HeartFirst Ministries

Narrative and Ministry Profile

2010-07-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

My Narrative
It is hard to believe that it has been 34 years since I preached my first sermon at 17. During high school I was involved in many ministries of the church. In Chicago, at Moody Bible Institute, I got my first taste at being a Pastor. I helped an inner city church in Chicago by preaching, teaching, and leading the youth group. That was followed by 13 years in Great Commission Ministries I appreciate my years with this organization as I learned a lot about character development, the importance of small groups, church planting, and more about developing leaders. Part of my time with Great Commission Ministries took me to my first “professional” debut as a campus minister at West Virginia University. As well as preaching and evangelism, I had the opportunity to help develop young leaders. I continued my work with international students and fueled my desire for world outreach. I moved from Morgantown, WV to Pittsburgh for a time of transition and learning and got involved in working as a Social Worker and teacher. During this time, I felt led to seek an opportunity with the American Baptist Churches. I took the call to Washington, Pa and became the Senior Pastor of Broad Street Baptist Church. In 1996 I was ordained to ministry in Washington, Pa. I enjoyed the dual ministry of being the director of the West End Community Center as well as being the pastor of the church. We were involved in reaching out to other pastors in the city as well and helped facilitate the growth of our church and several other churches in the city. We learned about building healthy churches as we saw growth in the church in many ways. We were influential with community and civic leaders as well. After three years I felt a yearning to experience more of a contemporary model of church so we moved to Delmont to start “The Sanctuary”. It was an ABCOPAD church plant. We were very successful our first year. We tripled the attendance and giving and it was fun to be involved with this great group of people.
However, my wife was reluctant to be involved with our marriage. I ended up resigning and moved to Hilton Head, SC to help repair my marriage. Sadly, nothing I tried worked, and after a year or so she filed for dissolution. There was no infidelity involved, but sadly, nothing would change her mind. I was devastated to say the least. For a period of three years I just existed. Restoration is not easy, especially in the church. That is a sad commentary, but fortunately there were some in the church that reached out to me and I began a process of healing. I started teaching in schools again and have done that for the last thirteen years.
In 2003 I was at a conference and God began to awaken me to dream again. I had lost hope of ever being in ministry and ever doing much for God again. Thank God that he didn’t give up on me. Within a year of that encounter I found myself in India preaching to over 1000 pastors. I began to move in a supernatural way and have not looked back since. I have been ministering nationally and internationally in various settings since 2004.
In 2009 at my 50th birthday I found myself stirred to look into the possibility of going back into the pastorate. I have been doing itinerate ministry and leadership development and felt led to seek a pastoral position where I can equip others and fulfill my calling. I have remarried and have a healthy relationship of over eight years with a wife that is supportive and shares my vision for ministry. My daughter is graduating from high school and is actively serving God. I have been fostering a child and am excited about where God has me. I would like some church to take a chance on a broken man that has been made whole by the power of the Holy Spirit. I do believe that I meet the qualifications for leadership found in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
I bring a unique mix of experience in the market place with a wealth of ministerial experience. I have personally lead hundreds of people to Christ, developed leaders, planted churches, and have a cultural sensitivity to many types of peoples and nationalities. I move in the power of the Spirit and am excited about bringing the renewal message wherever I go. I bring organizational skills as well as people skills to the table. I am a family man and devoted husband. Family is important to me. I bring sensitivity to broken people and a heart for restoration. I strive to be transparent and authentic.
My style of leadership is characterized by the words equipping and empowering. When I was younger it was about what I could do for a church. Now it is about me fathering a people in their gifts and talents. I want to bring the best about in others. I am a carrier of the Fathers Heart. I want to listen more and be a part of what God is doing rather than having a preset vision and hoping God would bless it. I am a relational leader who is loving and not afraid to take on conflicts and resolve them.
My vision for the church is that each individual would be able to discern his/her place in the body and function in that way. I want to work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to join Him in what He is doing. I want the church to become healthy. A healthy church is a growing church. I value a church that values the presence of God. When each of us values knowing God, I believe that we will want to give that away. Outreach comes out of an intimate relationship with the heart of God. I have developed a manual on building healthy kingdom churches that I would use as a model for whatever place I land in.
As far as my ministry I see myself primarily as an encourager. I want to encourage people to dream again. I do have a heart for outreach and transformation. I want to be one of those people who facilitate transformation that will change the nations of this world. I preach the gospel of the kingdom and I live to bring heaven to earth. I want to know Christ and make Him known.
As a family we like to camp, hike, and spend time with each other. I am an Ohio State grad and love to watch Ohio State football and basketball. I still like to watch West Virginia football and basketball as well. I used to coach and play basketball, but I don’t do much of either one now. My wife and I both enjoy reading, writing and I am working on a book now called, “A Journey to the Fathers Heart”. I hope to get it published soon.
To find out more about us see our website: heartfirstministries.org

