Category: Christian

You are Preparing For Victory. Day Eight (8): “Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. We are a victorious people indeed. We are on Day number EIGHT, (8) WOW!!!! This is indeed something to give God thanks for. You have defeated not only the intention of the Devil, but you have also seen the big picture, as Sister Tinisha Smith admonished us yesterday, and achieved a closeness with God you have never achieved before. Well done beloved, you are on your way.

Beloved, I want to encourage you today with regard to this journey. There are some benefits to praying and fasting. The obvious reason is you get prayers answered, this discipline does foster a closer relationship to Christ. All these are reason enough to do this. There is although another good reason. Demons are part of the Christians woes. Meaning when you are living for Christ you will encounter the adversary. There is something you need to know. Being part of the club does not make you victorious. Let’s look at this text:

Mark 9:28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, why could not we cast him out?
Mark 9:29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

The disciples were absolutely part of Jesus’ inner circle, but this did not guarantee success in dealing with demonic activity. They had seen Jesus heal many people, and obviously even their attempts at doing certain things were successful. So much so that they did honestly expect to be successful with this issue. You know sometimes we think that membership in our church should mean that we can handle anything. We think because we have been saved a longtime, there is nothing I cannot do. The disciples really asked this question, for it puzzled them. We have seen you do these things, but we cannot do it. So many times we think because we seen the result, we understand everything it takes to get there. If we see a drummer playing the drums, and he sounds amazing, we think if we just do what we saw him do, we should get the same results. The disciples asked him seriously, ‘Why could not we cast him out?’
Jesus let’s them know that there is only one-way and it is not the way you think. Being around me is not the key, watching me is not the key, using the right formula is not the key. You cannot deal with demons by being around the church, or even belonging to the church; you must actively do something that will prepare you for this task. Listen, even in everyday life we see the same principle. You cannot be a professional soldier by being around the military; you must go to boot camp. You cannot engage yourself in the medical profession because you have the spirit of medicine, you must go to school. Well beloved you will need to be able to deal with certain demons in your life, and Jesus says the only way for certain victory is to do what you are doing right now, FASTING.
So as you go through your day, know that you are preparing yourself, equipping yourself for victory. You are doing it. You are preparing yourself for the front lines. Onward Christian Soldier. This Kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Remember drink plenty of water. All the water you can drink. By now, you cannot drink just any water because the taste is getting to you. It is all part of the journey. Keep praying for the things on your prayer list. Do one day at a time. Just fast for today. Don’t worry about tomorrow just concern yourself with today. I am in awe of you. You can do it. You are preparing yourself for victory!

Your Because I am His,
Leo Colon
http://www.ihpfwc.org
leocolon.wordpress.com

”

(Via .)

Endure. Day Six (6): “Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Today is Day Six (6). You guys are really doing the impossible, and I am proud of you. Hold on, and keep praying. Drink lots of water, you will make it. Today, my wife is our Guest blogger. Pastor Dorothy takes the time to share and encourage our hearts, join me in welcoming her. Don’t forget to leave a comment. It is a help to us to know that these devotionals are a blessing to you.

Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
http://www.ihpfwc.org
leocolon.wordpress.com

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and Mercy to the leaders whom I may be blessed to share with today. Thank you Pastor Colon for sharing this space with me. I honor you and your commitment to the people of God. To the IHP Family and Family of the body of Christ at-large joining in this 21 day fast and consecration it is worth the journey, to you I say ‘Endure’.

As I walked down 42nd street and Lexington Avenue yesterday, it was cold and the blocks seemed longer than usual. On every corner I could smell coffee from the street vendors and the aroma of Starbucks. As I took it all in and began to think about what I was not having, my morning large coffee, which seemed to get me through the first 2 hours of the day, I said to my self ‘SO WHAT!! Yes, so what I am not having coffee, so what it has been 6 days, SO WHAT, I am weak and tired and hungry and moving slow, I am giving all of this to Jesus. It is my sacrifice. He has sacrificed so much for me and he would love me whether I fasted or not. It is my good pleasure to afflict my flesh. We must be willing to do whatever it takes to draw closer to God, get his attention, and gain the power to confront the enemy of our promises.

