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“That's just people for ya”

I sooooo associate this phrase with Acts 1:6 whenever I hear it… and always in Dr. Wierwille’s funny accent (well funny to me being Irish). Those of you who sat the PFAL class one hundred million times know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s the reference to how the apostles asked the most idiotic question when the Lord was trying to tell them about the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter one. Silly apostles. sigh!

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Dr. was not alone in thinking that the apostles were wrong in asking such a question, in fact most modern commentators will say the same thing, highlighting the apostles misunderstanding of the spiritual nature of the church and their carnal desire (they do like the word carnal) to have the physical kingdom restored, how utterly selfish and short sighted of them. Well you know what, the question was a valid one, the apostles were right and the Lord did not tell them when it would happen because he didn’t know the answer, due to the fact that the restoration of the kingdom was dependent on the repentance of Israel. Here are a couple of reasons why I believe that the apostles knew what they were talking about.

1. The hope of a restored physical earthly kingdom was the hope of Israel throughout the Old Testament, the same hope that Paul was in bonds for as late as in Acts 28:20.

2. These men had been with the Lord for 40 days (Acts 1:3) learning from him personally about the kingdom of God, so, if in their last discourse with Him on earth, they completely missed the point of the program they were really thick and the Lord failed miserably as a teacher.

They didn’t miss the point, the Lord did not fail as a teacher.

3. During those days, they had their understanding opened, Luke 24:45, something that we today have to pray for and may or may not get, no gurantees, Eph 1:17,18.

4. And this is cool.., one of the most telling things is, the very first task they took on after the Lord was raised up was to appoint the 12th apostle, which is in accordance with Matt 19:28. There had to be twelve to sit on the twelve thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel in the kingdom. So they are still really missing it or they were preparing for the physical promised kingdom to come on the earth because they did kno what they were doing and they continued to do so throughout the book of Acts.

5. Finally (well for this blog anyway), Peter told Israel in Acts 3:18-21 that if they repent there and then, the restoration will take place. It is still true today that when Israel repent, on a national level Christ will return and set up His kingdom on earth.

The book of Acts is not about the "church of the body", it is a second offer of the kingdom to Israel.

Try re-reading the Acts without seeing yourself or the “church of the body” on every page and notice how it is totally geared towards Israel’s repentance for the restortion of the kingdom in line with all the OT promises, then read Romans chapter 11 which makes sense of it all and explains why the gentiles were brough in and why neither you nor I will ever do a miracle.

Leave it to whom it belongs.


God bless



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No Signs, No Miracles, No Wonders, No Worries

Hi

Mark 16:16-18
Andthese signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast
out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.


Thereis one thing I know for sure and that is that these signs are not
following you, nor are they following me and they never will be. Doesn’t
matter who you are, what your status is in the eyes of God or man, how
much you pray, how much you “believe” these signs will never be
following you. So are you a believer? If so what do you believe? Does it not say
these signs shall follow them that believe. You know you believe and
you know there are no signs. So what do you believe? It doesn’t say
believe enough, i.e. I believe enough to speak in tongues, but I just
don’t believe enough to heal the sick.


Hmmm..., maybe we are missing something let’s take a look at the immediate context.

verses 14-16
Afterwardhe appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them
with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not
them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.


No,we are not missing anything it’s about believing the gospel and the
ressurection, seems pretty simple, he who believes shall be saved and
signs shall follow. Whats wrong with you then? because you know there
are no signs, you know there never has been and you’ve probably accepted
that that’s the way it is, but not out loud. Oh, btw, getting that parking spot just when
you needed it is not a miraculous sign, finding your keys in a messy
room (which you messed up), is not a miracle, recovering from that bad
back that someone prayed for two weeks ago is not a wonder. Opening the
eyes of one born blind is a sign, healing one born lame from the womb is
a miracle, performing healings all day long till the sun went is a
wonder. You’ve never done any of these things, but how often did you long to
heal that sick friend, parent, child etc. and it just didn’t happen,
how often have you questioned God as to Why oh Why... Well don’t beat
yourself up because it was never meant to be your burden.


