the Spirit to draw closer to God. Many were blessed, strengthened, encouraged, and several testified to specific needs being met in their lives. Two (2) individuals testified of receiving the baptism of the Spirit as the Lord ministered to people in the altar service. These are not the days to grow lax in our pursuit of God; these are the days to hear the call from God and respond in faith to that call. These are unique times in which we are living. We are facing situations that can be very challenging; over the past few days we have received several requests from people that are walking through a very difficult time in their lives. But in the midst of our trials we need to remember that God will not forsake us nor forget us. Rather than leaving us He will draw near to us in our time of pain and suffering. O God, strengthen your people today and allow our faith to be strong and let us follow You with resolve and courage. AMEN!

Walking in Faith

In a discussion with my wife she reminded me that our faith has to be something more than just spoken words but it has to be lived out through our daily walk with God. It is easy to say that I am "walking by faith" but does my life demonstrate that type of faith to my friends, family and fellow church attenders? I desire for my life to be defined by my actions as well as my words. What is my lifestyle speaking to people even when I am not using words? How does people around me describe my walk with God? Is my life representing Christ in a manner that causes people to recognize Him at work in me? I desire for my life to be a living testimony and not just words and phrases that I can learn to say.

Looking Forward

One of the worship songs that I enjoy singing declares these words; "These are the days of the Harvest." We must understand that God has placed all of us in the Kingdom for such a time as this. What do yo see as you observe this world? Do we only see heartache, suffering, turmoil, difficulty or do we see an opportunity to shine as lights in the midst of the darkness. We must hear the call from God and open our eyes and see that the fields are ready to harvest. But the greater question resides in this challenge; "Am I preparing my heart to be a worker in the field or am I content to let others do the work in the harvest field?" Jesus reminded us to pray for laborers; I am praying for God to raise up laborers who will connect their heart with the heart of God and the heart of the Pastor and reach our communities with the great Gospel message of hope, forgiveness and deliverance. Dear God, hear the cry of our heart and send us laborers in this end time harvest!

Assuming Responsibility

I am convinced that this is the time that all believers need to accept our responsibility and become serious about our relationship with God. It is easy for us to pass spiritual responsibilities to others and seek to live a life of "spiritual comfort and ease." But God is calling us out of our comfort zone into a passionate pursuit of His presence. I recognize a greater hunger for Him today than I did yesterday. The events in our world that is taking place demands that we arise to the occasion and assume our place as intercessors, worshippers, and witnesses of the blessings of Jesus Christ. Will we answer the challenge or will we choose to ignore our responsibilities and shift them to someone else? No one else can answer that challenge for you!

God Has Promised to Help

After I had concluded my prayer time this morning, I was reminded of the passage of scripture found in Isaiah 41:13; "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, Fear not, I will help you" (NKJV). Many of us are facing situations in which we need to be reminded that God will hold our hand and that God will help us. It is so easy to forget the promises of God when you are walking through the valley of challenges and decisions. But rest assured the Lord will not walk away from us but He, the Lord God Almighty, has promised to walk with us. What a great and wonderful promise that God has given to us. It is no wonder that God is calling for all of us to trust Him in a deeper manner.

The Need For Prayer

During this past Assembly week we were reminded on several occasions about the need for intercessors. We can never forget the need to pray. As I stated in the Saturday afternoon ministry time "we must pray, pray again, pray again, and then pray again." We can not afford to stop praying. Pray in faith believing; God will respond to the cries of our heart. You can view the Saturday afternoon ministry time at the International Assembly by going to www.cogop.org and click on the webcast window and follow the listings until you reach the Saturday portion of the program. I trust you will be blessed by the service in Nashville.

International Assembly

The International Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy concluded on Sunday in Nashville, TN. The presence of the Lord could be discerned in each of the sessions. The worship was awesome, the preaching was anointed, and the altar services were powerful. Many of us went away from that meeting realizing that we had encountered the transformation power of the Holy Spirit. Bishop R.E. Howard should be commended for his leadership throughout this past week, the Lord worked through him as he moderated his first International Assembly since he was installed in his present position. To God be the glory for all that was accomplished in the services. I certainly appreciate your prayers for the past week. The Lord provided the strength that I needed to fulfill my responsibilities as part of the Assembly Planning and Management Team. We faced the challenge of long days but God was good and the Lord blessed me with a wonderful team of workers who provided diligent and quality service to those who attended the Assembly. I also thank you for the prayer covering for the Saturday afternoon session in which I had the opportunity to minister the Word and pray for people with various needs. The altar response was amazing. I appreciate those prayer partners and intercessors who ministered in the altar to those who came forward. They and I received many testimonies of healing, special blessings, deliverance and baptism of the Spirit. We give God praise and honor for all that He is doing in the lives of those who will believe. All of us are being challenged through the Word of God to continue to journey down this road of faith. I still believe that God responds to faith. Keep releasing your faith!

Thoughts from Nashville

We are in Nashville preparing for the International Assembly to begin on Tuesday morning. My duties may not afford me much opportunity to write this week but I will try and keep you updated as much as possible. I do desire your prayer covering for the Saturday afternoon time of ministry; I can sense that God has some good plans for the service if I will surrender the service to Him. I will also ask you to pray for the International Assembly; we are in need of a visitation of God. I read a devotional this morning that reminded me of the need of transformation. Am I willing to fully surrender my life to Christ and allow Him to work His will and plan in my life? Do I continue to hold control of my life or am I willing to place my future in His hands? I desire to completely yield the course of my life to His divine purpose and call. We will pray for each other as we continue this journey with God.

