THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your support of the Fall Revival 2011.

This revival was revealed to me as a way to support the community and spiritual outreach of the UHSCA headquarters—555 South Oakwood Blvd, Detroit, Michigan 48217. Over the years I’ve overseen a many services, conventions, sessions etc, BUT this was also the first event that GHLK Ministries directly and overtly sponsored. Praise God!

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The talismans are still available for a donation of $10 or more (shipping included). Also, order multiples for yourself and others ($10=1, $20=2, etc).

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Friday, November 18, 2011 @ 7p
I preached from the subject, “There is No Recession in Christ”. In it I broke down each of the seven verses displayed on the special talisman created for this event.

Saturday, November 19, 2011 @ noon-7p
UHSCA Temple No. 16 hosted our Readings & Dinner event. I conducted private spiritual advising sessions for six hours straight in the sanctuary. Each attendee said they felt burdens lifted from them. My wife, Mo. Courtney, and mother, Rev. Cassandra, cooked and sold lunches and dinners in the center. Everyone eat and enjoyed each other’s company. We had support from Hagars and non-Hagars alike.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 11a
Back at headquarters, we hear two dynamic sermons from two powerful men. Rev. Erick Moore preached from the subject, “Trust in the Lord and Be Blessed”. He explained the importance of revival, renewal, and trust in God’s word. Rev. Gary Pumphrey preached from the subject, “Check Yourself, Before You Wreck Yourself”. He shared with us the power of thought manifestation and how we can change our circumstances.

Sunday, November 20, 2011 @ 3p
Rev. Cassandra Latimer-Knight closed our revival with the subject, “Let Your Mind Be Free”. She read a Father Hurley writeup by the same name. But more than simply read it, she gave it life. She expounded on the core principles of the article. Rev. Cassandra emphasized that if we free our minds, the doors will be open for our success.

Closing Remarks
Thank you again for your support. We plan on keeping this momentum going.

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The talismans are still available for a donation of $10 or more (shipping included). Also, order multiples for yourself and others ($10=1, $20=2, etc).

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What is the boiled frog phenomenon?

It is a concept spoken about in a number of success writings. If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. However, if you drop that same frog in cold or warm water, and slowly bring it to a boil, the frog will remain to be boiled to death.

The lesson is this—when things in life slowly brew, and we’re seemingly unaware, we might do like the frog and die unnecessarily. This concept tells us why, say, a wife stays with her abusive husband for years. It starts out with a slap here, a hit there, always followed by an apology. Eventually, the woman loses her dignity, respect, and self-confidence. Then when the situation is completely out of control, something major takes place. The husband ends up killing her or she kills him in self-defense. Or maybe she begins abusing drugs and alcohol to cope. Maybe she sneaks off with the children ripping the family apart, after the damage has already been done.

We can apply this principle to any number of situations. We all have a tendency to be like the frog, especially in our areas of weakness. Our best defense against this sad fact is self-awareness or knowing thyself. Father Hurley taught us that knowing ourselves protects us from an innumerable amount of danger. Yes getting to know ourselves has a fringe benefit—it makes us sensitive to change. We will know that the temperature is rising and make adjustments before the boiling point occurs.

Knowing thyself is the key to overcoming the boiled frog phenomenon. Self-awareness is our stepping stone. An understanding of God’s word is our catalyst. Being spirit-filled and spiritually developed preserves our—know thyself mentality.

I have the honor to be your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight
Written November 23, 2011 @ age 30

The Cause Within You – One Criticism

Pastor Barnett grossly underestimates (underemphasizes) how blessed he was to have a full-time pastor’s salary, the backing of his father’s mega church, and the full support of his denomination when he started out pasturing in Los Angeles at age 20. This is my only major criticism of Matthew Barnett’s The Cause Within You. Barnett refers to having no pastoral experience and quickly finding himself with no members. He further highlights how he used his salary to start some of the initial outreach ministries. Though he acknowledges greatly the support of his father Pastor Tommy Barnett and the denominations, he fails to make the connection.

Yes Matthew Barnett worked tirelessly pursuing the ministries God had entrusted to his leadership. Yes Barnett spent years developing his pray life. Yes Barnett has expanded his skill set. However, none of that was initially possible without his base of support. What if Matthew Barnett had to work a full-time job and try to pastor? He could’ve risen up but not as quickly as he has. Having that full-time salary gave him the time to seek God.

Time is a priceless commodity. After graduating from the University of Detroit Mercy in May 2003, I had the opportunity to have a fairly lucrative flexible schedule. I pursued that opportunity but let it go the following year. Now opportunity knocks again. This time I will use Matthew Barnett as one of my inspirations. When given the special chance to have the time to pursue your cause, take it.

