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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The Seeds of Your Past Can Choke out Your Future

You’ve seen vines that grow around trees and on windows? Those vines come from a little, bitty seed, which grows like wild fire. They’ll cover stuff, choke out stuff, in so much that they even kill a trees. They’ll smother the branches and choke out the leaves, and kill the tree. Those kind of seeds will choke our your future and if you have that kind of see in your life, it will choke out your future.

The word Seed in Greek is Sperma, where we get the English word sperm. We all know what sperm is. The Bible tells us the origin of our seed; of us. But the Greek work Sperma means offspring.

Ecclesiastes 11:1-3

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

A tree can’t pick itself up and say it doesn’t want to lay where it fell. Like dominoes, when you set one off, all of them go off. This is how some things are in our lives. We set our lives up like dominoes. Whatever is in our past will knock down our future. We’ll wind up doing stupid stuff, and our future was based upon something we set up in the past. As we set things up in the past and we go beyond the past, we set up things like dominoes right behind us. Then we get to the point where we say we’ve made it! Were doing good. We have the car, house, wife, or husband, land, or job that we wanted. Everything is laid out just the way we wanted, and you sit back and say this is cool. Then all of a sudden, something comes out of nowhere that topples your life. When you take a deeper look, there were things in the past that have dominoed its self to the present that have caused me to loose. We look at these things and say “no I’ve cleared up my path.” Know this, whatever is in your past will become your future if its not taken care of.

Ecclesiastes 11:4

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

If you’re so busy worried about something else that has nothing to do with what is needed now, time flies by.

Ecclesiastes 11:5-10

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun: But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

 

The Bible tells us that when I was a child, I spoke as a child, I acted as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things. We look at some of the young men today; getting girls pregnant. Then they say that they can’t afford a child. Well, did they think about that in the past? The child is back here, and the girl is young, and the boy is young. The boy says I still have my life to live. Why do an adult act while you’re a child? As you get older, and she gets older, you get set in your ways and do your own thing. You want to see your child, but the mother withholds you, and asks for money for the child. Now he did it when he was young and irresponsible. Now that he is older and somewhat responsible, all that is in his life. So she goes and gets a DNA test to show that he is the father. Domino effect. Now you’re working a good job making a lot of money. Then someone takes half your check to give to the mother and the baby. Domino fact. The court now has garnished your wages. Now you say she doesn’t deserve your money, that you’ve worked hard to get that. Too late to say that because you’ve set the seed in the past, which caused you set affects in your life. Another situation; you do investments, make a little money as a young person; saved aside. Someone convinces you to spend your money on frivolous things. You put your money toward that, which sucks the money from your pocket. Now all of a sudden someone wants to cosign or borrow money from you; a good friend. In the process, they defraud on the loan, they don’t pay it, and because your name is on the loan, they come after you because you cosigned. So you’re directly responsible because you have a job and the other friend doesn’t. So now they garnish your wages. Now you’re stuck with the child support and a loan you helped cosign. That should tell you one thing. Don’t set up seeds in your past to control what happens to your life in the future. Don’t start off bad habits…smoking, drugs because your friends said it was cool. Because you want to be cool, you starting taking up smoking. A little weed here, smoking a little there. Next thing you know, you’re smoking weed on a regular basis. Now the money you have coming in is spent on a habit; your money is slowing dissipating. Bad habits can cause you to loose your future.

A lot of people allow different kinds of things in their life, not understanding that it can cause them to loose their future. We look at Israel. We look at their life and structure. Some of the things Israel did in their past, hampered their future. When Israel was in Egypt, they cried and pleaded to where they got to the point where they cried on a regular basis. The Lord sent them a deliver; Moses. Isn’t it something how you can remember your past, the things your thought were fun and awesome? But the Israelites in Egypt were making bricks from straw to build buildings, working the slime pits, working the straw in, doing everything designated for someone who was a slaves. They were being whipped and tortured to help build things for that dynasty. Its amazing when they cried out, God gave Moses, who said he was coming to set the people free. Moses a deliver? “What you call its,” son? That boy is our deliverer? People couldn’t believe it. As the people were walking to their place of destiny being free, isn’t it amazing how when they got in the dessert, and there was no water, no food, they started complaining. Now mind you, there was no food or water barely in Egypt, but they recalled they had a better time in Egypt. Isn’t it something the things of your past your were trying to get free from, your require to be in your present? We become Children of God, and then when things get hard in your walk, you think about how it was when you were in the world. I partied, I did what I wanted to do, but you complained then that you didn’t want to do all that. Now you get salvation and say I’m bored, this Christian life was boring. But what did you do in the world? Sat in the house all day.

