As we continue our series on doctrine I would like to remind us of why we are going through this teaching on our statement of faith. I know our newsletter might have a lot more buzz and excitement if a prophetic word came through which affected every reader, or we expounded on a new slant on the latest revelation in the Body of Christ. But I sincerely believe the Lord wants to remind us of our foundations. 

I Timothy 4:16:  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 

Over the last year in the western world we have faced the following challenges regarding truth and doctrine: The re-emergence of universalism and the centuries old question of how can a Good God allow someone to go to an eternal hell.

In the context of two Mormon presidential candidates in the US election process, we have had the public declaration by popular pastors that Mormonism and its teaching is equal to traditional Christianity. 

The teaching of a popular TV charismatic leader says that the book of James is not written to Christians, but only Jews, so that we don’t have to confess our sins to one another any more.  The same teacher states that the first chapter of I John isn’t written to Christians, but unbelievers, again referencing his doctrine that confession and walking in the light isn’t necessary for Christians but only for unbelievers when they first repent.

The “Good without God” movement defends, documents and advocates moral acts by atheists which benefit the poor, oppressed, and society in general.   They point out that they can do the same good works as Christians with the simple motivation of helping their fellow man in the name of humanism and compassion. One of the leaders of this is the atheistic chaplain at Harvard who infers there are a billion people on the earth who reject any form of religion but are still “good without God”. His book by the same title has been a bestseller and their billboards and extensive advertising have been prominent in many major cities in the western world.

It is with this background of “What is truth?” (John 18:38) that we are encouraging you to refresh yourself and the church with the reminders of our statement of faith.  We are not addressing these issues for the mere sake of debate on our worldview vs. someone else’s worldview, but soberly realizing we are dealing with the issues of the nature of God, man and the destiny of souls.

This month we want to review the 5^th point in our statement of faith:

WE BELIEVE THAT ALL MANKIND IS LOST IN SIN AND NEEDS TO TURN FROM IT AND TRUST PERSONALLY IN THE SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST;  ALL NEED TO BE BORN ANEW BY THE HOLY SPIRIT’S POWER INTO GOD’S FAMILY.  (Eph. 2:1-10; John 3:5-7)

Sometimes the bad news has to come before the good news. Scripture has always taught the tension between the dignity of man as a being created in God’s image (Gen. 1 and Psalm 8), and the depravity of man as a son that has left his Father to go his own way (Luke 15) and a bent to suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18) 

Paul wrote the book of Romans from Corinth which was the Las Vegas or Sin City of their day. As he, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, observed the nature of man he wrote the following about our condition without Christ:

Romans

1: 21  They knew God but did not glorify Him as God
           They became useless in their thinking
           Their foolish hearts were darkened
    22   They became fools
    24   They dishonor their bodies among themselves
    25   They exchanged the truth of God for a lie

  
Paul then writes two lists (definitely not pretty) of sins and evidences of rebellion before the Lord.

Rom. 1:27- 32
Rom. 3: 10-18

God describes us in Romans as:
3:19  a whole world that is guilty before God
5:6    without strength and ungodly
5:10  enemies

Scripture teaches us that:

Man is lost, but Jesus is a Shepherd
Man is an orphan, but God is Father who adopts
Man is confused and ignorant, but Jesus is a Teacher
Man is in darkness, but Jesus is the Light of the World
Man is starving, but Jesus is the Bread of Life
Man is guilty, but God is a justifier (one who declares innocent)
Man wastes his life, but God is the Author of Purpose
Man is foolish, but God is Wisdom
Man is a slave to sin, but God is a Redeemer 
Man is disharmonious noise, but God is an Orderly Composer
Man is under the influence of a spirit of disobedience, but God is a Baptizer in the Holy Spirit

Well, that’s the bad news. It vastly contrasts to our present day humanist prevailing worldview which believes man is basically good and a little more education, economic opportunities, scientific advances or the UN, can solve everything.

The good news is God has an answer for our true condition in Jesus and the Cross.  
I love the song which starts out, “Everybody needs compassion, the Kindness of a Savior.”

But without the knowledge of our condition we won’t see the need to call out for the Savior.
Let’s praise Him that He has reached us with His love and salvation in our lost condition!!

