The struggles of life all around us can easily become overwhelming. It seems at times there is nothing but bad news. That may have been how the Israelites felt in slavery to the Egyptians and in their journey to the Promised Land. There were challenges and difficulties at every turn. It may be how you are feeling about your world as well.

When Moses and Aaron first went to Pharaoh to tell him God says to let His people go, he made things harder on all the Israelites who were making bricks for him, making them find their own straw each day. Then the leaders turned against Moses and Aaron, and they in turn questioned God – whether God was keeping His promises to deliver Israel. And even after God sent ten miraculous plagues on Egypt for all to see His power and did deliver His people from Egypt, the people continued to grumble each time a new problem arose and repeatedly turned against Moses and Aaron for leading them out of Egypt. God continued to be patient with them and show them miracle after miracle providing for all their needs. But they kept on being obstinate and disobedient and fearful, constantly complaining about their living conditions. (Exodus)

This account and “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) What we learn from them is that the true struggle is not with external people and circumstances but the fight of our lives occurs within us.  The real struggle is to trust God completely, every moment of every day, come what may. The problems the Israelites faced were not really physical ones, but problems believing God. They failed to understand the significance of the miraculous power God displayed before them. They didn’t let it reach to and change their hearts toward God and toward life. They continued in their old fleshly ways of thinking and feeling and behaving.  The result for them was they missed out on the blessings God had planned for their lives.  Only their children ended up entering the Promised Land. They spent their lives wandering around in the wilderness forty years because of their bad attitudes and refusal to trust and submit to God until that whole generation died… except for Joshua and Caleb who chose to trust God and obey His voice when everyone else was going the other way. We are often going to find the same – that we are in the minority when it comes to trusting God and obeying His Word. Are we prepared to stand alone when necessary?

Do you know your enemies? They are the world, the flesh and the devil.

“Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)  Are you allowing any of the past or present influences in your world to control you?

“The mind set on the flesh is death … is hostile to God….Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.” (Romans 8:6-8) “Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature…” (Colossians 3:5-9)

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.”(1 Peter 5:8-9) “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.”(1 Jn. 3:8)

Do you know your battlefields? They are your mind, your attitudes and desires, and your behaviors – your habits in words and deeds.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2) “Whatever is true,…honest,…just,…pure,…lovely,…admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15) “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:…He humbled Himself and became obedient…” (Philippians 2:5-8)

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.” (Matthew 12:36) “Whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17)

Do you know your weapons? They are the Holy Spirit within you, the Word of God, prayer, and faith.

“…Be continually filled with the Spirit.” “ So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the lusts of the flesh.” (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”     (2 Timothy 3:16-17) “Take… the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17) “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but pray about everything…and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:6-8)

“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16) “And without faith, it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Do you know when you are being victorious in the fight? When you are displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), humility before God and men (James 4:6-10), and contentment (Philippians 4:11-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 3:15-17).

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble…. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation…I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

So the real fight of my life is within me – to keep trusting and depending on God no matter what the people around me do or don’t do, and no matter what happens in this fallen world. It is the good fight. Do not give up or give in! In the end, we will be rewarded by our Lord.

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December, a month that provokes so much inner conversation and this year, I have been given an added dimension to my inner conversation…Pastor! As Pastor, I am faced with dual conversations; one that focuses on my individual relationship with God and the other, concerning those whom I shepherd.

As an individual, I purpose daily to hold my life accountable against the Word of God. My determination to grow spiritually is unhindered by what others decide to do within my circle of friends. I chose to walk in the Spirit of God. That does not mean, I am not tempted; but in my temptation I lean wholly on the Spirit to get me through and IF I fail, I immediately turn to God and repent. I must stay tuned into the Spirit of God and actively operate in the Gifts and the Power of the Holy Spirit. I must not waiver in my relationship with God, especially since I am given the charge to watch over the souls of those whom God gives me to shepherd. (Hebrews 13:17) My commitment is to serve God Alone!

