EXPANDED ONLINE ISSUE
THE newsvine “Every page an altar to His works!”
Spring 2018 REVIVAL CENTER UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH 825 7th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 Business Phone: 209-522-5365
email us at thenewsvine@gmail.com
Google us at thenewsvine or follow us on issuu.com/thenewsvine EDITOR LEO AGUILERA
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Assist. Ed. Multi-media Business LiaisonS GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHERS ColumnistS YOUTH REPORTER MAILINGS DISTRIBUTION
Virginia Aguilera Joshua Aguilera Charlene Wilson Leo & Virginia Aguilera Leo Aguilera, Grover Hunt Gabriel Chavoya, Isaac Pena Jim Campbell, Carol Castillo Alexis Diaz Virginia Aguilera Norbert Feliciano
Church staff PASTOR H. TODD JOHNSON BISHOP RANDY G. KEYES assistant pastor assistant pastor youth PASTOR resident missionaries church secretary SUNDAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR K.R.E.W. Kids prayer ministries GROWTH TRACK Choir world missionS New Member Life Group L.E.A.D. director PURPOSE INSTITUTE OUTREACH Life groups community relations apostolic man ministry BUFF (Men’s 50+) HYPHEN (Young Adults) THRIVE (Young Marrieds) PULSE (High School) spanish services Nursing Home Ministry BIBLE QUIZZING devout men’s fellowship
Uday Narayan Dana Le Blanc Jonathan Quinones Uday Narayan, Xenn Seah Charlene Wilson Mary Aguirre Kim Johnson Charles Bispo Dana Le Blanc Kellee Hopper, Matt Aguirre Jerry & Andrea Powell Chris Harris, Carol Castillo Carol Castillo Jerry Powell & Carol Castillo Leonard Alvarez Jonathan Quinones Jeremiah Williams Alex Diaz Herb Jenkins Jeriann Powell Aaron & Shannon Gomez Josh & Jeannette Aguilera Antonio Gutierrez Joyce Jones Sujay Diaz Andrew Amador
CHURcH SERVICES
SUNDAY - 9:30 A.M. 9:45 A.M. 10:30 A.M. 12:15 P>M> 2:00 A.M. 5.30 P.M. 6:00 P.M. MONDAY - 7:00 P.M. WEDNESDAY - 7:00 P.M. THURSDAY - 7:30 P.M. Thursday - 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY - 10:00 A.M.
Sunday School-Children - Tuolumne Sunday School - Adults - Sanctuary Morning Service - Sanctuary Growth Track Spanish Service Prayer in Youth Chapel REVIVAL SERVICE All-Church Prayer Mid-Week Service, K.R.E.W Pulse (Youth Service) Spanish Service Saturday Morning Outreach
THE NEWSVINE is published quarterly by the United Pentecostal Church of Modesto, Inc., 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. Postage paid at 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Newsvine, 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. Any submitted articles to the Newsvine are subject to Pastor’s approval and editing by The Newsvine staff.
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2018 Is the Year of “YES!”
n Watch Night Service, Pastor Johnson (above photo) announced the theme for the year, “YES!” His message entailed our having free choice to say “yes” when Christ calls us to do His service. God will never ask of us anything that we are not capable of doing. Our love and faith in Him should make all the difference whether we do what He desires from us. Our pastor challenged us to accomplish a great deal this year if we all get on board and willingly do what He asks from each of us. In our personal devotions and prayer time, His Holy Spirit will speak to us if we listen carefully. This editor meditated on the words of our pastor and saw that saying “yes” is how I can say I am grateful when the Lord has many times answered my prayers with an affirmative “yes!” He said “yes!” when my two sons were born healthy. He said “yes!” when He has provided my family financial blessings. He said “yes!” when He came through healing my beloved wife from a few cancer scares. He said “yes!” when He healed me from a near fatal tear of my esophagus. He said “yes!” when my witnessing to relatives and friends was honored with many of them getting baptized in the name of Jesus! Not just 2018, but every year is the time to say “yes!” to a mighty God Who keeps blessing my life with so many of my prayers being answered with His resounding “YES!” Let us all be thankful and do His will. MARANATHA, the Lord cometh! Leo Aguilera. EDITOR
WHY ALL CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS MUST HAVE A PASTOR!
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IT’S IN THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
n our last issue we addressed this column to mainly the readers who believe they do not need to attend church regularly to maintain their salvation. The scriptures we provided proved otherwise. Tantamount to the necessity of attending church is our subject for this issue: the absolutely essential Christian’s need to provide for themselves and their family unit a pastor. “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (3:15) So the prophet Jeremiah prophesied over 2,500 years ago how God’s followers would be supplied with spiritual leaders from Nehemiah and Ezra into the Christian dispensation and on through the millennial kingdom. It is a divine plan that all His believers today should accept, especially when they assemble themselves into the church body. There needs to be a spiritual leader who provides spiritual nurturing for this fellowship of Christians commonly called a congregation. So we are commanded in Hebrews 13:17 to: “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.” (NLT).