Thereis a little principle much flaunted, but seldom applied called “get to
whom correct” and Mark 16:17 is just not written to you. The commission
was given to the the eleven and those of Israel who heard and believed fulfilled it, all I have to do to
see this is read as far as verse 20
.

20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen

Wehave the record of the preaching and fulfilling of this commission in
the book of Acts. And to establish it even further by the time Col 1:23 rolled around the
commission was done and dusted... Kingdom offered, Kingdom rejected, church of the one body instituted.

...the gospel... which was preached in all creation under heaven.

Thoseto whom this commission was given, carried out the task assigned to
them, so no need for you to stress and strain trying to fulfill a
commission that was never given to you.


Iknow most of you first heard it in the PFAL Class but it was around a
long time before. In the introduction to the his first printed english
translation of the Bible in 1535, Myles Coverdale gives the following
advice.


“Itshall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not
only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what
words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances,
considering what goeth before and what followeth after.”


Good advice that it still works wonderfully when we consider an apply

God bless

Karl
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Since I have been involved in a number of projects and teaching assignments and other activities, I have not been able to respond to any of the comments posted to my initial blog regarding Pentecost as the birthday of the Church. Certainly I have read them and reflected upon the various views expressed. In light of the controversy that my comments generated, I wanted to respond more extensively, and so I’m posting another blog which includes some additional images and a YouTube video at the end.

I must admit that I should qualify and modify my statement to indicate that the Day of Pentecost is in reality “a birthday of the Church, not the birthday of the Church.” “So, Pentecost being the original outpouring and the new birth daily it looks to me like every day is a birthday in the church of the body.” I heartily concur with Michael’s comment.

Just as every year we celebrate another year of life on the date that we were born, but who we have become each year is vastly different from who were on the day of our birth. So is the Church remarkably different than it was on the Day of Pentecost, which as it turned out was another period of progression in its unfolding to become all that God had in mind when He first “conceived” the idea of this glorious masterpiece of creation. Perhaps we could say that the idea of the Church was first birthed when God “thought” of it and implemented His plan to bring it to pass in the fullness of time. Of course, the Church is one aspect of God’s plan for the redemption of humanity after the Fall. As I think about it, this whole idea is “too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain unto it.” Who has known the mind of God, for His ways are not our ways. Romans 11:33-34 puts it this way:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

For who has known the mind of the LORD?
Or who has become His counselor?”

A most enlightening book regarding the Church is Kevin J. Conner’s The Church in the New Testament which reveals that the Church was unfolding throughout the Old Testament. Last year, I coordinated a small group discussion of this remarkable treatise, lasting several weeks. I could by no means do the work justice in this response. Among the many notable distinctions regarding the Church as it unfolds throughout the Bible is that the Church is a reflection of “the pattern and the glory of God.” God has a pattern, a divine design for the local as well as the universal church. When all has been built according to the pattern, the glory of God descends to seal or establish the pattern. From Noah’s ark through the Tabernacle of Moses through the Tabernacle of David and Solomon’s Temple on through the Book of Acts and the New Testament Church of which we are presently members, in whom dwells the spirit of the Living God whereby we recognize that “it is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

That familiar expression, of course, relates to the riches of the glory of this mystery, which I believe was in evidence before the fullness of God’s intent was revealed to Paul years after his conversion. I, hence, disagree with Karl (respectfully, as well) that the mystery was not known in the Book of Acts. The mystery was foreshadowed and made know in the Acts 13 in Antioch where followers of the Way were first called “Christians,” a derogatory descriptive label that has stuck over centuries of time. What did the citizens of Antioch see in Saul (not yet called Paul), Barnabas, a Cypriot, Simeon called Niger (whom I along with others believe to be Simon of Cyrene, the “brother” who bore Christ’s cross), Lucius of Cyrene (“another brother of another mother”) and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch)? What caused those who saw this culturally and ethnically diverse group interacting together to speak of them as “those ‘Christ-in them’ folk?” Jesus had declared earlier, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another.” Years ago I did a teaching centered on Acts 13, and I believe I entitled it “The Mystery Movers”, as I made the point that the principles of the Great Mystery were alive and well and demonstrated in Antioch. I may have included this discussion in the New Testament History classes I taught at The Way College of Emporia way back in the day. So you see, Karl, why I respectfully disagree…Hey, that rhymes. Indeed, I have been known to wax poetic, as I pen a poem or two. In fact, I wanted to close my comments with a poem that relates to Church of the 21st Century of which I am a part and so are we all.