As a Pastor, I am set as a Watchman. I find myself thinking of you often, praying for your success in all that you desire to do for the Kingdom of God. Pondering thoughts like…What have you encountered this year? What milestones have you reached? Have you accomplished all that you set out to do? How are you recovering from the failures you’ve encountered? The victories you obtained. Where are you heading, as it relates to your relationship with God? Are you in the same place as you were last year? I pray about your pursuit of God and your awareness of His presence in your life and family. I pray about your awareness of your Purpose and path of pursuit, to accomplish it. These thoughts are heavy upon me, for you.

What I realize is this… with all the inner conversations that are going on, with all the thoughts and questions concerning your lives; I must be honest with myself and with God knowing He knows everything. My whole heart desire is to please him, during my pursuit of Him. I want to experience everything He has purposed for my life and I want to see you experience the same. I must yield to the Holy Spirit within, to set me on the right path, so that I won’t follow what Willie or people want. I want to teach those who are a part of VOH Ministries, the Word of God mixed with Faith. I want them to experience the Holy Spirit and Fire; along with me and operate in the Power and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit, producing Signs and Wonders; so that the World will be drawn to Our Lord.

My focus for VOH Ministries is to provide an atmosphere where the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is actively working within the ministry. That will only come by admonishing the people of God to return to the Word of God. Encourage them to actively use their Faith and Declare the Word of God over every situation, believing and looking for the results that the scriptures say…nothing less! I will not tolerate stagnation. The kingdom of God is always moving forward and with that said; the believer must always be moving forward, in their Faith.

With only a few more days left in 2014, I’m praying that you are doing some soul searching yourself. The Body of Christ has wasted enough time. You have to rise and pursue God for your Kingdom Purpose and ask Him how that purpose ties into the Purpose of the Ministry you are a part of. Life will happen! Challenges will come! People will talk! Our enemy will still attack! We must NOT allow those things and many others, to stop us from Pursuing our God and living a life that is pleasing to Him!

I Love You and Pray God’s best blessing upon you and your family!

Be Blessed!

Pastor Willie Smith, Jr.

Everything in your world may be screaming at you, the negative…Coming from every which way. There are times when those negative influences get the best of you; causing you to react and to believe whatever they are saying. Your reactions come in many forms…(i.e. reduced prayer time and when you pray, you are praying desperate prayers; reduced fellowship time with other believers, causing you to not attend church services or to not be faithful to things you were once committed to; reduced Word time, you look at the Bible, but you question its validity because your answers seem to have been delayed; you get silent; stay to yourself and do not call anyone that can speak faith and encouragement to you or you don’t speak the Word to yourself). IT IS AN ATTACK!

It is an attack against your Faith and every testimony of God’s faithfulness, you have experienced and look to experience. Your enemy knows that if he can derail your faith in God, your doubt begins to build “walls of distrust”, restricting the manifestations of God’s manifested answers. When this happens, that is when you must contend for your Faith. Contend against all that comes against you, utilizing the most Powerful weapon you possess in your arsenal…”The Word of God”. It has the ability to transcend those negative occurrences, which seem to not let up. It can change the heart of mankind and it can alter the course of your life.

Jude 1:3 says, “… it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Joshua 10:24b-25 says, “…Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight.”

In the Name of Jesus, put your foot on the neck of your enemy. Kick him, scratch him, pull the hair and bite if you must! Do whatever you need to do; to maintain your Faith in God!   Never give up! There is NO OTHER OPTION!!!

Pastor Willie

12 months ago you said, “I will not be in this same place, this time next year”. Are you? If so, why?

Are you one of the ones who are ALL talk and NO Action? Afraid to move on because you think you will miss something. You like knowing what to expect as it relates to your current situation, so you stay. You like to fulfill other people purposes, so you stay. You need the Man of God to do everything for you: (i.e. Feed you, pray for you, tell you what God is saying for your life, give you the detail instructions, etc.), so you stay. Well…?

When do you do the Greater Works, Jesus talked about?

John 14:12 says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father”.

