Hope City House of Prayer

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  • Africa Missions Update

    Greetings family,

    I greet you from the beautiful land of Kenya. I am currently in Nairobi, facilitating a training school with about 90 missionaries from Kenya and about 20 from the USA. In the past few days, I have witnessed such an amazing work of God’s redeeming grace. I want to thank you all for your prayers and support. I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday at church with many testimonies. Apart of the missionary training that I’m helping to facilitate culminates with a 2 month evangelistic campaign, partnering with dozens of churches throughout 8 African nations. In total, ten’s of thousands of people will be engaged with the gospel, leaders equipped and the Church in these nations greatly strengthened. In order to make this happen, we need some help! The total cost to house, feed and transport these 90 missionaries over the course of 2 months will range between 1,000-2,000 per person. This will cover lodging, food and transportation, this would also help with visa requirements. 100% of your support will go directly to the expenses. I humbly ask you to join me in giving a love offering to help further the gospel in these several African nations. Mathematically, it would be quickest and easiest if you would prayerfully consider a one-time gift of either 1,000 500 or 250 dollars, but of course any amount that the Lord lays on your heart would be greatly appreciated. My heart has been so deeply impacted over the past few days while in Kenya, and I count it among my greatest honors in life to be able to support this initiative. Thank you so much for your time. For those who would be blessed to support the mission, the giving link is below. I’ve also prepared a short video where I go a little bit more in detail. I love you all much and look forward to seeing you this coming Sunday, June 2nd in Columbus, Ohio. 

    – Pastor Brian M. Williams

    Click here to give online

  • Two Frameworks for How we Should Remember Dr. King: A Call to Reflection and Refraction

    As the world remembers the life and legacy of Dr. King today, my simple prayer is that we would all deeply feel the “fierce urgency of now” in our spirits and souls, the divine urgency, which compels each of us to serve in our local communities and to speak out against the imbalances of power and injustice of our day. I wanted to take some time today and talk about “how to remember” Dr. King, not so much with emphasis on his accomplishments in life but more so upon his legacy in death. With nearly every urban area in America naming streets, schools, and community centers after him, some might suggest that King’s dream has become a reality. In my humble opinion, I believe Dr. King would want to be remembered not only for the right reasons but in the right way. I believe there are two essential frameworks, “reflection” and “refraction” that we need to embrace simultaneously in order to properly appreciate Dr. King’s legacy. Each framework is individually important, but without being conjoined with the other, if left independently, they can easily be reduced to an amoral and non-constructive response and in the worst case even immoral and destructive response. For this reason, I want to take a patient approach in explaining these two frameworks as we seek to remember Dr. King in a skillful way. I invite you to engage my thoughts carefully and prayerfully as you read along in consideration.

    To begin, I assert that remembering is a skill and some do it better than others. Skills differ from gifts in that skills are are acquired and cultivated through practice while gifts are inherit abilities given to us by God. We must humbly admit that we have not always skillfully remembered those who have gone before us. Either we have remembered the method more than the message, such as Malcolm X’s “by any means necessary” ethos, or we have unskillfully remembered the message and forgotten the man, such as with our Lord Jesus, whom today has millions of people quoting his words, yet disconnected from a relationship with Him. Going further, sometimes we even forget the method, message and motive, remembering only the man, such as the case with Louis Farrakhan, who has such an outspoken demeanor, most people get lost in his eccentric ways rather than actually listen to anything he says or does. So again, I believe that the skill of remembering well, boils down to our acceptance of two critical frameworks, namely “reflection” and “refraction”. Each framework is valuable in their respective ways, but my aim is to show their interdependence upon each other. We often do well to reflect on great men and women but how often do we refract? In scientific terms the difference between reflection and refraction is this: in reflection, energy waves bounce off the surface of an object without absorbing the heat or light energy. On the contrary, in refraction, the waves pass through and are absorbed through the surface and change their speed and direction. Reflection and refraction can be understood as the difference between a glass mirror, which reflects the light and a glass lens which has the capacity to absorb and intensify the light. It is the difference between staring at an image and harnessing the power to cook an egg on the sidewalk. (Texas people understand)

    As it relates to Dr. King, I believe it is important to both reflect and refract on his legacy. When we have reflection without refraction we can potentially create a type of narcissistic nostalgia of the soul, the often undetected type of self-righteousness that comes through a vicarious association with someone like Dr. King, who we will admire for doing with his life what we all ought to do with ours. However, if we have refraction without reflection, we run the risk of imitating those whom we admire, yet unaware of the need for the contextualization of their methods. It is the difference between hanging a poster of Michael Jordan on your wall and getting up at 5am to practice free throws. Reflecting without refracting is how in a nation like America, we will claim Dr. King as one of the great products of American exceptionalism, yet be unwilling to admit that it wasn’t the promise or prosperity of America that produced the prophetic voice of King, but it was in reality, the moral bankruptcy and legalized injustices of America that did so. Conversely, refracting without reflecting is how many young people today can take to the streets in protest, but seriously lack the soul power, personal investment and sacrifice of our predecessors, yet expect the same results. So we need both reflection and refraction as we seek to remember skillfully.

    On days like today the internet is filled with memes, quotes, and memories of the iconic Dr. King as we reflect, but I wonder about tomorrow, when the schools and banks re-open and the holiday has passed, what then? We can easily take the words of great leaders such as Dr. King and post them online and internalize them through reflection, but quickly forget that there is also a call to externalize them with our actions. This type of unskillful remembering is what I believe, in part at least, has caused the hollowness of soul and inability to endure hardships that many aspiring leaders of our present generation suffer from. We have opted to carefully think about and reflect the light without absorbing the heat. As we refract on King, and absorb the energy of his prophetic words into our souls, in doing so, we skillfully remember him as an example not only for our future forward but as a beautiful and inspirational memorial stone of our past. My call to those reading this is to both reflect and to refract on Dr. King. We must absorb the divine energy of God at work in his life as a glass lens does in refraction and then through reflection, cherish the memory of his faith, his hope and his love. This type of divine fire, whether it comes from Dr. King, our parents, our Pastors, or some other human figure, should always be skillfully remembered. We must also keep in mind that it is God alone, from whom all holy and divine power comes from. God’s fire as seen in the life of Dr. King was born of the Holy spirit and can be the same type of fuel in our lives for compassion and strength. In skillful remembrance of Dr. King, we acknowledge that it is also God’s divine fire that gives us the power to resist the always present voice of doubt, which often whispers to those who are making a difference in this world, that voice that whispers lies and deception to your hearts, telling you to “quit, because you’re wasting your time”. If you’ve ever heard that voice like I have, then we need to both draw strength by reflecting on the message of King , but to also take responsibility for the message by refracting on King.