A couple of years ago my wife and I visited family and friends, some of whom were former followers of The Way International, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. During our stay in the City by the Bay, we enjoyed a most enlightening experience at the Asian Museum where we saw a special exhibit from the Ming Dynasty. One of the pieces on display was a stationery box which is similar to this one.

Although the final product reveals what the designer had in mind, we do not see how the object looked at the various stages of development. So it is with the Church which is still a work in progress, but I believe that God is putting “the finishing touches on His crowning achievement.” No, technically the Church of the One Body was not born or did not start on the Day of Pentecost, but what transpired there was of great significance in its unfolding. Without a doubt Pentecost was a watershed moment whereby the world was forever changed. This poem “Exquisite Exhibit” conveys in part my thoughts regarding the Church and my part in this amazing masterpiece of God’s creation.

Exquisite Exhibit

Viewing a Ryoshi-bako (stationery box)

Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty

Asian Museum--San Francisco, California

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew

in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things

he planned for us long ago

Ephesians 2:10

God's purpose was to show his wisdom in all its rich variety

to all the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.

They will see this when Jews and Gentiles

are joined together in his church.

Ephesians 3:10

Sublime thoughts never diminish, only increase,

As I marvel at this ancient masterpiece.

The designer sees the end long before he starts

And envisions intricate details of the parts

And fashions a wood box inlaid with jade and gold,

Lacquered vessel for deepest thoughts the mind can hold.

Beyond all that I see, God formed and fashioned me

With precise measure of each scroll and filigree.

Displayed by the skillful hands of the Master craftsman,

Beyond the finest design of any artisan,

The Church, exquisite exhibit now on display,

Treasures from the hand of God take one’s breath away.

With the eyes of our heart now opened, we find

We are the masterpiece Jehovah had in mind.

Lonnell E. Johnson

August 27, 2008

Here is a sweet treat to end on a glorious note of possibility, as we listen to powerful lyrics to “Let the Church Rise” in the video performed by Jonathan Stockstill below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lccGQtXkCu8&feature=related

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To the Rescue

More than a blog, “To the Rescue” is a compilation of scriptures, comments, poetry and music centered on the theme that when we call on God, He will come “To the Rescue.” This is a new enterprise for me to a degree. Not too long ago, I became a writer for Examiner.com, an Internet publication, serving as Christian Spirituality Examiner for Columbus, Ohio. In publishing articles, I learned to insert photos and embed videos as well. Since I have a page on the Way Corps website, I thought I’d see if I could incorporate some of the same features as part of my blog. This is my first attempt at such a modified blog, and I trust it will be a blessing to you, as we together trust in God’s faithfulness to respond to our call. Here is a link to the original article from which this discussion was taken.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-20264-Columbus-Christian-Spirituality-Examiner~y2009m10d27-Halloween-prank-valuable-lesson-learned

Halloween and some of its negative aspects, such as pranks, remind me of an incident a friend shared with me when he went to live with a relative in the rural South where there was no indoor plumbing, and everyone used an outdoor toilet known as an “outhouse.” Unbeknownst to my young friend, the custom on Halloween night was to move the “outhouse” from its original position so that when a person stepped inside, he would fall into the pit. That’s exactly what happened, and my friend immediately cried out, “Daddy, Daddy, come and get me!” His father came running with a flashlight and reached down and grabbed his son by the collar and snatched him out of the horrible pit.
That incident never fails to remind me of a spiritual parallel whereby I, like the young boy in horrific circumstances, called out to my Heavenly Father in desperation. I identified with my friend and expressed my thoughts in some of the lines of “my testimony in poetry”:

With lovin arms you reach way down
And snatched me from Satan’s outhouse,
Sought me and flat-out rescued me,
Fixed me up in my Father’s house.


