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| ISBN-13: | 9781504932578 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 08/21/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 154 |
| File size: | 180 KB |
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Church Isn't Always What it Seems ... a One Man Church!!
By Joann W. Cox
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2015 Joann CoxAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5049-3256-1
CHAPTER 1
The Beginning
One early, cold morning in December 2000, my sister Marcie ran into Jobe Shady Boots in the Ghetto City community located in Wickstown, Georgia. Jobe was a longtime family friend who was in the process of becoming a pastor. While talking to Marcie, he handed her a program to give to me. The program was an invitation to the Church of the Wicked and Evil to witness his installation as the sixteenth pastor of the church.
"Here is one of my cards," Jobe said. "So if, by any chance, you lose or misplace the program, just call me. Oh, by the way, the church address is 666 Demon Street in Ghetto City in Wickstown."
Marcie glanced at the program. "Um ... this is on January 25. I'll go home now and call Faith to let her know."
Shady Boots laughed. "Okay," he said sarcastically, and they went their separate ways.
By the time Marcie got home, she forgot to tell me about the service, and so we missed it.
One month later, on February 25, I saw Jobe in Ghetto City at the gas station. I told him that Angel, my loving mother, was sick, and I asked if he could come by her house to pray for her in between other commitments in his hectic schedule.
"Now, Faith, you know you do not have to ask when it comes to Mama. I will stop by Monday morning."
On Monday morning, Jobe dropped by Angel's house to pray for her as he said he would. Afterward, he and I engaged in a conversation concerning church and talked about his installation service. Jobe then invited me to visit the Church of the Wicked and Evil to hear him preach. I accepted his invitation and told him I would be there soon. But Jobe replied, "I know you are not coming, Faith," and started laughing.
Two weeks passed. One of my friends lost a loved one to a long-term illness. My sister Derogatory and I attended the funeral, which was held at the Togetherness Church of God in Christ at 1137 Christian Drive in Eternity, Georgia. Coincidentally, Jobe was the officiating pastor.
During the service, I could not believe what I was hearing. I leaned over to Derogatory and said, "Girl, Jobe can preach, can't he?" and we both smiled. I was so into the service that I was literally knocked to my knees. Watching and listening to Jobe minister the Word of God was unbelievable. He really had people jumping up and down, clapping, and shouting. The Spirit was definitely in the building; if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought we were in a regular church service rather than a home-going service. Derogatory and I left immediately after the service, so we did not get a chance to speak with Jobe.
Two months passed. On May 16, I saw Jobe driving down Memory Lane Street in Ghetto City. He stopped and asked me, laughing, "When are you coming to church, Faith? I told you that you wouldn't come."
I laughed. "Man, I'm coming, I'm coming, and you are going to be astonished."
The following Sunday, I was lying in bed and told myself that I was going to hear Jobe preach, but for some reason, I felt as if something was holding me down and my body could not move. I kept hearing little voices saying no in one ear and yes in the other. I knew the one saying no was the Devil and the one saying yes was God, but that morning, the Devil had me. I let him win, and I stayed in my big, comfortable bed.
On Wednesday, I called Marcie and her sister-in-law, Judy, and asked them to come with me to church on Sunday. When I told them I was going to the Church of the Wicked and Evil to hear Jobe preach, they agreed to go. Normally, you could not pay any of us to go to church unless someone had expired or was getting married.
On Sunday morning, I picked up Marcie and Judy, and we visited the Church of the Wicked and Evil. Jobe was awesome. I had received word that morning that he ministered to all who were present. I wanted to give my life to Christ, but something pinned me down in the pew as if I was glued to the seat. Again, I said to myself, "Devil, you have me, and you win." I cried and cried like a newborn baby.
Then I felt the Holy Spirit overcome me, the best feeling anyone can ever experience, and I felt God speaking to me. I then realized that I had enough time to digest the Holy Spirit I was feeling overcome me at that moment. We left right after the service.
The next two Sundays, I didn't go back to the Church of the Wicked and Evil. I just lay and chilled around the house all day.
