God thinks in GENERATIONS. Whatever starts with you is to be finished in generations to come, & without sonship there are no generations.
Many times in the Bible, the blessing or favor of God is attached to having children. This is because God is always thinking about LEGACY.
Do you remember when God told Abraham that He would bless him? Abraham’s reaction was, “How are you going to bless me if I can’t have sons?” He understood that you need SONS & NOT SERVANTS for you to be really blessed...& God agreed with him.
Sons need fathers & fathers need sons.
Sons BURY their vision in the soil of submission to a father. Then, after FAITHFULNESS...comes FRUITFULNESS (multiplication stage) & true subduing the earth.
Luke 16:12 reminds us that if you have not been faithful to what belongs to someone else, nobody can give you what belongs to you.
FEELINGS of FRUSTRATION can set in, when we do not follow the principles of the Kingdom.
The first Adam was born grown. He did not have anyone to submit to so that he could develop his character. No wonder, at the first test, he could not submit to God because he had not been trained & developed.
The second Adam (Jesus) grew up in the home of a father. Jesus submitted to his parents at the age of 12 when he made a decision to follow them back home from the temple & submit & serve them for 18 years & secondly to John the Baptist when he submitted to his vision & assignment & then produced sons that carried His dream to save the world by reintroducing the “Kingdom” back to mankind!
Sonship is the master key to unlock your destiny!
I speak not from theory...but by practice. I’ve discovered that Sonship is liberating & affirming. Because I am a spiritual son I have the privilege of being a spiritual father. This is indeed a blessing & the true key to dominion on the earth!
Understanding this kingdom principle will posture you for long lasting posterity...if you allow it to be engrained in your living.
I’ve learned that the Father/Son relationship is RELATIONAL not POSITIONAL.
You may start off with positional fathers (people who you follow because of their position in your life) but God will lead you into spiritually organic relationships, of likeminded fathers, where your sonship will be tested in the process of time.
If you pass the test, you gain LEGACY & MULTIPLICATION. If you do not pass the test, you will continue to take retakes. Quite honestly, I’ve seen people remain in the same grade, repeatedly, until they learned how to bury their seed (themselves) in the soil of submission.
Again, SONSHIP is the master key to unlock your destiny!
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Santa's Workshop
As a child, I remember buying cheap Christmas gifts for my family at Santa’s Workshop, when I was in elementary school. (1970’s)
I wrapped every gift & had a warm feeling in my heart to see my family open them up on Christmas morning.
I still have that warm feeling of giving gifts to my family & friends...especially at Christmas.
Over the years, Beverly & I have had seasons where we had much to give as well as seasons where we had little to give. But we always gave something...even if it was a handwritten note or a homemade card that expressed our love to those dear to us. I guess that’s where the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts” matters most.
This Christmas, whether you have a lot or a little, give yourself completely to your family & friends. A smile, a warm hug, a conversation, laughter, something homemade or store bought...your presence is what matters most.
When we are intentional with our giving, we reflect our Heavenly Father, Who was intentional in giving us His only begotten Son. Salvation is FREE to us but rest assured it cost Jesus His life. He gave His best.
The warm feeling of gift giving may feel different, from year to year, but it helps to remember The One Who gave first.
Christmas, to me, is more than presents under a tree, name brands or trends, it’s about JESUS coming to restore what was lost...to redeem mankind & ultimately reconcile us through His death, burial & resurrection.
I love this time of year. The memories, traditions, food, travel, family, togetherness...it still gives me that warm feeling. I pray you are surrounded by family & friends this week & that your heart is filled with peace.
Merry Christmas! Be someone’s gift!
#Room
I wrapped every gift & had a warm feeling in my heart to see my family open them up on Christmas morning.
I still have that warm feeling of giving gifts to my family & friends...especially at Christmas.
Over the years, Beverly & I have had seasons where we had much to give as well as seasons where we had little to give. But we always gave something...even if it was a handwritten note or a homemade card that expressed our love to those dear to us. I guess that’s where the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts” matters most.
This Christmas, whether you have a lot or a little, give yourself completely to your family & friends. A smile, a warm hug, a conversation, laughter, something homemade or store bought...your presence is what matters most.
When we are intentional with our giving, we reflect our Heavenly Father, Who was intentional in giving us His only begotten Son. Salvation is FREE to us but rest assured it cost Jesus His life. He gave His best.
