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.
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I’ve Been there For You, Will You be there for Me?

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew you should have died? Have you ever had that type of situation? How about when you got in a heated conversation that was going good at first then all of a sudden it went bad quickly, and it became so surreal? In that when you look at that term surreal, it means an effect, or fantasy, unreal, unearthly, strange, freakish, dreamlike. Have you ever been in a situation like that, were it was unfolding before your face, it  start going that way fast and you couldn’t stop it? Then all of a sudden the Lord steps in and you don’t know it, but the situation changes, the atmosphere changes. Things started to calm down and goes back to a normal state. Have you ever been in a situation like that, which blew your mind? You know it should have gone somewhere else? At the end you looked at one another and said “Whoa, what just happened?” The Lord had to step in and squash yours and their temper, because Satan already threw his hand in and caused it to go out of wack. When it was all over, it seemed so surreal, unearthly.

Jesus has been intervening in our lives when we ask, for a long time. But we just equated it something normal, coincidence. There has always been something like that which has happened in our life, and you blow it off and make it seem lesser. Everyone around gets in trouble and you walk away unscathed. Have you ever been in that situation? Since Christ has been standing up for you and been there for you, can you do that for Him? Can you say in your heart, mind, and thoughts, with the different situations that have happened in your life, when He asks you, can you stand for Me, when everyone around you can’t or wont? Can you allow Jesus to work through you what he will for the time or the situation? Can you allow that? Do you remember when I was with you, when the circumstances seemed uncanny? Those moments that were close. Diving down the road, doing things, and all of a sudden a car comes another way in a split second where we know that we should have hit it.

The Lord loves His people. When you have a purpose in Christ, He makes sure that your life is different even when you don’t think it is. Everyone who comes around your life is blessed, and they don’t realize its the presence of God. Even you don’t know what blessings are bestowed upon you. The light Jesus is trying to shine through you, its not for the benefit of you, but others to see Christ in and through you. You don’t have a light. Its not you that He wants to shine, its Him that He wants to shine through you. Men will see you and give Him the glory. He’s been with you since you were a little child. Satan wants to destroy that in you so that he can win over God’s will for you. I say this to my daughter every time I see her “when you were a little child, you use to walk around the house, arms raised giving glory to God.” But Satan sifted your life, bringing people around you whose spirit was negative to defeat your walk, and defeat you even finding out who He is.” My daughter’s Grandmother always wanted to grab her and pull her to herself, and when my daughter would go to bed, she would lay down with her. But what is wrong with that, she was only her Grandmother? Satan will use whomever he will use. have you ever heard the phrase “transference of spirits?” That spirit will get on you because of touch or proximity. Satan brings people back from your past, and they are eager to hug you to be alone with you. Have you ever noticed when you leave an old friend who you always had problem with you feel like something had lifted, right? but when they came back in your life you felt very heavy and burden. My daughter had that spirit transfer onto her. She would start throwing tantrums, and quick to get a attitude about anything when she never had a tantrum before. She took on the ways and attitude of her grandmother, who had an attitude with people who wouldn’t do what she wanted them to do and she would curse them out. Transference of spirits its real people, It doesn’t matter if they’re family or friends. That negative spirit was transferred to my daughter, so what ever evil spirit is upon a person its will be transferred to the other person then they will begin take on that person mindset and attitude of the evil spirit have.

People rarely transfer positive things in your life, but they will tell you negative things in the form of gossips and that just jump off there lips to you. Have you ever found yourself walking into a situation, and coming out acting like it was your situation? Well you try to blow it off and say that it just who you are trying to take ownership of it, when you never behaved that way before until after that situation. No it isn’t you, its that situation that you just came out of. Satan is not trying to possess you, he wants to delay you. for example: What would happen to if you got to a train, or bus, or plane late? It would leave without you, right? Some people come into your life to delay your growth or walk in life, because they are under a evil or demonic influence that has delayed them. That is why your walk is a selfish walk. At the final judgment Who has to stand before Christ for you, you or the people who influenced you? You have to be concerned about you. But if your brother, sister in Christ Jesus is trying to get up, help them as best you can. But when their struggles has become a part of your struggles in life, you have to know when to cut bait, and run, in other word let there struggle go. Its not an easy thing to choose Jesus over family. but even in bible; Matt 10:37, luke 14:26 it reads, that you can’t love you mother, father, sister, brother, more than Him. Because they will cause you to turn away from Him. They know him or love him, and out of your love them you’ll wind up not loving Me base up on there will and understanding then you’ll wind up walking way from Me. Its a terrible things to look back over your life and say, what could have or what should happen if I had done this or that. Satan will bring back to your mind these type of though to condemn you, he will say thing s like, “You were doing good, You were on fire for Christ, you were in his will Now look at you now “! An for us human  we don’t want to be single out or accused and the finger is being pointed at us.

