Pastor Leo Colon's Blog

Pastor Leo Colon’s Blogs

  • Day Two: Fasting Works.

    Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father, and from our LORD Jesus Christ. It is day two of our journey, and I already am getting great testimonies of what God has been doing this year already. I also want to give God thanks for the safe return of Michael Faulkner to us. Also let’s pray for Kwania, she will take a business trip this weekend, and we thank God for her safe return.

    Today I want to encourage you by telling you beloved, that what you are doing works. The scriptures tell us that God does hear and answers us when we are fasting. Let’s briefly look at Cornelius in Acts 10.

    King James Version:
    Acts 10:30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

    Cornelius was praying and fasting. While he was fasting and praying God sent an angelic visitation to speak to him, and give him directive. I am not promising that a man will show up in your living room and speak to you. It could happen, God can do what he wants. The point here is that your efforts in praying and fasting, positions you to receive instructions from God. I don’t know about you, but I need instruction from God. In your time in fasting, look for God to speak to you. God also will visit you. Many will have visions as a result of this fast. Look for God to do things you may not be accustom to. Because that is a real reason to engage in this exercise. Also this fasting and praying you are doing, positions you to receive the command of God (v.33).

    Acts 10:33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God.

    What is God commanding of you during this fast. I personally, am hearing again and again, God directing me to be more diligent in my efforts towards him. More Prayer time, More time studying, more reading the scripture just for me, not always needing to prepare a sermon. Position yourself to hear, and obey the command of God on your life.

    Hang in there beloved. Just do today. Do not worry about tomorrow. Get through 10 to 12 glasses of water today. God will speak to you about what you are praying for. Take the time to pray. God will hear and send you a word of instruction.

    Please remember to pray for Lady Judith McKinley. Also pray for the body, Pastors Paul and Sharon Dean, Pastors Maurice and Deidre Johnson, Bishop and Lady Roberto Brown, and Bishop and Lady Lungsford. Also guys let me know how you are doing. I want to hear from you.

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

  • Day One: You are more than a Conqueror.

    Beloved, Grace and peace be unto you from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Our God has been so gracious and is marvelous in our site. Allow me to wish you all, a Happy New Year. We are in the beginning of an awesome year full of promise. I cannot wait to see what the LORD has in store for us this year.

    Beloved, we are in the beginning of our journey. For twenty-one days we will be denying ourselves food and going into warfare for our futures. We will be praying for our children’s future and for the future of the church at large. We will be especially praying for the future of our church and the leadership of our church. We will eating one bowl of soup and drinking all the water we can handle. That means at least eight glasses a day. You can do this. The reason I know you can do this is because of what the bible says about us as believers. Let’s look at the text.

    Rom. 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

    To get a real perspective on this let’s just see what that means.

    conquer |ˈkä ng kər|

    verb [ trans. ]

    overcome and take control of (a place or people) by use of military force : the Magyars conquered Hungary in the Middle Ages.

    • successfully overcome (a problem or weakness) : a fear she never managed to conquer.

    • climb (a mountain) successfully : the second American to conquer Everest.

    • gain the love, admiration, or respect of (a person or group of people) : the Beatles were to leave Liverpool and conquer the world.

    In the Thesaurus is says this.

    Conqueror

    noun

    They may have uncovered the burial ground of legendary conqueror Genghis Khan: vanquisher, conquistador; victor, winner, champion, conquering hero.

    So let’s put this into perspective. Paul says we are more than conquerors, and a conqueror is an overcomer. Then you are more than overcomer in whatever you set out to do. You do more than take control. You are more than a victor, winner, champion or a conquering hero. You have the ability to do more than get through this, you can do this with flying colors. Just do one day at a time. We conquerors can do what ever we set our minds to. I am looking forward to real changes and real accomplishments as a result of this fast. I cannot prove it but I know this fast is different somehow.

    Enjoy this time with the LORD. We are in for a wonderful time with the LORD. This year we are looking forward to guest bloggers Pastor Maurice Johnson, Pastor Paul Dean and of course our own Pastor Dorothy Colon.

    Remember you are well able to do this because you are a conqueror. Live Life On Purpose and Not By Mistake.

    Your Because I am His,

    Leo Colon

    www.ihpfwc.org

    pastor@ihpfwc.org

  • Get Understanding, Get Clarity.

    Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Thank you for taking the time to visit our blog site. It is an awesome privilege to be with you week after week. Today I would like to revisit the blog posted a few weeks ago. Proverbs 18 is a timely and relevant passage. Beloved, God demands that we be wise. He takes the time in the Old and New Testaments to encourage; some would say admonishes us to be wise. He also discourages foolishness. Let’s take a simple look at part of the text:

    NRSV
    Prov. 18:1         The one who lives alone is self-indulgent, showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.
    Prov. 18:2         A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion.

    A person, who does not have to deal with people, may not be used to compromise. This text suggests that such a person is prone to self-indulgence. One of the meanings of indulgence is “to become involve with”. So the idea of self-indulgence suggests that the person who lives by them selves can become to involve with him or herself. Now we should not read into this text that paying attention to your self is in and of itself wrong. When we center right and wrong around the idea ‘what do I want,’ and refuse to consider the impact of our actions on others then our separation from others has taking its toll. The reason an idea sounds good is because we want to do a thing. When you live alone, there is no one externally available to offer an opposing idea. When this becomes the norm, sound judgment is just negativity. Sound judgment would offer a reason that does not begin and end under the rubric: what do I want, and because of that, I have a good reason to dismiss it. Now beloved, this is not scripture that speaks against anyone living alone. This text should not lead us to start a doctrine that says living alone is a sin. It should encourage us to always seek sound judgment, and not only your own counsel.

    Prov. 18:2         A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion.

    We should constantly seek understanding. Get clarity in every part of your day. Know why you are doing a thing, and assess the virtue of a thing. What this journey into pragmatism has taught me is that I can use this approach in every part of my life. So many times, especially lately, since I am making a renewed effort to seek wisdom, I look back at some setbacks, both in my recent and distance past, and found that taking the time understand an issue better could have helped me avoid some mistakes. Beloved, mistakes cost. A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but you are no fool. Get clarity; plan your day, live on purpose. Suppose you took the time to plan your day. Set a goal. What would be a wise thing to accomplish? Set objectives that will help you achieve your goals. Because you set a goal, now you can determine whether today was a successful day. What does today mean to you? How can wisdom help make today a better today? Try it; write down what needs to get done. I need to schedule 5 meetings today. Write for my book today. I need to workout today. Then go after it. Do it on purpose and not by mistake.

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

  • Is this God’s plan for me?

    Grace and Peace from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Today I am delighted to have Isaac Caldero as a guest blogger. Isaac is one of my sons in the Gospel, and an insightful you man. Hear ye him.

    Yours because I am His,
    Leo Colon
     www.ihpfwc.org
     leocolon.wordpress.com

    Grace and Peace (mercy to the leaders) be unto you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Today I want to encourage everyone on something the Lord has enlightened me with. Something common that we face as adults young and old. We tend to question ourselves whether we are walking in God’s will or not. Is this God’s plan for me? Me, waking up every morning , is that what God planned for me to do? Let’s look at some scriptures for answers……

    Psalm 139:16 NLT “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed”

    Psalm 56:8 “You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book”?

    When we look at psalm 139:16, it says that he saw me even before I was born. God already envisioned what your life was going to be like! He recorded it in the book. We have to keep in mind that nothing happens in your life without the permission of the Lord. One thing I always hear from believers murmur about is that God calls us to be prosperous and if I’m not prosperous now, I’m not in his will. Yes, God does want us to live a prosperous life and we will get there eventually. Whether is financial or relationship prosperity. But we tend to overlook somethings such as when you woke up this morning, that was written in the book for you! Yes, that’s God’s will for your life! Just live and continue to enjoy God! Leave all your cares to God, he loves us. You’re living out his plan! God will pour out his blessing all over us. Keep trusting and seeking God, he is in control and he knows whats best for us! He is our Father and we thank you Lord.

    I hope this has been a blessing and an encouragement to you, I pray that as you read this, God will fill you with his peace that transcends all understanding….Be Blessed!

    Your truly

    Isaac Caldero

  • Proverbs 18

    Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God Our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. Today I beg your indulgence. Today’s blog is an act of humility for me. Sometimes I read a passage and fall in love with God and his word all over again. Sometimes while preparing to write a blog, I come to the conclusion that there are passages that need not be elaborated upon, and that sometimes the wisest thing a Pastor can do is to not get in the way. Today is one of those days. Next week I will elaborate, but today I feel led to just offer the passage. I pray that we all would simply APPLY the word of God. The passage is rendered in the New Revised Standard Version.