Pastor Roy Rhoades
243 Sable Trace Drive Acworth, Georgia 30102
(678) 574-4762 (Home) (770) 324-1039 (Cell)
rhoadesroy@hotmail.com

Ministry Profile of Pastor Roy Rhoades
Education-BA Pastoral Greek - Moody Bible Institute 1984-MA Early and Childhood Education - Ohio State University 1987
Ongoing Education in Professional Development
Literacy Training, Gifted Certification Training, Collaborative Education Training, Computer Skills (Blogging, Microsoft, Web design, etc.) Leadership Training.
Professional Ministry ExperiencePreached Fist Sermon and received call to ministry Tabernacle Baptist Church Chillicothe, Ohio Licensed Minister 1976 ( I served in the church as a Bus Captain, Jr Church and VBS Worker, SS teacher, youth leader, and short term missions team leader.)
Interim Student Pastor Clybourn Gospel Church Chicago, Illinois This was an inner city church in Cabrini Green Housing Project. 1979-1980
In the summer of 1980 I went to Linz, Austria as a part of Operation Mobilization short term missions team where we did outreach and started a coffee house ministry.
While in college I was a part of a summer team that helped plant a church in Bowling Green State University 1981
While finishing college and working I helped to establish Linworth Road Community Church in Columbus, Ohio where I was a small group leader. 1981-1987
I was a small group leader and was on the team to help start Walnut Ridge Community Church in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 1987-1990
Campus Minister West Virginia University with Great Commission Ministries and Chestnut Ridge Community Church 1990-1993
Crisis Intervention Worker for Pittsburgh Family Services and Adjunct Professor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Worked with local church Pittsburgh East Full Gospel and was a part of Pittsburgh Prayer Evangelism) 1993-1995
Senior Pastor” Broad Street Baptist Church” and Director of the West End Community Center We ran an after school program, food bank, and community outreach center in Washington, Pennsylvania 1995-1998 Ordained Here in 1996. ABC-USA Church
Senior Pastor “The Sanctuary” 1998 -2000 Delmont, Pennsylvania ABC-USA Church
Itinerate Ministry - Heart First Ministries in Acworth, Georgia affiliated with Harvest International Ministries. Itinerate Ministries include: Oversees Missions, Chinese Bible Study, FCA Leadership, local church leadership, seminars, and prophetic ministry with “The Worship Studio”
2004 to Present
Pastor of Heart First Ministries began 2-14-2010 in Woodstock, Georgia. New Church Plant
Mission Statement
The greatest passion of Roy’s heart is to be ministering the Father's heart to people and is summarized by the acrostic HOPE. H ealing O utreach P resence E ncouragement
He also desire to see cross pollination of ministers and ministries, with city-reaching as the end goal in mind. He has worked towards that end while being a pastor in Washington, Pa. and also in the eastside of Pittsburgh in coordination with Ed Silvoso’s ministry, Harvest Evangelism. He loves to share his faith and train others in evangelism. He considers himself an encourager and a revivalist that is taking the message of transformation everywhere he goes. He is a teacher and motivator and loves to see renewal and revival come to everyplace that he goes. Roy has an intense desire for cross cultural ministry. He was in interim pastor in an inner city African American church while a student at Moody Bible. He taught Chinese students English while at West Virginia University. He did summer missions through Operation Mobilization in Austria. He also has led and is leading international campus groups-- currently teaching a Chinese Bible Study at Georgia Tech University. He has gone four times to India to do Pastor's conferences, teaching and healing prayer with HIM related churches. He and his wife have also ministered in Mexico doing prophetic ministry. His hope is that he and his wife, Bess, can move into more full time ministry in sharing the power of God, the love of Jesus, and the truth of transformation as revival spreads. Roy loves children and has been a teacher in schools for the last 10 years. He lives to see families stay united and be restored.
What my real ministry is about involves stories like these:
Prayed for a dieing baby that I had never got to see in India. God healed the dieing baby. The parents had driven an hour just to see us because they heard there were some men of God who believed in miracles. God sent us half way around the world because of His love for one little child.
Talked to a sixth grade girl who was crying because of another boy who was mean to her. No one will really know of our conversation, but God loved that hurting young lady who needed a word of encouragement.
Prayed for a sick woman for 7 years, with some results, but more importantly God is using the situation to develop a heart of compassion in me.
Stayed with a dying man in hospice over a period of two weeks, to minister to a family in need of some real love.
Wept over a dead baby that a mother was holding as I walked into the hospital room. Maybe the finest message I ever preached and I never even said a word.
Spoke a word of encouragement to a pastor whose people have had their homes burned out because of radical Hindus who want to persecute God’s people.
Held my daughter when she needed a daddie’s love rather than another teaching from the Pastor.
I teach a Bible class to physicists, engineers, doctoral candidates, atheists, and homeless people, all in the same room. Most of them are from China. I speak English and use an interpreter. God moves in miraculous ways as many of them have come to put their faith in Christ.

