House of Worship Blog

Fuel for Life

Fiifi Pentsil — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:47:00 -0600

Fuel for Life

by Fiifi Pentsil

Altars - Times & Seasons

Eric Mensah — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:46:00 -0600

Altars - Times & Seasons

By Pastor Abu Bako

Are You Ready? How is Your Preparation?

Ishmael Seshie — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:06:00 -0600

Ishmael Seshie - 8/16/2009

Treasure Hunt

Fiifi Pentsil — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 07:58:00 -0600

Fiifi Pentsil - 08/09/2009

Are you Growing?

Sybil Pentsil — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:53:00 -0600

We host a weekly discussion group in our house called a Growth Group. We discuss the sermon and get more insight. Well, it just so happened that this Sunday's topic was "Growing as a Christian" and one of the things Ps. Fiifi talked about was the importance of assessing our spiritual growth on a regular basis. So yesterday at Growth Group, the question was: how do you measure spiritual growth? How can you tell if you are a better Christian in 2009 than you were in 2008?

We take children for check ups, and their height, weight, head circumference are checked and put on a chart. How can we evaluate our spiritual height, weight, and head circumference? Where is it charted? A pediatrician also evaluates a child's bodily features and function to assess development. We assess a child's verbal skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skill. How can we evaluate our spiritual verbal skills? Our spiritual fine and gross motor skills? Pediatricians and Internists also assess our executive function and evaluate how we process mentally. If an adult cannot process mentally at an adult level, then further mental health assistance is needed. If a child or adult is not functioning at an age appropriate level, then they are delayed. Well, spiritually if we are not functioning appropriately for our spiritual age then we have spiritual developmental delay.

So this is what we came up with about how to measure spiritual growth

1. Look back at specific areas of your life. For example, marriage. Look back at how you used to respond to a particular problem with your spouse, and look at how you respond now. Have you grown in how you respond to problems? Or look at your diet choices. Have you grown in how you pick your meals? How about your dealings with your children. Do you deal with your 10yr old the same way you did when he/she was 8? Whatever your responses are, write them down (ie chart it) in your journal.

2. Recognize the "Aha Moments" of your life. There are times our actions remind us of whether we have grown or not. After years of delaying his obedience, taking Lot when he wasn't supposed to take other family members, having Ishmael even though God had promised him Isaac, Abraham finally came to a place of total surrender and willingness to sacrifice the most important thing to him. That was an "aha moment" God saw that Abraham had grown. And Abraham saw it too! Catch yourself during those moments....and remember to write down what you learn about yourself.

3. Ask trusted people how you are doing in a particular area of your life......and listen to their observations even if you don't agree.

We also learned a few important principles for anyone who wants to grow:

1. Our standard of growth is not other people. We evaluate ourselves based on the Word of God, not by comparison to someone else.

2. Good growth begins with a decision. If you decide you want to grow spiritually, you are more likely to be disciplined and pursue things that will help you grow. If you just lull through life, you'll grow, but not as well as those exercising and making good food choices.

3. Good growth is intentional, just like building muscles comes by intentionally working out. Spiritual growth must be intentional. Reading the Bible, studying scripture, hanging out with people who want to grow, engaging in spiritual exercises are all necessary basic steps for anyone who wants to build their spiritual muscles.

4. Growth is not based on what you do or how long you've done it. Its based on who you are becoming. You can be a Christian for decades and still have developmental delay.

5. Your spirit, soul and body are connected. Feeding your soul and body properly also helps your spirit to grow.

6. Growth is continual. If you've stopped growing and maturing spiritually .... you're dead.

So that was our game plan. What is your game plan? How do you check yourself out? Don't assume that you're growing just because you are getting older. Be determined to grow to maturity in every area of your life. Yep, its hard work, but the rewards are great!

1 Samuel 2:26 (NIV) And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.

REJUVENATE - A Pamper Party for Ladies

Sybil Pentsil — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0600

Make a Smilebox photobook

Do you need a bailout?

Sybil Pentsil — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:16:00 -0600

Most lottery winners do not sustain their wealth. That's why even though I could use a bailout......what I really want is strength and wisdom to ride the storm! There are some Oprahs out there who don't feel the pinch, but for a lot of other folks times are tough right now. Financial problems, health issues, marital problems to name a few. It has become necessary for Christians to simply stay strong. My husband put it this way: we have to be disciplined about our faith in God. We go to work whether we want to our not. We look for food when we feel hungry. We put our weight on a chair without testing its strength. We do all these things without thinking twice, yet when times are tough, we question the reality of our God. When we face difficult circumstances, we question His existence. When our prayers aren't answered, we doubt His closeness. It's time for us to be disciplined about our faith. Stubborn about our faith. Tenacious about our faith. Unmovable when it comes to our faith and trust in God.

