Life After the Change: The God of Discipline, pt 2
Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church
Youth Sunday Service—National Headquarters—Detroit, Michigan
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight, B.Sc.

Text: James 4:7; Luke 11:24-26 — Reference: Luke 11:14-28

“Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” — Earl Nightingale (1921-1989)

1. The Initial Change

• James 4:7 — “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
  • So often people seek to resist and rebuke the devil. This is not the first move.
  • The initial change is to submit to God, his word, and his ways.
  • Once we submit to God then we will have the (ever-increasing) power to rebuke the devil!

2. The Life to Be Lived

• Luke 11:24-26 — Break this down as deeply as possible. Very important to discipline ourselves to not only get rid of bad habits but to replace them with good ones.
• (24) When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man,
• You rebuke the negativity out of your mind and life.
• he walketh through dryplaces, seeking rest;
  • The evil spirit you rebuked cannot find rest because it needs a body to work through.
• and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my housewhence I came out.
  • The evil spirt, condition, bad habit, or whatever it is, will return back to you!
• (25) And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
  • The that negative force comes back it will find you clean and renewed. Yes, it will find that you have been doing some praying and fasting.
• (26) Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wickedthan himself;
  • In response to finding you in a better shape, it (the initial negative force) will strengthen itself with seven kindred spirit worse than it.
• and they enter in, and dwell there:
  • How did they get back into your life? Why did you allow them to come back and take up residency in your life.
• and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
• You may have started out drinking here and there, for example. You join the church and decide to stop drinking. You’re feeling good about and proud of yourself. But after a while you find yourself binge drinking.
• You can end up worse off after the initial change, if you don’t submit to God first.

The God of Discipline
Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church
Youth Sunday Service—National Headquarters—Detroit, Michigan
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight, B.Sc.

Text: Proverbs 12:11

Introduction

• We are still dealing with the theme — 2012: The Year of Wise Execution
• The spirit gave me a thought or quote I’d like to share with you.
• “When one accepts the reality of death, they receive the power to live.”

“Walking a New Road” by Jim Rohn

• Paragraphs 1-2 (((summarize)))
  • “Ten years from now you will surely arrive. The question is, where?”
  • ““Do not kid myself anymore” day…I didn’t want to be disillusioned anymore.”
  • Crossed-finger theory
  • Proverbs 12:11 NIV, “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.”
• Paragraphs 3-4 (((read aloud)))
  • A few minor changes may be the only thing between you and your destiny.
    • Bible Knowledge — There are 1189 chapters in the bible. If starting March 1, 2012 you read four chapters a day, you would be finished reading the entire bible by December 23, 2012. And if you extend your goal date to December 31, 2012, you will have eight grace days in case you get behind schedule here and there.
    • Prayer Life — Commit yourself to praying a short prayer before bed and when first waking up. Commit yourself to praying at, at least one good hour (6, 7, 9, 12 am/pm) per day. Commit yourself to reading the current (or a past) meditation at least once per week. Commit yourself to keeping a handwritten list of all saints, friends, and family that need prayer—and pray down the list throughout the week. Do these four things for several months, you will end up with a stronger prayer life than the average person.
    • Financial Life — For the young people… If you put $500 in a Roth IRA (a retirement account) when you’re 18 and don’t touch it for 50 years, you’ll have approximately $27k when you turn 68. Add an extra $100 a year and it’ll increase to $93k. Start with $1000 you’ll have approximately $54k. Add an extra $100 a year and it’ll increase to 120k.
• Paragraphs 5-7 (((read aloud)))
  • “Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.” — Faith without works is dead. (James 2:14-26)
  • “I don’t want to make any more errors. Now’s the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go.”

Conclusion

• Father Hurley left us everything we need to success.
• The tools and keys are at our disposal to overcome all our troubles.

Walking a New Road by Jim Rohn

Here is a good question to ask yourself.  Ten years from now you will surely arrive. The question is, where? We don’t want to kid ourselves about where. We don’t want to kid ourselves about the road we’re walking.

