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.

Whose Member are You Today?

In society there are different social groups and organizations. For instance, take Boy and Girl Scouts of the United States or for any country; or in high school as a kid growing up and who doesn’t know or understand this world, we look for something to attach our physical and our emotions to in order to feel a part of something. A sense of belonging or fitting into others that may look like you, and to keep that unanimity among all those who wanted to be a part of the whole group. They will have everyone to dress the same, walk the same, and talk the same, for the purposes of unanimity. And now, when others treat them with love and kindness, they will attach themselves to that group of people.

Take for instance, how other countries and their military have their same unique uniforms associated with their countries. Or for example, in the Olympics sports teams playing other teams from another country, every country was recognized by the flag of their countries and each country’s flag was made into their uniforms. Every country present was proud of the medals of their own country’s athletes’ achievements.  But this started back when they were a part of a team of unity, with one goal in mind. They understood that in order to win they had to be one in thought, focus, and action performance. 

But if you look at where it all began, the decision came from wanting to be a part of something bigger than themselves so they did what it took to be a part. They didn’t give up in spite of the stress, the attacks, the loneliness, and no time for themselves because they saw the bigger picture. Some get caught in themselves saying, “I’m missing out on having a good time”, having a selfish mentality, thinking as long as their main concerns are met… which is their happy place. 

Read in Romans 6:12-17:

​​12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

In your emotions and “I’m feeling good-mindset” then you say, everything is okay. This word is not about you; it’s about what you are doing to help others know the truth about themselves and how you can help someone go through sometimes simple things in life. When you allow things to hold you back from your goals, no matter how small things may seem, the impact will always be bigger than what you could ever know. 

Take for instance in Luke 15:10 – “Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Can we bring one person outside of ourselves to know the truth? Know matter what you might believe, understand this, there’s only one of two you can serve: that’s God or the devil. The choice is always ours, but know this, if your’e not serving Yeshua there’s only one that’s left, and that is the devil and death!

Read in Jeremiah 17:5-10:

5 “Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

How can we, who do know, just neglect such a great call on our life to serve man. And not because of our religiosity, mindset, and our emotional selfishness. 

Mark 7:18-23:

18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

In my closing I’ll leave you with this, let’s read Proverbs 14:12-17:

12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. 14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. 15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. 16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. 17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.”

And it is so in Yeshua’s name!

Are You Authorized and in Charge or at Large?

Do any of you remember when we would try to get our siblings to do what we wanted by invoking the word of authority to them by saying phrases like: “Father or mother said”. 

The word invoke means: to petition for help or appeal to or cite as authority. In Greek: epikaloume; means to appeal or quote. 

The reason why I would do this was to make it like I’m in charge. So, by invoking the name of the one in authority, both of us have to give an account. I felt this would cause her to listen to me and do what I said, but in actuality, I was acting in a lie and was acting illegitimately because if the true person of authority was to find out, I would receive punishment that was in accordance with the offense. So, as a so-called Christian, if you haven’t been given the authority by Yeshua, Jesus Christ to operate in His authority as a Christian, then you would be operating as an illegitimate Christian trying to invoke the authority of God on others, as though you have the right under God’s righteousness. Get right before you fight. Even when Yeshua Jesus Christ, who was given all the authority from God the Father, the Pharisees tried to question his authority.

Let’s turn in the Bible to Mark 11: 23-33: 

23 “For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

In this country, they have something called making a citizen’s arrest, but that doesn’t make you a police officer. You can only walk into the office when you have met and been taught the requirements for the office. In other words, just saying you’re a child of God or a Christian, doesn’t make it so. Find the truth and stop living in a subjugated, fake Christian life.

In the Bible reads John 3:5-7:

5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Also in Acts 2:38-40:

38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”

In my conclusion, read Matthew 28:18-20:

18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

The Uncompleted Struggles of an Unforgiving Heart

When we look at the word struggle, it means to contend with an adversary or opposing force, war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind. As we go through the highs and lows in our lives, how many different types of struggles do we encounter in our hearts? How many of those encounters deal with emotional ties? How many of those encounters deal with unforgiveness? Do we understand what the word unforgiveness means?

