The Storm is Over Now, Now here comes the River!!


This semester was pretty stressful for me. I had to learn a few things about myself that really woke me up to the reality of immaturity. When I said I ready to go to 'the next level in God" in the last post, I really meant I was ready to mature in Christ. Now, after this past Friday night I didn't realize that how much I was afraid to grow up. I had so much fear to step in the the deep river of God. I had a vision when I was talking with Lindsey I was a little boy standing at the edge of the pool looking on to his Daddy who is in the deep part of the pool looking back at him. The Daddy is calling to His son to jump in. Knowing that his Daddy would catch him, the little boy is tensed because he sees the depths of the pool. He is not afraid to go into the pool as long as his feet touches the floor. But his Father is calling for His son to look onto Him and jump.
That little boy is me and his Daddy is God. My God, it was an eyeopener to see this truth. Prophetic revelations are diminutive to the Father's calling to intimacy. This winter break I ask the Body to keep me in prayer. He's calling all of us into intimate fellowship. We can only have that in Christ and if we fully surrender ourselves. I know how to bow my face before the throne of God and reverence Him in His splendor. Now it's time to seek His face. Preaching does not matter to me if cannot know more of the One whom I am preaching. Though my flesh is weak, and my heart is sometimes afraid, my spirit says "Yes, Father I wanna go deeper!" Please keep this brother in prayer this season. Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year in Jesus' Name! God Bless!

Transition

This semester was a difficult one to get through, but I thank God He got me through it! I have met new people in my life that really challenged me to grow more, but I haven't really grown that much. This past weekend the Lord spoke to my spirit and told me it's time for a change. He is transitioning me to prepare for the future. I am willing to learn from Him what must be done and come under the proper persons to lead and guide into the next level in God! I'm just going to wait and trust and depend on the Lord for direction. Father, I thank You for giving me life and strength. Thank You for allowing to live another day. God I just reverence Your Name above all things. Lord, I'm willing to obey, just lead me, Father into the destiny You have foreordained for me in Your Will. I pray that You bless the Beloved Body of the Lord Jesus and strengthen and continue to prepare Your people for your Son's Coming. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

He Knows Just How Much We Can Bear!


There's a hymn of Zion called "He Knows Just How much We Can Bear" inspired by a Biblical verse that escapes my mind at the moment. Right now I am supposed to be revising a Term Paper for African American History class. I earned an 84 which is a low B score. I'm grateful for it! My professor gave us a another week to edit and add more "meat" to it. I am so tired right now. I was on assignment last night and didn't get it until 5am. God promised to redeem the time, but I admit I was disobedient. Really expecting the professor to cancel. He was sick yesterday. I prayed for God to heal him. I was wrestling constantly with my flesh. My flesh was insisting, "He'll cancel class tomorrow, he's sick." LORD help me! So I'm in the Student Memorial Center in the Computer Lab writing this. I pray that God has mercy upon me. I asked him if I may write a prayer request for my great-grandmother on FACEBOOK. She fell and broke her hip and now she's in the hospital. If anybody reads this, please keep her in prayer!
When it comes to assigments like term papers, I usually work under pressure (I am a procrastinator). I am pooped! I'm ready for this semester to be over. Praise the LORD!!! He got us through the storms. I pray for all my brothers and sisters! Hang in there, People. He won't give us more than we can Bear! Again, keep a brother in prayer. He needs it because he's gonna get a but whooping from the Most High! God be blessed forever. Amen!

