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Cornerstone Communications
USA
May 24, 2005

Dear Friends & Family,

Greetings from a very busy young man! I have been so busy, the friend I have been staying with, Patrick Mitchella, has hardly seen me! I apologize for taking three weeks to get this "Weekly" Update to you, but I've been doing the "Texas Three Step"! I've been in three sections of Texas. Here's the scoop…

East Texas

I had the opportunity to see my dear friend, Claudia Lowery in Elysian Fields, Texas, and to speak to the church there about missions. It was a wonderful time, and I had a chance to pray for all those who are called to the mission field. Since then, I have an invitation to do a show there! Possibly next year, we'll see what the Lord opens up.

West Texas

Immediately afterwards, I flew to Midland to see my family. It's only once a year I can actually see them, so I was thrilled for the opportunity. Besides, my sweet niece, Melissa, was graduating from Nursing School, and I wanted to be there to congratulate her. My dad is doing great since mom's passing last year, and my aunt from California was there, along with my sister and brother, nieces, nephews. It was a great reunion!

Having a chance to speak to the Crossroads Baptist Church congregation in Elysian Fields, Texas about the importance of Missions.

North Texas

Back in Dallas, I exploded on the scene, and worked non-stop on "A View from the Edge", the show I would be directing. There are a total of 22 scenes, and each scene is a major set. I worked and worked, and got everything ready. Last week, we moved all the sets to U.T. — Arlington's theatre, where we'd do the performances. We opened the show last week, and ran until Sunday night. The show was beautiful, and Marc and Kelly Accetta, the producers and stars of the show, were incredible! Altogether, many lives were impacted and touched. I'm so blessed to be a part of such a great show annually, but I'm sooooo tired!

Along with that production, I have been working on next week's newest production, "The Promise", which opens it's 17th season and will run for 5 months in Glen Rose. We are busy staging and getting prepared for opening night, now just 10 days away!

Moldova in the U.S.

"All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose." During my detainment in Moldova, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know some of the staff at the American Embassy. For Moldovans, it's next to impossible to get a visa to come to the States. After I was released, I wrote my new friends at the American Embassy to please give special consideration to two friends, Victor Antoci and Sasha Bragari, both pastors who were a blessing to me while there. Well, they both "miraculously" got their visas to come to America, and this past week, they were in the U.S., and were able to preach in a few churches and raise some funds to go back and build up their churches! Isn't God good? Best of all, I will RETURNING to Moldova in July to do another production! Start praying now for the impact we'll have there, and pray for godly wisdom for me while I'm there.

Shipping & Receiving

Have you ever wondered about what it takes to receive supernatural favor of God, such as supernatural healing, provision, or wisdom? If so, then this message is for you! I can't speak for the men and women in the Bible, but I'm just an ordinary guy. I'm not "more special" or more spiritual than someone else. I was also filled with fear and doubt.

What a blessing! I'm with my family once a year! From L-R, standing: me, dad, sister Tina, brother Edward. Seated nephew Elijah, niece Melissa and aunt Marci (my mom's sister).

So, what changed me? Shipping and receiving is what changed me! I had to learn how to receive God's Word, and also to send it out, through my own mouth. That's what happens when you dedicate yourself to God's Word. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Notice it doesn't say that faith comes by reading the Word of God. No, you have to hear it. You have to speak it over your life and your circumstances.

So often, I would read the Bible in the morning, but then the rest of the day I would speak negativity. "That car is going to cut me off in traffic", "I'm never going to get this project done", etc. I would negate God's Word by NOT dwelling on it. I would dwell on my own thoughts and ideas. That's not the way to victorious living!

It's not God's responsibility to make you receive faith. He gladly gives each man a measure of faith. It's your responsibility to receive it, and to grow that faith. You can nurture and grow your faith through reading God's Word, and dwelling on it. So, how do you "dwell" on God's Word?

Make it your focus to study God's Word, to meditate on it and to study it. Turn off the television and the programs filled with sexual innuendos, violence and war. Open God's Word instead! There's very little that "dwelling" on television will offer you. But, if you will "abide in Me and My words abide in you, you can ask what you desire and it will be done for you."

Marc & Kelly Accetta, dressed to "the nines", open the show last week with great poise and elegance.

You know you have reached that level of "dwelling" when you come across a certain situation, and the Word concerning that circumstance readily comes up. I remember as a young man having incredible battles in my mind over impure thoughts and an overactive imagination to assume the worst things over my life. The enemy was trying to get me to believe I was not good for anything. Sadly, many Christians helped the enemy try to convince me that I was nothing more than a sinner.

I started dwelling on simply one scripture, 2 Corinthians 10:3 "For though we walk in the flesh, we war not after the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (or regular or physical weapons) , but they are mighty through God for the pulling down of strongholds, casting down every imagination that (tries to) exalts itself above the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought to the obedience of Christ." I began to picture it, to "dwell" on that verse.

Each time I had a negative or an impure thought (which were thousands daily!) , I would "ship" off that Word to that circumstance, and amazingly, those negative thoughts became less and less! I had "received" God's Word, and I was shipping it back out. Over a period of time, my mind started to clear, and I started to think more on the things of God than the things of this world.

The cast of "The Promise" learn their staging as they prepare for their opening night next Friday night, June 3!

That's the way God's Word works! By reading the Bible, it goes in your eyes, you speak it with your mouth then hear it with your ears, and finally it goes down deep in your heart and your mind. Don't just read the Word silently, read it out loud. Try it, and you'll enter a whole new level of understanding! There's power in hearing yourself proclaim God's Word!

That's the very nature of salvation. Romans 10:9 says, "That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." My friend, use your mouth to build up your faith by quoting God's Word, instead of using it to tear yourself down.

With the Word of God in your heart, (Receiving) , and the Word of faith in your mouth (Shipping) , you will have an amazing journey in God's Kingdom as you live victoriously and joyously for the Lord!

Adios!

That looks like Spanish, unless you're in Texas, which is then pronounced, "A-Dee-Oh-S! Scary, but true. It is Spanglish (a combination of both Spanish and English) which means "See ya'll later!" I am so happy to be back in the U.S., even if it's only for two months. The first month is almost over. Goodness! In the meantime, God bless you, and please keep me in your prayers.

For the Kingdom,
Richard Montez