In this day and age the biggest problem in the world, is worrying about what other people will say or is say about you!. Why do we spend hours in front of a mirror doing our hair or putting our clothes on and …etc.? Even when you have your day off, you don’t stay in front of the mirror the same way. Why? Because you don’t really care about all that and you don’t have to pretend anymore, you can just be real. That mindset leaves you after you get a certain age. We’re so concerned about what people say about us that we put the fake smile on, when we feel rotten inside. If your life is so wrapped up in that type of mindset, you can never serve God fully. We need to be more concerned about our souls, because the outer appearance fades. But will your love for Christ fade? Does you salvation depend on how your outer appearance is?

Hebrews 13:1-9

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

The Lord sends angels down to check up on us. Hebrew 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Mr. or Ms.  just got a brand new car, I need a brand new as well. Mr. and Mrs. just got a brand new house, I need that too. Mr. or Ms. just got a brand new cloths and shoes, I need that. Don’t talk about things that meet your vanity, your conversation should never be about that. What is content? Satisfied. When you’re satisfied with something are you concerned about someone else’s stuff? Oh Lord, they just got the latest MacBook Pro. If you’d never seen them, would you want a Mackbook Pro? Be content. Lord I don’t have what other people have, nor do I own what other people own. What is that saying? Doesn’t your Father know what you have need of? A lot of times we talk to the Lord like we’re ignorant. Lord I don’t have! You don’t have it because you don’t need it. We need to be content. Lord they’re going out and witnessing to 1000 people a day, I only witness to one person, be content its not the number he is looking for you might witness to over a 1000 people, and out of that 1000 only 2 people come to know Jesus, its about letting the word of Jesus be heard so that Christ sheep will hear his voice but a stranger want follow john10:1-27 .

When God tells you something today, will it be the same tomorrow? We think Jesus is like us. We change our minds everyday. But God is not like that. If He told you something in the Word, He won’t change it Malachi 3:6. If He did, He would be inconsistent. If the Word says today you shall not steal or lie, it won’t change tomorrow.

Philippians 4:4-8

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Even when there is disagreement between two people, you can agree to disagree. Then you move on and leave it alone. Kind words turns away wrath. Don’t sit there and fuss with someone. They don’t know, but Satan is using them to jack you up. People are not going to agree with everything you decide to do in your life. Why? They don’t know where they’re going, and they don’t want you to get yours before they get theirs. The Lord is telling you to walk on because its you that has to give an account of your life, not them. People don’t care about you. A lot of times people get jealous because you’re not riding along with them. When someone jumps out in front like they know where they’re going, then the others want to slow them down. This is how people react when you’re growing and they’re not. You don’t have time to worry about someone else problem. Because its someone else’s problem let them work and walk it out.

In conclusion, read Deuteronomy 31:1-6

And Moses went and spake these words unto all Israel. And he said unto them, I am an hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in: also the Lord hath said unto me, Thou shalt not go over this Jordan. The Lord thy God, he will go over before thee, and he will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them: and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the Lord hath said. And the Lord shall do unto them as he did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of them, whom he destroyed. And the Lord shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

I’ve been there for you will you be there for Me? When you’re around others what manor or conversation do you have? When you’re in confrontation, how is your attitude in that? What is the result after that situation? Can you walk away with a good heart, and no angry feelings? Are the results to the point where God will be happy?

Don’t allow someones sinful nature to destroy your soul. People who are governed by sin or flesh, they want to bind you with their mess so that you can’t do the will of God in your walk!.

