Your best days are yet to come!

We celebrated ten years of outreach ministry. I've heard from several people that ten years of doing outreach doesn’t come easy. I have to say that I agree. However, I've enjoyed every single day of doing the things that I do. People have told me to my face (with no disrespect intended), “I wouldn't have your job.” I don't take it personally at all, because it takes having a heart for the under dog to do what I do. You may be asking yourself: what kind of job does he have? Here is a brief job description:

For the past 10 years:

• I have knocked on doors inviting people to come to church.


• I have laughed and cried with people, paid people’s rent, kept their lights on, clothed children for school, bought Christmas toys, broken up fights, driven the bus to carry people not only to church but to work.


• I have helped old ladies cross the street and walked the hallway of nursing homes.


• In various hospitals, I have hugged the necks of people dying from AIDS and prayed for people with cancer and for those in comas.


• I have provided a spiritual covering as well as training for pastors and flown on airplanes to travel to the mission fields.


• I have met and prayed with men and women who were ready to walk away from their marriages devastating innocent little children. I have even sacrificed time with my own family.


• I have had guns pulled on me – even had my vehicle stolen at gun point.

I guess you can understand why people often tell me “I wouldn't have your job.”

Well, it hasn’t been a job for me but a ministry. How do you know when it's a ministry? Its when whatever you do-whatever you put your hands to-God blesses it. It’s ministry when you have a citywide evangelism event and thousands of people show up. Can I tell you that in ten years, we have never had a rain date and God has always held back the rain. I have never taken it for granted that the people would show up for our events. I have learned that people don't care what you know until they know that you care.

There are not enough words nor do I have enough time to share with you what God has done in my life. I am careful to always give God the glory. At our 10th anniversary gala, I received the second highest civilian honor that can be given to a South Carolinian: the Palmetto Patriot’s Award. This award is awarded by the Lt. Governor’s Office. My team and I were honored by way of a South Carolina Senate resolution that named October 30th Operation GO Day. Mayor Knox White has also recognized the ministry through an Operation GO Day designation from the City of Greenville.

Next month, we will be hosting Greenville’s premiere Christmas outreach event: Holiday Hope 2008. The event will be held on Saturday, December 20th from 12 noon to 3 pm at the Carolina First Center. Thousands of people will receive a delicious meals and gifts for their children but most importantly, they will be receiving hope.

Remember this: whatever you're doing for the Lord will not go unnoticed. You just have to do it long enough to receive your just rewards. So, I say to you that are serving in God’s Army! Your best days are yet to come.

Go to HolidayHope.com for more details!

10 Years And Counting!

Greetings In The Name Of The Lord!

I want to take this time to share with you a few special highlights from my time of serving the Lord. Let me begin by saying that on November 1st, 2008, I will celebrate 20 years of being saved. I never dreamed I could live the Christian life, not even for a week. But, by the grace of God, my week became a month. That month became a year. And, the years now total 20. WOW!

Like many of you, I grew up in church, but never committed my life to God.I remember thinking to myself, sitting on the last row of the church while hiding from the preacher and watching the people in the congregation, that there was more to serving the Lord, but I didn't know what the "more" was. We had great, Holy-Spirit filled services. But, after I got saved, my eyes were opened to what the more was. It was evangelism, being able to take the Gospel outside the four walls of the church.

I was a drug dealer, a liar, a cheat, and so much more that I was ashamed of. But God rolled away the reproach and shame of my bad choices. Better still, He turned my mess into a ministry! When I finally did surrender to Him, I got saved one hour and was literally witnessing the next. An hour after that, I knew that I had been delivered of all my addictions.

I heard the voice of the Lord saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go? (Isaiah 6.8)

I personally answered the "call", and said, Here I am! Send me. I began doing what we now call marketplace ministry the next week.

The Scripture says that Jesus was often found in the marketplace. To me, this meant that He met people wherever they were. If that was a real marketplace where people were buying and selling, He was most likely there. If they were in their homes, He was most likely there. Jesus was with the people as they handled the business of their lives. Maybe my interpretation was off, but that's how I received it at that time. I would go to Bi-Lo (the marketplace) on Saturday nights, and sometimes to the low-income communities of Greenville. I would just stand there and witness to everyone who would listen. I was surprised that it really wasn't that hard!