We must be willing to ‘Endure.’ 2 Timothy 2:3 says ‘You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ’. Paul admonished Timothy, his son in the Gospel to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. So do I admonish you. Embrace your discomfort and rejoice in your suffering. When you fast you have entered into Warfare. 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us ‘For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds.’ At the end of this exercise you will have the power to destroy the strongholds that are holding back your promises. You will speak with power and chains will be broken. You will have authority over demonic assignments to your life! You have unleashed havoc in the spirit that is why you are being attacked with the very thing you are resisting. Remember greater is He that is in you. Embrace your hunger and weakness for when you are weak, then are you strong in Christ Jesus. Endure!

Peace to You
Pastor Dorothy
http://www.ihpfwc.org

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(Via .)

Thanks Be to God. Day Four (4): “Beloved, grace and peace be unto you, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. As promised, I am pleased to welcome Pastor Maurice Johnson, Senior Pastor of the Bethcar Fellowship Church of Connecticut, and my good friend, as our guest blogger. Please welcome him as he speaks to our hearts and encourages us through the word of God. I thank God for my friend Pastor Johnson and the Bethcar Fellowship Church, as we take the 21-day journey together, and seek God for the plan to be victorious in 2010.

Yours Because I am His
Leo Colon
http://www.ihpfwc.org
leocolon.wordpress.com

Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a tremendous privilege and opportunity it is to share a word with you during this time of fasting and consecration; my thanks to Pastor Leo Colon for providing the platform. It is my intention and desire to keep this short and try not to bore you with too much rhetoric.
Day four and I think you should give thanks to the Lord and congratulate yourselves for accomplishing something today that will influence your tomorrow. The journey you have embarked upon is extremely beneficial to your soul in your relationship with Jesus; however, the journey is replete with challenges that strive to deter the 21-day graduation that lies before you. I want to take this time to address one of your greatest challenges during these 21 days as well as encourage you as you face and confront the challenge–that is yourself. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans chapter seven verses 18 through 20, (NIV) ‘18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do– this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.’ By nature you are your best friend, greatest fan, worst critic and at times during these 21 days you will be your own worst enemy. Repeatedly, the law of your mind will war against and struggle with the desire of your spirit in an effort to convince you to negate the remaining days of the fast that lie before you. No one besides the Lord understands you like you understand yourself, as your flesh whispers things like, ‘can’t you see how much you’ve already accomplished, why go further,’ attempting to convince you that your journey is too difficult and that you will not reach the finish line.
Paul writes of the duplicitous nature of humankind whereas on one hand is your flesh, which is an enemy of God, and on the other hand is your spirit, which seeks to be more like Jesus Christ; you are a living contradiction. However, do not be discouraged because you are in good company with others who celebrate the same outlook on life. Like Paul, ask yourself this rhetorical question found in Romans chapter 7:24, ‘Who will rescue me from this body of death?’ In concert, respond as Paul did in Romans chapter 7:25, ‘Thanks be to God– through Jesus Christ our Lord!’ Stay focused! I wish to believe that among the various desires you have placed on your prayer list is the apprehension of a deeper more intimate relationship with Christ. The acquisition of this comes from the abandonment and redirection of our innate desire for worldly things shifting them to private moments in prayer and consecration. Remember, even Jesus was tempted during the fast, and we are looking for the same results that Jesus received after he completed the fast and was tempted, as recorded in Luke 4:14, ‘And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.’
Let us take it one day at a time and enjoy this opportunity afforded to us as we present ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, and remember, ‘Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.’ You can make it!

Grace and Peace be multiplied,

Maurice Johnson
Bethcar Fellowship Church
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(Via .)

