An Amazing High School Camp!

I spoke for two evening sessions of the Tabernacle of Faith Christian Academy high school camp this past week. Though the school is a ministry of Tabernacle of Faith International which is a Charismatic/Pentecostal group of Churches, the school caters to families from dozens of Church groups, many of which are more traditional Evangelical. And so we avoid teachings and experiences that not everyone agrees with and focus on what everyone does agree with.

With that in mind, let me report to you that we had an AMAZING camp! It was not what I am used to as a frequent camp speaker used to emphasis on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but awesome! The camp was marked with a spirit of prayer that fell on the students in a supernatural and completely spontaneous way. Not surprising, I noticed that the spark occurred in both services in a part of the crowd where a majority of Korean students were standing. They know how to pray! A few became like spiritual furnaces and the fire of prayer spread rapidly. Some were on their faces, others were standing with their faces set towards heaven, several were on the ground like mops (not just Koreans but Filipino's too), completely consumed and focused, unaware of anything else going on around them, wet with tears and sweat as they cried out.

Repentance, reconciliation, personal revival, fresh awareness of God, renewed commitment to God's Word... The list would go to 100+ things that God was doing. No man could take any credit at all. The line of those who would testify on the final night was long and the testimonies were incredible. And yes, even though we did not emphasize the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we did conduct Prophetic Actions which accomplished big things, and yes, there were those who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, spoke in unknown tongues and prophesied. God is amazing!!

Let me leave you, particularly my Pentecostal friends with a thought. It is amazing how much God can accomplish when we don't "push it"... when we let His Spirit take control. I think that we must admit to ourselves that sometimes for the sake of a perceived good meeting, we push it. Not only is it not necessary, but it robs us of the true move of God that He uniquely plans for every gathering. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should not move in boldness, power and faith. But I am saying that our model is that Jesus said He only does what He sees the Father doing and that is also what we should do. Nothing more, nothing less.

I Don't Know WHAT to Believe

Unfortunately, most of life's dealings seem to be based on "he said, she said" rather then on facts, figures and concrete evidence. And even when there are offerings of evidence in any given argument, it seems that the documentation which in theory should be without bias has often been tampered, falsified or given in a way as to skew the results. The bottom line? I hardly ever, if ever, know WHAT to believe. I don't trust government, I don't trust the media, I don't trust educators, I don't trust accounting firms, lawyers, business people pushing their own agenda's... I don't even trust the barber talking about the headlines anymore. It's not necessarily that I don't trust him personally, but I don't trust his source of information. Goodness! I don't trust hardly anyone's source of information anymore. Whenever anyone tells me that they have received information from a "reliable source," that sets off sirens and red flags for me. What is a reliable source? To most people, it means it comes from a friend and this reliability they are speaking of is based in friendship. Can I just say that listening to someone with complete acceptance of whatever it is they are saying simply because they are your friend does not make their information reliable? Is that alright if we just establish that right now?

Do I trust the Word of God, the Bible? Absolutely! Do I trust every person teaching from it? Absolutely not! The Word of God must be delivered in proper context and with proper motives on the part of the teacher in order for the point of the message being delivered to be trusted. Even the Apostle's and the Prophet's in the Bible did not expect their listeners and readers to blindly accept their messages without confirming them through the proper study and confirmation through the Word.

But now let's talk about sensational situations in the Church. The kind of things that make ears tingle. I have been in ministry long enough to have much experience seeing, hearing about and even being on the receiving end of whatever you want to call it... speculation, banter, gossip, rumor, etc. My Father has not been a Pastor since the 60's but he has been involved in Christian education for decades. The rumors and lies that have been told about him would make you wince. My Father in Law has probably been "rumored" and lied about more than almost anyone else I know and what he has been through makes what I have been through seem small. The things that have been said about me are awful! I have even had people admit to me at later times that they had been paid to give false accusation against me. That is how it is in this day and age. Even in the Church. So very sad.

And so what is the result? Usually, you find out in any given escalated situation that a small group of people will not "listen" to the gossip or believe the falsified reports. There will be another small group who will flat out come against you either by promoting those things or by believing them (usually because of friendship). Then there will be the rest of the people. The remaining majority. These are the ones the Do Not Know WHAT to Believe and will "wait and see." And really, what choice do the majority of people have when faced with a dilemma of an argument of "he says, she says" or when the "evidence" has obviously been embelished or falsified. Like I said, I personally find myself in this group the majority of the time.

From one of the ones who has been bashed and bruised in the ministry spot-light from time to time, and by the way, I'm sure more is coming in the future because this is one of satan's modern day fields of expertise, let me offer some personal words. It isn't the slanderers, the ones operating with a demonic spirit of destruction who ultimately hurt me. It is the ones who believe them who hurt me. You know, the ones that remove you as a friend from Facebook, who don't ever again reply to an E-mail or a Text or a Voice Mail, they stop greeting you on your Birthday... You get the point. And all you can figure is that they believed a well placed lie or a partial lie. They never even bothered to talk to you personally before making a quiet judgment.

The Bible explains that we are to "touch not God's anointed" and "do His prophet's no harm." (1 Chronicles 16 and Psalm 105) I have stood back, sat back and kicked back and watched the people who have touched and harmed me, my Dad, my Father-in-Law and all the other ministers of God who I know. I have watched them become ineffective in ministry, sail the Churches they lead into luke-warm waters, meet tragedies, struggle with strokes, sickness and disease. Some have disappeared and others have died prematurely. Many years ago, there was a Pastor who mocked me publicly after some Bible School services became too Pentecostal/Charismatic for his taste. He even falsely accused me of some foolishness. I went to his death bed a year later at his request. He was dying for no explainable medical reason. I saw him, a sack of bones, barely able to breath. He said, "forgive me and release me. I'm sorry." I did, and a month later he was back to health with a miraculous recovery. It is fascinating how God's Word is always accurate and true!

One more point before making a recommendation. Even when I have received a prophetic word for a man or woman of God which somehow corrects or rebukes them and then they end up in some kind of public hot water. I am still very aware that even though I may have been privy to a weakness in their life, I still do not understand their situation and I am in no position to judge. I remain in the ranks of those who either continue to actively support that person or just decide that I don't know what to believe and will simply pray for them from a neutral position.

Now for my recommendation. Let me put the touching not God's anointed and doing God's prophets no harm in a modern term. I simply will not EVER talk about a man or a woman of God in a negative way. I recommend that you don't either. Because God is listening and He makes sure His Word is true.

As for all of those bloggers and watch dogs who maintain critic ministries in order to publicly chastise the "big name" ministers which you can find on the internet these days, don't get caught up in that hell. Let God judge. You yourself watch what you are being taught and from whom you are being taught, don't receive anything that does not bear witness with God's Word and His Spirit, but don't judge.

The good news is this. Even though you will seldom if ever know What to believe, you will always know Who to believe and to believe in. His name is Jesus Christ. He is God! He never fails, He never lies and He never stops believing in people and giving them chances. He is perfect. Never put your complete trust in any man but put your trust in the One who uses imperfect men!

On a final note, I absolutely love what I have seen Rick Joyner do with the restoration of Todd Bentley. Rick Joyner is a Man of God! Check it out at

www.morningstarministries.org/Articles/1000045589/MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Special_Bulletins/2009/Special_Bulletin_17.aspx

Now did I say I agree with everything Joyner or Bentley teach and do? I didn't say that. But I do know that they are among God's prophetic anointed servants. Be careful what you say.

Bring Your Lips to the Altar

I spoke for three sessions this week at the Fire Revolution, an annual event at a friends Church in Sta Rosa, Laguna, Philippines. Other speakers including Pastor Ray Llarena and the Pastor of the Church, Tom Molina. It was AWESOME! Every session was amazing!

On the final night, Pastor Tom asked me to speak with him in a tag-team. He would start and I would end.

He spoke from Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV) "But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

I followed with Isaiah 6 with emphasis on verses 5-8 (NIV)

"⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Earlier in the day, I was asking the Lord what he wanted to do in the final session and He spoke to my heart saying, "tell the people to bring their lips to the altar" and then I was impressed with this very familiar passage.