The Book of Genesis conveys a couple of instances when God called forth vision in Abraham’s life (Genesis 13:14-15; 15:5). Abraham received vision from God to behold the impossible as being possible. Abraham’s vision pulsated with faith in his heart for the remainder of his life.

Genuine, God-given vision causes you to expect God to do what you cannot do. Vision gives you impetus to move forward by faith. It also gives you the stamina to continue working toward the fulfillment of your God-given dream, even in spite of impossible circumstances.

Vision from God always focuses on who God is and what He has chosen to do in and through your life. True God-given vision challenges you to believe for the impossible. In addition to this, as you pursue the vision God has given you, your faith will grow. You will expect God to do what you cannot do. In other words, vision from God will motivate you to believe Him to work the impossible and thereby, manifest His kingdom on earth; both in and through your life!

It is the will of God that you receive His vision. How can you receive a vision from God?

1) Ask God to give you a vision.

2) Associate with people who have vision.

3) Read about people that had or have vision.

Articulate Your Vision

Once you receive vision from the Lord, your next priority will be to articulate your vision.

In the Book of Habakkuk, God told the prophet to, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” (Habakkuk 2:2)

God told Habakkuk that others would run when they read the vision. The truth conveyed is this: Clearly articulated, God-given vision will motivate others to believe God to perform what He has purposed to do.

Consider the vision at Catch the Fire Toronto: “To walk in God’s love and give it away to Toronto, and to the world.” This vision statement is easy to remember but powerful in its application!

 It takes time to hone your vision. Here are some practical suggestions:

1) Write down or type whatever is in your heart.

3) Ask the Lord to help you simplify your vision so that others will remember it.

2) Share your written thoughts with a trusted Christian friend or elder.

4) Practice writing or typing your vision until you have it honed.

A Strategy to implement Vision

Vision from the Lord will motivate you as you pursue your plans and goals. Everything you do in life and ministry will propel you toward fulfilling your God-given vision.

If you lead a church or ministry, it is important that you understand how vision can affect the people that follow you. Simply put, your vision will become their vision. As they listen to you expound on the vision and see God bring it to pass, their hearts will continue to develop trust in you as a leader. Here are some suggestions to help people catch your vision:

1. Expound on the vision by preaching and teaching from the Word of God.
2. Write the vision on a banner and post it in your church.
3. Remind the people of the vision on a regular (monthly or quarterly) basis.
4. Type your vision on your web site, weekly bulletin, or some other form of media.

Vision and Money

Vision has the “power” to release financial resources into your ministry. It has been said that, “Money is quick to run after vision, slow to catch up to need.”

Consider the financial blessing that abounded during the time of the early church. Believers were being added to the Lord daily. The Book of Acts indicates that many of them sold possessions and gave the money to the apostles.

If you are lacking in financial resources, perhaps you are not clearly communicating your God-given vision.          

Today more than ever, the world needs people and leaders of vision! We know that times are tough in the economy. But we do not depend on this earthly economy to meet our needs. The Lord is our provider and His economy – the kingdom of God – has limitless resources!

Ask the Lord to give you His vision. Then write it down. Preach and teach the vision until others “catch it.” Expect the Lord to release His resources into your life and ministry. After all, God provides for what He promotes!

Dr. Phil Gauthier is a trainer of coaches with and an advisor to Global Entrepreneurs Institute, a branch of LaRed International. Phil has pastored for 28 years. He is a teacher and he ministers in a prophetic anointing. Phil and his wife Caroline currently serve as senior pastors of Hope in Life Church (a Friends in Harvest Church), which they founded in 1997. They reside in Carmel, New York.

WE BELIEVE in the divinity of Jesus Christ the Son, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His death for us on the cross, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the Father, and His personal, physical return to rule the earth in power and love. (John 1:14-18, 1 Thess. 4:16-18)

In ‘river church’ circles where we have rediscovered the magnificent revelation of the Father heart of God, there is a temptation to speak more like dualists rather than trinitarian.  Our Holy Spirit encounters have brought incredible freedom and release, we have embraced the lavish love of the Father, but have we run the risk of marginalizing or even ignoring the central character of Jesus?

In traditional church buildings like the wonderful Cathedrals we have in the UK you are confronted in the architecture with a massive cross in the centre of building. It is impossible to escape the centrality of the death, resurrection and return of Jesus, the central figure in history, the ‘God made man’ figure that, in the words of the Message, ‘sorts the sin problem out’.

