Have you had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who was “wrapped...in swaddling clothes, and laid...in a manger” (Luke 2:7). This humble birth was that of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Have you had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?” - Don’t you agree with me that it is more than proper to discuss this subject on the day when we celebrate Jesus’ birth? Why should this Biblical principle be difficult to understand? All of the blood, sweat and tears that Jesus endured have led up to this point. Today, all can be redeemed under His Name, through water baptism in His Name.

Precious Ones, regardless of how much Holy Ghost we have, or how good of a Christian we are, we cannot go to heaven if we don’t act on what we know about the proper and correct way to be baptized. The Adamic sins are on us until they are removed through baptism. Some Christians do not know this, so they cannot be judged by what they do not know. However, for those of us who know the truth, God expects us to walk in that truth. Scripture teaches us that “unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required” (Luke 12:48).

Chosen Ones, to know that Jesus’ Name should be over every baptism is considered “much” knowledge in the eyes of Jesus. Baptism in Jesus’ Name is also confirmed in the Book of Colossians - “whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). Therefore, for those of us who have this knowledge, our sins will never be remitted or removed until we are baptized in water, with the Name of Jesus called over us. The titles of Father, or Son, or Holy Ghost, won’t remove the sins of those who know better. Must I remind you - the word “Father” is the title of a parent. It’s not a name. The word “Son” is the title of an offspring. It’s not a name. The title “Holy Ghost” represents Jesus’ agent sent to lead us “into all truth” (John 16:13), but it’s not a name! All I’m trying to say to this point is - Jesus wants His children who have been redeemed by His blood to bear His Name!

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
Merry Christmas,
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

Have You had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One of whom the angel spoke when he told Mary, ”Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Happy Birthday, Jesus! It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, I must celebrate Jesus’ birth in this letter, because many of you will be gone for the holidays next week. For over 2000 years, our Lord and Savior has left a standard of excellence upon this world that no one can match or achieve in a lifetime. Jesus’ love, power, compassion, excellence, majesty, omniscience, and all of the best that can be seen in human flesh, are attributes that the most honorable men and women of this world will spend their lifetimes emulating. Let us be very thankful for the nature of our one and only true God, as we celebrate His birth. I can’t speak for you, but I don’t just love Jesus - I like Him also. There are some people who you are forced to love out of obedience to God’s commandments, but you don’t necessarily like them! Jesus is not in that category. I like his personality. Consider this with me - what if Jesus, with all of His power, were like some of his creation? What if He were self-serving, quick tempered and unreliable? All of us would be in a lot of trouble. I’m so glad that Jesus, even with all of His power, is still a good and excellent God, with the best of personality and character. This holiday season, help me to celebrate the birth of the one of whom Jeremiah said, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is [His] faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Have You had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?” - Since we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, His Name should receive some attention at this time. The Name of Jesus should be over everyone who wants to enter into His Kingdom. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not [the kingdom of God] by the door of the sheepfold [by His Name], but climbeth up some other way [trying to use some other name], the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1).

Chosen Ones, I must remind you that on the day of Pentecost, Peter condemned the crowd for not honoring Jesus as God while He was here on earth, dwelling among them. It is the same today - men focus on gifts, food and merchandise during this celebration time, rather than reflecting on the honor and character of the One whose birth is being celebrated. Peter preached so convincingly and forcefully that the people asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” When Peter saw their sincerity in wanting to know how to repair their mistreatment of Jesus, he said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).

Precious Ones, if you desire to make your salvation process complete and correct, and desire to remove the sin penalty you inherited from Adam, you must be baptized in water in the Name of Jesus Christ! This is not my opinion. This is a biblical fact. Scripture says, “Neither is there salvation in any other [name or god]: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). If you reside in heaven, this scripture does not apply to you. However, if you are like the rest of us who were born and raised on earth (under the heaven), then the scripture is clear that there is only Name that brings salvation. Let it be clear, without any misunderstanding, that baptism in Jesus’ Name by immersion in water is not a denominational ritual. It is a doctrine of scripture that must be observed.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
Have a blessed and Merry Christmas.
Please return home safely.
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

Have You had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). These words are accredited to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Have you had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?” - Christians who have not been baptized in Jesus’ Name have not been baptized correctly. The New Testament teaches us that the Holy Ghost should follow a person who is saved. In other words, signs and indications of the Holy Spirit of God should be seen when a baptism is applied correctly to a soul. You would be surprised to discover that there are millions in the so-called Christian society who say that they have been baptized, but who have never heard of the Biblical principle of “speaking in other tongues” - an indication of the presence of the Holy Ghost. You will also find that most of their problems stem from the lack of a proper baptism.

Precious Ones, this is nothing new. Paul had to deal with this challenge in his day. He came across a group of believers (see Acts 19:1-6) who had been baptized by John the Baptist (the cousin of Jesus). Paul asked them, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” They answered, “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost”. Notice that Paul immediately began to question their baptism. He asked them, “Unto what then were ye baptized?” They answered, “Unto John’s baptism”. Today, true men and women of God have to teach the truth to believers who have been infected with false teaching (or minimal and sub-standard teaching). Paul had the same challenge. That’s why he explained to them that they had only been baptized as a sign of repentance, but that “they should believe on him which should come after [John], that is, Christ Jesus”. What I like about these believers is that once they heard the truth, they readily and immediately obeyed the new knowledge of the proper way to receive baptism. It did not matter to them how long they had been walking in the other way. Oh, Beloved, I would love to see more Christians exemplify the same attitude today. Many are convicted and know better, but have too much pride to be re-baptized, for fear that they may appear to be misinformed or less spiritual. However, the believers who Paul encountered didn’t have that problem.

Children of God, scripture records that “when [the believers] heard [Paul’s revelation of this baptism principle], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”. After they obeyed in receiving the correct baptism, they received the full and complete blessing that God wants all believers to experience. “...when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied [they foretold, through the Holy Ghost, good things to come for the church]”.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

Have You had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4). The Author of these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Have You had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?” - If water Baptism is so important to our salvation that we cannot see the Kingdom of God without it (see John 3:3), then we must make sure to find the right way to be baptized. I don’t understand why Christians don’t believe that there is a right way and a wrong way to be baptized. Most people understand that there is a right way and a wrong way to save money, pay bills, do laundry, prepare a meal, further their education, have proper table manners at a restaurant, or report a fact in a newspaper. Yet, we find that some Christians get offended when one dares to mention the subject of correct baptism.

Chosen Ones, being immersed in water does not automatically mean that one has been baptized properly and correctly in the eyes of God. The Name of Jesus alone must be called over a baptismal candidate to make it a correct baptism. When one says, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, all in Jesus’ Name”, that’s wrong. When one says, “I baptize you in the Name of God’s Son”, that’s wrong. The only way to be sure that we are baptized in the right way is to use the Bible as our guide to this salvation principle.

Precious Ones, it only makes sense to obey the words of the Jesus of the Bible, if we claim to serve the needs of the Jesus of the Bible. Therefore, let us remind ourselves what the Jesus of the Bible said about baptism, and how He said that it should be done. Our Lord said, “[Because all power in heaven and earth is mine], Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). Beloved, the Name of all three who bear witness in the Godhead is Jesus!. No denomination makes this baptism right. The Jesus of the Bible makes it right.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

Have you had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger“ (John 6:35). Beloved, Jesus us the only One who satisfies like that. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, I’m inspired of the Lord to write on a series of letters that ask the question, “Have you had the Water Baptism in Jesus’ Name?” I don’t know exactly why the Lord wants me to write on this subject, because I preach about the proper way to be baptized every Sunday, and often during the weekly services. However, I make no excuses nor apologies for God’s leading and direction. It would seem that all the Anointed Harvest congregation should be acquainted with the principles of this subject, but it is obvious that this non-denominational (but biblical) principle warrants some extra attention at this time.