I'm not going to print the sermons (Tom's and mine) here, but a brief synopsis is that in order for fire to spread, we have got to be touched by the Lord to speak His Word and go forth on His behalf. What we wanted was not normal fire from earthly altars, but we wanted fire from that altar in heaven that the angel took the coal from. We wanted our lips to be touched with fire from heaven so that we would be prepared to be asked by the Lord and then to respond to Him that we will go spread the fire!

I have not experienced an altar ministry time in this manner before. I would lightly touch the lips of many of the hundreds who flooded the altar and they were completely set ablaze by the Spirit most with their bodies completely reacting to the fire on their lips. The room was filled with sounds of crying out and wailing in the presence of God. Many were baptized with the Holy Spirit and many began to prophesy in loud voices.

I am personally changed by the ministry of the Holy Spirit last night. I will never be the same. I have fresh fire shut up in my bones that must be released and my mouth is on fire to proclaim the Word of the Lord.

But this is only possible because I have soaked myself in the Word of God and because I am open to the the Spirit of God. Just as those hungry people who attended the Fire Revolution are. Not everyone has fire shut up in their bones and it doesn't come simply by laying on of hands. It comes through the discipline of feasting on God's Word day and night, becoming one with God in purpose and learning to love what He loves and hate what He hates (Hebrews 1:9).

Friends, let me encourage you to become like Jeremiah and to submit yourself to God like Isaiah did. Purposefully get full of the Word of God and then bring your lips to the altar of God and allow Him to set you ablaze for Him!

Judge Yourself

The Word of God never returns empty or void, It always accomplishes It's purpose. But sometimes It cuts particularly deep as it did this last Sunday at TFI Gateway. I have lost count of the numerous testimonies which have come to me of how this particular teaching has impacted lives. I'm blessed and thrilled!

The key verses are 1 Corinthians 11:31 & 32. (NIV) "³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."

There is one kind of judgment you don't want. And that is at the end of this age, to be judged with the world, attached to the world, condemned with the world, doomed to everlasting punishment with the world. The better options which are for those who are destined for eternal life which are to be judged before the end of the age. According to our aforementioned scripture, the two options are to proactively do it yourself, or to procrastinate which will lead to the Lord "doing it for you", after having out-waited the "grace period" which only God knows the length of. Our Righteous Judge wants us to turn ourselves in. He doesn't want to send for you. If you turn yourself in, there is leniency available from the court of the Lord.

It is clear from the scripture that even when we have failed to judge ourselves, that the Lord does it out of grace and with mercy so that we will not be condemned with the world. He truly loves us! But let me tell you friend, it hurts allot more when God does it because that means He is dealing with our pride, arrogance, disobedience and a generally uncooperative or even unteachable spirit. That calls for a bruising! And it's so unnecessary. Why lose the finances, the relationships, the opportunities, why suffer in health and in so many other ways just so that God can get your attention. (whether it's He Himself or Him allowing these things to come your way is a teaching for another time). Why indeed, when the Word of God says we can avoid all that mess and pain by simply judging ourselves!?

So how do we judge ourselves? I asked this question at one of my Life Groups last night and got some good answers. One lady said that she evaluates her day, every day and writes down everything noteworthy and flat out asks the Lord in prayer and with Holy Spirit interaction, what she did that pleases Him and what she did that could have been better and also what she did that did not please Him. She then thanks God for assisting her in her good decisions and she asks God's forgiveness in the areas she came up short or was sinful. She then repents. To repent is more than to ask forgiveness. It is to make a decision to turn from a wrong way and go in the right direction. "Sorry" may wipe your slate clean, but it won't prevent it from getting immediately soiled again. Repenting changes everything because it involves a commitment to make better decisions. To change. Her goal is to clear herself before her God every day and just as importantly to improve herself according to His ways every day. Another man talked about how he prays "purging prayers" every day. Praying through every issue and praying things literally out of himself. And another lady told us about how she gets together with a group of spiritual friends and they work together to judge themselves using an honest group evaluation. All of these are great examples of how we can judge ourselves.

The context of our scripture if you read all of 1 Corinthians 11:17-33 is that of judging ourselves before partaking of the Lord's Supper (Communion). The scripture exhort's us to first examine ourselves and then to judge ourselves. This means to us that one of the primary reasons for the ritualized partaking of the Lord's Supper in the organized Church is that it is an opportune time to examine and judge ourselves. However, the once a month that most Churches offer a communion element to the service is simply not enough. It should serve only as an example of what we need to do daily. In the New Testament, it is obvious that in the house Churches, they were participating in the Lord's Supper most every day. I believe that this is a call that before we partake of our food at every meal and even between meals, we need to be in constant examination of our motives, our words, our hearts and our deeds. Self judgment according to God's Word is 24/7.

Allow me to pose a few final questions: What good are Kingdom blessings received if they are continually eroded because we fail to judge ourselves and the judgments from outside ourselves just keep on coming?? Rather than just being focused on getting more blessings, why don't we try to hang on to some of them by avoiding judgment? Better yet, why don't we stop living by striving for blessings and learn to truly seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and then all of these things will be added, not subtracted to us?

Pastor People

Ezekiel 34 (NIV)
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.

I’m not teaching specifically from the above scripture today but I am referring to it to present the fact that God has always been concerned about Shepherds properly handling the Flock. This of course is His choice metaphor which references Pastors and Congregations.

I was going for my evening prayer walk a few weeks ago and I was discussing ministry strategy with the Lord. I told Him about all of the potential plans and possible programs as I sought direction.

The Lord spoke something very simple to me on that night. So simple that I almost missed it. He said, “Pastor People.” In that moment, I thought of the millions of people who attend Churches worldwide and I felt the heart of God… Though Churches are full of people, many are not being “pastored.” Hearing a sermon, even a good sermon once or twice a week does not mean that someone is being pastored. The more I considered what God was saying, the more I realized even that just because someone is in a discipleship group or program does not necessarily mean that they are being pastored. All of the organization and all of our efforts, if they lack love, genuine relationship and caring for the basic human & spiritual needs of people cannot be considered pastoring or shepherding people.

A more challenging way to think about it but really the way I believe God is challenging me is that true Pastoral Ministry is the ministry that does not lack godly compassion or the human touch. A Shepherd willingly lays down his life for the sheep.

Needless to say, I was cut to the heart and challenged in a tremendous way. In my 80+ hours of work a week, how much pastoring of the people am I really doing? I was reminded of a conversation that I once had with a friend of mine, Pst Dave Kenney who truly “Pastor’s” a great congregation in Jakarta, Indonesia, “IES” or “International English Service.” In a nutshell, he told me that the key to the growth of IES is that they take care of their people and other people see that they take care of their people and other people then want to become their people. Not an exact quote but I think a good way to say it… J Keep up the good work Dave!

Here in Manila, I have been very impressed with another congregation that is absolutely known for their quick response to the needs of their people and anyone else they can touch. Within hours that someone is admitted to a hospital, the norm for this Church is that dozens of people will visit. It’s important to them and it happens so naturally because they are a Church of Shepherds. Powerful! I use them as an example of how responsive I want our congregation to become. It takes constant nurturing and teaching to develop this kind of a culture.

As a pastor, one of the things I have figured out through the years is that people will likely not remember my sermons, but they will remember when I visit them not only in their time of need but even at random times as led by God’s Spirit. Or call them, E-mail, text, chat with them after service, etc. But the most impacting element is the personal visit.

And so I sounded the alarm in the Church. Noting the fact that God wants us to Pastor People among other things the Lord had laid on my heart including a call to double in finances and in numbers of attendees in the next 6 weeks. On a side note, next week is six weeks and the finances have almost doubled and the numbers of attendees has increased as well, going into a major evangelistic event next week. God is good and we are positioned! It’s time to double!

It is amazing how the people who need pastoring have come out of the wood work and how the people of the Church have risen to the call. Maybe we didn’t notice so much before? I would estimate that the number of home visits and prayer calls have increased 500%, maybe even more. It is resulting in amazing testimonies and Kingdom growth.