Unforgiveness means:

1. Not disposed to forgive or show mercy; unrelenting.

2. Not allowing for mistakes, carelessness, or weakness: the unforgiving nature of aviation.

Let’s read James 4:1-6:

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 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. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 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. 5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? 6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

As your emotional struggles begin to build, your heart moves farther from Jesus/Yeshua, and you move towards self-pity, which is closer to demonic influence. These are the signs that follow them that are following down that path of thinking. Here are six signs and traits of this infectious behavior:

  1. I’m alone and no one understands me
  2. The blame game 
  3. Self-condemnation
  4. Self-isolation
  5. Self-destruction
  6. Demonic vexation

If you know anyone you’ve seen or heard exhibiting any of these signs or traits, then it’s time for you to react and not get lax. You need to give them care immediately by:

  1. Showing them God is present by being present with them
  2. By listening to their heart
  3. Being humble and genuinely caring about their concerns and not interrupting
  4. Let them see the love of Yeshua Jesus in you by what you do
  5. Tell them of the love of Yeshua Christ has waiting to give them
  6. Pray the prayer of healing and restoration on them so they can hear and agree

Sometimes, the biggest failure in ministries is not actually ministering to that person’s needs. Some will console their flesh and temperament.

Temperament:

1. the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition.

2. unusual personal attitudes or nature as manifested by peculiarities of feeling, temper, action, etc, often with a disclination to submit to conventional rules or restraints. 

Read with me James 2:14-19:

14 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

In my conclusion, read Matthew 25:31-40:

31 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

What Does It Take to Get You Awake?

How many of you remember when you were going to school and every morning your parents would always try to wake you up for school, but it seems as though that’s when the best sleep of your life came on you even though you heard your name being called. Then, the desire to not let go of that wonderful time of peace and relaxation had bound your body, mind, and soul to that bed. You willingly did not want to leave the warmth and the comfort that the bed had to offer though we knew we had to get up to face reality and growth in our life for the future. Sometimes, we get into situations that tend to lock us in a certain mindset that is not healthy for our body physically, or a subjugated lifestyle that is not profitable and beneficial for our soul.

Turn with me to Romans 13:1-14:

1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

So in conclusion, we need to know that when we get a clear understanding of the word of God then we need to walk in that understanding.

Extra Readings: John 12:35-36, John 12:44-49

As There are Building Blocks in Life, There are in Your Christian Walk

In this world, we spend most of our time and money becoming faithful sinners and doing the wrong thing with the wrong understanding. For example, we are taught the worldly type of love, which is based on your emotions, pride, and respect for a person, instead of the biblical principles or Godly type of love. In Greek, Agape means a Godly type of love and understanding. 

We are also taught to set our hopes, desires, and dreams in things on this earth, and we are also taught the principles and understanding that we should put our trust in others. Now, in these last days, we are taught to put trust in ourselves totally, and lean to our own understanding. So, in a nutshell, we are taught from child to adulthood to believe in everything and have faith in what we can see and feel in order to succeed in this existence.

With a little understanding, and no wisdom, come a lot of mistakes and challenges in this life. Why not listen to wise counsel or why can’t you listen to wisdom? In the Bible was the most wise man in the world, and he was able to judge the smallest and the largest matters, but in the end, emotion and not using wisdom was his downfall. 

Let’s look at the word of God. Turn in your Bible to Proverbs 14:1-12:

1 “Every wise woman buildeth her house: But the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. 2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. 3 In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: But the lips of the wise shall preserve them. 4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: But much increase is by the strength of the ox. 5 A faithful witness will not lie: But a false witness will utter lies. 6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: But knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth. 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, When thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit. 9 Fools make a mock at sin: But among the righteous there is favour. 10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness; And a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. 11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.”

If you are the type of individual who leaps before they look, or have all the answers to life, or keeps making the same mistakes throughout life continually using the same understanding from the age of accountability, which is the age of 12 years and on; this means that your life and understanding are caught in a loop and sometimes that loop can be generational. 

Let’s read Proverbs 3:5-10: 

5 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

In my conclusion, take this to heart and soul and turn with me to Proverbs 4:5-9:

5 “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. 7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. 8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. 9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”