Anthony Wood | The Overflow

Oct 04 2012

Evangelistic Fervor is Caught More Than Taught

Have you signed up to receive Anthony Wood’s mission updates? Dr. Wood is the lead evangelist and assistant director at River City Ministry – a work serving the poor in homeless in North Little Rock, AR.

Here’s the latest update Anthony sent out to supporters:

He came to RCM with barely any knowledge or understanding of the culture of poverty. He brought his sweet wife and small child. He came to give himself first to You, and second, to answer Your call on his life to be a missionary in this place.

He’d been pretty active in short term missions, served as a youth minister in a mid-sized church, had some reaching out, but his evangelistic opportunities and experience had been sparse at best. He was lucky to get to immerse the kids in his youth group. It’s not because of any lack of desire to assist You in saving souls, just mostly because he’s not been in an environment where leading the lost to You has been a priority. That’s changed for Chase, over the past 18 months.

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Tagged Anthony Wood, caught not taught, chase froud, disciple making, disciplemaking, discipler, discipling, Evangelism, evangelism is caught, evangelism is caught not taught, River City Ministry, training

Nov 15 2011

1 Comment

Devotional Thoughts

Being Present Where You Are Present

Anthony Wood shared a great thought with his email subscribers today:

11/15/11 Rain, Lord. What a wonderful way to replenish a dry earth. The sound makes for such relaxing rest. It was tough to get out of the bed this morning hearing the pitter patter of soft rainfall. Soothing, melodic, comforting, a blessing to Your Creation.

And, then I saw him. Drenched, cold, shivering, wild eyed from a sleepless night in clothes heavy with water.

He came straight to me this morning, “bro. Anthony, you poured water all over me!” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I was glad that he was smiling. All I could muster was a puzzled look of “I’m not sure I know what your talking about.”

“I was on the road, I waved and hollered, but you passed on by.” I didn’t see him. I had my mind on getting to RCM for the work You assigned for me today. My eyes weren’t open to see the work I passed by on the road to RCM. Jesus.

Your work, Lord, is never a place to go to, a location. Your work is not where I go but as I go. Today I missed it.

I wasn’t as attentive to where You were working, ministering, serving. I passed him by. I was somewhere else. I wasn’t present where I was present. So, in that moment Your presence could not be enjoyed by a cold and soaked man on the road.

Lord, open my eyes to fellow travelers on the road, to see You Jesus, in all who need a caring, loving hand of help. Never let me be blinded to those whom society refuses to acknowledge and disregard as less than human, or as a problem. Never let me turn away from those whom You present before me, who in truth, are You, one of the least of these.

Open my eyes that I might always see You on the road, wet and cold, needing a ride to RCM.

Lord, when did we see you … Matthew 25:31-46, NIV

Blessings,
Anthony Wood, Assistant Director
River City Ministry
North Little Rock, AR

To subscribe to Anthony’s email list, send him a note at awoodxulon(at)yahoo.com requesting to do so.

Tagged Anthony Wood, River City Ministry

Dec 23 2010

6 Comments

Baptism, Discipling, Evangelism, Missional Living, Outreach, Urban Ministry

River City Ministry – Lives Touched in 2010

I thoroughly enjoy receiving regular updates from my friend and brother Anthony Wood. Here’s his update from the 16th:

12/16/10 The big room here at RCM is full, Lord. It’s cold outside, people are edgy, and I’m not sure there’s enough space for another person. We squeeze them in as best we can. Safe and warm, but not always peaceful like we want. Sometimes people leave because they can’t get in. Sometimes the presence of the evil one sneaks in and those seeking You have to go elsewhere.

I’m glad Toshua stayed, today. Toshua, Lord, You know her.

Twenty-three years old. Raped at 11 years old, watched her mother murdered before her very eyes at fourteen because Mom didn’t pay the drug man. She didn’t pay, one too many times. But not before her mother tried to pay off the drug man with sexual favors from Toshua starting at age thirteen.

“One night, after they raped me, repeatedly, they killed my mother in front of my face.” I asked about her father. “Prison.” “I’m depressed, I haven’t been taking my meds, not for that, and not for my diabetes either. I can’t keep living like this. It’s hard for me to trust people, bro. Anthony, ‘cause of what they did to me. I want help.” She cried.

So now, after coming to RCM, Lord, finding You in the big room, Toshua’s got a doctor’s appointment, a meeting set to help with her mental state, a place to stay, and job leads. But the best part Lord? Toshua gave her life to You. Today.

I found her this morning in the big room. She was waiting for me. After her immersion, she smiled, “A huge burden has been lifted, and with Jesus walking with me, I know He’ll lift all my burdens. I feel clean.” Toshua loves You. She’s now Your child. Lord, as You promised, give her all of the blessings that come with the abundant life in Jesus. Put Your arms around her. Warm her soul with the light of Your love. Let Toshua know You can be trusted, that Your promises are true, and You are good for them.

Thank for one more soul ending the old life for one brand new. Thanks, Lord, for allowing one just more into the Big Room. I thank You, Lord, for Your Big Room in heaven that ever expands, like the universe, to allow in one more. And, once inside, each finds that there’s plenty of space for another.

I am thankful that Your Spirit in the RCM big room is more powerful than the evil one, so that our people can find You.

Blessings,
Anthony Wood, Evangelist
River City Ministry
North Little Rock, AR

And here’s what was waiting on me in my inbox today:

12/23/10 Thanks, Lord, for another great year being a part our Your plan. Thanks for the …

241 people who studied the Bible with me,

1410 persons who I was blessed to pray with,

958 who wanted to have a conversation about You,

167 who gave their lives back to You in restoration, and

86 who made Jesus their Lord re-enacting the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus in immersion, and the

383 who learned more about their walk with You in Disciple’s Class.

Thanks, Lord for the marvelous way You make Yourself available to us, so that we may help make You available to the poor and homeless. We at RCM, look forward to a new year being Your presence among those whom Jesus dearly loved.

Thanks for Your love Father, for Your guidance Holy Spirit, for Your willing sacrifice Jesus.