Get yourself active in the house of God before you complain that being in the house of God is boring. Well you say you don’t know what do. Get active. Once you do, you’ll find something that you desire to do and God will enhance that. But most people like to complain. Don’t let the past, your past things you did, the things you were doing in the past, build up and cause your future to be jacked completely up. You can’t allow that to happen. Right now, as you set right now, get everything cleaned up. Even if you have to go to your old friends and apologize, apologize, because you don’t want to be the one who holds back their future. So now you are free and can grow to be what God called you to be, so that mess won’t come back later and bite you. I’ve been dominoed so many times from things, that I should be flat. This is how we are letting our past become our future. So we need to find those seeds, dig them up, and destroy them, because they will surely grow up and choke up your life.

Mark 4:22-29

For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath. And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Things in your life, if they are negative things, if you feed those things with negative process like thoughts, actions or deeds, as you bring those things into your life, that corn stalk in your life will begin to fill out and grow. As it gets into its maturity it bears fruit. All those things you’ve been feeding into your life, negative things, actions and deeds, will come to a maturity, and when they do, they will blossom out of you. So if you are fed being a liar, crook, thief, judgmental, nasty, lazy; when you get older it will blossom out of you because your nurtured those things. When they rear their head and blossom in front of you, its never in a good time, its always in a wrong time, but these things have become a part of you. So you’re only doing what you do, and what you have grown to do, what you have placed in you to do. Its just as I said earlier about the dominoes that you set up in your life. You’re in front of the dominoes and they are behind you. As a Child of God, don’t let your past become your future that will choke out the real purpose that God has for you. Just like that corn stalk with corn; the fruit on, they will build up. If its good things, your get a bunch of it, and if its bad things you’ll get a bunch of it. Make sure the things you do contribute to a good walk in Christ. Don’t let it be because of something in the past, or something you couldn’t let go of. Remember the Greek word for seed is Sperma, which is the natural offspring of something. Something natural; that you accumulated; that you gave all the time and nurture it needed to grow in your life. Understand this, the Bible tells us, what so ever a man soweth that shall he reap.

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You Cannot Build on Dead Works

Sometimes people say “I will pick up where I left off” after they’ve been out for a while. Can you imagine if a building has been dilapidated and we clean the building up on the outside and inside, then we’ll take that building and connect it to that building so we can keep going on? Do you know what will happen when the first wind storm comes?

You can’t build on dead works. But if you have junk in your life and you never got rid of the junk, you can’t build a solid foundation on that, because as the junk’s being affected, you’re going to see it shake and quake. It will fall.

There are the things you never got straight; those are the issues in your life that you build another life on top of. Most people say its ok, because “I’ve put it in the past.” How many people know that your past will become your future? Its just like when people build on quick sand; after a period of time it will sink. Then after a period of time water seeps up into the building. You can’t build from dead works. You have to eradicate it and clean up.You have to be refurbished, so that when God places a load in your life of work, you can say “Lord I got this” and not “Lord its too much.” When Things are done everything comes to the forefront and the Lord gives it to you. You have a clean foundation that you can build on. A solid foundation. Amen?

Hebrews 6:1-12

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

How many have heard of the word Ichabod? This is a very important word, which stands for “the glory has departed from that place.” In the case with Israel in 1 Samuel 4:21, it had departed.

1 Samuel 4:19-21

And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

You remember when the Children of Israel were traveling from land to land and they carried the Ark of the Covenant with them? They would set the Ark in the Holy of Holies in the temple. God would commune with the priest in the midst of a cloud. This was Gods way of talking to His people before the point where He became flesh. He would leave messages to them of what they should do with the people, etc. So the Ark was taken; removed from its place. When God leaves His power, His glory and presence are gone. Amen? So now here we have in our lives when the Holy Ghost leaves you the presence of God is not in you and if its not in your what is going on? Its Ichabod that is written on your life.