Ode to my beautiful Kindred-Spirit Sister, Lindsey Marie Williams


My sister in the Lord, Lindsey Williams is, I believe, one of the most precious gifts to the Body of Christ. The Father thought of a beautiful soul- a wise, discerning woman who would declare the oracles of God is this generation. I have found this in Lindsey. She is definitely marriage potential, but she is taken. I have to be honest, she is incredibly sexy! I mean this not in a lustful way. Lindsey has the whole package- looks, brains, and a fiery spirit! I'm glad God linked me with Lindsey. She is going to be instrumental in the selecting of my future wife and she is a yokefellow in ministry. Her future husband has a huge responsibility in protecting Lindsey and not slowing her down in obeying the voice of the Lord. When the Lord calls Lindsey, she obeys without question!
In the meantime, I have the responsiblity to be a a keeper of my sister, Lindsey. She continues to be a great blessing in my life. She is always challenging me to hear and obey the voice of the Master. God has graced Lindsey with an abundance of wisdom. Through Lindsey I have learned that intimacy with God is the most rewarding experience in the life of the believer. I am forever grateful to God for giving me a sister in Lindsey Marie Williams. Though we may go separate ways in the future, we will never be separate in our spirit. Heavenly Father, continue to bless my sister, Lindsey with all that Your Hand may provide and may You draw her closer to You every day of her life, in Jesus' Name. Amen. I love you Lindsey!

My 21st Birthday Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for allowing me to live to see my 21st year on this earth today. You know, LORD, as an young African American man this is very special to me. You have kept me from being a statistic. I thank You for giving me opportunity to attend a public university. I thank you for giving me Your vision for my life. GOD I couldn't have done and do what I do had it not been for Your goodness and your mercy. Thank You, LORD for loving me. Thank You, Father for keeping me. If it wasn't for the mercy You have shown me through your Son Jesus, I would be lost out of my mind. By Your Holy Spirit You guide me. Father be glorified and have your way in me in Your Son's mighty Name! Amen.

Spiritual Warfare!


Prayer is a greatest weapon against the enemy. Keep praying in the SPIRIT!. As children of GOD, we have the responsibility to pray, the calling to pray, the privilege of prayer. We need to pray that the Father's will be done in the earth realm. The accuser of the brethren is trying to take us out. Beloved, know that the battle isn't ours, it's the LORD'S. Know your HEAVENLY FATHER and HIS SON by the HOLY SPIRIT. Tap into the throne room and prostrate before His Majesty. HIS Word is true and will not return to HIM void. Speak the Word only when coming against the spiritual darkness in this world. We are overcomers by the blood of the LAMB and by the word of our testimony. GOD BE PRAISED for we are not consumed by the fiery darts of the enemy. Read Ephesians 6 if the SPIRIT moves you and be equipped and be blessed by the BEST. Blessings be unto you in the NAME of the FATHER, SON, and the HOLY SPIRIT. Peace!

A Prayer of Thanksgiving


Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you GOD for all that You've done in my life. I thank you for keeping me this week. You woke me up this morning. Father, You have been my closest Confidant and Friend. Father GOD You have given me grace to enter the University and You continue given it freely. I thank You LORD JESUS, for paying for my sins. That is a debt I can never repay. However, I owe You my life. You have kept me when I have went astray. You Comfort me with Your HOLY SPIRIT. GOD I am in awe of You. There is none like You in any part of the universe because You are highly exalted above all created things. You are Great! GOD l bless Your NAME: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost You ARE. To You alone deserve all the glory, honour, dominion, majesty, wealth, and power. I stand in chorus with all of Zion saying, "Salvation belongs to God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb"
as John the Revelator saw the heavenly host shouting! Yes, salvation belongs to you O GOD. I will bless Your NAME for ever. AMEN.

Chillin' with the Brethren


I am blessed to be a student co-leader of a Men's Bible study. God is definitely dealing with us men folk on how to be like Christ. At times I wonder why we even have a men's bible study. This issues we discuss affects all believers, male and female. But God is glorified and I am privileged to lead with two awesome brothers in the Lord. Tonight we read Phillipians chapter 4 verses 4 to 23. We really talked about our experiences with the Lord. And we also learned the meaning of verse 13 in the context. The Holy Spirit through Paul is teaching us to learning to praise and rejoice in the Lord through diverse circumstances. It is the peace of God, the presence of God in the midst of trials, that gives us the strength to endure all things. I bless the name of the Lord for His goodness, His mercy, and His provision. Glory to God in the Highest! Be Blessed!

Spirit-Led!