Precious Ones, Jesus not only commanded “Water Baptism”, but scripture records that He Himself went to the River Jordan and was baptized by John the Baptist, to show us how we are supposed to be baptized (see Matthew 3). Jesus never gave any thought to appeasing a denomination or performing a certain ritual. Jesus didn’t let John pour a little water on His head, nor did He let John sprinkle Him with it. Rather, He had John bury (immerse) Him in the water. We know that this method pleased God so well that He sent “a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Therefore, God is not “well pleased” with anyone’s act of baptism unless it is done properly and in the right way.

Chosen Ones, the Book of Matthew provides a clue of what makes baptism pleasing to God. Jesus told John to baptize him by immersion because “thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). You may ask, “What is the righteous way in which God requires us to be baptized”? Here is the answer - Jesus said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5).

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 19:19). The Author of these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in conclusion of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree”, no good thing will our God withhold from those of us who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11). Those who desire to be like Jesus will never be like him until we learn how to pray like Him. Communicating with Jesus is the key to emulating Him. Remember, Jesus knows that “there is nothing too hard for [God]” (Jeremiah 32:17). Therefore, whatever our case may be, we cannot give up on any prayer that we desire the Lord to answer. This is where it is good to have a prayer-partner - so that you won’t give up. Your prayer-partner should encourage you if your patience weakens as you wait for your answer.

However, Chosen Ones, this is the warning - make sure that you choose the right partner to pray with you. The gauge to use in choosing a prayer-partner who will benefit you and enhance your prayer-life is this - make sure that your choice “agrees” with your vision. Don’t let anyone deter you from the vision that God has given you!

Selected Ones, a perfect example of what I’m saying is found in the Book of Acts. The Holy Spirit of Jesus partnered Barnabas and Paul together, knowing that they had the same vision. According to scripture, “as [the saints, including Paul and Barnabas] ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when [the apostles] had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on [Paul and Barnabas], they sent them away” (Acts 13:2-3). Because their chemistry was a perfect match, these two men displayed the power of the Holy Ghost in a way that was unprecedented. No one had ever seen the Lord move in two disciples as He moved in Barnabas and Paul. In fact, scripture records that through these two men of God, “the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region” where they were (Acts 13:49).

In closing, Beloved, “two agreeing” means more than just thinking the same way, but, more importantly, it means agreeing to effect change in this world!

I will write on another subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3). The Author and Inspiration of these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” – Jesus said, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them” (Matthew 18:19). Some have the opinion that God is too slow, or that He won’t answer our real desires for a long time. Saints, this sort of thinking is contrary to God’s Word – “If ye ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

Chosen Ones, the problem is not with God concerning the confinements of time or His desire to answer; the problem is the lack of faith that all of us suffer at times in our walk with God. This is where true prayer-partners are beneficial. They assist you when your faith is weak in some areas, and you are required to assist them when necessary.

Precious Ones, we know that Jesus won’t lie, and that He is true to every promise that He has made. Therefore, why are our prayers not answered when we ask? The answer is simple – we are not “asking in faith”. Simply put, when we ask, we don’t believe that God will answer immediately. A true prayer partner should assist us to have immediate faith in that area. James ministers to us when he says, “…ask in faith, nothing wavering [without even the shadow of a doubt]” (James 1:6). If we waver, the scripture issues a warning - “let not [the wavering] man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord” (James 1:7).

I will write more on this subject after the anniversary services.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “For your shame ye shall have double [blessings]; and for confusion they (God’s people) shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them” (Isaiah 61:7). The Author of these words is Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two shall Agree” - Jesus was more busy than all of us, but He found the time to pray. There was not, and never will be, anyone on His spiritual level who could qualify as His prayer partner. Yet, He found time to pray alone in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26: 36-45). God has ordained us to have prayer-partners on the same spiritual level to help us pray! That’s why Paul encourages us to “each esteem other[s] better than [our]selves (Philippians 2:3). However, even with a God - ordained prayer-partner, we still, in many cases, don’t take the time to pray about what we need and desire. Saints, I must remind you all that Matthew 18:19 applies only when “two shall agree on earth…”. Then, anything that they shall ask... shall be done for them…”

Chosen ones, prayer (especially group prayer and fellowship among the saints) is stronger than any atom bomb ever made. Consider Acts 12:1-10. The Apostle James had been killed, and Peter was bound in jail, but the group of saints at Jerusalem prayed to God for him “without ceasing”. They did not pray once or twice and stop, but the church did not stop praying until God knocked the chains off Peter, opened the iron gates of his prison, and brought him right to the place where they were praying. Peter’s success came through group prayer.

Precious ones, Sister Stretch (our Fasting Coordinator) has rotated us on a fast for the First Lady and myself and for the success of our anniversary services. We must all participate in order to achieve full success, and we must all keep praying until we see the results that we anticipate through the services. Let us not cease until our prayers are answered.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I’m extremely grateful that God has selected me to be your Pastor.
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few” (Luke 10:2). The author of these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” - most people are pressed for time. They plan everything up to the last minute, then they try to squeeze prayer in. Therefore, they are continually on the run, constrained by their time schedules, until our Lord allows something to grip them. Then, these same people want God to deliver them immediately, even though they know that before their crisis, they didn’t exhibit the same emotion and urgency when it came to the commands of God.

Precious ones, a case in point is the story of a rich man and a poor man, Lazarus, who both died (see Luke 16:19-31). The rich man suffered the torments of hell, while Lazarus found a place of rest in paradise. The rich man wanted Abraham to just let Lazarus dip his finger in cold water and come all the way from paradise to cool his tongue. Yet, while he was alive, he didn’t have the time to even give Lazarus a sandwich as he lay starving right at his doorstep. How could some people expect so much when they have done so little? Chosen Ones, this is why our God, Jesus, ordained the principle of “two agreeing”. In the times when you fall short in observing the principles of God’s Kingdom, your prayer-partner should cover your slackness, and you should do the same for them. Paul said, “...submit yourselves...to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth” (I Corinthians 16:16).

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love my fellow-laborers with all my heart,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who inspired the words, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good until all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). The Name of the One who inspired these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two shall Agree” - A love of slumber and sleep has gripped thousands. Their beds hold them until noon, after which they arise, pray for about five minutes, and expect God to honor their prayers. Yet, many of these same people can listen to the radio for hours, purely for entertainment purposes. Some can use the telephone for all day, just for gossip. Then, they have the nerve to say that they are short of time. We ought to squeeze every opportunity we can out of the few moments of life that our God has given us. One way to accomplish this is to think about others more than ourselves.

Chosen Ones, scripture records that Jesus said, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). This teaches us that there are many who need to be persuaded to live for God, but there are not enough Christians who are willing to be unselfish and work together to see this goal come to reality. Notice that Jesus said “laborers” - not one laborer, but many. It is only when two or three or more Christians work together that they can win over a harvest of souls.

Precious ones, in other words, there are so many souls that need salvation that no one man or woman can reap this harvest alone. When Jesus gave me the name of our church, Anointed Harvest, I saw a vision of anointed vessels of all races, social classes and educational levels, working together to convince a dying world to repent and give their lives to Jesus. However, the vision never showed only one man or one woman working to accomplish this goal. Rather, two or three operating in one accord can accomplish anything in Christ.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all so very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (John 1:51). The only Man that the angels of God perpetually ascended and descended on was our God in the flesh – Jesus Christ. It is In His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” – there are many mothers and fathers who spend a lot of their time with their children. When the children need them (which is most of the time), prayer becomes only a side issue. Time is planned for everything except prayer, which is actually the most essential part of our day. Many parents only pray when disaster strikes. Then, they excitedly begin their search for Jesus. However, they often find that they have lost Him in the busy rush, just as Mary did when she went a few days journey without Jesus, supposing Him to have been in the crowd. It took her three days to find Him again (see John 11:17). Let me pause and say this – that’s why it’s beneficial to have two or three agreeing with you in prayer. When you get discouraged and the Lord takes more than a day or two to answer your prayer, your prayer-partners can encourage you to hold on and wait longer.

