January 2, 2008

As I am writing, it is January 2, 2008, and this day is Wednesday. The reason why I am commenting about this very obvious fact is that for the very first time in my more than fifty-four years as a Believer and as a part of a local congregation of Believers, I am not scheduled to be attending a meeting of Believers tonight. This will be strange, but I am looking forward to the change, because I know that it is the right thing for us at this time, and will work for our benefit.

I am writing to remind you of this change and ask for your attendance and enthusiastic participation in our very first Friday night service, in our regular schedule.

I have a very practical reason for making this change. With the very busy and full schedule that we all have, going to a meeting of the Ekklesia on a Wednesday night is, for most of us, just simply out of the question. I am not implying that you are not also busy on Friday nights, but I believe that for most of us, changing from Wednesday to Friday will require less adjustment than the other way.

I know how much people enjoy and appreciate the comfort of routine, but there are times when we need to get out of our comfort zone, for the greater good.

I am not making any claims as to how this change will result in wild and wonderful times, but I am pledging myself to do what I can through the anointing, to make it well worth the effort, and that whatever changes we make will be worth it all. Come and see.

Thank you for all you did to enable us to run well and to finish the year of 2007 in victory. Now, let us live in the present reality of Yahweh’s manifest presence and see what we have not seen before. In the words of an old song: Let go and let Yahweh have His wonderful way.

On behalf of myself and Shirley, members of the staff and their families, thank you for your continued faithfulness and generosity toward this ministry and for each of us in particular. We are grateful.

To make or not to make? That is the question, that is, as related to New Year’s resolutions. So far, as I remember, I have never made a New Year’s resolution, at least in the sense of writing it out, or verbally making it known to another person. In my way of thinking, the definition of a New Year’s resolution is, "a promise made to one’s self." That being true, why should one make known to another person a promise made to one’s self, or what good purpose could be served by doing so?

The probable motive behind making known our resolutions is the inner feeling that if we do not make them known, our resolve to keep them will not be strong enough and we will fail. But then on the other hand, if we do not reveal our intentions, we do away with the possibility of being embarrassed by our failures.

So, by not making any resolutions for the year 2008, I can truthfully say that I have kept intact my record of having never broken a New Year’s resolution, or if I have, nobody knows, because I never told.

Now I cannot make New Year’s resolutions, because if I do, I will break my resolution to not make New Year’s resolutions.

This is what I am resolved to do; I will make some pledges to you:

I pledge to you that the yoke-breaking anointing will be manifestly present each and every time we meet, because I will release it.

I pledge to you that the spirit of salvation will be present each time we gather, so you can confidently bring the unconverted, knowing that Holy Spirit will convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

I pledge to you that the power of Yahweh will be present to heal all manner of sickness, disease, and infirmities. Get ready to witness and to receive what you have not seen.

I pledge to you that I will continue speaking with the gifting and anointing of an oracle of Yahweh, insuring that the progress of revelation of Christ’s Kingdom in the earth will flow without interruption, causing us to hear what until this time has not been heard.

I pledge to you that we shall remain focused on the word of Holy Spirit to me, spoken in 1980:

I pledge to you that our songs and our music will be second to none, because of our commitment to excellence, and especially because of gifted and anointed writers, singers, and musicians.

I pledge to you that I will live my life and conduct myself in such a way as to never make you ashamed to acknowledge me as an apostle of Christ in your life.

Now, please join me in setting ourselves to hear what Holy Spirit has to say. Let us set ourselves to see what He has to say to me, to you, to us.

In this corner last week, I wrote out some commitments that I have made, not just for the short-haul, nor even just for the entire year of 2008. First, I have made these commitments to myself, and secondly, I have made them to all of you, who in one way or another, presently comprise The Rock of Panama City, an Ekklesia of Christ’s Kingdom.

After years of doing my best to "straighten out" the world and most everyone in it, I surrendered to the realization that there is only one life over which I have bottom-line authority: mine. That brought a wonderful commodity to me–the commodity of peace, and I’m sure that all whom I had been "working on" felt the same way. Before you breathe too big of a sigh of relief, I hasten to say that my desires and expectations of all who have declared by one way or another that you are joined to me and to The Rock, have not lessened.

By Holy Spirit’s enablement, I have ceased judging either myself or others by the externals. I no longer believe that the number of times one attends meetings is a good barometer of ones temperature, nor do I believe the number of hours I pray during the week, tell my whole story. So, when you are not present at one of our scheduled meetings, I want you to not be thinking, "Apostle thinks I am backslidden."

On the other hand, I do have some very strong desires and expectations of you. Let me tell you about some of them.

Scheduled meetings. It seems only natural that scheduled meetings would be attended as often as possible by anyone of us. The gathering of Believers is the most productive "door" into the Kingdom and into a body of Believers. If I were to take a survey of us, I’m confident that the greater number of us made that all important matter of publically, openly and freely committing ourselves to Christ and confessing the same, in a regular meeting of the saints, than through all other venues combined. So, why would I not desire to be present? Why indeed?

If we desire to rejoice with those who are rejoicing, let’s be present–if not for us, for others.

More people receive personal ministry by way of physical healing, words of knowledge, friendly words of encouragement, the experience of being baptized with Holy Spirit, etc., etc., in what some people refer to as just a regular service, than in all of the combined conferences, revivals, or crusades we could attend.

Nothing we do is more important when it comes to being responsible to our mandate: evangelize Bay County, build a great congregation, and build a base from which to touch the world. Where else can you get more for your time investment than one of those "just a regular service?"