Jesus the ‘sent one’ of the Father, the apostolic delegate of God, left the security and serenety of heaven to make a Kingdom of Heaven foothold on earth. Which we the current body of Jesus get to multiply and multiply! The ‘sent one’ of Jesus is the Holy Spirit, who in turn sends us!  The apostolic nature of God is sending the fullness of heaven to earth, and right in the middle of it all is Jesus.

In Jesus we have a tangible, visible and very human expression of the eternal invisible God. If we want to know the Father then we need to know Jesus.  It is totally impossible to relate to a Father in Heaven without relating to a Jesus on earth.  The very comfort and relationship we have with Father God is filtered through the heavenly rule of Jesus, enabled and motivated by the Holy Spirit.  These three work in complete interwoven joined-ness.  The Celtic Christians showed this by the eternal knot, where a 3-leaf clover  style design showed the 3 distinct branches and yet if you follow the line it is never ending. 

John 1:16 talks about Jesus coming to earth on the divine mission.  We have all received ‘grace upon grace’. Too right!  Jesus took on a grace mission, a lavish mercy love assignment to punch a permanent hole between heaven and earth. He lived with people like you and me to show us what the culture of heaven was all about, demonstrating a way of living which fulfills the legal requirements of holiness, called grace.  Then even more amazing grace, he pays the ultimate, life itself.  We get to operate our lives in the lavish grace of God, coming under His rule, allowing our attitudes and judgements to be grace changed.  Transforming our actions to reflect the fullness of the divine temperament, grace! 

Our talk of Father must lead us to talk of the Son which must lead us to talk of the Spirit… and so the loop continues.  But the only reason we today experience the lavish overflow of the heavenly blessing of Father through the Spirit is the decisive central figure of Jesus.  Jesus, grace upon grace.

Stewart Keiller is the Leader of Bath City Church and is married to Deborah and they have 4 daughters.  He is the author of 2 books, “Pursuing a Heavenly Vision” and “Pearl Hunters”.

Fast forward a year to November 2011: around 200 current and rising leaders came together from across Turkey for an ILSOM, led by a very strong team from Canada, the US, and the UK.  Considering the size of the Turkish Church – there are only around 4,000 Muslim-background believers out of a population close to 80  million – this is a great turnout, with delegates from close to 20 cities and 25 churches.  In fact we had to limit attendance, and our hotel was completely maxed out.  Apart from the normal ILSOM schedule, which runs five full days, we had four evening meetings, and everyone received prophetic ministry as well. So this was a packed, intense, high-quality, first-of-its-kind gathering, at a critical time.

Testimonies

A Turkish pastor could not get around the idea of Jesus as the groom and himself as a bride.  Intellectually, yes, of course . . but emotionally?  Too difficult.  That night he had a vivid dream, in which he was dressed in a wedding gown, complete with his beard, and Jesus came and took him dancing.  

A veteran minister told our church last week:  “I have been in love with Jesus for many years – but not with the Father, I was afraid of him.  That has completely changed now!”

Mehmet somewhat incoherently tried to explain the staggering encounter he had just experienced – a chariot ride to heaven to meet with Jesus! 

For the first time in her life Ayse fell down while receiving ministry.  She was completely out, and I had to explain to her concerned friend that this was not a medical emergency, but a deep rest from the Holy Spirit.  When she woke up we learned it was more than this: Ayse had gone to heaven, stood before the throne, and seen a river of light flowing from the throne. 

Nejla’s testimony is less dramatic but also life-changing:  “My anger is gone, I understand much more deeply the significance of the cross.  I fell in love with God – and how!  Now I cannot think of anything other than God.” 

Figen, a young woman, described what changed in her:  “I met the Holy Spirit.  I started to live deeper in him, to feel his presence. Now I know him – he is so very sweet.” 

And over on the side a bunch of people on the floor, laughing, laughing, overcome by joy . . and fire tunnels filled with fire . . .  Yes, it felt and looked like Toronto had landed in Turkey. 

There are many more stories, but I have heard only a few of them because the participants have scattered across Turkey, back to their cities and churches having seen and tasted that there is more.  I think this was a gift from the Lord to his church in Turkey at just the right time.

