Wisconsin District neWs September/October 2012
Wisconsin District News WDN EDITOR Craig Lundt PO Box 688 Beloit, WI 53512 wdn@wisconsinupci.org WDN SECTIONAL REPS Section 1: Loretta Lundt Section 2: Carole Keller Section 3: - Open Section 4: Frank Ritchie Section 5: Kathy Fry WDN Proofreader: Dede Sharp DISTRICT OFFICERS Superintendent: Rev. John E. Putnam Secretary-Treasurer: Rev. E.A. Kaske Honorary Board Member: Rev. John Grant PRESBYTERS Section 1: Rev. Charles Welch Section 2: Rev. James Booker Section 3: Rev. Ed Herman Section 4: Rev. Rufus Parker Section 5: Rev. Paul Bennett DEPARTMENTS Foreign Missions: Rev. M.W. Rogers Home Missions: Rev. Rick Keilley Deaf Ministry: Renee Strand Ladies Ministries: Sis. Barb Hilderbrand Sunday School: Rev. Dale Pace Youth Ministries: Rev. Tim Vik Revival Commission: Rev. Michael Hook Multimedia Ministry: Rev. Scott Jacobs Men’s Ministry: Rev. Steve Rogers Music Ministry: Sis. Darlene Boyte Purpose Institute: Rev. J.D. Putnam Prayer Force: Rev. Don Rogers FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the body.
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BRO. J. E. PUTNAM
WI District Superintendent
J O S H UA 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. On November 6, 2012, the registered voters of these United States of America will once again choose the man that they want to lead this nation for the next four years. The stakes are high, the differences are being well defined and the battle for victory is seriously tense. Both sides of this upcoming election are actively involved in their “campaigns.” The word “CAMPAIGN” in this sense is defined in the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary as: a connected series of operations designed to bring about a particular result. “THE CAMPAIGN” has been in operation for quite some time. The choice could not be any more stark than what is offered. The differences in “THE CAMPAIGN” could not be any more opposite. The one exudes faith, hope, and love in the purest sense and the other expounds destruction and disaster. The one offers life, and that more abundantly, while the other promotes death and the stealing and killing of the innocent. The choice represented in “THE CAMPAIGN” is a true choice between Light and Darkness, a real choice between good and evil. The one choice is a liar and the father of lies....while the other is “Truth” incarnate. Every individual will decide for themselves who they will choose and follow. All of mankind will align themselves with “THE CAMPAIGN” one way or another. And only “ONE” is the true and living VICTOR of the ages! Who is your choice? Which one seems more loving and caring than the other? This is the same choice that Joshua offered the people ages ago. He told them that they needed to
make their choice and, as a “campaigner,” he boldly pronounced to them all his choice. JOSHUA 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods, which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Regardless of who you cast your vote for on November 6th, it will pale in comparison to whom you choose in “THE CAMPAIGN” for eternity! The decision you make in “THE CAMPAIGN” will determine your eternal destiny! Take a wise tip from a patriarch from the past.... “but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”! That day of choice should never be put off.... for today is the day of salvation! Get with “THE CAMPAIGN” and live boldly for the true and only victor.... JESUS CHRIST! P.S. Remember to VOTE.... NOVEMBER 6th!