This will require you to move out of the position you are in, and walk in the Faith you say you possess or do you ONLY profess and don’t actually believe?

The condition of this World is decaying fast and we “the believer” cannot live an ineffective life. We have been given access to the Power that will change the World, which comes out through “the greater works.” NOW is not the time to get complacent, now is not the time, to take the back seat on your faith and begin to indulge yourselves in the things of this World.

It is important that the church (meaning YOU) continue to increase its influence on the World and this begins with us “the individual believer”. Your existence in your “circle of friends” gives you the access to influence them with the gospel, lived out through your life. If they never see the change or the difference, they will never be influence by your witness. Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait. There you would receive the Power, when the Holy Ghost comes to dwell inside of you and that power will empower you to be “A Witness” of Him throughout the World.

My question to you is…What does your witness say about you?

Pastor Willie

#‎GreaterWorks

I was riding into work today reflecting over all the things we as MEN are responsible for. Most of us do it without complaining and we don’t look for anyone to notice. We are driven by the desire to make things better for ourselves and our families; with the hopes of one day leaving a legacy that our children will appreciate and will not squander. We are responsible to make things happen, even when we may not know what to do next; yet the expectation is “we should know”. If we are in relationship with someone, the burden of keeping the important things important are constantly on our minds, hoping never to hear those words “what about me” and if it is not spoken, it may be evident by the “comments”, “attitude” or their distance. Now don’t think because you are single that you escape the need of being responsible. You have to keep yourself marketable, just in case one day you decide to invite someone into your world. You have to make sure the decisions you make as a single man, do not come back to haunt you, as a married man. Let’s face it; there is no one that can do the job of a man, but a man!

To all my brothers, those who are married, in a relationship or single; I want to take the time to say “Be Encouraged!”

I don’t care what it appears to others, what you believe and know is what’s important. You can only make the best decisions, based on the information at hand and If you ever get to the place where “you don’t know”, you should have someone that you can go to “in confidence” to seek advice and once given; apply what you can to your situation and make the best decision possible. Not knowing should never deter you from doing what you know to do and if you fail; get up, forgive yourself, ask for forgiveness and move forward.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:26 “…but of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” That didn’t deter Him; He trusted that whatever the Father knew was good. Eventually He would know and based on that fact; He fulfilled what He knew He had to do.   So keep doing what you do, if it’s right to do! Don’t stop! Seek Wisdom and Understanding! Look to others for Help, when needed! Don’t get distracted by what the enemy sends your way; he only sends it to keep you from getting to where you need to go.

Forward Focus and Press through the Resistance…

We are Men and be Proud of it…!

With half of the year past already, what have you been busy doing?

Many of you have been running and accomplishing what God has called you to; some are moving along at a slower pace, some have gotten stalled along the way; hindered by the distractions the enemy has thrown your way. Some of you have gone through some difficult situations, some you knew of and others you didn’t. However, beyond all of that; what kind of progress have you made in fulfilling the call of God, for your life?

At the end of 2013, we encouraged you to consider your “Faith Goals”, “Soul Goals” and “Relationship Goals”, for 2014.

The plans you made to increase your Faith, in 2014; how is your progress? The plans you made to ensure your soul will be ready when Jesus returns; how is your progress? The plans you made to strengthen your relationship with God, your spouse, your children or your friends; how is your progress? What about the plans you made to get to know the Holy Spirit better or become more acquainted with Him, in 2014; how is that progress?

Making a conscious effort to measure your progress, along with a good accountability partner; will help you stay on track. Now, I’m not talking about an accountability partner that will agree with everything you say or do. I’m talking about one that will challenge you in areas and during moments of challenge; if you are honest with them.

Oh and don’t forget about your enemy; who has been busy plotting against you, this year. The obstacles he has thrown your way, the distractions he has sent to keep your focus off the pursuit of God and the schemes he has used to get your attention away from Kingdom business. He is determined to keep you from reaching you goals. Stay alert! Don’t get caught off guard! Ready yourself!