WHAT IS A PASTOR? What is the definition of a “pastor”? The Merriam-Webster dictionary says a “pastor” is: “a spiritual overseer; especially: a clergyman serving a local church or parish.” Other dictionaries say a pastor gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. “Pastor” is derived from the Latin word pastor which means “shepherd”. Again we read in Jeremiah 23:4, “And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.” (KJV). As every person who professes they are Christians can see in these scriptures, the pastor is to remain in their spiritual walk after their born again experience. It is NOT enough to come into a church and be saved, then walk out and never return for months or even years. How can a pastor “watch over your soul” if you are absent, truant from church services? Not only should you hear the pastor preach on a
regular basis but you must get to know the pastor as commanded in Hebrews 13:7: “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.” (NLT). No man is a an island, especially when it comes to being a Christian believer. The preaching of God’s word must be heard on a regular basis by all His believers. That is what a your local pastor does. Jesus Christ our Lord sternly warns us in John 8:47: “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (NKJV). Then in Romans 10:14 we read: “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (KJV)
OUR FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Now for those who resent giving to a church and supporting the pastor and his family, I make no apologies, for it is scriptural and ordained by the God Whom you and I both say we love and want to serve. In I Corinthians 9:14 we read: “Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” (KJV), and in I Timothy 5:17, it says: “Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.” (NLT). I have read on the internet a critic say, “what about the pastor who has the large house, the vacation home on the lake, and rentals while his working class church members who support him are barely scraping by?” You may find the exception to the rule, but most pastors who know they will be accountable for every penny collected in the offering plate are barely scraping by themselves. The vast majority of those called into the ministry to pastor are not in it for monetary gain, but rather to serve the Lord and His church. For the rest of us, it is our spiritual obligation to give faithfully for the food and lodging of our pastor and his family. So for those who have stayed out of church far too long, GET BACK IN, especially in these latter days. Any excuse you make cannot stand up to scripture, and you are using dangerous fallacious reasoning to keep you and your family from having a pastor in your lives. Obey God’s word and be secure in your salvation! SPRING NEWSVINE 2018 3
AN EASTER DRAMA FOR THE AGES
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or Palm Sunday, Danny Gregory (middle left) was inspired to write a script which focused on the ministry of Jesus Christ, culminating in His crucifixion and resurrection, all told through the eyes of a centurion, played by Chris Castro (top left photo). As guests entered the church foyer, they were greeted by hawkers selling their wares, complete with fruits and vegetables, and even chickens (above middle photo), brought to life by Sister Johnson and her team. The play had a large cast from young children to our elders. Pictured clockwise from top right: John the Baptist played by Rene Alvarado prepares the way for Christ; Jesus, portrayed by Paul Moore forgives the woman caught in adultery played by Holly Viado; Jeriann Powell acts to the song “The Alabaster Box”; and Jesus overturns the tables, shouting, “You have made my house a den of thieves!”
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rom Jesus’ arrest, questioning by Pontius Pilate (Matt Aguirre), to his flogging by Roman soldiers and crucifixion, the audience was captivated. Especially moving was Christ’s prayer of “Not my will, but yours be done.” As the centurion stood before the empty grave of our resurrected Savior, he made an impassioned altar call, and many came forward.
(Left) Among the many visitors we had at our drama production was Jason West who pastors The Hope Center Downtown, San Jose, and his mother Sister West. They brought many of their young people with them. Thank you to all of our church members who were involved in our Easter drama, to every actor, sound and lighting technician, every prop and costume creator, singer and musician. You put in countless hours of rehearsal, and it was obvious in your powerful performances. May the remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection leave a lasting impact on us all.
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More of our Easter Drama T
he Centurion brought us into the life of Jesus Christ in a very personal and intimate manner. It felt as if we were one of those in the crowd witnessing His acts of healing and forgiveness. Then came His betrayal by Judas, one of His own. We were heart-stricken as we saw our Savior arrested, tried, beaten, and then crucified--all as the angry crowd who once marveled at His miracles now shouted for His death. But the grave could not hold Him, and so we celebrate the victory that is Easter: He lives!
The Market Place
Joyce Jones hawks chickens
Anyone for some fresh produce?
Roman soldiers guard the entrance.
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
“Make straight the way of the Lord!”
John baptizes the repentant.
Behold the Lamb of God!
Jesus Heals and Forgives
Jesus heals a centurion’s servant. 6
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The adulterous woman accused.
Washing Jesus’ feet with her tears.
The Road to Calvary
Bottom left: Jesus prays fervently in the garden, “not my will, but yours be done.” Bottom right: Jesus crucified by the Roman soldiers as the crowd jeers. In the middle, the Centurion tells the audience that Jesus was buried in a tomb, but on the third day He arose!
Top left: Jesus overturns the merchants’ tables. Top right: Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. Middle left: Jesus being questioned by the high priest. Middle right: Jesus being beaten by the Roman soldiers at the command of Pilate.