One day, I saw an acquaintance in the Goodwill for rich people in the downtown section of Wickstown where I like to go thrifting at least twice a month, and we began to chitchat. My acquaintance mentioned that the Church of the Wicked and Evil was having a religious revival June 25 through June 29, the following Monday through Friday. She also said, "The word on the street is that Jobe from Ghetto City, the pastor of that church, is hosting the religious revival along with David from the Togetherness Church of God in Christ."
I looked at her and laughed. "Oh yeah, you know I know Jobe. He and my significant other were running gangsters back in the day, and he is a good friend to my family and me. Marcie, Judy, and I went to hear him preach at the Church of the Wicked and Evil. He's awesome. I'm going to make sure to attend the religious revival at least one of those days." We checked out and said we would see each other later.
I did attend the religious revival and actually went four of the five days. It was one of the most spiritual revivals I had ever attended. God's presence was definitely in the building.
The morning of June 30, I called Marcie and Judy and told them about the revival and that Jobe Shady Boots had been the hosting pastor along with David from the Togetherness Church of God in Christ. I told them they should have gone and that they had really missed a good time in the house of the Lord. I also told them that I would definitely be one of the first people at the Church of the Wicked and Evil the next morning to hear Jobe preach again, and I asked if they would like to accompany me. They both said okay.
On Sunday morning, we met at the International House of Fish and Grits at around seven. We sat laughing and enjoying the food and each other's company. We were having such a good time that soon it was half past nine. We left the restaurant and headed to church.
Again, the word was out in Ghetto City about the pastor preaching at the Church of the Wicked and Evil every Sunday morning at 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Seven o'clock was too early for most of the churchgoers, so the ten o'clock service was the one everyone attended to hear Jobe preach. Marcie, Judy, and I arrived at 9:45 a.m., and the church was already packed. We had to squeeze into a pew like sardines so we could sit together.
At 10:00 a.m., Jobe was very prompt and all about doing God's will. The sermon he preached that morning was called "Give Your Life to Christ." Oh, how he ministered the Word that morning. He was so overwhelming and convincing, as if God had placed a shield over his body so he could reach out to his children to try to bring them in and save their souls. I felt in my spirit that God wanted him to minister to everybody about somebody who could tell anybody about nobody.
Before I knew it, I was up from my seat and applauding. I was so happy. It was as if a miracle had lifted my feet above the ground. I felt the Holy Spirit. It was like back in the day how they grew up in a Pentecostal church, stemming from childhood. The drums were banging, trumpets playing, tangerines ringing, choir singing, and people shouting all over everywhere, praising God's holy name. We were having church, honey, and dancing and singing for Jesus. At that moment, I realized victory was in God's house. I looked around and could tell that everyone felt the presence of God's Holy Spirit.
The service continued, and it was time for fellowshipping with everybody. That was part of the service when all members could meet and greet old members, new members, and all visitors. Three hundred people attended the service that morning. Only twenty-six of them were members of the Church of the Wicked and Evil. What in the world is going on? I said to myself. Jobe was an awesome man of God. This was definitely a gorgeous church that was well kept and clean. I was just astonished at seeing the very few twenty-six members who belonged to the Church of the Wicked and Evil.
Two of the members, Rebecca and Miriam, came down from the pulpit to meet and greet and welcome me with open arms. Both of them made me feel welcome. Jobe and the remaining members followed and welcomed me, too, as if this was already my church home. It was just like one big, happy church family — at least that was what it seemed like at that time. I felt the love within the church.
Jobe continued the service and closed it out during the benediction. The next Sunday, July 8, I returned back to the Church of the Wicked and Evil. The church was already full by 9:30 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., the countdown that everybody was waiting for arrived. It was time for him to preach the sermon. The sermon he preached that morning was "God Will Take Care of You." Jobe opened the doors of the church to all.
I kindly got up out of my seat and walked to the altar, and I joined the Church of the Wicked and Evil that morning. I had received the message that God had instilled in Jobe to reach out to his children. I really astounded my friends and family. Everyone was proud of me that day. Two weeks later, on July 22, I received the left-hand fellowship, and I gained all the rights as a member of the Church of the Wicked and Evil.