Finding Solitude Day Three (3): “Beloved, grace and peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Today we begin Day # 3 this is a blessing. This is an opportunity to do warfare. That is what we are doing you know. You have a goal to be what God has ordained you to be, and to go through whatever process God requires of you. Because of this, know that you have an adversary who will engage in actual warfare to prevent not only the plan of God in general, but the plan of God for you. Let’s win this fight, you and I, together we can destroy the plan of the devil and be victorious. What’s the plan? Just fast one more day. Just fast for today, tomorrow will take care of itself. Want proof, you made it through yesterday.
Today, I would like to continue to talk about prayer. Yesterday, we ask the question that the disciple asked, Lord teach us how to pray. We looked at this from the perspective of how important God is in our lives. He is that important that I want my conversation with God to be done in a manner that honors him. Today I would like for us to consider that Jesus did not only teach us how to pray by speaking to us, but he also taught us by example. Let’s consider the text:

NRSV
Matt. 14:23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

In order to pray, Jesus actively did some things. Part of his preparation for prayer was his ability to seek solitude. Beloved this is interesting to me. There is a benefit to solitude. We know that, even in our earthly relationships, solitude helps build intimacy. Relationships are strengthened by the investment we undertake to get to know a person. Consider this, whether you are a man or woman, there is a feeling that one has as a result having that alone time with that someone special. If my time with my wife was limited to public encounters, I do not think that we would feel we had a special relationship. She would feel that she was just another person in my life, and that there was nothing that made her special in my eyes. It is that time we spend together away from every body else, that makes her special to me. She can be herself, and I can accept her honesty and despite any public perception of her, get to know her for myself. When I do that, it does not matter what other people think, what other people see, she is special to me. Guess what, if other do not know her, it does not change our relationship. In this text, Jesus sends the multitude away. Beloved do you send the multitude of your day away to invest some time with God? Not just the multitude of people, but the multitude of your day. By that I mean, that our days can get congested by a lot of stuff, that only serve the purpose of being ‘the multitude’. Yes I’ll pray, but I have to check my emails, keep my phone on just in case, the only time I have alone is on the train in the morning, I think we can do better than that for God. Jesus went up the mountain by himself to pray. Invest time with God by achieving solitude. There is a benefit to solitude. Listen, God wants you to get to know him. He wants to tell you some things, that will be just between you and Him. He wants to be special to you, and I know you want him to know that he is special to you. Find a place where no one is, and pray. The time you spend alone with God will make your relationship with him a special one. Think about it, after this, even in a crowd, you can operate in the knowledge that you and God have a special relationship.

Tonight we meet at IHP for prayer. I hope to see all of you there. Remember drink all the water you can. At least 8 to 12 glasses a day. Pray, and just fast for today.

Yours Because I am His,
Leo Colon
http://www.ihpfwc.org
leocolon.wordpress.com
”

(Via .)

Lord Teach me to Pray. Day Two (2): “Grace and peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Beloved today is day number two(2). This is a reason to celebrate. You have made it to today. One of my young people was in the car with me on the way to church on last night, and another young member of the church was at work. She texted him that someone has just placed on the desk in front of her a bowl of chocolate bars. On day one, this is happening. It’s funny, because it was probably innocent. That person may not have had any idea the she was fasting, but it still hurts. Ouch!!!
Beloved, this journey we are on holds the key to getting your prayers answered. We are fasting for 21 days and committing to prayer during this time for at least one hour a day. Prayer and fasting go together. We have done a lot in our churches to discuss how to fast. What about how to pray? Even Jesus’ disciples posed the question. Let’s look at the text.