Our Risen Savior!
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Ready for Outreach! Left: Outreach Leaders Oscar, Cassandra, Leonard, and Rene prepare to hit the streets. Right: Before the team hits the streets, Pastor Johnson and Uday Narayan pray for a powerful Holy Ghost anointing on each outreach worker.
ON CALL
When Pastor Johnson needs a team of outreach workers for a special event, he calls Brother Leonard Alvarez to get in touch with his outreach leaders. They then contact the outreach team of the church to meet on a Saturday morning, ready to embark on hitting the outreach targets in the city determined and organized by the team leaders. The most recent event was for the Easter drama and 50 saints came on a wet Saturday morning (above photos) to go out and invite. The outreach proved successful when hundreds of new visitors showed up for both showings. Photos below show a smaller team praying on the campus for one of our local high schools, invited by English high school teacher Nicole Evans (below photo, reaching out in prayer). A Holy Ghost thank you from Revival Center for all these laborers in the field! TEAM LEADERS: Director Leonard Alvarez. Outreach Captains: Rene Alvarado, Nola Desersa, Oscar and Anna Hernandez, Elder Uday Narayan, Carlos Rojas. Co-Captains: Brianna Barnett, Marissa Reyna, Jaypal Youngblood, and Cassandra Hernandez who is co-captain for the Youth. Extended Outreach Team: Sam Cardenas, Manuel Gonzalez, Sammie Orozco, Sherri Suriano, and Kris Youngblood God Bless You ALL!
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HE’S ALIVE! We as Christians rejoice that our Lord is not buried in
a tomb, but He has risen and is alive! He conquered death so we can find comfort in the psalmist words: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (I Corinthians 15:55). We gathered together on Easter Sunday and celebrated. The choir led by Kellee Hopper and Matt Aguirre led us into the presence of God, singing “He’s Risen!” and Pastor Johnson preached “But We Hoped.” He spoke of the disciples’ revelation of Jesus while traveling on the road to Emmaus and ended with his prayer for us: “Let their eyes be opened and understand that You’re alive and You are more than they have ever hoped for!”
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The line winds around Revival Center as people wait to receive groceries, grateful to receive quality, fresh items.
welve years ago, Matt Aguirre stood before a judge awaiting his sentence. “I was in the moment of failure,” he remembers. I felt so ashamed. I thought I could never recover.” The judge sentenced him to work off his time at a local food bank, Second Harvest, earning no wages for two years. In despair, he lost everything--his car, his housing. “I lost everything.” Homeless, he had to swallow his pride and call his mother to ask if he could come home. And there he was, living at home, working for free, burdened with regret and shame. Although his future seemed impossibly bleak, God impressed on Matt’s heart that this was a process He was requiring him to endure. God had a plan that would not only turn around and bless Matt’s life, but also become a great blessing to our com-
munity. After completing his two-year sentence, Matt was uncertain of his next step. What future was there for someone with a record? Who would hire him? And then the phone call came. About a month later, the CEO of Second Harvest called. “He told me that he had a job for me if I wanted it,” Matt said, “but I would have to start at the bottom.” Matt worked hard and proved himself. He was promoted to a warehouse lead position and then to a warehouse supervisor. Today, Matt is Operations Supervisor, a salaried position. Matt is the face of Second Harvest to their long list of donors which includes Amazon, General Mills, Safeway, Kellogg’s, Conagra, Walmart, Savemart, Target, and Costco. Matt
Matt Aguirre and his wife, Jacqueline (waving), prepare to distribute fresh groceries to approximately 500 families in our community.
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Matt and his crew await the crowds. They embody the mission of Revival Center: Love, Grow, Serve.
and his team bring two Second Harvest trucks loaded with 1200 to 1500 pounds of food for distribution to our church on the second Monday of each month. “Eighty percent of the food is donated, with the rest purchased from cash donations. Each month the line of recipients wraps around our church building, awaiting a grocery bag which contains quality, name-brand items. Fresh produce, milk, eggs, cereal, yogurt, and cheese fill the sacks, with an average of 550 families being blessed. “When you look at the face of hunger,” says Matt, “it used to be homeless people. Now it’s your neighbor who works five days a week, 8 hours a day.” He wanted people in our community to be able to come to a safe place, where they are not judged. No one is put in an embarrassing position where they must provide proof of need. All are received without question. Matt said, “It’s the joy of what we hear,” said Matt, ”the stories of saving them. Many say they don’t know how they would have made it to the end of the week.” Matt and his team love
Even Matt’s mom, Sunday School Director, Mary Aguirre gets involved. Want milk?
