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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We Wrestle Not against Flesh and Blood

Ephesians 6:5-8

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

 

Emphasis on verse 8, Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Whether you are a slave or free, your’ll receive the same of the Lord. He is no respect of persons in that respect. A lot of people feel they can’t serve Christ if they are a slave or beholding to someone. But know that under the oppression of whomever or whatever it may be, if you are a true Child of God, you are still to do His will. By doing so, you’ll receive of the Lord, whether you be bonded to someone or free on your own. Doesn’t make a difference.

Ephesians 6:9-11

And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

Can someone say “Whole Armour?” Put on the whole armour of God, not just part of it, all of it. Put on all those things to be fully armored. Because Satan is not coming just to cut off your head, but anything he can get a hold to, whether it be your legs or arms…anyway he can. If he can strike you at your finances, in your body, he will. If he could strike at you by attacking your loved ones, he will. If he could strike at you at your job, he will. Know this, you must be prepared at all times when you go into battle. You have to have on all of your protective gear. In the military, they give you cavalier vests/armored vests, reinforced knee pads, reinforced elbow pads. They give you special helmets before you go into battle. All for the purpose of protecting you against any form of an attack. So as a Child of God, your amour is what it says in Galatians 5.

 

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

So you have to put on your armor. First of all love. Sometimes its a hard thing to put on love, but put on love so when you come against that foe, they won’t know how to act. People seem to wait for you to be combative, so they can justify their attack on you. They want you to be afraid. Our President John F. Kennedy said this one thing that is very important and I hope that we catch this: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” Now I hope you got that. The only thing to fear is fear itself. Let me break that down for you. Sometimes people don’t understand what they’re afraid about. They have been indirectly or directly taught to fear this thing, that situation, or this type of problem, not understanding that there was nothing to fear in the first place. In other words, people are being trained to fear and don’t realize it, so when they get older that fear comes out in them. It manifests itself in many different forms and ways, when you least expect it. That is why you have to be prepared to love in spite of. When somebody treats you wrong, you have to love them still. If someone talks about you, you have to love them still. I know its hard, we all have been through, when somebody just hurt you to the very fiber of your being. We want to lash out in revenge, hoping that taking revenge will resolve that issue. But I’m here to tell you revenge doesn’t resolve anything, it just opens another door that Satan can come into to destroy you.

The next armament is joy. I know some will say, how can you feel joy when someone has their foot on your neck? How can you feel joy when they are trying their best to destroy you? How can you feel joy when someone has taken all that you have? How can you feel joy when someone has taken your loved one? Taken your home, taken your livelihood? How can you feel joy? The Bible tells us in the mist of confusion and mess, God will calm that water. In the midst of trouble, He said cast your cares upon Me for I care for you. The joy you have to feel is, trouble don’t last always and neither does pain or hardship. So be confident that God has your back. Its a good thing when God has your back. We think that men have our backs, but we need not trust in men. Put your trust in God. When God has your back, He has your back.

The next thing is peace. What is peace? Freedom from disturbance, quiet and tranquility. When you look at the action of peace, it calms down everything about you and around you; the Word of God says peace be still (Mark 4:39). What comes along with peace is having faith. The only thing that would cause you to get agitated is when you don’t have peace; is when something has disturbed your faith. Does that mean you have no faith in whom you serve; in Christ that He would deliver you? When you’re going through a situation in your life, does that mean you have no faith to deliver you? It brings in fear, not having enough faith; causes you to doubt what you believe.

The next bit of armour is long-suffering. Some of you all can’t hold out for one minute without complaining. You can’t even fast for even 1 hour, notwithstanding one day. You can’t endure anything. Do you have endurance? Can you endure the stress and heartache of going through? Knowing after a while it will all be over? It reminds me of an old song they use to sing: After a while the troubles shall be over, after a while my Savior shall come. The race is not to the swift nor to the strong. The Bible says its to the one that endureth to the end. Long-suffering. Do you have on that armour of long-suffering. Can you stay with it without complaining or whining? Can you endure? That’s a heavy thing.