Luke 11:1 ¶ And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Jesus, our great example was praying. He is the word in flesh and he was praying. Also note that Jesus found a ‘certain place’ to pray. It suggests that where you pray is important, not to be seen, but to facilitate an opportunity for intimacy with Christ. The portion of this text that captured my attention is that one of Jesus’ disciples asked the question, Lord teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. This is intriguing. None of Jesus’ disciples were gentiles. All of them were Jewish believers. There is no evidence in Holy Writ that any of the disciples were irreligious. Yet although there very existence is defined by their faith in God, this one disciple asked the question. It suggests to me that prayer should be taken seriously. I believe it is Dr. Cornel West who once said ‘we talk around a thing, because we don’t define said thing’. Prayer is a dialogue with God. Prayer is how you speak to God; also it is an opportunity for you to hear from God. Now think about it, if all your help comes from God, if the very fabric of who you are comes from this sovereign God, and your needs are met by him, wouldn’t you want to make sure you get it right. This disciple seems to have his head on straight. He did not want his life to rest on the fact that he made it into the exclusive group called the disciples, he wanted results. Do you want results? So let’s ask the question. How do you pray? Is it a one-way conversation? Do you simply talk to him when you need something? Is prayer something you do when trouble arises?
I need to make sure I first of all pray correctly. This is what defines my relationship. The question really speaks to more than just logistics. Think about it, prayer is the way to strengthen your relationship with God. In every relationship, the cornerstone of the relationship is communication. Suppose in your every day relationships you notice that there is a problem with a friend because of the way you talk to him or her. Everyone wants to be spoken to in a certain manner, with a healthy respect for who they are. How much would you move mountains for that friend who only calls when they need money? When you needed something, you could not find them. Or when they called you, their resolve was to say you have got to do this, or that, as if to force you into action. Suppose your friend refused to believe in you if you did not perform the miracle the way they thought it should be done. I could read this text to be asking Jesus the question from this perspective, Lord how would like me to speak to you. Lord you are valuable enough to me that I want to speak to you on your terms. Lord I love you enough to make sure that my conversations with you honor you. How do I do that? Help me talk to you the right way. Help me know that right way to speak to you, because I do want to get the results I pray for. Not just having my request honored, but I need our relationship to be on the right footing.
As we take this journey of fasting for 21 days, take the time to invest in your relationship with God. Value him enough to talk to him, on his terms.

Remember; pray for your leaders, your Pastors, pray for their families. They love you, and are concerned for you. Remember, do not try to do the whole 21 days today, just do today.

Yours Because I am His
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
leocolonwordpress.com
”

(Via .)

Nothing you Propose Shall be Impossible for You: ”
Grace and peace be unto you, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Beloved, today we have embarked on our journey of our 21-day fast. It is day one (1), and this journey seems daunting. Today I would like to encourage your hearts. The beginning of a thing always seems impossible or even crazy because when you begin there is no fruit to encourage you. All you have to hold to is your hope, and let’s face it, sometimes that seems like a pipe dream. We as Christian believers have operated in hope for a long time, and are probably used to it. Today I would like to encourage you with a word from God. After the flood in Noah’s time his family repopulated the earth and began to build. The text in Genesis tells us that they wanted to build to stay close together and not be apart, but God wanted them to populate the whole earth. In this narrative we glean a truth that God gives us to encourage our hearts. In verse 6 God makes an observation about there beginnings.

NRSV
Gen. 11:6 And the LORD said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

God says about their beginnings that because they speak ‘one language'(KJV), nothing that they propose to do will be impossible for them. Imagine going into this fast with the knowledge that nothing that you desire to do will be impossible for you. Here is a thought, if God says to me in this word, that nothing that I propose to do will be impossible to me, (and he does) then my first reaction would be to check my purpose. I need to make sure that I propose to do some miraculous things this year, and expect a positive end. Beloved do not go into this journey with only the mundane needs before the LORD. Purpose in your heart to do incredible things for the year 2010. Be led by the Holy Spirit, to ask God for and purpose to do the impossible. Redefine your boundaries, and push the limits on 2010. Think about it. Instead of just wanting to earn a few extra dollars, purpose in your heart to own your own business and determine for yourself how much money you want. Instead of moving into an apartment closer to work, believe God for a house. Instead of determining to help a friend, get involve in ministry at your church, and help build the Kingdom. What am I saying? Think big, and take the limits off of what you propose to do. Why? Because nothing that you propose to do will be impossible for you, if you are speaking one language. What language is it that the believer engages in? The language of Faith. Remember the word of God:
NRSV
Prov. 18:20 From the fruit of the mouth one’s stomach is satisfied;
the yield of the lips brings satisfaction.
Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruits.