Matt (center) with Mike Killian (left) who delivers to all of their sites across San Joauin and Stanislaus Counties and Cesar Rangel who helps organize Mobile Fresh sites/and events.
on these people and pray for them, including backsliders who come. “It opens that door for us to talk to these people about Jesus. I feel this is God-ordained.” Second Harvest has 10 other sites food distribution sites as well. They also have programs to distribute food to the homeless, the elderly, and school-aged children. Wherever there is a need in the community, Matt and Second Harvest seek out ways to meet it. God has completely turned around Matt’s life. Not only is he the Operations Manager for Second Harvest, God has blessed him with a godly wife, Jacqueline and two children, CJ and Devina. He is also a licensed minister with our church, is a gifted worship leader at Revival Center, and is a codirector of our choir. “God has put me in a place to bless people,” said Matt. “I was put through the fire, I had no hope. Now I am giving hope to people. “
Gracie Delgadillo prepares a bag of groceries.
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2018
began with a great Watch Night Service where the photo at right shows the countdown did not stop dynamic worship. Later in January the church was blessed with a Foot Washing Service! (above photo)
GROWTH TRACK WINTER GRADUATION A hearty congratulations to all our new members and veteran saints who wanted to be refreshed in Apostolic doctrine. The four weeks of instruction was headed by Assistant Pastor Dana Le Blanc and teachers Ruben Dominguez and Barbara Seah.
MEN OF GOD DELIVER A MIGHTY WORD IN THE SPIRIT Joey Campetella, Joshua Herring, and Mark Drost came the first part of the new year with tremendous messages divinely anointed by the Holy Ghost! Brother Campetella came from Florida to preach to us on the last Sunday in January (above photos). He preached Sunday morning on the topic, “Moving from Believer to Receiver”, challenging our faith to receive all that God has for us. His evening sermon continued the theme with “I Want You to Step Out of the Boat!” We are looking for a return visit. Brother Mark Drost (photos right and left) preached to our church with a general consensus on the topic, (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE) 12
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More photos of our revival services on Page 20.
(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE) “The Realm of the Spirit.” United in our goals and ambitions will allow our congregation to see great wonders! We were honored to have Brother Joshua Herring with us in February for several revival meetings. His sermons always engulf us with deep and profound reflections. Some of his topics were: “The Dimension of Perfect Faith”; “Three Revivals Are Stirring”; “The Gift That Nobody Wants”; “You Are the Prophet.” But one sermon that stood out for this editor was titled, “The Revelation of Naming Your Own Altars.” This powerful sermon reminded us to see every spiritual event in our lives as an altar to the Lord - a commemoration for His mighty work - to be enshrined in our hearts with gratitude and praise. In fact, this inspired a new subtext for our magazine on page 2. We replaced “Aiming for Awareness” with “Every page an altar for His works!” So let it be until our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
A Dedication in
Bangladesh Revival Center’s World Missions Director Jerry Powell
traveled to exotic Bangladesh representing our church in the dedication of a new church building built by missions’ funds with most of the donation done by Brother and Sister Jerry Todd, who were members of our church at that time. The church building was completed last year (left photos). During the dedication service 38 received the baptism of the Holy Ghost! In the above photo, Brother Powell and missionary to Bangladesh James Corbin (white shirt) pose with local police. Brother Powell also was able to visit Pastor Chacko Thomas in Mumbai where he posed with the Thomas family in this right photo.
More photos of our dedication services and report on Page 22.
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BROTHER ALEX DIAZ’S DELIVERANCE FROM DEATH EDITOR’S NOTE: One year ago, Brother Alex Diaz was involved in a near fatal car accident that astonished the first responders by how he was still alive when they came on the scene. Alex was driving west on Highway 120 to Kimball High School in Tracy, CA, where he teaches chemistry. The morning of April 4 was clear and sunny, however, there was traffic congestion ahead on the four lane highway, and Alex stopped in the left lane. Behind him was a fast moving truck in the right lane hauling a one ton barrel of irrigation water. The driver was not licensed to haul this much of a load, he already had numerous citations for non-compliance, and this morning he had ineptly hitched the trailer for such a heavy load. He saw the stopped traffic ahead and slammed on his brakes, but as he passed Alex on his right, the trailer jackknifed into the left lane, slamming into Alex’s vehicle from behind. The truck driver tried to overcorrect, causing his truck to detach from the trailer. The impact and detachment of the trailer from the truck took Alex’s vehicle into the medium with it. Alex’s car and the trailer rolled three times into a twisted mess of metal. The sunroof of Alex’s vehicle shattered and Alex’s body was pushed through it. Now read on to see the power of Christ’s protection for His saints.