    If you haven’t understood yet how to skillfully remember Dr. King by reflecting and refracting his message and life, let me give you a word of encouragement, that it is only by God’s grace. The reflection part comes naturally for most people and is very simple in the conceptual sense, meaning it is easy to understand with our mind, but the challenge of refracting (absorbing the message) is only discovered in sacrificial living. In reflection we remember and are inspired by another’s sacrifice, in refraction we externalize the cause as we are empowered to lay our lives down as well. Dr. King once said “a man hasn’t really lived until he’s found something he’s willing to die for”. To reflect is to appreciate Dr. Kings mobilization efforts, to refract is to own the responsibility of organizing our own local communities as well. In biblical terms, to reflect, is to simply hear the word, but to refract is to be a doer of the word and that takes God’s grace. Dr. King is remembered mostly as a civil rights activist, a Nobel peace prize winner, but he rarely gets credit as a theologian. While many have sought to discredit his life and legacy, what I believe truly caused Dr. King to impact the world in such ways was his commitment to the teachings of Christ in scripture. His impetus for believing in a world of peace was not blind optimism, but robust theology. His challenge to be non-violent resistors to oppression, was not weak-minded fear, it was Christ teachings, from the sermon on the mount. All of King’s efforts stemmed from a deep personal relationship with God and a theological foundation. King was a Pastor before he was an activist. He did not study law, political science, or economics, he earned his PhD in theology. As we remember him today, never lose sight of the role that God’s word and God’s dream had on King’s words and King’s dreams.

    In conclusion, on this day of remembrance for all who love justice and believe in a better world, let’s not only reflect on powerful history of yesterday, but let’s also refract on those lessons to build a tomorrow for our children. Let’s role up our sleeves and get our hands dirty and let’s embrace our invitation from Christ to be wounded healers, fully aware that our hearts will be broken even as we seek to restore others. America these days is stumbling in the darkness of an uncertain future, in a time where morality is subjective and politicized and all the while, we still grapple with what Dr. King called the 3 triplets of evil “racism, materialism, and militarism”. In times like these, courageous men and women are needed on the front lines of conflict. While an effort to construct a border wall at our southern border rages on, while black and brown people are still disproportionately affected by the criminal injustice system and the for-profit, privatized prison system, while deals are being brokered behind closed doors with judges and politicians, while wage, education, and gender gaps of opportunity still exist in virtually every sphere of our society and while a long list of other battles remain to be won, my prayer is that we always skillfully remember through reflecting and refracting not only Dr. King’s words of inspiration but follow his example of a life well lived, poured out for God’s glory and in service to humanity. I leave you with these powerful words from Dr. King… “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Happy MKL JR. DAY

    – Brian M. Williams, January 21, 2019

  • The Devil’s 10 Step Plan to Kill You – Pastor Brian

    The Devil’s 10 Step Plan to Kill You – Pastor Brian

    Early this morning around 5am, the Holy Spirit awakened me with 2 Timothy 4:1-5 burning in my heart. During my devotional time, I meditated on it and felt a strong stirring in my heart to share with you. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 which reads “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” With God, there’s always hope, so like a good doctor I’m going to expose the problem but I’m also going to offer the remedy which is biblical truth. Please read in its entirety and if you need prayer or would like further resources I’d be more than happy to help you. I’ve been at most of these stages at some point… I’m a testimony that there’s hope for you. My personal experiences and pastoral observations: As a follower of Christ and a Pastor, I have noticed some alarming trends in the past 5 years. While it’s true that there is nothing new under the sun, you’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t noticed the rapidly declining morality in our culture. This should not catch us by surprise, it was all foretold in scripture. There is a reason why it’s happening. When a person first comes to Christ… their heart is so hungry, so humble, so pure… everything in them wants to know Jesus… they’ll make radical sacrifices to prioritize God’s will. The devil will allow this to zeal carry on, relatively unbothered for a period of 1-3 years, before aggressively attacking them. Sadly most people’s ignorance and fleshly appetites are what kill their zeal long before demons even bother. This “initial zeal” phase sometimes last shorter and sometimes longer depending on a few factors. With regard to spiritual warfare, eternity is what’s in view… so the enemy will simply wait until we are most vulnerable, which is usually during seasons of extreme blessing or extreme suffering… He then begins his 10 step plan of destruction.

    Step 1. Capitalize on Offense: During this initial phase, a relatively minor situation gets exaggerated and slowly a root of bitterness begins to grow in your heart. The reasons for the offense may be legitimate, but it isn’t as much about the offense, but how we respond to it. Remedy: forgive quickly, have the tough conversation… the longer you wait, the harder hearts will become. (Read Ephesians 4:25-32)

    Step 2. Create Distance from HEALTHY community: At this point you begin avoiding the spiritual people and or environments that bring conviction. Conveniently, you will find yourself surrounded by a cadre of wounded people who’s common offense is usually the basis for the bond shared among the group of “friends”. I’ve seen this pattern no less than 685 times. The enemy knows the power of community, fellowship, and unity. He wars against it with all of his power. Remedy: don’t disconnect! We live in a hyper individualized culture, but the truth is, we need each other and once distance happens… our spiritual strength will undoubtedly begin to drain (Read Hebrews 10:25, Psalm 133, Acts 2:42)

    Step 3. Distractions: These seem very harmless at first, in fact most of the time we end up giving God praise for them as blessings, which they often are. It becomes a distraction when it becomes more important to us than God. Usually it’s things like a dating relationship or a good paying job which causes your time with God and at church to be less and less. Distractions, easily become idols when not kept in their proper place. Remedy: ask God for wisdom and remember that nothing is more valuable than Jesus Christ… distractions usually become idols. (Read Exodus 20:23,Isaiah 42:8, Jeremiah 35:15)

    Step 4. “The world hooks you”: usually the very things that bound you before Christ are reintroduced in your life. The spirit of the world is influencing everything around us. Media overwhelms us with other gospels all day long and it affects our conversations and thoughts. The world is seductive. It seems appealing at first, but the end thereof is death. Remedy: when the world begins enticing you, try fasting and prayer. Fasting often can serve as a spiritual oil change to refocus on the things that matter. When you’re fasting, feed yourself on God’s word. Don’t listen to music or consume media which glorified the very things Christ died to redeem (Read 1 John 2:15-17, Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38)

    Step 5. “The fall”: This typically begins as a singular act of sin which totally crosses the line but easily can become a new habit. The fall of man in the garden of Eden shows us the pattern of how deception creeps in. It begins with what is “pleasing to the eyes” and with a conversation. Much can be learned from the biblical account of Adam and Eve! Remedy: if you fall… confess it, go to your pastor or someone with biblical wisdom, and ask for prayer. DO NOT GET COUNSEL from people who do not reference the Bible… they are spiritual enablers! (Read Genesis 2-3) the whole book of proverbs

    Step 6. “Condemnation”: this is when the devil starts attacking your value, identity, and purpose. He attempts to capitalize off of your personal failures and confusion. This is when people feel most vulnerable and are most susceptible to the lies of the enemy. Condemnation is a trick of satan that make us forget about the promise of God’s grace and mercy. Remedy: if you are battling condemnation, slowly but surely listen to gospel preaching/teaching about God’s Grace, there are so many incredible preachers who do a wonderful job balancing the need to live holy and yet rest in God’s grace, although, they are becoming more rare. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Read Romans 8)

    Step 7. “Cynicism”: now the enemy is going for the kill… you’re emotionally drained, spiritually weak and feeling condemned… so now Satan begins to whisper lies in your ear “what if the Bible isn’t true, Christianity is a white man’s religion, Trump is the devil, Obama is the antichrist… holiness isn’t really needed, I just need to live for my own peace.. etc…” all of these cynical thoughts war daily against your faith and the more we entertain that inner dialogue and speak out those cynical thoughts, we create an atmosphere of unbelief that grieves the Holy Spirit. Once a person becomes a cynic, it will be nearly impossible for them to experience the presence of God, enjoy the word of God, or have any desire to be involved with the local church. They basically become a worshipper of their own opinions and refuse to be corrected about anything. Remedy: Because this is one of the final steps and one of the most deadly and because cynicism is not a demon it is a worldview… the only way to overcome it is by deconstruction of this world view. Ask God for His grace to believe like the disciples who said “Lord I believe but help my unbelief” and also utilize the tools God has given the body of Christ such as anointed teachers like Dr. Ravi Zacharias and others who specialize in teaching through the tough issues….

