Men's Ministry

A Look Back at 2011 - A Blessed Year

Today is Thursday afternoon, December 29, 2011 & another year has gone by. I praise God for another year of transformation in my life, for His abundant blessing’s, His miracles. The pervasive hope that was spread throughout this world and the vision of our pastor and this body to be a part of spreading more of God’s “Pervasive Hope,” in 2012 throughout the city, state and world.  I pray you have recognized God working around you this year, and you joined Him in that work. What an amazing reality to come to, when you realize God our creator, desires a continuing love relationship with us that is real and personal. He speaks to us, if we will just take the time to listen to Him and wants to use us as His vessels glorifying His name.  

Jesus our Savior and Lord told us in John 5:19-20: Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever he does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.” You see gentlemen by keeping your focus on Jesus, who loves you and will show you all things that the Father as shown and given Him. Jesus tells us He can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. That should be a clue to you and me to keep our eyes on Jesus, resolve this year to, “Come to Him,” “ Abide in Him,” and “Obey Him,” each and every day. Amen.   

Did you miss it this year? By not keeping your focus on Him, not recognizing God working in and around you this year. Do not despair our God is a God of second chances! I want to encourage you please resolve to come and join me with the MOTR Ministry on Tuesday nights in 2012. We can together learn how to recognize God working in our lives by learning to hear Him, as God speaks by His Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways, in each and everyone of our lives. Jesus tells us in John 15:5 “ I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing." Nothing means what? Nothing!  Please do not miss what the Lord has for you and your loved ones this next year. Seek Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

I wanted to take the time to thank the men who are the core leaders in the MOTR ministry. Without them and their faithful commitment in seeking God and being obedient to His instruction this year, coming to Him, abiding in Him, and obeying Him. The transformation that took place in men’s lives this year the ministry that is being done as men are being raised up and becoming “Spiritual Servant Leaders,” in their families, work places, ministries and community. None of this would have happened without this group of mighty men of God. The MOTR Cabinet, thank you Rickey, Scotty, Will, Joel, Frank, Paul, Hamilton, Bryant, Tony Molina, Tony Martinez, Sampson, Rick, Eddie and Jarl. The faithful IronMen leaders, Warriors leaders, Shepherds leaders, FMO leaders, MEW leaders, Military leaders, prayer team and all that assisted these men and their respective duties and responsibilities to this ministry. God has blessed me, and this body of believers, with each and every one of you. Thank you for your witness, allowing God to use, to mould, and shape you, in serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

This year we will graduate approximately 138 IronMen students and leaders from the IronMen Discipleship Ministry at the Rock Church, Foothills Christian Fellowship Church and The Way Church. The Lord has placed upon my heart to go into the body of Christ with the Ironmen Ministry Foundation a 501 3c making disciples based on Matthew 28:19-20 “The Great Commission.” We have developed a web-site Ironmendisciples.org we continue to pray about the next steps the Lord would have us go in.

The MOTR leaders set aside three times this year to get away and seek the Lord gaining a new refreshing of His Spirit and a new charge in serving Him. In May our MOTR Spring Leadership Conference, in October our Spiritual Formation of a Leader Conference and the annual Men’s Retreat this year “More Of Him Less Of Me.” The blessing of Tuesday nights IronMen and Warriors, Saturday Men’s Breakfast, The First Fruits Prayer on the first Saturday of each month, the annul Men’s Night In The Sanctuary in August, Father’s Day Barbecue in June our Do Something involvement and the Toys For Joy Outreach. All these things the Lord used to point men to Him as He was working around us inviting us to join Him in His work.

We learned about the importance of being in the Soul Room with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit each and every day. As the illustration of the Pitcher, Cup, Saucer and Plate reveal the importance of God (Pitcher) filling us (Cup) to overflowing onto our families and loved ones (Saucer) and overflowing onto those around us (Plate) with the love of God. We cannot go into the Leadership Room effectively without first going into the Soul Room being filled to overflowing. Living the life style Jesus desires us to live with Him. We must take the envelope of God’s Word, intentionally open and respond to the invitations. Thank you Tom Waller for the Shepherds sessions this year andChuck Smith for your love of God and passing on the overflow of that love onto to us at the Spiritual Formation of a Leader Conference.

Tim Elmore was the guest speaker at the men’s retreat this year and the final message of “Rivers and Floods,” left a message in my heart that will last. He challenged us to find our river flowing in one single direction and to make it deep not wide. Asking the question do you know your river? We were to choose one thing God was calling us to, coming down off the mountain praying seeking God asking Him to reveal it to us. Getting clarity in knowing what it was and to focus on doing that one thing well. Philippians 3:13… but one thing I do ….We were challenged to press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

Tim shared with us in Philippians 1:12-18, the Apostle Paul while in prison continued to preach Christ. Even in prison he stayed in his river. Tim gave us four ways people respond to the prisons in their lives, which will help us to keep our rivers flowing instead of flooding.  

Below are four things this year we can all encourage each other with:

1. Is your attitude causing you to chose to curse your prison?  When you do it renders you useless to yourself and to God. Stop cursing your prison along the way!
2. Do you nurse your prison?  Taking it with you wherever you go keeping it alive prolonging the pain. Being stuck nursing your prison!
3. Do you rehearse your prison daily? Do you rehearse your bad moments over and over again? Staying in the rottenness of your life in prison? When you do you are moving toward the dark. Rendering you useless to yourself and to God!
4. Paul chose to reverse his prison to help the flow of his river to take it deep. “ Message of the gospel is God uses the prison’s to advance the Kingdom of God in you.”  

The MOTR Ministry is God’s and we are His vessel’s to be used in preaching the gospel of Jesus and in making disciples baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Lord God I praise you for an amazing 2011 with You. Lord please draw us close to You, fill us up to overflow onto those around us in 2012. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. 

Glorifying our Father in Heaven in 2012,          

Pastor Ronnie Holderby