When I lead the FCA group at Griffin Middle School we see kids come to know Christ. We sit on the floor and learn of God’s love. We are, in a small way changing the atmosphere of a school that needs to desperately experience the power and love of God.

Summary of Technical and Professional Qualifications:

Technology: Oversaw computer lab with Math and Language Arts software applications at Hilton Head Middle and Community Education Partners; proficient in Microsoft Office software; Teacher helps; some web design, school blog, and technology integration in classrooms, Moviemaker, Microsoft Photoshop, LCD, DVD, etc.
Administration and College Experience: I have taught Word Processing, Typing, Accounting, Business, Computer Survey, and English on the collegiate level. Also served as the Placement Director and the Director of Education at Southern Ohio College where I evaluated and trained teachers. Served as the Director of the West End Community Center where I oversaw all operations and directed the after school program. My nine years as a Pastor afforded me additional opportunities in various aspects of training, administration, and community relations with local public and private groups.

Awards include:

September 2008Educator of the MonthMr. Roy Rhoades Griffin Middle School

Congratulations to Mr. Rhoades for being selected our September Educator of the Month. Nomination comments included:

· "Last year my old teacher made Social Studies so difficult, but now that I have Mr. Rhoades everything is so clear and I'm getting straight A's."
"He makes Social Studies fun by letting us do activities."
"He is a great teacher. To be in his class is a great privilege. He takes time with each student and no student in his class is left behind."
Other Awards

* $1,000 award for Excellence in Retention at Southern Ohio College
* Nominated to develop the Washington Leadership Initiative in Washington, Pa. by the local area Chamber of Commerce. (Served as Educational Liaison)
* Chess Coach – HH Head Middle School 2nd in State of SC in Chess
* 2nd Place regional winner for 7th Boys’ Basketball team 2003-2004 NAML
* 1st Place divisional winner in our division 7th and 8th boys' basketball teams. 2003/2004 NAML