    Step 8. “Full blown rebellion”: This is when you lose all restraint and essentially say “to hell with it all”… you are 100% done with church and anybody from your old life who reminds you of the joy you once knew in Christ. At this point “sin” no longer is “sin” there’s absolutely little to no conviction and you pretty much just do whatever you want. The proper name for that is hedonism. (pursuit of pleasure) This is a very dangerous place, God will more than likely allow areas of your life to start falling apart to get your attention. Remedy: if you are at the point where you no longer care to honor God, I’m not sure if there’s much more that can be done… in God’s mercy, He will attempt to humble you, but you must be willing.

    Step 9: “Delusion”: Once a person lingers in rebellion for a while they enter into delusion where not only have they lost most, if not all memory, honor, and tenderness to the presence of God, now they are entertaining demons and aren’t even aware of it. During delusion, a person often doubts the legitimacy of the many encounters they had with God in the past. The delusional stage is also the stage of revenge. The root of bitterness that formed in stage 1 of offense, has now matured to the point where a person is on a mission to destroy or damage the reputation or livelihood of anyone who they claim as responsible for their demise. During delusion it is not uncommon for people to switch entire religions, entertain astrology, horoscopes and other forms of paganism and witchcraft, burning sage, calling on ancestors etc…) Remedy: before step 10, what I’ve seen God do countless times with delusional people is to allow a major tragedy, near death experience, or something drastic as one last attempt at SHOCKING them back to life. Sometimes it works but sadly, many times it does not… which ultimately leads to….

    Step 10. Spiritual and or literal death: At this point the power of God’s Grace has no effect on the outcome of their eternal condition. This was devil’s plan from day 1. According to 1 Peter 5:8 He roamed about like a lion, just waiting to pounce on you to destroy you. Because of God’s great love, He held back the plans of the enemy but because of your rebellion, lack of humility, poor decisions, and ungodly counsel, you have chosen death and rejected life. the Bible sums of your spiritual condition in this way… “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” Hebrews‬ ‭6:4-6‬ ‭

    For a list of resources browse around here on HopeCity614.org or send us an email to info@hopecity614.org and I will gladly send you additional resources from anointed teachers and preachers in the body of Christ… with love, I leave you with this scripture..

    Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7

  • Navajo Nation Missions Trip 2016

    Navajo Nation – Summer 2016

    The launch of Hope City’s mission program was an absolute success with a team of 11 amazing brothers and sisters traveling to the Navajo Nation in Shiprock/To’koi, New Mexico. Of all the places to begin team missions, it was most befitting to carry this ministry of reconciliation to the “first nation” Native American people. We partnered with Experience Mission and Pastor Herman Harrison at Victory Life Fellowship in To’koi. Pastor Harrison is an incredibly humble man of prayer; the spirit of meekness emanates from his person. We could not have asked for a better Pastor and brother to help lead us in this journey with the Navajo people.

    The trip was truly God-ordained every step of the way. We witnessed each team member flow effortlessly in their God-given gifts and talents. Even the little things—such as their passion to worship without hindrance—brought life and freedom to the atmosphere! Thanks to each person’s “yes,” we were blessed to see Jesus move in incredible ways every single day.

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    Just hours after our arrival and getting settled into the church sanctuary at Victory Life Fellowship (where we shared sleeping quarters with two other mission teams—a total of 29 people!) a few of our worship leaders began to do what they do—worship our King! We couldn’t help but pause and breathe in the presence of God after 14 long hours of travel. Shortly thereafter, Pastor Carl had a word brewing in his spirit to share with everyone. Mary vs. Martha, a perfect word to keep us focused as we began our journey of service to the Navajo people. So perfect, in fact, that two of the Experience Mission staff began weeping as they realized they had become so busy working that they lost much of their personal devotion time somewhere along the way. They received prayer and times of refreshing as we continued in worship until “lights out.”

    On day 2 we awoke bright and early ready to embrace the day. We gathered for prayer before breakfast and work duties. This formed our model for every day thereafter: Unity of mind and spirit with one another, staying focused on the purpose of our mission. Our duties this day consisted of helping to clear the grounds of the church. A burden that Pastor Harrison and his wife (who is currently awaiting a new kidney!) bear on their own throughout the year. Surrounded by nothing but dry, desert land, the church definitely has its work cut out with the amount of tumbleweeds and other desert plants that overtake the grounds. But I tell you what! I have never seen a more joyful group of people than our team, laughing and praising God in the middle of the 100-degree desert while digging up weeds!

    Although service projects are an important work on the mission field, we were soon brought face to face with our purpose. To pray. Pastor Harrison approached us in the field with a request. He shared the need of healing for their local Chapter President (similar to our city mayor), a woman who often attends his church, is influential in her role and a blessing to their community. We gathered the team together, alongside Pastor Harrison, to pray and intercede for her healing and restoration. The Spirit of God started to move among us and the men began to pray for Pastor Harrison himself—for strength and refreshing in the Lord. As our time of prayer came to a close, bro Darnell released a sound of worship and there we were…worshiping the Lord with all our hearts…in the dirt…in the heat…sweaty and stinky. Yet full of the love and grace of God, surrounded by His glorious presence. It was this moment that bonded us with Pastor Harrison and formed the kingdom family relationship that continued to grow in love throughout the following days.

    Two of the days on site, we engaged local children from the ages of 6-15 with Kids Club. We led them in prayer and worship, shared the stories of Jacob and Joseph’s lives, and even had a pretty intense game of impromptu baseball. I will admit, we have some highly competitive people on our team! In the end, however, the children had a blast and we were reminded of the simple things that have great impact.

    The next two mornings our group prayer time turned into intentional worship time, not only for our own souls to be refreshed in the Lord’s presence but also for those that were with us. Each morning a different group of people were impacted. The Experience Mission staff one day, and teen members of another mission team the next, received personal ministry and prayer as God directed our devotional time. Each person was evidently touched and brought to tears through all that the Lord was speaking over and working in them.

    After lunch on Tuesday afternoon we had another prayer gathering for the family of the Chapter President who was in the hospital. Together with Pastor Harrison and members of the mission team from NY, we again interceded on their behalf. As we dispersed back to our duties, one teen girl from NY was overwhelmed and weeping as she told me, “I’ve never experienced anything so powerful!” Truly the LORD was making Himself known in a very real way to people who have never encountered His glory. Thank you Jesus!