So my encouragement is this. When you need to organize a program or set up a structure, do it. Preach good sermons, raise up disciples and more. But don’t lose focus of the very basic fact that we must not fail to be Shepherd’s to the Flock of God. Love people, visit them, listen to them, offer an ear, a shoulder, care for them and care about them. My favorite life quote is this and I believe it with all my heart. “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

As a final point, I must balance this with a warning not to sacrifice your family, your work or job, personal devotion time, physical fitness time, rest time and more. Do not burn out. But I would say to find time that you can sacrifice. We all have some “fat” that can be “cut out” of our lives, I’m sure. And it’s not about a few visits that take you hours each. It’s about being consistent with short visits. My average visit these days is well under an hour. I simply don’t have time to stay for 2-3 hours each visit and people appreciate the 30 minute visits too. May God bless you as you organize your life to be a further blessing to others. Pastor People.

Lake Geneva, Wisconson

If you ever go to Lake Geneva, like Pastor Joy and I did recently, definitely eat at Popeye's (shown in the back). It is GREAT and we had a great time while we were there too!

People Pleasing Can Kill You

In Acts 12, King Herod puts James, the brother of John to death. Because this pleased many of the people (the anti-Christian Jews), Herod proceeded to arrest Peter and held him in order to bring him to a public trial after the impending Passover.

It is clear that because of the praying Church, Peter was supernaturally released (an escape) through the work of a God appointed angel. It’s an awesome miracle and a “must read.”

After his escape, Peter became a wanted man and went into hiding, even leaving a message for James the ½ brother of Jesus (and author of the book of James) about what happened.

But God had another plan. He did not want Peter to be a man in hiding but wanted him to be a preacher of the gospel and a public figure. And so God worked His plan to remove Herod which would allow Peter to freely move about once again. Let’s pick it up at Acts 12:19b.

Acts 12:19b-25 (NIV)

Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. ²⁰He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply.

²¹On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. ²²They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." ²³Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

²⁵When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

Fascinating!!! Nowhere do we read that Herod was struck down for coming against Peter. And in the final portion of the scripture, it is stated that the Word of God continued to increase and spread in general, though we know that this included the ministry of Peter. Instead, it was Herod’s weakness for people pleasing that brought him down. Just as he had arrested Peter in an effort to gain more popularity, it was his receiving of praise and glory from people and not acknowledging God which killed him.

You see, Herod was the King of God’s chosen people and in this position, he was God’s anointed vessel. In this case as in many cases even today, God’s way of dealing with someone who stands in the way of His Kingdom is to give them enough rope to hang themselves. It was through an unrelated situation but with the same heart issue in play which became Herod’s demise.

Herod would have known through his training in Hebrew scriptures that his gifts and talents and placement in life were all God given. Nobody has talent unless the Lord gives them the talent and nobody rises unless the Lord raises them up. But our God is a jealous God and we must give Him all of the credit and acknowledgement literally for everything and every step along the way.

In Herod’s case this was amplified, even accelerated by the fact that God intended to remove him because of his actions against the Church.

This is a reminder to all, whether a follower of Christ or not, whether a friend of the gospel or a foe (there is no such thing as neutral), that it will always be in our best interest never to receive the praises of man, but instead to quickly, carefully and enthusiastically deflect all of these to our maker. And furthermore, let us all be careful not to become enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no greater target on earth then the man who stands in the way of the ever increasing Kingdom of God! Especially a man or woman who is intent on receiving the praises and the accolades of men which are by design, reserved only for God.

Praises from man are one of the most basic tests that many of us are given on a regular basis. Especially those in the public eye of ministry. Humility is not only a key to achieving increase in God’s Kingdom, but it is necessary for our survival not only here on earth, but eternally.

Charles Nieman doesn't "throw gays out" of his Church

I was watching TBN the other day, which I rarely do. Gary Oliver was hosting and he brought on Charles Nieman. I have always liked Gary Olivers worship and enjoyed his preaching for a series he did a few years back at the School of the Acts in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Charles Nieman has also always been a Pastor who I have gleaned from on the rare occasions I have come across his media materials. He founded a great Church in El Paso Texas. I think Gary Olivers Church is in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area.

Pastor Nieman made a comment during the course of the broadcast saying that many people criticize him because he doesn't "throw gays out" of his Church. Gary Oliver got a look on his face like he couldn't believe Charles said that on TV but that he was in agreement. Interesting.

We have been dealing with the issue of folks struggling with homosexuality in our Church and there are many who do. For those of you familiar with the Philippines, you know that this is one of the biggest issues here. Our struggles have ranged from leaders not doing anything to our leaders being condemning.

One of my core beliefs of how to build a Church today is that people need to be able to "belong before they believe." I believe this to the point that I am even an advocate of allowing even pre-believers to serve in a limited capacity in the Church. Of course this has to be done with extreme care.

At the end of the day, or should I say at the beginning of the day, I want sinners including homosexuals to be welcome in our Church. Truly welcome. But more then I want that, I want safety for all of our attendees as well.

I made an announcement at the end of service last Sunday. I declared that everyone, all sinners are welcome in our Church. I explained a big "however" though. If anyone is seducing or encouraging others to engage in sin, that will be considered a hostile move that we will definitely respond to in a clear, quick and decisive manner. In other words, we don't throw gays or sinners out of our Church, but we will certainly remove those who seduce others. We will guard against the wolves in sheep clothing or otherwise. I'm sure that Pastor Nieman would agree that we must protect the flock and I believe that he most certainly does so. And I agree that we don't throw anyone out just because they are personally caught in sin and are not as far along in their journey as the rest of us would like.

That middle road is hard to find and even harder to walk. It is a road that requires incredible diligence in prayer and in watching. But 24/7 watching is what is required of shepherds. I believe as much or more now than ever before.

Lord, give us the grace to understand how to welcome the world into the Church, giving them a place to find you while at the same time maintaining a safe environment for those who already know you. Amen

Elim Christian Church & Express Covenant Coach

Joy and I have been with Elim Christian Church in Chicago the last two Sundays and one Wednesday. We will be with them again tonight and then one more Sunday. Eight services in all (5 messages since there is an 8am and an 11am Sunday service).

The services have been powerful! The Word has been sharp and the moving of the Spirit has been strong!

The Church was founded and is led by Pastors Eric and Caren Susberry. For those familiar with Chicago, they were raised up at Faith Tabernacle on the North-Side and are in fellowship with well known Pastors such as Bill Winston, Carlton Arthurs, Ray Llarena and many other amazing men and women of God.

It is a good sized Church with several hundred faithful attendees and a strong core group of "praying & serving saints." In addition to the wonderful lead Pastors, they also have amazing worship and a youth group that is truly on fire! God has blessed them in many ways including having a very nice facility. But the blessing that is most fascinating to me (because it is unique) is that God has prompted them into starting and operating a charter bus company called Express Covenant Coach. Check them out on the web at http://www.eccbus.com/ .

It all started when the Lord kept telling Pastor Eric to "take over Greyhound." Now that does not necessarily mean that ECC is going to literally take over the largest bus company in America but it is likely a figure of speech. God speaks to each of us in a way that we understand. But wouldn't that be cool if it turns out to be literal? But even accomplishing 10% or 5% or even 1% of what such a massive company does in volume would yield great benefit for God's Kingdom.

Of course it took many months and even years for the vision to come to pass and there were many hurdles. I can't imagine that most Pastors in America would even be comfortable approaching their leadership with such an idea, but Pastor Eric is not a normal Pastor. He has strategically and carefully cultivated an atmosphere of faith in which the people expect that God will give vision to a Pastor and that the congregation will not only respect that but will work to make that vision a reality. Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

Whenever I see one of their buses, my spirit leaps within me! It wasn't just a good idea but a God Idea! Of course the enemy is angry and continues to try and stop them. But he cannot stop a praying people who are following directions, in-step with the Holy Spirit of God!