SUJEY - A DREADED PHONE CALL
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ister Sujey was asleep when her middle child, Natalie, woke her up holding the phone. “Mom,” she said, “a man is on the phone and said Dad’s been in an accident.” As Sujey listened carefully to each detail. Her husband, Alex, who had been on the way to work, had been in a severe car accident on Highway 120. The ambulance was on the scene, and they were taking Alex to General Hospital in Stockton. “OK, Faith,” she thought, I need you to show up right now.” She gathered her daughters in the living room, and they knelt
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and prayed. When they got to the hospital, they had to wait anxiously for a long time until three nurses came out and explained Alex’s injuries. “Not much of what they said was coming through to me after I heard the words brain surgery,” said Sujey. “My head started to spin, and I felt faint.” She was told the doctors had to remove a part of Alex’s skull in order to release pressure from his brain and allow for drainage. The surgeon who operated on him was just finishing up on another patient. Miraculously, this surgeon was available as he resides in Sacramento, and is only at that hospital a few days a month. “He did an outstanding job,” said Sujey, and I thank God he was there and God used him to help my husband.” During the surgery, Pastor Johnson called and asked how she was doing. “I wanted to say I am OK, but I told him I am absolutely terrified,.” As she cried, Pastor Johnson began to pray and quote scriptures. “I literally felt fear leave my body,” she recalled. The Johnsons arrived as quickly as they could, and the doctor spoke to Sister Kim Johnson who asked the pertinent questions on behalf of Sister Sujey. Afterwards, Sister Sujey was so grateful. Sujey was told that since the trauma was in the left side of the brain, it would possibly affect Alex’s speech, his speech comprehension, and he would have difficulty swallowing and much more. She rebuked this prediction, and prayed against it. She was determined to believe that God was going to do a complete healing. When she and Pastor Johnson finally saw her husband after his surgery, she was shocked to see his head and his whole body swollen about four times his size. “I told God and myself,” she said, “that no matter what happens, he is in Your hands, and I am ready to accept whatever comes our way.” Sujey found out later from a police officer that when the first responder who arrived at the scene walked over to the center divider where the car had landed, he was taken aback as he saw a bleeding head talking, but he couldn’t figure out where the rest of the body was in the smashed vehicle. Alex’s head was sticking out through the sunroof. Most of the damage was on the driver’s side of the car, but somehow God protected Alex. They had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the car open to pull him out. The whole time, Alex was conscious and talking. One of the ICU nurses later told Sujey, she was impressed at how calm Alex was in the middle of this traumatic experience. ALEX - A MIRACULOUS RECOVERY! I don’t remember that day. I remember planning on getting to work earlier that day. The accident or anything that happened is absent from my memory. The only thing I can remember is hearing the men outside my car saying “We’re going to get you out.” After that, I was in the hospital. I saw my wife, Sujey, and sister-in-law, Jeannette. I have other memories of people visiting and coming in and out. Co-workers, friends, and family all came to support and pray for me. Ray and Jen Espinosa were some of the first people to come to
the hospital. It was hard to sleep in the hospital with nurses and doctors coming in and out. My room felt so small and I would hallucinate during the night. My wife was there all the time. One time in particular, I remember her washing my body with wipes as a way to bathe me. She was always there. Once, my brother and sister-in-law came to visit me at the hospital. Sujey and her cousin went out to eat so it was just me and my brother in-law, who didn’t speak English. I needed something and he had no idea what I was saying, so he just ran out and brought the nurses like it was an emergency. I just had to go to the bathroom. While I was in the hospital I never felt upset or surprised. I never thought “why me” or asked God why I was in this situation. I never felt like I was going to die. God kept that from my mind. I knew I had to take it one day at a time. I have faint memories of family and people of the church coming to see me. My dad and Uncle Pete came to see me. My in-laws, Jeannette and Josh Aguilera, were always there with me. During this time I was barely aware of everything around me, but I heard someone speaking in tongues. Even though I couldn’t process too much information, my brain was able to process what I was hearing. I knew that I needed more of that. Somewhere along the line, I would use a whiteboard to communicate. The first thing I wrote was “pastor”. Being in that hospital bed I knew I needed my pastor to be there. He soon arrived to pray with me. I also remember telling Sujey to cancel my summer school job. She told me I was overly concerned, and I needed to focus on getting healthy. Eventually, I tried to get out of bed for the first time. My brothers Rick, Carlos, and Phil, were trying to get me out of the bed to sit in a chair, but I had no strength in my legs. I told them to put me back in the bed because I didn’t have enough strength to sit. Another time, a physical therapist got me out of bed, and I was able to walk. I walked around my hospital room and the halls. My wife and nephew recorded me as I walked. They saw more of the miracle than I did. I was just focusing on each step. I remember Sujey saying that it would be nice if we went to Easter service. At that time, Easter was three days away, and I wasn’t feeling well. I thought, there is no way I’ll be out of the hospital in time for that. But they checked us out. They put me in my wheelchair, and I knew I was going to go home. It was just Sujey and I driving from Sacramento. It was a long drive, and all I did was stare out of the window. I thought to myself, “I’m finally going home. What’s next?” We made it to Easter service. It was Resurrection Sunday, and I wanted to be there. I woke up and Sujey dressed me, and my girls tied my shoes. I did not have my glasses, and I felt like I was looking through a fishbowl. Entering into the church, the first person I saw was Elder Hunt. I also remember Brother Athol always being there. He would run to where I was every service to guide me to my seat. When we arrived on Easter Sunday, I knew I wanted to go to the pulpit, to that sacred, holy place. I just wanted to be there for a moment. I wanted to pray and thank God for allowing me to be there. I wanted everyone to see my miracle. We always hear about it and read about it, but I wanted everyone to see what God had done. In the hospital, you can’t worship and you can’t praise. It is taken away from you. So I didn’t want to sit. I wanted to worship and praise and be thankful. It took most of my energy, but I walked down from the balcony and made my way to the altar. I raised my hands and just began to worship. Any movement I was able to give to God, I gave to Him.
