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8 BODY OF CHRIST NEWSJUNE 2015 Calling a a vocation profes- sion occupation work business Mission passion. Appointment Task Job Project Duty Obligation Mission On June 10-11th House of Prayer Ministries will be having a Reunion Revival at Bishop Byrds Church IBG Ministries located at 9520 E Jewell Ave. Unit J in Denver 80247. We welcome everyone come and share with us. Bishop Marcus McIntosh will Minister. Yes its been 5 years since we completed our assignment given to us by God. It was 1992 and our kids were teen- agers doing well. Wynona and I were both active in Ministry at the Churches we attended. Then Denver changed. Our children were being killed for seemingly no reason. Every week the numbers climbed higher. As Godly parents we did what Saints do. We begin to pray and pray and pray some more. It was a very simple and personal prayer Lord save and protect our chil- dren Please send someone that will minister to them to lead them thru these troubled waters. Sometimes they would come home crying because another friend had been killed. We werent being selfish as much as just afraid to lose that which was and is so precious to us our kids. At that time we had no idea that God was preparing us to fulfill the very thing we were asking for. We were musicians and helpers of the ministry. We had no desire to preach or minister in the word. I was a Musician Sunday School teacheryouth leader and anything else I was asked to do at my church. Wynona was a Musician youth leader and had a 100 voice youth Choir and anything else she was needed to do at her Church. The last thing we wanted was to preach Pastor no way Our home was always a kids house. Our childrens friends the neighbor- hood kids foster kids kids were always welcomed and loved around our home. We also found time to go to various schools of ministry just to learn more and get a deeper understanding for ourselves. Could God have known what was in our future I was happy and content following my childhood dream of being a Firefighter. Wynona worked and made our house a home. But we were scared of this gang thing. It was and is dangerous to our children. Dead is dead. The harder we prayed seemingly the worse it became. Why wouldnt God answer our prayer We were faithful and doing all we knew how to serve Him. Where was our very present help Little by little God began to speak to us. We were asking him to send a dynamic young evangelist a powerful preacher mighty in the gifts. Instead He was speaking to us. No matter where we went the store a movie just walking down the street people would walk up to us and say thus sayeth the Lord. We werent buying any of it. That was not our prayer or desire. I wasnt startin no church. Who me preach Actually my wife is a much better preacher Im a teacher Someday Ill tell you that story and the visions that God gave us and the voice the Fathers voice If youve ever heard it its something you will never forget like waves of moving water full of peace and life and authority. Suffice to say we eventually acknowl- edged the call two babes in the woods simply following Gods voice. For our ordination the Holy Spirit told us to wear Army fatigues. As time passed we found out why. We discov- ered a lot of things during those years but we knew God was with us and He did bless us mightily. We entered into ministry doing what we knew. It didnt work. All the tried and true methods fizzled away. We needed a choir didnt work. Youth group didnt work. We were stuck and on the verge of giving up when we took some time away and went to Grand Lake. We were ready to give this baby back These werent Church members these were gang members and their kids. God why did you do this to us why were you punishing us That weekend we were challenged and instructed to choose. Do it His way or our way. As soon as we said yes we entered a new realm. We began to meet people who we never knew go places we never knew existed doors opened and favor was granted. The one thing we took away from that week-end was this was new territory and we needed new strategies. We became The New Posse In The Hood Testimony service was out Praise and worship in Choir out Praise danceWorship in. This was all new to us but what we didnt understand we would be lead to go across the country and see what others were doing and bring it back to HOPDC and it fit perfectly. For some members going to Church meant a Wedding or Funeral. Some had grown up in Church but left some had never been to a Church service a few had some experience. God had placed us behind enemy lines. Although we were criticized by other Christians and ChurchesPastors we served God and took orders from him. Tactics and the congregation were different but the message was the message was still the same Jesus Jesus Jesus. For 17 years we labored taught and were taught by the members and saw numerous Salvations miracles healings restorations battles and victories. What happened why did we close The 1st two sentences of this article explain. I believe everything God has made has a life time and purpose. Had it been a calling we would have always wanted to be Pastors. How many times have you heard a minister say even when I was a little kid I would set up dolls or get all the kids in the