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Cornerstone Communications
Belize
November 13, 2005

Dear Friends & Family,

Hello from Belize City, Belize! By now, I'm sure most of you are wondering "What in the world happened to Richard?" I apologize for taking so long to write! Yet, I have also been blessed by the hundreds of e-mails wondering where I was and if I was alright. Thank you for caring for someone like me!

Since I left Istanbul, Turkey in September, I have hit the ground running. Literally, I went straight from the airport in Dallas to auditions, and had auditions for TWO shows simultaneously. The real truth is that I came home to take care of family business, but my church saw a great opportunity for some shows, and we did them! Thanks, Covenant Church, for making my time in Dallas fruitful!

A scene from "The Judgment Seat" at Covenant Church 2 weeks ago

Production Update

While in Dallas, Texas, I was able to visit family, but also to direct two versions of "The Judgment Seat"… in English and in Spanish. I had two outstanding casts, and the Lord blessed our efforts. We presented them at Covenant Church, and saw many come to Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord! We saw over 500 people who signed cards, and many who didn't. It was truly a blessing to see so many touched by the two productions. That brings the count for 2005 to around 4,000 new souls for God's Kingdom, or 14 souls per day for 2005! Thank you, Lord!

Life in Cruise

After the two shows ended October 31, I was just exhausted. I had NO time for myself, and those of you who've written will know I seldom sent out an e-mail, as I was so busy, or so tired. November 1 as I helped to take the sets, costumes and props down, I was approached to fill an empty spot … a last spot on a cruise for someone who had cancelled. At first, I said, "No, I just don't have the time." But when I got home, the scripture for the next day, November 2, in my One Year Bible, was in Hebrews 4:3, "Now we who have believed can enter into rest." And vs 4, "And on the seventh day even God rested from all His work." I got the hint, and said that I would go on the cruise!

On Saturday, November 5, we left Dallas for Houston, and boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line Dream, and sailed away to the Caribbean. The whole first day, I was frantic with worry, because I'm just not programmed to rest. All I ever do is work, work, work! Somehow, I felt I was sinning by resting! I felt so guilty.

"If your name is found written in the Lamb's Book of Life, you'll spend eternity in heaven with God." A line an angel delivers to someone being judged.

When I finally rested, I didn't do anything for 2 solid days! I was so exhausted. Since then we have visited Roatan, Honduras, and now we're in Belize. It is truly beautiful, and these few days have been such a blessing. I have met some new friends, and have ministered to others on board, and in fact, was honored to lead two young men I met on board to the Lord. God is good, amen? Saturday, we return to the States.

Transferring Your Trust

If I were to ask for a show of hands to the following question, "How many of you trust God with your life?" I suppose I would get nearly or exactly 100% positive response. And yet, we're not. We have been programmed to trust in ourselves. Paul speaks about this in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Paul is writing about two totally different ways of walking in this earth. One is according to the flesh (the world's system) . The other is according to the spirit (God's way of doing things) . Every decision of life boils down to a choice between these two systems. The challenge for us as believers is to get out of the world's system for our provision and get over into God's system. We've got to transfer our trust for the daily needs of life over into God's kingdom.

"Depart from me, you worker of iniquity, for I never knew you." A line God delivers, and also from scripture in this very sad and moving scene about a mother who depended on her good deeds to get her to heaven.

Philippians 3:3, Paul writes, "…worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in the anointed Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." Having no confidence in the flesh is not just a reference to your physical body. Paul is talking about having no confidence or trust in the world system. In that system, people are educated in all of the right things to the point that they're confident. "I'm capable of doing anything. I know I'm in demand." But things start changing around us at any time. One day we're in great demand; the next, nobody remembers your name!

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ." Philippians 3:8 "Did Paul just say what I thought he said?" When he talks about the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, this isn't knowledge that just comes through the flesh, but knowledge that comes directly from the Lord. Yet, Paul uses the most graphic language to compare the world's system of thinking to knowledge based on God's system. He said that in comparison to revelation of Christ, everything else was "dung".

That's pretty clear, isn't it? Paul was saying how he was not going back to anything he had trusted in the world. He laid aside any confidence he'd ever had of prospering in the flesh. That was the way the world prospered. No, Paul had found a different way. He listed all the things that the world had taught him to trust in to prosper in life. Then he made it clear none of these things could compare to knowing Christ.

Pastor Tim Holland and I mug for the camera during a recent visit. Pastor Tim, who is the pastoral oversight over the Fine Arts department, oversaw the development of JS.

Get rid of anything that stands in the way of you knowing and living by that anointing power that is in you right now. Cast out those hurts, wrong thinking and misplaced values from the world's system that keep you from walking in God's way of doing things. Get rid of the dung. Haul off the trash. Move the junk standing in the way of your relationship with Jesus Christ. You're going to have to transfer your trust from whatever it is that you've been trusting in, over into trusting Him. And it's not as hard as you think it is! It's this easy: "What you think about all the time is what you trust in the most."

If you're trusting in God and making decisions based on a system that will not fail you, then nothing will intimidate you. Get in the place where you can honestly say you don't need things what others have to make you happy because you're walking in God's blessings. You are fully content in the Lord! If you will transfer your trust, God will transfer His goods.

Adios Todos!

That's "Goodbye Everyone!" in Spanish, the official language of Honduras and the rest of Central America. I apologize again for not being in touch, but it was hectic! I leave for Seoul, Korea on Monday, and I look forward to you all sometime in the near future. Thank you for your prayers for me, and please know that I love you and I'm praying for you, too! God bless you!

For the Kingdom,
Richard Montez