CHAPTER 2Come to Jesus
As time went by, I eventually talked to my children, Zyquesha and Zyquez, along with my grandchildren, Jazz and Jazzy; my mother, Angel; my siblings Lonnie and Eva; my fiancé, Gideon, and my in-laws; Tom; Jerry; and my friends about joining the Church of the Wicked and Evil. I just kept engaging in conversations with my children, my fiancé, my in-laws, and other family members day after day. Marcie and Judy were my first two family members to join the church after me. From that point on, Sunday after Sunday, Jobe continued to minister the Word.
Finally, on August 5, Jobe preached the sermon "Come to Jesus Right Now. He Will Save You." Angel, Zyquesha, Zyquez, Gideon, Jazz, Jazzy, Lonnie, Eva, Tom, and Jerry all got up from their seats and walked to the altar when Jobe opened the doors of the church. I was in a state of shock and could not believe what I was witnessing. I was so excited that I became speechless, and anyone who knows me knows I am never speechless. (Ha-ha.) I felt that I had done God's will when ten of my family members surrendered and gave their lives to Christ on that day. I was still working on getting two of my other siblings to join the Church of the Wicked and Evil. It was such a dramatic change in my family. I really felt in my heart that I was doing God's will by telling them about my experience and trying to get them to surrender and give their souls to Christ. Oh, it was all about praising the Lord.
Jobe was still ministering the Word of God to all who attended Sunday services every Sunday at 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. as if he had lost his mind. Yes, he did lose his mind. He lost his mind for God, ministering his Word. He had a gift, a natural ability that God had instilled in him to do his will. The Church of the Wicked and Evil began to grow in membership. People were visiting the church from all different cities. Jobe always made the visitors feel as if it was their home church. Jobe always stated, "Visitors eventually become members."
One particular Sunday, August 26, Jobe preached the sermon "Do You Know God?" All of a sudden, when Jobe opened the church doors, little children, teenagers, young adults, and the elderly were joining one by one. On that particular Sunday, thirty-six members joined the Church of the Wicked and Evil. They had what you would call an "old-fashioned worship service," like they have down in the country. If you were raised up in a Pentecostal church, then you know what type of service they had. God was in the midst of all of that. Again, word was still lingering down Memory Lane Street about the pastor from Ghetto City, and his name was Jobe Shady Boots.
The next Sunday, September 2, when I arrived at the Church of the Wicked and Evil, I had to park down the street. It was only 9:00 a.m. The second service didn't start until 10:00 a.m., and the parking lot was already full. Again, the word was out about Pastor Jobe Shady Boots from Ghetto City.
From 10:15 to 10:45, there was praise and worship service. It was off the chain. Jobe approached the pulpit and started doing his holy dance, which they called the hustle and flow. Jobe took two steps forward and three steps backward and dipped, turned around, slid from side to side, leaned back, and turned around. The congregation started screaming. We hollered, "Go ahead, Jobe." The show everybody was waiting for had just begun. Jobe's sermon was "Come as You Are."
I always paid close attention when it was offering time. Always one short man and one of his followers, Deceitful and Jezebel, received the church funds. Deceitful was a 4 feet tall, 66 pound Arabian that could not hear and wore earplugs. He was a peculiar person with a demonic spirit. It really puzzled me because they were the only two who would always run to the baskets when it was offering time. I had a certain feeling about them, and it wasn't a good spirit. Every Sunday from the time that I joined the Church of the Wicked and Evil, they would always walk through the church as if they were king and queen of the Almighty, carrying the church's income in a bank bag as if they were big shots.
The congregation was cognizant of the fact too. They all came to me and asked if I knew what was going on. I replied and asked, "What do you all mean?"
They said, "Why is it that they are the only two who handle the church's income? Something isn't right."
I replied, "I will talk to Jobe," simply because I was one of the first members to join the Church of the Wicked and Evil and all the members respected me.
I had already given Jezebel her name because of the way she carried herself, the evil spirit she always had, and how she had courted several members of the church. I called the one man "Deceitful" because he appeared to be undermining and manipulative when I really studied his character. I approached Jobe and shared with him the concerns that the members had concerning Deceitful and Jezebel, about why they were the only two members to handle the income.
