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n the previous issue of Infusion Magazine, I wrote Part One of “The Eternal Crown.” In this issue, I would like to continue with Part Two.
Last time, I wrote to you about the Incorruptible Crown. Let’s look at some of the other crowns in the Word of God. THE CROWN OF LIFE In Revelation 2:10, Jesus says, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (emphasis mine). James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life (emphasis mine), which God has promised to those who love Him.” If you’re under attack right now, if you’re going through a test, God is trying to give you something. You cannot wear a crown of life until you have been tested. You see, a faith that has never been tested is a faith that can never be trusted! What makes a truly great testimony is the process of testing. None of us like to endure trials, but you must understand, you cannot have a crown without a cross! God is trying to give you the Crown of Life. Do not quit! Peter speaks of this when he writes about fiery trials. 1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I have learned, when all hell is let loose against me, I just go ahead and praise God. If you want to receive the Crown of Life, you must fight the good fight of faith.
THE CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness (emphasis mine), which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul said he was running the race, but in 2 Timothy, he said he had finished his course. Because he had kept the faith and had run the race, he had the assurance there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness. The Crown of Righteousness is the Winner’s Crown, also known as the Overcomer’s Crown or the Victor’s Crown. This is the crown given to those who run their race, finish the course, and keep the faith. So many people walk away from God. Maybe they started well, they were on fire for God, but they chose the things of this world and they did not finish their race. Friend, when we stand before God, I pray that you are wearing the Crown of Righteousness. God has clothed us in robes of righteousness, but so many have defiled their robes with the things of this world! When the Spirit of God came to the churches in the book of Revelation, He said, “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” Why are so many walking in stained robes when Jesus has washed us clean in His blood? That is why even though it is not fashionable, I have to preach holiness. You must decide, “Nothing will steal my crown! God, I lay my life down, that I may wear the Crown of Righteousness!” THE CROWN OF GLORY 1 Peter 5:2-4 says, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples T H E E T E R N A L C R O W N // P A R T I I // 0 3
to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Luke 12:48 says, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” This crown is for pastors, to leaders in the Body of Christ who obeyed His call. It is for those who live with integrity, who shepherd the flock faithfully. It is for those who don’t water down the message, who refuse to compromise God’s Word. So many want to be on a platform preaching, and I praise God that Jesus is being preached. But I am concerned that we have forgotten what James 3:1 says: “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.” We will give an account to God for every word we have preached. I pray that our ministries will count for eternity! WE SHALL CAST OUR CROWNS Revelation 3:11 says, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” When I was studying these crowns, I prayed, “Lord, You know I am not doing this for a crown. I am doing it for You!” But the Holy Spirit said to me, “Son, if you don’t win your crown, you will never fulfill your destiny.” I did not understand, but then He took me to Revelation 19:11-12: “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns (emphasis mine).” When Christ returns in glory, there will be many crowns upon His head. That is because we are not going to keep the crowns He gives to us. We will lay them at His feet, just like the twenty-four elders do, crying, “It was always You, Jesus! All of this has always been for You!”
DESIGN BASED ON EV. NATHAN’S POPULAR MESSAGE “THE ETERNAL CROWN.” GET THE LATEST SHAKE THE NATIONS APPAREL AT WWW.SHAKETHENATIONS.COM/STORE.
For every miracle, we will crown Him! For all the times He raised us up, we will crown Him! For every trial, for every time we overcame the enemy, we will crown Him! For all the times He made a way for us, we will crown Him! We will crown Him with many crowns, because He is the Lamb upon the Throne!
