Please Be In Prayer

Today first order of business is my mother is having surgery. Please be in prayer for her. I'm writing this sitting in that dreaded waiting room. Often times in life God has to place us all in our own waiting room. We are commanded to always pray and then wait. As I walked out of the holding area I was assured that God could go where I couldn't. It is during some of the toughest time that my heart thanks God. 1st because I know Him. I often wonder how those who don't make it through life when they're facing challenging days. 2nd because He is fully with her in the surgery room and fully with me in the waiting room ministering to both of us at the same time.

Later today we will kick off our third revival meeting part of a city-wide movement called the simultaneous revival. Which has national acclaim as being one of a kind. What makes this so special is the partnership and the cooperation of the church city-wide (each church has their own service @7 then there are joint services @ noon & 10pm) and the national preacher who minister. I've been blessed to have grown up in this revival meeting and have been blessed by many preaching legends and some of the great preaching mind in the business.

I'm proud to have my friend Rev. Bryan L. Carter Senior Pastor of the Concord Church of Dallas Texas coming to minister to us. Pastor Carter succeeded one of those legendary preachers Dr. E. K. Bailey. Who introduced me to expository preaching and who was Dr. Major L. Jimerson's pastor of St. John Church. Pastor Carter is a major preacher and teacher. He has blessed our church for the past two years and God has promised to do it again this year.

Please Be In Prayer Today first order of business is my mother is having surgery. Please be in prayer for her. I'm writing this sitting in

Revival Time

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

This was the scripture that the Lord placed in my heart Easter Sunday morning as we reached the end of our 28 day voluntary fast. I shared this with those who had joined the First Lady and I in the fast about what God was going to do in the life of our church and their lives as well as a result of their obedience. This evening as I was visiting a church service the Lord kept repeating this to me. As I made the drive home I asked the Lord what, was He trying to get me to see. And just as clear as He has ever impressed anything in my heart this is what He said tell the people that this week I’m going to do something special.

So I’m asking each of you to come and watch God do something special. I have no idea what God is going to do but I’m coming expecting Him to come through on His Word. In preparation I’m asking you to pray at 4pm for 4 minutes and for 4 things (@4 for 4 for 4).

1. Pray for God’s Power (Holy Spirit)
2. Pray for God’s Preacher (Pastor Bryan L. Carter)
3. Pray for God’s People (Everyone attending)
4. Pray for God’s Promise (The special thing He’s going to do in us, for us and through us)

We will be very intentional these three evenings so come prepared. 1st we will start on time 7pm. 2nd we will spend time entering God’s presence in worship. 3rd we will give the preaching and teaching its rightful place as the highlight of the evening. 4th we will give with expectation of a harvest.

Never Would Have Made It.

This Easter Morning I want to share Marvin Sapp’s sentiments “I am stronger, I am wiser, I am better, much better. When I look back over what he brought me thru. I realize that I made it because I had you to hold on to, now I am stronger, now I am wiser, I am better, so much better. I made it. Is there anybody in this house other than me that can declare that you made it. Tell your neighbor, never would have made it. Never would have made it. Never could have made it. Never could have made it without you. Never would have made it. Never would have made it. Never could have made it. Never could have made it without you.”

We’ve made it 28 days of fasting and praying. Father, we thank you for your patience, love and kindness that you’ve shown to us throughout these 28 days. We could not have made it without You. We are better, so much better, stronger and wiser. Receive our sacrifice as an act of worship to You. Our goal was to humble ourselves in Your presences as our God, Creator and the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Father, hear our prayer. We can’t accomplish anything without You and nothing worth accomplishing is worthy of accomplishing without You. Thank You for giving us the vision to build a place for Your Spirit to dwell. Now we ask that You will provide the professionals, the provision and the people. We call it done! In the name of our Risen Lord Jesus the Christ, we pray. Amen!!

I want each of you to know this morning that you’re a Great People and I’m honored to have been chosen of God to serve you. It has been your kind words, your act of obedience and faith in God and your testimonies that has made this journey a little easier for Janice and me.

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV)

Day 26 of 28

What a familiar place today has been for me. As we made our way home from church, we commended on the fact that it has become easy dealing with the fast. Every year during our Easter Celebration we participate in a corporate fast (normally a total fast with intake of water only from Mon-Thr). Of course this year we were lead to 28 Days. What remarkable strength I feel. You would think that the opposite would be true.

What an awesome lesson the more you sacrifice for God the stronger he makes you. I hope you've experience some life changing lessons that will stay with you forever. God is doing and going to do some amazing things because of this focused time. The word says that something only come through fasting and prayer.

Tonight was a special night as we celebrate holy communion. It was one of the most spiritual services we've had this year. Every year we seek to make this an extra special evening. This year focus was on simply praise and worship. We sung some hymns and new songs that centered on the cross.

Looking forward to the other scheduled activity. Sunday ought to be a great celebration. The staff has been working tirelessly.

Congratulations

Congratulations to my pastor and first lady Drs. John & Patricia Reed as they celebrate their 45th year at the Fairview Missionary Baptist Church. God's Word says "'I know the plan I have for you..." I'm a recepent of that scripture. I was blessed to grow up as a member of this church watching one of the most caring and loving couples serve faithfully. How that translate into my life is I had a living example of how God want us to do this. I thank God for this couple.

WE'VE MADED TO THE FOURTH QUARTER. If this was a football game, we would hold up four fingers to represent that we must presever one last quarter. What an empowering thought, we've made it 21 days (awesome.) Hang in there!

More times than not on sunday morning I struggle from an uneasiness about the message that I've crafted. Not expositonaly but whether it is relevant. I fought the feeling all weekend and made my way to the pulpit not knowing what God was going to do. As always God does what He does. What an amazing atmosphere and the souls that were saved. Simply doesn't get any better.

Last thought: Senator Obama's Pastor Dr. Jeremiah Wright is under undue pressure for supporting his member and sharing is world views. Senator Clinton's fund raising committee member Aferraro says Obama is 'lucky' because he is a black man. I can hear defeat in that comment the 'ONLY' reason he's winning is because he is 'black'. We must always fight hard, run faster & win by more. There will always be those who will never except us as equals.

Day 20 of 28

God has been so gracious and great to each of us. What a privilege to have the opportunity to actually live out Romans 12:1ff. Our desire to seek the presence of God is what make Him smile.



Tomorrow will be the end of the third quarter (day 21...7 day from celebration). This would be a great place to make you aware of your victory over the flesh. Next Sunday will mark 28 days that will stand as a tremendous testimony of what you can do when you surrender to God.



Over the last three weeks your flesh has screamed out to be satisfied but you subjected it to a greater desire to please God your Father. When your flesh wanted food after 7pm, sweets or quit before the 28 minutes were up...you said no. (Hallelujah) The word "Can't" will have no more power over your life and it will take you to higher heights and deeper depths.



Your participation in this fast has been such a great encouragement to Janice and me. Thank you for allowing us to be your leaders. The support has made an extremely difficult and demanding ministry a little easier.



I'm looking forward to our Morning experience to see what God will do through His Word. See you in the morning.

Great to be home

Growing up I dreamed of traveling and after about 22 years of both ministerial and professional traveling, I've concluded that it good to leave but great coming home.

My flight maded it in just in time to run by the church freshing up and grab my Bible. I arrived a few minutes after 7 feeling rushed and suffering from alittle jet lagged, not knowing if I was up to preaching. After whispering a prayer in the office we headed into the church. As I walked into the sanctuary I was greeted by a great numbers of our membership.

Their prayers and encouragement strengthed the tasked at hand. Dr John People and the Faith Memorial Baptist Church is a church in transition and pastor has been trying to get us to visit. I was glad that we were able to schedule the fellowship.I was to get home and glad to see everybody.

One more lecture to the board of directors of One Church One Child and then time to turn attention to weekend message.

We are halfway through the third quarter of our fast.. We are days away from another successful end of the fast.

Please take a moment and join me in prayer.

In Richmond VA

After a very long day Sunday (still trying to overcome the hour we lost). I had a 6:20am flight. Now you know somebody was straight trippin. You probably guessed it I was late getting to the airport. I arrived about 5:45am and the line were hanging out the door. I asked the skycap if the check me in curbside for my flight and the answer was no.

I go to the end of the check-in line saying to myself I'm no making this flight (I've never missed a flight for being late). If by chance I mad the check-in, I wasn't making security check point. But watch Divine Favor one of the skycaps came to the back of the line and said let have your itinerary and let me get you through this line.

He took everything and went to the front of the line for me and checked my bag and now I had a chance. He then lead me to another security check point that I made through in record time. I finally made it to my gate, everybody has already boarded. I was the last one to board but I maded it.

Here the message even when things look impossible to you God can and will make a way. While God gave me Favor I still had to participate. He'll get you through the lines but you have to get to the gate.