Precious Ones, let me encourage you to wait on God, because you will always find God at the very point where you left off praying. As examples, Daniel prayed for 21 days, but God answered right where he left off praying (Daniel 10:11-12). Paul prayed all night in stocks, and at midnight God was found right where he finished praying (Acts 16:25-30).

Chosen Ones, if you are surrounded by people who are in one accord with you, each person serves as a point of strength in your life at the time when you need them. When two or three come together touching and agreeing in one accord, the Lord gives a portion of enlightenment to each of you. When you all bring your sources of enlightenment together through the Holy Spirit, it fits like a puzzle. In other words, true Holy Spirit prayer partnership works like this – one may see the lesson that needs to be learned from your situation in the past, another may see it from the present perspective, and yet another may see it from the future angle. That’s what Paul meant when he wrote, “We [Christians] know [what God wants us to know about our lives] in part, and we prophesy [or preach and foretell the future for each other] in part” (I Corinthians 13:9).

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all so very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). His Name is Jesus, the only God of this earth. It is in his Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” - there are three things that crowd prayer out of our lives. (1) Lack of love for God -- When we blame God for all of our mishaps (or even some of them), and we are cold and indifferent toward Him, it’s hard to pray alone, much less with someone else. It’s already a struggle with our flesh to pray, even with the right attitude. Our knees will tire quickly. Sometimes we are tempted to pray after everything else is done. If our attitude is wrong, it becomes contagious and throws everybody else’s attitude into confusion and frustration. (2) Laziness crowds prayer results out of our lives. If we are not careful, we will find reasons to shorten our prayer time to just a minute or two because of our occupations, long nights, need for rest, etc. So far, all of these excuses can be remedied by obeying this simple scriptural principle - “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Precious ones, remember that your paycheck can’t buy your ticket to heaven. If you only knew what God had in store for your obedience in prayer, not only would you encourage someone else, but your results will come faster because of your level of faith. This thought is a perfect segue to reason number three: (3) A lack of expectation. Many Christians have problems with this one, if not all of us! We pray, but then we don’t expect the prayer to be answered immediately, and in some cases, we don’t believe that God will answer our prayers at all on certain issues!

Chosen ones, again, the scripture has a remedy for this - “ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). If you believe and obey this doctrinal principle, your faith will be an asset to the group and not a liability. Then, when two or three of you pray with love, diligence and expectation, you all will be dangerous to Satan and to his kingdom of doubters! Beloved, encourage someone else with this letter. Get a couple of extra copies and share these principles with them.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all so very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1). The one who inspired these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” - Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ don’t spend enough time with God to know His voice from any other. Thus, they’re often deceived by Satan, and left in confusion. This is why God ordained “two or three” to come together and pray (Matthew 18:19-20). There are deceiving methods of Satan that can get past one praying saint, but when “two or three” saints’ prayer agenda is on one accord, it is next to impossible for Satan to infiltrate the group with his deceiving ways.

Precious Ones, God did away with the solo prophetic ministries of Moses, Elijah, Elisha and Samuel during the time of the prophets Zechariah, Haggai and Malachi. All three of these men prophesied during the time of the reformation of Israel’s captivity. There was only a two-month space of time between the prophesies of Haggai and Zechariah (see Haggai 1:1 and Zechariah 1:1). God ordained this new structure to teach us that it is better to have support from others who share your desires and vision than to walk alone in prayer!

Chosen Ones, we don’t have, and never will have all the answers to life’s problems. There is only One who has “all power in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18), and that is Jesus our God. Jesus ordained His children to have strengths in certain areas to support others who have weaknesses in those same areas, and vice versa. What do you think Paul meant when he said, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1)? He meant that when two or three pray about an issue, your weakness is okay because someone else in the group is strong in that area, and their weaknesses are okay because they are covered by your strength in another area. You get it - we are helpers one of another. As Solomon puts it, “Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they [or one should] fall, the [other] one will lift up his fellow; But woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all with the sincerest amount of love I can give,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said through the mouth of the psalmist, “God [has the ability to] anoint thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Psalm 45:7). The God who inspired these words is none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” - If you remember, I ended last week’s letter with a discussion on the subject of partnership prayer and the successful result of this institution as ordained by God. How do we know that God ordains partnership prayer (prayer for your brother or your sister apart from your personal prayers)? Let us reexamine the scripture. “Be kindly [oh-oh] affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour [and how does God view love to be with honor?] preferring one another” (Romans 12:10).

Chosen Ones, all of this means that when prayer is offered up in accordance with the methods commanded by our God, it changes things. It lifts heavy burdens, heals sick bodies, and tunes you in to heaven’s wavelength. In the words of scripture, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Precious Ones, every prayer acquaints us with God. We cannot know God apart from prayer. Job said, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace” (Job 22:21). However, peace does not come in the form of a “Lone Ranger” mentality. We are commanded in scripture to “follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). This means that we can’t get to heaven without each other.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree, continued

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who asked “Lovest thou me?”, then followed His question with a requirement, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17). The name of the one who said these words to Peter is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “If Two Shall Agree” - Jesus encouraged us to pray, talked to us in parables, and spent many nights praying in the mountains to show us by example the value of prayer. Yet, we have not learned that the secret of success in this Christian warfare is prayer, more prayer, and much prayer - especially with a prayer partner. Must I remind you that prayer is the only spiritual exercise that we are required by scripture to do all day and every day? Did you forget about the scripture that says, “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17)? Or did you forget the words of Luke when he wrote that Jesus “spake a parable unto this end, that men ought always pray, and not faint” (Luke 18:1)? Do you remember the scripture that advocated team prayer partners and highlighted the successful results of team prayer partnership? Here it is - “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed”. This is one result of prayer. Another result is that “the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).

Chosen ones, many have the wrong conception about praying, especially with someone else! Many seem to think that prayer is supposed to change God, but that is far from the truth. True partnership prayer is supposed to change you! That’s why Jesus sent His disciples out two by two - to show them and us that we cannot make it by ourselves. We all need to be among the sanctified. That is where our inheritance is. Partnership prayer transforms you from someone who thinks only about yourself to someone who constantly considers the needs of others.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

If Two Shall Agree Part 1

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of “the Creator, who is blessed for ever” (Romans 1:25). Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the only one who fits that description. It’s in His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, I want to write unto you from a new subject entitled, “If Two shall Agree ”. Remember, Jesus said, “If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). There are two schools of thought here: (1) Since God’s human creation is body, soul and spirit, if two out of these three would agree to ask anything from God in faith, it shall be done. In other words, if your body and soul agree to believe, then your spirit will reap the benefits of witnessing the miraculous! Or, if your spirit and soul agree to believe, then your body will benefit and see a great move of God. (2) The other school of thought focuses on the bold promise of Jesus - “it shall be done for them”. In layman’s terms, Jesus was saying that the moment two persons agree to believe the same thing, He guarantees a manifestation of that petition. With such a promise as this, how could we not be motivated to pray fervently together in faith?

Chosen Ones, this is why it is of the utmost importance to fellowship with Christians who believe as you do. The warning to my sheep (over whom the Holy Ghost has made me overseer) is this - don’t fellowship with Christians based on denomination, but rather on impartation! Two Baptists, two Pentecostals, two Methodists don’t necessarily constitute successful results in prayer, but two who believe God can heal, deliver, and set free. They can do anything but fail! Jesus can work in that environment.