The warm feeling of gift giving may feel different, from year to year, but it helps to remember The One Who gave first.
Christmas, to me, is more than presents under a tree, name brands or trends, it’s about JESUS coming to restore what was lost...to redeem mankind & ultimately reconcile us through His death, burial & resurrection.
I love this time of year. The memories, traditions, food, travel, family, togetherness...it still gives me that warm feeling. I pray you are surrounded by family & friends this week & that your heart is filled with peace.
Merry Christmas! Be someone’s gift!
#Room
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Monday, December 9, 2019
14 Things Your Pastor Wants You To Know
1. Your Pastor needs help not criticism. Roll up your sleeves & get to work! Feeding, Leading & Healing is work.
2. Pray for your Pastors. When someone comes to you complaining about him/her take them by the hand & say, "Let's pray for them. You begin!"
3. If your life is better because of the Word(s) he/she has spoken into or over your life, be mindful to pray for your Pastor.
4. You are NOT serving your Pastor. You’re serving the Lord WITH your Pastor.
5. Getting to Church on time expresses gratefulness. So Impress yourself, Encourage your Pastor & Honor The Lord. BE ON TIME!
6. When your Pastor talks to God about his/her assignment to you are they boasting of your faithfulness? Or are they begging to be reassigned?
7. The easiest thing to study is the text you heard your Pastor preach. Study that for starters.
8. Never let your Pastor do ministry alone. “I will take of the Spirit that is upon you,” God told Moses, “and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone” (Numbers 11:17).
9. Every Pastor needs to be surrounded with LIKEMINDED leaders who are passionate about the vision of the house and willing to carry the heavy load of ministry alongside their Pastor.
10. When a leader called by God has a BURDEN that becomes too great, God provides help . . . if the leader will ask for it. Not only will the Lord provide HELPERS to SHARE the load, He will ANOINT them with His power, just as He did the seventy elders of Israel. In addition, LIKEMINDED leaders are able to DISCERN the burden of their leader because they are knit "heart and soul" and can "catch" in their spirit when and where to respond.
11. God equipped Jonathan with an armorbearer who was "heart and soul." I love the language this armorbearer used in 1 Samuel 14:7... “His armor bearer said, “Go ahead. Do what you think best. I’m with you all the way.” Now that's the language of a likeminded leader! Are you speaking the language of a likeminded leader?
12. The burden is too great to be carried alone. Every Pastor must be surrounded with strong leaders who (1) UNDERSTAND their heart (2) SUPPORT their dream (3) CARRY their vision as their own.
13. Likeminded leaders ANTICIPATE, PARTICIPATE & SYNCOPATE the "heart and soul" of their leader, even when the language is NON VERBAL.
14. You WIN when you LIFT up your Pastor's Arms!
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Promote What's Promoting You
My father taught me this...
1. Your job may not be your calling; but it is your income. Be grateful for it. Someone took a chance & hired you. Pray for them! Mean them well. Do what you were hired to do. Take nothing for granted. Some people can’t find a job.
2. You ministry opportunity is a result of your calling. It may or may not come with an income. Be grateful for it. Someone, usually a pastor, took a chance on you & gave you an opportunity to use & express your gifts. Pray for them. Mean them well. Do what they have asked & afforded you the opportunity to do. Take nothing for granted. Some people wish they had the opportunity you have.
I always say this: PROMOTE what's PROMOTING you. If you attend a church, you should be constantly inviting people to attend it with you. YOU are the biggest PR person for your church & ministry. When your church is posting/promoting...you should be the first person sharing it & passing the word along. Seems like a no brainer...but, unfortunately, seems like things have to be spelled out.
Some things are TAUGHT...some things are CAUGHT. You either GET IT or you Don't/Won't. If you get it...you'll catapult your NEXT into your NOW! In fact, it will accelerate in your direction.
My dad taught me to PROMOTE what's PROMOTING me. Whatever is FEEDING me...I should be FEEDING back into it. It's really not rocket science...it's just good old fashioned RECIPROCITY.
Whatever you're wanting God to do for you...start DOING it for God. Cast your BREAD on the water & watch it come back to you.
BLOOM where you're already PLANTED.
WATER your own YARD.
Friday, November 22, 2019
Five Things For Friday
2. You cannot help everyone but you can help someone.
3. We should make it easy for people to support the cause God put in our heart.
4. Many today focus on the position & ignore the revelation. In my day we sought the revelation & THAT got us the position!