Your obedient servant,
Rev. George H. Latimer-Knight
Written November 7, 2011 at age 30

All Hail to the Christ Within!

Let’s continue our discussion of The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett.

Chapter 10: The Right Time to Quit

“Despite all the lofty truths we have considered regarding the blessing of being a blessing, the hard reality is that living for your cause is very difficult work. Sometimes it provides over-the-top pleasure; other times it will be excruciatingly painful.”

When we’re pursuing our dreams, we have to be prepared for the valley experience. We will get down in the dumps sometimes. We will feel like giving up. We will want to run and hide occasionally. These are not admissions of failure but realities. Once we accept that these feeling will arise, we can be prepared for them. Fasting and praying are good defenses, along with a mature attitude and positive confessions at hand.

“One of the most important insights about perseverance is that the pressure to quit often happens just before a major breakthrough occurs.”

I’ve found this to be true in my life. Soon after a low point, God seemed to catapult me higher than ever. Over the last two or three years I’ve been criticized on every hand like never before. Yet I’ve been blessed the last two or three years like never before. Unfortunately, these go hand in hand.

Chapter 11: The Pleasures of Pursuing Your Cause

“Joy comes from knowing that people are better off because of the value you have added to their lives.”

This must be our starting point, realizing that the name of the game is to uplift the fallen humanity.

“Your cause was made to consume you. When it does, you become like the sun, a blazing ball of energy that illuminates and brings life to a world of frozen hearts and souls.”

This nicely wraps up our chapter-by-chapter review. Urgency and passions should fuel our cause, our dreams, and our visions. Through will-power, determination, and perseverance, we are able to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. By staying in God’s will and purpose for our lives, we will shine and brighten the lives of all we meet.

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

All Hail to the Christ Within!

Let’s continue our discussion of The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett.

Chapter 7: The Power of a Proper Attitude

“When I looked at things through a lens of gratitude rather than frustration and disappointment, it was a whole new ball game. I went from grousing about not having the tools I needed to get the job done to praying that I would be able to manage all the resources that had already been entrusted to me.” Yes Lord! Complaining about what we don’t have is fruitless. Getting to work with what we do have is powerful.

Today marks a new day for my wife and I. We stepped out on faith and things are looking up for us. It’s amazing how many people’s decision making process is sullied by self sabotage. “Self sabotage occurs when you begin to achieve more than your subconscious beliefs think you should achieve.” Self sabotage is our subconscious insecurities playing themselves out in our lives. As we make decisions in life a parade of competing voices fill our minds. Sometimes we hear our own desires and ambitions. Other times we hear everyone else’s opinions—family, friends, co-workers, popular opinion, etc. And occasionally we hear from our real selves, which is God.

The memories of opportunities gone by have plagued me. However this year it occurred to me that it’s never too late. The looming responsibility of a growing family became my motivation. As the year progressed my passion for the ministry and community outreach rekindled within me. God knows I’ve had numerous visions about the future work. I’m encouraged that the vision will come to pass. With the right attitude and the support of my family it will happen.

Chapter 8: Get It Done

In his chapter, Get It Done, Pastor Matthew Barnett offered four key terms or concepts.

Urgency: Our cause should give us a sense of urgency. I would add that anything we’re trying to accomplish must be urgent. With urgency comes energy, drive, a refined purpose, and determination. Without urgency we’ll sit on our laurels thinking a blessing will fall in our lap without effort. Or worse yet, we’ll sit on our laurels thinking someone owes us something.

“Earn the right to be heard” — People don’t have to listen to us. Our position doesn’t give that right either. The right to be heard is earned through building genuine relationships.

Small steps = Big vision — Big visions are achieved through small steps. A four-year university degree, for instance, can be broken down into the weekly assignments of each individual course.

Get it done — After all the planning, dreaming, and contemplating, there’s the business of getting it done. At some point we have to do what needs to be done. Getting it done can be scary. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Even though Father Hurley teaches that being in tune with God gives us the ability to foretell the future, we don’t actually see all the details. The future is illusive, always moving, just beyond our reach.

Chapter 9: Build Your Team to Change the World

The only to achieve our dreams is through building a world-class team. According to Barnett there are two types of partnerships—temporary helpers and long-term partners. Most people in our lives are temporary, while only a few are life-timers. The key to a smooth life is having a discerning spirit to know who’s who.

Aaron Jayne, one of Barnett’s closest ministry partners said, “I also learned that working at having a ministry doesn’t really allow you to fall in love with people like building relationships does. You can get so caught up in developing your ministry that people just become accessories in the process.” I’m guilty of being a process person—making plans, being a headworker, and the like. In the end it’s about people. As we work with people, building relationships, our ministries will practically build themselves. Don’t get me wrong though process and thinking is critical. But ultimately touching people coupled with a well thought out plan will make it happen.