Faith also says this:
KJV
Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Beloved, speak one language through out this fast, and let that language be the language of faith, and God says nothing that you propose to do will now be impossible for you. This is the word of the LORD unto you.

Beloved, remember do one day at a time. Just get through today. Do not concern yourself on how you will fast for 21 days; just do today, tomorrow will take care of itself. Drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses today. Do more if you can.

This year I would like to welcome to the blog site my friend Pastor Maurice Johnson and the Beth-Car Church. As a son of Archbishop Wilbert McKinley, Pastor Johnson and I have been leading our churches on the 21-day fast for a few years now. This year Beth-Car will be tuning into the daily blogs. Also Pastor Johnson has consented to be a guest blogger this year, and I personally want to thank him. Also one of my sons, Isaac Caldero will be a guest blogger. We will be hearing from him, and I cannot wait. And of course, my awesome wife, Pastor Dorothy Colon will be bringing us a blog weekly. I am looking forward to this fast, and this year. I cannot prove it, but I feel in my spirit that God is going to do some incredible things through us.

The LORD bless you and keep you.

Yours because I am His
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
http://www.ihpfwc.org
leocolon.wordpress.com

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(Via .)

Grace and peace be unto you. Beloved I am please to announce we are gearing up for our 21 day fast. The 21 day fast is a spiritual exercise we engage in, in the beginning of each year. It is a time of praying and seeking the LORD for direction, guidance and to ask of God, those things we have need of. This is special for a few reasons. Firstly, this is a corporate fast, which means we are doing it together. The main reason for a corporate fast, is that as a church we have corporate needs. We are looking to affect our city and to win all who God have ordained for his Kingdom. Secondly, it is also an opportunity to in prayer as a church pray for each other in a specific and pointed manner. We will talk more specifically about some of the corporate needs as we go along, but know that in the scripture when Israel fasted and prayed corporately, plans were crystallized, and prayers were answered in spectacular ways. I am believing God for the spectacular.
Let me admonish you to get your prayer list together now. Why do we write prayer list? We want to be specific and diligent about what we are praying for. We sometimes will shoot from the hip and get it right Tuesday, but forget what is happening on Thursday. The prayer lists are not just for the big, heavy stuff you want God to do, but also for the mundane. Not only for the simple, but for the incredible as well. Why? Because Jesus said he would answer whatsoever we shall ask, that’s why.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
John 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

When was the last time you asked God for WHATSOEVER? We many times will ask God for little things. Sometimes because we do not think we should be a bother to God, we refrain from asking God for some things we have convinced ourselves we can not have, or do not deserve. So in fact we place limits on God that do not belong to God because we limit our speech. Your perceived worth is not the determining factor, your speech is. We also limit God’s ability by our net worth. We do not have enough in our bank account to sustain the miracle, so we may as well not ask for it, but Jesus here is saying some rather categoric things. Whatsoever you ask for in my name, is the true limit. If we do not ask for a whatsoever miracle, we can not expect a whatsoever kind of manifestation. If we limit our speech to what you have seen before, then the miracle will be what you have seen before. Take a minute, what in your life would count as a whatsoever miracle? No, that’s to small, come on, really that crazy, incredible WHATSOEVER miracle. The kind that every one around would have to admit, they did not see that coming. Think about it. Now write it on your prayer list, and while we are fasting ask God specifically for WHATSOEVER. For me, it was school. I tried every avenue I could think of to make it happen, and it did not work, I asked God for WHATSOEVER, and not only am I in school, but God made sure it was paid for. So I did not have to finance my WHATSOEVER miracle. Neither do you.