Pray for Elim Christian Church, their leaders and for their bus company. If you are in the Mid-West and you need a coach charter, go to their web site and support this God ordained business. The result of Kingdom Business is Kingdom Harvest. Amen!

golf with MONKEYS

I'm at a Caribou Coffee shop near Oak Brook, Illinois preparing for services this coming Sunday at Elim Christian Church... I'm reflecting on the goodness of the Lord pertaining to ministry and I was remembering the game of golf a couple of the guys from Eternal Life Assembly took me for in Malaysia a recently.

We had been given sandwiches as a part of the green fees and due to time, we elected to bring them on the carts rather than eating them in the clubhouse. At one hole near some dense woods, about a dozen monkeys chased our carts. It was obvious they knew there were sandwiches on board. When we stopped near the green (we had all placed some good shots), two of us grabbed a golf club in each hand and held the bandits off while the other made his shot. But there were too many and we did not want monkey bites. Some of them were as big as toddlers and they were aggressive... even growling while baring fanged teeth.

They got the bags of sandwiches and fought amongst themselves for the spoils. It was a great moment! It was yet another lesson that we must strategically pick our battles in life and battling with monkeys is definitely not worth it... at least not for sandwiches...

Singapore, Malaysia, Chicago NOW

I have been out of Manila now for 3 Sundays with 2 more to go... I wouldn't do that if I didn't know for sure that it's what the Lord had scheduled for me. I rest assured that TFI Gateway is in the good hands of Pst Bong Sumayod and the many other wonderful & faithfull committed workers. Keep up the good work guys!!

The 1st stop was a Church in Singapore where I preached the normal Sunday service and then proceeded with the Church across the border into Malaysia, specifically to the Lotus Desaru resort for 6 more sessions for their bi-annual Church camp. The Church is Eternal Life Assembly pastored by Rev. Robert Lum. An amazing Church and an equally amazing Pastor! I had not met Pastor Bob prior to this camp but he is now my friend, a great, seasoned man of God who I would trust with my life! The camp was awesome! Very unique because the Lord gave me messages for this Church that I would have never imagined delivering in a camp setting. Look for God to do extraordinary things at Eternal Life Assembly in the next few weeks, months and years. The best is yet to come!

I then caught the Firefly (prop jet) from Johore Baru on to Kuala Lumpur where I met up with Bethany Christian Centre, also an Assembly of God Church from Singapore pastored by Rev. Andrew Tng. This camp was held in the Vistana Hotel, also a nice facility. Again, I had never been with the Church or met this Pastor, but I have known the previous Pastor, Rev. Anthony Phua for more than half of my life. I made many new friends in this amazing body of believers and with Pastor Andrew who is also an amazing new ministry and personal friend for me. He and his wife are wonderful and powerful! God will most assuredly continue to use them along with their team in order to accomplish much for Christ! This camp was powerful! The ministry was more normative as to how I would usually minister in a Church camp but there were many unique and incredibly special times in the presence of God there as well. Again, I am completely convinced that we will be hearing and seeing wonderfully extraordinary testimonies from Bethany Christian Center in the days and years ahead. Exciting!

After a bus ride with Bethany back to Singapore, I caught a flight to Chicago with two stops. One in Tokyo and then a stop in LA for almost 8 hours. I used the opportunity to catch up with my 2 older sons, Chad and Devin who live together in San Diego. They drove up and we spent several hours hanging out mostly in Santa Monica. I had not planned an 8 hour layover, but the Lord knew that we would have that mini-family reunion.

I'm now in Chicago and it is Monday morning. Yesterday, Joy and I ministered at Elim Christian Church pastored by the amazing Pastors Eric and Caren Susberry! We are with them for 8 services. 3 Sundays, 2 services each and 2 Wednesday nights in between. The kick off yesterday was p o w e r f u l l !!! God blessed us with His presence. Many were touched... anybody that wanted a touch got a touch! Isn't that the way it normally is?? :-) There were healings, salvations, people Baptised in the Holy Spirit for the 1st time and more. If you are in Chicago and available, don't miss this Wednesday at 7pm or Sunday, 8am or 11am. God is up to something HUGE (ginormous!) at Elim.

As always, I thank you in advance for your prayers! You are a needed part of this ministry and we appreciate you immensely! Words cannot express our thanks for your partnership!

Pentecost, Passion and One Life to Live

In the days leading up to Pentecost Sunday (May 23 this year) and then on Pentecost Sunday itself, the Holy Spirit was moving in amazing ways!

• At a Life Group meeting in Bicutan, just as I finished reading portions of Acts chapter 1, the electricity went out. It was HOT... No fan and no windows and of course no light. You could not see your hand if you put it in front of your face. We went to prayer and every single person except one received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit within minutes. It was a life changing evening for all of us as we were washed with power. I'm sure the one will get her free gift from the Lord soon as well. Awesome!
• At an all night prayer meeting at a different Church on a Friday night, after preaching my 2nd sermon for the night and at around 11pm, we went to Holy Spirit ministry time and it was like a bomb went off in the place. People were slain, dancing in the Spirit (the kind that they don't have their eyes open and is completely non choreographed), jumping, shouting praises, on their faces, weeping, laughing, crying out... Amazing! People were saved, delivered, set free, and most importantly empowered through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses to this generation! We departed for home at 1:40am and I was literally afraid to drive thinking I might get pulled over for drunk driving. (you know, because the same thing had happened to me and to many the same way as on the day of Pentecost where they seemed drunk though they were not drunk with wine...) It was great!
• Then at our main service at Cinema 2, Gateway Mall Cuboa at 11am on Sunday, we had an amazing service. The Praise and Worship was magnificent (God was magnified), the message penetrated hearts and the presence of God was so real that the air we were breathing seemed as if it was the rarified air from the throne room of God in heaven. People were weeping as they were Baptized with the Holy Spirit. But the greatest thing about it is the testimonies we have heard about what happened after the service. People at lunch began to cry. People in their homes later received the Baptism. Others began to boldly witness in a way they had not previously done so. And that's really what it is all about isn't it? Not what happens in the "upper room" so much as what happens in the streets afterwards! Amen!
• Then May 25, a bunch of us, around 8,000 from all over Manila attended the Passion world tour at the Araneta Coliseum with Louis Giglio and Chris Tomlin. Need I say more? It was a wonderful night filled with glory to God! I would have to say that one very interesting thing for me to report is how "the song" that I would say was the big breakthrough song for the night was the Kari Jobe, Revelation Song. It also served as the basis for Louie's sermon intro. To join Chris Tomlin singing that song the way he does with the crowd of intense worshippers was simply awesome!!
• As soon as I'm done writing this post, we will pack the car up to head to Fontana Resort at Clark (formerly the US Air Force Base in Pampanga) for the Prime Movers (young adults) getaway retreat entitled One Life to Live. I am anticipating an amazing move of God with the result of changed lives, not one of us leaving the way we arrive. If you read this, would you please lift us up in prayer?

Thank you for your readership and for involvement in our lives in prayer and in partnership. May the Lord continue to bless you with His wonderful presence, provision and fulfillment!