At age 25, I had a day shortly after I met my mentor Mr. Shoaff called “do not kid myself anymore” day. I didn’t want to be disillusioned anymore. Up until then, I had been using the crossed-finger theory. But after meeting Mr. Shoaff, I finally decided that the crossed-finger theory was not going to get me what I wanted. That it wasn’t where the treasure lies. That I was going to have to make sure which way I was headed.

Then, with the help of Mr. Shoaff, I found with a few reading disciplines, and a few disciplines of mind, and a few disciplines of activity, that when exercised, can begin making all the difference in the world as to where you will arrive.

Just a few changes. Sometimes we get the idea that we’re doing about 10% and there’s about 90% more that we need in order to make the difference for our fortune, but probably the opposite is true. We’re doing enough things to have bought and shared in the good life so far. And maybe all we need is that extra 5% or 10% of intellectual change.  Activity change. A refinement of discipline. A refinement of thought. And all we need is the ideas to make those simple changes and the equity starts gathering in one year, three years, five years, 10 years.

I have a good comment for you: Now’s the time to fix the next 10 years. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth; that’s what was good for me when I met Mr. Shoaff. I was 25 years old, he was 44 years old. And he brought me a wealth of experience and he started asking me the tough questions. “Big question”, he said “Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go  in the next 5 years?”

Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next 5 years, you are either reading the right books or you’re not. You’re either engaged in the disciplines or you’re not. But, here’s what we don’t want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing.

The key is to take a look and say, “Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want: the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don’t want to make any more errors. Now’s the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go.”

In lecturing for more than 40 years, I’ve gotten letters and personal testimonies of people that have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, tapes and books can be so valuable. Here’s a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you’re playing the game, it’s sometimes hard to see it all.

But the key is to start right now making these changes to walk this new road. And here’s what’s exciting to me: just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three  years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand-new road.

http://www.jimrohn.com/

*******

2012: The Year of Wise Execution
Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church
Youth Sunday Service—National Headquarters—Detroit, Michigan
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight, B.Sc.

Text: 1 Kings 3; 1 Kings 10; Proverbs 4:1-8
Devotional Reading: Proverbs 4:7

1. Foundation of Lesson (Proverbs 4:7)
• “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)
• Wisdom is more than knowledge; it is knowledge, experience, and application.
   o A young person can be wise but they still need to have patience so that experience can take place.
• Understanding takes time. Understanding is necessary for any endeavor to be successful.

2. Solomon’s Dream—Solomon’s Heart (1 Kings 3:1-15)
• Solomon’s father David was near death. At the request of his leadership team, David appointed his son as king, because various factions were trying to overthrow the kingdom.
• Solomon was anointed, crowned, and went to pray and make public animal sacrifices (the religious law of the day).
• That night God can to Solomon in a dream and asked him what he wanted.
• Solomon asked for wisdom to perform justice toward and for the people placed in his charge.

3. Solomon’s Wisdom & Wealth (1 Kings 3:16-28; 1 Kings 10)
• The story in 1 Kings 3:16-28 is very interesting and worth reading. It shows Solomon’s great wisdom.
• First Kings 10 recounts the Queen of Sheba’s visit.
   o She wanted to see for herself if all the stories about Solomon were true.
   o After challenging him with many philosophical and life questions, she found him to have a wisdom far behind any other.
• Solomon’s great wealth…
   o In 1 Kings 10 alone, Solomon was given 25 tons of gold!
   o And even more telling, in verse 21 it says he received little silver because silver wasn’t as valuable as gold in his time. God will bless us with what we need at any given time!

4. Importance of Wisdom (Proverbs 4:1-8)
• Wisdom is a preservative.
• Wisdom is the key to success.
• Without wisdom our lives we remain stagnant.

Closing
• This declaration is critical—Wise Execution.
• We need to act wisely through prayer, fasting, studying, coming to church services, thinking, planning, and thinking again.
• However, if we don’t execute, all the wise planning will be in vain.
• The year 2012 will be the year we get busy doing the things we’ve been talking about for so long. Not just church matters but matters in our individual lives.