I am (as an old saint once said) hoping and praying that we all will be diligent in attending every service (and there are not many) that we possibly can. O.K.? O.K.!

Participation. In my fifty-five years of being a part of a local congregation (fifty-two as pastor-apostle) I think I’ve seen it all and heard it all. But there is one thing I do not understand: why will some people attend and not participate. The only times some people are compliant with the leadership is when the congregation is seated and quiet. My wonderment is: "Why do you even come?" Such a one helps no one–not himself nor any other.

When we were in Tallahassee, a brother made it his business to come and air his personal gripe about me. Based on his own behavior, I found it hard to believe what he said. His criticism? I did not shout enough during my preaching. Not once did I ever hear that man speak above a normal volume and never at all during the preaching, singing, or worship. Go figure.

Come. Come every opportunity and when you come, participate. Please. We will get over our shock and rejoice together. The more the better.

Offenses. Yahshua said that offense must come. It is inevitable that at one time or another we all, including yours truly (and you thought I only gave offenses!), will be offended. When you are, try to not tell your face, and you’ll not have your "Job’s comforters" encouraging you to meditate your offense right deep down into your spirit.

An offense tells me something about myself that I did not know, or knew and sought to hide. An offense gives opportunity for me, so that by Holy Spirit I can change, until at least in that particular matter, I have become as Yahshua, who when He was reviled, reviled not again. Make the decision to make an offense a friend to help you change, and change until you are without offense.

Making The Rock Known. Sometimes, we can get the feeling that everyone is against us, when in fact most people are not even aware of our presence in the county. We need to get out of our comfort zone, also known as fear, and aggressively make The Rock and Christ known, or at least make ourselves known as one who knows Christ and is a part of a congregation in Bay County, known as The Rock of Panama City. We need to become like a friend of mine who knocked on the door of a home until the lady of the house responded. He began to introduce himself, but she stopped him, saying "I know who you are, you’ve knocked on my door thirteen times before."

Do not be discouraged into ceasing your effort, because there are no visible results at first. A farmer who has recently planted seed is not disappointed when nothing he has done is apparent above ground. He is assured that there will be results, because he has started the process by which harvest will come, when he planted seed.

Tithing & Offerings. You do so well in this important thing, that I am reluctant to say anything. But I will. First, I acknowledge that you are an awesome people and you are my boasting in the Lord, wherever I have opportunity. I rejoice to see how Yahweh’s favor has overtaken us with blessing. Even so, I believe that we can increase because we are equipped to transfer the wealth of the wicked, and we are a tried and true people. Join together and let us prophesy over ourselves and especially our members who are caught in what is described by some as a bad time. Let us not be moved by that spirit. Let us remember and invoke a word that Anthony Chapman once spoke to us: "He has not saved the best ‘til the last; He has saved the best ‘til now." Let that be our word throughout 2008, and one year from now, we will marvel at what we by Holy Spirit have accomplished in just twelve short months. They’re coming fast; grab each day and make the best of it.

And for you who have just now joined us, I have a particular request– one that only you can fill. You probably have noticed that we make the decision to go ahead and begin each service at the scheduled time, rather than wait for you to arrive. We have learned by experience that you seldom, if ever, are here by the scheduled beginning time.

Nothing we do is a preliminary; we have no one to work up the crowd. From the first word to the last word, every word is important and a part of what Holy Spirit is saying. You can’t follow the lead of the leader when you do not hear what the leader is saying. Please, from this time on, please, arrange your activities to avoid your being late. If I can go just a little further–come a little early. Your family and friends will appreciate it, and I will bless you for it.

Here’s to a wonderful year for Christ and The Rock in 2008.

I’ll see you Friday night and Sunday morning–if you are at The Rock.

This is short and to the point, for those of us who are considered "local."

In the book of Acts are accounts of the local Ekklesia sending out those who were set apart for taking the gospel of the Kingdom to other places. In those days and in that realm, such a thing was a very solemn occasion, much like we have seen in recent years when local National Guard units have been activated for military duty.

We’ve seen the seriousness of the situation mirrored in the faces and the voices of the family members as they huddle together for one last kiss, hug, and goodbye. Such is always the case when family and friend relationships are being changed–possibly forever.

Then we have seen the joy on their faces and the excitement in their voices when, after accomplishing their objective, the departed are returning home to the relief of those who remained behind with "the stuff."

In the life and ministry of The Rock, we have experienced times much like those of our military counterpart. In obedience to our purpose and following the apostles’ lead, we have now sent out a large number of families to establish other Ekklesias of Christ’s Kingdom. To do this has required the joint participation of us all. In the process, families have been irrevocably altered, and friendships have been affected as well. There is always a price to be paid in order to advance the Kingdom.

A line of a song from my earlier history comes to mind: It will be worth it all, when we see Christ...." When those whom we have sent return, as Apostle Erich Hardy and his family have done this week, it seems worth all the expense of money, time, and effort; it seems worth all the altered family relationships and friendships.

Because you have been a part of the sending of Erich and Leigh to Boulder, Colorado, I want you to be a part of their report this week. Please attend the services, both Friday night and Sunday morning. Apostle Erich and his entire family will minister and share the wonderful testimony of their successful effort to establish The Rock of Frontrange.

In their honor, you are invited and asked to be present and to participate in these meetings, including our dinner together following the Sunday meeting. Those who we sent are now returned to us, even if only for this week.

Come and let us rejoice together.