A Priority Assignment

I don’t take many guest speaking engagements anymore simply because I am focused on the Church which I Pastor. This has been the case now for many years but is especially true in this season of building a brand new congregation in the heart of Cubao, Metro Manila, Philippines. If I do take one, it is because I sense that it is A Priority Assignment from the Lord.
I took one recently at a small “Barangay (formal neighborhood)” Church in a suburb of Manila. I took it because the service was set for 8-10am and our service at the Gateway Mall Cinema 2 starts at 11am.
The Church was wonderful. The Husband and Wife Pastors and their children were obviously doing a great job in building this work. The people were engaged, the workers were well trained and I could tell that the Word was held in high regard and that the people were not only hearers of the Word, but doer’s of the Word as the Bible teaches us should be the case.
After I delivered the Word, the keyboard played (the Keyboardist was a teenage Daughter of the Pastors) and we went into free worship for awhile as the prophetic flow began to stir. 90% of the crowd came to the altar when it was opened but it was slow going at first, as is sometimes the case. But things began to heat up and people were incredibly touched. Many were weeping, lost in adoration of God, deep in intercession, some even laughing with tears of Joy and dozens (probably close to 100) experiencing something that we call in Charismatic/Pentecostal circles, being “slain in the Spirit.” This means that while being prayed for (or sometimes without any touch or personal prayer), they fall down in a supernatural way and lay on the floor either lifeless (like they are dead which is why the term “slain” is used) or maybe while speaking in an unknown tongue or praying intently. Sometimes even just resting.
When I say “supernaturally fell,” this is where some debate comes in. Many people feel that this happens primarily in congregations where there is conditioning towards it and therefore it is more of an emotional or trained behavior. Certainly, I have seen this and I am of the thought that this is quite wide spread. There are probably those who “get slain” every week. I have ministered in Churches where everyone was slain and they only fell after the trained ushers touched them on their elbow as a signal that “it’s ok to fall now because I’m gonna catch you.” And I would agree that there is nothing or at least little supernatural about that and I would not be of the thought that it is a healthy practice simply because it takes away from the genuine experience. Personally, when I find myself in the midst of such a group ministering, I usually encourage the person I am praying for to “stay standing if you can.” Sometimes to the chagrin of the catcher who seems to think the goal of ministry is to fall down. And we haven’t even addressed the “pushers,” the ministers who push people over because they feel they are being evaluated by how many people go down.
On the other hand, there are places in which people are open to being slain in the spirit but they absolutely will not fall down like they are dead unless it is really something that the power of God is causing. Even when this is the case, there are times when the force of God’s power at work is stronger or milder depending on… well, I don’t know why. That’s just the way it is. It then becomes the choice of the person receiving prayer as to whether or not they will “fall.” And the choice usually becomes a matter of whether or not you take a step back to stabilize yourself and stay standing when the force comes upon you. And usually, you can put one foot back and stay standing. Either way is fine with me. Personally, I take the step back and I can count the number of times I have been slain because I only “go down” when it is strong enough that I cannot fight it. But that’s just me. It keeps the whole experience completely genuine for me. But even when I stay standing, I sense God’s power and I receive ministry. Indeed, I have noticed that many times people stop receiving once they go down and it would have been better for them to stay standing. For my readers from other traditions in which you don’t see this kind of thing, I hope you are enjoying this discussion at some level J Just be careful not to judge what you don’t understand. There are scriptures about that too…
Back to my recent Priority Assignment. This was definitely a Church in which people don’t just drop like flies. After an hour of “altar ministry,” I sensed that at least one main assignment had not yet been accomplished. I looked at the Wife Pastor who pointed me to the Husband Pastor. There was a problem in that he was not positioned as if he wanted prayer. He was looking at the congregation, giving his obvious approval but not looking like he wanted to receive anything personally. I went to him and sheepishly asked him if he wanted prayer. He sheepishly looked at me and said yes, probably because he didn’t want to be rude. As I began, I was painfully aware that he was highly conscious of the eyes of his members. I told him, “ Just lift your hands to the Lord and imagine yourself as a sail catching the wind of God.” I was just as surprised at my words as he was… (that’s a teaching for another time) I then said, “In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, receive the wind of God.” In that instant, he filled up like a sail. I don’t know how to describe it. The unseen but felt wind came from the front and arched his back and body to where he was sort of bowing forward. It then picked him up and blew him back to where he settled to the ground and a couple of guys caught him. (think something like a Kung Fu movie where the characters are able to float or stay suspended in the air for short bursts of time – um… if you watch movies)
The congregation and especially the Wife Pastor gasped. It was obvious that this was not the norm, especially for the Husband Pastor to be slain and definitely not like this. I don’t know what God did for that Pastor in that instant or even for the Church to have seen if for that matter, but I do know that I had the sense from the Holy Spirit saying, “mission accomplished.” I had to literally leave at that moment in order to make our 11am service.
I have heard testimonies from that service and it was a big mile marker for that Church… one of those services where huge strides are made. Allow me to talk with you Pastors and long time Church leaders for a minute. Couldn’t you relate just now to the Pastor giving his approval to the moving of the Holy Spirit but yet not really engaging? I know that I could. That is me so very often as well! Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Ushers, Worship Team, Ministry Directors, Life Group Leaders… It’s so easy for us to not press in for our own touch for a variety of reasons. Maybe like my Brother recently, it is being the known leader and feeling all those eyes on you.
I believe that God is targeting you and I even right now as I write and as you read. Let us soften our hearts, open our spirits and receive all that God has for us. Let us become his Priority Assignment for the ministry of His Holy Spirit even in a public setting. Let us humble ourselves before man, therefore humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God so that we will be lifted up in due season once more!

Ministry Update

Things have been busy here in Manila building this Church branch which we call TFI Gateway. TFI stands for Tabernacle of Faith International which is a 25 year old group of Churches which was founded and is run by my Father-in-Law, Bishop Ray Llarena. Gateway is the name of the shopping mall in which we meet. Gateway Mall Cubao at Cinema 2 every Sunday at 11am. But we like the name Gateway and even if we ever move from Gateway Mall, I’m pretty sure we will keep the name.
At TFI Gateway, Bishop Ray is the Senior Pastor as he is over several Churches and I am the Resident Pastor. We have a wonderful group of Pastors and Volunteers (all of us who are not paid from the Bishop to the Sunday School Workers to the Ushers to Everyone). They are committed and dedicated and are doing an incredible Job from the heart.
We launched the work around 9 months ago and we saw a huge initial group come and then it settled down to as low as 120 people. But we have been steadily growing and are running between 180 and 215 precious people every week. The people are loving and caring and meet the needs of each other during the week through a variety of ministries including Life Groups and the Follow Up folks are connecting beautifully. The Young Adults (we call them Prime Movers) are riding a tremendous wave of growth right now and it is exciting to see them growing in the Lord and in numbers too! The greatest element I believe which attributes to our growth is that the presence of God is mightily evident every time we come together. Not only in our services but even in the small groups & week day gatherings. The worship is amazing, the preaching is alive and the people are touched!
Just last night at a Life Group in Bicutan, I walked in and found two of the household members sick in bed. I was also not feeling well and we needed a miracle. We moved chairs into the bedroom and all the attendees met in there so that the sick people could participate. After sharing the lesson, we prayed and prayed and prayed and we couldn’t stop praying. The Holy Spirit came upon each and every one of us in an amazing way! Half way through the prayer, the two majorly sick ones were up on their feet and could have tap danced. I was feeling the same way! It was awesome! By the time I left, I’m pretty sure they were energized and healed to the point that they could have started their spring cleaning. It is well into the next day as I write this and I must tell you that my healing last night was a complete and instant one! Praise the Lord!
Please pray for us. The warfare is strong and the finances are an everyday challenge. We struggle to meet the deficit in this new work and our family is fully relying on the Lord and His faithful Kingdom people for resources. Thank you for your prayers and for your partnership!