Postscript
• This sermon was put together on location. Our pastor was unable to attend service and it fell upon me to preach in her place. This outline can to me while sitting in the back corridor behind the altar. The subject—2012: The Year of Wise Execution—was the last piece that came to me.
• Thank God for his revelatory power. I’ve been publishing, through the Internet Ministry (www.FatherHurley.com), year declarations since 2008. This is the first one that I had the opportunity to share in a live service on the first service of the year. Again, I thank God.

*******

All Hail to the Christ Within!

On this Martin Luther King Day morning, I wonder about the state of our nation. What is it that we’re after? Or are we so divided that the question of what “we” want has become nonsensical? Divisions of race, gender, sexual orientation, politics, religion, and so forth, have not disappeared. On one hand, division can be viewed positively as diversity, which is necessary in a successful democracy.

I heard a clip from Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech on the radio which gave me pause. It reminded me of how each of us can and should make a difference. Yesterday, while reading through the constitution of the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church, it states that pastors (and ministers) should visit the sick (members and non-members) and be active in civic life. Those of us in the non-vocational ministry, i.e. we don’t get a living wage from the ministry; have a hard choice to make. The choice is stark, make a living and give the ministry its due time or reconsider why we’re in the ministry at all.

I then heard a brief clip from NAACP president Ben Jealous that stopped me cold. He pointed out that Dr. King learned the importance of social activism from his father and grandfather. Jealous emphasized that those of us born in the 1970s and 1980s were largely cut off from this tradition. We were taught that color doesn’t matter and somehow civil rights successes from the 1960s did all the work. As Rev. Al Sharpton said several week ago, civil rights/activism are still important, if for no other reason than to maintain the ground we’ve already gained.

This ministry has been given the rallying cry—2012: The Year of Wise Execution. The need to read, study, pray, fast, develop patience, meditate, and think first will always be critical to success. BUT if we never execute, how will we make the changes that are so desperately needs in our homes, schools, businesses, municipalities, city halls, county offices, state houses, federal agencies, and the three branches of government. Change comes through action (execution) which is born out of an emancipated thought-process (wisdom).

This is my year, your year, and our year. If you don’t do something now, then when will you? Many goals can’t be completely quickly. But to use that as an excuse to do nothing can no longer be accepted. Brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, please do something this year. Act out the faith of the apostles. Act out the faith of Christ. Act out the faith of our righteous leaders. Act out the faith of the great men and women of history. Act out your faith, the faith that you have developed! Act out the faith that works. For we know, faith without works is dead (James 2).

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight
Written January 16, 2012 at age 30

*******

This past Sunday (January 8, 2012) I had the pleasure of preaching the pastoral sermon. Our pastor was unable to attend, so I had no prepared sermon. It came to me to preach on the Wisdom of Solomon. When seeking after the subject I audibly heard in the spirit—“2012: The Year of Wise Execution”.

I will post the sermon outline and explanation later in the week. I just wanted to share that portion with you. We’ve prayed, shouted, and begged long enough. EXECUTE WISELY. Just do it! Go forth and live. Amen.

Your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight

*******

Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was arrested on federal felony drug charges on Wednesday. He is facing upwards of 40 years of jail time. And with current federal policies, he would have to serve 85% of his sentence. Apparently, Mr. Hurd was one of the largest drug dealers in Chicago. In fact, according to an undercover agent, Hurd had an expressed goal of building a major drug network. According to other sources, he wanted $700,000 in weekly drug supplies (10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week). It’s even reported that there may be a list of NFL players who allegedly purchased from Hurd’s drug ring.

We will follow this story for one reason…to show the youth the destructive nature of low-level thinking. Here you have a young man who toiled with his football craft from high school through college. Here you have a 26 years old black man who is currently signed under a three year contract with a total salary of $3,970,000 (yearly average of $1,323,333) and a $1,350,000 signing bonus ($450,000 yearly). His previous contracts with the Dallas Cowboys totaled, with bonuses, a whopping $5,484,000.