Why Don’t Somebody Help Me Praise the Lord?

(from Stone upon Stone: Psalms of Remembrance)


Many times as we go through life, we become entangled in circumstances that restrict our efforts to succeed and impede our progress. Like the Psalmist we may find ourselves in situations whereby we cry out to God:

Psalm 35:17
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.

The calling out to God in desperation to “come rescue me” is beautifully expressed in this rendition of “I Need You Now” by Smokie Norful:



When I think about being rescued from a dangerous situation, I recall some of the lyrics of this familiar “vintage hymn” from childhood days of growing up in the Church. The hymn was “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” which had these lines:

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.


The words have become even more meaningful today. I was absolutely overwhelmed by this rendition of the song from the combined choruses of Brigham Young University:



Like Daniel in the den of lions, we sometimes find ourselves in desperate, seemingly impossible situations from which we cannot extract ourselves on our own. When we think of such situations like that of Daniel, we must remember the King’s response when God delivered Daniel:

Daniel 6:27

He [the God of Daniel] delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

In thinking about the record of Daniel in the lion’s den, the words of a Black Spiritual also raise an important question:

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, Deliver Daniel?
Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel? Then why not every man?




“Hand upon the Plow” gives account in poetry of a number of instances where God came to the rescue of Daniel and other believers:



Hand upon the Plow

Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand
to the plow and looks back [to the things behind
is fit for the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:62

“Keep your hand on the plow, hold on!”
--Black Spiritual



When life ain’t like it spose to be,
Right then and there it occurs to me
Folks been in fixes worse than me,
Right in the Bible where I see:

The Lord will make a way somehow.
Just keep your hand upon the plow.

Pharaoh said, “Kill each Hebrew boy,”
But Moses’ Ma was full of joy
Cause Pharaoh’s daughter raised her boy.
The Lord will make a way somehow.

The lions looked so lean and thin
When they throwed Daniel in the den,
But Old Man Daniel didn’t bend.
Just keep your hand upon the plow.

When Jesus died, God paid the cost
And at that time all seem like lost,
But God planned ahead for Pentecost.
The Lord will make a way somehow.

Paul and Silas didn’t rant and wail
When they throwed both of them in jail.
They called on God, and He didn’t fail.
Just keep your hand upon the plow.

When troubles start to buggin you
Remember, there’s just one thing to do:
Look to God and He’ll see you through.
What he did for them, He’ll do for you.

The Lord will make a way somehow.
Just keep your hand upon the plow.


From Stone upon Stone: Psalms of Remembrance


During times of intense pressure when I forget just how faithful God has been, He gently comforts and reminds with these words:


Listen to Me
Isaiah 46:3-4


Listen to me. Open your ears and clearly hear
I have always been there. Though you had not perceived
My presence in the wasteland, I was ever near.
Indeed, I knew you before you were first conceived.
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He
Who still holds you and causes you to remember.
I open deaf ears and cause blinded eyes to see
The passion that consumes your soul was once an ember.
Though I seem to be delayed, I will not tarry
But will return for the faithful ones who remain:
Those whom I have made those I will also carry;
Those whom I have called by name I will sustain.
Rest in me: I will perform all I said to do.
Know that I will sustain you and will rescue you.

Every Halloween when I recall my friend who found himself in a horrific situation and called out to his father or whenever I find myself in a horrible mess, generally of my own making, I am also reminded of this truth that when I cry out, my Heavenly Father will come “to the rescue.”


When I recall the circumstances from which God rescued me, many times I am overwhelmed with gratitude, as I shudder to think when I might be if He had not intervened in such a dramatic manner. In reflecting upon God’s intervention, I composed this poem which I use to conclude this blog.



If It Had Not Been for the Lord


“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,”

Let Israel now say—


Psalm 124:1


If it had not been for the Lord who was on my side,
I would have drowned in the sea from the tears I cried.
I shudder to think just where I would be today.
I would have lost my mind or turned and walked away,
But I learned that God is faithful—this cannot be denied.