Some people have Ichabod written on their lives and they don’t even know. So they are building on a shaky foundation. They think of when they USE TO worship; when they USE TO dance. They’re building their whole spiritual walk on what USE TO be. You can’t build on dead works. You can’t build on dead works. You cannot build your Christian walk on something that you use to do. People will fight you tooth and nail and say “He was with me then so I know He’s with me now.” Let me share something with you: Satan is with us 24/7. The mocker; the accuser who has imps that can watch you to mimic your ways to give the impression that you are saved and filled with the Holy Ghost. Satan can make someone jerk, he can make them speak in another tongue. Satan can give you a joyous expression. He is the mocker and accuser, deceiving the bothers to spread the message of lies to other people. What happens to you if you don’t go to your job in 4 or 5 months? You won’t have one,. What happens when you don’t go to church in 4 or 5 months? We take it for granted with God. Its ok with God. You’ve heard what people say “God knows my heart.” He does. That is why He’s trying to tell you get yourself some teaching; some understanding. Because if not, then you’re going on yesterdays work, trying to build today’s future on yesterdays work. Well what’s wrong with that? If it didn’t work yesterday it won’t work today because new mercies God brings forth every morning. How many wake up every morning?

So its time for us to begin to let go of the old foundation, and clean it and prepare it for a whole new work. The Bible says greater works shall you do because Jesus is gone to the Father. You know what a greater work is? Us sitting here in a basement in Bedford, OH at 10 am, talking to a bunch of people in another country witnessing to them, instructing them and getting them together without having them there. They didn’t have the technical capabilities then that we do now. They had Paul, Timothy, Bartholomew, walking for days or weeks to get to one Church. There were seven churches. A greater work is when you can bring someone from the dead, or when thousands of people can be fed from one basket. But what has not been done is communication from one person to another in another country! The point is these are greater works they never conceived of then. What is another great work? Reaching people in the most isolated places in the world, that don’t have internet, Google, Facebook, Instagram; who can’t text or who don’t have anything. Greater work is when you get up out of your seat, go across the seas and talk to these people. The greatness is when the people receive it, and say they’ve heard and been asking their god to teach them and tell them the truth. That is why the word of God says the harvest is ripe, but the labors are few.

Ain’t nobody doing nothing, because were all in church talking about each other, going to dinner, self devouring, usurping authority, making people jealous of others and the souls are dying. If you allow the Word of God dwell in you richly, you’ll hear the Word of God say to you “there is a brother or sister who will come, go with them.” You’ll hear the voice of God. This is what we do when we hear the voice of God; We ask “is it real?” We’ll be able to hear the voice of God when we stop fighting with one another. Then you can testify to 5 people who heard it, received it, and got baptized in Jesus name. You never would have done that when you fuss and argue with yourself and other people. The work goes undone, but you still try to build on that foundation but you’ve never heard Him and haven’t seen Him in years. If you go out and try to witness to someone else, and you’re jacked up, what will happen?

Jesus said I want you to prepare a place for Me for the Passover. Go to the city, see a man…God will use others to get you to where you should be in Him. Jesus said go and tell them that the Father has need. Sometimes we say we don’t hear the voice of God. Well maybe we need to shut up for a while. I know what His voice sounds like to me, but it may be different for you. You need to find out how He will speak to you. God uses whom He will to get his point across to His child. Little kids will be used in this way. He wants us to get rid of that mentality of trying to go on…you’ve been wound forth last last 45, 50, 60, 70 years. You know how many people in the Church are wounded and they try to say something to someone about Jesus? They know absolutely nothing. If you’re not happy how can you tell that God is ecstatic? If you’re not delivered how can you tell someone else that He delivers. How can you say God is awesome and you’ve never seen His awesomeness. How can He talk to You? Does He have to take a number? This is what we don’t really understand. All the stuff in our past will, and has been, and can become our future.