Another is gentleness. How many of you are gentle? How many of you have that quiet gentle spirit? How many have a gentle nature? Most people have the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth type of mentality. He hit me, I’ll hit him harder, if he hurts my family, I will hurt his, if he steals from me, I will take from him. We don’t have a gentle spirit. Another thing is goodness. When you say the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul. It says toward the latter part of that, yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall not fear. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Did you head goodness mentioned? Goodness has to be a part of a Child of God’s life, without any doubt, it has to be a part. When you think about the goodness of Jesus and all the things He’s done for us, yet we sill complain about the little things. Its a shame that we sit up there and complain about the little things. The Word of God tells us how long halt you between two opinions. If God be God serve Him, if he be mammon, serve him. I think some of us are caught between that making up our mind stage. Faith is the strongest armor because without faith its impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith in what He does, what He says, faith in what He tells us to do and where He tells us to go. The Bible tells us if we have the faith of a grain of a mustard seed, its like a little tiny bead. To say that someone doesn’t even have faith that size its an indictment on them.

Meekness, I think meekness goes right along with gentleness. A quiet, gentle and easily imposed on submissive, yielding, obedient, compliant, humble spirit. Many people in the Church don’t have humble spirits, they aren’t too meek, and quick to jump down your throat. I tell people, you’d better leave people alone, because you’ll make that Peter spirit come out quickly.

Temperance is the last. Temperance is a moderate or voluntary self restraint to refrain from doing. How many people of God have temperance as an amour? How many can say I know where to stop, I know where the line is and I’m not going to cross that line? You’ve got to know when to say no. Then you’ve got to know when to go. Temperance is an important piece of amour on the Child of God on the battlefield of this world, because you will deal with some folks who cause you to loose your temperance. There is a time and season for everything under the sun. You have to know when you should do or not do.

Ephesians 6:12

 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

That is an awesome statement. Reason being is because people think they are fighting against people. Democrats are fighting against Republicans and vice versa. They are fighting against spiritual entities behind the people. Demons and imps sent by Satan to control this world. It says against spiritual wickedness in high places. Did you know one level of demons controls a lower level of demons that controls another level of demons on you? The more successful you are in halting Satan’s growth, the more of a target you are to Satan. Being a Child of God, you are already on the radar if you are true. If you are a Charlatan, they don’t pay attention. They only want those people effective against them to make sure that the effect they have doesn’t cause their power to wane.

The term wrestle against flesh and blood…why do we fight and argue. The Word of God says in James 4:2-3 from whence come wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence even of your lust that war in your members? Ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. Ye fight and war yet ye have not because ye ask not. Ye ask an receive not because ye ask amiss. In other words your fighting against yourself, against the church because you want what they have. You never asked the Lord if you could have that, if it would edify your soul. We want it because it appeals to our flesh and will do anything to obtain it. You see these different leaders around the country fighting against one another because of jealously. You have these number of members. I want the same number of members, a nice edifice, I, I, I. When did God come in? When did He leave. When it became your ministry, when you conduct service according to your will. That is when the Holy Ghost leaves the place. Then the word Ichabod is written upon that ministry meaning the presence or Spirit of God has left that place. You never want that to be on your ministry, because once the presence of God has left your ministry, it is dead. The whole purpose is to do His will, and when He writes Ichabod on you He will never ever visit again. So you never want to hear Ichabod being pronounced on your location.

James 4:4

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

So, you hear a lot of people say I’m concerned about what will happen to this world, and all the things pertaining to loving this world. If you are in the House of God and love the world more than the Church, you are an enemy, so you might as well either get correction or get out.

James 4:5-6

Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

So can you humble yourself? There are quite a few reasons or excuses people use to justify their general disenchantment and disgust for each other. So I’ve listed some of the more common misunderstood emotions:

 

  1. Hurt-The Lord said cast your cares of Him. When you are hurting, it will cause you to have regret and anguish. That will cause you to mistreat someone, it would even cause you to hurt someone because you are hurt.
  2. Lying-What’s so big about lying? A lie hurts everybody involved. Most people don’t realize, when you tell one, you have to tell another to keep the first from being discovered. Who is the father of a lie? Satan. So you are doing Satan’s will.
  3. Hatred- It has caused people to go war. Families and friends not to speak for years. People to be killed.
  4. Fear- We talked about earlier. When a person is afraid, they will do anything to keep the fear from getting out of control.
  5. Rejection- Rejection has become a big problem in our society today. More youth are committing suicide because they are rejected by their peer group. They want to belong to some group of people that would befriend them and say good things about them. Kids sometimes can be so cruel. You have to feel good and confident about yourself. But those emotions have caused people to be disenchanted with each other.
  6. Anger- People have been so angry that they have hunted others down just to get rid of them. A lot of times people loose focus, and that is what causes people to become disgusted with other people and loose faith and hope in people.
  7. Confused- People in the Church are confused, but they don’t know what part they play. They know they are supposed to do something, because they never took the time to ask God. They want someone to tell them what to do, and when you tell them they get upset. Confusion is running rampant all through the Church. We need to understand that we can’t be confused when doing the work of God. That is one thing you need to take care of. If you don’t what will windup happening is you will lead someone astray, which will bring in contention between individuals. So you must be very careful how you walk in your Christian walk.

