To KNOW!!

Someone once said that knowledge is power. I believe that this statement is true but I want to take it to the next level. Knowledge is power but the correct use of that knowledge is called wisdom.

It is not enough just to know something. You must be; as the Bible says a doer of the Word. My mission with the Help of the Holy Spirit over the next 9 weeks is to empower the members at Next Level Ministries with the knowledge they need to live life at the Next Level! We will come to:

Know Yourself - See Yourself how God sees you. "who am I?"
Know your enemy - Our battle is not with flesh and blood
Know your God- Learning to pray effectively
Know your actions - Living a life of integrity
Know God's Word- Relying on God's Word for direction
Know that you are not alone- Walking with confidence on a daily basis
Know His strength- Never giving up, no matter what!! He has empowered you
Know your friends - Choosing your friends wisely
Know the call - Getting the Message out. The Great Commission

Invite your friends and family because you will leave empowered, challenged and ready to live a life of victory and significance!!!! I'll see you Thursday night @ 7:30

Until ALL have heard,

Pastor Oliver

What to do when you mess up!!!

Joshua 7 and Joshua 8 are a huge lesson in how to react to mistakes. God had told the Israelites to not take for themselves any of the devoted things in the city of Jericho but Achen took some and hid it. Because of one man's sin, the whole nation suffered a humiliating defeat at the city of Ai. Joshua was devastated and the people began to mourn and lament.
The sin that caused the defeat was later exposed and taken care of and God immediately told Joshua to get up and attack the city of Ai once again resulting in a tremendous victory.
So What principles do we extract out of this story??
1) Messing is part of life. God knew that we were going to mess up and that is the reason Jesus came and died on the cross for us. I John 1:9 says "that if we confess our sins ( our "mess-ups") He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If you messed up or have done things in your life that you regret go to God!! The enemy will tell you that their is no way that God will forgive you but God's love for us will always accept us and forgive us if we go to Him with broken and contrite hearts. Exposing your sin, confessing your sin, repenting from your sin and asking forgiveness for your sin is the formula to receive forgiveness and free up your soul. You will have a good chance to exhale!!
2) The second thing we learn is that God will allow us to go through painful times to refocus us back to Him. In His love he will allow our mistakes because He gave us free will to do so. But with every mistake will come a life lesson and an opportunity to come closer to Him. Joshua and all the people once again renewed their vows to God and reminded themselves of all of His promises God confirmed His presence with them by giving them a great victory. Just like Israel, you will have a breakthrough in your life as you open your heart up to God.
3) Painful times only last a little while. We will go through painful times in life. But every pain has a purpose. Even though we will not understand the purpose of why we had to go through what we went through, just hold on to Him and know that things will not be dark forever. He will heal you, restore you, and affirm you once again. Your best is in His best interest!!
I am excited to see what God has in store for Next Level Ministries . Continue praying for us and partnering with us as we go ahead with this Mission. We love you all and we will see you on Thursday night @ 7:30pm

Until ALL have heard,

Oliver

Next Level update

Hello all!! God has been moving in our Thursday night meetings. We have been in the book of Joshua for 4 weeks and God has been speaking powerfully every week. I am excited for what God has for us in the next up in coming weeks.

As we continue to explore and move foward with this church plant I need to lay out to all our readers and followers what we see for the next year:

First of all we just bought chairs!! 17 of them at a great price! Global Ministers Network helped us out in that purchase. Thanks alot.

Our greatest need right now is to get out of our Home and into a building. I truly believe that once we find a location we can begin doing much more on the subject of outreach then we are right now. Please pray that God opens a door soon. Our ideal location is the North Fry area.

Another need that we have is musical talent. Danny has been awesome and he will continue to come as long as we need him but he has a church. I know that God can raise up musicians of every kind to worship Him at Next Level.

Something I need is time. I keep on looking for that 25th hour in the day and I can't seem to ever find it. I pray that God give me wisdom to faithfully be Husband, Daddy, Banker, and Pastor and do them all faithfully and effectively.

Lastly, I need covenant partners. People who believe enough in this ministry and what God will do with us that they will give of their Time, Talent and Treasure on a consistent basis. I feel that Next Level will leave it's mark in History and impact Katy, all surrounding cities, and many parts of the world with the Power of the Word and the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. I am looking for people who want to make that impact with me. We are starting out small but we won't stay this way. The Bible reminds us to not despise small beginnings. It also reminds us that God will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we could ask or think.

Until Next Week,

Pastor Oliver
www.nextlevelministries.info