Friends of Pastor Roy Rhoades

Pastor David and Cynthia Newborne Dr. David Early
Pastors of Covenant of Peace Church Liberty Seminary
Woodstock, Georgia Lynchburg, Virginia
http://mycovenantofpeace.com/ http://www.daveearley.net/

Pastor Che Ahn
Pastor of HRock Church and Founder of Harvest International Ministries Pasadena, California
http://www.harvestim.org/

Pastor Charles Stock Pastor Travis Joshua
Life Center Asst Principal Smitha Middle School
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Marietta, Georgia
http://www.lcmi.org/ travis.joshua@cobbk12.org

2010-02-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Next week. February 14 we start Heart First Minstries celebration services. They will take place at 5:30pm at 640 Industrial Drive Court in Woodstock, Georgia. We are sharing the building with Covenant of Peace Ministries. Tonight the worship team practiced. It was heavenly. God showed up as prophetic words were given, worship was lifted heavenward and freedom was given out. God has assembled an amazing group of people to start and we expect a wide variety of worshippers to come out and help us bring in the harvest and usher in God's vision for revival in this area. Go God!

India 2009

2010-01-09T07:31:00.000-08:00

Tony Curzon - Live From London, England. He is back with Heart First Ministries.

We are excited that Roy is back from India. It is hard to tell of the great things that God accomplished on this short trip. I could say that we spoke to over 1500 people, saw many people healed of sickness, lead a few people to the Lord, trained leaders to plant new churches, and cast prophetic vision everywhere we went. I might not sure if that tells the story. We often get lost in lists of accomplishments. The real story for me is that I witnessed a people of courage. I saw the book of Acts come to life right in front of my eyes. I saw what God is doing in a place where less than 1% of the people are Christians. I saw the power of light over darkness. I went to spread hope and gained even more hope. I saw dancing and praise motivate a people who constantly have to deal with corruption and intimidation. I am encouraged. God is not overcome by the darkness.

One of the hundreds of stories that particularly moved me happened out in one of the local villages. We had just participated in a heavenly encounter with the love of Jesus. As a prophetic sign I asked each of the participants to turn and embrace one another. The saints obeyed immediately. I then felt lead to ask for testimonies. One of the ladies testified that as she was hugged she felt a pain in her stomach leave immediately. I was very moved. She wasn't touched by "the man of God". She was touched with compassion by one of her fellow workers. God once again reminded me that lovers make better workers in his kingdom. God's compassion was on display. Oh, that we catch this simple principle. Just like Mary someone realized that one thing is necessary. She chose to sit and look into the eyes of Jesus. There is a woman in a small village in Eastern Uttar Pradesh that understands this one thing. She looked into the eyes of Jesus and sickness had to bow its knee. Praise God.

I am also encouraged that Tony Curzon and I are reconnected. He is going to represent us for a while in London, England. Go Tony!

India Schedule

2009-09-21T15:10:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post my schedule on the blog for people to be able to know where I am planning on going. My desire is that you may pray for me. If you are in India and want to join us contact one of the names below and see where we might be at if you can. I am privileged to go with Pastor Benjamin Johns of Columbia, South Carolina. We have been forging a new friendship and are looking forward to great things from God.

India Tentative Schedule 2009/201
Leave Atlanta December 17
Fly through Brussels or London
Arrive in New Dehli December 19
(Local travel arranged by Pastor Anyian Samuel)
Joint Meeting in New Dehli December 20
Pastors Conference in or near “Racie” December 21-22
Leave conference and travel to TajMahal in Agra and have a meeting near the Taj Mahal (We will rent a car) December 23
Travel on night train to Varanassi from Agra Late night 23 arrive on December 24
(Local travel arranged by Tell Asia)
Varanassi outreach December 25
Rest day or go to Lucknow December 26
Preach in Varanassi at Tribal Church December 27
Rest day or go to Himalayas December 28
Travel to Orissa on night train December 28 arrive December 29
Orissa (Will need local transportation) December 29-31
In Orrissa possible visit to Pastor Roy, Pastor Mogan, Pastor Prabeen, or other contacts arranged by Pastor David of Tell Asia or Pastor Benjamin Johns. Pastors Meetings or just visiting people. Holy Spirit arranged! Will probably have to take a train to Wysok to Fly out on the 1rst to go to New Dehli
Leave Orissa(or Wysok) and Fly to New Dehli January 1