I will write more on this subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought for Your Life (conclusion) Part 16

Praise the Lord, Beloved, and Greetings in the Name of the One who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Apostle Paul said that the Author of these words is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. It is His Name that I greet you.

Beloved, in conclusion of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - I must share this with you: Ask for what you need. There is no need for God’s children to beg! The king’s kids don’t beg! All we need to do is believe, and God will grant our requests. Don’t take my word for it—ask Jabez (see I Chronicles 4:9-10). Don’t complain about what you don’t have, but rather, thank God by faith for what He has given you, even though it’s not yet manifested. Remember, a few Sundays ago, the Lord had me minister to you from Hebrews 11:1— “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Though the help of the Holy Spirit, we learned that substance is translated from a Greek word meaning entitlement. This reminds us that true faith is manifested in our lives when we believe that we have the ownership and the title deed to something that can’t yet be seen. In other words, if you don’t see your entitlement before it’s manifested in your life, then you have no “substance”, and more importantly, you have no faith!

Chosen Ones, in conclusion, take no thought for what you desire from God. Don’t worry at all whether you will receive the answer to your prayers. You will! Don’t look on what little you have. Rather, think of what God can speak into existence in a moment. Finally, don’t try to fathom, in your finite mind, how God (with His infinite mind) will get the answer to you. Leave that up to Him.

I will write on a new subject next week.
Until then, know this,
I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought for Your Life Part 15

Beloved, in continuation of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” – you who are worrying, fretting, and as a result, sinning – you who are concentrating on what to do to get what you need in life – you need to relax in God and realize that God will “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Take no thought for your life! Consider this – how can you say you believe in (or have faith in) God, when you are worrying day in and day out over financial problems, health problems, social problems, family problems, psychological problems?

Chosen Ones, it’s a set-up! Satan wants you to worry so that your body will deteriorate and become unhealthy. When that happens, you won’t be able to work for the Kingdom of God. Satan wants you to worry so that your blood pressure stays high, your kidneys fail, and your heart weakens. He wants you to always be sick, carrying the load of “how do I get what I need to make my life enjoyable”? Beloved, God knows that you must eat, you must be clothed and you must have shelter. The devil is a liar. Jesus will supply everything you need without you having to strain or struggle.

I will conclude this series next week. Until then, know this,

I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 14

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - if you remember, scripture records that a crowd of men came to visit a prophet. Food was short, yet God showed them how to multiply the little that they had. They all ate, and even had some left (II Kings 4:43-44). This shows us that sometimes, God puts us in situations where He will require us to have faith that the little we have will be multiplied. Our lack is not there for us to “take thought” (worry) about it. Rather, the lack in a Christian life is there to serve several purposes;1) To get our attention so that we can focus on the area of our lives where the next miracle is scheduled to take place; 2) When you are miraculously delivered from your lack, you can glorify God—you can praise Him for His manifested miracle in your life; 3) When those who know about your lack see how you were miraculously delivered, they will also trust God (see Daniel 3). When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into “a fiery furnace”; 1) it focused their attention (and Nebuchadnezzar’s attention) on the area of their lives that needed a miracle; 2) When God delivered them in such a miraculous way, they were able to glorify the Lord; 3) When King Nebuchadnezzar discovered how miraculously they had been delivered, he not only glorified their God, but he made a decree that only their God would be worshipped in his kingdom.

Precious Ones, King Nebuchadnezzar later promoted these three boys to high positions in his kingdom. Your lack has come to promote you into more blessings. So, ¬take no thought for your life. Think about your promotion, if you must think about something!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this,

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 13

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for your Life” - scripture records that at one time, some people needed to retrieve a little, insignificant axe-head that had accidentally fallen into the water (see II Kings 6:5-7). Little did they realize that there was no need to worry. God showed the man of God how to make iron swim! Don’t you see that it is pointless to take thought for your life’s heavy challenges? If God can miraculously make iron float on a substance as weak as water, don’t you think that He can make whatever is weighing you down float out of your life, no matter how weak you are?

Precious Ones, scripture also records that at one time in Biblical History, some people discovered that they were eating poisoned food and became very anxious and upset (see II Kings 4:38-41). Then, God showed the man of God (Elisha) how to take the poison out of the food. Don’t you know that God can take any harmful thing out of your life? Don’t even think that Satan can poison what God has in store for you! Why worry about what has been promised to you? Jesus has your blessings in the safest place—in Him—and nothing will make them spoil or expire. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).

Chosen Ones, why should you or I “take thought for our lives” when no one can touch what belongs to us? No one can steal our blessings, they won’t spoil, and they will not be too heavy to handle. Our blessings are in the safe deposit box of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this,

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 12

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - when God spoke, the things He commanded were done! As I shared with you at the beginning of this letter, everything is cleansed through His word (see John 15:3). When Jesus uses the term “clean”, He doesn’t refer to hygiene, but to power and authority. A good supporting scripture is found in the Book of I John - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [to give us power and authority], and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Jesus has given power to a few who believe in Him, so that they too can speak things into existence without living under condemnation. Why? Because our own authority and power is nothing! “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). However, when we speak under the power and authority of God’s Word, it alone is “clean” and will fulfill every promise spoken!

Chosen Ones, this is why saints do not “take thought for their lives”, or worry about their lives. Why? Because we have the authority of God’s power inside of us. When we decrease and allow the Holy Spirit to increase, nothing we say shall fail to come to pass! Consider Elijah as an example. Elijah said to King Ahab, “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (I Kings 17:1). Three and a half years later, the same prophet used his words in prayer and brought back rain to the earth. God gave him the authority to select the element (rain), the time (3½ years) and the circumstance (the idolatry of Ahab and Jezebel) upon which to show the glory of God. Just as God provided the needs of his people then, so will He do now, if we believe Him. So, what element do you want to influence? How much time do you want it to take? What circumstance do you want authority over?

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this,

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 11

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - All we need to do is please God enough for Him to speak. Then, all the things we need will come into existence. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). When Jesus spoke, the blind could see, the lame could walk and the deaf could hear. Instead of “taking thought for your life”, why don’t you “speak” into existence the life that you want? In other words, solve your problems and challenges through the power of your tongue. Don’t worry about it - speak to it! Say to your bills, “You are paid”. Say to your body, “You are healed”. Say to your soul, “You are saved”. You must “say unto [your] mountain [of challenges], Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20).

Chosen Ones, do you think that you are better than Jesus? There were some things that would not change unless He spoke the change! Jesus cursed a fig tree, saying, “No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever” (Mark 11:14). So, speak a rebuke to every area of your life that is not bringing you success. Jesus calmed a raging sea, saying, “Peace, be still” (Mark 14:39). Why are you looking to everything and everybody outside of yourself to solve your problems? Speak to your own problems, and by faith they will go away! Again, don’t think about it - speak to it!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 10

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life”, - Jesus said, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things [that you need] shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). This scripture indicates to me that if we walk uprightly before God, He will not withhold any good thing from us.

Chosen Ones, I recently preached a message entitled “I’m glad I Repented”, focusing on the repentance of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, when he said, “At the same time [that I repented] my reason returned unto me; and...I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me” (Daniel 4:36). Notice that God granted “excellent majesty” to a man who was (1) an idol worshipper, (2) a slave owner, and (3) a non-covenant Gentile. How much more will our God give unto those who are (1) called by His Name, (2) possessors of the Holy Spirit, and (3) covenant-keeping believers?

Precious Ones, the Bible tells us that God takes care of every need of His people. Through the scriptures, God has brought us to the point where we know He can do and make anything out of nothing. God brought “water out of [a] rock” when His people, the children of Israel, were suffering from thirst (see Numbers 20:8 and Exodus 17:6). God “rained down manna upon [His people] to eat, and [gave] them of the corn of heaven. [They] did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full” (Psalm 78:24-25). God kept Israel’s shoes and clothes from wearing out for 40 years (see Deuteronomy 29:5). These examples show us that God is always concerned about those who are in need, but He chooses to bless us through situations that require faith, so that we can draw others to Him.