The Bible is full of victory stories....and the same Bible is full of people dealing with the pain of life. The Christian faith and bilbical teaching offer us wisdom for times like this. I invite you to search the Word of God for your solutions. Look for wisdom in the Bible. Lean on the Bible for strength. And then come, lets share some stories about our pain, AND our victories!

History!

Sybil Pentsil — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:22:00 -0600

As I write this blog, my heart is just overwhelmed with joy as I watch the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president and first African-American president. I am not just looking at the swearing in of a president. I am witnessing a humungous group of people who are happy and hopeful. What a change from the last months of despair as we have heard about the economy and horror stories of loss. Why should we be happy and hopeful today? It is not because of a man. It is because of what this day represents.

There are natural actions that take on great spiritual implications. When a declaration of independence is made in the natural, natural freedom AND spiritual freedom are declared. People begin to function at levels they never thought possible when natural bondage was in effect. A release takes place in the spirit as a result of a seemingly natural event. It is not just the "hope and joy" that propels them towards spiritual freedom. A spiritual release also takes place that impacts the body and soul to function at a different level. Slavery, racism, murder, crime, and all kinds of atrocities have taken place in this land. Slavery, racism, murder, crime and all kinds of atrocities are still taking place in this land. Today, a tentacle of the demonic force of racism and slavery is being dealt a tremendous blow in the natural AND in the spirit.

As a watchman over the walls of this nation, it is my prayer in this moment that true freedom will reign in the hearts, minds, and bodies of the American people, and people all over the world who are witnessing this great event. A freedom that will kick against the current walls of hatred. A freedom that will propel people to work together. A freedom that will propel people to open their hearts again to the Lord God. A freedom that will allow Christians to live lives marked by the annointing of God, and speak with conviction of the power of our God. A freedom that will kick against the walls of racism and hatred in the church. A freedom that will cause us to serve our Lord and this land with a renewed vigor and vitality TOGETHER. May that spiritual release take place in all of our hearts.

Congratulations President Barack Obama! Congratulations Vice-President Joe Biden!

Know that we are praying for this land. We are praying for the will of God to be done in this land. We are praying for your protection. We are praying for the peace of Israel. We are praying for a spirit of unity and oneness in our nation. We are praying for the many who are hopeless, homeless, hungry, sick, lost and in despair. As Christians we will do our part to serve our communities with love and compassion.

"...unity of purpose over conflict and discord.... coming together to declare an end to petty differences.... the time has come to set aside childish things..." These were the words of President Barack Obama. May this be our hearts cry. It's time for change. Not political change. The church has been saying "God is doing a new thing" Let Him do a new thing in you!

Come join me at House of Worship this Sunday at 1030am as we celebrate the day of the Lord, and obtain tools to made an impact on the world. IF you enjoy my blog, you can sign up for it! Visit www.houseworship.org, click on blog and subscribe. Lets change our world together.

For your Marriage

Sybil Pentsil — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:05:00 -0600

Make a Smilebox greeting

Valentine's Day Survival Kit

Sybil Pentsil — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:44:00 -0600

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

NY Eve Celebration!!

Sybil Pentsil — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:39:00 -0600

Make a Smilebox slideshow

End of Year Blues

Sybil Pentsil — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:17:00 -0600

I can't believe we're in December of 2008. Another year is over, and if you're like me, then you are looking over the year and trying to figure out how things went. Times like this can be exciting if you had a great year, or depressing if you didn't.

I consider myself an unrecognized CNN analyst (those folks at CNN just haven't discovered my knowledge and talent and are yet to call me for my opinion on matters!!) so I watch the news and listen to my fellow analysts and try to keep abreast with what's going on......or at least what they say is going on. The end result? Even more end-of-year blues as I think about all my unaccomplished goals for 2008 and how impossible it seems to accomplish anything right now. But the real issue has very little to do with 2008 and what we've been through. We could party over 2008 or cry over it and neither is going to do us any good. The question is this: what are we going to do with 2009? 2009 can be an adventure waiting to happen if we have something great coming to us, or just another NY Eve if we have no expectation.

What are your expecations for 2009? If you have none for yourself, then you are going to take on someone else's expectation of you. According to the news, the expectation is that your house won't sell, you won't find a job, if you're employed you could get laid off, you're not shopping, your children are unruly and spoilt, your small business will struggle to survive.......okay enough!!!! That's their expectation. So I ask you again, what is your expectation? Is it truly possible to schedule success? Can we really wake up one day and decide that the coming season is really going to be the best season of our lives? The answer is YES!