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Designed for Change

1 John 3:1-3

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

If we look at the verse, “beloved, now are we the sons of God,” son’s means daughters too “and it doth not yet appear what we shall be.” Designed for change. Since the dawn of human creation, the homo sapien, sapian, is in a constant state of change or development. From your outer shell, which is your skin. Now understand this, you shed 600,000 particles of skin every hour. 600,000 particles. That means you all are flaking off. Can you have a concept of that? It’s hard to imagine a concept of that. Have you ever seen sand in an hour glass? Just think, that little glass is what you’ve placed out there. You can say you’re every where, and someone’s a part of you. Even when we look at human blood cells, the average human produces 222 billion blood cells a day. You might even say that you are being renewed in your existence every moment, every day. You’re a new being. You’re not the same person you were when you walked through the door. Your body is designed for change. You’re not the same as you were last week. You won’t be the same next week. The same hair that you’ve been growing is constantly pushing out, its not the same. You’re designed for change. Think about this. If we’re in a constant changing mode, both mentally and physically, why do we constantly hold on to things of the past? Trying to resolve issues of a mental and physical nature from before. You weren’t the same person you were when you were involved with what you did before. One thing we should understand is as those cells are created on a daily basis, there are also millions of cells that die and expel from the body. So when we’re creating something new inside the body, something else is getting disposed of. So why are we holding on to dead things, if our body expels them? Why do we hold on to things from the past? A mindset, a way of acting? If our body gets rid of mess, why do we try to retain it? Ok, so, so-and-so got on your nerves 5 years ago. You were a different person 5 years ago.

How many have fallen down and gotten a gash? The gash is made, blood fills the gash, then your body makes a protective secretion. Then a scab develops, while the cells underneath the scab regenerate. It heals itself. When that scab is ready to come off, what is underneath? New skin. What is that saying? We allow gashes to become open of issues of our lives from before, from the past, then they become infected. What happens to infected things on your body? They begins to cause damage to everything that is next to it. So the opening where you had a gash, it was a nice cut, but when you being to pick it and infect it, it turns dark, because its killing the cells around it. Those new cells are sensitive. So because they are new, now they are damaged. So what do the new damaged cells do? Damage the cells next to it. You’ve seen a bushel of apples, with a rotten one in the middle of the bunch. Its like the sin in our lives. That sin sits inside you, and damages you from the inside out. Thoughts, dreams; all those things are a process of that sin nature, which brings about destruction to every memory in your mind. Desires affect things in your life. When you desire to do something, it begins to make room by effecting things in your thoughts. It brings about a change in your thoughts, a change and a process. What does that mean? Well, you being to make room and allowances for that desire. I need that desire, but the desire says I have to change the mind of inspiration, of hope. Guess what happens? The desire sets an atmosphere for it to exist. Its just like being in a relationship with someone. You want it so bad, so you set aside your own morals, sensibilities, and all emotional feelings telling you to stop. You push that aside because the desire has made room enough so you can meet the desire of that desire. Things that you would normally question “Is it right,” you’ll find justification for it to be right. Is it an emotion that you created? We give in and desire makes us do one other thing: give up. When we give up, we do whatever we want to do. We operate under the laws of desire. It may not be desire, it may be anger or hatred, we operate under the laws of that things.

It is an import thing to know that we can’t allow situations to fester inside of us. This is notorious of women, and I’m not picking on women. Women who fall in love have a tenancy not to let go. And if something happens that breaks up that relationship, then they want to know why. They bug the source that ended the relationship. If this isn’t done, it festers in them, because it was something unfulfilled. So when it comes to another relationship, what is the first thing that will come out of them? The hurt pain and anguish and that thing that festered in them. Then they wonder why the new relationship doesn’t work. Because you have allowed the other to fester and change who you are. In order for you to grow as you’re body was designed, you have to let go. “But its hard to let go, I can’t let go! There is a big question mark in my head.” When they meet the source of the break up, they say why? Why did you? You start to examine yourself. Is my head too big, is it my shape, is it my face? We begin to question our outer appearance, then when it still isn’t fulfilled we don’t change. We halt our growth mentally, and when we do this we don’t grow physically. Sometimes it leads to death, over a situation that happened years ago. That is why our policy is to forgive yourself, so you can grow again. There is another little demon that sneaks in called “settle.” I’ll settle for this, or that, if I can’t get this. I know I’m not at this level to get this, so I’ll settle for that. You need not to prove to anyone, give a conclusion to anyone, even to yourself about situations gone bad in your life. It happens. The main thing is you were designed to constantly be growing, to constantly change. Your mind has held your physical life back.  Now you have stress, eating disorders, high blood pressure, abuse to who you are. You think less of what you are, that you aren’t worthy of anybody. We have allowed these things to halt us in our growth. If you don’t grow and mature and begin to blossom at the level you are suppose to, then you’re slowly dying. Most people settle. God says that we are kings  and queens, but we keep hoboing, hoboing our way to salvation? Why? Becuase the thing that was festering has destroyed your nerves, brought unsurety to you life in every aspect of your life. God doesn’t want us to be an unsure individuals, He has designed you to be sure.

