All posts by AOCM

My name is Pastor Tony Catron I graduate from K.S.U. with a degree in electronic/electrical engineering. While doing that I became a Junior Deacon and also a musician in my dad's ministry in Cleveland, Ohio. Years later, my career took me to Michigan where I worked as a Electrical/Electronic Engineer. While in Michigan I became a Minister, then later went to Seminary training at Birmingham Bible Institute and became an Elder at a large Pentecostal church in Michigan called LLCC. I was called to the ministry by God. So I headed up an outreach ministry based on the End Times, dealing with restoration in people lives. Then my dad called me back to Ohio to help him Pastor his church. During that time, God changed my outreach ministry, turning it into a full-time restoration ministry. He gave me the name Ark of Covenant Ministries and the rest is history.

Matthew Chapter 8

Massive crowds followed Jesus as He came from the mount where He preached and taught about the Kingdom of God with authority. Many miracles and wonders would happen next.

Jesus Heals a Leper

The leprous man said, “Lord if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus responds, “I will. Be clean,” and it happens in an instant! Jesus admonishes him to tell know one, but instead to give the proper offering to the priests, according to the Law of Moses, as a testimony to them. Although Jesus said tell no one, the priest would know without doubt by his examination of the former leper that he indeed was cleansed.

Jesus Heals the Servant of a Roman Officer

This centurion came to Jesus, pleading for Him to heal his paralyzed servant. When Jesus was ready to journey with the centurion to see the servant, the centurion stopped Him and proclaimed the most inspiring words of faith: “but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” Jesus sent His word and healed (Psalm 107:20). The centurion who was a man of authority, knew the power of a word spoke in authority. We today have the authority of Jesus Himself because Holy Ghost lives inside of us, and we can speak those things that are not as the were (Romans 4:17) coupled with faith, sending, in His Name, words of healing for the sick.

Jesus Heals Everyone in Capernaum

Jesus heals a person with fever, those who were demonized, and healed everyone who was sick! In doing this Jesus fullfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4).

Because of the crowds and His miracles, two men proclaimed to Him that they’d follow Him wherever He went. But Jesus made known that there is a price to pay for doing so which will require you to give up this world, but inherit heavenly blessing.

Jesus Calms a Storm

Jesus crosses to the other side of the lake with His disciples and suddenly a storm came which jeopardized their safety. Yet Jesus was sound asleep during it all and the disciples woke Him, fearful of their lives. Jesus admonishes them that they have such small faith, then He, with all authority, speaks to the storm and commands it to calm. It seems Jesus is teaching His disciples that faith is the root that feeds great miracles.

Jesus Sets Free Two Demonized Men

Getting to their destination, Jesus was met with two violent, demonized men who lived among the tombs of a cemetery. The demons inside of them recognized who Jesus was and threw the men down shouting, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Are you come here to torment us before the time?” The devils knew they’d be cast out of the men and they requested to be cast into a nearby herd of swine. With a word Jesus casts the demons out and they went into the pigs which stampeded down a hill into the sea.

Summary

  1. Faith
  2. Walk in authority
  3. Be a true follower without question

Matthew Chapter 7

Jesus continues with His sermon on the mount.

Do Not Judge

Don’t be critical and judgmental toward others. If you are, the same judgmental and critical measures you’ve used against others will be used against you. Don’t focus on other people’s flaws, but rather address your own. Come to terms with your own flaws, then you will see how to help others in their shortcomings.

Don’t give holy, spiritual truths to those who have closed ears and hearts, or they will not appreciate it.

If we being imperfect know how to take care of our own children with love and care, how much more will the Father of perfection take care of those who ask of Him? He will give good things to those who ask, who seek and persist.

The Golden Rule

Treat others in the exact way you’d want to be treated. This is the heart of the Law of Moses and the character of the Prophets.

The Narrow Gate

God can only be found on the narrow path which leads to life eternal. The broad path everyone walks on and it leads to destruction.

False Prophets

Be on guard against false prophets. You can spot them by their actions, for their fruit will be phony and disingenuous. You will know what type of tree you stand before by the fruit you see upon it. Healthy trees produces fresh, good fruit, but bad trees produce rotten, disgusting fruit and they deserve to be cut down.

Jesus Warns of Pretenders

You can prophecy in Jesus name, cast out demons in Jesus name, and do miracles in His name, for the grace-gifts are given without repentance and irrevocable (Romans 11:29). Yet if you don’t know intimately the One you say you proclaim nor have a true heart to do the will of the Father, you’re works are considered iniquity and you’re disqualified from eternal life.

Jesus Finishes the Sermon on the Mount

The people who heard His words were astonished, for He spoke with complete authority unlike the religious scholars.

Summary

  1. Don’t be judgmental
  2. Speak persistent prayers
  3. Be careful who you share your gifts with
  4. Give nothing of God to the world
  5. Walk in Godly discernment
  6. The truth has no misunderstanding
  7. Don’t value the gifts over the gift-giver
  8. Be a doer of Jesus’ teachings
  9. Teach with the authority Christ gives

Matthew Chapter 6

Giving with Pure Motives 1-4

Continuing with His sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches about heart motives. When you give, give with a true heart to help, not to receive praises and accolades from men.

