connection Independent Assemblies
uniting ministries worldwide
Sept/Oct 2011 | Volume 3 Issue 3
calendar
World Harvest Sunday september18th
September
Interstate Fellowship Meeting September 12, 2011 Capitol Hill Full Gospel Moore, OK Rev. Jim Robertson (405) 793-7727 World Harvest Sunday September 18, 2011
October
World Missions Conference October 10-12, 2011 The Tabernacle Blackwell, OK (580) 363-2734 â–şFor more information about upcoming events visit our website at www.independentassemblies.org
www.independentassemblies.org 2 • connection
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Contents 2
Calendar
4
Does God Care for the Poor?
6
Line in the Sand
8
Project Haiti
10
10 Things I Believe About the Church
11
Board Members
Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222
Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 Produced by Layers Media, Inc. www.layersmedia.com
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Does God care for the poor? by: Mickey Keith
Max Lucado tells a story in his book, Out Live Your Life about a young seminary student who decided along with some classmates to remove a few verses from the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, they carefully removed all references to poverty, wealth, justice and oppression until almost two thousand verses lay fragmented on the floor. “Cut concern for the poor out of the Bible, and you cut the heart out it. God makes the poor His priority. When the hungry pray, he listens. When orphans cry, he sees.” Here are just a few they must have removed. Proverbs 19:17 AMP “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and that which he has given He will repay to him.” Proverbs 22:9 MESSAGE “Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor.” Proverbs 29: 7 AMP “The [consistently] righteous man knows and cares for the rights of the poor, but the wicked man has no interest in such knowledge.” Matthew 9:36 “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” He saw them. In Africa, the Zulu people have a greeting, “I see you…” This line was used in the movie “AVATAR” when the US Marine named Sully, and the Navi woman Neytiri greet one another. It indicated seeing more than just one’s outward appearance, but looking deeper into what needs were prevalent in one’s life. Do we really `see’ the needy, the poor, the oppressed? When Jesus `saw them’…He was moved with compassion…(Which means to be moved deep to one’s bowels) The bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity. The word `compassion’ 4 • connection
shares a root system with `splanchnology’, which is the study of visceral parts. (The intestines/bowels) 1 John 3:17 KJV “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” Let the Church act on behalf of the poor! Acts 6:2 “So the twelve called a meeting of all the believers.” They wanted to demonstrate the importance of caring for the poor to the whole assembly. “We take this problem seriously…” Let the brightest among us direct us! The first church meeting led to the first task force. The apostles unleashed their best people on their biggest problem. We need to do the same. The brightest and most innovative minds among us need to be working on solutions to meet the needs of the poor, and oppressed! Rich Stearnes, President of World Vision says, “Poverty is rocket science.” In other words, there are no easy answers. It is a complex world-wide problem, and can’t be solved over night! Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if we Get Ticked Off! Shouldn’t the inequities of poverty rile us up enough to respond? Righteous anger might do a world of good. So often poverty exists not for a lack of charity, but for lack of justice—Why do 1 billion go to bed hungry? Why do 30,000 children die daily from hunger and preventable disease? What can we do? How can we help? Let’s ask these questions, and believe God for solutions!
