Saturday, December 31, 2011

NEED AN EDGE FOR 2012? TRY YOUR FAITH!

I am so excited that we have reached the end of 2011! Like me I'm sure that you've had a year of highs and lows, successes and failures, triumphs and defeats. I appreciate you for being a reader of Bernard's Word. It is a great blessing to have you visit my website and read about the things that concerns me and that I am passionate about.

I give God praise for 2011 and some of the incredible experiences that I had this year. Some of my highlights for 2011 are:

1. In March I visited the beautiful country of Nigeria for eight days preaching and teaching in the southern region of that country.

2. In June me and group of members from the New Mine Creek Church began learning about wealth building and successful strategies about money and finance from one of the greatest financial mentors in the country William V. Thompson, president of Dynamic Financial Training.
     
3. In July I celebrating twenty years of marriage with my beautiful wife Vantoria.

4. In August my son Bernard Quincy entered his senior year in high school.

5. In August I preached at the National Primitive Baptist Convention on the eve of the election that secured  the presidency of Elder Bernard Yates.

6. In September I attended the African American Literary Awards in Harlem New York.

7. In December me and my family had an incredible Christmas vacation in Orlando Florida.

8. In October I connected with a group of writers in the John3:16 Marketing Network for a monthly prayer conference call.  

I hope that 2011 has been an incredible year for you as well. Because they type of year that you had in 2011 should be a springboard for living with a edge in 2012.

A couple of weeks I was surfing through my television and I came across the Sports show First TakeFirst Take is a sports show that highlights two commentator who debate their opinions about what's happening in the world of athletics. One of the debaters is the straightforward Skip Bayless (I love it when he gives it to Lebron! I can't help it!) . On this particular show the other debater was the fast talking, take no prisoners Stephen A. Smith.  Their topic of conversation was the Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. The comment that struck me was when Skip said that Tim's faith gives him an edge and that was a great part of why he was having a successful year.

I have to admit at this point that I don't watch the NFL. And I knew nothing about Tim Tebow, but Skip's comment caused me to do some reading about this quarterback who was the source of conversation on First Take. And what I learned about Tim had left me amazed once again at how God uses people who are available to Him and makes them a declaration to the world about who He is..

When Tim Tebow walks out on that field to perform as a quarterback he walks believing that God is with him. He believes that as he executes his plays and leads his teammates that the presence of God is surrounding him. And Tim believes that God speaks to him and gives him peace under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform and conform.

Skip said that Tim's faith gives him an edge. In other words Tim has an advantage because of the God that he believes in and what he believes about himself because God is operating in his life. Stephen A. Smith said that Tim's faith was a force, wow! no greater words have ever been spoken about faith. Because that what faith is, it's a force!  

When you live by faith it gives you an edge. I'm not saying that faith makes you better than others but it puts you ahead. Your faith gives you an advantage. If you have faith and operate by faith principles that's put you in the company of champions. Throughout 2011 the Holy Spirit has been saying to me that He's raising up a generation of Davids. David is the spiritual prototype of a people who have a edge because they believe God and they are willing to go into the valley and kill the giants that has created fear among the people of God. When all of Israel cowered before Goliath faith gave David an edge.

2012 is going to be a year of conquering giants because your faith is giving you an edge. Your faith will make you stand out and take hold of the opportunities that others will run from. You are going to do impossible things because you have an edge. You have a confidence that God has spoken to you and that God is with you. The Holy Spirit has set dreams and visions in your heart that you will accomplish because you have an edge.

I see you in 2012 WINNING, GAINING, POSSESSING! Declare to the giants that you have faith, you have an edge!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

YOU ARE IN HIDING

How are things going with you? Can you believe that we have only seventeen more days left in this year? I hope that you had a great year. A year full of peace, purpose and prosperity. I can confess that 2011 was a remarkable year for me even with all the challenges that I faced.  As I prepare to enter 2012 I have resolved to discard what is useless and keep what is useful for next year. I hope that you do the same thing.

This week I watched on of the most incredible videos I seen this year and I had to share with you this video and the impact that it had on me as it reminded me of God's dealing with me in another season in my life many years ago. 

The video features Fred Hammond. Just in case you don;t know who Fred Hammond is, he is  an incredible gospel singer and producer. He sings with incredible power and liberty in Jesus Christ. Fred is a native of Detroit and he currently lives in Dallas Texas. In this video Fred shares how his Mother attempted to abort him but the abortion failed. When Fred's Mother went back to the clinic they guaranteed that they would finish where they failed before and as she was lying on the gurney the fear of the Lord came over and she got dressed and left the clinic saving the life of her son Fred. 

I was shaken emotionally when Fred said, "When I was supposed to be discarded. When the tools that were supposed to destroy me, the Lord took His hand and pushed me back." In my mind I could see God rescuing Fred from death because He had a great purpose for his life. I started celebrating the divine deliverance of God in Fred Hammond's life. I celebrated that God saved this gift that we know today as Fred Hammond, because He had a plan for Fred in this generation.

And as I was meditating on Fred Hammond's testimony my mind went back to a pastor's conference that I attended many years ago. It was during a dark season and I wasn't sure if I could keep going and doing what God had called me to do. In that afternoon session I sat in the auditorium of a hotel and the speaker announced his text. It was Isaiah 49:1-2 "THE LORD HAS CALLED ME FROM THE WOMB; FROM THE INWARDS PARTS OF MY MOTHER HE HAS MADE MENTION OF MY NAME. AND HE HAS MADE MY MOUTH  LIKE A SHARP SWORD; IN THE SHADOW OF HIS HAND HE HAS HIDDEN ME, AND MADE ME A POLISHED SHAFT; IN HIS QUIVER HE HAS HIDDEN ME."