This fast is about God getting us through the lines (red tape, contracts, hiring professionals) but we have to participate in give, sacrifice and prayer.

Don't miss this I finally make it to the hotel and (some of you know where I'm going if you've ever stayed at the Doubletree). They offered me that hot double chocolate chip cookie. The greater the favor the greater the temptation. Be strong! The cookie is still in the bag.

End of the 2nd Quarter

Today is day 14 of 28. It has been a very long time since I’ve invited someone in to minister to our church. I invited Pastor A. R. Crawford to minister during our morning worship experience and Dr. A. Glenn Woodberry delivered the afternoon message. Pastor Crawford has become a fast friend we’ve worked closely in the Baptist Minister’s Association as well as in the Concern Clergy community work. He preached from Psalms 1 “A Blessed Man.” Dr. Woodberry is a mentor and a model of mine. Very early in my ministry he sort of adopted me and has spoken over the years some of the most profound, prolific and spirit-filled philosophies on preaching and pasturing. It was our Men’s Day and as usual Dr. blessed our hearts through the Word of God.

During every fast that I’ve ever participated in one thing has been consistent the enemy always tries to distract and discourage. John 10:10 is clear of his intent “A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (Msg) As you continue to join us on this journey remember that there will be Satanic resistance Matthew 4:1-3ff says “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him…” (NIV)

Here’s my point please don’t be surprised or caught off guard when confusion, chaos and/or complications come up against you. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12 (NIV)

Be Strong We’re Entering The Third Quarter!

A Lesson From Some Cotton Candy

Giving in to the temptation! Today is day 13 of 28. Janice and I took the sugababies to see Elmo Grows Up. After making our way through the turnstiles they went crazy the atmosphere just pulls them in to that give-me, buy-me, can I have frenzy. Every time Elmo comes to town it takes Big Poppa a few weeks to recover financially. We made it to our seats without spending a dime I sitting pretty wallet in intact but then it started give-me, buy-me, can I have. There I was like a deer caught in headlights and you know the rest…I melted and started that journey all the way back to vendor’s row. Where the nice people smile at you but under their breath I know their saying “Sucker.” A “Sucker” is person who will spend hard earned money for over-price junk that he won’t ever see again after the night is over. After several painful moments I begin the journey back to the seat with an arm full of lights, funnel cakes and cotton candy.

Elmo is on stage, the lights are bright, the music is loud and Sugababies are in happy, happy land. Playing with the light toys, eating funnel cakes and cotton candy, then it hits Janice and me simultaneously. The temptation to surrender! At that moment the Holy Spirit delivered a spiritual note we are all faced with the desire for cotton candy, that sweet, soft and enticing candy. The cotton candy represents that which we want but that which is not good for us. 2 Timothy 4: 3-4:

(New International Version) “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”

(The Message Translation) “You're going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They'll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages.”

No matter how much you may desire the “cotton candy” just say NO! “Cotton candy” is just puff, No filler, will destroy your teeth and brings nothing to the table. Hebrews 5:14 (NIV) “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

With the temptation of “Easy Worship” and “Comfortable Church” beware and don’t get caught up in a ministry that only offers “cotton candy”! 15 minutes sermons with no real relevance, church without commitment and salvation with sacrifice. We’re living in some dangerous times when we choose a place of worship for every other reason other than the word. We ought to choose a church on the basis of the Word of God that is being spoken. If the music isn’t the best – make sure that the uncompromised Word of God is being explained and exalted. If the people aren’t the most polite people – make sure that Word is being used for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that you may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 (NIV)

Don’t Give In To The Temptation!

Day 12 of 28 Days

Good morning! I want to first say thanks for joining us in this journey. It is very encouraging knowing that there are others who care about the ministry and the work that God is calling us to – that are willing to get in the spiritual trenches with us. You will never know what it has meant to Janice and I.

Let me give you a quick update from the frontlines. (Now remember this is ONLY for those of us who are fasting as we continue to be faithful to that which God has called us to pray for during our time of fasting.) Here’s the update: If you will remember during our 50 days of pray last fall, I shared this word with you “If you start praying about something, do not be surprised if it gets worse before it gets better.” That’s the update! Read John 11: 1-43

Now I want to talk with you about a much deeper word than commitment. I want to talk to you about the word SACRIFICE. We know very little about personal sacrifice today. Personal sacrifice is when you have to give up something or someone that you love very much, and it may even hurt, in order to walk with God.