The difference between Unforgiveness and Hatred

One of the greatest challenges we face in the Church is blindness. I am of course referring to a spiritual rather than a physical blindness. I am speaking from experience because though I hate to admit it, I have spent much of my time “flying blind.”
This is a dangerous thing especially for leaders as evidenced by the words of Jesus when some of the Pharisees had a problem with Him.
Matthew 15: “12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Jesus was clearly saying that there were, and I believe there still are blind leaders in the religious systems of the world, even in the Church of the One and True Living God. He said they are blind guides and that both they and the ones following them will fall into a pit.
I don’t think I have to ask you if you would want to be on a bus or an airplane with a blind driver or pilot. I don’t think you would want a haircut from a blind barber, directions from a blind police officer or anything else of the sort. But would you want to attend a Church led by a blind Pastor or with a committee of blind Elders or Deacons? Think about it. Especially if you are a leader… And hold your breath because it’s not too late. The Word of God offers the solution.
1 John 2: “ 9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness (not being regenerated). 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness (stumbling); he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”
I recommend that you go all the way from verse 1 to 11 in 1 John 2, but I will just use these 3 powerful verses in this posting. If you read the scripture, it is very clear that those who love their brothers are in the light and that those who hate their brothers are walking around in darkness.
It’s important to identify who John is talking about at this point. My opinion is that he is speaking primarily to believers, though this of course at some level would also differentiate those who are saved and those who are lost. But check out the final statement in verse 11. “…the darkness has blinded him.” We normally get blinded by light. We would not use the term that we were blinded by darkness in normal conversation. The picture that we get from this terminology is clear that those who hate their brothers are walking around in a lighted situation (the Church), undoubtedly surrounded by others who may or may not be blind because this is an individual condition. It doesn’t matter how bright a room is if you are blind. You will still stumble over the most well lit item. In other words, it’s not about the light in the room, it’s about the darkness affecting your eyes. It matters not whether it is day or night to a blind person.
Does this mean that you can be saved while hating your brother? Well now… that is a difficult question to answer and it gets down to technicalities regarding terminology and a study of the original language used to write this letter. Let me just offer a few thoughts and my humble yet studied opinion.
The Bible is clear that your sins will not be forgiven if you fail to forgive the sins of others against you. Plainly, if you don’t forgive others as Christ has forgiven you, then you have no part in Christ and you are on the express train headed for the eternal damnation station. So the question remains, can you have forgiven someone and still hate them, therefore rendering yourself saved but blind? I think so and I think it is more common then we could possibly comprehend. Forgiveness can be viewed as a more technical exercise even when genuine where as hatred is more emotional…
Now for the hopefully interesting example from my own life which I will boldly share with you. There was a guy many years ago who cost me much! Specifically, he cost me well over $100,000 because of a hostile business transaction (before I entered ministry or was even a dedicated believer in Christ). I hated him. I did not forgive him and I never intended to forgive him.
I went to Church one Sunday and Dr. Joe Fuiten at Cedar Park Church in Bothel, Washington delivered a message about forgiveness. I responded and went to the altar and I got right with God and forgave that man. I really did. I was free and heaven bound again!
A few months later, I was in a restaurant enjoying my meal when the culprit walked in the front door. My countenance fell. My wife asked me what was wrong. My ears turned red, my face was flushed and every muscle in my body tensed up. I still hated him even though I had forgiven him. He saw me and left immediately…
I spent a restless and sleepless night before my God considering the evil that was in my heart… asking him to remove it from me. I asked some wise and spiritually devout friends of mine how to achieve this and I made it my immediate goal in life. My finding was that I needed to pray for him. I was told (and the scriptures verify) that if I were to truly pray for him, that I would eventually replace the hatred with genuine love for him for it is impossible to pray for someone, filled with God and led by the Spirit who helps us to pray, without our hearts being changed. If genuinely and intentionally doing so.
I embarked on my journey of prayer. I even prayed for his wife… who I hated too. And his son… who I despised. I didn’t have to pray for his daughter because I liked her but I prayed for her anyway. I’m not going to lie to you. It was not easy. It was one of the most difficult purging processes of my life and it took I don’t know how long… probably the better part of 3 or 4 months. I kept it in writing in my Bible and I did it every day. I sometimes had to begin by playing worship music to soften my heart and get “in the mood.”
One day I woke up and I realized that I didn’t hate him (them) anymore. I still didn’t trust him and I’m pretty sure I still wouldn’t today, but I loved them with a strange, surprising, supernatural love. Today when I think about them, I truly hope that they are doing well. Actually, by all appearances, it seems that they are doing well because I have checked on the internet.
But the best news? I received my sight! It was soon after that when I started to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and I gained new understanding when I would read God’s Word. It changed me!
As long as I keep purging myself from hating anybody, I won’t be a blind guide, leading people into a ditch of death but rather leading them on the narrow path in the light. As the great Charlie Peacock song chimes, “I want to be in the light as You are in the light, I want to shine like the stars in the heavens. Oh Lord be my light and be my salvation, cause all I want is to be in the light.” And we of course know that He indeed is the light .

A Lump of Clay

I was attending a seminar conducted by the awesome Selene Yu, Founder of the Potter’s Leadership Academy and a high ranking Executive for both the Volvo and Chevrolet Auto brands in the Philippines at a Catholic Parish in Cainta the other day. She handed a round ball of clay out to every participant and told us to in the next 5 minutes, make something that defines who we think we are.
You have to understand. I don’t like to create physical art work. I like to look at it but I don’t like to paint, draw, work with clay or anything of the sort. And just to set the record straight, I hate playing Pictionary. If I even think for one moment that someone wants to start a game of Pictionary, that is my cue to get tired and go to bed.
With my apprehension in full gear and the clock ticking, I began to work the clay with my fingers. My mind wandered and before I knew it, I had formed something that looked like a cup. But upon further inspection, it looked like a well. At that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Remember, you are a well.”
The Lord has spoken that to me many times before but I needed to be reminded. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well that anyone who partakes of the water He gives us will have coming from them, a spring of living water.
I began to remember all of the times that I have been aware that the river of the life of God has flowed from my heart (or belly depending on the translation of scripture) as Jesus talked about and how often I have seen that river change somebody or a situation without my having said a word.
I remembered specifically, a lady on a bus as I was traveling through Athens a few years ago. The Holy Spirit pointed her out to me and I prayed for her from a distance without her being aware. I tangibly felt the presence of God flow from my heart to hers. I prophetically knew she was a wayward Christian and that I wouldn’t need to talk to her and that she would know what to do after receiving ministry from afar. Within minutes, she was weeping (I was also tearing) and she probably had no idea that any human was on that bus being a willing agent of God’s Spirit. After all, I was wearing sunglasses and not looking directly at her. I will see her around heaven on that great day most all of us are looking forward to…
At worship practice last night, the Spirit of God kept reminding me about it. And I talked to the worship team about being wells of God’s power and presence… about intentionally sending that river out onto the congregation every time we minister. And then the Spirit of God descended on us as we prayed together and we shared a powerful and holy moment as God’s Spirit touched us once again and prepared us for the various worship experiences we would be collectively leading this week. Wonderful!
You like me, like our worship teams at TFI are meant to be a well-spring of the life of God. Allow me to encourage you to intentionally let the river flow, let your light shine and be salt in a world that is desperate for the saltiness of genuine people of God!
As for me, I initialed my work of art and I have placed it on my car dash for now. Just to remind me of who I am supposed to be. Thanks for the project Selene! And Thank you God for reminding me once again!!!

Hit by a Power Line

Yesterday as I was walking to run an errand near our home in Pasig City, Philippines, I rounded a corner and saw a power line falling towards me. I jumped to avoid it, but it hit me on the my left arm, right above my watch. It was a moment I will never forget. Was I feeling electricity? Was I going to die? Within a split second, I knew that there was no power surging through me and I saw that the reason why the line had fallen was because a power company crew was there and I could see the guy up on the pole with cutters in his hand.

I was angry. They had cut that line with the possibility of someone like me rounding the corner and it hitting them and had not used proper precautions. It was a big line, heavy and sharp and it hurt. I'm looking at the small scar as I write. It bled for a bit and I have applied anti-biotic ointment several times already. It's a good thing it didn't hit a little kid in the head! They apologized nervously while laughing. I wasn't laughing but I just continued on my errand and used a napkin I had in my pocket to deal with the bleeding.

I thought as I walked... How often has the enemy attacked me, provoked fear, drawn blood, hurt me to a degree, but he was ultimately powerless (limited) and could not kill me?!? More times then I can count! Sometimes several times a day! How about you?!? God is great and those who put their trust in Him shall be under His divine protection!

