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Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”

Last week, we addressed Flourishing in your Dry Season. This is the season when God is silent and you can’t hear His voice or feel His presence. During those times, you must draw from your stored up prayers and God’s Word that you’ve hidden in your heart. Keep pressing and trusting God.

This week, I want to call your attention to the Season of Waiting. “Waiting is NOT easy!” Whether you’re waiting for a difficult circumstance to change, or for God to finally fulfill a promise, the waiting season can range from mildly annoying to nearly unbearable.

We know from the story of Joseph in Exodus that God leverages waiting seasons for His glory and for our good. And we know from Abraham’s story in Genesis that waiting might last a very long time. But, we also know from Hannah’s story that pouring out your heart out to God and waiting on Him is totally worth it. In your season of waiting, trust that God is pruning you. He’s chiseling away what’s not needed for the next season. He’s making you ready, so let Him work however long it takes.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

Quick Recap of Part 1: Last week, you were introduced to the topic of “Flourishing in Your Seasons-of-Life”. I explained that just as nature has seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter), we experience changing seasons in our lives. Changing seasons in Christians helps us to grow spiritually. God created us to flourish in every season that we go through, whether we feel like we are flourishing or not. We may experience dry seasons, and seasons of waiting, testing seasons, and the list goes on.

Part 2: This week, we will focus on “Flourishing During Dry Seasons”. Our dry season is a tough one. It’s a period when God is silent, and you can’t hear His voice, or sense His presence. In a dry season, God seems distant. In the natural, only certain types of vegetation can flourish in dry seasons. These plants have the capacity to store an enormous amount of water in their roots, stems, leaves, and even tree trunks. Water is the lifeline that helps to sustain plants during dry seasons. Likewise, the prayers that you’ve stored up during your “seasons of blessings”, and the Word that you’ve hidden in your heart will sustain you until your dry season changes. Seasons do change! The rain is coming! The Keys to getting through this challenging season is to first realize that you are in it; then press through it. Draw close to God despite how far away He feels. Continue reading His Word; but also talk to Him, even though He ‘s quiet. Because He’s there! Keep praising and worshipping God even when it’s hard. Examine your life to see if there are any “heart” issues or unconfessed sins. If you discover it, confess it and repent because, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteous-ness”. 1 John 1: 9.

Finally, Brothers and Sisters, watch for the raindrops. Your season is about to change!

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

In nature, there are 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Spiritually, we have seasons as well. We may have spiritually dry seasons, seasons of waiting, testing seasons, and the list goes on. If you were to examine your life right now, what season would you say you are currently experiencing? Sometimes it’s difficult to recognize our seasons, and it can be even more difficult to know how to fully live in Christ during it. In the natural sense, we know that seasons change. Likewise, seasons change in our lives. Ecclesiastes 3: 1, “For everything, there is a season”. Ecclesiastes 3: 11, “God has made everything beautiful in its time.”

How are you doing in your season of life? Are your thriving or barely surviving? Are you wishing for a change of season? God created us to flourish in every single season that we go through, whether we think we are flourishing or not. Often, we tend to think of “flourishing seasons” as good ones, where we seem to have what we want and need. But the definition of flourish is “to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way”. Growth can happen even during tough times. The season that you are in is for God to purposely grow you in an important area of life.
The first step to flourishing is recognizing which season you are in. In the coming weeks, we will discover how to flourish in some of the common seasons of life.

Ephesians 2:10 , ““For we are God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In God’s infinite wisdom, He created us equipped to flourish during all of the seasons of our life.

Watch for Part 2 of “Flourishing in Your Season-of-Live”.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

Endurance – the ability to hang on when it would have been easier to let go. It is the key that keeps us from giving up and letting go. It is the power of going on in spite of difficulties. When endurance is used in the Bible it means “to abide or rest under,” or “to wait.” The Apostle, Paul reminds us that endurance helps to develop our character. Romans 5: 3-5 “…we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us”

Some Keys to Developing Endurance:

Accept Things That Can’t Be Changed. Let’s face it, sometimes life is not fair. Injustices creep into every one’s arena. It helps to remember that
God is in charge of our lives. His desire is for us to grow spiritually. Unfavorable and tragic circumstances that we experience help to develop our character.

Adjust to the obstacles. Sometimes we have to adjust our way to fit the realities of life. Proverb 22:3 “A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished”. Some circumstances are unavoidable. The person with perseverance acknowledges the roadblocks and adjusts. Don’t think of the adjustments as failure, think of them as education. God is teaching you a lesson.

Be Patient. Most of us pray, “Lord, give me patience right now! But endurance brings us patience. The secret of patience is abiding (or resting) in Christ through the struggles and pressures of life.

Are you close to quitting? Don’t! Are you tired of trying to live for Christ? Hang in there! Does sorrow and disappointment greet your every morning? Hold on! Remember, you are not a failure until you give up. James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who endures trials, because when he passes the test, he will receive the crown of life that He has promised to those who love Him”. So don’t quit! Don’t give up!

God’s reward await us!

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15: 58

What does it mean to be steadfast and unmovable? A person who is steadfast and immovable is solid, firm, resolute, firmly fixed, and incapable of being diverted from a primary purpose or mission. In the scriptures, we find many noteworthy examples of individuals who are steadfast and immovable: Job, Paul, John and others. What are the most important things that we do to gain consistency in our walk with the Lord?