BY: DON ROGERS Acts 17:6 “And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;” They (had an encounter with God) and beheld the Awe and Wonder of God’s infinite glory that changed their value system (and their lives forever). 250,000 miles away from earth, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin gazed into space were awestruck by the glory of God. Their Apollo mission to the moon caused them to see Elohim, the Creator of all things, in a totally different light. History tells us that these astronauts found and saw God so radically different, that they returned to earth completely changed. The first act of these men on the moon was to perform Holy Communion, glorifying the redeeming flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Commander Frank Borman radioed back to earth, quoting the book of Genesis. Astronaut James Irwin later became a preacher of the Bible. Charles Duke, who followed Irwin to the moon, later became a missionary. It was all because these astronauts had an encounter with God that changed their lives forever. They beheld the awe and wonder of God’s infinite glory that radically changed their value system. So it is with the church of Jesus Christ—people are never the same when they have a fresh encounter. When the church encounters fresh and new revelation of Jesus Christ, it changes the people who are bound in sin around us. • The more I encounter the presence of Jesus Christ in fasting, prayer
and worship, the more it illuminates my identity as king and priest. • Too often I witness one-God, tongue-talking, holiness-living believers trying to change their world with a welfare mentality. • They do their religious catechism disciplines, while holding onto hidden strongholds of the flesh. • They do the work of God, without the power to lay hands on the wounded and sick. • The welfare mentality claims apostolic truth, but lives a daily life still wrestling with inferiority and low selfesteem. • Jacob wrestled with his identity, while wrestling with an angel. • It is character flaws along with the devil, which intimidated the destiny of his kingdom identity. Jacob could not change the world, until he changed himself. The seven sons of Sceva could not cast out devils, because they had a perverted or small concept of Jesus. • God said fear, offenses, and ignorance of identity is hindering my bride from reaching a dying lost world, because the bride refuses to show her healed wounds to a wounded world. • In order to win and mentor people, God works on us first, so people can see a genuine practical love fleshed out by the Word in us. • There are people here today God is speaking to, to make yourself vulnerable to that new convert. Let down your protective walls to the backslider or that difficult relative. • You cannot change the world, until you change yourself. • God’s affection wants to touch Continued on page 15
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Tasha Sweeney: My name is Tasha Sweeney. I’m from Monroe, Wisconsin,The Potter’s House. With the extra support and a generous scholarship from the Wisconsin Youth Ministries, I was able to go on my first Apostolic Youth Corps mission trip to Portland, Oregon! The experience it gave me changed my life! On July 9th, I met some of the most amazing young people from all over the U.S. and Canada! Their friendships made the trip even more worthwhile! Friday, we had the most awesome move of God
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in the park! After worship service and the choir singing, Bro. Endris, from Arizona, preached on the healing power of God. Many people received their healing! Back problems, slipped disks in their necks, depression, weak ankles, migraines, high blood pressure you name it, God healed it! I witnessed a young lady literally cough up a disease that had passed down to her from her mother! I’ll never forget the countless memories and the many things that God did in Portland! A few paragraphs cannot even begin to sum up what
went on in the seven days that I was there! Each night the AYC group did outreach, results were fantastic; revival is happening in Portland! I would encourage any young person to invest in going on a mission trip! It will forever change you; I know from experience! God bless. Thank you WYM! Michael Tesch: Heading into the AYC Portland Trip, I honestly did not know what to expect. I was very excited just to have the opportunity to help a Home Missions church reach their city and just help out in any way possible. However, you
can never out give God, and I can honestly say I came away from the trip feeling as if I was blessed more by the trip than the people we reached/served. After hearing the stories of the massive revivals overseas, in the back of my mind I had this pre-conceived notion that through all of the hard work, prayer, and preparation, we would see massive amounts of people come instantaneously. However, that’s not exactly what happened. At first I was somewhat disappointed but, through it all, learned that we too often are stuck looking through our own eyes instead of seeing things like God does. Too often, I find we seek instant growth and satisfaction,
forgetting that we ourselves cannot take any credit for, or have any responsibility in, the increase of our actions. We are to plant the Word into people’s lives, and even water it, but God provides the increase. Throughout the week we were there, we saw plenty of instant results, such as people saved, healed from depression, healed from physical ailments, given hope, and I feel the best is yet to come. Through the numerous amounts of flyers distributed and prayers prayed, among other things, the results of the work throughout the week will continue to grow every day. Through it all, I was reminded how important just one soul is, and that even if only one life was changed throughout the entire week, the trip was entirely worth it. If we can just somehow remember that and implement that philosophy into our everyday lives, we can really make a difference in our own individual worlds. Another thing I learned was the incredible amount of hard work and dedication required for a Home Missions church to be successful. In addition to preaching the Word every week, Pastor Meyer is responsible for set-up, tear down, teaching Bible studies, teaching a Bible study at a men’s rehabilitation center, being available for those who need him, working a job, and spending time with his family. That is an awful lot of responsibility for anyone to handle. This just goes to show how