    Tuesday night was the highlight of the mission for me and many others on our team. We were extended an invitation from Pastor Harrison to join him in prayer and intercession at the site where an 11-year-old Navajo girl was murdered only a couple months prior. As we followed him off the main highway that evening, down a bumpy dirt road with nothing in view but some mountains in the distance, we wondered where he could be taking us. Then he stopped. We piled out of the van and stood overlooking a small memorial covered in flowers and ribbons. Pastor H shared the horrific tragedy that came upon this child and her family, the brokenness of his people and the strongholds that keep so many in bondage. He knew he was to come and pray but had been waiting, waiting for people to come with him. Yet he had no one…until now. He said he knew we had been sent there not to work like the other teams but to pray. That this was our assignment. We could not contain the tears as he released this great honor upon us, “As a Navajo, and a steward of this land, I give you my permission to intercede on behalf of my people in this place where blood was shed.” The heaviness of that moment was unspeakable. We slowly walked down a small hill, closer to the memorial site—nobody knowing even how to pray in such a moment—then the weight of the glory of God fell and instantly we were all on our faces in the dirt, crying out for the Navajo people.

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    The weeping for the Navajo turned into mourning for the injustices done to all Native Americans. Bro. Darnell fell on his face before Pastor Harrison, crying, repenting for all that was done to them. Pastor Carl joined the two and healing and reconciliation among the races went forth in the power of the Spirit. For hours we prayed until the weight of glory lifted and we ended our time there with great rejoicing, dancing and worship unto our God! Pastor H shared that the heavy burden he didn’t even know he was carrying had been lifted and he literally felt lighter, freer! If there was one reason we were sent to this land, we knew that THIS was it.

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    Day 4 led us into Wednesday night’s church service. Our amazing worship team was granted the lead over the service. They stewarded their gifts well and ushered in the presence of God. One young man from NY expressed afterwards how he was changed in his worship perspective as he had never before experienced such free worship. Pastor Carl also released a word of blessing and declaration over the Navajo locals that gathered at the altar for prayer. It was a beautiful time in the Lord!

    Thursday morning we were again granted an opportunity to go pray with Pastor Harrison. This time, he took us to a “high place,” a plateau overlooking the whole town of Shiprock. It was here that we engaged in spiritual warfare and intercession for the land, then released declarations of truth and freedom as the Lord brought them to each individual team member. Songs of deliverance were sung over the city. As there were 12 of us there that day, 12 stones were built up and anointed as a memorial to what the Lord had done.

    On our way back to To’koi from the high place, we stopped at the gas station for what we thought were our own needs, but come to find out Jesus had a plan! As He always does. While we were waiting for a couple team members to finish up inside, two men approached our van looking for change. One was on an extended journey, traveling from Denver, CO to Flagstaff, AZ by foot! Hitchhiking and walking long distances, we learned on this trip, are prevalent among the Navajo culture. Though we had little to offer in change, we had much to offer in Christ. Several of us began to minister to the two men, then the two turned to three. We broke off in small groups and ministered to each of them. One man was brought to weeping right there in the parking lot as He encountered God’s love for Him and received great hope in the Lord. Another proven moment that it is the Lord who orders our paths and directs our steps!

    As the evening approached, a large number of locals gathered at the church for Community Dinner night. Navajo Tacos! It was a relaxed time to hang out and fellowship with the locals, visitors and other team members. After dinner, two men (brothers) who did not know Christ as their Savior were ministered to. Though they accepted Jesus, it was evident that deliverance was still necessary. In fact, as bro Jaquante and bro Jordan were praying over one man, a demonic manifestation began in his body. Jaquante felt it move from his back to his stomach! I joined them in deliverance prayer and in a few moments, sis Cassandra also joined us with a song of deliverance over him. The anointing of God fell and the man received his full deliverance. (I’ll skip the yucky vomit details!) He lifted his hands in praise and expressed how FREE he felt! Glory to God! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty! Following that, he received further prayer for the infilling of the Holy Ghost to keep him. He and his mother committed to continue attending Victory Life Fellowship thereafter. What a glorious testimony of the faithfulness of Jesus to seek and save that which was lost!

    Overall, our trip was filled with so many moments like these that it would take hours to share. Hearts were touched and transformed all around, from our own to Pastor Harrison’s to the other mission teams to the locals themselves. We were beyond blessed to be chosen for such a mission and humbled at the mighty hand of God through it all. We learned to trust Him more faithfully and love deeper than our human selves ever could. Through unity, faith and the love of the Father, this first Hope City team mission trip set a foundation for what’s to come as we go into all the world to proclaim the gospel!

  • A Crucial Word on Racial Reconciliation

    From the Desk of Steve Shultz:

    Please, Please, PLEASE share this with your friends! Pastor Brian M. Williams, of Hope City House of Prayer in Columbus, Ohio, is my new favorite person I think. What wisdom in a young pastor for both the white community and the black community concerning Reconciliation in this hour! A Young T.D. Jakes as far as I’m concerned.

    I’m convicted to act on this good and prophetic Word of the LORD – Act both as a white man and a white man in ministry. Lord, please help us reconcile into that ONE NEW MAN, LORD!

    Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
    The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
    http://www.elijahlist.com

    By the way, you can receive encouraging prophetic words for the Church and for the nations. They are sent each and every day to the inbox of our subscribers. To subscribe for free, click here: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.

     

    Pastor Brian Williams writes this about his video below:

    A message to those with a heart for “racial reconciliation”. Listen in its entirety before coming to conclusions. I assuredly want nothing less than God’s glory and the Bride of Christ to make herself ready. Please do me a huge favor and share this!!!

    To view this video on racial reconciliation, click here

  • Hastening The Day of The Lord


  • Day 4 Devotional: The Call to Make Peace

  • Day 3 Devotional: Overcoming Unbelief

    Mark 9:23-24 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
    Day 3 of our fast we are focusing on the enemy of all true faith which is unbelief. The human inclination toward doubt is natural, but God’s word challenges the believer to operate by faith, which is supernatural. We live in 2 realities: Physical and Spiritual, seen and unseen, or in other words, faith and unbelief. Science says that something is only believable if one can validate their claims with empirical data and research. The entire world is shaped by the philosophy of scientific reasoning. As followers of Christ, we are to “walk by faith and not by sight”, this doesn’t mean that we throw all science, history, or need for education out of the window, it simply means that the foundation for what we believe is first based upon what God has said through His word, not what we see with our eyes or hear with our ears!
    The disciples and the father of the demon possessed child had a problem and I believe it is often a problem many of us face today, we are “believing unbelievers”. “Lord I believe; help my unbelief” is a statement and a plea for God to understand their weakness. Have you ever been there before? You knew in your spirit that something was true, but you battled with doubt because everything around you, including your emotions disagreed with what you “believed”, by faith? I think most of us have been there and if we’ll be honest, many are probably there now, wrestling with that tension of faith and unbelief in their body, soul, and spirit. For example, we believe in an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God, yet, there are countless murders, injustices, and crimes taking place every second of the day. Millions of people die annually of starvation or due to a simple lack of clean water. Babies are aborted by the millions, divorces have crippled so many families, perversion has become not only mainstream, but legalized and celebrated, for followers of Jesus, the phrase “Lord I believe, but help my unbelief” is certainly understandable, however it is not acceptable!
    Unbelief is not harmless, and you must know that. Unbelief is actually evil. The definition of unbelief is not merely to doubt the existence of God, but it goes a little further. Biblical unbelief is when we agree with facts intellectually but in works deny what the truth demands of us. Simply stated, it’s actually when our words speak louder than our actions. Jesus said in Matthew 15:8 “these people worship me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”, In other words, they were guilty of unbelief. It wasn’t that they didn’t verbally agree, it was that in their heart of hearts they had no true honor for the Lord. Unbelief is evil in that it cannot coexist with faith. Apostle Paul taught us in Romans 14:23 that “Whatever is not of faith, is a sin” and again, the writer of Hebrews 11:6 tells us that “But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” By understanding the absolute non-negotiable role of faith in the life of the believer, we can also understand why unbelief is so detrimental and harmful.

    HOW TO OVERCOME UNBELIEF:

    1. Fill yourself with the word of God. (Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”) If you want to have faith and overcome unbelief you must be saturated with the word of God. This means spending set apart, undistracted time simply reading. People often ask me for bible reading plans and the older I’ve gotten the more convinced I am of the old-fashioned method, which is simply to read the bible from start to finish Genesis-Revelation.
    2. Journal the accounts of God’s faithfulness in your life: (1 Chronicles 16:12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth”) I was blessed to become a follower of Christ in a day when social media did not exist. Consequently, the archaic practice of journaling was something I began almost right away. How precious those journals are to me now in my times of weakness. We all need “memorial stones” and to keep record of God’s faithfulness in our lives. There have been countless days where the desire to give up seemed to be stronger than any other desire, but I would flip open my journal and remember the faithfulness of God in my own life. Unbelief gave way to faith, by way of remembrance.
    3. Surround yourself with godly people: (Proverbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed). As a Pastor now for the past 7 years one of the things which I truly hate watching is the slow, methodical, demonic, and inevitable process of backsliding that happens when people who are born again, but refuse to distance themselves from the ungodly people of their past. The correlation between those who grow and mature in the Lord and those who fall back into a life of sin, or lose their biblical convictions is very clear: association determines elevation. Those who rise high in the spirit like eagles are those who broke free from the entanglements of the world below. The theme of all new testament literature is “Be holy, for I am Holy” God has always called us out from among them. We are in the world, but not of it, what fellowship has light with darkness? What about family, co-workers, classmates, roommates, in some cases spouses? To that I say, don’t isolate yourself from the world, simply don’t allow people to be influential in your life who do not love God! We can’t help who we live with, or are around, or who is apart of our family, but we do not have to follow them in their life of sin, excessive socializing with nonbelievers will always have negative consequences. To this people often reply “Jesus was a friend of sinners”, and I agree, but Jesus was not socializing for the sake of a good time. Every instance in the new testament where Jesus is seen with sinners, he is preaching the gospel to them or healing them, or casting demons out of them. Jesus was not and I repeat WAS NOT a friend to sinners in that sense, he was FRIENDLY to sinners. A “friend” has many definitions, so for clarity sake, I define a friend as someone who you confide in, seek advise from, and pour your heart out to. Be very careful that you draw lines with people who do not believe in Christ. They will sow seeds of unbelief into your heart.
    4. Pray and Fast (Matthew 17:19-21 “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”) In this story the disciples were befuddled as to why they could not cast out the demon from a young boy. Jesus immediately addressed the issue of unbelief! He goes on to say in verse 21 that demons vary in type and strength and that only through prayer and fasting can those types come out. Often this passage is taken as a proof text to say that only through fasting and prayer our certain demons able to be rebuked, but Jesus clearly said demonic warfare is a faith issue! Fasting and prayer are 2 means by which our faith is strengthened and unbelief is driven out of us first, thereby positioning us to be truly effective agents of the Holy Spirit. This passage also indicates to us that we can be “believing unbelievers” and not even know it, until we are met with a challenge that we are not prepared for. As we walk with the Lord, our faith must increase or unbelief will. By praying and fasting, we are plugging in to the source of power, which is God and making a declaration through our fasting that our faith is in God to strengthen us.
    Conclusion: (Hebrews 3:12-14 “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.”)
    To listen to the message “The Victory of the Cross vs. The Experience of my life” click here

  • Day 2 Devotional: “Leaving Babylon Behind”

    ( To listen to the message “Overcoming The Spirit of This World” Click here)

    “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people,lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”” – Revelation 18:4 

    Today, our prayer focus is on losing the love of this world. The ancient city of Babylon was a city of great luxury, wealth, and notoriety. Babylon represents many of the things which are strongholds in America and the western world today. Because of the extreme comfort that we have grown accustomed to, the hearts of many are growing cold. We are fasting and praying that God might deliver us from the stronghold of the love of this world. The Apostle John warned the church in His epistle of the dangers that come with loving the world as well as the deceptions that would be at work in the last hour. I believe we are in that hour as well.

    1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

    The same love of the world that I warn you of today, that John warned those early believers of in His day, is the same problem the children of Israel historically faced in the days of the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel. The problem is “Worldliness”. God has always called His people to live differently than the nations around them, when they violated the call to holiness judgement was often the result. The children of Israel had been exiled to the land of babylon as a punishment for their idolatry for 70 years. God’s jealous fire for His people was kindled and they were judged by being led captive for a period of 70 years. Of interesting note, the popular passage from Jeremiah 29:10-13 is titled “Jeremiah’s letter to the captives at Babylon” with that understanding it gives great insight into the heart of God, who always longs to show mercy even when we have gone astray.

    Jeremiah 29:10-13 “For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”

    As we fast and pray today, let’s heed the word of the Lord which call us to seek the Him with all of our heart. There are many of us who may find ourselves in a spiritual Babylon of sorts, it’s a place of compromise and a foreign land. When Jesus had arisen from the dead, the call from heaven to all peoples, every nation, tribe, and tongue was to come out of from among them and be holy.

    Revelation 18:1-8 “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.”