The word build; to assemble; the way a thing is put together; pattern made up composition; in other words, the material used to build upon; to construct; building. If you’re building a new highway, do you build atop the old highway? No, you take out the old concrete, then level out the soil, then build anew. But we say, why can’t they hurry up and build that high way? If you go over that highway that isn’t reinforced, when you drive over it, you’ll be dead in rubble. They aren’t building on dead works, they are gutting it out and restructuring so they can build on solid foundation. Same with a Child of God, you can’t have all that mess in your life; you can’t carry all that baggage with you and try to witness to someone. You can’t build on anything in your life if you’re still going through other things in your life. If you haven’t been redeemed from the burdens and things in your life that are causing your to be weighed down, you can’t build on it. You don’t want to assemble something atop of shaky ground, you don’t want to pour into something that will leak out. You’re a bucket with a whole in it, because while your walking there is a trail. It could be a trail of devastation, where onlookers will say sister or brother has been though here with their leaking bucket.

We Look at the word Dead: lifeless, deadly; passes away.

We look at the word work:physical labour, effort, metal; physical, its work; time spent; time management.

You can’t build on dead works. You have to get old works out and ask the Lord to clean up the stench in you. What’s in the past is in the past, but my life isn’t connected with that. I’ve been forgiven, and given a new life, direction and focus, now Lord You show me what You want me to do, because now I don’t have all that mess in my ear anymore.

When the presence of the Lord has left a ministry, there can be no rebuilding on the foundation of which that ministry was building. That means the person who started cannot rebuild again. Because Ichabod is not only tied to that location, but that ministry. If they restart it, they are building upon an Ichabod foundation. It will not flourish nor be glorious even though they may talk about it. When the name of Ichabod has been written on your ministry its time for you to go out, go to another ministry and get cleaned up. Then it may be He will open the door for a new ministry and new direction. You can’t build on an old messed up situation. It has become dead.

You build on good foundation. Start afresh, start anew.

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If…

Truth never feels good, even when its right. There was a movie that came out with a line “Do you want to know the truth?” And the people said yes. Then he said “You can’t handle the truth.” We can’t handle the truth, but the Bible says the truth is like a double edge sword. When it cuts, it cuts going in on one side, and cuts going out on the other side. The Word is like that. We want people to tell us the truth, but we don’t want people to tell us the truth.

Matthew 25:1-13

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

1 Peter 1:14-16

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Think of the following questions:

IF JESUS CAME YOUR WAY WHAT WOULD YOU DO AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

IF JESUS CAME TODAY WHAT WOULD  YOU SAY OR WOULD YOU RUN AWAY AND SAY “NO WAY
NOT TO DAY?”

IF JESUS CAME YOUR WAY TODAY WOULD YOU CHEER AND JUMP AN SAY HALLELUJAH
HIP, HIP, HOORAY!

IF JESUS CAME TODAY WOULD YOU TELL HIM “I’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER SERVICE I’M
RUNNING LATE?”

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOME TODAY WHAT WOULD HE HAVE TO TAKE A TICKET AND
WAIT IN LINE?

IF JESUS CALL YOU TODAY WHAT WOULD SAY, I HAVE TO GO TO WORK IN THE MORNING
SO I’LL CALL YOU LATER!

IF THE LORD JESUS CAME TO YOU WHEN YOU WHERE AT WORK WHAT WOULD HE SEE !

IF JESUS CAME WHEN YOU WHERE BETWEEN CHURCHES WHAT WOULD HE SAY?

IF THE LORD JESUS CALLED YOUR NAME, WOULD YOU HEAR HIM?

IF JESUS SAID ITS TIME TO GO HOME WOULD YOU DOUBT IT WAS HIM AND CALL A FRIEND?

IF CHRIST CAME TO SEE YOU AND YOUR FRIEND OR FAMILY WASN’T THERE WHAT WOULD YOU SAY OR DO?

IF JESUS CAME TO YOU TONIGHT WHAT HE FIND AND WHAT SITUATION WOULD HE SEE?

IF JESUS CAME AND PICKED UP YOUR CELL PHONE COULD YOU GIVE IT TO HIM WITH A
GOOD CLEAR CONSCIOUS?!