Pastor Barnett also emphases that God is the most essential member of our team. He was right when he said, “When your cause becomes bigger than your relationship with God, you’re on the highway to failure.” The God that called us to our cause can be forgotten in our ambition to achieve our cause. Prayer and meditation are indispensable. “Your investment in your relationship with God is the best investment you can make in the pursuit of your cause.”

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

All Hail to the Christ Within!

Let’s continue our discussion of The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett.

Chapter 4: The Reason to Get Out of Bed

“A transforming cause is never about you. It is always about using the resources God has given you to make a positive impact in the lives of others.” As Father Hurley stated, “My message is greater than I.” The work of uplifting the fallen humanity is greater than us all. Our special way of connecting with fallen humanity is a special gift from God.

Chapter 5: Discovering the Cause of a Lifetime

“While I suspect God appreciates our effort to do something great for Him, only He knows what is best for us and for His kingdom.” Yes I guilty of helping God out, so to speak. Often I’ve led myself down a road of disappointment, despair, and dissolution. Thank God a change has come over me. Let a change come over you! Learn to follow God, whether it be through garden or valley.

Chapter 6: Let Nothing Stand in Your Way

Matthew Barnett had two themes in this chapter that struck me as profound.

“Never confuse activity for significance and impact.” I keep myself busy. In fact, people always say to me, “I know you’re busy.” It’s clear to me now that, that proclamation is a curse more than a blessing. Some individuals run from morning ‘til night but that doesn’t mean they’re doing a great work. All it means is that they’re worn out. One can do significant and impacting work and not run around like a chicken recently separated from its head.

His discussion of criticism hit home. It moved me. It brought tears to my eyes. It brought back painful memories of religious leaders tearing me down thinking they were helping me. But how do you build someone by ripped up their heart and soul? How do you take someone to the next level by knowingly spreading lies about them? According to Barnett, people criticize for a number of reasons including jealousy, competition, misunderstanding, etc. Criticism should be examined however because some of it may be helpful, even when its presented in a negative and hurtful action.

In the next post we’ll delve into the heart of the book.

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

All Hail to the Christ Within!

A coworker introduced me to The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett. She loaned me this powerful book a couple of weeks ago. Reading through it is touching my spirit. Pastor Matthew is the co-founder of the Dream Center in Los Angeles. A mega-ministry that helps the homeless and helpless, recover from their conditions, addictions, and spiritual depressions. The book has 11 chapters and I will write a reflective article on each quarter of the book.

Chapter 1: A Night on the Streets

Barnett is the son and grandson of well known Assembly of God pastors. The denomination commissioned his father Pastor Tommy Barnett to save a historic church in LA. He found himself choosing his son as his co-pastor. Despite being only 20 years old at the time, Pastor Matthew was ready to go. Through a series of disappointments at the church, the Dream Center was born as a small outreach.

On the 15th anniversary of the ministry Barnett was led to spend time undercover (so to speak) on the very streets he’s been ministering to. He asked himself a question that I find myself asking myself, “Was I settling for what was now a routine process?” I haven’t had such a dramatic experience as Matthew Barnett. But over the last several months I’ve encountered a series of situations equal in depth.

Chapter 2: Lost and Found in LA

While still out on the street, God spoke to Matthew through an impression. He closed His message to Matthew with, “I love these people. If you reach the people that nobody wants, I’ll send you the people that everybody wants.” What a powerful message! Coincides with what Father Hurley declared, “Uplift the fallen humanity.”

God has revealed numerous visions to me. In each of them I see lives being changed in unconventional ways. I’ve been harshly criticized, as Pastor Matthew has, for being too unconventional or failing to conform. After his encounter with the Spirit of God, Matthew said in part, “It no longer mattered that I was only twenty or that I was a white guy in a nonwhite neighborhood. That nobody turned up at my church service or that the denomination probably had something else different in mind seemed less important now. What mattered was that I’d heard from God.”

I was ordained at 20 years old so I can identify with the position he found himself. I wish had been so brave and faced my fears ten years ago. Nevertheless it’s far from being too late—and it’s not too late for you either!

Chapter 3: Sidewalk Celebration

“It dawned on me”, Pastor Matthew thought as he returned home, “that over the course of time, as we pursue the cause that God has placed within us, we unknowingly reshape that dream to satisfy our personal comfort level. The more time and energy we devote to the cause within us, the more likely we are to lose touch with the heartbeat of the original cause, refining it according to our current desires, circumstances, needs, plans, and goals.”

He said a mouthful! I too have lost touch with the original vision God gave me back in January 2000 & August 2002. Now is the time. God has blessed my family with an opportunity to surge ahead and solidify our foundation. I thank God for my wife, who supports me in every way humanly possible. In the past I let opportunities pass me by—never again!

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