5. If you're lying in bed discouraged, depressed & hopeless let me offer this: things will change. But not without you. So get up! Get yourself together! Go to church. Hear from God. He has instructions for you.
BONUS: When a student's heart isn't right towards their teacher...instructions sound like insults & correction is mistaken for criticism. God told Cain, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7)
Friday, November 15, 2019
Increase Is In The Decrease
John the Baptist was so powerful & dreaded by kings & yet he spoke only of Whom he was called to represent.
John would model the PRINCIPLE of decrease. He would become hidden so that Christ would become seen.
This PRINCIPLE must remain in the life of leaders. Our FLESH, WILL & PRIDE must decrease so that Christ in us can be seen. This is called consecrated living.
Consecrated living takes ownership for it’s ACTIONS & refuses to blame others for uncrucified PATTERNS of the flesh.
Friend, the danger of BLAMING others for our failures is that we never make adjustments. So, we’re destined to fail repeatedly.
We can't keep hurting ourselves & BLAMING others. We're grown & know better. We can't do wrong & expect right to come of it.
Coach Wooten said, “You are not a failure until you start blaming others for your mistakes.”
At times, we can all give in to the fickle feelings of the flesh. Even John The Baptist did. However, while modeling a life of decrease, he followed the instructions Jesus gave him...and today we celebrate John’s leadership.
Friend, increase is in the decrease...if you can discipline yourself to seize it.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Thankful For Good Men
There's a lot of negative attention given to men who won't "man up", take care of their families, do right, hold a job, crucify arrogance & pride, serve the Lord, etc.,
But today, I give a SHOUT OUT to the guys who are...
- SUBMITTED to spiritual authority
- Being DISCIPLED while discipling others
- LOVING their wives/families
- PROVIDING for their families
- LEADING their families
- Are walking FREE from addictions & vices
---> Nehemiah didn't survey the wall alone. A few GOOD MEN went with him "in the night." (Nehemiah 2:12)
---> Good men die for their families. Good men sacrifice, not regarding themselves, regarding others before themselves.
---> M.L. King, Jr. said, "When evil men plot, good men must plan." Good men plan.
---> "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalm 37:23)
IF YOU ARE A LADY, who is looking for a GOOD MAN, look for these attributes...
- A good man is a SAVED man
- A good man is a GOD-FEARING man
- A good man loves GOD'S WORD
- A good man is a man of PRAYER
- A good man wins SOULS
- A good man WORSHIPS God
- A good man goes to CHURCH
- A good man PROVIDES for himself & his family
- A good man will LEAD his family
- A good man SERVES The Lord
- A good man is a WISE man
- A good man is HUMBLE
- A good man WAITS on God
Shout out to all the GOOD MEN who are here shaming the devil with GOOD CLEAN LIVING & LEADING!
Stay strong!
Hold each other up in prayer!
Keep going!
Raise the bar!
"I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it...."
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Ask Jonah
If we are WILLING & OBEDIENT, then we can eat the good of the land. If we refuse & rebel, we are devoured. (Isaiah 1:19-20)
Jonah refused to do what God had instructed him. He & the people whose boat he got on lost a lot in the process.
Not every storm we encounter is one that we cause. Sometimes God allows the storm. If you’re in one...check for any areas of disobedience. Rectify that & not only will the storm cease...your family & friends won’t lose everything they’ve worked hard for...trying to keep you afloat.
#NoShade
Victory is on the other side of our obedience.
“Take my heart and form it
Take my mind transform it
Take my will conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh Lord”
Take my mind transform it
Take my will conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh Lord”
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
"I Love Jesus, But I Don't Do Church"
“I love Jesus, but I don’t do church.”
This is the beginning of a conversation that I have had countless times with people of all different ages, backgrounds & experiences. As well as: “I’m a Christian, but I don’t have to go to church in order to love Jesus.”
It’s true. We definitely don’t have to do anything for God, nor is our salvation based on our works or church attendance. But it’s also true that when we surrender our lives to Him, we naturally desire to learn more about Him, to be a part of the body of Christ & to be held accountable & pointed toward sanctification. We are called to live out an active faith.
One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17,“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.“
When we truly repent, surrender & choose to follow Jesus, we are given a new heart, one that desires godliness & holiness. We are given the opportunity to make the daily choice to leave our past lives behind us & move forward toward the righteous life that He has set out for us.