He was there to guide when I was tempted and tried,
My shelter from the storm where I could run and hide.
He was my deliverer—that is all I have to say:
If it had not been for the Lord.

Enemies rose up like a flood to wash aside,
But God came through and rescued me and turned the tide.
Pressing toward the mark, dawning of a brand new day,
Through all my trials I learned to watch, fight and pray.
The Lord is my keeper; in Him I confide:
If it had not been for the Lord.
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Kingdomlink Blog

The information posted are excerpts from a work I am (have been) putting together for some years now. However I do not feel the timing is right to release the information as a finished work (Book) to the entire public. Hence the Blog, KingdomLink.

The thesis revolves around the phrase, “Teaching those things concerning the Kingdom of God.”

This phase is the basis for the Ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah (Christ), and was also the intention for which the Father sent the Son of the Living God to be born and to “make known” the things concerning the Kingdom of God. I have discovered this was the only thing on the mind of Jesus throughout His earthly ministry.

He was born in Bethlehem, raised in Egypt and Nazareth then ministered in Galilee. He preached the Gospel (Good News) that the Kingdom of God is at hand to the House of Israel. During the final weeks of His life, He ministered in Jerusalem and was totally rejected by the Religious Leaders and Ruling Elders of Israel. They finally had Him put Him to death by crucifixion. Three days later, He rose from the dead and continued forty days to teach His disciples the things concerning the Kingdom of God (Acts 1;1-3).

Looking at the ending verses of the book of Acts (28:16-31) we discover Paul also was teaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God. This phase is used at various times in the book of Acts and in the Church Epistles, indicating the importance placed upon the knowledge of the Kingdom of God as a present day reality to the believers.

In the beginning of the Lord Jesus’ ministry, we read in the Sermon on the Mount, that He speaking as the King, taught the disciples the Beatitudes of how to live in the Kingdom of God. Notice these are BE ATTITUDES and not DO ATTITUDES, The difference being, these were not Laws to be kept in order to become a Kingdom Citizens, but the Attitudes needed in order to live as a citizen in the Kingdom of God.

Without getting into all of the eight beatitudes now, a quick glance at the first one is necessary to understand what is meant by the BE ATTITUDES:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of God” (Matt 5:3). This “poor in spirit” is the attitude of a true follower of Jesus of Nazareth. This is the opposite of arrogance or a haughty attitude. True humility and not arrogance is the manner in which Jesus lived and served those around Him during the days of His flesh. This is the first requirement of the Kingdom of God, or this is the attitude one must have in order to begin to live and be a vital citizen in the Kingdom of God.

Today this Kingdom of God is not in the material or physical realm, it is a spiritual Kingdom replete with Kingdom Blessings and Rewards for those who will learn “how” to live as a Kingdom citizen bringing glory to God and not to them.

This helps define the quest we at kingdomlink are on, which is to investigate the scriptures in order to accurately discover what Jesus of Nazareth taught about the things concerning the Kingdom of God,. In discovery the basis of True Christianity we may begin to learn and live in simple obedience to His instructions, Giving Glory to the Father resulting in receiving the Kingdom blessings now and Kingdom rewards in the future.