That’s what the discipline of fasting says to God. There is nothing that You’ve blessed me with that I’m not willing to give up in order to walk with You. The key is SURRENDER!!! The surrendering of your entire life to God indicates personal sacrifice. Your level of surrender and personal sacrifice will determine the depth of your walking with God.

I promised that throughout this fast that I would help you understand this particular fast in hopes of deepening your time with God. So why has God called us to fast. We have been summons by God to fast because it is the only way to be successful in the work He has assigned us to accomplish.

In Nehemiah 1:4 - Nehemiah was given the impossible task of rebuild the walls around Jerusalem, so he prayed and fasted.

In Acts 13:2-3 - The church was given the impossible task of winning the world to Christ, so they prayed and fasted.

Application: God has given our church the daring task of building and winning the lost to Christ that many would considered an impossible task...we must pray and fast!

For 28 days and nights we are asking God for supernatural favor to do His will through prayer and fasting. I cannot wait to see what happens.

The issue is personal sacrifice. The issue is surrender. Christ is our supreme example of both. He did it for us!

A Commitment Church

I want to just share a word about “Commitment!” Consistency is the one thing that every believer can recommit to everyday. Consistency is also the one thing that is at the center of so many churches never making the impact on the world around it. Sunday as I made my way to the pulpit there it was again that nagging push to confront the commitment level of our church. It was one of those moments that few people enjoy but if we would be honest one that’s needs to ring throughout the pulpits of America.

I made some commitments to God early in my spiritual journey to the pastorate and one of them was that I wouldn’t ever be afraid to speak truth. If I was going to accept the responsibility of becoming the spiritual leader/father of a congregation, I was going to love them enough to tell them the truth. Often times I feel like John on the island of Patmos but for the most part I believe that at the end of the day most people appreciate the truth. My hope is that by speaking the truth that there will be those who hear the message, compute the consequences and make a life affecting commitment to Jesus Christ that moves them to another spiritual level (whether believer or non-believer).

One person wrote me shortly after coming to Greater Bethel from another church and said, “The difference in the two churches is that the other was a committed church and this is a committed church.” Recently I read in a leading Christian publication that today’s younger generation is looking for this characteristic in a potential church home. God has given me the courage to present a preaching/pasturing ministry that is real, relevant and often time raw. On the other hand, over the years the church has lose some members who either through adoption or birth who come in and/or find that the commitment level encouraged is more than they wanted to make. Let me quickly say no one in departing is ever honest enough to give it as the reason for their exit. So instead, they look around for something or someone to blame and/or criticize as they exit rather than being honest. Most would never admit that they hadn’t really put a decent amount of effort into attending on a regular basic, getting to know and be known by church family and/or developing an intimate relationship with Jesus.

My hope is that every member of the Greater Bethel Church would raise the level of their commitment whether through this 28 day fast, attendance, giving, serving, belonging or whatever area that the Holy Spirit places on your heart. I promise you that if you do…it will be the most important thing you’ve ever done in your life. God want to do something special in your life…

To final words for this e-mail…On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) how would you score yourself in two strategic areas of importance?

First from 1 to 10 rate your commitment to Christ as your Lord.

Next, on a scale of 1 to 10 rate your commitment to His local church.

Now prayerfully consider up-scaling your commitment. Commitment and consistency are two wings on the same bird.

28 Days

In a few minutes it will be day 7 of a 28 day fast that I’ve ask the Greater Bethel Church to join me in. God has given us a great opportunity to do something for His Kingdom that many, many church family wished they were called to do. I feel a sense of urgency and often time chased and dogged by fear about our future. While I know that our future will be fruitful the enemy has tried everything to throw us off track. God has called this fast to center us as we reflect and refocus our confidence in Him. I believe that God is going to take our church to the next level as He builds the church before the church is built. The following our fasting covenant…

Greater Bethel Church
Fasting Covenant 2008

“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” 2 Chronicles 20:3 (KJV)

“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23 (NIV)

Time Span: Monday, February 25th ~ Sunday, March 23rd (Easter) = 28 Days

Daily Commitment To:

Spend 28 minutes of daily quiet time with God

Within my 28 minutes of daily quiet time w/God…spend time praying for our Church in the following areas:
Vision (Make me passionate about Building Your Church and Your CommUnity)
Building Program (Give Us Divine Favor in the area of Contracts, Bids, Permits, Finances & Professionals)
Finances (Create a spirit of generosity within the family beginning with me).

28 minutes of daily Exercise or Activity

Absolutely No Eating after 7 pm

Absolutely No SWEETS…not sugar….Sweets defined as cookies, candy, cake etc.