Philippians 3:11-16

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

“forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before…” Things in your life that have caused you to fail, that have caused you to be critical, judgmental of yourself. Forget these things. Your body understands changes, but you don’t. You body understands when its time to change, but you don’t. But the Word of God is trying to tell you to forget about those things, and move on. Looking for those things that are before you. Its what’s behind you that is pulling you back to the past; pain, hurt, anguish. Forget these things and press toward the things in front. What would happen if you eat and eat and never expel what you eat? You’ll die. John Wayne had at least of 100 pounds of fecal matter, undigested in his body. If you don’t get rid of the poison in you, you will die. Medically speaking, if a person is brain dead, then everything else is dead. Are you hearing me? If you hold onto the mess long enough, it will kill you! It poisons your whole system. That is why if you hold onto stress in your head, it poisons your blood, your heart to the point where your body says that it can’t deal with it anymore. What is in the past is in the past. Its time for us to move to the future. Its time for us to move to the future. Stay out the past. Christ can’t use you if you’re constantly living in the past. Everything you see is judged by the past. Satan brings up the past, going before the Lord Jesus and accuses you, on a regular basis. Don’t give him something to fight with. Let him not want to run before the Lord. You want him to run to the Lord and say “stop that child from interfering in what I’m doing!” Remember one thing, forgetting those things behind you. Its nothing in front of you, its what behind you that smells. How would people look if they had their butts in front of them? Or if your head was turned backward, you’ll smell everything. Everything Satan says about you, may have been true at one point, but that is when you were that person. I’m not the same as I was 5 mins ago. Every cell has been revived, restored inside, constantly. So why do I refuse to change, and just stay the same? Why do we hold people to that? You remember what you did, how you were. 

Are you going to let your past become your future? We don’t even realize that all the things that are in our past that we don’t let go of, have become our future. That is why when you see relationships when they break up, do they talk about what could have been or what has been? They always talk about what was. They’ll get with someone else and argue and fuss about what the other person did to them. That thing that festers inside of you and begins to affect your common reason, and your reason has now become a settled reason. Forgetting those things that are in the past; behind me, and reaching for those things in front of me. God has said that you are more than a conqueror. Greater is He that is in you than he that’s in the world. When demons posses you, they only posses your body to scare everyone around. Demons can’t possess your soul. They can’t touch anything that doesn’t belong to them. It has been bought with the Blood of Christ. Your body is just a shell that can be inhabited. You can do one thing to your body. You can destroy it. How do you destroy it? By letting the past become your future. When you neglect who you are, you get sinful sores all over you. When those things mature and become ripe, they destroy you. Then you’re no go for any thing.

God said He came to bring you life and that more abundantly. How can you have an abundant life, if you’re constantly pulling us your mess? You’ll be in your home alone, and all of a sudden a song comes a long and takes you back to a moment in the past. You are now living in that moment. You have just been pulled away to your past. Then you go about your day thinking about that moment. Then satan who sees your actions knows that you are thinking on that. Then, he has so-and-so call you, so-and-so who did you wrong. The whole while you’re talking to them, you are agitated, and all they wanted was to say please forgive me. The Bible says we’re not ignorant of Satan’s devices. Its nothing new, because its what we went through, because he can bind us to the things we’ve already gone through. You are designed for change.

Romans 12:1-4

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

The world tries to hold you to something that was, could have been; if you only had. Christ tells us to forget about that, but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your body was designed for change. Brain cells are dying by the millions in your life, but other cells are being prepared. Those brain cells that you had when you were thinking one way are gone. Why keep impregnating the new brain cells you have with the bad things from the old brain cells. The only way that transformation will take place is to get new patterns in your life. If you do A, B, and C you’ll always get D. What happens if you say you’ll start at G, or do X, Y, Z? You’ll get different results. The Lord wants us to change; get rid of the old man, and begin to do something different. If you continue with the same pattern, you’ll always get the same results. Sin + Sin = Sin. Anger+Anger=Anger. Math also works for good things. Love+Love=Love.