Children of God, let us not forget that we are living in a world that came into existence when God spoke. God expects us to “take no thought for our lives” based on His power to speak anything we need into existence. Remember that the sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, dry land, the grass, and millions of other creations came into existence at God’s command. Wouldn’t you agree with me that everything we need can fall under the authority of God’s commanding voice? Instead of worrying about what you need for life, start listening to what God has commanded concerning your needs.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 9

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - although we should celebrate the biblical fact that our Lord will give unto us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8), we should equally celebrate the fact that the Lord can take the little that we have and stretch it to cover all of our bills. I thank God for the splendiferous beauty of Solomon’s Temple (see I Kings 7), but I am equally excited about reading that Jesus fed 5 thousand men with “fives loaves [of bread], and two fishes” (see Matthew 14:17, Mark 6:38, Luke 9:13 and John 6:9). I’m grateful that Abraham was so wealthy that he defeated 5 kingdoms with his own army (see Genesis 14:1-17). However, I’m also grateful that there was a widow who had nothing but a “handful of meal...and a little oil”, but God blessed it and it never ran out after she baked the man of God his cake first ( I Kings 17:10-15).

Chosen Ones, God’s message o us thus far is, “Take no Thought for Your Life”. Don’t worry about how much God has given you! It doesn’t matter! All that matters is that (1) you give your “bread” to Jesus, and that (2) you give God the “first cake” of your income (tithes and offerings). If you do so, He will see to it that your “meal barrel” of blessings will never run out.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 8

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” – there are three great links in our chain of faith. We must work on these links at all times, to keep them from breaking. These links are (1) Faith for the necessities of life – food, clothes, money for bills, etc; (2) Faith for the health of the body against diseases that are prevalent everywhere; (3) Faith for protection from enemies at all times. I feel inspired by our Savior, Jesus Christ, to remind you that there are scriptures that you can attach to each of these links. See Philippians 4:19 for faith concerning life’s necessities, Psalm 103:3 for faith to receive health, and Deuteronomy 33:29 for faith to be protected from our enemies.

Precious Ones, out of all the scriptures that remind us to “take no thought for [our] lives,” I believe that David gives us the best when he says “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Not only does David say that the Lord gives him all of his desires, but, more importantly, he asks the question, “What can I want that the Lord can’t give me”? Beloved, God has everything at His disposal. Gold and silver are His; the cattle on a thousand hills are his. Even you, the dear readers of this letter – you belong to Him, and so do I.

Chosen Ones, if you believe that our God will “make [you and me] to lie down in green pastures” (Psalm 23:2), then it’s not a question of whether the Lord wants us to have the best or “greenest” pastures. No – the question should be, “Do we believe it”? If we believe that He will “lead [us] beside the still waters,” then we shouldn’t have nervous jitters about anything! Every night, you should sleep like a baby, without needing pills to assist you. In other words, faith in this Psalm will cause you to stop “taking thought for your lives.”

Precious Ones, how can one believe that our God is so powerful that He can “[restore a] soul” (Psalm 23:3), while at the same time worrying about whether God will fulfill our financial needs? Cast all of your financial cares on Him, and see how quickly your bills will be paid. Our God can bring money into existence just as quickly as He sends the air and sunshine.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 7

Beloved, in continuance of our theme “Take No Thought For Your Life” – have you ever considered that it is extremely medicinal to your spirit when you read the promises of God over and over? I mean – by repeating them over and over until your whole body is refreshed by them. I’m serious: Job taught us that that is how he made it through his period of vicious trials and tribulation. Remember, he said (in Job 23:12), “…I have (not) gone back from the Commandment of His (God’s) lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food”!!!

Chosen ones, it is possible to meditate on the promises of God, so much so, until every doubt is washed out of your mind – or, as the Psalmist puts it (in Psalms 119:11), “Thy word (including promises) have I hid in (my) heart, that I might not sin against thee”!!! When you and I regurgitate the words of God’s promises, then worry vanishes and joy floods the soul with thanksgiving.

Precious ones, it is a thankful heart that believes God and receives from God. Paul said (in Corinthians 14:18), because “I thank my God (He rewarded me to) speak with tongues more than ye all”!!! In other words, Beloved, instead of “thinking about your life,” you need to redirect your “thoughts” to think about your purpose for being here! Must I remind you, Beloved, of the words God told Jeremiah in 13:11? God said, “…so have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel (the whole Church) and Judah, saith the Lord, THAT THEY MIGHT BE UNTO ME FOR A PEOPLE, AND FOR A NAME, AND FOR PRAISE, AND FOR GLORY….” Our job, Beloved, is to bring glory to God, not ourselves!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,


Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 6

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” – When your bones are dried out from a worried and depressed spirit, how can you prevent arthritis and other bone diseases from settling into your body? My suggestion is to keep maintaining your suppleness by praising God. Consider this – little children and young adults stay active because they haven’t learned how to worry like the chronologically-gifted adults. In other words, worry is a learned behavior. You didn’t come into the world worrying. As children, most of us didn’t have a care in the world. Rather, most of us can honestly say that we just wanted to play, eat, have fun, and sleep – that’s it! Now that we have matured and can recognize that we need certain things in order to survive, all of a sudden we’ve gone from not caring about how we receive things, to worrying about whether we will receive those things.

Precious Ones, worry is a sign of lack of trust in God. Our God takes it personal when we worry. Why? Because He knows that there was a time when all of His human family didn’t worry! Please understand that worry is not faith, and faith doesn’t worry. When you find yourself worrying, you must give constant thought to the fact that your faith has dropped below the receiving level. The only way to build that level up again is to look into God’s Word and hold on to what He has promised!!!

Chosen Ones, I read a promise from Jesus that has lasted and will last for eternity. This promise keeps my receiving level up. Here it is – “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:14).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 5

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” – Jesus said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin [or assist God in their creation]…Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28, 30). “Clothing” something carries a more definitive meaning than merely covering it. The word “clothe” in Biblical type connotes God’s ordination. God ordained the grass to be green. He ordained (divinely appointed and authorized) the color, smell, and texture of the “lilies of the field.” Therefore, when God says that He clothes us, He has appointed and authored every blessing that we have received and will receive.

Precious Ones, God teaches us how He “clothes” His people – He will “appoint unto them that mourn…[He will] give unto them…the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3). So stop worrying! God has set the precise time when He will give us everything that He has planned for us to have. Trust Him. When He gives you what you want, you will praise Him, but it will be in His appointed time – not yours!

Chosen Ones, worrying is a deadly foe to the human anatomy. It destroys body tissue and strips us of the vitamins we need to be healthy. King Solomon recognized this, and wrote, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). Let us remember the advice of Job, who stated this during his worst state of suffering, “All the days of my appointed time will I wait [until] my change come” (Job 14:14). Job’s faith was rewarded. He lived to see 140 years and four generations of change (see Job 42:16).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all so very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 4

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” – why should we think about how our lives will end? Why worry? Jesus told us to “Behold the fowls [birds] of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap” (Matthew 6:26). I’ve shared with the Anointed Harvest family on many occasions that “I’ve never seen a bird that doesn’t have a big belly.” They definitely don’t have a six-pack or muscles under those feathers. On the contrary, they are always shaped as though they are overweight – big belly and small legs. I point this out because somehow, some way, God feeds them well! Consider this – they don’t work a job or punch a time clock. They answer to no one but God, yet they are well provided for! Now do you see why it angers our Savior Jesus Christ when we, His children, worry about miniscule needs such as food and raiment?