Prayer 5-15

Even when you pray, your intent and heart motive should be pure, sincere and sure. We should not pray eloquently to be praise by those who may hear us. Every petition and supplication we take to God should be pure because God knows everything we have need of before we even ask. Jesus gives us the perfect way to pray and admonishes us while praying to forgive others so that God can forgive us.

Fasting 16-18

Fasting should be done with a heart motive of sincerity. Don’t display to others that you are fasting by looking sad and famished, but look bright and chipper as though you aren’t fasting at all. Let your fasting be between you and God.

Treasures in Heaven 19-24

Let your every treasure be in a place perfect and incorruptible. Set your heart on things in Heaven which are perfect, not on the material wealth of this Earth which rusts, decays and looses value. Let your eye be single, like that of a dove, only focusing on what is good and full of light.

Don’t Worry 25-34

Everything that is needed to live in daily life will be provided effortlessly; clothing, food, shelter; These things are considered less important compared to God’s Kingdom. If we seek His Kingdom first which is the highest of all, then all of the things necessary to life God will freely give in abundance, as He is a faithful provider.

Summary

  1. God’s got you when He’s in you
  2. Check your motives
  3. Forgive others before God will hear you
  4. Where is your heart seated
  5. The light in you tells others your heart
  6. How many masters do you have
  7. Do thy deeds with humility
  8. Value the secret place

Matthew Chapter 5

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount 1-16

Jesus was masterful at teaching the crowds. Verses 3-12 are considered the 9 beatitudes with each beginning containing a pronouncement of blessing following statements of encouragement. They each have their root in doing that which is right and being mindful of the intent and motive of the heart while doing it.

Living “rightly,” before others is like shining light on their dark ways, which hopefully will cause them to turn to the light and live rightly.

Fulfillment of the Law 17-20

Jesus has come to bring to perfection the Law of Moses and fulfill it.

Anger 21-26

The motive of the heart is very significant to God. Committing an act, whether good or bad starts in the heart and the inner most thoughts. Anger is comparable to the act of murder. Belittling insulting and even cursing other believers warrants severe judgement.

Adultery 27-31

Lusting after someone with sensuous motives is comparable to committing adultery. Again, its all a matter of the intents of the heart and even the inner most thoughts of the soul. Whatever causes you to sin, get rid of it right away for it has a huge impact on the scope of where you’ll spend your eternity.

Making Oaths 33-42

Don’t bind yourself to anything at all. Just say yes or no as a response to a question.

Love Your Enemies 43-48

Love your enemies and bless those who curse you and do something good to those who hate you. These are actions that are against out first instincts, but Jesus was trying to tell us what characteristics determine if one really belongs to the Father in Heaven. We should be as Him, because He is merciful to those who do good and those who do bad.

Summary

  1. Let your light shine don’t hide (verse 16)
  2. Live, walk and teach the law (verse 20)
  3. Deal with your issues (verse 29-30)
  4. Sin is committed first in the heart (verse 28)
  5. Don’t be ashamed to praise His name (verse 12)
  6. Don’t swear (verse 34)
  7. Be not partial in love (verse 44-48)
  8. Don’t make an oath you can’t keep (33)
  9. Be quick to reconcile offenses (24)

Are You Ready to Walk this Walk Out Together?

I am reminded of the words of Amos 3:3, “can two walk together, except they be agreed?” These words conjure up thoughts of individuals not able to work out a problem. Or someone who’s not ready to do a thing when the other person is. Or maybe someone who is part of a team is ready to commit to the team and the other is not. Maybe they have many personal problems, or they’re not ready to let go of the life they’re living. Yet, still their heart says yes, but their mind is saying no, not yet.

That brings to mind a very familiar chapter in the book of Hebrews:

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. 7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. 11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) 12 Take heed, 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 To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

Hebrews 3:6-15

Look at your neighbor and say “Are you ready to walk this walk out together?” Some of us might be thinking of that old Winans song, in which the lyrics go like this: “ Tomorrow, I’ll give my life Tomorrow…Tomorrow might be to late.”

Even the Bible in the book of James says: 13 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

James 4:13-14

You know what? We are helpers one to another. If you or I stumble, we can helper each get back on our feet again, not just stand there and make fun of our stumbles or falls. In this life, I’ve learned one thing about people: They always have an excuse for everything in life, no matter what it may be. Here at Ark of Covenant Ministries (AOCM) we have a motto: Never give up and never surrender, no matter what comes. How many times have you ever had to stand alone to face a situation or failures in your life? Well, if you don’t know or have become some what disconnected from Him, it’s never to late to get reconnected to Him. We all started out saying, “Lord I’ll follow You where ever it may lead,” but some how things got twisted.

We started to sound like the individual in the book of Luke: 57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:57-62

In my conclusion, I’ll leave you with this: 1 Corinthians 1:10 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. Remember this: Proverbs 24:1-3 1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them. 2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief. 3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

1 Corinthians 1:10 & Proverbs 24:1-3

Let this word be accepted by all who read it, and it is so. In Jesus name.