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Jesus of Nazareth taught how to Pray and How to live in the Kingdom of God.I believe there are pro-active positive, scripture based solutions to the many problems our nation and the world are facing as we move into the future.Some will not accept and prepare, others will say we will hear you again later, however others will listen and embrace scripture based solutions that will bring Heaven's Kingdom blessings upon them.Jesus when He taught the disciples "How" to pray said, "Our Father."We pray, communicate; talk with Him, acknowledging Our Father who is in Heaven. It's powerful, personal and intimate."Hallowed be thy name." We acknowledge Him giving Him all glory honor and praise."Thy Kingdom come!"We are to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, expecting the day to come when He sets up the Kingdom of God physically upon Earth.""On Earth as it is in Heaven."It is interesting to me that the goal of many churches is to help people to go to "Heaven." This seems to be opposite of the Lord's goal is to get "Heaven to come to earth."We are to look with anticipation for The Lord's government for solutions, and not man's government. When His government is established by Him, He will rule over the entire Earth.I believe part of our responsibilities is to follow the example of Jesus of Nazareth and going about “Our Fathers Business”, which begins with preaching the “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God” which includes the “Gospel of Salvation.”"Give us this day our daily bread" The Father knows we have needs even before we ask Him. He provides for the birds that do not sow, reap nor do they store up. This is a beautiful picture The Lord painted with words to illustrate “How” Our Father will provide for those who "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness".“And forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”This is the part of the Kingdom attitude we are to have as “Kingdom Citizens.” Jesus taught the Eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount. Notice these are Be Attitudes and not Do Attitudes, meaning these are the attitudes a Kingdom Citizens should endeavor to live by in the way we treat others.This first beatitude is one of being “Poor in Spirit” or the attitude of true humility.How can we expect forgiveness if we will not forgive?“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.”Matthew 6:13 (King James Version)13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:James 1:13 (King James Version)13Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:God does not tempt us with evil; however He does deliver us from evil.Our Father does not lead us into temptation in order to test us to see if we will resist temptation or not. (To think this is actually blasphemy because it attributes to God something He does not do.)“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.The Lord Jesus closes His instruction of “How” to pray by teaching His disciples to again to submit by acknowledging the Fathers Kingdom, Power and Glory!The message of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is what I have come to believe was the focus of the Lord’s mission on earth. To preach the Kingdom of God is at hand and then to teach those who responded on “How” to become a Kingdom Citizen and to live as a Kingdom Citizen in the attitude of the Kingdom of God.If we can learn to live as Jesus lived and taught others to live we can again be blessed by God with His Kingdom Blessing and at the same time prepare to be with the Lord during His Millennium Kingdom someday in the future.
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Greetings and God blessing to all.

Having been a part of Way Productions during our time in the Way Corps, we have been blessed to continue to sing FOR God, TO God, and OF God!

Our Texas Household has produced a two-disc set, 27 songs (21 of which were written in the last two years),

and I think you'd enjoy the rich variety of music of God's goodness and His grace.

www.texashouseholdmusic.com for ordering, lyrics, sheet music and more. You can listen to samples of every song from the link to CD BABY.

Houk Hitchcock (10th Corps)

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10th Corps Photos on Flickr

Folks: You can find the beginnings of my 10th Way Corps album here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8561538@N02/sets/72157624332965813/

Add the names of people you can remember in the comments and I'll incorporate them eventually. Feel free to share.

And remember, no matter what, we had a ton of fun and loved each other in the 10th Way Corps well. Bring the goodness along with you and leave the rest behind!

Hope you are all well.

Elizabeth Dougherty


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Last April on Twitter,Jordan Tohline, a writing pal, offered a collaboration of interested writers to contribute to his blog story. I was one of 20 who made several additions. It came out rather well, I think. Atticus Books found it and is featuring it on their website with author credits. Please have a look and enjoy! Karen ~.~ Way cool...

http://bit.ly/aqiMUk

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My Oprah Network Audition

http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=add_video&entity_id=204760799

I am not sure how this took root in my heart but it is there with some amazing enthusiasm, what was the definition to that word? In Spirt action. It fits. I can only describe this as something beyond me wants me to do this, I don't know if this is to have a talk show or not but I know this is at least putting my audition out there.

Thank you so much for viewing it and if you like it vote and come back again and again and vote some more. What I understand is the top 5 move on to a reality type show and the producers pick 5 other shows and out of all that someone is chosen to have their OWN show. Crazy thought and I am ready!!!

I would love to hear your feed back on it and not just "that was nice". If you think I am over the top and anoying that is good for me to know. If the energy was contagious and kept your attention. If you think the idea is far fetched and will be impossible to pull off...just remember I was taught how to wittness by Donnie Fugit...he could love a bug into the household. If you have other thoughts on what this could do for the country and people I would love to hear that too.

If you go to the link and vote there is an area down below that you can leave a comment. Those my help my chances too. I don't know. The counter does not immediately calculate your votes so don't be discouraged if you think your voting isn't working you come back later and it has jumped a couple hundred you are like OH YEAH!!!