“If anyone claims to live in Christ, he must walk as He did.” 1 John 2:6.
I was saved at the age of 8 years old. I've been in church all of my life. I've seen the good, the bad & even the ugly side of ministry. I've seen people leave the church because of disappointment, hurt, affairs, divorce, hypocrisy, greed, pride, etc. I've seen people refuse to repent, refuse to forgive & hold on to hurt that made them bitter, angry, suspicious & broken.
So, as I write to our BFWC Family today, I'm not sitting behind a computer screen, lacking empathy or compassion toward the hurt or the disappointments that anyone has ever experienced. It's real & I have felt it too.
I'm also not ignoring the fact that the church is full of sinful people nor that there is hard pain & baggage to come along with it. I'm simply turning my eyes to Jesus, the author & perfecter of my faith & hope!
I have made the choice to not allow the sinful, broken people of the church (those who look just like me) to be a stumbling block that keeps me away from my sinless, perfect & loving Heavenly Father who simply wants to draw us to Himself.
The church isn’t primarily a building or a set of programs or events. It’s a family. A broken family, yes. But a family all-the-more, seeking God to love more, serve more & share light in a super, super dark world.
We see throughout the Bible that Christ Himself was part of the church. His apostles were as well.
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.“
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “You were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
I fully understand that the ‘American Church’ with massive buildings, coffee shops & rockstar worship leaders with too-tight-skinny-jeans may not be what Christ had in mind. And we must be wise & discerning when choosing a church to ensure that it is bible-believing and bible-teaching.
But although some church buildings themselves may not be the same as the church in Jesus’ day, it is still made up of people who love the Lord (although imperfectly) & come together to hear His word.
While the context has changed, the mission remains the same – to glorify God & make disciples. Though the way we do things now may look a little different than first century Rome, it’s the same mission & strategy that propels us forward; assembling for worship, connecting in community, training up disciples.
I can almost hear some of the excuses as I type this:
I’ve heard it all. And, to be honest, many of these things I have thought myself until I came to a prayerful understanding by the Spirit of God.
Here are a few questions:
We can sit behind the scenes criticizing or we can live out an active faith – serving & getting involved – making real changes, loving on real people, living life alongside real pain.
The Enemy is strategic. He has come to steal, kill and destroy your faith, relationship with God & relationship with other believers.
If we constantly choose sleeping in on Sundays & breakfast with our family over church, if we choose a night out of entertainment over genuine community, sharing real life with one another & holy living, then we aren’t making a difference in the church that we may or may not see so many problems with.
We’re simply allowing the issues that we feel so strongly about to perpetuate as we carelessly look on.
I’ve witnessed church-hopping where people treat church like Goldilocks treated beds. People want that “just right” perfect church, but when they can’t find it, they simply walk away. All the Enemy had to do was distract them.
To that I say: Choose a place and stick with it. You’ll never find perfect. We should not be looking at what we can GET from the church, our hearts should be set on what we can GIVE the church.
As a reminder, the Enemy has the power to use both good & bad things to keep you from God things – but only if you let him. He uses distraction, bitterness, hard-heartedness, pride, awkwardness & even feel good/treat yourself days to his advantage.
C.S. Lewis said it perfectly: “The perfect church service would be the one we were almost unaware of; our attention would have been on God. But every novelty prevents this. It fixes our attention on the service itself; and thinking about worship is a different thing than worshipping. It is mad idolatry that makes the service greater than the god.”
My dear friends, God is the focus of the church. The service nor the people need to be perfect for you to hear His life-changing word. True life change happens in the church. We truly grow when we connect with every-day people, pour into them & allow them to pour into us.
The local church, led by Jesus, is the hope of the world & God’s means to disciple the nations & hasten his return. Matthew 16:18 says, “…On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
How can we despise or resent the church when Jesus not only said He was going to build it, but that He would use it to storm the gates of hell? That’s something I want to be a part of! Don’t you?
It’s true that there are churches out there which have fallen into the trap of trying to accumulate numbers rather than turning hearts toward God. But this isn’t the healthy church that God intended for it to be.
A bible-believing, bible-teaching church comes together as a reminder that we can only experience fruitful mission when we are fully abiding in & drawing strength from the true vine (John 15). His word is our daily bread.
And in a world offering countless different perspectives, there is one place that people can find truth (John 8:26). The church is a lighthouse in an ethical & immoral fog (Matthew 5:14–16).