important supporting Home Missions really is, and how much help they really need. If we are close to a Home Missions church, they really need all the help we can give, so we need to be available for whatever they need. Finally, a way we can all help is through our finances, but most importantly, our prayers. Too often we feel disconnected from other places, feeling as if we have enough to worry about, let alone some other far away place. But the fact of the matter is, Home Missions churches such as the one in Portland are reaching places we cannot, and if the goal is to really reach the lost like it should be, the least we
can do is to keep these places in our prayers. The final thing I took away from this trip is just how
ashamed I am to be ashamed. The city of Portland is a very Continued on page 6
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AYC: Portland
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“out-there” place. If you could think of any “crazy” group of people out there, you would most likely find them in Portland; after all, a very popular slogan there is “Keep it Weird.” An example of this was when we were in the park singing songs. As we were singing, a Satanist came up behind one of our girls and asked her why we were singing about Jesus and said that Satan was “the bomb.” If people like her are not afraid to tell people about Satan, if people are not ashamed to buy and sell marijuana shirts, if people are not ashamed to ask other people for money, then honestly, what are we afraid of? God has promised us He will
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be with us and that we will not be alone. We walk through the streets day after day, filled with hungry people who, whether they know it or not, are looking for what we have. Yet day after day, we cower in fear of what our friends or co-workers would think if we brought up Jesus, or invited them to church or a Bible study someday. I’ve learned that it’s time to stop being so selfish, worrying about my own self-image, and instead be more worried about people’s souls. It’s really that simple. God has told us to go out into the world and preach the gospel. If we could just get over ourselves and remember it’s all for God’s glory, we could really make the difference that we constantly talk about, but rarely realize. The
question we really have to ask ourselves is, “Is the potential of me being criticized worth the risk of potentially helping alter this person’s eternal resting place?” When it is laid out like that, it makes me realize how silly our fear really is. God will provide the results; we just need to go out there and give Him the opportunity. Going into this trip, I was just prepared to work as hard as I could, doing whatever I could. I don’t really consider myself to have any amazing talents that I could offer a church, other than my hard work, care for people, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to accomplish something. With this in mind, I’ve really struggled with feeling insignificant. Although I have had supportive parents,
I never truly felt like I was significant in any way, never really felt that anyone else believed in me. Even though I am extremely self-motivated, it is still nice at times to have someone believe in you. Before I went on this trip, I was really lacking the feeling of selfworth. Through talks with Bro. Meyer, Matthew Johnson, and especially Derek West, I was really encouraged and, for the first time, really felt appreciated and that someone believed in me. Far too often in life I felt like I was constantly overlooked, because the “cool kids” and kids with the right last name were always given all of the focus and, regardless of how hard I tried, no one would give me a chance. After that week, that all went down
the toilet. While everything I learned and experienced was great, it was these simple talks that really made a difference in my life. I would like to thank these men one more time for the time and investment they put into me that week, for they will never know how much that meant to me! In conclusion, I would like to thank the Wisconsin Youth Ministries for their gracious contribution to my trip because, without it, there was no way I would have gone on the trip. Through your contribution, you made a difference in my life, allowed me to encourage others in my church to go but, most importantly, made a life-changing difference in the lives of many people in the city of Portland. Thank you so much for everything and I pray that God provides you with the opportunity to give others the same opportunity to go that you gave me. Thanks, and
God bless! Marina Fernandez: The city of Portland, Oregon, like many cities, has a spirit of bondage hovering over it. What made the Missions trip such a rewarding experience was the fact that so many could come together, all with different expectations. However, the first night, we all came together and prayed for the city, and for a common goal to reach the city. As we went on, the group became more unified and gained more confidence, and we started to develop a burden for Portland. Personally, I was shocked by the large amounts of homeless people that were in the city. I had never seen anything like it. After a few days of outreach, we had our first service. Lives were changed.That night, I saw so many people turning to God; they were truly open-
ing up to God and letting Him work in them. The burden for the city grew greatly; as these lives were changing, mine was too. The next few days, we earnestly swept the city with the news of the next two services: Miracles at Woodstock Park and The Children and Families day. The response we were receiving was hard to discern. You could feel the spirit of bondage over them but, at the same time, there was interest in what we had to share. At the end of our week in Portland, we all had been changed. Lost souls were driving the fire in our hearts. The last day was the hardest; though I had experienced a lot, I couldn’t help but feel there was so much more to be done.