Leave New Dehli Arrive in London January 1 or 2
Take tour of London, rest, meet Dave Marquee
Preach in London January 3
Leave London on late flight and come home Leave January 3 arrive January 4
Contacts List for Heart First Ministry Mission Trip 2009/2010
Pastor Aniyan Samuel Contact for New Dehli and primary translator
Website: www.goodtidingministry.org Email aniayan_samuel@rediffmail.com
Phone 91(0) 99682-44847 Address:730 Sunlight Colony Ashram New Dehli-110014, India
TellASIA Ministries, Inc.
12650 W. 64th Ave. #245Arvada, CO 80004, USA usoffice@tellasia.org 970-985-8744

Leanna Cinquanta Founder of Tell Asia and primary contact for Varanasi portion.Email lcontheroad@tellasia.org Other Indian Contacts for Tell Asia see below.
Varanasi Region

Lucknow Region

Himalaya Region

Rev. Shivpal Sharma, India Director
shivpal@tellasia.org
0091-983-825-2552

Rev. Alok Srivastava, 20/20 Project Director
alok@tellasia.org
0091-941-514-1469

Rev. David Moses
dmoses@tellasia.org
0091-596-223-4743
Pastor Benjamin Johns Pastor in Columbia South Carolina He is also a good contact for Orissa and Mission Trip Information. Email: bcjohns@gmail.com
Pastor Roy Rhoades Mission Trip Coordinator
Website www.heartfirstministries.org Email royrhoades@hotmail.com

Chinese Bible Study

2009-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

We have been privileged to colabor with our good friend Paul Wu in teaching a Bible Study to Chinese college students at the Brookhaven Untied Methodist Church. Last Friday one of the young Chinese women gave her life to our Lord Jesus. We were very excited. We are praying that many more will come to know the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.

The Worship Studio Launch

2009-08-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Today is a time of great historical significance. As part of the leadership team of the Worship Studio I feel a profound sense of destiny being released tonight as we publicly launch The Worship Studio. I feel that fathers are being released, I feel that mentors are being raised up, I feel that those often neglected and forgotten are preparing to unleash their voice, I feel that the heart of God is being touched. The Lord himself is letting us be a part of HIStory. We are not just involved in a project. We are taking part in the revealing of the Heart of God. God inhabits the praises of His people. He gets excited when His children abandon their routines to stop and worship. I can't wait to see How He shows up. He is definitely invited to the party. Whether or not there are great crowds tonight. Whether the punch is spilled, or the parking is full doesn't matter as much as the fact that the king of the Universe is going to show up at His party. He is the invited guest. All of dignataries are pale in comparison to His presence. We long for His presence more than anything. It is humbling to be a small part. This is what we live for. This is what gives life meaning. God is in the house and all is well. August 22 will be a day to remember.