Chosen Ones, I must point out that even when we have challenges and suffer lack in our lives, God requires us to trust Him. Don’t fool yourself – it’s not always easy, even for the birds. When snow is so deep that your car is almost covered, it’s impossible for birds to scratch for food. They have to depend entirely on God to feed them. Yet somehow, even after the most severe winters, the birds are always back on the scene, singing their beautiful songs, just as they always did. We, the sons of God, should be happier than the birds, if we would only cast all of our cares upon Him.

Precious Ones, why do you think Jesus asked the rhetorical question “Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26). I’ll tell you why – to condemn us for “taking thought for our lives.” We, the children of God, ought to know that we are much more precious than any bird. Remember, Jesus provides our needs before we even realize that we have a need. Our God has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings…according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4). Be blessed by this, Beloved.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 3

5.22.05

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - think of this question that Jesus asked, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:27). In other words, Jesus asked, “What do you gain by worrying?” I must share this with you—when you get through worrying about your unpaid bills, they are still unpaid! All our past worrying over food and groceries didn’t give us the power to make vegetable, fruit, or cattle grow. I implore you to reorganize how you think about the things you need. For example, think about it this way—God is the One who caused everything we eat to grow. In actuality, when you read the sequence of events of creation—when you read about what God created and the days in which He created them, you’ll find that God provided these things for us before we came into existence. Man was God’s last creation before He rested (see Genesis 2:1-2 and 7). This teaches us that God made everything for us to enjoy before we asked Him.”

Precious Ones, if you consider all of the splendiferous grandeur that God has placed in this world for us to enjoy, how could you “take thought for” (worry about) the things you need to live and to enjoy life? Your Heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of before you even know that you need it. There are many things that we still haven’t discovered that we need, and I’m happy to report that our God has those items covered too!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 2

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take no Thought for Your Life” - think of this question that Jesus asked, “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” (Matthew 6:27). In other words, Jesus asked, “What do you gain by worrying?” I must share this with you—when you get through worrying about your unpaid bills, they are still unpaid! All our past worrying over food and groceries didn’t give us the power to make vegetable, fruit, or cattle grow. I implore you to reorganize how you think about the things you need. For example, think about it this way—God is the One who caused everything we eat to grow. In actuality, when you read the sequence of events of creation—when you read about what God created and the days in which He created them, you’ll find that God provided these things for us before we came into existence. Man was God’s last creation before He rested (see Genesis 2:1-2 and 7). This teaches us that God made everything for us to enjoy before we asked Him.”

Precious Ones, if you consider all of the splendiferous grandeur that God has placed in this world for us to enjoy, how could you “take thought for” (worry about) the things you need to live and to enjoy life? Your Heavenly Father knoweth what you have need of before you even know that you need it. There are many things that we still haven’t discovered that we need, and I’m happy to report that our God has those items covered too!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take No Thought For Your Life Part 1

Beloved, we all understand the devastating effects of our economy. Inflation is on the rise, gas prices have soared to $3.00 per gallon in some parts of the country, and jobs are becoming scarce. God has inspired me to write unto you from a new subject entitled “Take no Thought for Your Life”. Please understand—this statement can only have true meaning to those who trust our Lord Jesus Christ enough to obey His commandments and follow His directions, through His Spirit.

Precious Ones, we are taught in scripture that a godly principle must be repeated two or three times in order to be true or valid. The Apostle Paul taught us that “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (II Corinthians 13:1). Well, since Jesus is The Word (see John 1:1,14), He doesn’t need anyone to witness what He says; but what amazes me is that there were times when Jesus Himself would repeat a godly principle two or three times in order to emphasize its importance. Certainly, this is true of Jesus’ statement —”Take no thought for your life”. Jesus repeated this command three times in scripture (see Matthew 6:25, 31, 34). Our question should therefore be, “Why does Jesus put such great emphasis on this principle?” It is my prayer that before this series of letters is completed, you will know the answer to that question!

Chosen Ones, let us analyze what Jesus said—”...Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25). In other words, don’t take the time to even consider these things—much less worry about them. Believe me, you and I will eat, drink and be clothed. In our walk with God, there are seasons when food may not be stacked as high in our pantries as we would like. In other seasons, some of us may have to do as Elijah did, and wait on (spiritual) ravens (see I Kings 17:4). Those ravens may be people instead of birds—I don’t know; but I do know this—if we will believe God, the ravens will always get to us by meal time with our food! I also know that Jesus supplied all of our needs before we even discovered that we had a need. That’s why Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:32).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this...

I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone (conclusion) Part 6

Beloved, in conclusion of our theme, “Take away the Stone” – “he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). Remember this – if you are seeking for God to do something, then you must believe that He can do it. If your “stone” of doubt is so large that it blocks your ability to believe for whatever you desire, then you must shame yourself for not receiving what you want. In other words, the wavering, unstable, doubting mind will never get God’s attention (see James 1:6-8).

Precious Ones, faith is the only virtue that causes God to move unanswered prayers in the direction of an answer. My personal way of viewing true faith is through each letter of that word – FAITH: For an Answer, I must Trust Him. In other words, when you have true faith in Jesus, you trust Him to do whatever you ask Him to do. This is why Jesus considers the truly righteous people to be those who have faith. God repeats this virtue in four places in scripture – Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38 – “The just shall live by faith.” Therefore, Beloved, you must take away anything that serves as a stone – anything that causes you not to trust in our perfect God who never makes a mistake. His Name is Jesus Christ!

I will write on a new subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 5

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take away the Stone” – I want to encourage you that if you have lost everything you have, but your soul is saved, then you are rich! Things can be replaced, but nothing can replace Jesus. He is one of a kind. Nothing can replace soul salvation! If you have every earthly treasure, along with friends and relatives, and haven’t got Jesus, you are still the poorest man or woman on this earth. Remember, Jesus asked, “what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world (and everything in it), and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for (of equal value with) his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). If Satan has pulled the stone over your eyes called “misfortune – feel sorry for me,” you need to “take away that stone.” If you are a blood-bought, born-again believer, you are the most fortunate being on the face of this earth!

Precious Ones, the time you invest in saving your soul from eternal damnation is not only time well spent, but it is the best time you will ever experience on this earth. Someone who is reading this letter may need to ask this question of him/herself: “What am I doing about saving my soul?” In eternity it will be too late to do anything about where your soul will spend its time – in eternal life or in eternal damnation. God gives you that choice while you are alive on earth. Therefore, your time on earth is all the time you have to get it right. You have one chance – one opportunity! The moment you die, only the records of your actions while you were alive will determine where your soul will spend eternity. Therefore, if the devil has rolled the stone of misplaced priority before you, you need to “take away the stone.” Don’t take my word for it; let us reexamine the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – the words that He will say in eternity: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much,
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 4

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take Away the Stone” – I must remind you that real faith is always accompanied by works. According to James, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). When the people “moved the stone away” from Lazarus’ grave, it created in their hearts something that everyone must have in order to see God’s glory – expectancy! Beloved, you and I must “take away the stones” of doubt, fear, rejection, past failures, unresolved answers to past questions, etc., in order to receive future glory from our Savior, Jesus Christ! After we pray, we must grasp expectancy and hold on to it! I’m serious – we must maintain an expectant spirit regardless of the circumstances. In this life, we will face some circumstances that will shake our faith. Nevertheless, Anointed Harvest, we must “take away the stone.” We must expect that what we pray for will happen. Beloved, there are some prayers that I’ve submitted unto the Lord, that I’ve been expecting to happen for over 20 years, but my faith is not dead. I still believe that our Savior, Jesus Christ, will answer my prayers. No one can convince me otherwise. This should be your testimony as well. No matter how long it takes, hold on to your faith!