So Sam Hurd, with all his resources, money, prestige, and fame has apparently chosen to become a drug lord. How awful! I’m writing this article for the benefit of our young people. Money isn’t everything. Sam Hurd had money. Fame isn’t the ultimate. Sam Hurd had fame. What everybody needs is a solid moral compass, a liberal arts education, and sound financial training. A moral compass to guide us through the many choices life will inevitably present us with. A liberal arts education provides us with grounding in the great books, history, languages including English, literature, mathematics, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, science, and theater. A sound financial training teaches us about how to obtain sustainable wealth, investments, real estate, savings strategies, etc.

Father Hurley taught us to think for ourselves. A lack of thinking is why Sam Hurd is in the position he’s in today. He just didn’t think. I don’t have to tear the young man down. I won’t call him names or castigate him. He just didn’t think. If he was a thinking man, he would’ve realized a millionaire black athlete wasn’t going to get away with a crime like this. If he was a thinking man, he would’ve gotten into a legal business and/or found a top-tier investment hawk to multiply his millions. If he was only a thinking man!

Saints and friends I feel the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit led me to write this. Please start thinking. Think, think, and think again. Think about the consequences of your actions. Be positive. See the blessings and opportunities you have been given and take advantage of them. God bless you. Peace & Love to all!

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight
Written, Friday, December 16, 2011

Sources:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/53133905-77/nfl-hurd-players-respect.html.csp
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57344219/source-hurd-provided-drugs-to-other-nfl-players/
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/984904-arrest-of-bears-hurd-likely-to-spell-end-of-jerry-angelos-tenure-as-gm
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/sam-hurd/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_arts

*******

All Hail to the Christ Within!

A few weeks ago I was talking with a fellow churchgoer. He was reminiscing about Rev. Georgia Latimer’s latter years. In so doing he recalled my growing. He said, “Well you were soiled and didn’t have to do anything.” This statement struck me but I didn’t respond to it. This charge, so to speak, will be the focal point of this article.

My graduate studies in philosophy taught me about the analytic method. A person should always define their terms before making an argument or elaborating a point. So what does the term “anything” refer to? From other conversations with this individual, he means that I didn’t do a lot of manual labor when my grandmother was living.

This conversation brought to mind the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-12. Paul said he didn’t want us to be ignorant in regards to spiritual gifts. Paul tells us in verses 4-6, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” In short, everyone’s gifting is necessary to get the program over.

The main problem with this charge is that it lacks substance, character, and truth. I spent a number of weekends with my grandmother. From the outside it appeared that I wasn’t doing much. I played with my toys, read my comic books, watched Saturday morning cartoons, and the like. My grandmother let me ride my bike and I would play with her dog. This was known and seen. But there were things that weren’t seen. I can’t tell you how many times she said, “George, can you turn off the television for a while. We need to pray.” If I happened to go to her house after Sunday service she would have me recount the church’s money. So though she never had me mopping or painting, she had me doing other tasks to assist her.

The charge against me, so to speak, challenges Paul’s concept of diversity in the body of Christ. Everybody can’t be the pastor. Everybody can’t cook in the kitchen. Doesn’t somebody have to run the service? Everybody can’t sit pretty in Sunday School. Doesn’t somebody have to shovel the snow and pickup outside the temple? Everybody can’t be the church mother. Doesn’t somebody have to be the usher? Yes there are so many functions in the kingdom and these are just temple service functions. What about other functions like spending time with the youth, helping the pastor in their home, serving the community, and the like? If we value one function over another, doesn’t the whole kingdom suffer?

There are many callings but one God. Paul declares to us (in verse 12), “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.” No one calling is more important than another. Regardless of our individual calling, there is an opportunity costs to answering that call. Every call therefore must be respected. Whether the calling is handyman, preacher, teacher, or driver all are important.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight
Written December 6, 2011 @ age 30

*******