I will keep you all posted on the process. I know I could have never done this with my knowledge and experience I recieved in the Way Corps, The Way wasn't perfect but the quality of my life wouldn't be as good without my knowledge of God's Word.

Thank you all.

Patty Wolfe Sanders

11th WC

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We are looking for anyone that is booking as a single that would be blessed to have a room mate for the cruise to help get a better rate.He is a 59 year old believer, non-Corps, who has lived with us for years, and is coming with us on the cruise. Positive, upbeat...has no other family but us, essentially. Thanks for helping him out! Please contact us asap, wtwillielt@gmail.comGod Bless!Willie and Becky Thomas
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May 20th, 2010 is 25 years since Dr. Wierwille fell asleep. I still miss him, and am thankful for his
life and what he meant to me. He loved and believed in me and accepted me when no one else did.

He taught me to love and respect God, Jesus Christ, my parents, my country, fellow believers, and fellow men and women. Above all, he taught me to read the Bible and walk on it, realizing Jesus Christ was the only one who walked perfectly.

Dr. had as many flaws as the rest of us; after all he was human and needed a savior, too. I had the honor of him yelling at me once--but he had a way of making me feel good about it. Wasn't that "tough love"?

He also made me laugh, cry, and feel the joy of living. At a time when I was so hardened I couldn't feel any emotion whatsoever, his teaching and love reached down and cracked through the rock and made me able to feel once again.

I still appreciate the "Family of God" he tried to get us to be a part of and live in. He got us to work together, play together, laugh together, cry together, and boy oh boy did we EAT together!! I am abundantly thankful for all of those--many of YOU here on this site--who helped me along the way. I know you because of him!

My life is infinitely better because of Dr. Wierwille. His ministry reached me when no one else's did.

If anyone would like to share an incident or story where Dr. Wierwille helped or enhanced your life, please feel free to post it here. I'd appreciate it, and others might, too!
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Spark in the Dark, Billy Falcon

Dear Way Corps,

I often get questions about Billy Falcon. He was active, along with his wife Myla, in the mid-eighties in Manhattan when Terry and I were Territory Coordinators.

He was at a hard place in his life and career when I first got to know him. We were walking once from a fellowship we had conducted in Harlem. I asked him then, "what do you need to do right now with your career?" He said, "I miss the studio, I need to record." About ten of us put together an investment plan to produce a tape on his behalf. The arrangement honored "artist rights" and paid the musicians. It further stated that once all investors were paid in full the ownership and copyrights would be relinquished to the artist, Billy Falcon. We did that. In 1987, following the Rock of Ages, we broke even and dissolved the partnership.

Last summer I spent some time with Billy in Nashville. He has flourished as a song writer, working primarily on his own material and with Jon Bon Jovi, both as a credited and uncredited song writer. I would encourage you (just for fun) to go back through the last decade of Bon Jovi's material and see if you can find Billy. I did that several years ago and was right and wrong half the time... interesting though.

Our ministry taught us to dream big when it came to "Word and Culture." Billy did that and his testament is his music, recorded in part in "Spark in the Dark" and more recently in the material you will hear on his web site, billyfalcon.com. I encourage you to go there and listen. Great stuff. You will be inspired and refreshed. I also have to put in a plug for his daughter Rose. She has done amazing work as a songwriter, artist and performer. She had her own album about six years ago which did incredibly well. I also think Billy is on to something, something he calls "The Sowing Circle." You have to go to his website to get a glimpse of that.

Finally, Billy and I agreed to produce a limited number of "Spark in the Dark" CDs last year. We redid the cover art (thanks to Kellie O'Malley), and with Gerry Comito (the original sound engineer) remixed the tracks and added two songs that were not a part of the first release. I am pretty thrilled with it. If you want a copy hit this link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BILLY-FALCON-Spark-in-the-Dark-NEW-RE-RELEASE-Bonus_W0QQitemZ390074757785QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMusic_CDs?hash=item5ad2447299

On top of that, I have often asked myself "what if" The Way had not demanded the publishing and performance copyrights of their musicians and artists? Look around you at the musicians and artists you loved and respected, and ask yourself this question, "are they not entitled to the fruits of their labor?" Well, according to The Way International, they are not. That attitude is horribly, grossly and pathetically sad. It is evil and ugly. There is no greater violation in life than being lied to, stolen from or raped. That is what The Way did to its artists.