Precious Ones, so many pray for good, but sadly, while they are praying, they expect bad. Remember that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23), but sometimes, if we are not careful, our losses can turn into stones that will block our mental vision of faith. What I’m saying is this – you must be careful. If there is someone reading this who has lost his/her husband, wife, car, furniture, sweetheart, friend, job, clothing, money, home, health – don’t let these become stones. In other words, “take away these stones” – remove these disappointments from your vision of faith.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 3

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take Away the Stone” – coming to Lazarus’ grave, Jesus said, “Take…away the stone” (John 11:39), teaching us that no born-again Lazarus believer (who died having faith that Jesus would come) should ever be hindered by any “stones” of finality. Never should a believer think that he will cease to live with any expectations. Rather, if any expectations are not answered in a believer’s life, then Jesus will “take away the stone” of hindrance. In the same verse we meet “Martha, the sister of (Lazarus) that was dead” (John 11:39). Her mind still lingered on the seriousness of the situation. She said, “Lord, by this time he stinketh.” As it was with Martha, so it is with us today. It is hard, and in some cases extremely hard, to take our eyes off the outward appearance of things and see that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). Beloved, stop giving attention to your circumstances – remove them and replace them with your faith. “Take away the stone” and give your faith more attention!”

Precious Ones, Jesus answered, “said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Jesus is saying the same thing to us who desire to see God’s glory – you will not see God’s glory while looking at your present circumstances; nor will you see His glory from an outward appearance governed by your doubts. Rather, God’s glory will only be seen by “belief” (faith)! The truth of the matter is that many are praying for God to work miracles, but He is waiting for us to “take away the stone” of unbelief!

Chosen Ones, take note – Jesus could have spoken away the stone (representing our challenges or problems) Himself, just as He called Lazarus from the grave. However, Jesus left the job of “taking away the stone” to the crowd! This teaches us that Jesus will not come down and force you to have faith in Him. He leaves that job for you to do. You must “take away your own stone.”

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 3

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take Away the Stone” – if Jesus’ words alone were powerful enough to put life into a man who was dead four days, don’t you think that He can surely put life into our dead joints and muscles (our insecurities and doubts), and deliver us from the infirmities of arthritis (the unplanned circumstances of life)? In other words, if you think that there are challenges in your life that Jesus cannot solve, the message to you is, “take away the stone” of incomprehension!

Precious Ones, Jesus asked Mary (the sister of Lazarus), “Where have ye laid him?” (John 11:34). Of course, you know by now that this was a rhetorical question (a question asked merely for effect, with no answer expected). Jesus knew what they had done with Lazarus – it was the same thing that we do with everything when we have lost our faith. We, the children of God, lay away everything that we doubt the Lord will do, using the excuse that “maybe it wasn’t God’s will for me to have it in the first place.” Saints, you need to “take away the stones” of excuses. Those of you who have the Holy Spirit, you know the real facts in your Spirit. God is waiting for us to put away our doubts and fears and believe Him. Now, I know that there may be some who will read this letter and say, “Pastor McCoy, that is merely your opinion!!” Yet, regardless of what may be said or done to discredit my words of inspiration to you, remember that God’s Word will always remain true – “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

Chosen Ones, if we, as Jesus’ children, don’t have what we asked Him for, and think that we won’t ever receive our good request, we need to “take away the stone” of ignorance. There are only two reasons why believers don’t yet possess what they have asked of the Lord: (1) it’s not yet time, or (2) we doubt that it can be done.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 2

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Take Away the Stone” – remember, it was not until Jesus said to Martha, “Thy brother [Lazarus] shall rise again,” that Martha was prompted to say, “I know…he shall rise again in the resurrection” (John 11:23-24). Saints, there will be times when you will form an opinion about a circumstance in your life that seems dead or that has ceased to prosper. In those times, you may be tempted to put a time limit on its span of existence – to form an opinion about when the circumstance will change. In those times, saints, I implore you to think again. Jesus did not need Martha to tell Him when Lazarus would “rise again.” Notice that Jesus’ response to her was, “I am the resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25). In other words, Jesus was saying, “I decide when your brother will rise again – not an event.” Events, time periods, and circumstances don’t determine when Jesus will deliver us. He alone has the power to resurrect or revive us, and He alone controls our lifetime (He is the life of men and women). If you can’t see this, then something in your mind is blocking true revelation. Take away the stone.

Precious Ones, may God help us, who are filled with His Spirit, to realize that this is what Easter is all about. Because Jesus endured (not only all the suffering and pain, but also) the life span of death, we, as Christians, must understand that He has the power to start the clock over in our lives. Jesus has the power to resurrect whatever we missed because of our past sin, foolishness, or ignorance, and he can cause us to live a brand new life without tasting physical death. Do you understand? If not, take away the stone. When you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, you have resurrection within you. That’s why Jesus concluded with the words, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His love,
Pastor William L. McCoy

Take Away the Stone Part 1

Beloved, I feel inspired by the Holy Spirit to write unto you from a new subject entitled “Take away the Stone.” If you remember, “Take…away the stone” was the command given by Jesus (see John 11:39) to those who stood weeping at Lazarus’ grave. Mary and Martha, his sisters, were sorrowing – first because they thought Jesus was too late, and second because they thought that their brother was dead. When you allow yourself to feel that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can be too late when it comes to deliverance, you develop a stony heart (a heart that has no faith or hope). This will eventually lead to feeling that your deliverance is dead – a deliverance for which you might as well just give up hope. But please allow your Pastor (through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) to encourage you to “take away the stone.”

Precious Ones, when Jesus saw Mary weeping, scripture records that Jesus was “groaning” (repressing indignation) in His Spirit, and that He was troubled (see John 11:32-33). Nothing stirs up our Savior’s indignation (anger) more than when His children doubt whether He can do what he says. Remember, Lazarus was one who had the reputation of being loved greatly by Jesus (see John 11:2). Here lies the answer to why we move Jesus to “groaning” when we doubt Him – He loves us! Should we be so insensitive as to think that Jesus is not hurt when we doubt that He will deliver us? If you can’t see why this angers our Savior, you need to “take away the stone.”

Chosen Ones, Lazarus was already dead. He was beyond all human aid. Yes, Mary and Martha had the capable faith in Jesus that if He had arrived earlier, their brother would not have died (John 11:32). Again, here lies the answer as to why Jesus gets angry when we don’t trust Him – He knows that we have displayed capable faith in the past. Why then should we allow present challenges to shake our confidence in Him? I implore you to “take away the stone.” Don’t emulate Mary and Martha – their faith ended at the grave. At that time, they were about to learn the lesson that “all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). The promise is only to those who believe – those who never give up believing.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (conclusion)

Beloved, this letter marks the conclusion of the series entitled “He that Overcometh.” The overcomers of the Laodicean period of the Church are given the privilege of sitting with Christ on His throne. The Lukewarm spirit of the church is identical to the present spirit prevalent throughout the religious world today. Gone are the days when the majority of churches were on fire with (1) love, (2) dedication, (3) giving, (4) charity, (5) holy living, (6) forgiveness, and (7) devotion to God. True pastors now have to deal with people stating that they are “neither a saint nor a sinner.” You have heard people say this, I’m sure – “I’m not a church goer, but I do have a relationship with God.” How ignorant! How can you have a relationship with God when you don’t please Him? That’s why God told John that our Laodicean church age is “neither cold nor hot” (Revelation 3:15). In other words, the people of this church don’t feel condemned, no matter what they do. This church era lives by the warped set of values that dictates “if it feels good, it is good.” This is not so for overcomers. We know that if our God is not pleased with the taste (the virtue) of our fruit (our service unto Him), He will “spue [spit us] out of [His] mouth” (Revelation 3:16). We don’t want God to be forced to do that with us.