The Rhema Word of God spoke to me that day. I was assured that I was in the best place because God who knew me before my conception was hiding me in His hand. In God's hand I was safe as He fashioned me and shaped me in His image. I was reminded by the Man of God who spoke that day that the best place to be in was the hand of God. Because in His hand God was polishing me, shaping me and refining me to be a polished shaft. In the secret place of God's hand God was making me into a formidable instrument that would wreak havoc on the kingdom of darkness. God was getting me ready for the time that He would release me as His secret weapon against the kingdom of darkness .

As I look back over that time I can see how God was hiding me for this time and for times to come. So when I was watching Fred give his testimony and I heard him say, "God hid me." It brought forth that memory of the time when God was hiding me as well. And this may be where you are right now.

God may be hiding you, because He has some work to do in you before He sends you into the kingdom of darkness as his secret weapon. Rest in God's hands. Submit to His work in you in this season. God is getting you ready to bring the kingdom of darkness down. And when you show up bringing down principalities, running demons away because of the glory of God that shines through you the devil is going to say as I'm sure he said when Fred appeared as a mighty weapon tearing down bondage's and setting men free through his music, I thought I killed you.

Don't despair God is hiding you. He's keeping you in his quiver until He's ready to send you out as a mighty weapon. The best place to be is in God's hiding place. What He did for Fred Hammond He will do the same thing for you. Please share this video with others.

Monday, December 12, 2011

TASTE AND SEE: A SAMPLING OF FIRST CHAPTERS BY THE AUTHORS OF JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK



Psalms 34:8 "O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD..."

Lorilyn Roberts, the founder and president of the John 3:16 Marketing Network has compiled a series of writings from some of the authors that are members of the Network. In this compilation of works of varied genres you will see a impressive array of the artistic offerings. This particular work presents the talents of the enormously gifted and talented writers who make up this unique group of writers who are dedicated to the mission of spreading the love of Christ through our writings to the world. 

The Sampling of first chapters is intended to stimulate your reading interest in the hopes that you will support these authors by purchasing their books. I am sure that among the fifty eight chapters presented in catalog that you will find many authors whose writings will enrich and encourage you during this holiday season.

From now until the end of the year you can download a copy of Taste and See in ebook format from Smashword for free. Go to Smashword now http://www.smashword.com/books/view/104475 and get your free copy. You can also purchase a copy at Amazon for .99. Go to Amazon now at http://www.amazon.com/Sampling-Chapters-Marketing-Network-ebook/dp/B006H9TJAA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=13237660633&sr=8-2   

I am a proud member of this incredible group and it was my privilege to write the forward to this project. Please support and make it a success by getting a copy today. God bless you and I appreciate you for your support.

Pastor Bernard Boulton

Friday, December 9, 2011

GOD'S SKELETON KEY

I love it when the Holy Spirit confirms a word that He has placed in my spirit. The confirmation of a word means that God has given us this word to be fixed in our hearts. Once the Word is fixed in our hearts it moves throughout our spirit establishing this truth on the inside of us. This confirmed word is God's instrument that He uses to make something in us and to bring something through us. That something is God's will, God's way and God's wisdom. Let me explain this, the word of God on the inside of us is God working His will in us. God works His will in us so that we can walk in His ways. As we walk in His ways His wisdom is strategies that answers he situations that arise in our lives.  

Last week God gave me this word from St Matthew 6:10, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it in heaven." I preached from this passage  last Saturday but since last Saturday and before I've meditated on this verse and feed my spirit with it as I considered this part of the prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples as a model of prayer. However when God confirms a word to me He will give me the same word from a different source in a short amount of time. It is then that my spirit is alerted that God is bringing a word into my life to establish it for that season. When I know that my heavenly Father is doing this in me it always excites me because I know that He is setting me for a new experience on the journey of faith that I'm on.


On Monday I received a book in the mail. The book was written by Don Nori Sr. the founder of Destiny Image Publishers. It is titled YES! THE PRAYER THAT GOD LOVES TO ANSWER. I won a free copy of this book after I entered a contest. In this book Don talks about the humble beginnings of his publishing house Destiny Image and how God led him to form this unusual house that would fulfill God's will in the publishing world.  Okay so I'm reading my copy, along with three others books and manuscripts as well as writing my second novel and I get to Chapter two and Don talks about how his grandfather sent him into the house to get a skeleton key from his grandmother. Now I've never heard of a skeleton key but anyway it's a key that can open any lock. And then Don calls St Matthew 6:10 the skeleton key secret.

At this point after reading what Don Nori calls the skeleton key I sense the Holy Spirit calling me to a teaching sessions. I know that He wants to connect with this principle and pattern. As I continued to read chapter 2 of Don's book  I see the confirming of this principle and where God is calling me to operate. And I wanted to share this with you. This prayer will open every closed door that has stopped or slowed you down this year. It will open and release heaven into your life every time you pray these words.

"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven." God wants to answer this prayer in your life. Can you already imagine the kind of year 2012 is going to be for you because you used this prayer as a skeleton key to open every door and bring down heaven into your earth? Start using this key and let me know what happens for you. I'm already anticipating what God is going to do in my life in 2012 as I use this skeleton key to open doors that the devil closed in my face. Let me know what this key is going to do for you.