 

You can’t allow these 7 things to cause you not to deal with your fellow man correctly. These have caused us to fight against flesh and blood. Attack the spirit, by the Spirit. That Spirit in you should be the Spirit of God. So its very important that you allow the Holy Ghost to lead and guide you to all truth and understanding concerning your walk. Know this there is no man, woman or child or creature made of flesh and blood coming after you. It is spiritual wickedness attacking you. It uses whomever and whatever to attack the Child of God to slip up or fail. So I tell you again how long halt you between two opinions? If you are a Child of God, act like one. You are to be the salt of the earth, so put on that shield, and whole amour of God so that you may be able to stand against the whiles of the Devil. Everything is not going to be to how you like it or want it to be. Remember God is trying to make you. First he needs to break you down, so He can build you up His way.

Know this, Satan will use whomever or bring up situations around your life, he will bring people into your life that mean no good for you or anything you do for the Lord, so as to destroy God’s purpose for you in ministry. So I say again, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, rulers and darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

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A Great Falling Away

In this time that we’re living in, we’ve seen men, women and children, locked up, hooked on and gravitating to the lifestyles and mindsets of their society and the world around them. They’re easily being led down the wrong road. They have been convinced to see that “do what you what to do, its fine with society.” We have seen lesbianism and homosexuality, run rampant, like it did with Sodom and Gomorrah. In so much that the very House of God is being overrun. The Bible says in the last days that people will say wrong is right, and right is wrong. We have seen our leaders let down the future generation. We have seen parents and leaders condoning living together, men and women living together out of the sanctity of marriage. Saying it is ok for teenagers to have premarital sex, don’t worry about marriage, just enjoy yourself, you are free to do that. We have seen it all over the world. This mindset too has also infiltrated the Body of Christ. In our local centers and Churches, in our local school systems, there is nobody standing up it seems anymore for those things the Bible says are right. We have seen devil worship, voodoo, we have seen witchcraft, we have seen the church of Satan risen and begin to flourish in this world today. They have even erected statues of Satan. The world is boldly stepping out on what they believe. I ask you, where are the men and women of God today?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means:

This is letting you know that there will be multiple forms of deception that as a Child of God you will be dealing with. With the things happening in the world today, people are being deceived that what they are doing is ok with society, daring to say its ok with God.

2 Thessalonias 2:3-7

for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

If we correlate the 3rd verse and 7th verse:  “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:”

There is, the Bible says, a way that seems right to a man, woman, or child, but the result of that is the way of death. I notice that in the USA, people are caught up on semantics. They are caught up on someone else who is popular on the TV or Radio and they being to take their words, as words from God. Thereby, they begin to minister a thought pattern that is not conducive to their children, to their families and to their friends. Know this, this is taking place in the House of God as well. People are bringing up every kind of excuse there is as to why they can’t attend, why they won’t attend. Things like its too far. I don’t have any clothes. I don’t have any shoes. I don’t have any money. I don’t know anyone. Isn’t it amazing how we bring up so many different excuses when its only a benefit and not a detriment by coming and being in the House of God? People today “are caught up with having fun.” I can’t have fun. If I can’t have fun I don’t want to be a part of it. I ask you again, where are the people of God? Are you caught up in life situations, or worldly temptation? Does this world mean to you than your soul?

The problem that most people have in our society today as well is that they can’t let go of the past. They can’t let go of the memories. You must realize if you linger in the past, it will become your future. Why are people in the House of God fighting, complaining, accusing, hating their fellow sisters and brothers in the House of God? The Word of God tells us because they are desiring to possess and to have what their brothers or sisters own or possess. Where has the Church failed in that area? Have our leaders put more trust in themselves more than God? Have leaders put more trust in their stuff over God? I ask you again, where are the people of God?