If you claim to know & love God, yet do not have a desire to be a part of His church, I lovingly implore you to evaluate your relationship with Him. Get in His word & read what He has to say about His calling for us.
There are hundreds of things that we could do that would hinder us from sharing life with God’s people.
If you’re hesitant, I challenge you today to choose intentionality & join in worshiping God with a local church this week! I promise you that as many reasons as you might have not to go, there are even more reasons to trust God & pour your life & heart out for Him alongside His people.
Loving & Serving,
Pastor Hylton
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Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Monday, July 22, 2019
Ten Things Your Team Needs
1. You need people on your team who help you win & can withstand the weight.
2. You need people on your team who talk more about the vision & dream than they do about taking more time off.
3. You need people on your team who work hard, run with the vision & who are self motivated.
4. You need people on your team who know when your hands are tired & rather than load you down more...they lighten you up.
5. You need people on your team that you don't have to constantly remind to do what they say they are called to do or what you're paying them to do.
6. You need people on your team who practice spiritual disciplines in private so that they can handle the pressure in public.
7. You need people on your team who don't wear you out mentally.
8. You need people on your team who are passionate about what they do & work harder than you!
9. You need people on your team who are gathers & builders not microphone holders & platform seekers.
10. You need a team that doesn't compete with you...but completes you.
P.S. #DearPastor
• #DearPastor One negative person on your team can uproot everything you've built! You need the right people representing you!
• #DearPastor Build your team intentionally. Some want a spot on your roster because you're winning. Not because they're called to you.
• #DearPastor Remove negligent leaders from your team ASAP. If they can't be adjusted, they won't be effective.
• #DearPastor You have to know how to pick your team! You have to hire according to Purpose not friendship.
• #DearPastor No one on your team should be less motivated than you are. If they don't value your assignment, they're on the wrong team.
• #DearPastor If you are liberal with praise in your team it will bless you. The more you give it away the more it comes back to you. (Proverbs 11:25)
• #DearPastor There is a time when you must (in faith) stand up for yourself & stop letting people take advantage of your kind heart.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Don't Ever Speak To My Child Like That!
1. A child who can't be told "no" or be corrected...is a child that will grow up with an entitlement spirit.
2. Parents, don't always rush to your child's defense when they tell you they didn't like the way they were spoken to or corrected.
3. First of all, common courtesy & respect teaches us that when we're being admonished or corrected, we look people in the eye. We do not look away because we don't like what we're being told. This is learned behavior that carries the connotation of "I am not listening & I do not receive the correction."
4. Imagine being on the job & your boss is speaking with you, but you won't look them in the eye while they're speaking. Not only is it disrespectful, it stems from a root of rebellion within.
5. The same could be said about a student at school who while the Principal is speaking with them won't look him/her in the eye while they're speaking. Not only is it disrespectful, it stems from a root of rebellion within.
6. Imagine being in a youth group at church & your Pastor, Pastor's Wife, Youth Pastor, an Elder or Deacon is speaking with you about something that is basic or even an area of concern & you won't look them in the eye while they're speaking. Not only is it disrespectful, it stems from a root of rebellion within.
7. I remember growing up in church that when the leadership gathered the young people together to address us students about our behavior, the way we represent the church, our families, etc., while away at youth camp, or just reminders, etc....sometimes they were extremely FIRM and some might even say they were too firm....but it TAUGHT US to HONOR & RESPECT those in authority; not undermine them & try to gain an audience with other disgruntled people who didn't like receiving correction either.
8. Our children become adults. Adult have children...and the cycle continues.
9. We always told our child's teachers, pastors, leaders, etc., if our child does something that warrants correction...please do it. We love our child enough to let the village correct them...especially since they have to live in that same village.
10. When you see bullheadedness in a child...you don't have to look very far to see where they got it from.
11. Parents of all children must continue to reinforce RESPECT at all times from our children. Respect for authority. Respect for leadership. Respect for all people. Respect for themselves.
12. If a child rears up in defiance...regardless of age...don't quickly pass it off as a "stage" (of course there are some stages)...but deal with the ROOT of it & stop it in its tracks.
13. Parents who defend their children’s bad behavior with no consequence may one day have to pay a lawyer to do the same.
14. The primary job of Kingdom parents is to raise Kingdom kids in such a way that they become Kingdom adults.
15. Each and every one of us are born looking like our parents, but we die looking like our decisions.
#Room
#TheVillage
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