Oneness of thought is order, but confusion of thought is disorder. Oneness in the body is health and life, confusion in the body is unhealthy and death. Which one do you choose? Life or death. Christ came to give us life, and that more abundantly. If Christ chooses life and oneness, why can’t we?

John 10:1-8

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

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God Created You But what Have You Created?

Did He not make us creatures after Him? We create things, but what have we created? It has never ceased to amaze me how we use our words to shape who we are and the world around us. John 1:1, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God. Words are powerful. If you change a word in a statement that will make it either null or void, powerful or not, impactful or not. Its the words that you say that changes people. You change your situation by the words you say. We always in some form or another use these phrases: “I can’t,” “Its too hard,” “well…” “Maybe tomorrow,” “I can’t believe that,” and “Nah.” Have you ever heard the term “you a lie?” There are other words and phrases out there that we have come to adopt for ourselves that have become signature statements for ourselves and these are usually negative. The word or phrase has changed us; hindered us to the point where we don’t even know who we really are, or what we could have become. Jesus was trying to make it a point about us and tell us a good thing, we always make a counter statement to what He said we are.

1 John 3:1-3

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

My Dad use to always tell me “we’re living beneath our privilege.” But we demand of God to answer our wants. I didn’t say needs, I said wants. Know this. What does the word, appear, mean to you? It does not physically show in your face what He’s trying to do to us and for us. You can’t see it, I can’t, no one can see it. He knows, because He’s trying to do it to you. What are you going to present before Christ? A jacked up vessel, filthy, dirty? Its just like having a glass of water, and the glass is filthy and dirty with stains and finger prints, and you give it to someone. Are they going to drink it? No! How you think you will appear before God offering the vessel you have? Will it be pure and clean, or dirty with the stains of sins and mindsets? You want to be a vessel that stands before the Lord, and you feel clean. Not like Adam who hid himself.

The Word says we are more than conquers. But we argue with Jesus. It goes something like this: Jesus said in Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Then you reply, “But I can’t.” Then Jesus says “I have made you the head and not the tail.” The Lord says that we are more than a conqueror. “Lord I’ve been battling with this sickness for over 7 years.” You’ve said it correctly, YOU’VE been battling. As long as you’ve been battling, you won’t win. Its not by your power or might, but by His power and might. All is done through Him.

Deuteronomy 28:1-13

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The Lord shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. The Lord shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways. And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee. And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

He says all this and we go “Nah!” Do you realize that is an argument? He’s telling us what we are and we’re telling Him what we can’t do. He knows our thoughts, our capabilities, who we are what we are why we did. He knows everything about you, and when He says that we can do a certain thing…we can do it!

Proverbs 23: 7

 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

The way a man thinks so is he. So if you think you can’t do anything guess what? You can’t do anything. Now, the Lord has told you what you can and has esteemed you so, and people will look at you strange because of all the blessings in you. Then you look at the Lord and say “No, I can’t.” If you have that spirit in you, then you won’t do it. People always say they are more the conquers, but inside they don’t feel that way. Do you know the first thing you have to do when you’re walking 100 miles? Make the first step. The first process in doing something is to step out on it. Just do it. To never have to go out and do it means you never would have known if you could have. When I said earlier, we have shaped who we are from all the words and phrases and catchy things that we say, that our world around us is not ever real its a make-belief world. How many are positive thinkers? How many live up to the positive thinking? I can say positive things more so than I can walk them out. I can say it better than I can do it. But Christ said, you can do all things through Him which strengthens you.

When you look at it from this standpoint…the negative words you’ve incorporated into your lifestyle: “I don’t believe in myself,” “No,” “I can’t…” If you don’t believe in you, who will believe in you? Christ tried to tell us we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. How can you transform something that you don’t even know what it is? How will you transform something when you don’t know what to transform. Who are you really? Think about the composites of things in your life that have been said to you, the surroundings you’ve been around, the people you’ve been around. See if you think like the people you’ve been around, or mimic the surroundings you been around. People are shaping your world. Then who are you really? Are you a composite of what everyone else says? Is that the real you? Your life has been lead where you have been living a conglomerate of people’s thoughts, ways and actions. You can’t even be you because you don’t even know who you are? That is an indictment. People say “I know you.” But you don’t even know you. People say “I know what you like,” but you don’t even know what you like. Why do you think the Lord says transformed? The only way that will happen is if you give up everything people say what you are. It may not be easy or comfortable, its the unknown, its new territory.