1. Spending time in daily prayer
2. Daily time in the Word
3. Regular worship and fellowship
4. Guarding relationships
5. Service in the Kingdom of God.

Being steadfast means trusting the truth of God’s Word over the say of any man. It means exercising your faith in light of the facts. Being steadfast means being rooted and grounded in the Word throughout any season or circumstance.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

As children, we spent most of our time learning. Even during play time, we were learning. We learned prayers, songs, habits, courtesy, gratitude, respect, honesty, and the list goes on. Most lessons we learned before we were old enough to appreciate and apply them. One of the most important lessons that we are taught as children was the most difficult to learn…PATIENCE.

The Bible teaches us to wait patiently. How do we do that? Answer: We wait without questioning or complaining. Psalm 40:1 tells us what happens when we wait patiently on the Lord. “I waited patiently on the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.” Incline means to leaned into or came towards. God is near, and He is waiting for our cry. He understands our struggles and has promised to help us if we ask Him.

Sometimes God makes us wait for something even though He has promised it to us. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, yet in his old age, Abraham still had no children and no evidence of God’s promise. Even though he and his wife, Sarah, made the mistake of taking the matter into their own hands, God still fulfilled His promise.

Your Challenge: Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27: 14

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

When we think of surrender, we think of “throwing in the towel”. To surrender spiritually, is to completely give up your will and subject your mind, body and sprit to God. It is to totally accept God’s divine plan for your life.

We sing a hymn, “I Surrender All”. One line of the song is “All to thee I freely give”. As Christians, we freely choose to allow the Holy Spirit to reign over our lives. When we surrender to Christ we receive new hope and new life. Galatians 2: 21 “ I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me”

How does one surrender to God and let go? Psalm 63 offers a powerful prayer of surrender to help answer that question.
“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you”.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling like you are unable to move to that place or work that you know God has called you to? If so, you are not alone. Many times, we try to move forward without letting go of our past and without letting go of the things that hold us back.

Moving forward could mean forgiving yourself and leaving those ill feelings behind, no matter how deeply you were wounded. Even if you were wounded by someone in your spiritual community of family and friends, forgive the situation and realize that it is over. It’s important to know when something has reached its end.

My brothers and sisters, it’s okay to get go and leave people behind! Even the apostle, Paul, had a situation where he had to dismiss himself from his close companion, Barnabas. The scripture says that they had a deep disagreement and had to part company (Acts 15: 36-40). Yes, things happen, even in the church. But like Paul, you must sometimes let go of “people-blockers” to keep moving and accomplish the mission. Press (on) toward the mark of the high calling, which is in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 14-15). Regardless of what you are called do, the freedom to accomplish it comes when you recognize what’s holding you back. Let it go!

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” (S. Mariboli)

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

Last week, I introduced the topic of Mid-Year Spiritual Goal Check and how the scripture can help us to be on point with our goals. This week, I have a goal related question for you to ponder. Is it really okay for Christians to set goals? Before you respond, consider the following scripture. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 (ESV). 

Some use this scripture to suggest that the Bible teaches us to not set goals. Others point to passages like, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” Proverbs 21:5 and suggest that goal setting is not only godly, but absolutely necessary if we are to do what God has called us to do.

How do we resolve what appears to be a contradiction in the scripture? Step one is to understand the difference between a goal and a plan. The Bible refers to goalsetting in several ways: “The call of God”, “The will of God”, etc. There are many examples of biblical goal-setters, like Noah, Joseph and Nehemiah. A goal is a desired result.  A plan is a set of steps leading to a goal. Both goals and plans are necessary to fulfill God’s call on our lives and purpose for our lives. The problem is not a contradiction in God’s Word, but a lack of a detailed plan needed to make the goal a reality!

A goal without a plan is only a dream! As you continue your Mid-year Spiritual Goal Check, keep your goals and detailed plans in sync with God’s awesome plan for your life according to Jeremiah 29: 11, and you will succeed.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

It’s July already! Time for you to check-in with yourself to see how you are doing with those amazing goals that you set on January 1st. If you are like most of us, you set vague goals, like changing eating habits, improving your relationships, succeeding in business, exercising more, or even spending less. Some of us set vague spiritual goals like read my bible more, walk by faith, increase my giving, or trust God more. So how much progress have made in those various areas of concern?

Both secular and spiritual goals are noble; but without a targeted spiritual focus, it is unlikely that any of these goals will be achieved to a meaningful degree and result in the fulfillment that you are seeking. As believers, setting good spiritual goals should be our # 1 priority. Growing in our relationship with God and learning to be more like Jesus are of utmost importance. And secondly, we can use good Christian goal setting principles to achieve personal and professional goals that bring glory to God. The scripture can help us to be on point with our spiritual goals:

• Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18
• Set kingdom focused goals Matthew 6: 33
• Recognize that God is in control of the outcome Proverb 16: 9
• Delight yourself in the Lord and your plans will align with His Psalm 37: 4

When you do your year-end goal check-in six months from now, you should be able to not only check off some basic goals achieved, but more so, some spiritual growth and achievements.

What an accomplishment!

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell