Mississippi Messenger Fall Mississippi Messenger | Page 2

From The Heart of Our Pastor
Spiritual

formation into Christ-likeness
requires a deep commitment to living as true
disciples of Jesus Christ and being renewed and
transformed into His image. We must live out our
commitment to a life that obeys all that Christ
commanded. We are called to be salt and light in a
post- modern era as innovators, and spiritual
agitators for righteousness.
Renewal and
transformation calls for us to change our world, to
serve the poor, help the oppressed as we work out
our own salvation with fear and trembling. We
are called to follow Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace
of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly in the present age. Looking for the
blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great
God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for
us, that He might redeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself His own special
people, zealous for good works.”

Dr. Larry G. Hess

Transformation is a special process that must be
sustained and maintained in spite of our failures,
delays, mistakes, resistance and our fears.
We must find a balance between urgency and
patience. Our lives must not be based on pride and
the fear of failure. Pride demands success that
others will notice and admire. The fear of failure is
rooted in a restlessness found in our own sense of
dissatisfaction. Transformation must begin with an
understanding of the mind of Christ and our
decision to follow a path of action determined to
obey and trust Christ. This requires a spiritual
heart and a serious focus on a life that seeks to
please God.
Pleasing God requires single
mindedness and maturity, which produces in us
stability and a sustained passion to be real and to
change our world.
My passion is to walk in the anointing of the Holy
Spirit and to fulfill my destiny and calling. My
commitment is to walk in holiness and

THE GREATEST NEED IN LEADERSHIP IS TO SUSTAIN IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES A SPIRITUAL
RENEWAL AND TRANSFORMATION—PART 1
We must model lives that follow Christ’s demands
and train ourselves to have the mind and character
of Christ. This must be a life long pursuit of
righteousness that will involve a radical internal
change in which the Holy Spirit directs in us a
transformation of our entire identity. Life will take
our naïve impression of what is spirituality and
maturity and shatter them on the hard rocks of
reality and imperfection. We must focus on our
own transformation and rise above the frustrations
of trying to change some people around us who do
not want to walk in the righteousness and blessings
of God.
If this mighty spiritual renewal and transformation
were easy and quick many would go after it. One
great enemy of our success for Christ is our own
impatience, which is not a holy dissatisfaction but
an inability to submit and humble ourselves to the
long journey of personal and spiritual
development.

righteousness trusting God for the power of the
Holy Spirit to enable and guide my actions and
vision.
I will give myself fully to develop and
impart a spiritual transformation on leaders so that
they will be on fire for Christ with a desperate
passion to proclaim the Gospel of Christ with signs
and wonders and to equip leaders to transform the
lives of as many as possible for the glory and
pleasure of God.
Today, the people of God are positioned for a
mighty push forward to impact new
generations. We must see this generation and the
next generation as our responsibility and
priority. We can overcome every enemy of Christ
and achieve great things as we target our efforts on
reaching the next generation. When we take a true
interest in evangelism and discipleship God takes
an interest in our efforts. God will empower us as
He did the early church to be light in the darkness
around us.