 

2 Thessalonians 2:8-9

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

 

Satan has his own form of special effects. Because he will do whatever it takes to keep your eyes covered as in the world or as Children of God to delay you or turn you back. A lot of times what the people of God fail to remember is this: we’re not trying to beat Satan or fight him. He alreay lost when he came against God. He is a defeated foe. If you know that then you shouldn’t allow that to make you afraid. It should convience you to try to recover some of the damage that Satan and his demons has inflicted upon men, women and children. As people of God we have to restore men and women in our society, if they desire to be free from themselves.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:10

And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

 

He’s going to deceive you if you turn a deaf ear to the truth. Every man woman and child knows the truth. It’s just we refuse to walk in it because it confines us. I can’t enjoy myself. I can’t do what I want to do. So I make up rules and lies so I can continue to walk in confusion.

2 Thessalonians 2:11

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

You know what a strong delusion is? A strong deception. Its like sending them a fraudulent or subjective error.

2 Thessalonians 2:12

That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The time is coming that people are convinced that what they are doing is correct. You know that a man with a man or a woman with a woman wrong. So why so you continue to walk in that mess? Saying they can find happiness. This is a strong delusion. Then our government makes laws that if we mention it or talk about it you can go to court. What kind of thing is that? They are making laws that we should treat homosexuals as normal people, when they are not normal but abnormal. I put a challenge to all homosexual and lesbians. Procreation of a man and woman brings about a product, that is a living life that has a soul. Can a man and another man procreate? Or a Woman and another woman procreate? So anyone who comes and says that they are a family is lying, because their concept of a family has been widely misused. Then you begin to teach the next generation that it is ok. Knowing that if you put two women together on an island and tell them to prorate, come back in 2 years time wanting to see the population to increase. If you come back to that island that has not had influence from anyone else, you will not find any increase, and if anything, one of the woman may have died. So why is the church entertaining having gay pastors, lesbian bishops…why is the church even entertaining that when it is an abomination of God? He destroyed whole cities, burned them to the ashes because of the same mess that they are doing now all over the world. How do we have a government that is so off? Because they’ve been influenced by a Satantic belief system, which in that system its ok for men and men and women and women to be together. Because Satan know to stop humans from being born, he needs to flip the mind of men and woman, so that when they die, there is not life left behind. These people know they can’t have children, so the want to adopt children so they can quantify themselves as a family. There should be a law against homosexuals adopting children, because that same skewed mentality will be taught to that child. I say again where are the people of God?

Are you afraid to stand up for what you know is the truth? Are you afraid to stand up for the truth? Or you don’t want to offend or hurt someone else feelings? The Bible says that we’re going to be hated because we hold people accountable to their sin. If you want to be loved by the world, then you need to look where you are standing with God. If you believe in Him, how long halt you between 2 opinions? Do you serve God or society? If you are a Child of God you will offend somebody. They killed Christ on the cross because He kicked down the money changes and the thieves saying My house you’ve made a den of thieves. How will you want to go back with the Lord, when you love the world? We need not walk in our flesh. Who do you serve? You say you serve Christ, but you care about what they say about you. You see what happened to Lot’s wife, she turned back to look at Sodom and Gomorrah and was turned to a pillar of salt. The Bible tells us if salt looses its saltiness what use it is? To be trodden over by men. Its the same thing with sugar if it has no sweet taste what good is it? The Lord said if you are My child you will offend someone. If you are more concerned about what the world says about you, maybe you never left the world. Maybe in your mind or heart you are holding on to a memory of the world. If so, you need to go back to the alter, check yourself before you wreck yourself. There is a way that seems right to a man but the end thereof is the way of death.

2 Thessalonians 2: 13-15

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

 

Never give up, never surrender is the the 15th verse is saying.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

So God has already established you. He has given you a foundation, His grace, hope, His glory. So why look back over what has happened in the past, and make the past become your future? The Bible tells us no man having to put his hand on the plow and look backwards, because your plowing forward, you don’t look back. God wants us to look forward. Some of us need to break up that fallow ground in our lives, so that we could put a better foundation in our relationship with Christ, so that we will be able to stand in those times of trouble. We know that our hopes comes from God, and our lives are hidden in God. We need to have a better understanding of who He is in our life. Lean not to your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge God and He shall direct your path.

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Don’t Do as the Romans Do When in Rome

Deuteronomy 18:9

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

In this day and age to do as others in their environment, you tend to mock after your surroundings. If everyone around you is drinking, everyone around just to be a part try it and they get hooked. When in Rome do as the Romans. Don’t do as the Romans do. This statement is truly spoken of someone who is a part of this sinful world. Know this, that any time you take the thoughts, views, or lifestyles of another person, you will reap the consequences or in other words you will reap the same consequences or reward or judgement of that action. So if you take the sins of or the burden or the sins of someone else upon yourself, you will reap the same consequences that that other individual will reap.

