Possible Big Changes Coming
My oldest daughter and first born of my strength, Shekinah, called me recently when I was seriously sick. She must have thought I was on my death bed or something. Unbeknownst to me, she contacted her siblings and began to conspire with them to get me to Florida and see a doctor for the first time in many years. It appears while in Northern Ireland on the mission field and returning home, I contracted a major dose of Covid. It did not kill me, but a part of me felt like I wanted to die.
For over 25 years now, I’ve been struggling with major respiratory issues in Waco, TX. It is one of the worst cities in America for allergies. It has been so bad that folks who labored with me in the Lord’s vineyard, could not take it. They moved away to find relief. Apparently, there is a stubborn streak that runs deep in our family that kept us pressing on despite the difficulties associated with this area of Texas.
The problem, however, is I never knew for sure if the struggles were allergies, colds, flu, or Covid that was responsible for the infirmities hindering health. One never knew when one ailment came and another ended. It remained all year round. One thing is for sure, it has taken its toll as I grow older and become more weakened in the way.
My family had enough of that and so, for the first time in forty years of non-stop service to the Lord advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom in the earth, they convinced me to take my first ever sabbatical rest, though it will not be complete.
The purpose of being in Florida is to discern what is internal or what is external concerning the ongoing struggle with these respiratory issues. If it is mainly external, there is a possibility it is time to move our family back to Florida where it all began. It was in Florida that we began Elijah Ministries in 1985. It was in Florida that we began the Thomas Nation. My first three children were born there, Shekinah, Cassia, and Destiny. It was in Florida that the Lord recruited me into the battle for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our beleaguered nation.
I’ll be here for about a month and a half seeking the Lord on guidance. Part of the time, I’ll be traveling to Missouri and Kentucky to preach at the their state capitols to promote bills of abolition later this month. I’ll leave in the latter part of March to preach at a Man’s Conference in Indiana as well and return home. I would appreciate your prayers and support, while I seek to the Lord on our future and take care of the family at home. God’s will be done!
THE AMERICAN REFORMATION CHURCH
There is another reason for visiting Florida at this time. It concerns our future life, family, and ministry. I’m here to spy out the land to see if it is flowing with milk and honey to be the Thomas Nation’s new Promised Land. There have been times in the past when the Lord has downloaded certain visions and missions in serving Him. For example, the Kingdom Leadership Institute online school came to me over 25 years ago. We are very close to having that school up and running and fully functional. To God be the glory.
Around the same time, the idea to start a church hit me like a ton of brick. The name of the church came as well. It was to be called “The American Reformation Church.” The acronym, of course, is ARC. It is prayerfully a church plant model a time like this demands. One that could possibly inspire other church’s to adopt. When the vision for the church came many years ago, it was based upon the four fs, faith, family, fatherhood, and freedom. I wanted to create a church that would serve to be the antidote to the poison of the spirit of the age savaging this generation. The only issue for me to discern was whether or not this was a Kingdom work to be established by one of my sons or me. It was sort of like David wanting to build the Temple, but the Lord reserving that great work for his son, Solomon.
After a year of deliberation with our family who desires to do life together and serve the Lord, it is looking like it is left to me to fulfill. The following is some preliminary thoughts on starting the American Reformation Church.
It will lay a firm foundation upon Jesus Christ our Lord. It will be careful to build upon that solid rock a commitment to fulfill the Great Commission and the Dominion Mandate.
It will be a church that will be salt and light to the community and beyond.
It will have mercy, evangelistic and prophetic ministries operating in and through the church.
Mercy Ministries:
The church will set up a food and clothing pantry.
The church will set up a charitable giving fund to support the poor in our community when needed.
The church will provide baby showers and additional helps for mothers who choose life.
The church will come up with workout and nutritional helps for the congregation and others outside the church to minister to the whole man.
Evangelistic Ministries:
The church will send out evangelistic teams to do outreaches at abortion mills, college campuses, and prison ministries.
The church will provide missionary funds to send our church and others to the mission field when doors open.
The church will sponsor sports tournaments to evangelize young men (Josiah and basketball, etc).
The church will provide homeschool covering and resources for the congregation and others outside the church.
Prophetic Ministries:
The church will establish a mission to the magistrate. We will raise up a leader in the congregation that will keep the church updated and help to mobilize the church politically when needed. The church will also encourage qualified men in our congregation to run for public office.
The church will seek out a qualified deliverance ministry in our area in case of a need of demonic deliverance.
Days and Times for Meeting:
God willing, we will meet on Sunday mornings at 10:30 with armed security.
At 9:00 am, we will gather the intercessors to pray for the service.
The church will meet again on Wednesday night for prayer. Jesus said that His House would be a house of prayer for all nations. The church will gather to pray for our local church, family and/or personal needs, the church at large, our city, state, and nation.
The church will have someone over social media to get our vision, mission, message out on a consistent basis. Well, that’s the basic outline for the church. Our family and ministry would appreciate your prayers and continued support as we seek the Lord for our future and hope in Him. Keep pressing on saints to the high call and prize in Jesus’ name!
IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE,
Rusty