Not to mention the friendships that were formed on the trip; we were unified and it made it that much harder to leave. The Meyers, the pastors of Gracepoint Ministries in Portland, have done a great work there and I am excited to see the good things that are going to happen. I will continue praying for them every day and the city they have been called to, and hope that others will do the same. I also would encourage churches to support AYC, and students to consider taking a trip. This is a lifechanging experience, not only for you, but for the people you reach as well! http://www.wisyouth.org
http://apostolicyouthcorps.com/
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BY LORETTA LUNDT What can I say to convince you? Family Camp is the place to be. If you go anywhere during the 4th of July week, go to Family Camp! If you plan a vacation for your family each summer, put Family Camp on your itinerary. You cannot go wrong. Family Camp is exactly what it says… it is FAMILY CAMP. There are services and activities for children as well as the adults. There is also wonderful fellowship with those who love the LORD JESUS!
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What an awesome place to go and spend time with God, your spouse, your children, and your extended church family!!! There are many who work hard to make sure you have an enjoyable time, from trim-
ming the grass and cooking the meals, to preaching the messages and leading the worship… Add the value of the blessings you and your children receive from the services, and you have a family experience that cannot be measured. Registered campers were fed a delicious and healthy breakfast and supper each day, and the Camp Canteen was open for lunch. The Shawano Campground offers camping opportunity, and there are rooms that can be rented as well. For those of you who aren’t into “roughing” it, there are hotels and restaurants available nearby. This year was again a great success. Many children received the gift of the Holy Ghost and
many others recommitted their lives to Christ. Everyone truly listening went home with a fresh perspective, and renewed hope and vision for the future of their families. The week started off with the Purpose Institute graduation and a special message from Rev. F.J. Ellis, titled “Mission Possible: Called to Lead the Church.” This year, the morning Bible teacher was Rev. Daniel Seagraves. He taught, “The New Testament Did Not Have a New Testament,” “The Messiah and the Psalms,” “Embracing Suffering as a Friend,” “The Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes,” and “Inspired Complaints.” The evening evangelist was Rev. Jerry Jones. His messages were titled, “The Sixth Sense,” “The Corner of Church and Liberty,” “Two Chains, Two Guards, and the Warden at the Door,” “Something is Following You,” and “The Extravagance of God.” These messages can be ordered through Media Missions at MediaMinistry@ WisconsinUPCI.org. Rev. Phillip Wagoner, and Larry and Diana Livengood were the children’s evangelists, and Sis. Darlene Boyte directed the choir. Blessings abounded. Thanks to all who made it possible, especially thanks to Jesus Christ, our Lord! You don’t want to miss next year, so make plans now. Family Camp 2013 will be held from June 30 - July 5.