April was a really hard month. Not only due to the accident, but the recovery process as well. Any abrupt motion would cause dizziness and vertigo. Josh brought me a recliner chair which helped. My days would start late. Sujey would cook breakfast every day, and I would eat and then sit in the recliner and sleep for the rest of the day. I would wake up for doctor’s appointments and meetings. Therapists and nurses would come to my house and test me. The worst part of my day was going to sleep in my bed. As soon as I tried to lay down, my head would pound, and I would become dizzy. Sometimes, I would just lay there, not being able to sleep. I couldn’t move by myself, so I would just lay there. In the morning, Sujey would grab my body and move me into a sitting position because I couldn’t do it myself. Out of all the nurses I had, she was the best. One nurse came to see me and, based on my records, assumed I would be in really bad shape. As she was talking to me, she could see that I still had function and ability. She was amazed. She had prepared tests for me to take but after seeing my status, she put the tests away. She never had to come back. During this time I had so much support from everyone. Jeannette and Josh Aguilera would come and help my wife with cleaning and cooking. My sister, Cindy and her family also came to visit. I didn’t have my glasses so I would just stare into space. When I was healing, I felt like I was in a different moment of time. It was like God was really close to me. I had no visual perception of the world around me. It was just God and I. Constantly, I would dwell on God and just ponder on His greatness. I would pray for Him to restore me. Throughout the summer I healed. I knew I wanted to go back to work teaching high school chemistry in August. In July, I had my final surgery where the surgeon placed a plate in my head and added staples. I even attended a teacher in-service. Over the weekend, they removed the staples, and I was able to go back to school. In the beginning of the school year, I was on medication. It was tough and tiring, but I was glad to be back. This was definitely an experience for me and my family. It showed me how God is always there. He protected me and healed me. I felt like we were prepared for this journey. My wife and I spent time praying and seeking God. We were not scared. I knew Sujey was a praying woman, and I could count on her. This period of time brought me back to our wedding vows. For better or for worse. Till death do us part. We were living these vows. I see pictures of my car and there is no way someone should have survived that accident, but God had favor on me. They cut me out of the car, and I was able to go to the hospital and heal. He has allowed me to be here, go to work, to walk, and to talk, be here for my girls, and attend church. It is amazing how God has restored me. The devil wanted to take everything away from us, but not this time.
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More Photos of God’s Miraculous Deliverance and Healing for Alex Diaz
First responders working to free Alex from his car. They had to use the Jaws of Life to extract him from the wreckage. After flipping several times, his car landed upright with Alex’s pummeled and bloody head poking out through the smashed sunroof.
Alex’s mangled car.
Photos of Alex after the accident. A portion of his skull had to be removed to release the pressure on his swollen brain tissue. The doctors were concerned that he would have lasting cognitive as well as speech impairment. 16
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Brother and Sister Diaz rejoice for God’s great healing power at last year’s Easter service.
Left: Bishop Keyes, Josh Aguilera, and Sujey pray for Alex, along with the entire congregation. Right: Sister Keyes gives Sujey a hug as the church rallies around Alex, thanking God for his miraculous healing!
Above left: As Alex was unable to speak at first due to being on a respirator, he was provided a whiteboard to communicate. The first thing he wrote was “Pastor.” He said, “I knew I needed my pastor to be there.” Above right: Missed by his students, they created a get well poster with personal notes of encouragement. SPRING NEWSVINE 2018 17
The Missionary Journeys of Brother Uday Narayan Part iii
India 1994
A DOCTOR CONVERTS e remind the readers that Pastor George Satyam was a pastor over 18 trinitarian churches when a copy of a Newsvine fell into his hands from Fiji through an acquaintance which contained the personal testimony of Brother Uday and Sister Isneh Narayan. He made contact with our church in Modesto and begged Pastor Randy Keyes to send Brother Narayan to the city of Guntar in central India, to preach the Apostolic truth to him and his congregation members. During his first visit to India, Brother Narayan would preach to the congregations of Pastor Satyam and by organizing a crusade. But before the crusade happened a lady doctor, mentioned in out last issue, had become eager to be baptized. Doctor Visaya not only was baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus, but she brought three other lady friends who also were baptized. Doctor Visaya was Brother Narayan’s first convert in India.
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until after 10:00 PM. During the afternoon sessions Brother Narayan would give Bible studies, then in the evening he would preach. Over 500 attended each day for the Bible studies. Then the crowd would swell to over a thousand for the evening preaching. All the while, the people sat on the dirt floor which became muddy because the tent leaked. During this crusade the power of Holy Ghost revelation swept through the crowd, and Pastor Satyman and many of his congregations and outside visitors received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and made a decision to be baptized in Jesus’ name.