  • Day 1 Devotional: “Breaking up the Fallow Ground of our Hearts”

    To listen to Sunday’s message “Fasting For Breakthrough” click here
    “Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain
    righteousness on you… “
    Hosea 10:12
    As we begin our 7 day fast and consecration, let us focus on the condition of our own heart. Throughout this year we will ask the Lord to do many things in our city, nation, and world, but it all begins with us. Often times people are quick to notice the flaws or shortcomings of others, to even pray for the areas in other people’s lives that need fixing. As we fast, we must first focus on ourselves. The Lord spoke through the prophet Hosea that Israel’s biggest issue was their heart. The worship of idols, the burning of incense to foreign gods, the rampant sin and disregard for the holiness of God were merely fruits of the real issue, which was their heart. You see, the world or our individual “worlds” are simply the manifestation of what’s in our hearts. It’s easy to point to the things which we can see, but those are just symptoms of the problem. The problem in America and in the church isn’t found in the white house, the supreme court, city hall, or even the media, the problem is much deeper, the problem is us. Below the surface of our hearts, there brews a caldron of iniquity, of sin, of greed, of perversion, of lust, of selfishness, and all manner of evil capacity.
    The term “fallow ground” is a term which describes a particular type of soil which was once fertile and soft, but over time has become hardened. Before a farmer can plant new crops for the new season, he must plow the land. Such is the case with our hearts and the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the case for multitudes of believers today, who once loved Jesus but for some reason or another have lost their passion. The good news is that you can be restored. I believe that as we seek the Lord for the healing of our nation and the church that we first seek Him to show us the error of our own ways. In order to break up the fallow ground of our hearts, there are simply 2 things we need to do in order for God to fulfill the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states “If my people who are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray and seek my face, turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and heal their land”.
    1. Recognize: In order to be revived we must first recognize our sinful condition and also the specific things we are guilty of. Often times people will confess they are a sinner, but that alone doesn’t change anything, it is just the beginning step. In order to recognize sin, we must read the bible and see what God’s word has to say about sin. Many people are spiritually blinded by the reality of their sin. We pray for the Holy Spirit to convict us and read God’s word to see just how far we have fallen.
    2. Repent: The word means to “turn away” to make a 180 degree U-turn. Repentance is the step after confession. When we repent, we are naming the specific sins we are guilty of. If you are a liar, a thief, jealous, sexually immoral in thought or deed, prideful, a lover of money, bitter, whatever the sin you are guilty of, in addition to turning from the sin nature, turn from specific sins of the spirit and of the flesh. Their is power in naming things we are guilty of, it demonstrates a genuine desire to be free from those snares. Repentance at times may be painful, as we name the specific times, places, locations that we have done evil, the conviction of the Holy Spirit may lead us to weep. If this happens, it is a good sign. Every believer has had a moment of Godly sorrow, if indeed they have been born again. Without godly sorrow there will be no true power of the Holy Spirit at work in our life.
    In conclusion, as we do these things the fallow ground of our heart, the once soft, the once fertile places in our spirit will be revived and the Holy Spirit will wash over us with healing restoration and joy. – Pastor Brian

  • In loving Memory of Mother Vernia Crews, age 94

    IMG_7044This morning we received the blessed news that our very own, Mother Vernia Crews (94) went on to be with the Lord. It is such a great joy knowing that she is rejoicing and renewed in the presence of God, beholding the glory of God, that by faith she believed with all her heart to be true. I felt it appropriate to capture this moment as a teaching point, an inspiration, and a reflection from her blessed life. Mother Crews served my father Bishop Brian K. Williams for over 30 years as a member of “Truth Evangelistic Center”, “Body of Christ Tabernacle”, “All Nations Church”, and upon the merger in November of 2013 between ANC and Hope City House of Prayer, under my watch. As a child I had fond memories of Mother crews, I knew her to be one who was FAITHFUL… I don’t recall too many conversations with her as a child of course, but I do remember her always being there. Let’s talk about that for a moment… in a day and age where church attendance and faithful support of the church and pastor is so rare, I grew up with many godly examples such as Mother Crews. I knew exactly where she sat each week and everyone who knew her could count on that seat to be filled. She was faithful in giving and most of all in prayer. According to my father, it was Mother Crews who received a dream from the Lord about the location of where All Nations Church was to be built. After looking at many opportunities, her trusted counsel caused my father and the board of trustees to supernaturally purchase the 12 acres of land which would one day become the home of Hope City House of Prayer. God chose to give a dream to His friend, the faithful mother Crews. I’m reminded of the scripture in Psalms 25:14 which says “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Had it not been for her friendship and her faithfulness with God, who knows if Hope City House of Prayer would exist today? Let alone, the thousands who called ANC their home over the 29 years of its existence. I so thank the Lord for the gift of Mother Crews to our spiritual family.

    THE TRANSITION:
    In October of 2013, My father Bishop Brian Keith Williams, concluded 29 years of faithful ministry in the city of Columbus, after being raised up by God to establish an apostolic/prophetic work here in the city, the mantle fell upon myself and the congregation of Hope City House of Prayer who joined with ANC to form a new congregation. Among those who chose to join with Hope City was none other than the 94 yr old mother crews. While many doubted me due to my age (28) Mother Crews, the faithful friend of God said “It is well with my soul” and faithfully transferred her membership. On October 29, 2013 during the consummation celebration Mother Crews testified powerfully about the faithfulness of God and his mercy to all generations. She sent the congregation into an uproar as the power of God flowed freely through this yielded vessel. People went to shouting, praising, and thanking God. Mother Crews was undeniably a woman of prayer as her words always carried the weight of glory behind them.

    A few weeks later, my father and I went to Mother’s home and had a mini- church service, we sang a few old hymns, testified, and prayed together. She laid hands on me and asked God to give me wisdom to lead the people, and told me how she saw greater things coming and to be encouraged, and to stay humble. I also found out, that when I was about 8 years old and struggling with pretty severe asthma, that is was Mother Crews who prayed for my healing and I was completely healed. To this day now 20 years later, I have never had another breathing problem or been hospitalized or used an inhaler again. Thank God, “The Prayers of the righteous availeth much”.

    During the past 10 months, Mother Crews was unable to physically join us for worship due to her health. While she was not physically present, many days the Lord bore witness with my spirit that her prayers were lifting us at Hope City higher, into new realms with God. Even in her absense, Mother regularly tithed and helped Hope City House of Prayer in its effort to purchase the former All Nations Church building.

    As I reflect on her life, I’m reminded of this scripture “The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.” – Proverbs 10:7 Mother’s memories are blessed in all of our hearts and our lives will continue to be blessed as we draw living water from the well of memories. There is an entire generation that God will reach through her prayers and her legacy. At one point during this past year the thought to QUIT, crossed my mind due to the extreme pressure I was facing in ministry… but just the thought of Mother Crews gave me the strength to keep going. Our generation can greatly benefit from honoring the saints of old by following their examples of endurance and trusting wholly in Jesus Christ, our Lord. To the family we send our condolences and our prayers are with you. Information regarding the home going service will be announced in the days ahead. Stay tuned and God bless.

    – Pastor Brian M. Williams, Hope City House of Prayer

  • “Remember the Blood”

    The video below is from Sunday, August 17, 2014. In this message Pastor Brian preaches about the blood of Jesus. Enjoy! To listen to this message in its entirety click here

  • What I’ve learned in 3 years- Pastor Brian

    On August 17, 2014, Hope City House of Prayer will celebrate 3 full years of ministry. As the pastor of this church, these past few years have been adventurous to say the least. I’ve been heartbroken, healed, seen my own failures, and helped many battle through their own. I’ve had to appear strong and at times had to appear weak. I’ve endeavoured by the grace of God to be as transparent as possible, to never look or act as though I’ve arrived or that I’m perfect. I’m sure my congregation would agree that I’m successful at being normal. 🙂 As I’ve been reflecting on the past 3 years I’d like to take some time and simply share a few things I’ve learned with those of you who would like to learn from my mistakes as well as a few things I did right by the grace of God. When I planted this church, all I had was a word from God. No money, no team, no sound equipment, no expertise… just a word from God, a vision of a generation being awakened, and a childlike faith.