Each time a person picks up a Bible, he or she opens the grandest message ever given to earth. Nothing has ever come to the hands of humankind that even approaches that completeness and clarity or the love and grace presented in God’s Word.

 Exceeding any of its other superlative qualities is the Bible’s unique, multi-dimensional power.  The Bible breathes with truth that is proven in its power to set human beings free.

The Bible transforms individual men and women trapped in any and every order of human failure, lifting them from selfishness and sin to dignity and destiny by the power of the grace it reveals.  And the Bible heals the human soul through its unparalleled ability to communicate and infuse love into and through human nature by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Truth, grace and love abound here—but the power that attends and actuates them is the dynamic difference in the Bible’s message.  Of all the writings that have affected human thought and behaviour, the Word of God stands alone in this respect: received in faith, it is “word with power“.  (Jack Hayford.)

As in past times, there is an all out attack on the word of God from outside and oft times well meaning people inside the body of Christ, write books about their latest musings on Heaven, Hell, Sin, our Tolerance etc and because of our fast media can bring, at times, confusion to many which brings with it brokenness, bitterness and battles.

I also see many people talking about the latest `Twilight Movies` and see some Christian young people carrying the books as if they contain life in them.

 The question I want to pose to all of us is this, “Are we still in love with Jesus and His Word,  or have we lost the value of the Word of God as our guide in our families, our homes, our businesses, or do we just keep it until Sundays in our Churches or at conferences?”

The Word says to imprint the Word of God on our Children’s hearts and to write it on the door frames of our homes as a way of Life.

• In Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

What happens to us when we open the Bible or Word of God, do we have the same expectation and excitement as when we were first saved and began to read of the Fathers love for us or do we now read it out of duty?

At times it is like our marriages when they become dutiful and a coldness of heart creeps in, we have to intentionally seek revitalization, rejuvenation and renewal of our love and vows. 

My prayer: Lord, give me back my hunger, excitement, expectation and love for your Word and the revelation it will bring.  Bring me back to my first Love.  Amen.

After returning to Ishpeming in the fall of 2004, we soaked in God’s Word and in His Presence for many months, seeking direction.  We were led to Nehemiah and received the word to “Arise and Build”.  We then started meeting in our home to share the love of the Father.  We rented township halls, gathered in motel rooms and borrowed other churches to hold conferences and training meetings. 

We became members first of Friends In Harvest and then of Partners In Harvest in November of 2007.

In June of 2009 a dear saint, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that he had been watching us and our growth and believed that we were “good ground”.  He gave us a gift of cash to purchase three North Lake school buildings that had sat vacant for 12 years. Before the papers were even signed we had a team from North Carolina in one of the buildings, training and equipping the saints in the region. 

God has decreed that we be a resource center, a watering hole, for the Upper Peninsula and beyond.  Since we’ve acquired the buildings, we’ve had many ministers and leaders from the larger Body of Christ come here to pour into us and the region.

In June of this year a small crew of amazing, missionary minded brothers and sisters from several churches from the Lower Peninsula came along side of us and assisted in cleaning out the unoccupied main brick school building.  They removed thirteen tons of debris from two of the floors!  There is much work yet to be done to prepare it for the next phase of the renovation.  We at Father’s Heart believe that the Lord would like to see it occupied in the very near future and used as a Leader’s School and Training Center for the whole region.  We also see it being used as a Conference Center.

Because of the amazing love of God, Father’s Heart Christian Fellowship is only the first of many PIH churches that will dot the landscape across the beautiful, rugged Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  It is our prayer that He be glorified in and through His Church to our state, region and to the ends of the earth.

Ron & Renee Grochowski pastor Father’s Heart Christian Fellowship in Ishpeming, MI.  Ron is a Civil Engineer and still owns and operates his own Engineering and Building business and Renee is a a former Registered Nurse.  They have three married children and eight beautiful grandchildren, all residing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The concept of  God dwelling eter­nally in three Persons has inspired awe and wonder in the heart of man, enlightening, enriching and elevating his view of Al­mighty God. The view of God that has been held by Christians for the last 2,000 years is that he exists as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – not that there are three separate Gods, nor that he is one God wearing three different hats – but that there is only one God who exists as three distinct Persons.