neighborhood and preach to them This was not the case. Not then not now. HOPDC was an appointment. God knew we would do this in the future. He also knew if he had told us long ago chances are we would still be running. We were given a Task a sacred Duty a Mission. When it was done we stopped. I could say more on this but I will say Ive been in some Churches in different denominations that have continued long past there time. There was just no life. It was dead. After some time had passed two different Prophets from different locations told me the same thing. That the Lord had asked me to do something that was very hard and I did it. As a result He was well pleased with me. Sometime later I was ending my prayer time and the Holy Spirit whispered to me I answered your prayer. What prayer I answered Later it came to me the very prayer Wynona and I had prayed years ago. He did send somebody He sent us How do I know it was Him Because when God moves He always leaves basketfuls left over Stopping the work we birthed was soo very hard. We poured or life into our people and they in turn had given life and love back to us. We went through many ups and downs. The 1st. funeral I preached was my own Granddaughter who was still-born. But I will tell you this when we started we had nothing but faith in Gods Word and obedience to his commandment to us. Everything we needed God pro- vided. The membership was blessed and encouraged and the majority of them are serving in Churches all over the Metro Area. But this is the thing Im most humbled about. Most of these kids were going to funerals two or three times a week. We had at our height around 175 members. Some were active gang members some were leaders but we saw many souls come to know and live for God. But the most amazing thing is this. In the mist of the hood with all the death and violence around us we never lost one member to violence. Not one. And guess what to my knowledge this still holds true God is Amazing. Yes he has given me another assignment not Pastoring but when its time to implement it I will obey and I know by faith I know it will be a blessing. Hope to see you on June 11-12th. Calling or Assignment Lately we all have been overwhelmed with all the news on television of various unjust killings from different police officers. This world that we are liv- ing in is becoming darker and darker as each day go by. Recently their was a major out cry in Baltimore MD over the death of a young man named Freddie Gray. Our hearts sank with sadness learning of yet another senseless killing the kind of anger shown on television is not the kind of angry we should embrace. If left unchecked anger can destroy not only the person experiencing it but also everyone in its path. However not all anger is bad. We are given some latitude in the Word of God Ephesians 426 tells us to ..be angry and yet do not sin. When is anger a good and righteous emotion Heres a few examples Senseless killings like Freddie Gray and other Black males. It angers me when women are exploited through pornography or when innocent blood is shed through the horror of child abuse child abduction or molestation or perhaps we hear of an elderly person being attacked or abuse when we think they are in good care at that nurs- ing home. Or an innocent family member watching TV is shot by a flying bullet from a drive by shooting. Yes these issues and more seem to be righteous anger To not be angered by these things would be a sin and to not feel anger when even I have been a victim of prejudice or unfair treatment would not be an expression of my natural God-given emotion. But I am sinning because of my anger when I fail to effectively handle that anger in a spiritual biblical way. To not give in to anger and sin I must allow myself to be guided and controlled by the Holy Spirit and by the law of love for love is not easily provoked 1 Cor. 135. I must maintain an active and working knowledge of the Word of God I must hide the Word in my heart that I might not sin against God. read Psalm 119 11. Anger that is controlled by a sense of righteousness will never seek to hurt or destroy another and the expression of that anger will not be made in an ungodly manner. If I walk in the Spirit anger at the manifestation of the work of the enemy will cause me to pray rather than to gossip to intercede rather than to judge and condemn. Anger expressed righteously will cause me to be angry at sin yet love the sinner and desire his salvation. While there are permissible reasons for and expres- sion of anger the vast majority of the anger we expe- rience is not justifiable. The danger of anger often manifests itself in unjustifiable ways and will always get us in trouble with God. In Matthew 522 Jesus said Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in anger of the judgment. Anger is a dangerous business As Believers our strongest weapon during these trying times is the power of prayer. Become active or more active with produc- tive ways to address our concerns with non violent ways to seek justice. Martin Luther King Jr. was an P.M. Wynn Grove Righteous AngerBy Dr. P.M. Wynn Grove Continued on Page 21 Pastor Wright By Pastor Richard Wright But we were scared of this gang thing. It was and is dangerous to our children. Dead is dead. TESTIMONY