Matthew 7:2

…and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Deuteronomy 18:1

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance

This goes for the Pastors, Ministers, Elders…the Lord is saying don’t look for an inheritance. Don’t worry about owning anything having anything because I will provide for you. Now in this day and age, they are all concerned about having a steady flow of income for their so called needs. Its seems as though no one wants to trust in the Lord and wait on the Lord. If you trust in the Lord He shall renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31). Don’t worry about having or possessing things, God will be your portion. That is what He’s telling the Levites, the priests, the tribe of Levi. Men and Women of God today are so concerned about getting a dollar bill. That is why they go around pimping the Lord and pimping the saints because they want to make money. There are very few pastors who wrote books, Christian writers who wrote books and gave them away free. Most put a price tag to something that is supposed to deliver them from their situation. But it comes with a price tag. That is almost prevalent of everything in this world today. You can’t get nothing for free in the US. Everything has a price tag. You know you need to drive your car back and forth, so they charge you gas. The one’s who own the gas companies stick a price to everything. And then if they feel like when they need more money or less money, they will create a shortage to raise the price of gas. Now the men and women of God writing these books are doing somewhat the same thing. I have a Word of God for you for $7.95. Now if its a Word of God for the people of God it should be free. The Bible tells us that they sold all that they had and gave so that none would have lack. But most today in the Church, pastors, leaders, bishops apostles, today, all say, I’m not going to have lack because I will make you pay for it. You ask them to speak at your ministry, and they send paperwork ahead of them stating that they will not do anything probono, and states that before they come and minister to you and your people, upon average they will ask for $3,000-$5,000. If you cannot pay, they are not coming. That is why they whether you to contact them instead of them contacting you. If you contact them, its out of your pocket, if they contact you its out of their pocket. I’m truly against pimping the Word of God that they said comes from God. The Word of god said that there is never a price for the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 18:4

The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

The first of all you make and do goes to the priest first, then after that, whatever you have after its for you to sell or whatever the case may be. But the priest should get his first because he is not working. The Lord is their inheritance. You will provide for them. If they aren’t taken care of, you aren’t talking care of Me.

Deuteronomy 18:5

For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for ever.

He has given that because they own nothing. Now in this day and age, most elders and bishops and priest don’t have anything. Most of the people of the Church complain of where every dollar is going, granted some take advantage. Some say they will not pay their dues anymore, but those very same people will go out and buy a lottery ticket or an expensive dinner, or go out and frivolously take that money to have a good old partying time, and won’t be concerned about where it went to. But the very moment that they fall into need, they don’t have money to pay for their bills or transportation, food, their knocking on the door of the Church saying, I gave you x number of dollars, and I want food, money, and I want you to pay my bills. In other words what I’m saying is this they gave their money on the pretext that they could get it back later, as though the Church was a bank. They weren’t giving to the Church to help the ministry go forth, but they were giving so the church could hold on to it so they could get it back without reservation. The Lord is not a part of that situation of their life in that respect. He will blow on their finances. They figure if they gave the church $10,000 last year, and when they come back and need to get something that costs $5,000-$6,000 the church better give it. Now they went and gave the lottery people and gave them $50,000 over a period of time. Do they go back to the lottery people and demand their money? What mindset is taking place. And I’m taking about the so called “I’m in the church” folks. What kind of mindset is that? Can they go to the local store where they got the lottery ticket and say I’m hungry, can you give me some food and pay my bills? They look at the Church as being a genie bank. Now granted, we know that some ministries have abused their people, lied to their people, stole from their people, with the whole intention to get rich gain. Not mentioning any names, the whole point was is that they bought multi-million dollar homes, cars, boats, planes. Now, those things a frivolous. They have nothing to do with spreading the Word of God. Well I need a plane so I can get to my destination on time. Well take a plane, a public transportation plane to save the ministry money. You don’t need a hundred thousand dollar plane. Never once did you read in the Word of God did Paul have a chauffeur, that pulled his donkey, or any of the disciples being carted around. What is it this day that we have to drive around in the latest vehicle, finest of clothes, shoes, living in the finest of homes? What is it? None of the disciples or apostles or men of God back then did it. But people who are in the Church see this and they’re saying that the Church is taking their money. Those individuals should look a little closer and realize pay your tithes, give your offering. That is all God is requiring of you. He’s not requiring that you give an abundance of money, He is concerned that your brother has nothing and you have all this. He wants us to share, when our brothers don’t have give. Don’t put a clause on it. If you know, and this is for Pastors. If you have a word from God for the people of God, it should not come at a price. Its supposed to be free. Because all that you do is suppose to be for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

1 Peter 5:2-3

Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.