Summer Updates

2009-07-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

This has been quite a summer. Elizabeth our daughter just got back from Youth Camp with Riverstone Church. It was great to see hundreds of healing revivalist being raised up. On Friday and Sunday nights the young people formed a fire tunnel and imparted the fire of God to us. There was a lot of power in their hands that was imparted to us. My daughter is becoming a fire carrier. It is awesome! We went to Ohio the next week to visit the family. My mother is doing great. Thanks for all who are praying for her. Keep up the prayers. I came back to Atlanta and am planning today with Pastor A Samuel from Dehli, India. We are planning for me to come in December. It is exciting to see someone from India with a church planting heart for a relatively unreached area of the world. God is reaching out all over the globe. We are believing God for many churches to be planted. We are partnering with a ministry called Faith Comes by Hearing and putting "proclaimers" into his hands. They are basically the Bible on casette in the Hindi language. We are believing that these tools along with the Jesus video will be used to plant many churches among the villages in India. Keep us in prayer as we strategize on how to use these effectively.
Tonight we are gathering artists for our first meeting of The Worship Studio. It is great to be involved with so much of what God is doing in raising up an army of artists and worshippers to be a prophetic voice in our generation. This Tuesday we are going to be meeting with some Georgia Tech students to start some "Treasure Hunts" on campus. We are believing God for a campus awakening here and on several campuses in Atlanta. God is on the move and we are believing God for revival every where we go. If you are reading this email me at royrhoades@hotmail.com. We would love to hear from you. Blessings.

2009-06-30T16:45:00.001-07:00

I thought that I would post an excerpt (unfinished an unedited, but hopefully annointed) to give you a taste of the book coming forth. Many of you know that I was electrocuted in 1979, but here's the story. Enjoy, and buy the book when it comes out soon.

It was a hot July day and my job was to prune palm trees on Sea Island, Georgia. This was quite a change for me since I grew up in southern Ohio. In Ohio I was used to looking at maple trees, apple trees, and double wide trailers. I often would ask myself how I ended up in Georgia working at this beautiful resort. Strangely, this same northern boy, years later, would call Georgia his home. Sea Island was a long way away from home, but I decided to spend the summer in this beautiful resort island in southern Georgia on the Atlantic coast working and doing missions with a campus ministry called World Wide Discipleship. Our landscaping job was to prune the palm trees around the beautiful homes on the island. We had a ladder crew of two people. Usually, one person would hold the ladder while the other would climb up the tree and prune away. We were very safety cautious. One day we started to prune some smaller trees and decided to just do them by ourselves. I began to prune a tree that was about 7 feet high. I noticed that there were an unusual amount of dry branches on the tree. I never noticed any power lines running through the tree, but I came to find out later that the main power line for the island was running right through my tree. It had rained earlier that day, but by afternoon it was fairly dry. I was using a small wooden handled saw and was leaning on an aluminum ladder. Upon making a cut into a palm frond the electricity from the power line starting moving through my body. My body was acting as a human channel for the flow of approximately 7,000 volts of electricity, with two full amps. That’s about 2000 times the amperage that is in your house wall outlets. This was a strange experience for me. You don’t really get electrocuted every day. I started feeling a large amount of pain. My eyes were seeing purple, and green lights, flashing around me, and I couldn’t pull away from the electrical charge. I could feel the burning in my hand and it wasn’t a pretty sight. I knew it was fatal and I might die. I prayed a quick prayer, “Help Me Jesus!” and then I was out. It all happened so fast.
Fortunately, my partner Doug knew CPR. He gave me the pericardial thump but nothing was happening. I was laying there mostly dead and not breathing. How many know that someone laying there not breathing is not a good thing? I was so glad that Doug was also a man of God. God gave Doug insight as to what to do next. He thumped me again and then administered mouth to mouth breathing. Thankfully, after about 20 minutes I started to breathe again. I was not really aware of all that happened to me because all I remember was waking up in an ambulance, glad to be alive. I asked: ”Did I get electrocuted?” It was all very surreal. I didn’t see any lights or visions of Jesus or anything. I guess I wasn’t dead long enough. I was just glad that I was alive.
I was treated for burns and was kept in the hospital. It was determined that I was going to have to get skin grafts to treat my third degree burns. It was an unpleasant ordeal, but God would work in me to accomplish His will out of my adversity. Something very significant happened to me at the end of my hospital stay that would set me on a journey that has changed my life forever. I had been meditating on Romans 5: 1-6. Up to that point, I could tell you very plainly that God loved me. I was a Bible college student studying for ministry. I thought I knew about hope, but it was really only an intellectual concept. I had come to know Christ at an early age and recommitted my life during my teen years. I was serving God and had come to Georgia on a mission trip, but the Lord wanted to reveal more to me. This was a prime opportunity. I don’t believe that God causes sickness, but I believe that God used this incident to let me in on an encounter that would shape the course of my life. My journey to God’s heart did indeed start the day that I asked Christ to be the Lord and savior of my life, but on this day I moved much closer to the heart of God than ever before. After all God’s heart was working when mine wasn’t.
I was laying in my hospital room feeling very much in pain. I had already been in the hospital a total of 20 days. My nerves were exposed from skin grafts, my burns were still in the healing process, my hospital roommate had bowel problems, and the room didn’t smell very good. I think you are getting the picture without going into greater details. Many of my experiences with God up to this point were at retreats, church, or conferences. This is all well and good, but God wanted to show up in a different way to meet my need in this desperate situation. There is a passage in Romans 5 that talks about peace with God. I wanted that. It also talked about the love of God being shed abroad in your hearts through the Holy Spirit. It also says that, trials would produce perseverance, perseverance, proven character, and character would produce hope. I meditated on those truths and then like a refreshing wind the Holy Spirit began to minister to me His love. It is hard to describe, but I couldn’t help it and I started to sing. It didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t out witnessing, or going to a building, or teaching a Bible study, I was just loved. I was overwhelmed with the truth that God was loving me lots. I wept and smiled. I laughed and I just enjoyed the experience of being loved as I am and not as I should be.
God used this situation of being electrocuted in many ways, to humble me, to provide for me financially, but most importantly, He showed up in my time of distress to let me know that I am loved.
This experience more than any other up to this point, set me on a course to continue to seek the Fathers Love. I have come to realize very intensely that everything of eternal significance comes from the flow of the Fathers heart. Jesus only did what he saw the father doing. He only spoke what he saw the father speaking. He truly could say as you have seen me you have seen the father. And when he went away to the father he gave us access to speak directly to the father. “You can ask whatever you wish in my name and the father will hear you”, he said.
Two years later, I would hear the Lord ask me, “If you could have anything in this life what would you want?” I was deciding if I really wanted to lead God’s people. Reflecting on how God had saved my life and just searching my heart I said, “Lord I want to learn how to love.” I guess I have been on the journey ever since
What an exciting time to be alive. The Father is no longer calling us slaves but He is inviting us to be friends.
Let us go together on a journey to find the fullness of life and personal freedom. Let’s journey to the Father’s Heart!