Over 1,000 attended the evening services of the crusade.
Brother Narayan poses with his first covert.
A POWERFUL CRUSADE Finally, the first day of the crusade arrived, but it started raining. The area of the meeting was an open lot where a large tent was erected. They began about 3:00 PM. The event did not finish
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After the final service each night, people would not let Brother Narayan go. They begged him to lay hands on them and pray. He would pray for each person, then the next person would grab his hand and placed it on their head. Some people, who could not take his hand because of the number of people pressing to do so, moved toward his feet clasping them. There they stayed until he prayed for them. Brother Narayan was very moved in humility During the four days of the crusade, they had many people who were eager to be baptized.
But to have a baptismal service in the morning hours with all who wanted to witness the event, they had to walk to the river and back for three hot, humid miles before a baptismal tank would become available. During these processions, Brother Narayan was reminded in the scriptures of David’s march to Jerusalem with the Ark of the Covenant where he danced before the Lord. As Brother Narayan marched with the crusade’s attendees, every few yards they would stop and dance and rejoice and then march on. They did this continuously until they all reached the river. “It was a beautiful sight to behold,” declares Brother Narayan. “How excited the people were to be baptized. You could really feel the power of God!” The first trip, eighteen were baptized, with many more following in the days ahead. TWO UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS After attending a small United Pentecostal Church conference in the area, Brother Narayan and his interpreter went on to the city of Kakinada. This city then had a population of 226,000 people. Brother Narayan organized a Bible study with 30 who attended. Thirteen were pastors of independent churches hungry for the oneness doctrine. Again, the Holy Spirit revealed to these men of God the Apostolic truth. They were eager to return to their churches to baptize their congregation members. These contacts were unexpected blessings to Brother Narayan’s outreach to India. While he was in India, Brother Narayan was concerned for his safety, for he had heard many devout Hindus would attack Christians who were trying to convert the general population. But the Lord provided for him to stay at a home next door to a government senator who had a guard armed with a machine gun keeping watch outside 24 hours a day. This protection gave him a good night’s sleep. In fact, the senator became acquainted with Brother Narayan and invited him into his home as a honored guest, welcoming him to stay with him anytime he visited India.
Brother Narayan preaches the Apostolic doctrine to the Trinitarian members of Pastor Satyman’s churches who were converted!
MISSION MINISTRY ORDAINED Brother Narayan was grateful to our Lord Jesus Christ because he never got sick from the food he was fed or from the beverages he drank. He never had to sleep with a mosquito netting for he was never bitten by a single mosquito the whole time he was there, even though he could hear them buzzing around him whether he was sleeping or preaching. The impact Brother Narayan left on his first visit to India was enormous. In the years that followed, he would make many more journeys to this subcontinent nation. He would make a transverse crossing to many major cities, believing that if he could spread the good news to thousands, they in turn could witness to millions! He would go on to indoctrinate many young men called into the ministry, converted under his preaching and teaching. Brother Narayan prays that the burden to keep in touch with all the works he established will be nurtured by a new generation of ministers in our church who will go as missionaries to continue Revival Center’s legacy to save India in the end-time. Let us all be united in one accord to pray that the Lord sends more laborers to India with the blessed burden of Elder Narayan. SPRING NEWSVINE 2018
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MIGHTY ALTAR CALLS EVANGELISTS DROST, HERRING, AND CAMPETELLA
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What Can I Do? by Associate Editor Virginia Aguilera
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s you can see from these two pages of altar photos from our revival services with Brother Drost, Brother Herring, and Brother Camptetella, revival fires are still burning at Revival Center, as they continue to blaze across the one God, Jesus’ name baptizing, tongue-talking churches of the world. People are still hungry for a life-changing experience with Jesus Christ, whether it is the first-time visitor or the faithful elder. We all need His spirit to actively work in our lives. We all need to say yes to our Savior. Let’s truly make this the year of yes. Not just yes to the same response we have given year after year, but let us step out into new territory. Take an inventory of the gifts and talents God has given you and ask yourself, How can I be of use to my church? There is always a spot in which you are able to participate: choir, KREW, outreach, life groups, ushering/greeting, Sunday School, multimedia, teaching Bible studies, and more. If you are new to Revival Center, Growth Track is a great place to start. If you have been active in Revival Center for awhile, you are familiar with our various ministries and their leaders. How do we keep our altars filled and our church services powerful under the anointing of the Holy Ghost? It is by saying yes, even when it is easier to make excuses. Why not make a decision today to say yes? Proverbs 29:18 says without a vision the people perish. Without a purpose do we perish spiritually? If we come to church weekly but do not give of ourselves, do we become lifeless like Israel’s Dead Sea where the Jordan River flows in, but nothing flows out? John 7:37 says: “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Let those living waters flow from you as you freely give of your time, talents, and finances. Maranatha, Jesus is coming! SPRING NEWSVINE 2018 21