Fast forward 10 years from that moment to the time when I would team up with a man namedRon Carpenter, Jr., who would later become my Pastor/Apostle. We had a lot in common, but there was one vision that he shared with me that was something I had been trying to do all alone, and with no resources. It was to reach the City of Greenville, to reach beyond the four walls of the church, and to have a church of different races, cultures, and backgrounds. He shared his vision, and I ran with it. A short time later, we started running buses on Saturday mornings, the vision exploded, and well; you know the rest of the story. Here we are 10 years later, celebrating a ministry that has impacted a church, a city, and a nation.

So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22.30)

I believe that this is the heart-cry of God, but not just in Greenville, South Carolina! In Greenville, God found a group of ministers that would answer the call to go!

Operation GO! Ministries will celebrate 10 years of ministry on October 30, 2008, at the Hilton Hotel in Greenville. I want to invite you as my friend and partner in ministry to come and share in this special moment in our history with me. Apostle Ron Carpenter, Jr.,will be our Special Guest Speaker, and we will also be given a Special Award by the South Carolina State Senate for the work that we've done here in the Upstate.

On this night, you will hear tear-jerking life testimonies about real people whose lives were changed as a result of how Operation GO! has touched their lives. Some lives were changed because someone, maybe you, decided to volunteer for outreach and opened up a new dimension of ministry in their own life. Other lives have been changed because they were touched by those who volunteered. Whether on the giving or receiving end, many people's lives have been changed forever, and God continues to raise up new outreach warriors through Operation GO! Ministries. I know you share my belief that the work of the ministry speaks for itself.

There are a few other surprises for this special night, but to find out what they are, you'll have to come to see.To join me for the celebration, please call Nikki at (864) 281-1520 x1251.

See you at the Hilton on October 30th, 2008. It will be a night to remember!

Do you have what it takes to do Outreach?

Not everybody is called to the ministry of Outreach and Evangelism. But, more are called than actually participate. The Apostle Paul was in the ministry, and no matter who you are or, what you think you’re called to, you have what it takes to follow in HIS footsteps.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(1 Timothy 1:12-17)

The Apostle Paul had what it took to be in ministry, and so do you. You may think God would only use well-educated, perfectly sinless people who are gifted in public speaking or preaching. Truth is, GOD can use anyone, including you, and HE expects all of HIS Followers to serve HIM to serve Him in every way they can.

Do you have the heart? Do you have what it takes to do Outreach?

Paul was on his way to murder more Christians when JESUS confronted (blinded) him on the road to Damascus. He hated Christians and, he had the position and power that allowed him to act on that hatred.

Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man.
(The Apostle Paul speaking in 1 Timothy 1:13)

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (The Apostle Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 15:9)

If GOD could use Paul, who was a glorified terrorist, then most certainly, HE can and will use you. Will you let GOD use you?

Jesus died to make you righteous and begin loving HIM and working for HIM (Romans 5:18). It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past because GOD wiped away your past with the sacrifice of HIS SON, our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

• If you have confessed Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are qualified to work for HIM. Working for GOD requires outreach and evangelism.

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men”. At once [Peter and Andrew] left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:19-20)

• GOD calls whomever he wants, regardless of their social status.
• GOD uses ordinary people, like you and me, every day to do extraordinary things.
• Don’t forget - God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called!

My mission is to find and rescue inner city children and teens in Greenville who are plagued by poverty, violence, drugs, crime and hopelessness. We offer home visitation, and other services for children and teens designed to prevent them from becoming victims of their environments. I want you to help me continue to fulfill this mission. I already believe that you are qualified because GOD has called you.

GOD may use only 1 person to make a difference!
That 1 person may just be you!

I look forward to seeing you when we meet on Saturday, September 27th, at 9 AM, in Teen Arena.

Be Skillful

"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." (Psalm 34:10) The Word of God is amazing. Everything that we have need of is available through His Word! We just have to know how to be skillful in applying the Word. Read on and see what one of the fathers in the faith has to say about applying the Word of God with skill.

"Did you know that, according to the Word of God, there is no lack in the Body of Christ? Everything we could ever need, every problem we could ever face has been covered by the blood of Jesus. His exceeding great and precious promises have supplied it all.

"Why then do many of us keep on suffering lack? Because we haven't, as Hebrews 5:13 says, become skillful in the Word of righteousness.

