Overview
Plow a straight line
Sunday worship opened in praise with Sister Celestine, moved through declarations, announcements and a full covering in prayer, and then Dr. Marlon brought an exhortation drawn from Saturday's Sabbath readings. His word for the family: stay committed to Yeshua, stay in alignment, and don't look back.
Mom sent her love and prayers to each and every one of us, and the whole service lifted up Prophet Apostle Mama Emma Jean on her health journey in Clearwater, Florida. Members closed the morning in Malachi 3:16 sharing, a Thanksgiving reminder, a closing prayer, and loving greetings to our mother in the faith.
Breakdown
How the service flowed
- 0:00
Praise & worship · Sister Celestine
Sister Celestine led the opening worship: “I've come to say how much I adore You… the longing of my heart is to please You,” rising into “I love to love You.” She gave all glory to Yehovah and thanked Mom for the privilege to minister in song.
- 8:49
Welcome, declarations & announcements · Dr. Bonnie Caress
Standing on Yehovah's word, Dr. Bonnie declared that we awake, arise, soar and restore, with the Joseph and Josiah anointing manifesting. In Yeshua's name the spirit of chaos was replaced with clarity, order and calm, and the spirit of inertia with speed, excellence and momentum.
She covered in prayer Prophet Apostle Mama Emma Jean and Dr. Sherah Danielle, and our three target goals: miracles, healings and deliverance for all our people; the renovation and restoration of the sanctuary, office building, storefront market, the 49+ acres and all our properties; and all integrity leadership and every member of the family.
Announcements: pray at noon for at least three minutes for Mom and all of our brethren. We are celebrating our Fall Feast, with the next Fall Feast in December. Stay tuned to our technology for updates throughout the day.
- 13:21
Prayer · Dr. Johnny
Dr. Johnny opened with the Lord's Prayer, then asked forgiveness for “sins of omission, sins of commission,” and thanked Yehovah for mercies that are new every morning. He prayed for Mom's safety, strength and healing in Clearwater, for Dr. Sherah Danielle, for everyone on the prayer list, caregivers, those who have lost loved ones and those traveling, for legal and financial victories, for the nation and its leaders, and for the service itself: “Anoint our eyes to see.”
- 20:48
Special song · Sister Celestine
“I surrender all to You, everything I give to You, withholding nothing… I give You all of me.”
- 25:25
Exhortation · Dr. Marlon
Dr. Marlon opened in prayer, then brought the Word from Luke 9, Genesis 24, 1 Kings 1, Matthew 27 and Isaiah 28: Plow a straight line. The full breakdown is below.
- 1:21
Malachi 3:16 sharing
Dr. Bonnie, Deacon Shirley and Sister Dinah shared what the Word stirred in them.
- 1:33
Reminders
Mom is praying for each of us and our families. Text Thanksgiving to the admin number to receive a Thanksgiving blessing basket, and text Sunday Recap to the admin number to receive this recap of today's service.
- 1:35
Closing prayer, greetings & song
Dr. Marlon closed in prayer: “We want to plow a straight line with You… no matter what's going on, we're going to focus on You.” The family greeted our mother in the faith with love, and the service ended in song: “You never lost the battle… and I know You never will.”
Highlighted minister · The exhortation
- 01
Don't put God in a box
His Word comes “precept by precept, line by line, a little here, a little there” (Isaiah 28). Keep Scripture in context and rightly divide it, but don't shut out the way precepts in different places come together to form a bigger picture.
- 02
Following Yeshua takes commitment
In Luke 9, one man said “I will follow You wherever You go,” and Yeshua answered that the Son of Man has no home of His own. Today it can seem that Christianity is a social club. Yeshua expects commitment even when things don't go the way we expect. He isn't saying to ignore what concerns us, but that He has to take precedence over everything: “If there has to be a decision made between one or the other, the choice is Him.”
- 03
Abraham would not let Isaac go back
In Genesis 24, Abraham made his servant swear to find Isaac a wife from his own kin, someone with the same upbringing, alignment and beliefs. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” And “see to it that you don't bring my son back there.” Abraham wanted Isaac to stay focused on what God had promised.
- 04
Bathsheba sought an audience with the king
In 1 Kings 1, King David grew old and “the years took their toll.” Adonijah exalted himself as king, and Nathan told Bathsheba to go in to King David. She took the risk to get an audience with the king to keep things in alignment, secure her descendants and save her life.
- 05
Don't let regret drive you backward
In Matthew 27, Judas was seized with remorse, hurled the thirty pieces of silver into the Temple, and fell into self-destruction. The silver bought the potter's field. “We can't allow even regrets and sins of the past to do these kind of self-destructive things to us. We have to pick up and keep moving, keep our eyes on Yeshua, stay committed to Yeshua.”
- 06
The first furrow sets the field
Straight plowing makes planting and harvest easier and wastes no ground. “If the first pass wobbles, every subsequent pass multiplies the error.” Dr. Marlon recalled Mother's message about an airplane that must constantly be corrected to reach its destination. To plow straight, the farmer fixes his eyes on a marker ahead. Looking back, like Lot's wife, is longing for the old life.
The straight line represents forward momentum: following God with a settled heart, without hesitation or turning back.
Memorable lines
- “Don't put God in a box.”
- “If there has to be a decision made between one or the other, the choice is Him.”
- “We have to pick up and keep moving, keep our eyes on Yeshua, stay committed to Yeshua.”
- “If the first pass wobbles, every subsequent pass multiplies the error.”
Scriptures in the message
Luke 9:57–62
“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. … And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” KJV
Isaiah 28:10
“For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:” KJV
Genesis 24:6
“And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.” KJV
Amos 3:3
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” KJV
1 Kings 1:1
“Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.” KJV
Matthew 27:3
“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,” KJV
2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” KJV
Proverbs 27:17
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” KJV
Genesis 19:26
“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” KJV
Malachi 3:16 sharing
They spake often one to another
“Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”
Malachi 3:16 · KJV
Encouragement for the week
Eyes on the marker ahead
Whatever came before, set your first furrow straight this week. Stay committed, stay aligned, and keep moving toward Yeshua. He corrects our course because He loves us.
Stay connected