Holy Greetings unto you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Saints and Friends, please allow me to say that it is an honor and a privilege to serve God, the Father and His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ alongside you in these last days! It is no mistake that for a time and season, for a day and hour we have been called, appointed, commissioned and anointed to finish this race and the ministry given unto us before the foundations of the world!
My desire in this new blog post is to speak unto you as a pastor, bishop, co-laborer and friend. Friend, I used that word above. It is a word that has lost meaning and force in our days and times; so I don’t speak the word…friend, as it is now spoken, but I say…friend as in the meaning and true sense of the word…friend in a covenant relationship!
You see in covenant and as friend’s I rejoice when you rejoice, I weep when you weep, your needs are my needs. I suffer afflictions, persecutions, bonds, as being with you in those same afflictions, persecutions and bonds. We laugh together, cry together, and go into and through together! Our churches and ministries go, grow, build, succeed together; we are joined at the hip…we are bone of bone, flesh or flesh! We stand, we fight, we win not being two but being one…one in Christ, one in blood, one in the Name of Jesus…with one purpose, one mind, one heart…”one Lord, one faith, one baptism”!
Being in this covenant relationship, I wish to share our heart with you on the “move of God” that is in the earth realm today, present and progressing to a finish…it is the beginning of the move of the Spirit of God in the greatest harvest and in-gathering of souls that has ever hit this planet! We say “souls”, for God is not remotely interested in “church membership”, but He has been and always will be after souls. Jesus didn’t come, suffered, bleed and died…and yes, rose again for “members” in the sense of “nickels”, “noses”, and “numbers”. Those things might interest us, or should I say interested us in past tense, but now the “interest” of God has and is our main focus and primary cause and reason to be!
Recently I have had the honor and privilege to spend time with and minister alongside the Archbishop and General Overseer of the Pentecostal Methodist Evangelical Church, Apostle Andrew T. Holtz. We saw God move…did you catch that… I said “saw” God move in four services in three states in two weeks. The Sovereign Lord sent “fire revival”, saving, healing, delivering, confirming and challenging!
I must admit that in the past few months, really since the ending/beginning of 2010/2011, I have been caught in an exciting life changing and anointed "flow". That prophetic, creative, teaching desire...passion, thought...motivation, inspiration has been renewed and strengthen in my life in a way that rivals the days of my early ministry and those days and times I ministered at the prisons.
Please let me share this…hear my heart, I realized then, as I do now, that walking in the Spirit, living that high life isn't something you do just on days of service or study, but truly everyday you and I can be on a mission for God in that we are obeying, seeking and fulfilling that Great Commission given as the marching order and a standing command that could be lived and experienced every day.
We should and can everyday create with the words of our mouths relational divine moments of opportunity to minister to people everywhere and anywhere we go by simple allowing God, the Holy Spirit to minister, walk, and talk in us, to us and through us to that man, woman, child, brother, sister, friend, acquaintance, whomever!
Outreach, evangelism, discipleship that is the mode and method we as this “last” church ought to be following everyday; this was and is the life and ministry of Jesus Christ! The "first" church did this; they preached Christ and Him crucified! They lived so much by the example of Jesus that they were called “little Christ’s” (Christians)! And because they died to self and selfish ambitions, because they lived and walked in their new nature choosing not to live and walk anymore after the nature and character of Satan, they in their lifetimes “turned the world” upside down! And they did it with all of the modern advances, books, bibles, commentaries, etc we have today. They had that same Word and that same Spirit and those same promises we have today, and daily thousands were added to the church!
This "fire" revival will sweep over neighborhoods, communities, cities, regions, nations and around the world. Millions, if not billions will hear, some for the first time "this" Gospel of the Kingdom...and then as the Lord said in Matthew 24:14...then the end shall come.