2009-06-30T16:36:00.001-07:00

We have been busy this summer. God set up a divine appointment with Pastor A Samuel from Dehli India and I believe that it was the messenger that I needed to get me back to India. I am planning on taking a team in December. Anyone interested please email me. The cost will be about $2000. I have felt a burden to speak to the persecuted church in India, do a Pastors conference in Dehli, and visit some friends in the South and speak in their churches. Pray for God's leading.
Bess and I have been asked to be on the advisory board for a new ministry with Matt and Tanya Tommey called The Worship Studio. It is a ministry intended to meet artists and muscians and raise them up as warriors in the kingdom. God has blessed us with the use of a gallery in Canton, Georgia and we are just joining him in some exciting events. Keep posted for upcoming events. Our first monthly meeting will be on July 11.
I have also been burdened for the Georgia Tech campus and we are meeting with a few students to start a Campus Awakening group. If you know of anyone interested in raising up radical revivalists on campus let me know.
Oh, by the way on my vacation I have finished the rough draft of a book entitled: " A Journey to the Fathers Heart". It is a book about how to enter into intimacy with God and then unleash his supernatural power. I have felt a burden in the body of Christ to be released from shame. It is time to raise up an army and get going for the kingdom. It is my first attempt, but it just poured out of me. Pray for Bess as she edits it and makes it professional. It is nice to have a professional writer that is now writing with me. More to come later.