1 Peter 5:7-9 (NIV)
7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Do I Need to Pray More Earnestly?

A Life Group Teaching by Pst Steve McKinney

Luke 22:39-46 (NIV)
39 “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

1. Jesus went out to pray “as usual”
a. He had a habit of prayer which He drew on for this very important prayer right before His arrest, trial and crucifixion
b. When facing difficulties, it is important to have that special relationship of prayer well established

2. He instructed His disciples twice to pray so that they would not “fall into temptation”
a. This is important for us to remember… when we are being tempted, the most powerful thing we can do is pray
b. Jesus, just as on that day will speak to our hearts today and warn us when we should pray in anticipation of coming trials even when we don’t know they are coming

3. “He withdrew” and thereby set an example that sometimes we need to withdraw from the crowd and even from close friends so as to be isolated with God
a. But He also showed us that sometimes He will withdraw from us to a “stone’s throw” distance so that we will overcome things like our sleep and press in to prayer
i. If we can overcome in the spirit, this helps us to overcome in the physical

4. He prayed “not my will, but yours be done”
a. We have authority when we pray and even freedom to express our feelings, but we also must function in humility and respect as Jesus did

5. An angel of the Lord appeared and “strengthened him”
a. After being strengthened, Jesus was then able to Pray More Earnestly to the point that His sweat became like drops of blood
b. How do we get to the point that God will supernaturally strengthen us to pray even more earnestly?
i. You should already be praying
ii. You must pray according to God’s will and not your own demands
iii. Pray specifically for strength to pray more earnestly

God Looks at the Heart

1 Samuel 16:6-8 (NIV)
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

The Prophet Samuel was on a mission to find the next King and anoint him. We know that this King was to be David, son of Jesse. But Jesse had other sons and it seems Jesse thought all of them more likely then David since he left David out in the field.

Looks can be mis-leading. Samuel thought for sure that he had found the one in Eliab. But God dealt with Samuel by explaining to him that He is little concerned with outward appearance, but instead, looks at the heart.

In the next chapter, 17:28 when David is about to have his encounter with Goliath which would propel him to his destiny, Eliab publicly attacks David’s character. Could it be that Eliab was still upset about getting passed over by Samuel? Rejected by the Lord? Oldest brothers usually can’t take it when youngest brothers get the ultimate favor. Eliab would have derailed David if he could have, even though he had seen the greatest Prophet, Judge and Priest in the land anoint David to be the next King.

This is profound. But wait a minute… I’ve seen this before… I’ve seen it often! I see it in the Church! The ones who men think would be the greatest, when the Lord chooses someone else, they have no capacity to recognize the Lord’s anointing on the life of the one God has chosen even though they hear the prophetic confirmations and see the fruit and the favor. At least at first and definitely while they are still dealing with their jealousy and hurt feelings.

The beginning stages when God promotes a younger, less experienced person who hasn’t “paid the price” who nobody thought a likely candidate are heart-wrenching at best and even dangerous for the unity of the Body. If David dealt with it and he had the stamp of approval by God through Samuel, how much more will you or I deal with it when our stamp of approval comes through a mere modern day Pastor, Evangelist or Apostle... The answer for us is the same as the answer for David. Words and oil flowing from a horn by a great man of God though necessary and powerful, prove little. The time for advancement will come from being tried, tested and proven on the battlefield. This includes the battlefield both against a mutual enemy and also the internal one in the Palace as David would later face, the equivalent of inside the Church itself.

With every promotion of a person (or of a Church) will come a power shift at some level and more then likely, even a power struggle. Even if you try to avoid one within an established organization by starting your own, it’s still going to happen and you had better be ready for the “sheep stealing” accusations and worse.

What’s with that anyway? Nobody belongs to any one Pastor, Mentor or Church! If somebody “got” your member, then either there was something wrong with you, something wrong with them, or something wrong with the both of you! Learn your lesson, close the gap that they fell through and do better next time and release them, blessing them in their new situation. I really wish we could grow up on this one… You’ll have to excuse me. I have been to way too many Pastors luncheons hearing way too much of this kind of foolishness in my short time. We even have technical terms for it so as to purposefully avoid “transfer growth” and we say things like “transfer growth isn’t real growth.” OK, so you’re telling me that the Church down the street isn’t a real Church because their members transferred in from another Church where they weren’t happy or growing? That is jealous and competitive crazy talk!

I think we can agree that Churches which do a better job will attract more people. Just like a mechanic who actually fixes cars with better customer service better will attract more clients. Not that Church goers are clients, but they need fixing. You get my point. Now you could argue that a bigger Church isn’t necessarily a better Church and that they may be using watered down methods or whatever. I can sometimes agree with that too, but I still have to admit that a bigger Church is reaching more people. It’s simple math.

And so the question I need to ask is “where do you fit in all of this?” Are you like the older brother Eliab, the seasoned man of God Samuel, the younger brother David or some other person watching from the side lines, commenting on everything you see? What can we learn from God’s words to Samuel? Allow me to submit one more scripture and I’ll leave the rest to be managed between you and the Holy Spirit of God:

Galatians 6:3-5 (NIV)
3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5for each one should carry his own load.

Help! I'm being Provoked!

definition “Provoke”: To arouse or to call forth a feeling or an action. To incite anger. To stir up purposefully. To provide the needed stimulus for something.

Lately, people have been provoking me from all sides. I’ve been getting prodded and poked, deceived, challenged, mis-understood, mis-represented and more. It’s just one of those seasons to make it through...

The word “provoke(d)” is in the Bible dozens of times, mostly in the Old Testament. The primary use is that the Children of God often provoked Him to anger.
In Deuteronomy, God warned His people not to provoke the descendants of Lot or of Esau because He had given them their land and was not going to allow Israel to take it.
We see the word in a limited number of places in the New Testament. Both Galations and Ephesians warn us not to provoke our children to anger or to discouragement.

The focus for this discussion are two additional verses:

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 (NIV)
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.

When we allow ourselves to be provoked to anger, we miss out on God’s “surprise endings.” When we take matters into our own hands, especially from an angle of anger, we can change the course of the best God has for us. It is always better to allow the Lord to defend us rather then to defend ourselves.

Verse 10 shows us what scripture often points out, that the present and the future is always better then the former (latter). I absolutely believe that it is next to sin to believe that things used to be better, particularly regarding the Church. God’s Word says that the Church is better today then it has ever been in the history of the world and that it will be better tomorrow. Don’t allow people to provoke us into being dissatisfied with the way things are and that God intend for this season of our lives and of history.

The next Scripture deals with Hannah, the mother of the Judge and Prophet Samuel. She obviously ended up being a very blessed woman and mother though she began in a barren state:

1 Samuel 1:6-7 (NIV)
6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.

Hannah was like us... she was not perfect. But she was consistent and endured the provocation of her rival and continued to trust God to birth something great in her. The story goes that she dedicated Samuel to the Lord and gave Him to the care of the temple, and that she had other Children as well. God honored her.

My point today is that if we will not be discouraged when we are provoked, if we will not fight back, if we will not take matters into our own hands but will keep going to the House of the Lord, even if as in Hannah’s case that is where the worst “provoking” occurs, God will reward us.

As usual, our reaction to an attack determines our destiny! As the scripture says, let us keep anger out of our lap!

One of my favorite preachers often uses the word “provoke” in a positive way. His name is Pastor Ray Llarena! You may have heard him use it. He often says, “you must learn to provoke yourself to worship God whether you feel like worshipping God or not!” He has many variations of this and they are all good and in line with the definition of what it means to provoke. Let us instead of being stirred up by the enemy to anger, instead be stirred up to worship and let our faith arise, knowing that He will be faithful to grant us wonderful and blessed surprise endings when we trust fully in Him!

Where's the U-Turn?

I was driving on the C-5, an inner city highway in Manila the other day and I was surprised that I missed my turn. The next day, I did the same thing. Had I gone blind?! Then on the 3rd day, I drove slowly and carefully, looking for the U-turn slot. It was gone! Barricaded with huge potted plants.
The route I had taken for 5 months was no longer available! Scriptures popped into my head.
One description for “repentance” is to make a U-turn in your life. To go away from making bad decisions and move towards making good decisions.
In order to be free from sin and improve, it really isn’t enough just to be forgiven if we return to the same old habits and patterns over and over.
Forgiveness is the start but repentance is the goal.
There are times, it seems that are easier in our lives to make a U-turn then others. Times in which the Bible says God is near and can be found.
Isaiah 55:6-7 (NIV)
"6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."
One of the ways I believe I can seek and call out to the Lord while He may be found has more to do with perspective on my part. If I am aware of my sin, my consequences and my desperate need of God, it is easier for me to take the actions required in order to move forward.
Psalm 32:5-7 (NIV)
"5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "— and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
6 Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
There is a heavier side to this. If we ignore the voice of God through His people, His Word or by the whisper of His Spirit, that message will eventually cease to come our way. This is a scary thing to either be brazen to hearing God drawing us or for Him to stop drawing us because of our continued lack of response.
Let us this day, call on God and seek Him while He is near and while we are yet sensitive to His voice. Let us make the U-turn while it is still open to us. God will help us to change if we will simply respond to His kind and timely invitation.