Paul informed the Romans that those led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Romans 8:14). So the term "Spirit-led" refers to all believers in the Lordship of Christ. Yet these days Spirit-led can be used in a derogatory manner; like a status symbol for "super" Christians. However, to be led by the Spirit is not easy task. It takes the strength of God and a little faith to submit one's will to the Lordship of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Submitting to Him exalts the Christ.
Yesterday evening I had an truly amazing and humbling experience. I was in my African American Literature class which usually is held on Mondays from 6:00PM to 9:00PM. I was sitting in my chair when all of a sudden I felt dizzy. I told a couple of people that I was feeling dizzy and maybe I thought this was due to not properly during the day. Then I quietly prayed and asked the Father why I was feeling this way. The Spirit of the Lord told me (please excuse my Pentecostal jargon) to excuse myself and go home. So I did just that and I was praying in the Spirit on my way home.
Once I returned to my dorm room around 8:00PM. I prayed to the Lord and ask Him what was going on. The Spirit told me (again, please excuse the jargon) to enter into worship because there was a Word for me to deliver to my brothers and sisters at Outlet, a worship gathering at a nearby church which occurs Mondays at 9:00PM. I was a bit anxious and the Lord rebuked me to cease from being so and keep worshipping so my flesh would cease so my spirit can hear Him. Disclaimer: For those readers who may think by now that I believe that I receive private revelations from God apart from the Scripture, be not dismayed because I do not! God taught me two months ago, when He speaks to me, He directs me to the Scripture because he does not speak apart from his Word.
Now after worshipping, the Lord put in my remembrance Jeremiah chapter 23. He then directed me to read Jeremiah chapters 42 to 45. If one reads these chapters and chapter 41 one will find a terrible example of Judah's disobedience to the word of the LORD given by Jeremiah. Jeremiah told the remnant of Judah to stay in the land of Judah and not to go into the land of Egypt because God will punish them if the disobeyed. Chapter 42 starts out with the people calling Jeremiah a liar. Then they take him and they disobeyed the word of the LORD and they go into Egypt. In the subsequent chapters GOD not only delivers Egypt into the hands of their enemies, He prophecies that He will destroy Judah for the disobedience and their idolatry and then takes Jeremiah out of Egypt. Only a remnant is spared.
I asked the Lord what was the significance of this passage in the Scripture. The lesson learned is that even the Body of Christ can be deliberately disobedient to the word of the LORD. The significance of Jeremiah 23 is the fact that Israel and Judah had many false prophets and greedy and abusive pastors. If God's people can call HIM a liar when he sends his holy prophets, this may be due to the fact we've been hearing much false doctrine. If we don't have a fellowship with God in His Word and in prayer, we cannot discern the Lord's voice from another. Thereby disobeying HIM. Now Judah hearing false prophets or not are responsible for the choices they made because they knew the law of God. We Christians don't have any excuse to disobey God neither. God is a Just God. If he can hew out the natural branch and graft us in only His grace then we can hewed out as well.
After reading the passage and hearing the Lord, I reminded the Lord that I had a required meeting for residents to attend at 9:00PM. Then God asked me, "Do you trust me?" Then I said, "yes, Father. I trust You." Then He told me that He covered me with His grace and comissioned me to go to that church and delivered His Word to His children. I checked my clock and it was 9:05pm. I got my bible can grabbed my coat and I headed to the church.
I arrived to the church and the brothers and sisters were appropriately singing a song about confession and repentance. When I sat down the Lord dropped the jewel of 2 Chronicles 7:14 in my heart, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turning from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
God opened up a window of opportunity to share this word with my brothers and sisters and I prayed with them. Also two more believers delivered wonderful words of encouragement to the Body. God be praised!!
After that I sat down and was a bit drained. God was really glorified in that place. I count it a privilege to serve the Lord. When I went home I saw my Graduate Assistant. She looked at me and said, "You missed the All-Hall meeting." "Yes, Ma'am" I said. She was taking back a bit. Then I told her that I just came back from helping a few friends out and that it was an emergency. Then she excused me. Thank You, Jesus! God's grace really covered me last night. I really love the Lord! We have to really trust Him with our whole lives. He will surely see us through any trial and testing. Be Blessed.