So the next time you hear someone from Pressed Down, Joyful Noise, Branded, Selah or any of the other bands you remember singing a song that changed your life. Go thank them, knowing that in their youth they gave away a most precious piece of their life.

Truly Yours,


Steven Budlong
12th Way Corps (and proud of it)


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Decisions, Decisions.....

I remember reading an old poster somewhere that said "Not to decide is to decide"...Which reminded me a little of Yogi Berra's famous "When you come to a fork in the road, take it" line...I think the older you get, the more you realize that making the right or wrong decision is not as important as living with the decisions you make...

Obviously, there's no magic formula for making right decisions, since none of us can predict the future...When we choose one thing over another, we never get to know how the 'other' would have turned out...Even if we could know, what would be the point?...Most decisions you can't take back----not very easily, anyway...We put off decisions, hoping that the right choice will somehow be made clearer than it is right now...We all hate to admit that we made a bad decision...

When faced with a big decision, I don't know that I really have a tried and true formula that works...However, I do find that after exhausting whatever common sense I can muster up in choosing among certain options, it's often a little insignificant thing---maybe something that tugs me emotionally just a little bit---that ends up being the deciding factor...When we bought our house 23 years ago, it fit all the criteria we were looking for in a house, yard size, square footage, price range etc.---along with about a dozen other houses...Why did we choose this one over the others?...When I walked over to the storage shed in the back yard, I noticed on the concrete slab it was sitting on five various sized hand prints of the kids that lived in the house previously....I looked at the hand prints and then the back yard and said " we could raise a family in this house"...And we bought it....

I have a local friend, a long-haired Polish Jew with a French accent, who recently has literally been faced with making a life or death decision...A proud man of 55, he suffered a heart attack last fall...He was immediately taken to a heart hospital and there he had a couple of stints put in his arteries to clear up some blockage he had...He was released from the hospital a couple of days later, and that's when the fun started...Throw away the cigarettes...Lose the six cups of coffee a day...No more making gravy out of the grease...And he felt weak...Then the depression sets in...Time goes by and he isn't feeling much better...He returns to the doctor...Now the doctor wants to do open-heart bypass surgery...How much more depressing can it get?...

As I said, he is a proud man...He doesn't trust doctors....He doesn't want to leave his life totally in their hands....He's never depended upon anybody before...He certainly doesn't want to be indebted to them---not for the money but for saving his life...A person's whole philosophy of life can change when they're staring the devil in the face and they're relying on another human being to rescue them...

He asked about his options....How bad is his blockage?...Sure, he can change his ways, eat better and take better care of himself, but will he be able to live with himself?...Will he worry himself sick every time his heart starts racing or he has heartburn, wondering if this is "the big one"?...He read about alternatives...There is a strict, fat-free vegetarian diet out there that can slow down, if not stop the blockage in his arteries...We talked...We knew he was at the fork in the road...He hadn't "taken it" yet...He had the bypass surgery scheduled, then canceled it..He hadn't made a decision, he delayed it, and he knew it...

Seems like the easier decision to live with is to get the surgery...Of course, there's a one percent chance he'd die on the operating table...Then he has to live out his life knowing he owes it to another man...The only advice I could give him is that if he opts not to do the surgery, that it's a decision and not a postponement...He believes in the power of will and of the mind...Procrastination can be fatal...

It's been four months since he canceled the surgery...He actually enjoys his vegetable diet, his tea, an occasional snort of booze and sneaks a smoke every now and then...He feels much better and his doc says he's improving, and even has a high opinion of the doctor who wrote the book that he got his diet from...He's certainly not out of the woods, but he's alive,....and he seems to be living with his decision...What more can a person do?....
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