Was speaking with my cousin last night about my ministry history and realized some things as I shared.

I was the leader of a group of young ministers when I started. I was the pastor but we were all peers, family and close friends. We sought after God together. And fell in love with Him, His work and His calling almost at the same time.

We evangelized NYC at our young, teenage years. Yes, we were just 15, 16 years old when we stood on the streets and the transportation hubs of NYC preaching the Gospel of Jesus.

In our early years we were dynamic in preaching, outreach and doctrine. Worship was our fuel. Our times of consecration and prayer was intense. We were on fire. I’ve yet seen a group like ours even until now.

We weren’t mentored by older ministers. We were out there doing God’s work by sheer passion and zeal. Each one of us felt compelled by our own desire to fulfill our personal mandate from God—within our group. We felt personally responsible for God’s invidiual calling within the landscape of this team He had raised us in. We were taking our roles within this team of young leaders.

Today most of us are not affiliated with each other. We are still in ministry but doing it separately. We hardly speak to each other. Those days of 12 hour prayer meetings, a thing of the past.

I realized last night that the devil saw our potential to impact the world TOGETHER. In fact, we were already on our way. And he did his job of breaking up then what would have been a huge problem for him later.

In fact the small building that we were using was filling up faster with people than our experience or ministry knowledge could hold.

I preached dynamically, another taught feverishly, yet another took to the street with a mandate from heaven, and worship services were miraculous … a cloud once hovered over our church building, making travel difficult because it was hard to see past the fog that descended on South Beach mid service.

Our youth group was growing in leaps and bounds with young people having the same fire and fervor as their pastors and mentors. Youth from gangs, impoverished homes, broken families, experiencing a move of God like we did when we were their age.

I think today if our small dedicated and on fire team were still together, we’d be supporting thousands of believers and making ministers left and right. Our children would be leading in ministries, we’d have enough funds to support our own mission work, build our own house or worship, and help the Kingdom of God in general with what’s needed, and be an influence in Christendom. Yes, that group was that kind of team.

Between the dedication to the work of God in time, talent and treasure, we’d be a force to reckon with. But, alas, what the devil knew about our potential we didn’t know in our youthful ignorance.

So the devil had his inroads. I, being the young leader, didn’t know better and allowed words and feelings to create division. Back then I thought I knew what I was doing, but I was blinded. I was young, unmentored, ignorant and unwise

The team also in their youth and ignorance didn’t see what the enemy was doing and allowed the divisive words that I said to build walls and barriers. We allowed gripes to get in between each other, and ultimately God’s work that we were doing together.

Instead of fighting for what God had raised together, we allowed hurt and pride to separate us from each other and ultimately from God’s work for us as a group.

All that said, it’s not my ignorance nor theirs. It was the enemy working against God’s mission that caused us all to part. God’s work was under attack, and we just too inexperienced to recognize it.

But I have hope! Maybe not for our reunification, though I would love to see it, but for God’s purpose to be fulfilled among us.

I know God’s word will not return void. When I was 17 years old, in the midst of a powerful youth group service, a young man of 13 years old was used by God to prophecy these words: I can take you home right now, but I have work for you to do.

So, I know God; and I know that what the devil meant for evil, God will turn it for good. I am working while waiting and expecting it to be so, in Jesus Name.