Now Is Your Time

By Elder George Twilley, Jr.

he pew babies of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World have been afforded great opportunities over the years. We are privileged to sit at the feet of great teachers and preachers who deliver sound doctrine. We are covered by the prayers of the saints who have preserved us even in times of peril. We are exposed to environments where our anointings and giftings are cultivated. And we are trained in service and ministry by those who have given their lives in the service of the Lord. But there comes a time when the baton is passed to us, and we are granted the opportunity to continue the legacy and advance the kingdom. Many look forward with great anticipation to “the moment” when we can serve in our local congregations, councils and even internationally. However, in some instances, the timing of “the moment” seems to conflict with the vicissitudes of our life. In July 2018, I was elected to serve as the President of the DC, Delaware & Maryland District Council Young People’s Union. The thought of succeeding leaders such as Bishop Winfield Showell, Evangelist Dr. Audrey Clark, Bishop Andrew Turner, and many

Tothers who set at the helm of this auxiliary was daunting. Nevertheless, I approached the assignment with excitement and optimism. The Lord blessed me with a vision, direction and an awesome team of leaders to work with. Under ideal circumstances, I would have preferred to begin my term in this office with my attention fully devoted to this assignment. However, the summer of 2018 proved to be one of the most trying times of my life. Within a period of three months, the Lord saw fit to call home three individuals who were very close to me. These were individuals who were a part of my core circle. My godfather, my uncle and a friend (who I regarded as a brother) transitioned within a matter of weeks. It was difficult to watch those who I was so close to endure sickness. Even more taxing was arriving at the hospital to watch one pass away and only moments later to receive a call with a negative report on another who was hospitalized. There was even a moment where I was making arrangements for one while at the hospital for another. True to my nature, I completed tasks as they arose for my family, church, work and council. I made it through

those three months; however, in the process I did not notice the toil that these losses had on my health and emotions. The timing of each loss did not afford me the opportunity to process the death or mourn the loss of any of the three.

When I finally had a moment to reflect and gather my thoughts it felt like things were falling apart all around me. It seemed like I couldn’t find good news anywhere. I knew that I had family, friends and an awesome support system; however, my godfather, uncle and friend were no longer here. I longed for the opportunity to just share with them my news from July; to get their advice; to share more time in prayer with them. The Lord led me to Ezekiel 37 in the days approaching the first council session of my administration. While I have read that passage many times before and have heard sermons and teachings from this text regarding the prophet’s vision of the valley of dry bones, this time the passage seemed to come alive before my eyes and the Lord told me “It’s coming together.” By the Word of the Lord, the pieces, fragments, and remnants of the battle that seemed lifeless and hopeless would come together. As the Lord instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones in the valley, I felt challenged to prophesy to the bones that I saw in my valley season. Encouraged by the Word, I shared this passage with our young people in the fall of 2018. I was grateful to emerge from that experience with the promise of recovery, order and wholeness ... “It’s Coming Together.”

In November 2018, I was privileged to complete my first foreign missions assignment in Johannesburg, South Africa, with Hope International Services. We partnered with a group of approximately 10 churches in South Africa and school for a week of outreach, teaching, and worship. We were blessed to set up a computer lab at Emmanuel Primary School while there, as well. However, there were two things that stood out the most from this trip. First, I was fascinated by the expressions of worship by the saints in Johannesburg. Many of these individuals walk for miles to come to church and when they arrive for worship, they are fully engaged with their minds, body, and souls – old and young alike. Secondly, the day I arrived in Johannesburg the Lord confirmed His Word to me from a few weeks before. Prior to our departure, we received a flyer from the host church, Kingdom of Faith Church that was pastored by the late Bishop T.A. Mazibuko, which listed the name of the weeklong meeting, “J’wale Re Kopane.” Upon our arrival, I asked one of our hosts to give me the interpretation of the name of the meeting. To my surprise, the interpretation is “Now We Come Together.” The trip could have ended for me right then because it was as if the Lord allowed me to travel over 8,000 miles from Washington, DC to Johannesburg just to hear Him speak again. Whereas, prior to this point I knew that it would come together but I certainly had questions regarding how it would happen but at that moment, the questions faded away and were overtaken by the confidence that I had in what the Lord said.

I returned home revived and energized for the assignments that were before me. The Lord gave me the confidence that I needed to trust him that things would come together. Over the past few years, our Young People’s Union has provided platforms to empower and train our local youth leaders. We’re witnessing the development of various facets of ministry amongst our youth as they use their gifts and abilities to introduce ministry to new arenas. We’ve completed projects of service that impacted the community during our council sessions. It’s coming together! Even personally, with time the Lord has graciously comforted me with wise counsel; my perspective has been enlightened as I navigated the new norms of life. I have learned that the “ideal” time to serve the Lord is not when everything in your life is aligned the way you desire. The “ideal” time to serve the Lord is while we still have the time! This is our time! To any young person who’s contemplating when to take the next step in walking in your calling and serving, I urge you to delay no further. God can use you at any age and during any stage of your life. Don’t postpone your service…now is your time!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elder George Twilley, Jr. attends Faith, Hope & Charity Ministries in Lanham, MD where his pastor is District Elder George Twilley, Sr.

Elder Twilley serves as a Youth Pastor, Church Administrator and the President of the DC, Deleware & Maryland District Council Young People’s Union.