I n d e p e n d e n t
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Line in the Sand by: Mindy Wood
Dennis and Vicki O’Daniel
Between the stories of man in ancient biblical times and the headlines of today, it is clear that history repeats itself; that it’s pages never cease to warn, it’s stories never stop teaching. For the Christian who pours over Scripture, Satan’s devices and man’s inborn tendencies are evident but for the biblically illiterate, folly and destruction await. Evangelists Dennis and Vicki O’Daniel are driven with a consuming passion to be a voice of truth in the midst of increasing deception. As an emergent church marches to the tune of inclusion and many charismatics beating to a New Age drum, foundational truths are being tossed aside even among the most conservative denominations and churches. The O’Daniels burn to see the church strengthened for the battle against darkness and Light, matured into their callings, and refined by God’s fire to facilitate true revival. “We live in such a critical hour of the church,” said Dennis O’Daniel. “We’ve got to have sound doctrine. I believe there’s a lot of goofiness that’s infiltrated the church. We need men and women founded on the whole counsel of God’s word so we can bridge the younger generation who is almost scripturally illiterate. If the foundation is wrong then the building is going to be wrong so instead of us driving the culture we’ve let culture drive the church. God never called the church to try to make Him popular in the world, the church is the called out ones who make a difference in the darkness. People have lost the foundational truths of commitment, accountability, holiness or the character of God shaping your life. I have a jealousy in me that rises up when I see error come in because I want to see Jesus glorified. When I see something pulling the church away from its foundation, it alarms me and sometimes I have to address it. It’s not always a popular message but I don’t want to preach pretty sermons, I want to impact people’s lives.” American history is full of powerful preaching that brought true repentance and miracles. O’Daniel is no stranger to them as he was raised in Life Tabernacle Church whose founder was Jack Moore 6 • connection
and co founded the Voice of Healing ministries with Gordon Lindsey in Louisiana. Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Jack Cole and William Branham were involved in that ministry. “I received the call of God on my life when I was eight years old and there were always men of God who spoke into my life and mentored me.” After a period of teenage rebellion, his family moved to Tyler, Texas where he finished high school and attended a then established bible college founded by C.B. Anderson. He performed in a singing group with now IA President Mickey Keith and by 1975 was ministering. O’Daniel is the author of Arise to the Battle, a back to basics teaching on spiritual warfare and currently finishing the workbook. “The approach we used was for a young believer who could come out with a solid foundation on spiritual warfare and not some of the goofiness that’s being taught.” According to O’Daniel, charismatics are no stranger to goofiness on the fire of God either, the subject of his next book. “The fire of God molds and shapes us into instruments of war in His hands; that means the trying of the heart, Him refining us. More than God wants us doing anything, He wants His nature and character developing in our lives. This is the hour that we’re having to draw the line in the sand and say no more compromise. Anointing without character is deadly.” The O’Daniels seek to meet the specific needs of every church and pastor they visit but have a series of teachings such as The Fruit of the Spirit, The Gifts of the Spirit, Confession-Fact or Fiction, Take Higher Ground, the Fire of God and Spiritual Warfare. “We want to be a blessing to the pastor and the vision there, to help with the vision and not tear it down and to strengthen His people so they can do what God’s called them to do in that region.” They reside in Monroe, Ohio where they attend Imago Dei Christian Fellowship under Pastor Jim Crabb and minister extensively at conferences, meetings, and events throughout the U.S. Visit them at www.dennisodaniel.com
Independent Assemblies annual
Golf Scramble September 29th & 30th • Purcell, OK
To register contact Ken Anderson - (580) 527-6030 connection
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by: Craig Groeschel
by: Mindy Wood
Project Haiti Following Haiti’s devastating earthquake, that left over 300,000 dead and 1.6 million homeless, compassion for the Haitian people incited hundreds of organizations to action. Almost over night, aid from all over the world poured into the shaken nation. Independent Assemblies Fellowship members were also called to action as an answer to the prayers of one pastor and his congregation in Source Matelas, not fifteen miles from the quake’s epicenter in Port Au Prince. IA Regional Representative Donnie Miller of Cyrill Full Gospel and Jimmy Milligan of Living Faith Church, were sent by IA to seek an opportunity to help. As they went through the village, one building stood out. “The whole front of the building was gone,” said Milligan. “The walls were cracked and crumbling and the roof was looking pretty bad. It was a mess. The only way I knew it was a church was that I saw a pulpit at the back of the building.” IA board members watched hours of footage that the two captured while there and agreed that the village’s church was the mission 8 • connection
God called them to accept. The seventy two year old pastor, well worn from 40 years in the work, was waiting for heaven’s answer. “The look on his face when we told him,” said Miller, “you could see this expectancy, this faith that said he knew God was going to come through for him.” Pastors, evangelists, and whole congregations in IA responded to support letters quickly and from late December to early May over $20,000 poured in. It couldn’t have come too quickly since the congregation continued to gather there despite the danger. In May, Miller took a team of five other men, Jimmy Milligan, David Tompkins, Bob Williams, Doug Hall, and Michael Reddin to tear down the church. “When I asked him where they would meet he looked me right in the eyes and said, ‘I got a tent.’ We tore it down and dug the footings with pics and shovels,” said Miller. “Here we would use a backhoe to do that but it was great. They’re hard working people and it was fun working with them.” Miller selected a contractor to pour the concrete, put up the
walls and install the windows. In early August, Billy Hunter of Christian Family Fellowship lead another team including Milligan and Williams, Jackie Hatcher and Aaron Everett, to complete the roof. Upon completion, the tender hearted pastor walked through the building in awe, smiling and saying ‘beautiful, beautiful work.’ Many others thanked them. “One young man told us, ‘you’re welcome in our country anytime,’” said Hunter. “Another man said, ‘you left your home, you left your family, thank you.’ They were very glad we were there and thanked us many times.” In the midst of ashen, dusty rubble that now obscures a once colorful Caribbean country, the shining red roof of a new building conjures images of the proverbial city on a hill. “It’s now become the town meeting place,” said Hunter. “It’s been the talk of the village and without a doubt the nicest building there. I think the construction of the building intrigued them and we know the Lord will use it to draw them in so He can begin to touch their hearts. I think it brought hope to the people there.” As in most third world countries where personal space is irrelevant, the Haitian congregation plans to fit up to 400 people in the 32x60 building. “In America we would say about 150,” laughed Miller. “It will give them about four times the space they had before and a safer building.” Milligan said, “When you look at the fact that we put $20,000 into this building, they haven’t seen that much money in their lifetime, you realize this is a cathedral, an unimaginable dream come true. My first thought was that God has given this man an earthly reward, on top of a heavenly reward, for his labor.”