More Photos of Jerry Powell’s Visit to Help Dedicate the New Church Building in Bangladesh
a NeW CHurCH Is DeDICateD to tHe LorD
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t an age when many men are retired, it seems that Jerry Powell, our World Missions Director, is busier than ever. With his building background, he is busy alongside many other UPC men from around the country, helping to build and repair churches in other countries. On his latest trip, Elder Powell attended the dedication of a new church in Bangladesh. The top photo is the group being seen off after the dedication service. Above from left: Standing near the exterior of the new building; participating in the ribbon cutting and dedication prayer before entering the new church; enjoying the beautifully decorated new church building. Thank you to all who made this new place of worship possible. 22
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Something to Think About... by Associate Editor Virginia Aguilera Recently a family member recounted to me how he suffered from food poisoning after eating at a local restaurant. He said it was so bad that he actually was curled up in a ball on the floor, writhing with horrendous stomach cramps. According to Health Central, 48 million Americans suffer from food poisoning annually. More than 100,000 people will be hospitalized; 2000 people will die. Food poisoning is serious business! We need to avoid foods that poison our bodies, but we also need to avoid foods that poison our souls. We may not be physically writhing on pain on the floor, but we may be so spiritually. Pastor Johnson has been teaching a series on “Soul Detox,” based on the book Soul Detox: Clean Living in a Contaminated World by Craig Groeschel. His lessons have been focusing on the different ways our souls can become tainted. At first I sat there thinking good lesson, but then as he continued, I started feeling God speaking to me. What things have I allowed to creep up into my life without realizing it? How many times have I allowed toxic worries to plague my mind and steal my precious hours of sleep? What can I do about it? Pastor Johnson told us that we need to line ourselves up with the word of God. I thought how do I do that exactly? Where do I find that measurement, that plumb line? Then I thought about the fruits of the spirit referred to in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against there is no law.” Living each day with these fruits active in my life would certainly detox my soul, but how do I get there? First off, love. The Bible tells us that others will know we are Christians by our love for one another. That’s pretty easy. Also, it says to love your enemies. Tough one. Turn the other cheek. Not always easy. Forgive seventy times seven. OK. Something to work on - a forgiving and loving spirit no matter what. Next, joy. Sounds easy enough, at least when everything is going my way. Difficult when unexpected circumstances slap me on the side of my head. Ouch! Rejoice in the Lord always, the Bible says. Sounds like a choice to me. I can either focus on my problems and be miserable, or I can focus on the Problem Fixer and rejoice, knowing He’s got it handled. He doesn’t need my help. Peace. This is a toughie. It’s so easy to focus on all the ways something can go wrong, instead of trusting that God is working on my behalf behind the scenes. Philippians 4:6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (NLT). This passage goes on to say in verse 7, “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand...” OK. Pray and thank God. Time to put this into practice first INSTEAD of worrying. God’s perfect peace... Patience. This is a hard one. Whether it is waiting for an answer from God to a fervent prayer or just dealing with what we see as shortcomings in others, it can be a struggle. We want instant results, but yet God asks us to wait. To wait during times of hardship and pain is not easy. Romans 5:3 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings and hardships knowing they produce “patient endurance” which develops strength of character and hope. God, help me to be patient when I don’t understand my situation and can’t see You working. Help me to remember the times You have miraculously interceded on my behalf and patiently trust that You are working things out for my good. The list of spiritual fruits goes on, but you get the idea. How can I develop these attributes in my life? The answer is in His word--I just have to seek it out. God, help me to mindfully pursue these spiritual fruits. Help me to fill my life with healthy thoughts, experiences, and people, and avoid those that are toxic to my soul, contaminating myself and those around me. Just as I know that basics such as eating healthy foods, exercising, and getting sufficient sleep are important to my physical health, equally important are prayer and fasting, studying His word, and faithful church attendance to my spiritual health. Let us all determine in our hearts to make this the year that we truly allow the fruits of the spirit to flourish in our lives. Let this be the year of yes in every area of our lives!
reVIVaL CeNter suNDaY serVICes are NoW oNLINe! Sunday morning services are now being streamed live. Go to Revival Center’s facebook page at Revival Center - Downtown for our latest streamed service. SPRING NEWSVINE 2018
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The Newsvine
REVIVAL CENTER
United Pentecostal Church of Modesto 825 7th street Modesto, CA 95354
A HEARTY WELCOME! Our church is happy to receive our newest members, Elder Rick and Sister Keyes. He is the older brother to our Bishop Randy Keyes. Elder Keyes was pastor in Santa Maria, CA, for 40 years. He was presbyter for 16 years, executive presbyter on the UPC executive board for three years, served as secretary for the Western District, and is currently a board member of Christian Life College in Stockton, CA. A leader with numerous awards and recognitions, he has an honorary degree from Christian Life College with the distinction of Alumnus of the Year. Faithful in attendance, he and his wife work in our altar services with compassion and burden for the lost. WELCOME!