If you’re not comfortable with you…how many are comfortable with yourself? Do people like you? Does it really matter if they like you? If it does then you need to rethink you. The only one that should matter is what God thinks about you. I don’t like you because of your clothes, your hair, your feet, I don’t like anything about you. We try to re-position, reorganize, reset up ourselves to do what? To please them so they won’t bother or worry us anymore about it. Then when we comply to what they want, then our lives can go on from that point? What have you created? God created you? Did you recreate you? Who are you really? I thought I’ve been knowing you for the last 10, 20 years? But who are you. This is what we’re struggling with today, the loss of our identity. If we’re not secure in who we are, we can’t hear the thoughts of others because you’ll assume their thoughts. This is the problem that we suffer. We don’t know who we are in Christ, but we go around acting like we do.

Words are powerful. The world was created by words. You were created by words. So when you use words, you can create things you wish you’d never created. Words are powerful. Never forget that. That is why we are continually in battle with ourselves. We’re constantly fighting ourselves. Why? Someone is trying to maintain dominance.

 

Proverbs 16:25

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

 

We think that what we’re doing is the correct way. But is it correct according to who we are or the garbage we’ve brought in? For example, you like peanut butter. Is that because someone else you like, likes peanut butter? Why do you do the things you do? Is it because of a learned behavior?

 

Proverbs 6: 2

Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

 

You hang your own self. “I can’t do that” “Nah,” “Maybe,” “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Is it a lie or the truth? What does that do? Is it a lie or truth? The Bible says testify of what you know and see, don’t testify of someone else mistakes. You don’t know the full story, but you will reap the ramifications of it.

 

Phiippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

You can do all things. You can do all things. You can do all things. Through Christ. Which strengthens. Not by your might nor by your power. God is telling us this: “Could you shut up and listen to Me? I told you before, in My word is Life, and My Life brings light to you. Why can’t you believe the words that I say? Why would you believe anyone else over Me? My words have life. Do you choose life or death?” The Lord tells us this, but we argue with Him. We say that can’t be right. We can’t do all things. He is saying, any trial situation, or anything that comes upon us we can do it, and go through it. He gave us the strength to do. Why? Because greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. He gave us the power to be overly wealthy and all the things pertaining to godliness and righteousness. We wonder why we can’t go further in Christ, because we’ve adopted a mindset that we can’t do what He gave us the power to do.

Its time for us to just shut up and stop talking to God the way we’ve been talking to Him. “Lord, You know the real me, help me to know the real me so I can worship You properly and not via someone else. Lord who is the real me? It’s been a long time since I’ve known the real me.” Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. How do you renew your mind? Some of the old Saints use to say “Some of the old places I use to go, I don’t go to anymore, the things I use to do, I don’t do anymore.” You know how you can find out who the real you is? Change your environment. Does that mean you’ll have to move out of your neighborhood? In some cases yes. Because you need “you time.” I don’t mean to sit there and bath yourself in the oils of the ancients, and the fragrance of the old, but sit there before Christ, quietly, and let the Lord get a word in. Let Him say something to your soul. Let Him console you. How do you do that. When you’re alone by yourself, the way you use to do things, change it. Don’t even think about it, just do it. What do you need to do? Stop, put the breaks on. What do you do in real life at a red light? Stop. Abruptly. “Lord you say that I’m more than a conqueror, but I’m this and I’m that. My eyes are open but I’m still blind.” That is because you don’t know who you are. You want someone to accept you for who you are and you don’t even know who you are? You meet your mate and you say to them “I want you to love me for who I am,” but I don’t know who I am. This is what we do to the Lord. “Lord I want you to love me for who I really am, but I have all this mess in me.” The Lord loves you, but not the mess hanging off of you. You don’t even love you. How do you want the Lord to love you when you don’t love you.

Static cling. You need static guard. Your static guard is the Word of God, so when you go out into the world, the world doesn’t stick to you. Isn’t it amazing how we allow things to stick on us, and we carry it as a badge of honor? Think about this: why do we continue taking upon the mindset of others and taking it as our own? We are condemned by every word that comes out of our mouths. The Bible says that we will give account of every word, every loose statement that comes out from us. Let your words be few. Be quick to be silent and slow to speak.