IF JESUS CAME TODAY WOULD YOU STAND UP AND RUN AWAY?

IF JESUS CAME WHILE YOU WERE TEXTING OR TAKING A SELFIE, YOU THINK HE WOULD
STAND NEXT TO YOU?

IF OUR LORD JESUS CAME TODAY WHILE YOU WHERE ANGRY, WHAT WOULD SAY?

IF JESUS CAME TO YOUR HOME, COULD HE GET IN?

I’m not talking about your physical address, but Your soul. Have you shut Jesus out? Does He have any of your life?If the Lord Jesus came while you were angry, lying, acting, what would He do?

Are you ready to go home today, if He comes your way? Because He says this place is not our home. Scientists are saying they are waiting for Christ’s return.

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What Do You Expect More Back than What You Are?

It’s amazing to me that most people tend to allow their flesh to get the best of them to the point where they begin to say “Why can’t I have that,” or “I don’t deserve this,” or “why am I not receiving of good things?” You ever thought that you might not be good, or that you cause a lot of mess? The Bible says we reap what we have sown, and that is a serious thing. When we do harm to other people, and we’re caught, we plead amnesty and mercy. Why do you expect a righteous judgement for yourself, but you don’t give righteous judgments. Hence comes in the old proverbial saying “I’m sorry.” Were you sorry when you committed the lie? We’ve changed the lie so now there are white lies. I didn’t know they came in colors; a red and yellow and blue one, with varying degrees. You remember when you told a half truth, you gave a long intricate story, to see that what were you saying got lost in the intricacies of the statements and the psychological statements. At the end of it, those paying close attention will say, “Ok what do you want me to do now?” People get before a judge and say “judge I’m a victim of my environment. I was raised by my mother, denied by my father, abused by my brother and neglected by my friend. Judge you have to understand I’m a victim of the circumstance.” Not realizing these questions: do you know what love is, or what harm is and not harming others? Then if you do, you don’t want others to hurt you because it hurts. So why are you hurting them? Why do we expect a liar to tell the truth? Why do we expect a crook to do good? We expect people to look at us and give us every benefit of a doubt, but we never look at them and give them a benefit of a doubt. How can you want people to pay attention to you when you don’t pay attention to others? If you want a leader to listen to you, then you have to listen to leadership. We want people to do what we want them to do and receive how we want to be received. Listen to this, we try our best to sway the opinion of others to see our side of life, so we can justify our existence and things we do. We want to sway people to our decisions. When you set your mind to do something, you think considerably about it. You just don’t go and do something by impulse. You justify before you lie, so you just-a-lie. When you get caught doing something you should not have been doing, why are there a lot of buts and things start smelling? When you think about justifications you can’t even come up with any. We want the best response when it is favorable for us. We ask for justification for our actions from everyone, wanting people to think the best of us. You remember being kids…you’d do something but get your brother or sister in trouble. But when you get caught, you start pleading for mercy. But your brother or sister you didn’t show mercy to. How can you plead for mercy when you can’t give it? We all want people to pay attention to us right? How can you expect people to pay attention to you when you don’t to them? Don’t ask something of someone you can’t give out.

You know what this shows? That that individual is aware of wrong doings or sin. What are you doing when you allow a lie to take place to cause someone else to get hurt? We don’t want to admit it but we know whats right and wrong. We all know what pain is right? We’ve all felt pain. Is pain a good thing to you? We don’t like our emotions, feelings, or bodies to be hurt. What do we consider that to be? Bad. So if you don’t want to be hurt, then other people too don’t want to be hurt. So what is sin? Causing someone else hurt. When you do something that causes another person pain, then you have sinned. We try to lie out of it because we are afraid of the repercussions of what will happen. We don’t want to receive the results of our pain, so we lie out of it, so no one will hurt us. If we can’t lie out of it, we’ll look at the other person and try to justify out of it. We know that to cause harm on someone the judgement of causing harm is even worse, so we lie out of it. We try to make amends with ourselves so when it comes to light that we’ve done something wrong, we won’t look bad. Every time we try to justify a lie in our lives, what do you think we commit toward Christ, in our Christian walk? I think the majority of people who are living their lives as a child of God don’t really understand what their walk is all about. It’s a systematic way of our trying to present ourself to make sure everyone is doing the same things. What do we do to get someone to do good back to us even though we’ve done bad to them?