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I have had the privilege of witnessing two revivals in my lifetime, the Brownsville Revival and the Bay Revival. I am certainly not a revival expert, but those revivals caused me to be more in love with Jesus. I am more hungry for Him today than I have ever been in my life. Perhaps it’s because I was privileged to see those authentic revivals that false definitions of revival have always bothered me. People love to try to identify something according to their own perspective, but unless we get God’s perspective on revival, we cannot dream of sustaining it in our own lives and churches. We must have a definition of revival from the Word of God. We must press in for a move that is Heaven-sent and Holy Spirit-sustained. Revival is not about good meetings. It’s not extended meetings. It’s not about physical manifestations, even though they do occur. It’s not about a man or a ministry. None of those things can be revival because they cannot be sustained. When I look to the Word of God, I find that outpouring is the promise and the inheritance of the Church! Joel 2:28-29 says, “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” When my Nathan and I went to London, we decided to take the Underground to get where we needed to go. 0 6 // M I N D T H E G A P
When we went down to the train platform, we heard a very polite British voice say, “Mind the gap.” Why? It’s because there is a space between the train platform and the actual train, and if you don’t mind the gap, you will stumble. Revival occurs when God shows up by His Spirit to close the gap between our daily experience and what we see demonstrated in the book of Acts. Jesus calls the book of Acts a normal church experience. When we read the historical account of the Early Church and think that what they experienced was something exceptional, we unintentionally deny the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke writes the book of Acts as a matter of fact report on what the Early Church was. We think, “Oh, wow! Peter’s shadow healed the sick!” But for the Early Church, this was another day. We have to mind the gap! The Early Church had no sense at all of a need to please the people around them. They had no need to be popular. None of them ever used the word “relevant.” They just burned with Holy Ghost power until everyone around them had to make a decision for or against Jesus Christ. There was no “religious church” or “on fire church.” You were burning or you were not saved. None of these people had to be told to be passionate about Jesus. They had experienced Him and there was no turning back! The reason we make a distinction between “religious” and “on fire” today is simply because the Western world has produced so many false converts. We have preached a people-pleasing gospel, so we have people mentally
They healed the sick without exception. We have no record of anyone in Acts coming to the Church and not receiving their healing.
They cast out devils. They didn’t make a big deal about it; they just dealt with it. agreeing with an idea. What the Early Church had was Good News, but it was also offensive to the flesh. And they didn’t have fakers, either. The Early Church preached their Gospel all the way to the chopping block, the stake, the cross, and everything else the enemy used to silence them. Let me ask you this: would you live and die for the messages that you have been preaching or hearing? Could you stand up for this message with your dying breath? In the book of Acts, there was no such thing as a powerless Christian. You were walking in the power of the Holy Spirit or you simply did not know Jesus. Nowadays, we make up new theology to excuse our lack of power. People preach that miracles are not for today, but it is only because they haven’t seen any for themselves. They are basing their theology only on their personal experience. I don’t have the right to base what I believe on my own experience! Everything I believe must have its foundation in the unchanging, eternal Word of God! That means I press in for miracles because they’re all over the Bible. When I do that, my experience soon lines up with my belief. Powerlessness in the Church is an evil thing, and we cannot condone it. We must mind the gap! We must get on our knees and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us anew. We must press in until God with us becomes God in us, changing everything around us. We have to pray until the Holy Spirit closes the gap between our daily experience and what we see in the book of Acts. IT’S TIME TO MIND THE GAP!
They spoke truth to power, even when they knew that it would get them sent to jail or to their death.
They practiced extreme generosity.
They forgave and even prayed for their persecutors, winning some of them to Christ.
They frequently called spontaneous prayer meetings that had 100% attendance.
Their first reaction to opposition was always prayer.
They raised the dead.
They took every opportunity to spread the Gospel. They frequently saw visions, had angelic visitations, and heard the voice of the Holy Spirit.
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Apostle Cathy Guerrero leads a wonderful church in Whittier, California, called Regency Christian Center International. This vibrant church has been one of our Church 100 Partners for quite some time, and we asked Apostle Cathy to share about her experience with Shake The Nations. WHEN DID YOU FIRST HEAR OF EVANGELIST NATHAN AND SHAKE THE NATIONS? Initially, my husband, Apostle Jason Guerrero and I saw Evangelist Nathan at the beginning of the Bay Revival via the online streaming services. When we heard the Bay Revival was coming to Southern California, we knew we needed to cancel our own Friday night service and invite our entire congregation to join us at Templo Calvario in Santa Ana in 2012. We were so impacted by Evangelist Nathan’s love for the Word and pureness of heart. There was a desire for God’s presence that was and is so authentic. That is the petri dish for miracles. Later, when we heard Shake The Nations moved their Worldwide Headquarters to the USA after the Bay Revival, we knew we wanted to partner together. WHAT CAUSED YOU TO JOIN HANDS WITH THE MINISTRY THROUGH CHURCH 100 PARTNERSHIP? God spoke to us to begin to financially sow into Shake The Nations on a regular basis and partner in prayer as doors of global opportunity were opened. We felt confident sowing seed into a ministry that operates in integrity. 0 8 // C H U R C H 1 0 0 T E S T I M O N I A L
We were excited to see the Kingdom impact that would come from seed sown in good ground. My husband and I understood that not everyone would be able to personally go to the nations, but we all can touch the nations through our investment. WHEN YOU SEE THE GOSPEL CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE WORLD THAT YOUR CHURCH IS HELPING TO MAKE POSSIBLE, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? It is a privilege. To sow into a ministry that is instrumental in seeing the harvest of souls, it is an honor to understand that eternal impact. Having had the honor of building relationship with the Shake The Nations Team and watching how the Holy Spirit has used them in incredible miracles, it feels like watching family build the Kingdom across the globe. We love it. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PASTORS AND LEADERS WHO ARE CONSIDERING BECOMING A CHURCH 100? I would encourage pastors and leaders to partner with Shake the Nations. This is a ministry that holds in high esteem the legacy of those who have labored in the Kingdom while looking to build a future generation of soul-winners. We love Shake The Nations and count it an honor to be in relationship with them!