    Vision: “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” ( Proverbs 29:18)

    As a young man, The Lord gave me a vision of a generation that loved Him radically. I would often spend all night in prayer between the ages of 19-25 dreaming, praying, writing, visualizing, and hoping that somehow God would win the heart of my friends and all the people of this world with His great love. I was a bit of a loner as a young man, I had friends, but I spent most of my time with Jesus. Our hearts were so glued together that nothing was able to come between our love. I met a Father who loved me so deeply, who never gave up on me, who believed in me, and who wanted me to truly know Him for eternity. As a young man, this set my heart ablaze, I found myself sharing Jesus with everyone I met. Every job I had, whether it was retail, fast food, or the call center… it was my mission field. Every classroom became my church, I eagerly shared the gospel with everyone I met. Now of course I failed, I struggled, I battled the flesh.. but I was a man in love.. in love with a savior. I knew first hand of His power, for I myself had been set free. I vividly even to this day and at this moment as I type remember what a life apart from the love and peace of Christ was like. I had been forgiven much, therefore I love much.

    As I grew in love with God, I began to become a man of prayer. I met Jesus the great intercessor, the one “who ever lives to make intercession for the saints according to the will of God”. In the place of prayer as a college student, The Lord would begin breaking my hearts not just for the campus, or the city, but for the nations of the earth.. soon a desire was birthed in my heart to become a missionary. However, unlike many, I had no supernatural visitation from angels, nor was it a prophecy that compelled me. As the Apostle Paul said “The love of Christ compels me”. I had fallen so deeply in love with Jesus that sharing the message of hope, freedom, and love became more than a “calling” or a “mandate”, but the greatest joy and desire of my heart. As I grew in the understanding of prayer and spiritual warfare, I realized early on, that the battles and wars among men, are really the manifestation of the war in the heart and for the heart of men. I was moved by compassion for the world, that same compassion which moved my Jesus to die for me, when I was yet a sinner… I began preaching, I continued weeping, and God began sending me. Between the ages of 22-25 for about 4 years, countless doors opened up for me to travel internationally, and throughout the USA, telling of the love and redeeming power of Christ. I met thousands of people, prayed for hundreds who were healed, I saw the paralyzed regain movement, the eyes of the blind open, demons were cast out, even once the dead was raised. But more than that, I saw the hearts of men, women, boys, and girls from every nation tribe and tongue, surrender to the power of Jesus Christ, I saw atheist turn to worshipers, hindus, Buddhist, and muslims turn to Jesus, breaking idols, denouncing family religions, and running to Christ… This all created a vision of what God wanted to do here at Hope City House of Prayer.

    CALLING: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And How shall they believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent..” ( Romans 10:13-15)

    During the summer of 2011 I was wrestling between becoming a full-time missionary in India, or returning to America. The Lord ordered my steps back to Ohio. What a gracious God! As Hope City began in Aug. of 2011, I was equipped with the vision, and the foundation to begin this great work for The Lord. Within a few months of our establishment, The Lord saw fit to bring many willing helpers, co-laborers, musicians, singers, and intercessors of every sort. In the past 3 years thousands of people have visited, hundreds have joined, dozens have been baptized, and God gets all the glory. I’ve learned through many sleepless nights of what it means to trust in God. Listed below are the top 5 lessons I’ve learned in these past 3 years.

    1. Keep Going:
    The temptation to quit seems to always be there… but I’ve learned that no matter what God has called us, equipped us, and ordained us to keep going. When ministry seems to get the most of us, when people betray you, gossip, and dishonor you… the natural response is quit.. but not so in the Kingdom, we must keep going!

    2. Keep Loving:
    Being a Christian is certainly challenging enough, being a pastor is perhaps toughest of them all. While I am just a man, I am responsible for being an example of The Lord God’s love to those in the church. It gets tough, real tough, some people make it even tougher… yet, I’ve learned to keep loving. To show mercy, because after all God has shown me immense mercy! To win the spiritual war… enduring love is the surefire way to victory.

    3. Prioritize people over projects:
    It’s so easy to get caught up in the next big event, service, outreach, or meeting… To be a successful leader, you must prioritize people, with no agenda, or secret motive, but genuinely investing in people and showing concern for them. I’ve learned that people are more important than projects. Jesus wants souls, not goals, and hearts over charts!

    4. Spend time with God outside of ministry.
    Ezekiel 44 talks about a group of heroic men known as the “sons of Zadok” This group of priest had special access to God, when their counterparts did not. The other priest had access to men, the sons of Zadok had access to God. It’s amazing that in ministry we can so easily settle for the pulpit and forsake the throne room. God is raising up a generation of ministers who seek His face and love Him more than what they do for Him. Fight for this reality in your life. Never substitute the stage lights for the lamp of intimacy in the heart.

    5. Bless those who curse you:
    As a young man I’ve endured A LOT…. ministry is tough, even tougher on young people called to lead. I’ve dealt with hatred from fellow pastors, jealousy, and much envy. I’ve had people leave the church and speak negatively, we’ve had an assortment of so many things that would cause the average man to give up, I learned early on that the secret to growing in love is to follow the words of Matthew 5, where Jesus says “Bless those who curse you and pray for those who spitefully use you”. The persecution, is a guarantee, the unfounded slander is likely… yet as a leader we must choose to bless those who curse us and to love our enemies.

    I have not been anywhere near perfect, nor is Hope City the perfect church, but we are greatly blessed by God because we are aiming at eternity and focusing on Jesus as we ascend the hill. Our hearts yet burn for Christ… and by the grace of God, may we enter into the fullness of all He dreams for our city, nation, and generation. May He continue to give me strength, wisdom, and His heart to do my job well. Thank you for those who have prayed for us. You carry the weight. You have kept us out of harms way. To God be glory for all the things which He has done and will continue to do.

     

  • Weak is the New Strong

    Weak is the New Strong

    Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

    Help is on the way

    I write these words to you as a weak man. Surely there have been times in my life where I had convinced myself that I was strong, but time and experience has taught me the error in those beliefs. The words of the apostle Paul written to the church at Corinth seem quite relevant for the moment I, along with many of you may find yourselves in. He said “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4-8-10)