Some of the members approached Deceitful and Jezebel as they were walking through the fellowship hall to take the church's income to the income office. They asked them what was up with them, being the only two who always handled the church's income.
Deceitful pushed Jezebel back and said, "I got this." Deceitful became belligerent toward the other members. He stated, "I am the president of the 3 Men Ministry, president of the Financial Administrative Ministry, and president of all the ministries, and I have been here for more than fifty years, and I am going to continue to handle my income."
The members went to Jobe and told him how Deceitful had accosted them. At that point, the members got weary, threw their hands up, and told Jobe to handle the situation and take care of business. They mentioned to Jobe that they understood why I had called him Deceitful, as that man wasn't anything but the Devil.
Jobe said to them, "Just continue to serve God and pray for him."
That same Sunday, Jobe addressed the congregation's concerns about Deceitful and Jezebel handling the church's income. Jobe remarked, "There will be immediate changes made during the next meeting, which will be held soon."
Deceitful was the ringleader, the one man in control, and Jezebel was his follower. Jezebel was very mischievous. She was a tall young lady who had blonde hair with pink and yellow streaks. She weighed 250 pounds at most. She had the attitude that she could do and say whatever she wanted to anybody and everybody. She felt as if Deceitful was all the protection she needed — as if he were her god. Most of the time, the members and visitors didn't pay her any attention whatsoever.
I overheard Deceitful and Jezebel discussing the 3 Men Ministry and then told the members what I had heard them discussing. The 3 Men Ministry was Deceitful, Righteous, and Crooked. The members were not too fond of that ministry because Deceitful was its president. They felt he was hiding something.
On October 7, Jobe formed several ministries in the church for its betterment; they were the Youth Usher Ministry, the Women's Usher Ministry, the Men's Usher Ministry, the Men-in-Training Ministry, and the Overseer Ministry. There were three ministries already established in the church; they were the Joint Seniors Usher Ministry, the Governing Ministry, and the 3 Men Ministry. All the members approved the ministries that he had formed, except Deceitful and Jezebel. The ministries' duties were as follows: The Governing Ministry's duties were to make decisions on behalf of the congregation and bring them before the church for final approval. The Men-in-Training Ministry's duties were to assist the pastor's spirituals and to know how to carry out services, with the pastor being absent or present, with the congregation's approval. The Overseer Ministry's duties were to handle all church business with the approval of the congregation.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Church Isn't Always What it Seems ... a One Man Church!! by Joann W. Cox. Copyright © 2015 Joann Cox. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Bible Scriptures, ix,Acknowledgments, xiii,
Introduction, 1,
Chapter 1: The Beginning, 3,
Chapter 2: Come to Jesus, 10,
Chapter 3: Governing Ministry, 17,
Chapter 4: Church Principle Laws, 20,
Chapter 5: A Partaker in the Last Meal of Jesus, 23,
Chapter 6: A Profound Loss, 29,
Chapter 7: God Speaks to Faith, 35,
Chapter 8: The Income Budgeting Ministry Is Formed, 40,
Chapter 9: Income Office Ministry, 46,
Chapter 10: Historic Treasures, 54,
Chapter 11: Church on Lockdown by One Man, 58,
Chapter 12: A One-Man Church, 66,
Chapter 13: Hear Our Humble Cry, 72,
Chapter 14: Hammer Reinstates the Pastor, 76,
Chapter 15: Will a Man Rob God?, 84,
Chapter 16: Spirit, 89,
Chapter 17: Prospering, 92,
Chapter 18: Satan Will Not Give Up, 94,
Chapter 19: Church Isn't Always What It Seems, 98,
Chapter 20: The Commander in Chief, 107,
Chapter 21: The Family and Friends' Neighborhood Funeral Home, 113,
Chapter 22: The Man of God Leaves His Flock in the Wilderness, 118,
Chapter 23: Heartbroken, 124,
Chapter 24: The Final Decision, 126,
Chapter 25: A New Beginning, 131,
About the Author, 135,