"It takes skill to apply the Word of God. Sometimes we just sling the Word around and try to use it any old way. We pray some ignorant prayer and then say, "Oh well, God knows what I mean" and expect it to be answered.

"It's funny though. We'd never stand for that kind of carelessness in the natural realm. If our doctor came in and just threw a bottle of pills at us and said, "Here, take that," without even trying to find out what's wrong with us, we'd leave his office and never come back. Yet, we're shocked when that same careless attitude in the spiritual realm keeps our prayers from being effective.

"We live in an "instant" society where everything is quick and easy. And too many of us are letting that instant mentality leak over into our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. When someone needs healing, we bust through the hospital door, dab a little oil between their eyes and say, "Glory to God!" and out the door we go. Sometimes it doesn't take any longer than "In the Name of Jesus be healed!" But sometimes there is something else that must be done.

"The time has come for us to shake off that "instant" mentality and realize that there are situations where we're going to have to take some time and pray in the Holy Ghost. Times when we're going to have to sit there and listen for God's instructions.

"If you've come up short in any area of life--whether it be healing or finances or anything else--determine to develop your Word skills where that area is concerned. Get out your Bible. Read through all the healing scriptures. Read through all the miracle scriptures. Read through all the promises of God. Read through all the blessings of Abraham.

"Meditate on them. Ask God to speak to you through them and to enlighten you about the situation you're facing. Don't just sling the Word around. Dig into it. Fellowship with your Father over it. Let Him show you how to apply it skillfully, and eventually, you'll lack no good thing."

It's Harvest Time!

Last year, I was invited to Kenya, Africa, to speak at a Pastor's Conference where there were Bishops, Apostles, Elders, Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists, and Prophets. In other words, it was a Leader's Conference. The theme for this Conference was about it being harvest time.

It was no coincidence that one of my messages was "It's Harvest Time". I spoke on the challenges of life using Job as an example of how we are tested and how God is the Teacher. Do you remember when your teacher gave a test, no one was allowed to talk? Not even the teacher talked during the test. Job was tested in every part of his life. He endured one testing after another. Before he could get past one test, something else was in the works. Satan was giving him his best shot.

God called Job “the most righteous man in the land”; there was no sin in his life. Job's friends were convinced that he endured hardship because he was living a sinful life. They did their best to pry a confession out of him, but he held on to his integrity. Job's wife, his rib, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, knew that Job was a good man and how he loved the Lord. She became angry with God and wanted Job to fight God in the flesh. She asked Job to curse God and die. Job's response to this proved that he was everything God said about him. He was one that could be trusted. Job 13.15 says, "...though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Job later stated that God knew the ways that he would take and that not only would he overcome, but that when he did, he would “come forth as gold.” In the end, God made Job's latter days far better than his beginning. Job had it pretty good before God allowed the testing, but because he stood with integrity, God repaid him with more than he could have ever imagined.

That's a word for you, too! It's harvest time in your life, but you can't see it because all hell may be coming your way. Or, there may be restlessness inside of you...something is happening that you can't seem to put a finger on; it's called "transition". God is about to do something new in your life, and like Job, though you can not see it and everything that is happening to you says differently, keep the faith! Your best days are ahead of you!

There is a well known Prophet in America, Kim Clement, that often prophesies in song, "I see you in the future and you look much better then you look right now." I want to leave you with those encouraging words. Don't give up, don't look back, and don't even think about throwing in the towel. Find out why you've had to endure all that has come against you. When I started writing this, I actually intended to talk about the harvest of souls that awaits you. Maybe we will discuss that harvest when we talk again. Please consider writing me in the comment section. I would love to hear a line or two of what the Father is speaking to you on this subject. Until next time….

Hope

I want to speak to you about the subject of hope, a subject that's been on my heart lately and I want to get your feedback on. There are three words that are often used in the same sentence- faith, hope and love --the greatest of these three being love. I often speak on the subject of love and many others often speak on the subject of faith, but not many of us are speaking on the subject of hope.

Let's begin with a scripture. Job 15:17 says “Where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?” Pause and think about what you just read. You probably thought of someone or a specific group of people. Jesus says to think of the hungry, the naked, the sick, the poor, those that are in prison and many more.