1 Kings 3:15-25

And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants. Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

Today we’d just get a DNA test, but Solomon did not have those sorts of tests in those days. Look at the judgement the one woman wanted and look at the mindset of the other woman. One didn’t care about killing the child, and the other wanted the child to live. The point is, the Wisdom of God knew the heart of the woman who was the mother of the child. The woman who killed her child accidentally, was looking for a favorable judgement from the king concerning the child. She gave a long story about the dilemma. This is what we do when we’ve done wrong and want mercy. Why did Cain slay his brother? Jealousy. So was the other woman jealous that her child was dead and the other not? So is the spirit of Cain alive and well with us? Why do we do things against other people? “Oh you’re a favorite of so and so. You’re liked and loved better than me.” Now the other person is jealous. Oh the Lord of Lord’s and the King of King’s likes Able’s offering better than Cain’s best watermelon, stalk of celery or ear of corn. So Cain went away upset, while Able gave the Lord something living and not dead. The Bible said that Able’s blood cried out from the ground because life is in the blood, not in a fruit or vegetable, even though it may have been the best kumquat you may have had. That spirit is still in us today. People get jealous if another person in Church can pray better. Some of us may not have talent at all, and we get jealous and get like Cain. “You think you’re something don’t you?” that Cain spirit building up. The very first time we see that someone who has talent fail, we belittle them. That Cain spirit is running rampant in the Church today. Pastors getting jealous of pastors. You can’t allow the spirit of Cain to come in. Don’t look for anything and it’s not in you. You can’t allow the spirit of Cain to come in. Why do you expect more than what you are? Why do you expect God to give you more and you don’t have anything or do anything that deserves more? Why do you expect more from God than what you give to Him? Why do you expect more from Him when that little He gave you, you don’t even use that? Why do you must have, when you aren’t even faithful over the little things. What does a criminal usually say when you catch him? “I’m not guilty.”

There are things we do, and we tell people not to do. If we can’t be what we’re suppose to be, don’t ask someone else more of what you can’t do yourself. Don’t expect anything from someone else, that you can’t do yourself. As a leader anywhere you go, your word has to be final. If you are not submissive and humble, then you can’t be a good leader. If you can’t listen to your leader, don’t expect someone else to listen to you. If you can’t be submissive and humble, don’t expect it from others. If you can’t be passionate and compassionate to people, don’t expect it when they hear your concerns. Whatever we expect from others we need to do ourselves.

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How Bright is Your Bulb?

Be grateful for a giving heart, for a loving, giving, excited heart; exited about what God has for you. And what God has for you is His will for you. So we need to make sure that we allow God to be number 1 in our lives. At this time, we have to give honor to whom honor is due. Know this, how long halt you between two opinions? The Bible tells us to let your light so shine so that men will see you, but give God the glory for it. So let’s give God His due. My old Bishop use to say give the man his dough. This is God’s time, so take everything off your mind.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Shine. Shine. Let your light so shine. How are you shining? What do people see imminating out of you? Do they see the light of God? Do you represent Him, or is it what He represents in you? We need to understand one thing, we need to let Christ shine through us. Because if He doesn’t shine and we do shine, we will start leading people astray. Because its about the God in us.

The Greek words for shine is Lampo meaning shine like a torch. The word torch has been used so many times throughout history, even when they show men in a cave, they have a lit torch so they can see their way through the darkness. If you are light, then people can see the path that leads to righteousness through you. Let your light so shine. So you are that torch that will guide people to Christ. Now, the word torch is more often used in England, because they call a flashlight a torch. So we represent the flame of God. Its an awesome thing to be a representation of something that you believe in; that you love. If you love somebody, and you say, I’m coming in the name of the one I love, Jesus. In the natural sense you are always proud to represent your significant other. But think about it, how do you shine? Do you shine with that representation or are you shining of something else like mess or your burdens?