 

Matthew 12:37

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

 

What have you created? Would God be proud of you for what you have become? Would He be? Could you stand before Him proudly and say “Lord I did just what You told me.” When people like Enoch walked with God people marveled. Moses walked on holy ground, and forgot before he got there, coming up with dirty sandals. It would behoove us not to argue with God. If the Lord says that He’s given you everything pertaining to life and godliness, accept it. Why can’t we accept it? Because we’re carrying all the mess from what someone else turned us into. When do we stop and say I need to know me before I can deal with you? Why do you think people take long sabbaticals in the mountains? They don’t know who they are. Don’t live for the expectation of others, but for the expectation of what God created you to be. He created you so uniquely that the angels in heaven marvel at who you are. It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we will when He returns because we’ll see Him as He is. We’re more than just conquerors. But your biggest conquer, is conquering you. Conquering you.

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To Delay God’s Plans for You Hinders Your Blessings

As we walk the walk of faith in Christ Jesus, you’re going into a countless, priceless moment of your life that is going to be most unpleasant. Do you realize the things you go through in life won’t always be fun? Because what God has purposed in your life, is for you to go through it with flying colors. You cannot allow your emotions to dictate your reactions while you’re in a test. You must remember its your attitude that counts while you’re in a test or trial. If you whine and complain, you haven’t learned one lesson: faith and patience. If you don’t have these things in your walk, how can you tell others of how you have gone through with flying colors? That you’ve made it and you could bear it yourself? Yet you whine and complain the entire time, lacking faith. You are negative and faithless. He doesn’t reward faithlessness. Without faith its impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11:5-6

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

To delay God’s plans for you hinders your blessings. Its not about you, you need to please God. Without faith its impossible to please God. So that when you’re going through and complaining and whining you don’t have faith that God will see you through. Keep calm, God is waiting on you. He is waiting for you to get over you to be faithful and patient. Sometimes we get restless and get to the point and say “I’m done.” “I gave you 4 years, Lord to get this concluded. I’ve waited long enough. Now I’m going to do it.” And we mess things up. In the process of going through Your test, seek Him. He will give you the answer to your problem, and to your needs. He already knows what you need, but you need to shut up. Have you ever had those people in your life who talk, and talk, and talk, but never let you speak, and then when you do speak, they don’t listen?

We need to realize that because of our impatience…God has a pattern for us to lead us to salvation. But along that pattern at certain stages, He has blessings for us. But if we can’t get from one step to the next because we’re complaining, then He won’t give it to us at that stage. It may push that blessing back way down the road, because with the attitude we have we wouldn’t appreciate it. Most people receive blessings from God and they haven’t even asked for it. So why not ask Him for anything and say Lord help me to get closer to You so that I can please you. That will double the blessings He’ll give. Think about Job. Job did the same thing. He said all his appointed time, he would do one thing: Wait, until his change came. But if you walk around with a complaining mentality, then you show the Lord that you don’t want to advance along that pattern or path. You don’t know what’s in there and you wouldn’t know how to appreciate it. So the Lord will not give it to you. “Lord I want the perfect woman.” “Lord I want that woman.” But because of this section that you’re in, in your walk, and complaining, you won’t have it. Wouldn’t it be something if the Lord showed us at the end, that at this stage in our walk when we were doing crazy mess, the blessing we could have gotten it? Don’t you remember what you were saying during that time? Don’t you remember your prayer? Because at this part of the walk we’re complaining to the Lord, criticizing the Lord. This is the problem we deal with all the time as saints. If its too long we whine and complain. We may verbally say that God is going to do, but under our breaths we make statements of doubt. This walk is by faith, not by sight. Complete trust means we won’t whine or complain, but walk in all positiveness in our walk.