I want to challenge you this season to have great expectations for 2009. Others in life have decided to make their million......while some in life choose to wait for a million to be handed to them. Let me tell you, there are more people in the latter group who are spending life waiting....and ending up with nothing. The number of success stories in our world are tremendous. I was reading some rags to riches stories, and I read about Inguar Kamprad......initials IK.....as in the first initials of the store IKEA. Look him up and read his story and you'll be inspired to choose success. He started out with some money his father gave him as a reward for doing well in school at age 17! Wow!

I have never been a fan of enduring the status quo. I believe in being a solution and using my talents (that's why I haven't given up on my job at CNN! ) But seriously though, tough times are a great time to launch. Don't believe the news. While some are losing money, lots of others are still making money! There are many people who are not in recession. Within that group should be the children of God. This is not a season to recede. It is a season to press forward and let our light shine. Be determined to be a 2009 success story. Not just in your career, but in everything. Use your talents to bring solution to your life. Don't let life pass you by. You have one more year of time, one more month, one more week, one more day, and at least one more minute of life. Choose to make that minute count. Be a friendship success story. Be a marriage success story. Be a workplace success story. Be a business success story. Refuse to let the next 365 days of 2009 bring you down. Let 2009 be your season of success.

I hope you had a truly Merry Christmas. And from Ps. Fiifi, the staff and partners of House of Worship, I wish you a happy and truly prosperous New Year!!!

Thanks for reading the blog! You can add your comments and thoughts and I would love to hear from you! I would also love to see you at House of Worship this Sunday at 9:30am for our Faith Builders Institute [a time to get deep and study some practical principles], and 10:30am for our service. We're talking about how people help people grow! See you there!

Politicians, Christians and the search for Hope!

Sybil Pentsil — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:13:00 -0600

There is plenty of talk this week about the governor of Illinois, corruption in Chicago.....and in the midst of all the talk is quite a bit of cynicism as many people aren't in the least bit surprised that another politician is in trouble. It's become what we expect. Sad isn't it? But let me tell you what's worse: there is even greater cynicism when it comes to Christians and our righteousness. The element of surprise is now lost when yet another pastor falls below the high standard of our calling. Or a Christian cheats his/her business partner out of a deal. Or the Christian worker is the laziest one on the force. Someone actually once told me that he would never hire Christians because of poor work ethic and also "they have a scripture for everything, even the bad things they do"! Of course this doesn't apply to every Christian, but it describes one employer's expectation.

In every group of people, there are good guys and bad guys. There are those who make us proud, and there are those who make us cringe. Same goes for politics, and same goes for Christians. Unfortunately with our high tech, media-driven, scandal-seeking, lets-focus-on-the-bad-guys-so-we-dont-seem-so-bad-ourselves society we will hear about the bad folks and might never hear about the hard working, honest politicans (and Christians!) who are making a difference in their societies.

I have a simple response to scandal: What about me? When I hear about divorces in the church, I look at my own marriage and how to seal it from divorce. When I hear about executives stealing company funds, I repent of the "little things" I have used at my job that don't belong to me. But honestly, when I heard about the Illinois scandal I also said "What was he thinking????????" I know what he was thinking: who cares, no one's watching, everyone's doing it, I'll never be caught............... Sound familiar?

Folks, let this be a reminder. Someone is watching. The world is watching us. Yes, they are waiting to find the next set of bad guys....but there are a whole lot of people looking and wanting to see good. Can you be the feel good story for your world this week? Can you be the one who reminds the world that we aren't all a bunch of hypocrites? Can you be the reason someone will have hope? This week, in the midst of all the scheming and plotting and planning that's taking place all over the world, why don't you scheme, plot and plan to dish out some hope!

Keep Hope Alive!!

Sybil Pentsil — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:40:00 -0600

Well, the elections are over and after months of watching primaries and nominations and polls even I need a 2-minute break from politics. However there is a whole lot to learn from the recent series of events, and too many issues for us to just sit back and relax because "it's over". Where do we start from? We could talk about Joe the Plumber and what his life would have been like now if he had become certified as plumber before the spotlight hit him. We could talk about the economy and what we should do to raise our capital and safeguard our money. We could talk about the history of having the first African-American president-elect. We will not talk about Sarah Palin's wardrobe and how much it should have or shouldn't have cost. We could talk about the bail out plans and why the big institutions are being bailed out while you and I are not. We could talk about scandals, cheating, lying and immorality in our government, in our nation, and yes lets tell the truth, even in our churches.

But what I want to talk about today is HOPE for the Christian. For those of us who follow Christ, this is our season for pain AND power!