This goes right back to what I said in Deuteronomy 18:9-11, the main verse we were alluding to.

Deuteronomy 18:9-13

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.

The Lord doesn’t want you to have any part of these. But there are pastors and leaders who delve into these. You have some Pastors who are masons, and masons worship the devil. You can’t be a mason and a Child of God, you will either love the one and hate the other one, or hate the one and love the other one. You cannot be a mason, freemason, bound mason or whatever you want to call it and be a man of God or Child of God. They are totally opposite. But you say you like the benefits, you like to walk around and have some power, wear the ring…any society that has secrets is not of God, or that meets in the shadows or dead of night, that talks about forbidden things that the Word of God talks against is not of God. If you are a man of God, your portion is God, your life is God. It can’t be your life is mason and God. But you say you were a mason before coming to God. You can get out of masonry. So I’m saying to you when you cross over from the world and came into the House of God to be a Child of God. Whatever was in the world stays in the world. Whatever mindset, ritual, believing pattern with any group you had don’t bring in the House of God, it is an abomination. And the Lord doesn’t use abomination lightly. So as you cross over from the world and into the Church as a laity, the Bible says by leaving those things:

Philippians 3:13-14

 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.

We have to remember one thing in this walk. When God told them not to take upon themselves not to take on the abomination of the world. He’s telling the Church the same thing. Leave the world in the world, and leave the Church in the Church. Render unto Cesar Caesar’s and unto God God’s. Leave that world in the world. Now that we’re in the Church now, seek those things that are from on high. Don’t seek those things in the world and justify getting rich off of your working members. You are trying to make a star out of yourself, that is a sin and an abomination to God. Your inheritances lie with God, not with man. Don’t go around saying you have this or that, giving your own-self an inheritance in this world. If you are dedicating your life to God, then He shall make a way for you. Sometimes, you know, it seems like we want to equate ourselves, we came out of the world, and getting into the Church we still want to have the same things. Open your eyes, listen with your ears what God is saying to the Church. Be in the world but not of the world. Amen.

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Broken in Pieces

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Psalm 147:1-11

Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

In the Bible it says that He will mend broken hearts, heal broken hearts (Psalm 147:3). The broken pieces in our minds, in our thoughts, they tend to keep tearing at our very being. Memories, broken memories of our past, seem to rip and pull at our hearts, saying what could have, maybe what should have. Those very things are a constant hurt and pain to our very souls. Broken pieces. As I said before broken dreams. I know we’ve all had hopes and aspirations of a future for us, or lives, families, jobs, our very relationships, only to have had them dashed, destroyed; we have fallen victim to broken pieces. These broken pieces. We have been wounded to the point where we feel sometimes like we can’t go on. These broken pieces of memories, of dreams, keep reoccurring in our lives. Some people can not proceed forward in their lives due to the fact that they keep reliving those broken memories, broken dreams, those broken pieces. We have not proceeded further in our relationships with others, in our pursuit of life. Even in liberty, we have not even pursued liberty, to be set free from the things that bind us. Lay aside ever weight (that means broken pieces) every sin that does so easily beset us. The broken dreams.

Some of us had a dream of being someone important, someone who has achieved goals in their lives, to assist or help someone else achieve their goals, only to have had it dashed away and become broken pieces in our lives. Some of us had the hopes and dreams of finding the right woman or man who will fulfill our hopes and desires of life, someone we can confide in, talk to in peace. Someone that can console us when we’re going through troubles in our walk. We thought that we would find the ultimate mate, have a family, kids, one or two maybe even three kids. Have a family; extension of ourselves. Something that we can look up to and feel proud about. Someone that we can feel happy about. Some people say their life would be complete if they could find that perfect individual. But the individual they did pursue and found a relationship with at the time, they even knew that they should not have been with that individual. They knew that they were not compatible with that individual. But out of the hopes of having a relationship, they pursued it further and further to the point that they were all in and locked in. They confided, consoled, they let their heart flow toward that individual, hoping that it would be reciprocated, only to find out that that individual had ulterior motives; Had a hidden agenda for their live, and it led you down the road of despair. Then you began to feel unloved, undesired, that no one even cared about who you were, not your outward appearance but who you were inside. That comes from you placing all your hopes and desires in that situation. Already knowing that it would come to not. You shunned friends and family, set aside wisdom from leaders, pushed away any form of help. Now you are at the end of your rope.