Hunter said it was important for the Church to respond. “Everyone needs a safe place and I think it’s important we provide that place where they can be taught the Word, discipled and nurtured in the things of the Lord. I walked away with a joy in knowing we helped provide something they didn’t have before.” The Independent Assemblies Board and Haiti mission team wishes to thank the many congregations and ministries that made the project a success. connection • 9
10 1. I believe the potential for the local church to do good and create positive change in the world is greater than it has ever been.
2. I believe that the ROOT of the desire to do good and create positive change in the world HAS to be the GOSPEL…and if it isn’t, what will develop is cool ministry fads and ideas… but nothing revolutionary that will impact the world. 3. I believe that some of the greatest Christian leaders that the world will ever know are currently in elementary school, middle school, and high school…thus making youth and children’s ministry one of the greatest mission opportunities that the local church can invest in. 4. I believe that more and more church leaders are going to begin to take radical steps of faith rather than trying to repair broken systems. 5. I believe that more and more church leaders are going to continually put personal preferences of ministry aside and work together with other people to accomplish more ministry than they could have ever done alone.
Things I Believe About the Church by: Perry Noble
6. I believe that we’re going to see some of the greatest moves of God this world has ever seen in the next 20 years…MOST of them happening because the local church finally decided to step up and be the church. 7. I believe God wants to use your church to do unbelievable things in the community in which HE has planted you. 8. I believe the key to a healthy church is healthy church leadership…leaders cannot fly at the speed of sound and expect to hear God’s still small voice. The healthier we get, the healthier our churches can be. 9. I believe that if ALL leaders took the advice God gave us in Galatians 6:9 that we would see breakthroughs like we’ve NEVER seen before. 10. I believe God has called the church to CHANGE the world…not complain about it!!! We are an empowered body of believers whom He has called to attempt the “impossible” so that people can see HIM!!! (So…what is that thing that you know you should do next?)
sermoncentral.com
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Executive Board Mickey Keith
President PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 310-0222 mickey.keith@gmail.com www.life623.com
Dr. Ted Estes
Vice President PO Box 2248 Claremore, OK 74018 (918) 341-8344 pastorted@lifechangerchurch.com www.lifechangerchurch.com
Ken Anderson
Secretary/Treasurer PO Box 1120 Lexington, OK 73051 (405) 527-6030 kda@valornet.com www.libertygospelok.org
Robert Johnson
Director of World Missions PO Box 978 Blackwell, OK 74631 (580) 363-2734 roj@clarionmissions.org www.clarionmissions.org
Jerry Edmon
Board Member PO Box 862 Elgin, TX 78621 (512) 281-5316 Jedmon1234@aol.com www.fwcelgin.com
Regional Representatives Southeast Oklahoma District Rev. Billy Hunter Antlers, OK (580) 298-2740 Southwest Oklahoma District Rev. Donnie Miller Cyril, OK (580) 464-2224 (580) 512-3657 Northeast Oklahoma District Rev. Mac Blackwell Locust Grove, OK (918) 479-6057 North Texas District Rev. Marc Jones Athens, TX 75751 (903) 675-6011 Southeast Texas District Rev. Herb Hawthorne Baytown, TX (281) 723-2278 South Central Texas District Rev. Jerry Edmon Elgin, TX (512) 281-5316 Midwest Regional District Rev. Mark Maynard Granite City, IL (618) 931-4106 Arkansas District Rev. Charles Kendrick Alexander, AR (501) 303-0831
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World Harvest Sunday september18th
Independent Assemblies P.O. Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821