Prominent teachers are talking about this being a season for the Joseph anointing, and I totally agree. Joseph prospered in the prison and in the palace. Yes, he did go to prison. His way to the palace was through the prison. We must face our prison season and our palace season but the emphasis is on our ability to prosper either way. Why did Joseph prosper? We tend to just think it's just because he could interprete dreams, but it was much more than just interpreting dreams (1) Joseph himself could dream. His own family couldn't stand his dreams....but Joseph still kept dreaming. Can you dream, or have you lost your ability to dream? If we have no hope as Christians, then what message do we have for the world? What good is our faith if it doesn't give us what it takes to survive planet earth? (2) He believed his dreams. He paid attention to them. He thought about them and fantasized about them and even shared them with others. When his brothers bowed to him, he remembered his dreams! Do you remember your dreams, or have you allowed "the economy" to cause you to forget your dreams? (3) He paid attention to other people's dreams even though he was serving time for a crime he didn't commit. Remember the cupbearer and the baker? Joseph asked them to tell him about their dreams. In the midst of his hopelessness, he chose to give hope. Ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, and inject them with hope that they can do it! (4) He knew his gift would open doors for him, even in times of difficulty. He interpreted the dreams for the cupbearere and the baker, but he was also shrewd enough to said to them "...make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house" Times may be tough, but we have to be smart!

Times may be tough, but there is hope. Do not be overwhelmed by the pain of the times. Instead, take a hold of your gift and use it for the good of mankind. Be one who spreads hope in the midst of the hopelessness around us. And may your Pharoah find you quickly!!

The Power of Prayer!!!

Sybil Pentsil — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:15:00 -0600

My apologies for not sending out a blog last week! I started writing this blog several days ago but kept deleting it because I didn't have the right information. Now I do!

I just received a great testimony from intercessors in our wonderful state of Maryland. They were involved in an initiative to pray for the Chesapeake Bay, and for 4 months they prayed over this crucial aspect of Maryland. They ended the initiative by boarding a ferry and sailing up the bay, blessing the water and worshiping the Lord. Then they met on Tangier Island and blessed the land, and prayed specifically for restoration of the crab population in that area. They then sailed back praying and praising God for restoration of the island and reversal of the curse. Within a week they heard back from the mayor of the island. There are more crabs now than ever before! People's businesses have been restored and everyone is talking about the people who came on the boat to pray for their island!!

This, my friends, is the power of prayer. We MUST always pray and not faint. We must take up the affairs of our land and commit to prayer. We must go out to specific territories and raise a cry unto the Lord. We must pray as a congregation. We must walk our neighborhoods and pray. If we are alive, then prayer indeed can never be taken out of schools unless we choose not to walk the grounds and pray. This is a season when we must even walk our banks and pray! The earth is waiting for our manifestation. Obviously the crabs in the Chesapeak Bay were waiting for a man or woman of God to manifest and tell them what to do and as soon as they did, BOOM the crabs responded! House of Worship is called to raise a prayer platform in this region. Let us never, ever, ever tire of praying, raising a cry, reversing curses, blessing lands/territories, waking up early to pray, staying up late to pray, and doing whatever the Lord tells us to do to be a prayer force in this region.

What a powerful time we had last Friday night praying through the night till 6am, praying specifically for supernatural wisdom and opening of the heavens for the people of God! We prayed for wisdom in dealing with family situations, unclogging of ears and clarity of vision for the saints. We were taught by Ps. JC Towe that the devil doesn't play fair, so we shouldn't try to pray fair! Ps. Fiifi taught us to rise to our platform of authority as priests and kings and command the elements! I taught us to dig our heels in the ground and refuse to quit no matter what! There were testimonies from attendees including one woman who was refreshed and restored as a Christian! Our next All Night Prayer will be on Friday November 21st from 12midnight to 6am. We are crying out for revival and in October we will have a week of meetings Fri Oct 3rd 8pm, Sat Oct 4th 5pm, Sun Oct 5th 10:30am & 7pm, Mon Oct 6th 7pm, Tues Oct 7th 7pm and Wednesday Oct 8th 7pm with Ps. Eastwood Anaba & Ps. Fiifi Pentsil. We are believing for an outpouring that you don't want to miss. Rev Anaba is pastor of Fountain Gate Chapel in the northern region of Ghana, and is a powerful minister with a heart for God. His ministry is often accompanied by expressions of the presence of God. On Saturday December 6th there will be a Prayer Conference at House of Worship, where we will bring intercessors together to study, practice and pray for our region.

Have a blessed and wonderful week. Wherever you are, remember to bless the land!