If you find yourself not making any progress, it’s time to reassess where you are and what has hindered you. What God has called you to; awaits you and I don’t know about you, but I want to see and experience every vision, dream and spoken word God has shown and spoke to me. God knows you and when He speaks; He speaks and reveals according to the plans He has for your life! Arise Saints! Gird yourself! There is work to be done, in the Kingdom and no one can do your part, but YOU!

So, here are two scriptures for you:

1 Peter 5:8-11 (The Message Bible) says…

“Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”

Jeremiah 29:11 says…

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Now is the time to get moving again, build your faith up and realign your focus. The signs of the time say, Jesus is coming again…Soon! Put on the whole armor of God, get in the Word; so that your faith can be made strong, push past the resistance and don’t allow the enemy to keep you silent…SPEAK THE WORD!

Hebrews 4:12 says…

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Blessings to you!

Willie
#unleashed2014, #pursueGod, #noturningbacknow

How long will you wait on the promise?  That’s a question that many would outright say, “as long as it takes!”  That maybe a real answer for some, but a “textbook” answer for others.  What happens if along the way to the promise, unanticipated things happen?

I am reminded of the children of Israel.  They received a promise from God, concerning their promise land. He described to them what they would experience and what they had to do to get there; however along the way, unanticipated things happened.

From the moment they crossed the Red Sea, they encountered challenges that came to deter them from getting to the promise land.  These challenges came as a result of a few people who instigated doubt to what God said or God’s Messenger Moses said; causing them to doubt God’s word.  For instance, during their journey, they believed God was going to take care of them every step of the way, but when there was no water to drink and no food to eat, they began to murmur and complain against God.  Each time God manifested provision for them, in spite of their murmuring.  He always reassured His people that He was faithful to His word.

In another instance, God reaffirmed His promise when He sent the 12 spies into the promise land and only 2 came back with the faith to believe they could possess it.   Ten spies spoke doubt and fear, which caused the people to doubt their promise and the other 2 spies spoke the faith needed to inhabit the promise. This scene concluded with God handing down judgment upon the nation, causing all those who doubted, to die off during their 40 years in the wilderness and allowing their children to inherit the promise.  This goes to show us, that God may promise us something, but if we doubt him long enough, we may never see the promise fulfilled in our lives.

You will never know what you will encounter, during your journey to the promise.  There will be times in your life that great challenges come.  They may come through events that happen in your life or people that may be a part of your life. The challenges come to distract you from your journey, to cause you to make a detour.  Some will stop and get stuck at that moment of challenge.  Some will stop and turn back, at that moment of challenge.  Others will stop, look at the challenge and see God in the midst, giving comfort and hope that somehow this challenge will produce something in them, that will equip them for the promise. At some point during that moment of challenge, the doubting season, you must find God and His reassurance of the promise.  He will send trickles of reminders your way to remind you of what He has promised; at moments when you need them most, when you least expect it, God!

Romans 8:28 says… “And we know that all things work together for Good to them that love God and to them who are the Called according to His Purpose.”

I must say, I don’t understand how God can take a situation that is so traumatic in our lives and make good out of it.  How He will plan out paths that we will take, moments in our lives, decisions we will make, interject people in our lives at strategic points; creating moments of evolution in us that cause our experiences to produce the faith to look beyond the pain, and see the promise.

You may find yourself in this situation, encountering challenges on the way to the promise.  Take courage my brother and my sister.  These moments are truly meant as preparation moments, moments of cultivation, character building and faith strengthening.  God has a plan that we know not how it will all play out in the end.  All you can do is believe.  Believe that He is faithful to what he promised.  Believe that He cannot lie.  Believe that some way, some how, things will work out and before you know it, you will be an inhabitant of the promise.  Only Believe!

Today I decided to combine several posts that were shared on our Facebook Page.

With the end of the year fast approaching, I thought I’d give you something to assist in your preparation for the Next Season in your Life….2014!