Prayer Meeting

I attend a Saturday morning Prayer Meeting at the Eastside Praise Church in Louisville. These are times of intercessory prayer concerning our personal relationship with Christ as well as the needs of the community. This morning the Lord reminded me that He desired "true fellowship" with His people and not just a form of religious exercises. We have replaced our relationship with God with religious actions and activities. We have replaced our passionate pursuit of God with mundane religious practices that are not releasing the transforming power of the Spirit. How long has it been since we have just sought after the presence of God and not after "something" that we needed? How long has it been since we have just enjoyed the presence of God without being in a hurry to move on to the next spiritual event on the agenda? As I prayed this morning I was reminded that God was looking for an opportunity to fellowship with me if I would make myself available to Him. As you prepare for worship service tomorrow; be ready to listen for the Voice of God and be prepared to respond to His presence.

God's Love is Amazing

Two separate devotionals this morning reminded me one more time about the wonderful love of God that has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It is amazing to think about the greatness of God and realize that He desires to love me, forgive me, walk with me on the journey called life and then be willing to allow me the opportunity to tell others about His love. Why are we so quiet about His love? Why do we fail to share His love with a hurting world who needs someone to show some interest in them and in the problems that they are facing? God's love will never fail; His love will reach to us when everything else has failed. His love will not forsake us at our moments of weakness and despair. I know that earlier this week I wrote about His love but the Spirit is stirring in my heart and leading me to declare the truth of His love one more time. Dear God, let me share your love with someone today and let them sense that You really care about them. Amen!

International Assembly

I am in Nashville, TN attending a meeting in preparation for my duties at the upcoming International Assembly of the Church of God of Prophecy. My duties will require my attendance for the full week of the activities. I also have the awesome opportunity to minister on Saturday afternoon (August 16th) during the Assembly. The service will be built around the theme "Awake to Miracles." I certainly believe that God is ready to provide the miracles that we need. I ask for you to join with me in prayer for a mighty outpouring of the Spirit in the Assembly. We are in great need of an "awakening" in the church in America; I want to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

Prayer for Today

Dear God, I understand that I am capable of trusting in myself rather than putting my full trust in You. Please forgive me when I depend on the workings of the flesh and not the strength of the Spirit. Please forgive me when I put confidence in my abilities rather than understanding that I can do nothing without You. Help me to surrender all of my life to You so that You can rule and reign in all areas of my life. You are able to direct my steps if I will take the time to follow.

.Trusting God!

It is a wonderful blessing to have the opportunity to trust in God. God is faithful and true to His Word and He is able to fulfill the promises that He has made to us. During prayer time this morning I was reminded about a principle that I have shared in various forms and fashions around this nation. God reminded me that He was already present in my tomorrow and whatever I may face on those tomorrows. God has a way to encourage us when we feel fretful, concerned, fearful or troubled. He reminds us that He loves us and that He will never forget us. He will walk with us as we travel down this challenging road called life; the song declared; I have found a friend in Jesus..." I am glad that Jesus Christ is my friend today and that He helps me carry my heavy loads. Be willing to trust Him today regardless what you are facing and realize that He stands ready to assist you on your journey.

Weekend Services

I am giving God praise for the opportunity of ministering Sunday at Eastside Praise in Louisville, Kentucky. The presence of the Lord was very present in each of the services as many responded to the altar invitations. God is a good God and He desires to offer to us the blessing of reconciliation. According to the writings of the Apostle Paul we need to rejoice in the fact that God has given us (the people of God) the wonderful opportunity and responsibility to declare this message in the world. God desires to draw all of us near to Him; the more I read this the more I believe that this is not just a one time event but it is a daily process that is taking place in our lives. I do not want to resist the unction and presence of the Spirit in my life; I desire to faithfully respond to the call from God. What about you and your response to God? What artificial walls have you built around your heart that hinders God from drawing near to your life? What lies have you allowed the enemy to speak over you and around you that stops you from responding to the Voice of the Spirit? These are the days in which we need to open our hearts to the Lord and allow Him to speak direction in our lives. Many times in prayer I remind God of this thought; God, I can not afford to miss You and Your direction at this critical time in my life. Be blessed and strengthened this week as you prepare to follow God and be ready to share the Good News with those you encounter.

Prayer for Today

Dear God; You are rich in mercy and grace. Allow me to fully understand Your love and kindness that is extended to me on a daily basis. Please forgive me when I fail to recognize Your awesome presence in my life. I know that You encourage me to walk in the strength of praise and worship. You alone are worthy of worship regardless of how I feel or regardless of what I am facing at any moment in my life. Thank You for Your love. AMEN!

Do We Hear God Calling?

Do I truly listen for the Voice of God or has this just become a religious statement of the modern church? Am I truly interested in what God is saying or am I interested in my spiritual appearance before my peers? Do I truly desire intimate fellowship with God or have I grown content with religious activity? I know that my heart is certainly looking for more of the presence of God in my walk with Him. I can not afford to travel this road alone; I desire the guidance and direction of the Spirit in my life. I encourage each of you to examine your response to God and see if you are making the proper response. No other person can make that decision for you; we must make that decision as individuals.