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BY JOHN ZIMMERMAN The first event of Men’s Camp began as the first group of fishermen headed for their favorite fishing hole on Shawano Lake. They were on the water by 5:30 AM with rain threatening, but they would not be discouraged. Several more groups hit the water shortly after a brief downpour around 8:00 AM. The rain finally moved out in time for the golf tournament to begin. There were winners for the various categories: longest putt, most balls hit in the water, longest drive, and best score. Service began on Friday night with prayer and worship that shook the roof as the Wisconsin District men called on God and were unified in the power of the Holy Ghost. The first speaker to kick things off on Friday night was Bro. Jack Yonts, Sr. His message was taken from the text of 2 Samuel 10:12. Joab encouraged the troops as they were about to attack the Ammonites, “Be brave! We must be courageous for the sake of our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his eyes.” Elder Yonts challenged us by saying that we have a job to do as men. We need to represent our families and church well. We need to be brave and remember that somebody is not only watching us, but they are counting on us. Our first call from God is to consecrate ourselves to Him so that He can use us for His work. We must never think of ourselves as unusable because we are a “nobody.” Amos was a “nobody” and God used him to warn the king in his day that judgment was coming. Even Gideon thought of himself as the least of all men, yet God handpicked him to fight on God’s behalf. Bro. Yonts left the men with these words, “Be the priest of your home. Pray with your family. Let the children hear
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the echo of you praying throughout the house. Take the high road in everything you do. Be a man of your word. Keep your vows in marriage and love your wife with all of your heart. And when Jesus comes, you will hear Him say, ‘Well done!’” The baton was passed to Bro. Boettcher. His sermon was titled, “Being Delivered from Leftovers,” and his text was taken from John 6:9-14. Jesus fed the 5,000 and commanded the disciples to gather up the leftovers in baskets so that nothing would be wasted. The question that was presented by Bro. Boettcher and that would also be the driving source of the message was, “Did Jesus miscalculate the number of people that He needed to feed, or did the people accept less than what God had supplied?” It was an excellent spring pad to cause a hunger and stirring among the men. So often we stop receiving from God when we are merely satisfied instead of when we are completely full. Jesus provided for the need of the 5,000, and yet it appears that they stopped eating when they were content instead of when they were full. In the flesh, we typically go further. We eat more food, we want more things, we ask for more money, but not so in the Spirit. Many times we become content with spiritual outpouring long before God is done blessing us. It is as if we walk away, leaving leftovers of God’s blessings lying on the ground. How many miracles, how many healings, and how many answered prayers did we stop praying for
too soon? The altar call was given and Bro. Boettcher challenged the men saying, “You are only one prayer away from your miracle!” Afterward, pizza, soda, and homemade Iced Frappuccinos (Thank you Sis. Herman!!) were enjoyed in the dining hall. And as always, there was no shortage of homemade cookies! Sis. Jennifer Opheim and her staff once again outdid themselves. Saturday morning was a special treat. The service opened again in thunderous praise and worship, making room for God’s Spirit to once again have His way. The Sectional Men’s Representatives shared the pulpit with challenges to stay connected and accountable to one another. A spirit of unity and submission filled the place and God continued to till the ground in the hearts of the men. Finally Bro. Jack Yonts, Sr. took the platform and delivered a complete and anointed lesson on the history of the oneness message and the progression of the church. The men were educated, challenged, and filled, as God poured His blessings down once again. What a spiritual feast that the men of the Wisconsin District were treated to this year. Two outstanding speakers, four anointed messages, restoration, healing, challenge from the Holy Spirit, and good times of laughter and fun on the lake and the golf course, which was topped off by the best Christian fellowship in the world. Let it be said that once again, Men’s Camp 2012 was a complete success.
