The Year of Refreshing 2013.

Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Happy New Year to you all. I am so glad to be writing again. This is a year that I am expecting to see changes and miracles. Our Bishop (Bishop H. Curtis Douglas) has declared this the year of “Unfair Harvest”. This was the declaration of our Bishop for Dabar Bethlehem Cathedral and for the church under his care. So I personally receive that word and I would encourage you to receive it in Jesus’ name.

Beloved, I would like to develop the word of the LORD that was given to In His Presence Family Worship Center (IHP) for this year. The LORD has encouraged us to go back to the beginning. Many people when hearing the name of our church assume that the scripture that our church is based on is Psa. 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. It is actually based on Acts 3:19. Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;. This is what the LORD had me to come back to. Now I will not re-preach this here but if you allow me, I would like to bring out some points from this text.

There is a tension between verses two (2) and Seven (7) of this third chapter of Acts that we should be encouraged by in the beginning of this year. The passage speaks of a man that was brought daily to the Gate called Beautiful. This was the temple in Jerusalem where he would be brought daily by his friends so that he could get his hustle on. The text tells us that he would be left there daily so that he could beg from those that are going to in the temple to worship God. I want to encourage you beloved to question the love of those so-called friends that will bring to the place so that you can get your hustle on, but not bring you inside to get healed so that you would not have to beg. Many of our friends are comfortable helping us to get just enough, and will help you get to the place where begging is your norm, but what would happen if you started the year out believing that you need friends that would encourage you to be better. Encourage you to get into the presence of him who could heal you. Some friends are not ready for you to succeed. Just a thought.

The tension between verses 2 and 7 is this. Verse two tells us that this man was born with the malady that prevents him from walking. Born not able to stand. Many things were denied him because he could not stand. Think about it. He never as a boy ran a race with the other boys. He never danced with a girl at his high school prom. He could never serve his country in the military. These are all things he watched his friends do, but he could not because he was born without the ability. Verse seven on the other hands tells me God changed all of this with a word. As we go into 2013, I need you to know that God can change anything that prevents you from doing what you want, even if you are born without the capability to do a thing. Some people had you convince that the problem is that you were born not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough. I don’t know what the issue is, but even if it is true, God can change your actuality with a word. Notice, he did not just believe he was lame. He was actually lame and he was lame from his mother’s womb. He was born lame, without the ability to walk. This was not a mind set, but God can change you physically with a word. He can and will change your actuality with a word. Your situations are not bigger than God. Jesus is able to do anything but fail.

So in this year of refreshing, I am looking forward to seeing a change in my circumstance. God will do it with a word. Live life on purpose beloved. A change belongs to you and you can have it. Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have, give I thee, In the name of Jesus I declare 2013 a year of change, a year of possibility, a year of wisdom, a year of returning to that first love, a year of prosperity, a year of being what God intended me and you to be.

We will as a body begin our fast at IHP on this Friday the 11th of January, 2013. The LORD has instructed us as a body to fast for 10 days. I want to encourage you join us on this journey.

Live Life on Purpose and not By Mistake,
Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
www.ihpfwc.org