You had a desire to be in a company, to be needed at your job. To desire someone to see your abilities at what you do. Only winding up to be passed over by your bosses for someone who was less qualified. You begin to get angry on your job, because you had put trust, hopes, dreams and expectations on that job. A lot of times what we do as human beings is we place ourselves in a dream state looking with a dream mind, saving up a situation that is not in existence, but is something we desire to be or have. Along with those dreams, we have attached a lifestyle a situation, ambition, and all these types of emotional connections. So when it does not turn out the way we dreamed it to be; they become a broken dream, that you were not healed of; They become broken pieces.

We push that to the back of our minds, and out of the way of our hearts. We had family members, relatives, kin, who when we grew up we thought that they cared a whole lot about us. Who we thought would make provision for us in their lives. We thought that they would be for us, no matter what situation we got in. As we progressed in our maturity in life, they slowly but surely began to dissipate in our live. But we built a foundation around them saying that “I am who I am because of who I’m connected to.” So our identity was through them and how they perceived us. Then we find out the some of them wanted to use us for their own glory for their own pursuit. Now our hopes and expectations have been broken. We have broken pieces.

You started going to Church as a young child. You saw the way individuals loved and helped around the House of God. You saw how you could count on those individuals in the House of God. So you build an expectation when you get older that that same type of love, consideration and concern will still be there when you mature. But I tell you again you are living in a dream world. Satan has pull the wool over your eyes so you can only see the good things about people. But the reality is there is none good. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is only one good man and that is Jesus Christ. But we have built our expectation on the individuals around us. We have seen how their love for others begins to supersede our understanding of what love is because we see them performing the acts of love to us as we understand. We have to perceive that everybody in the church is not right. Everybody in the house of God is going through a test that always winds up being a mess that will cause you to have stress. Know this, we have to realize one thing, if there is no test in your life, then there is no growth in your soul towards Christ. Now these individuals in the house of God, they’re not trying to set you up, but their going through their own stress, tests, ambitions and their own coping with life, whatever life throws at them. So all the time it may not appear to be that they’re saved. But know this they’re going through their own test that has broken pieces. I tell you without broken pieces in your life, God cannot get you out of the strife that you are going through.

We need to be able to call on the Lord in our time of need. You need to be able to call on the Lord in your time of stress. “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Psalm 50:15).

2 Peter 2:7-9

And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

This is when it was concerning Lot being delivered from Gomorrah. How many have ever been in a situation, whether on your job or some location where the conversation went left, because those people were of the world, and the conversation that they spoke about remained in your mind as part of the broken pieces of your memory? The conversation got wickeder, being fed by others around you. As it would be, they all became part of the broken pieces and the broken thoughts of your mind. This explains what a Child of God goes through today whether with his family, job or community. These are all part of the broken pieces, thoughts or dreams that are aligned with that individual. You’re being vexed day in and day out with these conversations. But the Lord God knows how to deliver the Godly out of the temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day to be punished. So its up to us to keep ourselves in the midst of the broken dreams and pieces of our heart to maintain, never give up or give in to the situations that we’re in. Whether its in a relationship with a man or woman, family members who seem to be talking against us, or whether they are church folks which seem to be attacking us. Whether it with people on our jobs, our bosses or co-workers. Whether its with our community, we have to never give in and never give up, holding on to that faith, to that confidence in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that He will deliver you from that situation.

Psalms 47:3

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

The Lord will heal those scars, those broken pieces. But He can only heal those broken pieces, scars and broken dreams if you release them to Him and leave it there. He can’t deliver you from anything if you constantly give it to Him, then take it back; He can never deliver it. But if you constantly dwell on it, you take it back. How can Christ heal you when you keep refusing the medicine? He said He will fix the broken heart and bind up your wounds. I’ve never seen anyone go to the hospital to get healed, and leave the same day they got in there. Back and forth, they go into the hospital then they change their mind, they go in and change their mind. How can you get healing for our Lord Jesus Christ if you don’t take your burden and leave it there?

Psalm 55:22

Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

To be healed of the broken pieces, dreams, and heart, you need to carry all those things to the Lord, and genuinely leave them with Him. Think no more of them, and move on in your life for growth in your Christian walk. Don’t leave them at the altar of God and come back and pick them up. You will never be delivered no matter how much you pray if you continually take them from the Lord.