1] Where then is my hope? Today, I went to the hospital to visit a 15 year old girl who is very dear to my heart. She used to be one of my little helpers on Saturday mornings when she was eleven. Today, she sits in a hospital, depressed and addicted to drugs. She has done more drugs in her precious young life then I did in the 26 years I spent not knowing Christ. Yes, I did was involved with drugs before I knew Christ - I will tell you about it some day. I looked into her eyes and could see no hope at all. She was throwing her life away because she wanted her father to be a part of her life and he wasn't.

2] Four days ago, I was invited to speak to a group of men who are trying to get their lives together in a place called Hope. For two hours, I spoke to these men about life and how it's not too late to allow the Potter to reshape and fix it. A few of these men cried tears, a few of them became angry, a few of them were thrilled and a few of them showed fear. The fear was “Can I overcome my addictions?” Where then is my hope?

3] Its December and Christmas is quickly approaching. What should be a time of celebration, joy and laughter has become worry, pain, depression and no hope for tomorrow. Where will the money come from to buy toys and pay bills and keep a roof over our heads? How can I do it all? Will I let my loved ones down? That's the fear that comes over so many people during the holiday season. Several years ago, I was working with 27 children that came from low income homes. They were all excited about Christmas but none of them were expecting anything. I knew that something had to be done, so I did what I could do. I purchased 27 yo-yos. It may have cost $30 dollars - I don't remember the exact cost - what I do remember is the look on each one of their faces. You would have thought that I had given them each a one hundred dollar bill. They were so happy - all I could see was their teeth! The joy of restoring hope to a hopeless group of people is still one of my greatest memories of ministry today. I can tell you many true stories similar to these…maybe at another time.

The second part of that scripture asks “Who can see any hope for me?” Why? Because I can't see any for myself. She is 15 years old sitting in hospital room and all she can think of is how she can make her daddy pay for not being there. The only payment she can think of is hurting herself. But then, her daddy, her spiritual daddy, showed up and said to her, “I believe in you and I need you to make it.”

For one hour in her room, it was just her and I, someone who believed in her and someone who could hope for her. She laughed and smiled and cried happy tears. She told me, “I was crying out and just needed to be understood. I will come to see you first when I'm released.”

A placed called Hope. Men, I may only be here this morning for one of you. You may be in this place because the court sentenced you to be here, or you may be here because your wife won't allow for you to come home until you prove to her that you're not using. You may be here because the stuff was killing you and you just need to get cleaned up. I don't know, but I am believing in each and every one of you. I used to be you. I sat where you sit once and I know that you can make it. “Who can see any hope for me?”
One by one, they exited the room, but there was one man who wouldn't move. With tears in his eyes, he looked at me and begged me to mentor him.

Two boys, ages twelve and fourteen, were in my meeting one night. I noticed that they were looking at a piece of paper. When I asked them what they were looking at, one of them spoke up and said, “Every night, we go to bed with this picture under our pillow in hopes of getting a bike because we’ve never had one of our own.” I had forgotten about this until just recently, when I was asked to preach at the funeral for their mother. After the service, a handsome young man came to me and reminded me: “When we needed hope, you were there to give it to us. You bought us our first bike and we have not forgotten it.” “Who can see any hope for me?”

Over the last two years, the Lord has blessed me and my church to be able to distribute over 100,000 toys to people who are without hope; to feed over ten thousand people and to give out coats, blankets and love to people who needed someone who could just hope for them. Today, this event is known throughout the city as "Holiday Hope".

You know something? I don't have all the answers when it comes to solving the problems of people who seem to have just given up on life. What I do have is the will to do, to just do something if it's only a hope and a prayer.
Talk to me. Don't tell me that I'm an awesome person and that God is using me, although I do need to hear these things from time to time. Tell me: what do hope mean to you?

Meet me at Kingdom Advance at Redemption World Outreach Center April 30th – May 2nd.

A Fatherless Generation

Today, I was asked if I would be interested in going to Israel in May on a missions trip. I asked what type of missions and to my surprise, I was told that it would be outreach to the youth and that the problem with gangs was out of control. Gangs in the Holy Land? Yes!