You have to be real with yourself. You can’t have all that negativity and faithlessness, because God doesn’t reward that. He rewards faithfulness, not faithlessness. He said in Hebrews its impossible to please God without having faith. You know for the Lord to take Enoch away…the one thing he did was please God. We think we please God, but Enoch pleased God because he didn’t whine, he was in awe of pleasing God, faithful to what God was showing him. He didn’t do anything of a nature that would cause negativity to his being. God said he would save you. If you have faith, the you would say “God is going to save us.” You wound’t say “God said He would.” Now there is faithlessness. People who listen to you will hear the doubt in your voice, but if you look at the aspect of it, quit denying the power of God, quit showing your impatience. Show God faithfulness and patience by waiting on the Lord. We have this concept of time in this “Shake and Bake Generation.” We don’t want to take the time to mix spices with flour and mix it in the chicken, no we use Shake and Bake with no work being applied. That is what this generation is, they don’t want to take time with things. They want the quickest way to salvation they can get. Door number one, door number two…We are so “shake and bake” that we want the easy way. Getting to Heaven requires you to do something, not just saying the words “I’m saved.” The person on the street who has never heard about Jesus, if we go to them and say just believe and receive that is a lie. Every religion has something attached to it. Our belief is attached to God’s love; our relationship with Him. The statement “believe and receive,” is only made for those who have once tasted of Jesus to come back to Him. We give people the shake and bake Jesus, shake and bake salvation. The point is, you build up all these peoples false hopes and desire and you inspire them to do wrong. We have to realize God knows everyone…Jesus said He knows the sheep that God gave them, and haven’t lost anyone of them. That means you have a relationship with those individuals. How would a person who in his heart serves Satan, love Jesus? No, you need to let them know that their heart is dark so they can serve the light. If you’ve never seen Jesus, you can have faith in His word and it will come to pass. The word is so true because Jesus says if we believe Him for His words sake then it will come to pass. When people say they’ve never met Jesus or point at you and say that you’ve never met Jesus, then you can say, I believe Him for His words sake. You went to school and they gave you books. You believed those books. Why? Because you were taught that. Why can’t you believe in the Bible?

When you start walking down the road to salvation, and you start doubting and becoming impatient, then there comes a fork in the road. Then you go down the road of faithlessness and impatience. There is no joy or direction, because you made that choice because you felt that you had control over your own life, how you want it. But you didn’t make yourself, you can’t cause things to come into fruition. If you go down a road of faithlessness and impatience, the only people you’ll meet are people like you, and you will look to trust someone. You can’t confide and trust in someone down that road, so if you go down there you get what you ask for. The plans for your life God orders, but He can’t lead you down a road of faithlessness? Where are you now? What road are you down now? Salvation, or faithlessness? Well why are you faithless and whine and complain? “Well I’m not complaining, I’m just questioning it.” Well you didn’t lack faith when you went to gamble on numbers. What do you do, or say? You have to admit it. You have to admit you’re standing in faithlessness. How do you go back to the right path? By completely trusting God to bring you back to the right move in your life.

Even in our faithlessness, He’s still there waiting for us to answer. Answer the question of if we’re willing to let go of ourselves and allow Him to lead. We go do what we want to do and then we go and cry to the Lord and say that He’ll never leave us nor forsake us. We’re in a hole and the Lord asks us how we got there. “Well, I fell and went my own way.” Then we call the Lord to help us. Every decision we make in our walk, we’re the recipient of every action bad or good in that decision. We say that we’re His children but are we really? His children know His voice and are obedient to His will. So are we really His children? You need to have an understanding with yourself. Tell self to shut up. If the Lord brings instructors to you then you need to just accept it and shut up. The world gives you things with sprinkles and whipped cream on top of it. The Lord doesn’t do that. He’ll say it may not taste good, but its good for you. The Bible says that we should not judge. Whatever judgement we’ve given ourselves we’ll get it doubly. But the Lord is so faithful that all we must do when we get in a hole is call on His name and He will rescue us. So we need to listen because everything that God has planned will be achieved when we obey Him, if we don’t get in the way.

 

Jeremiah 29:10-13

For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

 

He knows where the fork in the road to the right will end up, because He already has seen it. He has blessings down that road. We have to be very careful what we do. When the Lord blesses us with something, we have to take care of it. People will be envious of your blessing but you need to take care of it. Its always from your past that Satan brings stuff up to take away your blessing. Satan doesn’t play. He’s in it for the gusto. You fall right into a trap, the light gets so bright  and moves closer and you become memorize and then you get hit.

Allow the Lord to shake and bake you for His righteousness. Have patience and be faithful pursuing Him during that time of your walk. Don’t make the left turn, make the right turn towards His righteousness. If you delay God’s plan in your life, you hinder your blessings. So step out of the way.