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HOPE OF ALL NATIONS DIRECTOR
We recently returned from our trip to Honduras, and I feel that we had some of the most impactful times of ministry that we have ever had there. Our trip began with a visit to a high security women’s prison. The chaplain made us aware of the women we would encounter there, including gang leaders, drug dealers, murderers, and some of Honduras’ most notorious money launderers. One of the most heartbreaking things about this prison was to see the children’s wing where pregnant women and women with small children are able to keep their children with them in prison until the age of four. There are children in this prison who have never been on the outside of the prison grounds. Many have parents who are both imprisoned. After the age of four, the government requires the children to be separated from their mothers and given to other relatives. If there is not a relative willing to take the child, they are turned over to live in a government-run facility. This is truly gut-wrenching to know these kids will be forced from their mothers. There was a woman in the prison asking for us to take her child back to the States so her daughter could have a better future. Many of the women are looking for people on the outside of the prison to take their children for them. Our team went into this prison and Mauricio Canales preached the Gospel to over 300 inmates. The power of God fell and many responded to the call for salvation. 1 0 // A S E A S O N O F H O P E
That prison room turned into a revival meeting with women weeping, receiving salvation and deliverance. Then we donated Bibles to those who gave their hearts to the Lord. We also handed out toiletry bags for the women and children. They are not provided with basic things like toilet paper or sanitary items. Many of them use newspaper and shred their clothes or sheets to have something to use. We provided toys, milk, and diapers for the children, because those things are not provided.
After this, our team traveled to a nearby hospital in the capital city. People were lined on the sidewalks of the hospital on cardboard boxes, desperate to get inside. This is normal life for people living in Honduras. They can be outside for days waiting to be seen by a doctor. Our team stood on the back of a truck and turned the parking lot into a Gospel outreach. We worshiped, preached, gave an altar call, and gave food and Bibles to those who gathered. Our main objective for this trip was to have our Shake The Nations Ministries sponsored Hope Day in the city
of Cattarranas. Hope Days are so special to my heart. They are designed to bring hope and joy to children who live in absolutely desperate situations. This event was a great success! We had our largest turnout of 1,500 children in attendance. We preached to them, fed them, and gave everyone a toy to take home. One of the most memorable moments for me was when we were passing out lunch. There was a young boy around eight years old who kissed his juice box while coming through the food line. Who knows when this child last had a carton of juice? Something so small meant enough to him to show that kind of affection. My heart was overwhelmed as kids would come through the line to receive their toy and they would literally shrill with excitement. I will never forget their little faces smiling ear to ear with such pure joy! The Hope team had the opportunity to distribute food bags to a nearby village. We were able to see the actual homes that these children live in. Many of the kids already had their toys out playing in the dirt. I can distinctly recall going into a home that had nothing inside except two small mattresses on the floor for a family of five. The parents explained how the father was unable to work due to epileptic seizures. This family had to take their daughters out of school in the sixth grade because they could no longer pay for their uniforms to go to school. The only source of income for this family is a few dollars a week that they earn from washing their neighbors’ clothes. A S E A S O N O F H O P E // 1 1
There are so many needs in this nation. I have had people close to me ask, “Why do you go to Honduras when you can never really make a difference and stop poverty?” I believe that this mindset is what has allowed so many problems in to fester; people who decide that because they cannot make a big difference that they should not help at all. I love the quote from Mother Teresa, “We cannot do great things on earth, only small things with great love.” I believe that the Lord can use what we may deem as small and insignificant to bring great impact. May this word encourage you to reach out in your community, in your neighborhood, and help make a difference. 1 2 // A S E A S O N O F H O P E
There is great power in saying “Yes,” to God. We love the Scripture where Jesus broke the loaves and fishes and fed the 5,000, but there was someone that day that had to give up their lunch, someone who had to move in faith with the little they had and believe God to multiply it to feed the masses. The Lord is not looking for our greatness; He is looking for our obedience. What about you? Will you give up your little, so that multitudes can be impacted? It would be an honor to have your help funding the work on the ground as we feed, clothe, and preach to the poor. I believe something supernatural takes place when we join together my little, with your little, to make a great difference!