I was in Africa two years ago and was speaking to a group of pastors between services. Three boys came to the window to look at my assistant, Mike Darnell, because they weren't used to seeing whites in person. Mike waved at them and they waved back with a gang sign. I was sure that we had misinterpreted the sign until I got on the plane to go to the next country. I read an article on the front page of the newspaper that said Kenya is facing rising problems with gangs. And you thought that it was an American problem, right? Wrong! I think that gangs are a generational problem of youth without fathers. Most of these youth are searching for love in all the wrong places because they have no fathers to speak into their lives.

In my devotional time today, I was meditating on a scripture in the book of Malachi (4:6) which states that God is turning the hearts of the fathers to the sons and the hearts of the sons to their fathers. In America, the majority of single parent homes are headed up by the mother. So how is it that the fathers and sons will be connected? What is a father’s responsibility to a son? I asked myself this question and the answer is that I have both a natural father in my life who is an awesome man of God and I have a spiritual father in my life who speaks into my destiny as a minister of the gospel. I also have mentors in my life who hold me accountable in certain areas of my daily life. The word of God makes a point by saying that we have many instructors but few fathers. There’s that word again – “father”.


So, I ask myself and you, how are we going to reach this fatherless generation of youth who are throwing away their precious, God-given lives? How much is enough to save a lost soul? The truth is we can’t do enough to save them but we have to do whatever we can. Maybe you’re only saving four out of ten and twenty five out of a hundred. When you’re spending money, having brainstorming meetings, throwing everything that you know at saving them and its not enough. You have to follow the principles of Paul: you sow, water and let God give the increase. My role as a father to this lost generation is to gather the harvest. It’s going to take the mothers and fathers of the faith to change this generation that seems to have no restraint or fear of the unknown.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: G.A.N.G. Seminar with guest speaker Marc Fomby on Friday, March 14th beginning at 9:30 am. The seminar will be held at Teen Arena on RWOC’s campus in the Main Sanctuary. There is no cost to attend. If you are interested in identifying gang growth and activity in your community as well as applying prevention and intervention strategies to make your community safer, you need to be there.

The Heartbeat of the Church!

Whatz up ya’ll, check out my new blog and website!

I was asked today does your Church do Outreach? I couldn’t imagine being apart of a church that didn’t do outreach? Scripturally Jesus said that we are to teach the Gospel to all the nations. The nations maybe your block it doesn’t always have to be the world. The people that we minister to here are people that may never step foot into a church. So we bring the Gospel to them.

I started witnessing the next day after I got saved, and part of my reason was I wanted everyone to know that I was a Christian and when I began to search the scriptures I found out that was what we are commanded to do. I then took it to another level when I found out the tools that you can use to do outreach. The same tools that are on my website. Something simple as giving out bottled water on the street corner or sandwiches for the homeless. Even playing basketball with kids on a playground. There are many avenues that God uses to open up the doors to share the gospel. The problem is that most of us don’t see those different avenues.

I witnessed RWOC grow from 400 members to 2000 members as a result of doing outreach in 3 neighborhoods with 3 buses and 15 volunteers spending 2 hours a week knocking on doors. You see we do it Door-By-Door, Block-By-Block. I know your thinking it is NOT all about numbers, but some reason Jesus left 99 to go after the 1 and for some reason God named a book of the bible Numbers! I don’t think it matters that weather you’re a mega church or a church with 50 members. What matters is… are you reaching your full potential with what you got? If all you have is a flyer that is inviting people to your church that is a form of outreach.

A mentor and great friend of mine who pastors the largest inner city church in America often preaches a sermon called "The Need is the Call." His name is Bill Wilson and he is what he preaches. Bill’s mother left him on a street corner for 3 days when he was only 7 years old and never came back. At that point of his life his destiny was prison, the grave yard and a card board box in a park, but he turned what the enemy meant for his destruction, he turned it around for God as a ministry.

I grew up in a Christian home with both Mother and Father who took me to church most of my adolescent life. As a result of my poor decisions, I made some really bad choices after high school. My destiny was the same as Bill’s, but when God saved me and begin to straighten out my mess the only thing I wanted to do was repay God and give back to the people I once caused pain to.

So I ask you today to think back to where God brought you from. Have you turned around what the enemy meant to destroy.

HH ~ We find a way to get it done!

I almost forgot…
I will be featured along with Redemption World Outreach Center on the 700 Club Monday, February 4th. It airs on ABC Family Channel at 10:00am, 11:00pm and 3:00am eastern time. Please check your local listings. The title is called “Church & Race”!