The GOD in the BIBLE vs. The GOD in the CHURCH

I have just heard one of the most important messages today in my life that I believe has affected my view or the way I view GOD. An assistant minister of the regular bible teacher that serves Bible Campus Ministries, the ministry that I lead, came and gave a Word concerning the subject the GOD in the Bible and the GOD in the church. Now, many will read this and ask " Are they not the same?" Well maybe not. Most Christians tend to shun reading the Old Testament. We tend to view God via Christ in the New Testament, yet most of us REALLY don't even read the New Testament! We read and quote a few passages of Christ and Paul live off of that. But CHRIST being GOD in the FLESH does not change the nature of GOD. HE does not change. We tend to preach on the love and mercy of God. However, what the church does not realize is that the same God that did not tolerate disobedience in the Old covenant is the same in the New Covenant and TODAY. God is HOLY, RIGHTEOUS, JUST, and will JUDGE nations for iniquity, and JUDGMENT begins at the HOUSE of GOD. If we read passages like Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, we find a GOD who sits on a throne whose presence is glorious to behold. This God is SOVEREIGN and HOLY. HE is PURE and there's none like HIM. We tend to preach and focus too much on one attribute of God thus we get a distorted image of GOD. GOD is not COMMON. HE is TRANSCENDENT, has ALL POWER is in HIS HANDS. HE is ALL KNOWING and TOO HOLY to REGARD or to LOOK UPON INIQUITY. In many of our churches today, we do not have a fear GOD. We honor HIM with our lips but our hearts a far from HIM (Isaiah 29:13 and Matthew 15:8). Yes GOD is a loving and merciful GOD, but HE is WRATHFUL. HIS love and mercy does not negate the fact that we as believers cannot approach HIM in any fashion we so desire. If we read the first five books of the BIBLE, specifically Exodus, Deutoronomy, and Leviticus, GOD was so intolerant of disobedience, HE killed people! Nobody had an opinion or could object, if so would cost them their lives because no one could charge GOD as UNJUST without dying for it. Paul said let GOD be TRUE, but every man a LIAR! They didn't talk back to GOD. They knew that HE'S THE BOSS. Well at least some of them knew HE IS. THANK GOD FOR JESUS!
We must come in the presence of HIS GLORY with fear and trembling, to borrow from Philippians 2:12. GOD is HOLY. We must worship and reverence HIM with a spirit of humility. Many of us today in the churches do not do this. We treat GOD like HE is one of the boys or like that special girlfriend. Now GOD is a FRIEND but HE'S still GOD.
I commented to Sister Rhonda say that we may treat HIM like this because of the way we treat JESUS. JESUS was a MAN that transformed HIS environment and the people around HIM. However, the modern church, preaches a JESUS that is common. HE'S a political progressive or liberal; a hippie who smokes weeds, who is a NONCORMIST to establishment, and preaches LOVE, TOLERANCE and ACCEPTANCE. If we actually read our BIBLES, we will find that the JESUS of the BIBLE is not the JESUS that many of us PREACH! As a result the world gets a distorted view of CHRIST through our words and deeds. They're confused because we, the Church, are confused.
We Christians must be every so careful in how we come to GOD. If GOD is GOD above all else, we must worship HIM as required, in spirit and truth. Yes, HE is the GOD who is our FRIEND, COMFORT, STRENGTH, PEACE, JOY, LOVE, and ALL other things. But is not a man! So we must treat HIM with supreme respect! I pray that the BODY of CHRIST will actually read the WORD not to memorize verses and to flaunt our Christianity before men but to enter into a deeper understanding of GOD and HIS CHARACTER and not to blaspheme HIS NAME so flippantly misrepresenting HIM before the stage of the world. GOD'S GRACE will cover us when we fall, because all fall short of the glory of GOD, however let's not fustrate the GRACE of GOD because our life is but a vapor. GOD doesn't have to keep us alive. That's why our testimony is so important outside the four walls of the CHURCH. GOD is watching us and the world is as well watching us. GOD must be GLORIFIED by how we treat HIM and how we treat others. LET the GOD in the BIBLE be the GOD in the CHURCH. To the GLORY of GOD the FATHER, HIS SON, and the HOLY GHOST! AMEN.

Baptized with the Holy Ghost..... now what?