BY JEFFREY CONTRERAS Once again I found myself at the District Campgrounds, eager to fellowship with the brethren and ready to hear from the Lord, but this year’s Men’s Conference was so much more than that. As Bro. Jack Yonts, Sr. first took to the pulpit and began expounding on the precious Word of God, I knew we were in for a treat. One thing that caught my attention was Bro. Yonts’ repeated emphasis on Bible study teaching and soul-winning. Can you have one without the other? I was reminded of Paul’s writings to the Corinthian church, when he mentions the Gospel being “hid to them that are lost” and how it is to OUR own SHAME if people don’t have the “knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 4:3 & 1 Corinthians 15:34). What powerful statements Paul made, and I felt as though I was listening to yet another apostle of God at this year’s Men’s Conference. Upon returning home to my local church the following Sunday, I asked a question before I preached a sermon, heavily influenced by Bro. Yonts, and rightfully titled, “Still Going Strong.” The question was this, “If somehow God miraculously
brought Paul back from the dead and he was scheduled to preach at the upcoming Mid-Winter Camp Meetings, how many of us would make sure we not only got off of work, but we’d invite everybody we knew…?” Obviously my congregation responded, vehemently, that they’d all be there without a doubt. I then followed my question by asking the men in my congregation that missed Men’s Conference, why they passed up on the chance to hear Bro. Yonts. My point was blunt, obviously, but you could hear a pin drop in my congregation. In that moment, I was brought back to the first time I heard yet another elder speak, Bro. John Grant of Madison. I was 19. I remember distinctly hearing the Lord say to me, “Jeff, listen up and pay attention when Bro. Grant speaks.” The Lord then told me that I needed to be like a sponge. The Lord patiently explained to me that, like a sponge under water, I needed to absorb as much anointing and wisdom as I
could. Then when the time was right, God would give me the “squeeze” and I would pour out all that I learned and gained to the next generation following myself. It is no surprise to me that Bro. Yonts so effectively teaches a series on “Passing the Mantle.” So many young ministers, of which I am included, are eager to receive the mantle, but I wonder if we have EARNED the honor that men like John Grant and Jack Yonts have wholeheartedly sought God for with a lifetime of service, and more importantly, SOUL WINNING. Scriptures like 1 Timothy 5:17 have a whole new meaning to me now, “Let the elders that rule be counted worthy of DOUBLE HONOUR, especially they who LABOUR in the word and doctrine.” I would take the latter part of this verse to mean Bible study teaching, preaching, and the result: souls. This message was constantly echoing throughout Bro. Yonts’ teaching and preaching. To hear a man that has ministered for over 60 years still emphasize, over everything, Bible studies and soul-winning, is monumental. This cannot be ignored. Wake up church! This is what I took from Men’s Conference. The Great Commission is still the same, lost souls are still the cause, and shame on us if we ever forget this. The Bible method still works. That is, Bible studies are still the most effective way to bring the knowledge of God to a lost world. More than anything, we need laborers: Bible study teachers. We need a people that will love the lost, spend time with them, and do whatever it takes to introduce them to our Continued on page 18
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Changing the World Continued from page 3
you, so you can be affectionate to your children. • Like the astronauts, get a fresh revelation of your identity of the Kingdom of authority. Read Luke 10:17-20 • Stop begging for the promises of God and command ye the works of God’s hand. • I am the righteousness of God and no longer the person I used to be, no matter what feelings and thoughts try to mock me from my past. • Jesus is saying, your identity is written in heaven, and that is what determines how you change the world— not just by doing church work. • Jesus made love vulnerable and touchable—so he told Thomas to touch His wounds, “So I can touch your fears and your negative depressing attitudes.” • Recently a person came up to me in church and said, “Please forgive me for all the years of hurt that I caused you.” She did this while a powerful altar call was taking place, with repentance and identity worship. • The tenth leper saw Jesus’ redemptive love, so his worship flowed in appreciation and thanksgiving. The first century church experienced boldness, fearlessness and great joy, because they were eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ. Moses said in Exodus 33:18 “Show me your glory God, and then I can change my world.” Read Exodus 33:12-13 • I cannot lead or change people, unless I am willing to exercise faith in my identity of Kingdom authority. When Jesus confronted people with devils, they screamed. • Confronting the old mindsets of compulsive and manipulative behaviors…confronting hidden failed expectations that are now draining joy and