Right now, where you are and as a point of contact, and if you agree...let this post be our touching and agreeing connection! Proclaim with me, “Let the fire fall”! Lord, use me to turn this world (locally and globally) upside down! Let the fire fall! As I go, everywhere making disciples of the nations...let the fire fall!
And the Lord went with them confirming the word with miracles, signs and wonders! Heal the sick...raise the dead...cast out devils!
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Back in the Fight!
One of my favorite movies of all time is “Patton”, starring George C. Scott. He gives an Oscar winning performance of the life, times and brilliant military career of one of the United States greatest General’s and tactical leaders. There are many memorable lines from the movie but one in particular comes to mind as I share my heart in this blog post.
Gen. Patton had slapped an American soldier and was in “the dog house” with Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and just about everybody in and out of the Army. He had been relieved of duty we find out temporarily and as a smoke-screen to fool the enemy into moving their forces to a dummy landing site on D-Day. Patton despised being relieved and just sitting around in nice, soft hotel rooms, he called them “cat-houses”, and entertaining wives and mothers of soldiers with speeches. Patton was at heart a soldier, a warrior, a fighter…he craved warfare and winning.
The line that Mr. Scott acting as Patton said when he was relieved was, “you mean to tell me the whole world is at war and I’m not a part of it; God will not allow this to happen, I will allowed to fulfill my destiny..His will be done”. Shortly after this Patton was called back to duty, given the command of Third Army, which to that date crossed more land, captured and/or killed more of the enemy than any US Army division in history. I believe the movie “Patton” ought to be required viewing for all Christians and certainly for ministry leaders. The language is not “church” but the principles Patton believed in, taught and espoused made him a General’s General.
Why am I bringing this up…well yours truly was in Patton’s predicament. When I was called to and answered the call for the ministry I was 17 years old, in 1978. From 1978 to 1993 I served in just about every capacity of ministry there was...as a Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, Minister (License), Elder (Ordained), Prison Ministry Volunteer, and Assistant Pastor. My mother died in late 1992, I took her death very hard and back-slid for the remainder of 1992 and for most all of 1993. In 1994 God in His sovereignty reached from Heaven and re-commissioned me for ministry. I regained my footing, began to teach, preach and witness for Christ again and by 1995 was Pastor of my first church and a Prison Chaplain by 1997.
From 1995 to 2009 I was a Pastor, Prison Chaplain, and Founding Pastor and consecrated a Bishop. Like Patton’s love for warfare, I loved the “spiritual” warfare of ministry…ministering to inmates, their families and loved ones...as well as on the streets to the outcast and down-trodden.
In late 2009 my family and I relocated to Georgia. I thought that being in the “Bible-belt” my ministry would get set and take off like a house on fire...I was in for a shock, for it seemed that like Patton, I was suddenly relieved of duty. I hadn’t slapped anybody, felt like it, but hadn’t. For most of 2010, for the first time since 1995 I had or did nothing in the ministry. 2010 was a trying year for me, both in the ministry and in my faith-walk. The economy was very bad, jobs were hard to come by, living to make ends meet was rough…and the ministry dried up! A good friend of mine said to me just a few days ago, “2010 was your Sabbatical year...a time of resting and refreshing”, I must admit during 2010 I didn’t see it that way…but now I not only see it, but can say “Amen” to it.
In late 2010 I met two men who changed my ministry life. One is Bishop from the Anglican Church, and one is a Bishop from the Methodist Church. The Anglican Bishop bestowed upon me an Episcopal grace, along with friendship, brotherhood, and mentorship. The Methodist Bishop “called me back to active duty, and gave me command of an army in battle”, along with friendship, brotherhood, and co-laboring in this Gospel. Another line from the movie Patton comes to mind…as he surveyed a battlefield, he said of the battle and war, “I love it, God help me I love it so”. I know how he felt! I am back doing what I was destiny to do…teach and preach the Word of God, teach the Blood Covenant, train and develop ministers and pastors, do prison ministry, evangelism and outreach, give encouragement and support to leaders, plant churches and assist in beginning and seeing to its end the greatest revival and harvest of souls this planet has ever witnessed. Like General George S. Patton, Jr. “Old Blood and Guts”, I’m back in the fight, back in the war!