You’ve seen people loaded down, carrying the weight and burden of someone else. Then they come and say “Let me pray for you.” Then you should say “That’s ok, I prayed last night.” You don’t want them to lay hands on you. You don’t what them to pray for you because whatever is on them will transfer onto you. The Bible says lay hands on no man suddenly. If you are praying for someone on the other hand, you don’t pray for what they want, because you don’t know what they want. They may be going through, so don’t pray that they come out of it or that God delivers them from it because you know why? God wants them to go through, because you don’t know their life what they’ve been through, you don’t know what they need to go through so they can get through! So you pray that the Will of God will be done in their lives. When you aren’t around them you don’t know what they’re doing. People do mess, and try to get you to pray for them so their mess can go forward. Oh no! Its called validation of prayer. They need you to quantify what they’re doing. That is why the Bible says lay hands on no man suddenly. I will pray true enough, I will pray for you, and your family. You don’t have to pray out loud. The scribes and pharisees did it all the time. No, you pray “I pray the Will of God in your life.” They look at you like “but why aren’t you praying for my benefit?” The best way to help someone who is going through is to stand back and pray from a far. You get up on them and touch them and whatever is on them you may you go through. You lay hands on them, and then others on others, and then we’re all jacked up. How bright is your bulb? Could some of the things we’re going through be because of who we’ve been with? How bright is your bulb? You’re looking kind of dim.

A light designates some place of shelter or desire to be at. So when you are a light you are showing detail of everything. In the dark you can’t describe anybody. In the light you can tell what is what. For example, when you come to a crossing in a road, there are lights up there. What are the major colors? Red, green and yellow. We know what those mean. Stop, go and slow down. Some of you see a green light, that means to go as fast as you can, and yellow is go faster so you can beat the yellow light. When you come to a railroad crossing and the gate goes down, and the lights are flashing what do you do? Its not for you the snake through the gates and try to go through. It means stop and wait for the train to come. We have to pay attention because we know that those things are there for us to be cautious.

Can you use a black bulb to get through the dark? There are black bulbs, that are ultraviolet, but you can’t look in the dark. Can you look in the dark with a black bulb? No. You need something bright to light your path. The blind can’t lead the blind. You don’t know anything about anything but you’ll try to tell me how. Understand this, we can’t come to conclusions in our lives that we want to follow the correct path and the thing that illuminates in our hearts and minds we need to follow because it looks bright to us. Not every light leads to the right destination. If you wear the light of Christ, when you’re going through is your light bright? No. How can it be? Its just like a flash light. How many walk around the house at night with a weak flash light? Do you still use it? No because its dim. Associate that with your Christian walk. Now the world can see when there are things that are on you, and you want to pray for whom? You don’t want someone coming to you with a weak light, and you don’t want your light to be weak. What happens to a remote with a weak battery? How long does it take you to realize your bulb and battery are low? That means you’re not charged up by the Holy Ghost. “I’m strong, I understand, I have Christ in me. He’s all I need,” you say. Is He really all you need? If He is, then why is your battery so weak? How did it get that way? You got that mindset that “I’m going to ‘Jesus’ until I drop.” Then you go to Him and say Jesus why am I like this? He’ll say “Did you take a look at your battery?” But you say “Lord, You are the supercharge of batteries.” He’ll say “But didn’t I tell you to rest?” Jesus even got away from the crowd to pray, in one piece, not in bits and pieces. We don’t understand that our batteries need to be recharged as a Child of God because if you don’t you get the wrong information. How bright is your bulb? Just like the old scary movie. Someone walks in with a torch, and the wind is blowing, and just before it goes out something strange passes your way, and then the torch blows out.

People will drain you until there is nothing left but a spark and then there are those who try to take the spark! People plug into you and their meter goes up, but then your meter goes down. Then they get mad at you when you don’t have enough juice to power them up. Then they ask what’s wrong with you? Your bulb doesn’t look very bright. Well because you drained me! 10 wise and 10 foolish brides in Matthew 10, the 10 foolish immediately asked, can I used your battery back up!? And the wise said, well you could have bought one of these, just go down to the store and buy one. Well you have enough to give me some the foolish said. You saw that your meter was low, how is that going to help you?