faith. Jesus wants to continuously blow our minds with fresh revelation of His glory and our identity. Read John 17:1-10, 21-24 • I have put on the image and glory of the divine nature of Jesus Christ. • So why then, if this is true, do we seek acceptance of people more than we do Jesus? • Why won’t I submit to the accountability of church leadership—because we need to re-examine our kingdom identity. It will change our world if “I” will change myself. • Why hang your harp on a willow? — I am referring to people with deferred hope. THERE ARE 3 KINDS OF KINGDOM GLORY THAT GOD WANTS TO SHOW HIS CHURCH, IN ORDER FOR US TO CHANGE OUR WORLD. 1. Celestial Glory • The awe of God’s creative power • Job 38 and 40:9-10 showed Job the light display of His celestial glory and it changed him in his sickness. He was all alone. 2. Redemptive Glory • This is the power of Jesus conquering sin • The garment of His royal glory • Read Revelation 5:7-10, Revelation 19:7-13 3. Transformation Glory • The intimacy of Jesus in changing our inner man. • Jesus transformed the woman at the well in John 4:25, 30-35 • When she saw her identity in His glory, she finally relinquishes her lovers to Him. She knew these men were no good for her, but she still kept them around. • When you wrestle with your identity, you allow addictions and replacement lovers to dominate your walk with God. The enemy seeks to blind God’s people from progressive revelation, so
he seeks to wear down the believers with religious disciplines. • He doesn’t mind you coming to church and looking holy—he just wants you to hold onto your old experiences and never reproduce yourself in others. • He wants you reliving the past and chasing the pleasures of this world only. • He wants you to believe you know all there is to know about God’s identity and Kingdom authority. • Lucifer made this mistake and was kicked out of heaven. We find our identity and purpose by learning, claiming and acting on the identity of Jesus Christ. • We receive and experience greater love for Jesus and people. • We maintain daily deliverance over our sin nature. • We can execute dominion over Satan and this world. • Peter, do you love me? Do you see my identity as the King of kings? Then, feed my sheep. Go and change the world. • Now these very same Apostles saw Jesus differently after His resurrection. • It killed fear and prejudices in them. It killed competitiveness, and shame, and guilt, when they saw the redemptive, and transformation, and celestial glory of Jesus Christ. • Command and speak to the mountain. To speak, in this context, means to exercise kingdom dominion over your enemy. • This is what happened in Zechariah. God commanded the filthy garments to be removed from Joshua. Satan was nowhere to be found. • Because salvation is entering into the kingdom with this identity. • Then people will want what we have. • Change a world by changing yourself. September/October 2012
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Junior Camp was held June 18-22 for children ages 9-12. This ye
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ear’s theme was about the life of Esther.
Photos by: Rhonda Maney
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Lord Jesus. I am thankful for men like Bro. Yonts and Bro. Grant, and for a Superintendent like Bro. Putnam, who are so passionate about reaching the lost. My words though, are not enough to express my gratitude. To give double honor only in writing is mediocre. There are countless elders now, in our midst, walking among us, walking all across the globe. Who are they to us? Who are they to YOU? Are we listening? Are we asking questions and seeking counsel? Are we patiently waiting for the mantle in humility? Or are we overzealous and eager to take the mantle before our time? I assure you, just like we have probably not earned the honor, as of yet, we are not ready to bear the burden of the mantle. The only way we will become ready is to be trained by those that have gone before us. This is God’s way, this is His method, and
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it works. More than just words, I hope my life becomes a never ending “thank you” to my elders. I pray that in all I do; I honor my elders by following their examples, being a man of God, and trying to reach the lost. This is the highest calling. In humility, I will give God all the credit for everything that I am able to do for Him in His kingdom. It is truly a privilege to serve God, and I am blessed to serve with and under my elders. I hope that someday, I can be counted among those that have crossed the finish line. It will be good company: company worthy of double honor. I will be content, just to be among the least. Thank you, Bro. Yonts, for saying what needed to be said. And to those that are reading this article, open your eyes to the men and women God has placed in your life. Take advantage of their knowledge and experience before it’s too late.
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