Gen. Patton had slapped an American soldier and was in “the dog house” with Gen. Dwight Eisenhower and just about everybody in and out of the Army. He had been relieved of duty we find out temporarily and as a smoke-screen to fool the enemy into moving their forces to a dummy landing site on D-Day. Patton despised being relieved and just sitting around in nice, soft hotel rooms, he called them “cat-houses”, and entertaining wives and mothers of soldiers with speeches. Patton was at heart a soldier, a warrior, a fighter…he craved warfare and winning.
The line that Mr. Scott acting as Patton said when he was relieved was, “you mean to tell me the whole world is at war and I’m not a part of it; God will not allow this to happen, I will allowed to fulfill my destiny..His will be done”. Shortly after this Patton was called back to duty, given the command of Third Army, which to that date crossed more land, captured and/or killed more of the enemy than any US Army division in history. I believe the movie “Patton” ought to be required viewing for all Christians and certainly for ministry leaders. The language is not “church” but the principles Patton believed in, taught and espoused made him a General’s General.
Why am I bringing this up…well yours truly was in Patton’s predicament. When I was called to and answered the call for the ministry I was 17 years old, in 1978. From 1978 to 1993 I served in just about every capacity of ministry there was...as a Sunday School Teacher, Sunday School Superintendent, Minister (License), Elder (Ordained), Prison Ministry Volunteer, and Assistant Pastor. My mother died in late 1992, I took her death very hard and back-slid for the remainder of 1992 and for most all of 1993. In 1994 God in His sovereignty reached from Heaven and re-commissioned me for ministry. I regained my footing, began to teach, preach and witness for Christ again and by 1995 was Pastor of my first church and a Prison Chaplain by 1997.
From 1995 to 2009 I was a Pastor, Prison Chaplain, and Founding Pastor and consecrated a Bishop. Like Patton’s love for warfare, I loved the “spiritual” warfare of ministry…ministering to inmates, their families and loved ones...as well as on the streets to the outcast and down-trodden.
In late 2009 my family and I relocated to Georgia. I thought that being in the “Bible-belt” my ministry would get set and take off like a house on fire...I was in for a shock, for it seemed that like Patton, I was suddenly relieved of duty. I hadn’t slapped anybody, felt like it, but hadn’t. For most of 2010, for the first time since 1995 I had or did nothing in the ministry. 2010 was a trying year for me, both in the ministry and in my faith-walk. The economy was very bad, jobs were hard to come by, living to make ends meet was rough…and the ministry dried up! A good friend of mine said to me just a few days ago, “2010 was your Sabbatical year...a time of resting and refreshing”, I must admit during 2010 I didn’t see it that way…but now I not only see it, but can say “Amen” to it.
In late 2010 I met two men who changed my ministry life. One is Bishop from the Anglican Church, and one is a Bishop from the Methodist Church. The Anglican Bishop bestowed upon me an Episcopal grace, along with friendship, brotherhood, and mentorship. The Methodist Bishop “called me back to active duty, and gave me command of an army in battle”, along with friendship, brotherhood, and co-laboring in this Gospel. Another line from the movie Patton comes to mind…as he surveyed a battlefield, he said of the battle and war, “I love it, God help me I love it so”. I know how he felt! I am back doing what I was destiny to do…teach and preach the Word of God, teach the Blood Covenant, train and develop ministers and pastors, do prison ministry, evangelism and outreach, give encouragement and support to leaders, plant churches and assist in beginning and seeing to its end the greatest revival and harvest of souls this planet has ever witnessed. Like General George S. Patton, Jr. “Old Blood and Guts”, I’m back in the fight, back in the war!
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