I.  Preparing for the Next Season:

Preparing for the next season is necessary for healthy stimuli and growth. What are you doing to prepare you for the next season, in your life? 2014 is coming, don’t wait until it’s here to decide; advance planning is necessary!

So, if you’ve been hurt, broken, suffered lose, thrown off balance by something that has happened in your life, etc.; sit down and make a note of those areas, go down the list and ask the question…”What will it take for me to get over this?” If you need outside help, seek it! If you need to spend time with yourself, spend it! If you need any kind of help, cry out to God and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you with guidance from above.

The time of preparation is here, the next phase of your life is on the horizon. Rise Up!

II.  Preparing for the Next Season – Making Note of Areas:

Now, concerning making note of the areas of hurt, pain, etc…this task can be one of the hardest things to do.  Why? Because you will have to admit it happened, in order to deal with it.  Hiding from it will only prolong your attachment to it and never bring closure.  Unbolting that door and allowing you to deal with those areas, is the beginning of healing.  Take the time necessary to work through each area.  Some areas may require extra time; just remember each area is unique within itself.  What it took for you to get closure for one, may not work for the other.  Prayer and patience is vital.  If you find that an area is more difficult to work through, don’t close the door again and move on; seek outside help (i.e. a professional counselor, etc.).  If there is no one you can reach out to for help, contact us; we will extend our reach to help you.   The road ahead will be hard. Press On!  Work through it!  Fight the Fight of Faith!   Healing will come!   A healthy you will arise out of the ashes and Wholeness will manifest!

III.  Preparing for the Next Season – Don’t Skip the Hard Work:

So you think you can skip the hard work and be okay?

Jesus said in Matthew 9:17 (KJV) – “Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”

The Message Bible says it like this…“And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.

Your past hurts and pains put cracks inside of you.  That’s why every now and then you feel those old emotions seeping out.  God wants to repair the cracks, so that when his healing comes, it won’t seep out, through the cracks.  The Holy Spirit comes to seal us and He doesn’t want to seal us with the old stuff still inside, he has the New Wine and He wants a New Vessel.

Moving to the next season, requires an inward change first and people who refuse to deal with their inner hurts; but move on instead, will subconsciously continue to hurt until something happens that picks the scab off that area and then…Explosion!  The reactions, the mindset, the emotions, the fears that were a part of your past, will manifest in your next season and if they caused you to hurt others then, you will continue to hurt others.  Why go through all of that?  You left to past, so that you wouldn’t have to deal with it again.  Why would you want to deal with it in your next season, when you can deal with it now and free yourself and future of all those painful ties?    Do the hard work now!  Get free!  Get Healed!  Get Whole!

IV.  Preparing for the Next Season – You Decided:

You decided to do the hard work…!

You are working hard at becoming healthy; dealing with those hidden areas of hurt and pain.  You are preparing for your Next Season!  You don’t plan on visiting those areas again, unless it is to help someone else, with their healing.  You are finding that the more you deal with those areas, the more their power over your life is diminished.

I want to tell you of two vital steps that will contribute to your success and healing:  PRAYER and FORGIVENESS.  PRAYER that God will provide you the healing you need to fully be healed and completely made whole.  PRAYER for the power and courage to FORGIVE those who caused you the hurt, even though you may never hear them say…”I’m Sorry” or “Please Forgive Me”…PRAYER for the power and the courage to forgive yourself.

God desires to see you healthy and whole.  I remember when I was going through my transition to the Next Season.  There was one specific prayer, I prayed; knowing the enemy jobs was to always bring back the memories, to paralyze me and keep me from moving forward.   I prayed that God would remove the sting out of the hurt (i.e. the power of it, the lure of it); so that whenever the enemy would bring it up or I was triggered by something; it would not affect me or at least affect me the way it previously did.   God answered my prayer and as time went on, I realized the sting was gone, the power of it, gone.  Nobody but God could have done it and I tell you this, NOBODY but God can do it for you.   Press On!  Get Healed!  Embrace your Next Season!

“Failing to prepare is preparing to Fail”… by Benjamin Franklin

 Be Blessed!