    NRSV Proverbs Chapter 18:
    Prov. 18:1 The one who lives alone is self-indulgent,
    showing contempt for all who have sound judgment.
    Prov. 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing personal opinion.
    Prov. 18:3 When wickedness comes, contempt comes also;
    and with dishonor comes disgrace.
    Prov. 18:4 The words of the mouth are deep waters;
    the fountain of wisdom is a gushing stream.
    Prov. 18:5 It is not right to be partial to the guilty,
    or to subvert the innocent in judgment.
    Prov. 18:6 A fool’s lips bring strife,
    and a fool’s mouth invites a flogging.
    Prov. 18:7 The mouths of fools are their ruin,
    and their lips a snare to themselves.
    Prov. 18:8 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
    Prov. 18:9 One who is slack in work
    is close kin to a vandal.
    Prov. 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
    the righteous run into it and are safe.
    Prov. 18:11 The wealth of the rich is their strong city;
    in their imagination it is like a high wall.
    Prov. 18:12 Before destruction one’s heart is haughty,
    but humility goes before honor.
    Prov. 18:13 If one gives answer before hearing,
    it is folly and shame.
    Prov. 18:14 The human spirit will endure sickness;
    but a broken spirit—who can bear?
    Prov. 18:15 An intelligent mind acquires knowledge,
    and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
    Prov. 18:16 A gift opens doors;
    it gives access to the great.
    Prov. 18:17 The one who first states a case seems right,
    until the other comes and cross-examines.
    Prov. 18:18 Casting the lot puts an end to disputes
    and decides between powerful contenders.
    Prov. 18:19 An ally offended is stronger than a city;
    such quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
    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.
    Prov. 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
    and obtains favor from the LORD.
    Prov. 18:23 The poor use entreaties,
    but the rich answer roughly.
    Prov. 18:24 Some friends play at friendship
    but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.

    Yours Because I am His,
    Leo Colon
    www.ihpfwc.org
    pastor@ihpfwc.org
    leocolon.wordpress.com

  • You can be successful, Speak Up.

    Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. I am honored to be writing you in my capacity of Servant of the LORD Jesus Christ. Jesus has successfully redeemed us from a position of desperation, to a place of unquenchable hope, marvelous light, and all of us have received beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Beloved I want to encourage you. Life has the ability to get us down, drive us crazy, and quite frankly scare us. We ought not to give into those fears, real though they are, because Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God, has given us power to be successful in whatever we put our hands to. Let’s look at the text:

    Matt. 7:7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
    Matt. 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

    Beloved, this is not a magic spell for believers. This is a paradigm. Jesus in this passage admonishes to behave in a way that is distinctive to him. To be a people that transcend what is required by the law, and become honestly a people genuinely striving to reflect the glory of God. To be honest, passionate about the things of God, earnest in prayer, and behavior. When we have taken steps to conform to the mandates of God, we are partakers of these truths. Jesus says to us, if we want something, there is a Christian way to obtain what we want from God. We needn’t try to raise money, or make agreements with people, we need not depend on men or women. We need not compromise. We need not become someone or something else to obtain the things we need. Jesus said, when you have done your part, ask. That’s all we need. Just ask, and what we ask God for, he says ‘it’ shall be given you. Seek and you will find it. Knock and it shall be open unto you. Access to your success is not in your ability to finance it, or manipulate people for it. Just ask for what you want. The awesome truth shared in the next verse is that everyone who asketh, (which means to keep asking) receives what they ask for. Think about that, everyone who asks God for what they want, and have conformed to his word, has received. This is the paradigm set by God.
    Beloved, as long as we keep our mouth shut, we will not see success. What we ask for, we tend to expect. Live life on purpose. Ask for what you want. Success belongs to you.

    Your Because I am His,
    Leo Colon
    www.ihpfwc.org
    pastor@ihpfwc.org

  • God’s Word is All that Matters.

    Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you from God our father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. I hope this blog finds you in good health, and in good spirits. I do apologize for not getting this blog online in the usual time frame but I had a bit of technical difficulty. I have resolved the issue and I think I can proceed without further problems. The last time I wrote to you, I wrote about getting God’s approval. I hoped that the blog was a blessing to you. Today I would like to further the conversation just a bit. Approval is always a good thing. We want to feel that we are doing a good job, and let’s face it God is not the only person you want to hear it from. It makes all the difference, but sometimes a kind word from a colleague goes a long way, a kind word from your wife can be incredibly encouraging. Trust me I know, my wife is incredibly encouraging. Beloved, I want to caution you. While hearing from our loved ones that we did a good job is great, we will not always get their approval. When we do not get their approval, it does not mean that you are an utter failure. The reason is because our friends and loved ones do not define us. Let’s look at today’s text:

    NRSV
    Psa. 27:1             The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

    Once we have determined who defines us, external opinions do not hold the weight they once did. David the author of the Psalm says, The LORD is my Light and my Salvation, whom shall I Fear? Light allows me to see. Light improves my vision. Once I have a clear perspective on who I am and who’s I am, another person’s perspective does not add to my own. For that to be possible I would need to see through their eyes. Since I do not, I would have to trust their vision of my life. I would have to trust someone else’s vision more than God’s perspective. The LORD is also my Salvation. The word Salvation carries this meaning in the Hebrew: liberty, deliverance, prosperity:—safety, salvation, saving. The LORD is my liberty, (I cannot ever be bound again) my deliverance, (I am free in the LORD) my prosperity, (The LORD guarantees I am not lacking in any situation) my safety, (no one can legitimately threaten me). If this is true, (and it is) WHOM SHALL I FEAR? That word fear in the Hebrew context also means respect. Many times we see the term ‘to fear God,’ it does not mean to be afraid of God but to respect him. So take a look at what David is saying in this light. The LORD is the reason I have a clear vision, and he is the reason for my liberty, my deliverance, my prosperity, my safety, why should I respect someone else’s opinion more than Gods’? We often time fall short of our purpose because we respect someone’s opinion more than God’s opinion. We respect someone else’s word more than God’s word.
    Beloved, God’s word is all that matters. You can live on purpose because God protects you. The LORD is your stronghold. Other peoples approval is nice, but we can build our lives on them. Do not respect the word of anyone over God’s word. If they disapprove, remember they are not your stronghold, the LORD is. Live on Purpose, not by mistake, not by chance.

  • God’s Approval

    God’s Approval: ”
    Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. I pray that your Sunday was awesome, and your worship fulfilling. Beloved I am finding that so many times, success eludes us. Success eludes us not because we are not trying, but because we do not know what is essential to be successful and to get the approval from God that we have done well. Let’s take a look at this text as it helps us deal with approval form God.

    NLT
    Rom. 2:13 For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God’s approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God’s sight.

    Paul tells us that we many times major on the wrong aspect of what we need to succeed. Certainly, knowing the law is important. Knowing the word of God is paramount, but there is something more important than knowing the word of God. The thing that is more important than knowing the word of God is applying the word of God. If we do not obey the word of God, purposefully apply the word of God to our lives, then success is not ours, nor is the approval from God that we all long for. There is a difference between having knowledge and having wisdom. Knowledge is the assembling of understanding. Getting understanding is important, but having the understanding is not enough. Having the knowledge available makes you no different than a library.
    Wisdom is the application of knowledge. A man can be knowledgeable and broke. He can be knowledgeable and unhealthy. He can be knowledgeable and lonely. He can be knowledgeable, in church and yet not living a victorious life. When you apply the knowledge, that is where wisdom comes in. Knowing that tithing will open the windows of heaven is not what allows you to experience the blessing. Knowing that exercise well help you stay healthy does not keep you healthy. Knowing that you need to build relationships, be friendly, nice and personable, does not keep you from being lonely. Being in the church, knowing all that the word of God has to say about your life does not make you successful. Beloved, wisdom is the application of knowledge. We must apply what we learn from the law. Apply the word of God. A library contains a lot of knowledge. No one can ever rightly call a library wise. With all its knowledge, there is no way to apply it. You must apply the knowledge of God, and his word to your life. According to Paul, only when you obey the word, will you be declared right. Then will you have the approval of God. Apply God’s word, and gain the approval of God. Here’s a challenge, determine something in your life that you would like improvement in. Find out what the word of God says about it. Consult your Pastor, get all the knowledge you can about it from God’s perspective. Then apply it. This will cause you to take stock in some things. Some of us will have to invest some money, definitely time, but approval and success belongs to those who will apply the word of God. Try it!!!!

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

    (Via .)