When your fishing around to look for power, and you don’t get on your knees and plug it in the wall, if you’re there just the drain something and don’t recharge it back. Its just like the person who doesn’t understand the Word of God and goes out and tries to get a quick word and tries to explain it to someone else based on their skewed understanding. How bright is your bulb? Are you exuding Christ or exuding you? People who don’t have a clue and don’t have the light in them will always want to be around those that do, but they are like leeches.

You know what leeches do? Suck the blood out of you, because there is life in the blood, and they won’t let go until they are full. So we have spiritual leeches who don’t know anything about Christians and don’t have a clue about what a christian really is. They don’t know about humility, long suffering, but they know about complaining and whining. They don’t know the Word, but they look to you. They go to you for the word, prayer, and everything, because they can’t go for themselves. Can you get a letter through to Christ, my phone is being blocked. Why does a person get blocked? Because they don’t want to hear from you. Folks will use that to drain you, they’ll go to other people to hear from you because they can’t hear from you. Spiritual leeches need someone to latch onto to get to where they need to get to. They look for life in something because they’re dead, and can’t communicate with the One who give us power. I can’t get the Holy Ghost, but I know its in you and I know what it looks like. You are carrying Duracell, not those dollar store batteries that last long enough for you to get the product home and then go out. When everything else dies, Duracell endures. When everything else fails the Holy Ghost endures. People know that. That is why people mimic the Holy Ghost, they mimic tounges, because they want people to see that they have power, because as a Christina you can’t walk without power. I need to tap into that power. Even though you mimic and look the part, everyone can see that your bulb isn’t even bright, but its off. You have to be aware of these spiritual leeches.

To keep your energy up and the Holy Ghost up inside you, you need to take time in prayer. Those quick fixes “Jesus give me strength, you know and understand me. Amen.” How would you like if someone you love just said I love you and then quickly leaves? You wouldn’t, so does Christ want that? Now, where is quality time you spend with Christ? On the go? On the TV? Online? Why? Don’t have to give an offering. I can get the Word for free because I’m one of those spiritual leeches. How can you hear if you don’t have a preacher and how can he hear unless he’s been sent?

How many have battery back ups? Your battery back up should be your Bible. How many have phones? You are the phone. Getting on your knees makes the connection. Everything you need to live according to holiness and godliness is the Bible. Is the anointing enough in your life that you can hear from God and activate in God? Or do you have to go get one of those generators to activate in God? Picture this, all Christians are trying to get started in the morning, and you look over the horizon and see them all trying to crank a generator? The whole point is let your light so shine, the Holy Ghost shine. How can it shine if you haven’t feed it lately? Can your car get somewhere if it has no gas? No. So if you don’t have the anointing and Holy Ghost in your life, you can’t go anywhere. You may sound good and look good, that car may be beautiful and nice looking, but will it go anywhere? There may be some gorgeous and fine looking saints, who look presentable, but they aren’t going anywhere. Have you ever gone to a church and left there more depleted than when you came in? No power left in the house. The problem is we’re always trying to leech and latch onto others, when we should get it for ourselves. Maintain your bulb by being around people who will fill you up, not those who will drain you.

 

Matthew 25:1-12

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 

The Lord may need to take something away from you, to break something in your life, because He needs to lead you, because you aren’t listening to Him. So He has to break things in your life that you thought were secure. When God is getting ready to do something awesome in your life, watch how many old people and situations Satan throws up in your life again. Stay away from people that steal your light and your life. Make sure you stay around people who will encourage and inspire you; people who are blessed, who really genuinely care about you. Not people who are validated by your presence. You need to get away from them, because they can’t stand on their own 2 feet, and don’t look back. They are leeches in your life and when they drain your for themselves, they don’t care about you. Its time to let go. If they are draining you, they don’t love or care about you. The Lord said in the last days it would be husband against wife, sister against brother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law; I know you love them and care about them, but love them from a far, let them go. Its either the Lord or you. The Lord doesn’t drain you so let the other person go. Remember the Bible tells us to love one another. The people of God are your friends but you still have to love them, because you have the same goals in mind, and that is to be with the Lord, and we get there being of one mind, conversation and thought. Support each other, love each other, and care about each other.