    Moment of Transparency:
    My name is Brian Michael Williams, I am 28 years old, a single man, and a church planter. For the past 5 years I’ve been in full time ministry. I’ve been a campus ministry leader, a youth pastor, itinerant evangelist, and I’ve even traveled the world as a missionary prior to becoming the founder and lead pastor of Hope City House of Prayer in Columbus, OH. I’ve been to England, Spain, Kenya, Tanzania, Mexico, as well as multiple trips to Taiwan and India preaching to thousands of people. I have a podcast of my sermons which have been downloaded nearly 100,000 times, I have over 10,000 followers on twitter, over 5,000 Facebook friends (the limit), I’ve preached in prisons, jungles, mountaintops, local churches ranging from methodist, baptist, lutheran, presbyterian, pentecostal, non-denominational, I’ve written articles for the largest Christian magazines in the world, I’ve been on the radio, TV, spoken at large conferences, you name it… as far as ministry goes I’ve probably “been there and done that”. I’ve seen thousands of people saved, cast out demons, seen people healed before my very eyes of terminal illness, seen blind eyes open, deaf ears open, limbs grow back, aids victims cured through the blood of Christ, paralyzed body parts regain movement… I’ve also been greatly persecuted for the gospel. Here in the USA I was on the verge of prison sentence for rescuing a young girl who I had baptized in a secret location, upon finding out her muslim parents threatened to kill her, I was led by The Lord to step in and save her… after nearly 2 years of having the governor of Ohio, Florida, and the county prosecutors threaten and pursue charges against me, through the prayers of the church I was finally granted freedom. Once in India, while conducting evangelistic crusades, a group of radical militant Hindus came into one of my services were miracles were happening, unbeknownst to me, they had been sent there as spies with intentions of doing me harm and having me kicked out of the country… through the power of the Holy Spirit they were saved that night, renounced Hinduism and became followers of Christ. I’ve laid my hands on children in Africa, Taiwan, India, and all over the USA I’ve seen them weep, and be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues…. In addition to these things, I planted a church in the inner city of Columbus, OH which in 2 years has outgrown 2 facilities with thousands upon thousands of people coming from all over the city, state, and region just to pray with us. It’s all been super-naturally funded and we’ve never had a financial burden…

    So what’s my point? Some of you reading may think that I’m bragging… others may be thinking how could a person such as “Pastor Brian” feel “weak”? Well here’s the point… Again, looking at the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3 we find words of encouragement and sobriety “Whatever things were gain to me I now count them loss for Christ, what is more, I consider everything loss in exchange for the excellency of the knowledge of The Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake I have lost all things, I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found by Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law (works), but that which is through faith in Christ… that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in death, as somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead” ( Phil 3:7-11)

    Paul, had the greatest resume of his day and is by many considered the greatest New Testament minister other than Christ. His writings have shaped the entire world, His ministry impact is incalculable… yet this mighty man “Boasted in His weakness” and considered “All things which were gain, as a loss”. Recently I’ve been relating to Paul quite a bit. In terms of ministry success I have it all, but there’s an ache in my soul that wants only Jesus. The things I’ve been enabled and graced to do are certainly important, but my dear friends nothing can replace intimacy with Jesus. For the past 6-7 years I have had the appearance of “strong” to the outside world, though my preaching, writing, and lifestyle tell a much different story. Often do I weep in the pulpit, often do I realize my inadequacy, and often do I want to quit. There have been catastrophic failures in my life prior to and during my walk with Christ. The love of this world has pulled firmly on my heart, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh had done their best to win my affection. I’ve preached many things that I myself felt I didn’t live up to, I’ve challenged others to do things I myself, felt incapable of… I’ve attempted at living a holy, integral, and honest life.. yet I have failed from time to time. In the early days of failure, I would spend long days in despair. After punishing myself with a fast or another radical act of devotion to Christ, I would regain confidence and press on… little did I know I was a slave to religion. Eventually I would stumble again, and again, earn my way back into good standing… little did I know that I was placing faith not in the blood of Jesus but in my own good works. The deception creeps in when we as preachers believe that because God has used us that he approves of what we believe. Often what we believe in the reality of our own lives is so very different than what we preach to others. I’ve learned the hard way. Over the past few years I’ve wrestled with so much condemnation, guilt, and heart ache. I’ve cried myself to sleep, I’ve felt lower than the dirt I was standing on, and I’ve been on the verge of a breakdown many times, yet I practiced the preacher perfect smile. I knew how to answer everyone when asked “How are you?” instantly, “I’m blessed”… sinking further into deception.

    When did it change? Well I would have to say it honestly didn’t change until recent months… I began to realize for perhaps the first time, the reality of the blood of Jesus, the reality of unconditional love, and the reality of holiness. Holiness is not abstinence from sin but the purging out of the desire to sin. I also truly received heart knowledge of the unconditional love of God, though I’ve been preaching this with tears for many years. It’s amazing how we can give people the advice we ourselves need most.

    My current struggle: To be even more honest, I still currently struggle with so many things. I often want to give up, I often feel selfish, prideful, and like I’m wasting my time. I do endure a lot of disrespect, dishonor, and lack of appreciation, but as you’ve probably heard it said before “Life is 10% about what happens to you and 90% how you respond”. I have responded wrongly to much of the pain I’ve endured at the hands of the people closest to me, the people in the church I pastor, and last but certainly not least, myself… I fight each day for strength to go on. I have moments of joy unspeakable and often just a few hours later spiritual war against depression. I once thought that this was abnormal. People told me I needed a hobby, a wife, a life outside of church, a vacation etc… but what I’ve come to realize is that I, along with you, we all need Jesus. He is the ultimate source of satisfaction. Nothing in this world can compare to knowing Him. The apostle Paul understood this, as did the writer of Hebrews. In prayer, The Lord whispered to me a phrase that forever changed my life, it was as if He said to me “I understand, I am here for you, and we can get through this, I’ll be for you, when you feel weak, then my strength will be yours”. I began weeping this past Sunday as these words from The Lord warmed my spirit, sitting at the gas station for nearly 30 minutes with a soaking wet heart and face. I felt I needed to just get out of the city, clear my mind, so I filled my tank, with no idea where I would go… just overwhelmed. Don’t you just love how when you feel you’ve had about all you can take… there is God! When we come to the end of our rope, we’ve come to the beginning of His mercy.

    Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

    For anyone who may be reading this and you feel overwhelmed by life… please know that you can call upon Jesus. He’s not only sympathetic, but empathetic. Sympathy says “I see what you’re going through” Empathy says “I’ve been through what you’re going through” and in Christ we have a High Priest who is not only sympathetic but empathetic. He sees us and He’s with us. We can therefore come to His throne with confident boldness and find help in our time of need.

    A special word to single people: As a single man I want to “single” out those of us who are not married. At times it is very difficult to see Christ as sufficient to fill the void in our lives for companionship but I testify He’s more than able. I am going to be married one day soon, if it is God’s will, but I have never felt shortchanged as a single man and neither should you as a single man or woman. In moments when my emotions needed comfort, there was the Holy Spirit as my comforter. In moments when my flesh was “burning” with desire for intimacy, there was the Holy Spirit as my mind regulator and strength… and in those taboo moments that nobody in the church likes to talk about, when my flesh got the best of me and allowed unclean thoughts to fill my mind, there was the Holy Spirit convicting me, leading me to repentance and godly sorrow, yet never leaving me without hope in the blood of my redeemer. I write these words to encourage you, that though we feel as though there is no hope at times, we serve the God of all hope.

    I conclude with the words of the Apostle Peter and my very own promise to pray for you and request your prayers for me.

    – Pastor Brian M. Williams, a regular guy who serves an extraordinary God.

    1 Peter 5:6 ‘Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.’

    Perfect Love: Overcoming Insecurity
    December 15, 2013 | by Brian M. Williams | Scripture: Romans 8:14-17
    “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” – Romans 8:14
     Audio:  Listen | Download |

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