  • Get into His Presence

    Get into His Presence: “Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father, and from the LORD Jesus Christ. It is snowing here in The New York area, and many of us are staying home from work, using wisdom in deciding whether to go in or not. Snow always gets me to thinking about the wonder that is God, and his presence. Scripture tells us about the beauty of holiness, and it tells us beauty is also a part of his creation. I want to be in his presence. The bible tells us that being in the presence of God is not a right, but a privilege. Who gets to be in the presence of God? How do I position myself to gain access to God. Let’s look at the text.

    Psa. 15:1 ¶ Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
    Psa. 15:2 ¶ Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.

    Beloved, this text compares worship and being in the presence of God. Both are accessed the same way. Worship in the sanctuary, not at home, and being in the presence of God are afforded the same esteem. This privilege is granted to a people who meet a criteria. Those who lead blameless lives. In the King James Authorized version the word used here for blameless is upright. Let’s take a look at this, because the devil will love to use this as an opportunity to convict some of us into thinking that perfection is the criteria, it is not. The word blameless or upright really is the word, “tamiym”, in the Hebrew. It comes from the word complete  “tamam” originally. The word means complete, accomplish, be clean, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole. Again do not let the word perfect scare you, in the hebrew many times the term perfect means mature. I am taking a lot of time with this meaning to prove that God is not saying that if one can find any fault in your life, you are prevented from worship, or his presence. This is the argument of the devil. What God is saying, is that your life should should complete, it should be full, it should be clean. How does one do this? By understanding what is right and doing it. We have a tendency of bringing up past wrongs and determining this disqualifies us from this text and we should stop worshiping God now and not try to enter into his presence, but I want you to consider the source. The author of this Psalm is David. Yes David is known as a man after God’s own heart, but by no means is he known as a man who did not screw up. His sins were lived out in public. He made a mess of his life, yet when he made a mess, he went to God and worshiped him. My point is this, complete does not mean without fault, it means in faults and all, worship him. It means even though you do not measure up now, you do not sit on the sideline. Live complete lives. Live mature lives. Live life on purpose, with a sincere heart. Gain access by worshiping him, sincerely. Get into his presence today.

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

    ”

    (Via .)

  • Live on Purpose. Be Accountable

    Live on Purpose. Be Accountable: “Beloved, Grace and Peace be unto you, from God our Father and from the LORD Jesus Christ. I pray that your Sunday was awesome. This week I would like to pose a question. How would you live if you remembered that everything you do should be pleasing to the LORD? Well, it is. Let’s take a look at the scriptures.

    Rom. 14:7 For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die.
    Rom. 14:8 While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord.
    Rom. 14:12 ¶ Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.

    This text reminds us that we belong to God. As such we are accountable to him. Every thought, every action that is a result of that thought. Every good thing and bad thing that we say or do is something we will have to give an account for. Knowing that, let’s take a look at last week. Did we honor God? Did we make him proud? I am not talking about little mistakes that are a part of our being; I mean was our attitude right? Did we pay attention to the important things? Did we honor the loved ones God has blessed us with? Did we pray before we act?
    Now let me caution you, this is not an opportunity to beat yourself into giving up, that is the trick of the enemy, and I rebuke that spirit right now, in Jesus name. This is an opportunity to remember who we are.
    I have learned that when I remember who I am in God, I approach things differently. When I remember I am a Prince, I understand that small things ought not to define me. I should be accustomed to the finer things God has for me. My mannerism should reflect the King I serve, and my friends should be the kind of friends that push me to seek the Kingdom of God first. I need to know I did my level best, because I belong to God. The defining paradigm of my life should be to please him. Everything I do should be done in such a way as to bring honor to God, even if it does not agree with what I think may be a good idea. What I do in life should be done in such a way as to make my destination in death a certainty. So that when I die, I will go to be with the LORD. If I am accountable to God, then I need to be diligent in doing the right thing, the right way.
    Beloved, being accountable means living life on purpose. We should not be surprise something turned out right. We should expect it, because we planned it. I learned that planning means preparing today for tomorrow. Plan for tomorrow, today. When I live on purpose, I expect a certain ending. When my ending does not happen the way I planned it, then something is wrong. When something is wrong, my goal is to fix it. Do not let your day, your week, your month surprise you. Live on purpose. Live your plan. When I live on purpose, I decree things into being. I say what I want and go about the plan of making it happen.

    Prov. 18:21 ¶ Death and life ARE in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

    Live on Purpose. Be ACCOUNTABLE.

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

    ”

    (Via .)