India 2008 Trip Report

2009-04-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Leg 1 – 2/29/08 through 2/7/08

Ricky and Roy – The R & R Express hit the planes on January 29^th and head for Chennai.

It was amazing that Ricky just made the flight in Newark to India with 5 minutes to spare. God is good!

Landed in Chennai and were picked up by taxi and lead to hotel. The next morning we were greeted Pastor Cornelius wife and two sons and pastor Shekar. They took us to the snake park and we were refreshed. At the mall shopping I received my first prophetic word that God was healing Pastor Cornelius as we were going to the parking lot. Later that was confirmed to be true. What an amazing beginning to alter the effects of jetlag.

We were united and determined to cooperate with God and see what He was up to, and then join him.

Places we went:

Flew into Chennai
Took a train to Coimbatore
Stayed in Kovaipadur and spoke at business meeting in morning, visited Bethel Livesey School, home group, visited Central Church
Drove to Udumalpet and spent two days in meetings with church.
Back to Kovaipadur for two days of Pastors Conference
Traveled to Hydrabad and spent the night there.
Took the plane to Visakhapatnam (Wysok) and met Pastor Kumar. Traveled to Visinanagaram.
Stayed there for four days - Pastors Conference, and Open Air Meetings, Preaching to churches on Sundays and visit to tribal village on Monday.
Went back to Wysock for flight out.

Ricky leaves for India and Roy flies back to Coimbatore.

Some results:

4056 Approximately attended meetings which included – Pastors conferences, open air meetings, and church meetings. A lots of meetings were going on. Out of this number approximately 200 pastors were exhorted toward fulfilling their destiny and saw a model of supernatural ministry. About 60 business leaders received prophetic words in Coimbatore, and 40 more in Kovaipadur. Ezra Kumar is radically changed and received impartation and prophetic anointing to move his ministry to a new level. God is placing him in regional leadership. With all the prophetic words and teaching only heaven will tell the real transformation story. Fresh mantels of anointing were given out to many and it will be wonderful to hear of how God will empower his people. Our job was just to show up and watch Jesus do His thing.

80 people activated in the prophetic

26 people healed that we know of: Lame children walking, throat cancers healed, respiratory problems healed, pain in back healed, shoulders healed, blind eyes healed, deaf person healed, and heart problems healed. In the first open air meeting over 130 came for healing we only heard testimonies from about 20 so only God knows how many were actually healed.

25 professed salvation in public meetings

10 were baptized in water.

2 people were baptized in the Holy Spirit, refreshed and renewed, via a “marriage encounter” session. Another bapticostal has been birthed.

1 demon possessed woman who after 25 years of torment was set free, saved, baptized and filled with joy. She has a new identity and a new name.

1 girl received the exact prophetic word given by Serena two years earlier with the same act of bowing at her feet in Udmalpet. God wants her to know that she is a princess in India.

1 woman principal received a prophetic word that she would be promoted to a higher level that would transform a city.

1 Policeman received prophetic words to speak destiny and promotion in his life. That was a much better alternative than him taking us to jail.

1 older man received healing prayer which lead to 6 others seeing God’s power manifest and decided to attend the village church.

1 tired village pastor received seed money to raise the roof on his building and start saving for a motorbike.

1 man, TS Varghese was used of God to purchase a hotel for the night for the R and R express to rest and recover and he showed great hospitality. We were both so tired and it was an evidence again of God’s grace.

1 young man, Samson Kumar took a risk of faith and invited an unknown pastor to come to Andra Pradesh and received a fresh mantel of supernatural impartation. His life will never be the same.

There were many more stories of single individuals that received the touch of God. I am so impressed with the truth that as we reach out to the one, God will bring the many.

2 Pastors were very tired after all that preaching and praying, but were excited to be WONDERFULLY used of God.

Ricky flies to Calcutta and will be sorely missed, but greatly appreciated by all who experienced the love of the Father that came from his life and ministry.

Both were awakened to a fire that is arousing their passions and then Roy continued on to the next phase of his journey.