Warm or Cold Market??

After speaking at a wonderful Church on the West side of Chicago today, I was talking with a new member at their after service pot-luck stocked with delicious Filipino food! He is in the automotive industry and works for a major Japanese manufacturer. We were talking about how it is generally a waste of time to try to gain business in a cold market verses trying to do so in a warm market. There are certain products and clients which are easier to pair then others.

Before going into ministry full time, I was in sales. I once worked for a company setting businesses up for Visa and Mastercard processing. After working for the company for over a year, I tracked my sales record and discovered that the majority of my income came by signing contracts with a very specific group of people, middle aged females who carried titles having to do with office management. On the flip side, I did not fare well securing contracts with males who were owners or managers of the businesses. After figuring this out, I no longer wasted my time trying to gain the business from the men and focused on the middle aged women. My income more then doubled. There was a lady sales associate in the same office as I who had the exact opposite Warm and Cold Market. She could not for the life of her sell a contract with a middle aged woman, but she could sign contracts all day long with male owners and managers. Interesting? And so at times, we traded leads, experienced less frustration and we both made more money.

There are a couple of things that we can learn from this. First, people don't tend to buy into a product or a concept based on the quality of the product itself, but more because they connected, or at least were not intimidated by the person who introduced them to it.

With my business mind, turned Kingdom mind, I of course love to think about correlations...

At TFI Gateway Church in Manila, we are reaching all kinds of people and we have several segments of the population which we are targeting. One group that we specifically hear the voice of the Holy Spirit leading us toward is call center agents.

For those of you unfamiliar with the call center industry, there are offices in the Philippines, India and in other countries which field calls generally in customer service or in telephone sales for companies in western nations. A good example of this is that right now, less then 3 miles from our home in Manila, JP Morgan Chase Bank is opening a new call center and is conducting a massive hiring in order to handle calls for their customers in America. There are more then 800,000 call center employees in Manila alone. They are a nocturnal group of people who work through the night while it is day in America, Canada and Europe. They have developed something of their own own sub-culture as well as schedule. Most would not attend normally scheduled services or even traditional Churches anymore. When I say traditional, I mean Churches conducting services and programs in the way Churches used to do things... not 30 years ago, but 3 years ago.

We are quickly moving towards becoming a Church which meets the needs of this very specific group of people by conducting meetings at odd times and with a unique approach. We have a burning desire to serve this group of people and it is growing day by day as we continue to work and pray. Right now, we are in more of a planning and trial mode, already with great results.

As a Spirit led Church, we don't have to figure out what our warm market is. Instead, we must listen for the voice of God, telling us what to do and how to do it. As a matter of fact, it is equally important not to waste time by pursuing ministry in segments which God has not asked us to serve and has asked others to serve instead. I believe that God wants the Church to fish for every kind of fish, using all kinds of bait and all kinds of vessels. And that every Church will receive instructions from God as to who to serve and how best to serve them.

Fishing requires preparation. A lady in a Church I pastored a few years ago brought many people to the Church who received Jesus. Every single one of them, after they received the Lord, we willingly handed off to other Churches and she was very disappointed because our Church seemingly did not grow from her efforts. But the Kingdom of God grew! Some did not speak English, and ours was an English speaking Church. Others needed support in areas that we had no support groups or expertise. The other Churches did a great job following up with them and discipling them. A beautiful reward about it is that there were also those saved in other Churches who ended up joining our Church and growing through wonderful and focused mentorship. Our Church and the ministry we conducted was not only a good fit, but a divine fit specifically for them.

God's plan is perfect and when Churches function & network together without competitiveness, in unity of the Spirit, not only does the harvest increase, but the higher goal of discipleship is reached as well. We need to prepare specific ministries which will care for the needs of those who the Lord will place into our care. And for those our Church God is not asking us to care for, let us generously and humbly help them to find the care they need somewhere in the Body of Christ even in another Church. This is my dream and I believe I am dreaming one of God's dreams...

A Dwelling for God

I was trying to sleep while en route to the USA on a flight yesterday. Everyone around me was snoozing and the flight attendants were nowhere to be found but I couldn't do it... My spirit and mind were consumed with one thing. Building the house of God!!
We are in the midst of raising up a new work in Manila and it has been a combination of exciting and painful. Exciting because of the success in winning souls, performing miracles and touching lives for God and painful because of the struggle, sacrifice and warfare. I wouldn't trade it for anything! The biggest struggle at that moment was that I didn't even want to be gone these next 3 Sundays even though I had left the Church in good hands... but we have run out of funds and need to come to the States to raise enough to keep us going for a few more months on the mission field as the Church continues to grow.
I began to thank the Lord for the amazing opportunity He has given us and especially for surrounding us with amazing people of like mind who are assisting us in the work in Manila. And for those who are praying with us and supporting us from a distance.
I asked the Lord, "Why is it that there are people who are fully committed, with an unusual desire and preoccupation to build Your House?" "Why am I like this?" There is something inside of me that is consumed with saving souls, improving lives, moving in the supernatural, occupying the earth and populating heaven; even organizing a Church.
This incredible and insatiable desire to build the Church comes from God. When a person loves God, His Word and the Holy Spirit, there is an awareness of Jesus' work on this earth, filling heaven for eternity by first filling the Church. It is His chosen way to complete His mission of finding and saving those who are lost.
I reached for my Bible and as usual, this amazing book opened right to a page where words jumped out and gripped my attention.
Psalm 132 (NIV) 1 O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured. 2 He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: 3 "I will not enter my house or go to my bed- 4 I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, 5 till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
As for me, I want to be like David in this way more and more... not resting until yet another dwelling place for the Lord is fully established in Manila and beyond!

A New Years Resolution by Al

Hi Guys! I want to share a New Years Resolution by one of our TFI Gateway key members, Al Gonzaga! I think it is an important time of year that we all reflect and re-focus. Be blessed!:


My New Year’s Resolution always boils down to one thing. More than anything I want to be the kind of person who lives a life devoted to Christ with all my heart.

Each year God shows me a problem I need to overcome or something about how I live my daily life that needs to change so that I can become more centered on Christ.

Three of our Bible heroes inspire us to live with singular devotion to the Lord:
• David: In the midst of his painful and frightening desert trials over about ten years in which he was horribly mistreated and nearly killed he prayed, “One thing I ask, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life… My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’” (Psalm 27:4, 8).

• Mary: She set aside her kitchen work to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him and she received his affirmation: “There are many things that can be worried about, but only one thing is needed – it is the best thing – and Mary has chosen it!” (Luke 10:41-42, my paraphrase).

• Paul: He counted his many accomplishments and blessings as dung compared to the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ” (Philippians 3:8). He expressed his life ambition, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

This year, more than ever, I want to seek the best thing, to be more devoted to Christ, don’t you?

How do we grow to be devoted to Christ?
How do we make real changes to how we live our daily lives as an expression of love for God?
How do we overcome worry or anger?
How do we learn to rejoice in trials?
Pray without ceasing?
Love difficult people?

Not by trying hard! That won’t last very long. Or it’ll just make us proud!
The way to make a real character change – to learn, grow, or heal in any area – is by training. Look to Jesus as your Coach and “work out” with him. “Train yourself to be godly” Paul advises us (1 Timothy 4:7).
An important part of any spiritual training program is meditating on Scripture.

To meditate on Scripture is more than reading it. And its different than studying it. When you meditate on Scripture you pray through God’s Word by applying it to the struggles and opportunities of your life. You become as a bee that stops on a flower and lingers, staying on the flower to suck out the nectar, using it to make sweet honey.

HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!
In Jesus,
Al

Gonzaga Aloysius Y Se. Tan