Verse 14 says, if you ask ANYTHING in MY NAME, I will do it. Beloved ask for anything. Of course what you ask for should be that which is in the will of God. The scripture gives it to us this way:
1John 5:14 ¶ And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

So it does not follow that we should ask things that are not in keeping with holiness, but if it is his will, ask for WHATSOEVER you will. I wish I can tackle all of the ramification in one blog, but we have 21 days to talk.

Remember for 21 days, we will drink one bowl of soup, and all the water you can drink. We will start on January 4th and end on the 24th of January 2010. Pray for at least one hour everyday. Pray and seek God for those things on your prayer list. You should actively do some things to remove toxins from your body as you fast. Either a colonic, or enema, or a good laxative. Try to do it at least once a week. Feel free to email me for more instructions, and or comment on this blog.

Yours Because I’m His
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
http://www.ihpfwc.org
”

(Via .)

The Kingdom of God (Part 3): “Beloved, grace and peace be unto you, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Let’s continue the discussion we started about the Kingdom o God as taught to us by Jesus Christ. Verse 1 told us the Kingdom is a group of people who have a purpose, and go after it. Verses 2 thru 4 define these citizens. Let’s look at the text.
 
Matt. 25:2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Matt. 25:3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Matt. 25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
 
Of the ten that serve as examples for us, Jesus gives us some details about them. Jesus tells us five were wise, and five were foolish. The first thing this tells me is that it is possible to be in the Kingdom and be foolish. I can be a member of a church in good standing and be a fool. I can also be a part of the kingdom and be wise. Now to benefit from this text, first we should define the term wise. The word wise in the Greek has a few meanings, let’s highlight a few. The word wise here means, intelligent, mindful of one’s interests, thoughtful, i.e. sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; while 4680 denotes practical skill or acumen; and 4908 indicates rather intelligence or mental acquirement). The best definition I heard one give of this word is, one who operates with the end in mind.
So the wise believer knows what his or her purpose is, and operates, functions in such a way as to achieve that afore mentioned purpose. For example, if my purpose is to be near the sea, it is unwise, foolish to travel further inland. Once you have read the word of God, sought God through prayer and fasting for direction, and he has answered you concerning your request, it would be foolish to engage in activity, (whatever it is) that does not bring you closer to your goal. Being wise means I must be a thinker. You determine your destination; plot the course, then with malice and aforethought go toward that goal. How you achieve this goal is as important as achieving it.
Those who were wise were wise because they prepared for the journey. The foolish knew what their purpose was but did not prepare. Beloved prepare for your purpose. How do I prepare? In the scripture there is a method of reading scripture called typology. Many things in scripture gives us deeper insight my knowing the symbolism of a thing. Oil in scripture is a type of anointing. Meaning they go hand in hand. Whenever we see anyone being anointed for a task, usually we see oil being applied. So we can read this text this way. Of the ten virgins we see here, the foolish were understood to be foolish because the attempted to achieve their purpose without their anointing. We need God’s anointing to be wise Christians. To often we try to approach the purpose of God like non-Christians. We should not try living this life like Oprah, or thinking the way to achieve the purpose of God is by following Dr. Phil’s advice. Beloved the way to achieve our purpose is to do it God’s way. This is what God requires because God when he appeared, in verse 10, only the wise were allowed in, and Jesus (the bridegroom) shut the door. The best way for us to be shut out of the will, and purpose of God is to try to live out God’s purpose our way.

Yours Because I’m His
Leo Colon
pastor@ihpfwc.org
http://www.ihpfwc.org
“

(Via .)