Chosen Ones, the problem is stated clearly in scripture (see Revelation 3:17). This church era has been deceived by Satan to focus on riches, increased goods, and having no material needs. However, this church doesn’t realize that it is wretched, miserable, poor, blind, (spiritually) naked, and suffering from all spiritual deformities. The church must “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

Precious Ones, if you decide to be overcomers, you must “buy of [God, not man] gold [faith] tried in the fire” (Revelation 3:18). Peter teaches that your faith is “much more precious than…gold” (I Peter 1:7). John agrees – he says that “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (I John 5:4). In other words, if you are going to be an overcomer, you must believe that God will reward every sacrifice you’ve made to be a holy example in the eyes of this sinful world. Sometimes, it doesn’t appear to be worth it, but overcomers put their trust in God that IT IS!

I hope that you all enjoyed this series. I will be writing to you on a new subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “He that Overcometh” – I start by reminding you that the name of “the city of God” (Psalm 46:4) is the name of the “new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from…God” (Revelation 3:12). Beloved, by simply turning to the Book of Revelation, we find that the new Jerusalem is the Bride – the Lamb’s wife (Jesus’ wife, Revelation 21:9, 19). We know that Jesus is our heavenly Bridegroom – that no one will deny – but I must remind you that “the Lamb’s” wife must bear the name of her husband. More importantly, the Bride cannot wait until she gets to the new Jerusalem before she decides to bear Jesus’ Name. All who desire to be Jesus’ Bride, must take and bear His Name right here on this earth first. Only true overcomers who are not ashamed to bear the Name of Jesus now will be accepted as His Bride then (see Mark 8:38).

Chosen Ones, Isaiah teaches us this principle. He says, “thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called” (Isaiah 54:5). We learn two principles here: (1) Because Jesus is the “Maker” and “Redeemer” on this earth, (2) Isaiah says that we must “call” Him our husband and bear His Name on this earth. Now it makes sense when Jesus says, “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation [right here on this earth]; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father [when Jesus is restored to His shekinah glory] with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Overcomers, let us not be reluctant to tell this sinful world that we are the Bride of Christ. Although the wedding hasn’t yet taken place, we are engaged to be married, and by faith we proclaim His Name before we get to heaven. Again, for clarity, let us conclude this letter with the words of our God – “If my people, which are called by my name [not in heaven only, but right here on earth], shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14). This promise applies to all of us who have taken on Jesus’ Name in baptism. Congratulations, overcomers!

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Your Humble Servant

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “He that Overcometh” – the Name of God is revealed only to the overcomers. Even now as I write these lines, the Spirit is saying that not everyone who reads these words will understand that there is but one God. The Bible concurs. Scripture teaches us that “without controversy great is the mystery of godliness” (I Timothy 3:16). It is difficult to explain to someone, who does not have an overcomer’s revelation, that the same God who Jesus worshipped in the days of His flesh (as a Son) is the same God that we worship, since we have become “sons of God.” Jesus and our God are One and the same. Scripture records that Jesus said to Mary Magdalene “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17). I know that this is a mystery, and a great one, but this mystery is revealed to overcomers.

Precious Ones, if God’s deity is a mystery, then we must understand that God works in mysterious ways. That is not scripture, but it is true. Scripture does say that God has done many “works…and…wonders” (Psalm 78:11). Only overcomers understand that we must go through many mysterious trials and troubles that cannot be explained. We overcomers don’t have these challenges in our lives because of something we have done wrong. It’s not because our God is a cruel God who treats us unusually unjustly. Sometimes God waits to reveal the purpose of our obstacles, yet overcomers will constantly believe and proclaim that God is still good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Chosen Ones, we learn from this valuable lesson that we must overcome any doubt that will try to torment us through the flesh. Remember, our “Father knoweth what things [we] have need of, before [we, the overcomers] ask him” (Matthew 6:8).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this –

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “He that Overcometh” – our Jesus said, “I will write upon him [that overcometh] my new name” (Revelation 3:12). What is His new Name? Before this can be determined, it will be necessary to find out His old Name. Jesus declares that He is the Lord “which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Jesus also proclaims, “I am…the first and the last” (Revelation 22:13). The Almighty is the Name of the God of Abraham. Scripture teaches us that Jesus must be the God of Abraham (compare Exodus 3:13-16 and 6:2-3 with John 8:56-58). Therefore, if the one in the “midst of the…golden candlesticks” (Revelation 2:1) was Jehovah, the Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer, the First and the Last (see Isaiah 43:3 and 44:6), then His “new name” is JESUS – the greatest Name in heaven and in earth.

Precious Ones, Solomon said, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1). Therefore, for our perfect God to choose the Name Jesus for Himself, there must not be a better name anywhere in existence. We are covered by that perfect name. There are no people on this earth more privileged than those who profess and dwell in Jesus’ Name!

Chosen Ones, because of the Name or our God (Jesus), every scripture pertains to us in some way, shape, or form. Why? Because Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: [but] they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). So, when Ruth said to Naomi, “thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16-18), we can relate (see Romans 8:17). When Daniel said, “O king, live forever” (Daniel 2:4), we can relate (see John 3:16). Saints, I’m setting you up to believe this – if Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18), then you must understand that this pertains to us (see I John 3:2).

I will write more next week to you who are “overcomers.” Until then, know this –

I love you all so very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “He that Overcometh” – scripture teaches us that “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10). Therefore, all of the plagues to come upon this unbelieving world (preached in the two-part sermon, “I’m not going to be Embarrassed,” January 23-30) will not affect the saints. We will be in heaven – not here – when these events take place. Understanding that Jesus’ coming is near at hand, “nearer than when we [first] believed” (Romans 13:11), we must give constant thought to being ready when Jesus comes. Let us strive to “overcome” sin, not live with it! If we truly want to be “safe” and we rely on Jesus’ Name to give us the authority to overcome our challenges, then it will not be long before we will be delivered from this evil world. Jesus told John to write, “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11).

Precious Ones, “him that overcometh will [Jesus] make a pillar in the temple of…God” (Revelation 3:12). Peter, James, and John are examples of pillars (Galatians 2:9). Scripture states that they kept the grace of God. They also kept the Word of Jesus’ patience, and did not deny His Name (Acts 4:8-20 and 5:27-32). These were men who knew the Word of God and could adequately preach it to those who were ignorant of its principles. They were true “pillars” in the House of God.

Chosen Ones, today the House of God needs pillars in the midst of her. Whosoever “overcometh” the false teachings of those of the synagogue of Satan, shall be made a firm support (pillar) in the Temple of God. The Bible gives us the assurance that we, the saints, don’t have to lie in order to reach those who are lost. In Christ, we find all that we need. That’s why the scripture says that “he shall go no more out” (Revelation 3:12). We won’t need to – everything we need is in Jesus, who is all truth (John 14:6).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

He That Overcometh (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “He that Overcometh” – God has promised to keep those who obey His Word from the hour of temptation now and when He judges this world with His wrath. (1) For now, scripture states that “[t]here hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man [meaning that the saints have no excuse not to overcome any temptation to sin. Why?, because]…God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Corinthians 10:13). (2) Scripture also supports the fact that God will keep His chosen children from the hour of temptation when He judges the world with His wrath. The scripture mentions “Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:10). Yes, the waves of the tsunami and other manifestations of God’s wrath (including plagues, pestilences, financial crises, etc.) have already swept over the face of the earth. Terrible incidents have tempted many to resort to the “arm of flesh” (II Chronicles 32:8) for deliverance, like the Assyrians did against Judah. However, all of us who overcome the desire to resort to the “arm of flesh” and put our trust in the Name of Jesus, have access to God’s promises – just by overcoming the tendency to “lean [to our] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). For example, scripture says that “they [who] know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them” (Psalm 9:10). So Beloved, trust in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His Name’s authority will help us to overcome any obstacle we face in our lives.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this –

I love you all SO very much.

In His Love,
Pastor William L. McCoy