I was raised and saved in a Baptist church. My grandfather was my pastor. Though I appreciate the Baptist tradition, I never really considered myself as a Baptist. Over the course of my life I was exposed to many different church traditions. There was a Lutheran church across the street from where I used to live in West Philadelphia. Tabernacle Lutheran Church was pastored by a woman I only knew as Pastor Keys. My mom would take by brothers and I there when we didn't go to my Pop Pop's church. When my mother took by brothers and I to live in New Jersey, we worshipped at a Presbyterian church and volunteered there for a couple of months. My elementary school counselor was a charismatic and she invited my mother and I to her church for bible study. When I moved back to Pennsylvania, we worshipped in the AME church, Southern Baptist, National Baptist, and nondenominational churches.

When my grandfather retired, we didn't have a church home. At fifteen, I started to go to my cousin's church in West Philly. It's a now a megachurch. I liked the church a lot. As I started to grow and mature in my faith, I realized that I was not being fed what I needed there. I still visit the church as often as I can. In God's sovereignty I entered the Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition. What sparked my interested in Pentecostalism was by interestingly enough viewing Trinity Broadcasting Network. Most of the 'talent' on TBN are from Pentecostal/Charismatic backgrounds. Now I am wise to know not to get my theology education just (or not) from watching charismatic televangelism shows (which I am not all appalled at some of their preachers' doctrine); likewise I am also wise to know not to get my theology education from just reading Christianity Today magazine! Actually it's not my wisdom but the wisdom of God ! To God be the glory! I started to pursue knowledge about the history and theological development of the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Reading scholarly journals, books, and online websites led me to be intrigued by the movement. I was amazed at the doctrine of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Traditional evangelical Protestants don't teach this doctrine because they don't believe in a subsequent experience after conversion. I read about the Wesleyan/Holiness view of this Baptism (entire sanctification) and I read the Classical Pentecostal view (enduement of power for ministry evidenced by speaking in tongues Joel 2:28-32, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 1-2, etc.). I was feeling 'dry' in my walk with the Lord. I need a revival in my being!
One night in December 2005 I prayed to the Lord and I wanted more of Him. I prayed that if the Pentecostal Baptism is of Him then give me discernment. I didn't want tongues, I wanted the Spirit in full measure!

I was baptized with the Spirit in January 2006 at of all places, at non-denomenational student-led church in which I attend (University Christian Fellowship) pastored by a young Mennonite. I was praying quietly in a pew and then the Spirit filled me then I began speaking in tongues. A a couple of months afterwards, I was an attendee at a leadership course led by my pastor and a young woman who is now a dear friend. The session was on the Holy Spirit and His ministry. Pastor Duane and Cassie lectured on the person of the Holy Spirit, His ministry, and His gifts. Both talked about their own experience with the Baptism with the Holy Spirit (Duane attended a Pentecostal bible college). Then after the lecture we prayed and worshipped. I was so filled with Holy Ghost, I was praying in tongues for a little over an hour. I've visited three Pentecostal/charismatic congregations over the summer (one Assemblies of God, charismatic non-denominational, and one house church). I often visit one of them for special conferences when I get the chance. Currently I am a member and a men's bible study leader at University Christian Fellowship.

Now after being baptized with the Spirit, I started to realize that the enduement of power is not for self-aggrandizement but for ministry. Shouting, tongue-talking, falling under the power of the Holy Ghost is all well and good, but there is a Great Commission that must be obeyed and accomplished for God's glory! So I who fellowship with many peoples from different traditions, am described as Pentecostal. I have read up on the excesses and legalisms that came with churches that are labeled 'Pentecostal'. I also know that many people are disillusioned by the movement, for its long history of anti-intellectualism (which is now changing), many have been abused by pastoral authority figures within the movement, many prominent figures led questionable lives (for which we need to pray for them not criticize and gossip about them behind their backs Galatians 6:1-2), and I know that many on the outside believe that the Pentecostal movement is even heretical! I personally don't believe in throwing out the baby with the bath water. So I wear the adjective 'Pentecostal' with humility and with fear and trembling! I hope to contribute to the movement and to the Body of Christ-at-large. Christ did not pray to the Father to send the Spirit so we can go into all the world and show a new trick we can do with our mouths or to be spiritual elitists, but to preach the Gospel! May we all obey the command of the Lord Jesus in Pentecostal power!