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elissa Barker recently came along with our Hope of All Nations team as they held a Hope Day and several outreaches in Honduras. We asked her a few questions about how the trip impacted her life. WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING FROM THE HOPE TRIP? I came expecting to show the love of Jesus and follow His example of being a servant. Since this was my first trip with Hope of All Nations, I only had a general idea of what to expect, but I came prepared for anything! I was excited to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the women, children, and families we would meet. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY? My favorite part of the trip was visiting Joshua in the hospital. It was a humbling experience to see him so happy and full of life right before his surgery. There was so much joy in that hospital room! Every person who walked in couldn’t help but smile. Getting to see part of his miraculous story and how his life has literally been changed brings me to tears in awe of our amazing Jesus. I loved being able to see the eternal impact that has been made in their family simply by Hope being the hands and feet of Jesus. This is why my family partners with the ministry. People are meeting Jesus and their lives are being transformed! WHAT DID YOU LEARN? I learned that God can use anyone! I was somewhat 1 4 // H O P E T A L K
nervous to be going to a high-security women’s prison and help minister to the women there. I knew they were there for various crimes, some violent and others gang/drug related. Their life experiences are vastly different from mine. I am mostly soft spoken and mild mannered. Did that matter when God’s presence filled our open-air meeting place? Absolutely not. As I prayed with these women and hugged them tight, they began to weep and cry. It wasn’t because I said anything fancy or knew all the right words. I was just a vessel to show them Jesus. Be available and watch what the Lord can do! DID GOD SURPRISE YOU IN ANY WAY? I was amazed at the churches we worked with in Honduras! Our days were long, but they always had a smile and were ready to jump in wherever necessary for our events. It is evident that they live a life of outreach and long for their nation to be saved! WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE CONSIDERING COMING ON A HOPE TRIP? Are you ready to serve Jesus by loving on precious families who need a glimpse of hope? Then stop debating and commit to the cause! You will not regret the amazing experiences you will be a part of.
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13 OF EV. NATHAN’S TIMELESS MESSAGES, SUCH AS, HIDDEN,
SHAKE THE NATIONS HOODIE, CERAMIC MUG, LEATHER JOURNAL,
IT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY, REPOSITION FOR YOUR VISION,
AND THE NEW WRITING PEN!
THE FIERY WITNESS, AND MUCH MORE!
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efore I joined Shake The Nations Ministries, I was involved in a local church as a worship pastor. We frequently did training initiatives as a team, and it was at one of these training days that my perspective on ministry truly shifted forever. The question posed was this: do you really love the people you are leading in worship? Not just some or most of them, but do you love all of them? If you do, you will be desperate for every one of them to engage to the fullest and press into God’s presence. I had never really thought of it like that, but if we truly love people with everything we are and ministry emanates from that point, then everything will be supremely focused.
begins and ends with love. If we actually want our lives to count for eternity, everything we do must emanate from the love of God.
This really made me meditate on this scripture: “And now three things abide (Remain) faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love,” 1 Corinthians 13:13.
If we have faith for God to heal someone, it is because we have hope that Jesus will touch them; but we want to see it because we love them.
Many people often say that faith is the currency of Heaven, and I would agree with that. But this scripture goes one stage further and states that love is the greatest. The reason I believe this is so important is that love is what motivates both faith and hope. 1 Corinthians 13 is quite sobering, because it indicates that people will do many things in His name, even prophesying, but without love. We must reset our reason! Why are we doing what we are doing?