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Judge Not

Matthew 7:1-2

Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Key word is judge. In this life we’re consonantly judging our situations, our families, friends and jobs. Being a judge, if you look at that word, it implicates to condemn, punish, avenge, conclude, damn, decree, determine; the Greek word for Judge is: kree’-no which means to decide. When you look at the triune structure of man, we tend to judge from our soul, not from the Spirit of God inside. Our souls contain our imagination, conscience, memory, affections, and reason. When we make a determination about a situation, or in other words judge, we’re not basing our judgement on facts, were basing our judgement on what our soul says or psyche. So, if we have preconceived notions about a thing, person, or situation, then we’re going to make a judgement call based on our experience with that situation we’ve encountered in the past. So to make a fair and Godly type judgement, we need to allow the spirit that God has placed in every human being be the deciding factor in our decision making. I advise you if you don’t know to go to the resources, under articles, and look up the Triune Structure of Man, and use that as your footnote for Matthew 7. It explains to you how man perceives his world around him.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

When you make a judgement and don’t have the right decision making structure, when the judgement is made and wrong because you don’t have the information, the Word is saying that that same judgement will be placed on your head. Whatever results come from that judgement being made it shall be also placed upon you. Some people like to say that the Lord says we will judge the world (1 Corinthians 6:2). Yes when He comes back because you’ll have already been worth to judge the world. As long as we have a fleshly nature, and our souls are the determining factors for judging other or a situation, we will not come up with a righteous judgement. That is why the Word of God tells us not to judge, because when we do, we have issues going on with ourselves. There is a saying I heard my family say: “The pot can’t call the kettle black, when they’re both black.” You can’t find problems with me because you have your own. What makes you think you can decide judgement over me when you have issues? The fact of the matter remains is this: as it says in the Word of God, judge not.

3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

You making a determination about someone else’s sin and your the biggest sinner in there. You nit pick over someone else life, about the little things you think are important to you because it effects you and low and behold, you’re jacked up. God does not want us to go around and find fault with people concerning their walk, their talk, and concerning their views on life.

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

You sit there and judge a person to the untimpth degree, and judge in their life what you perceive, according to your understanding, but after you make that determination that this person is guilty based on your understanding, then you see yourself as being a righteous judge, and begin to pronounce punishment for the judgment. A lot of times people them to point their fingers at other people to hid their own sin so no one will notice them, so they won’t be found out. So the innocent will be crucified and judged. And what innocent person in the Bible was judged and accused wrongly?  Our Lord and Savior Jesus, wrongly accused, lied upon then the sentence of death placed upon His head. Have you crucified someone lately and the sentence was placed on their head, all because of what you said, your testimony? Have you placed someones life in jeopardy because of a lie you told in your judgment of a situation, thereby leading them to be wrongly accused. If so, then you need to cross examine your intentions. You need to begin to judge yourself, and if you find yourself guilty, do you want that same punishment placed upon your head?

7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Would you want to get the same judgment you passed on another? That’s the situation judgment. What Judgement? So why would you pronounce the sentence of death on someone because you don’t like what they stand for, or because you don’t like what they look like, or you don’t like that they have more than what you have. I tell you jealousy, envy has cause a lot of false judgment in this world today, and in the House of God. You have son against father, father against son, mother against daughter, and daughter against mother, saint and saint, pastors against pastors, bishops against pastors, bishops against pastors and pastors against bishops, all because of jealousy and envy. If both of you believe in God, how long halt you between two opinions. If God be God serve Him. But I dare you having an ought against your brother or sister, and you allow it to harm your brother or sister. A lot of us have killed and destroyed our bothers and sisters and ministries all because of a lie, envy, jealousy. What about husbands and wives? Sometimes, husbands get jealous of the wife because she is more popular than he is, and vice versa. A lot of times wife’s get jealous of husbands because they have more charisma, people look up to them more than they do their spouse, causing division in the house. Satan doesn’t care who you are, what you are, if he can get you to judge brother, sister, husband or wife, and it destroys that union, he’s won. So, I ask you in closing, have you judged someone today? The word of God tells us that, if you have an ought against your brother or sister, go to them get it straight. If they won’t hear you than take a witness with you. And if they don’t hear you, bring them up before the Pastor of the Church, so that things can be resolved, because Satan only comes to kill, steal, and destroy relationships, ministries, and anything God has ordained to be establish on this earth.