If we need a financial breakthrough, we have faith and hope to believe God will do it through His mercy and love for us. We want it to happen because of love. No matter what the situation is that we pray for, our prayers flow from love.
We do what we do for the kingdom through FAITH, with a HOPE in our hearts that through God’s LOVE in us, He will do what only He can do through the Holy Spirit. Faith and hope are motivated by love; everything really 1 6 // L O V E I S T H E G R E A T E S T
We know the scripture in Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God...” If we have faith to believe for our friend to be saved, it is because we want God’s love to touch them. We want them to be changed because we love them. Faith is the bedrock ingredient of the Christian walk. Faith moves God, but the ultimate ingredient behind that faith is love. Love is the primary source for true ministry.
God is Love (1 John 4:7). If we have an intimate relationship with God, the natural byproduct of it must be love. God’s heartbeat is for souls because He has an unconditional love for EVERY SOUL. Allow me to ask you some questions: 1) Do you truly love the people you are ministering to on a daily and weekly basis? If you do, you have the right motivation. This is not just about platform ministry,
by the way. This is for the prayer room, the workplace, in schools, universities, and in churches. 2) Do you ask God how you can demonstrate His love more in your life? If you do, I promise, He will show you! At Shake The Nations, we have lots of people that love the ministry. They love serving, and they may demonstrate God’s love through our media. For some of them, it’s administration. Others are passionate about meeting humanitarian needs through the humanitarian branch of the ministry, Hope of All Nations. In every area of the ministry, we are always asking God to show us how to demonstrate His love.
• PRAYER – If you love people, you will pray for them. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should give you a good starting point to ensure that love is the greatest in your life. Remember, love remains. The one thing you will never regret is loving someone. Love is the greatest gift on earth!
We must remember this: love always gives. Your life should always have output into something and someone. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave...” LOVE WILL ALWAYS GIVE THE FOLLOWING THINGS: • FINANCES – You gave a part of your life to earn them. But if your motive is love, you will use them for the sake of love. • TIME – In this day and age, time is probably your greatest commodity. If you love God and people, the greatest test of whether you are driven by love is how you use your time. • HONOR AND ENCOURAGEMENT – The things you say can have the greatest affect on people. Be careful to build people up and to honor them in the kingdom.
L O V E I S T H E G R E A T E S T // 1 7
This is the story of Josue Belise Duarte, “Joshua,” who lives in Danli, Honduras. We met Joshua while delivering a food bag to his home as a part of our Hope Bag Distribution Project. This opportunity was simply a divine appointment, as later we learned that his family had run out of food the previous day. Joshua’s home is right next door to our ministry land in Honduras, where his family lives in extreme poverty with no electricity or running water. The day we delivered the food bag, we learned that the family wanted to hide from us because they were embarrassed by their home and living conditions. In addition to living in poverty, Joshua was struggling with a severe medical condition; one that brought the boy shame and caused him to be an outcast in society. Joshua was born with an anorectal malformation, which is a severe birth defect. This condition caused him to need a
temporary colostomy at birth, leaving him eliminating waste through a hole in his abdomen ever since. His family could not afford the needed surgeries or any medical care, and he was living in a way that put him at high risk of infection and other serious health complications. Joshua has lived an isolated life. He has never been able to go to school, or even left his house to play with other children. At six years old, he was still wearing a cloth diaper and had to be cleaned several times a day by his mother. When we met Joshua, we knew that we could not leave him in this desperate condition. The compassion of Jesus was compelling us to do something to bring hope to this child. We wanted to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a way that would forever change his life. We presented Joshua’s story through social media around the world, and our hearts were so overwhelmed as God’s people
responded to this need. Our Covenant Partners and friends raised over $15,000 for Joshua’s surgery. This family could never have made this happen, but God’s people reached out with His love and did the impossible. Joshua has now had two successful surgeries and can now use the bathroom as a completely normal young boy. Since these surgeries, Joshua’s mother has given her life to Christ, and the family is attending a local church every week. Joshua’s mother told me that because the Lord sent someone from a foreign country to help save her boy, she is going to do her part and take the family to church every week! The most amazing part of this story to me is that Joshua told us that he is called to be a pastor. I believe that the hand of God is upon him and that we will indeed see him preach the Gospel and tell the testimony of how people from around the world prayed and rallied together to save his life. What a mighty God we serve! He is still working, still moving in hearts and lives across the nations. I want to thank everyone who helped make this possible!