That God exists in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the only basis on which the Christian doctrine of redemption can be intelligently set forth. Hence, the revelation concerning the plurality of Persons in the Godhead is not given for the mere purpose of presenting something which shall be puzzling to human minds, but as a necessary step in the much fuller revelation concerning the plan of salvation.

A good beginning point here is to note the number of passages in the New Testament that mention all three persons of the Trinity together, often within the space of either one or two verses. The following are a few such passages.

Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all na­tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

Luke 1:35: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

Romans 1:1, 3, 4: “. . . The gospel of God, . . .concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was . . . declared to be the Son of God with power, ac­cording to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

Romans 15:30: “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me.”

2 Corinthians 13:14: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

The very fact that so many passages can refer to each of the three persons of the Trinity, with each having a distinctive role in our salvation and growth is the strongest possible evidence that the Holy Spirit is distinct from God the Father, just as Jesus is distinct from God the Father.

The following passages are particularly significant:

At the baptism of Jesus we read, “…he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love…’”(Matthew 3:16:17). Note that the Spirit descends on Jesus to empower him for his public ministry, while God the Father speaks from heaven. This speaks of the amazing unity and personal impact each one of them has on us today.

Jesus’ final commands to his disciples, recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, includes the command to baptise converts, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Baptism signifies our participation of dying to self and living connected to a divine family.

One writer, puts it this way:

Our prayer is not making conversation with God. It is joining the conversation that is already going on in God. It is being invited to participate in the relationships of intimacy between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is an eternal dance already in full swing, and we are caught up in to it. Prayer is allowing ourselves to join the dance and experience the movements, the constant interplay of the Persons of the Trinity. 

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Here is one of the clearest references of the three Persons of the Godhead, each of whom is designated by that special ministry that belongs to him.

John the Baptist taught them about the Holy Spirit even before Jesus appeared (Matt. 3:11; John 1:32-34).  Jesus referred to God as “Father” 181 times, and later the disciples called Him “Father” 78 times, and not once is He confused with, or called “Jesus” or “the Holy Spirit.”

Though each of the Persons of the Trinity exercises a different role in meeting our needs and preparing us for future glory, these roles often overlap. They exist in a unity of love, and all their purposes towards us are achieved in harmony with one another. All this points strongly to the fact that God himself is not only personal, but exists in relationships. Jesus himself declared that the unity of love that he desires the church to demonstrate to the world should be patterned on the unity that existed between him and God the Father (John 17:20,21).

If we, in our relationships, are meant to demonstrate the character of God, then the idea of the Trinity provides a very good explanation of what real relationship is all about!

On March 3rd 2012, we are setting sail for seven days of fun in the sun and fun in the Holy Spirit on Royal Caribbean’s brand new “Oasis of the Seas“, their five star luxury cruise liner, that is packed with lots of fun at every turn. Our on-board conference sessions will include worship, teaching and ministry from many of our great friends including: Reinhard Bonnke, Roland & Heidi Baker, John & Carol Arnott, Chris DuPre, Chris McClarney, Steve & Sandra Long and Duncan & Kate Smith. We are also offering Kids Ministry and Youth Ministry so this cruise will be fun for the whole family!

We are also planning to have a special Partner’s in Harvest Gathering (PIH) with Reinhard Bonnke for everyone to connect, and to get a little insight into what our Churches can do to support global missions.  

SPECIAL DISCOUNT!

We would love to have as many of you come as possible, so we have worked out a special discount for PIH pastors!  For every cabin you help us fill, we will give you money towards your cruise!  That’s right, if help us fill up to 5 cabins, we will give you $100 per cabin off yours.  For every cabin over 6 that you help us fill, we will give you $150 per cabin off yours!

Why not consider having your lead teams come for a week of fun in the sun, to get refreshed, renewed and inspired!  

From March 3rd to 10th, 2012 – this 7 night ocean adventure starts in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with ports of call in Labadee, Haiti, Falmouth, Jamaica & Cozumel, Mexico.

For more information, please visit www.catchthewavecruise.com or call 1 (250) 882 8390.

If you’re feeling a little down that you can’t make it this week, have no fear. This year for the first time the entire conference will be streamed online. You can follow this link to Catch the Fire TV and watch the live sessions and the recorded sessions as they become available.

So go ahead and join us as we worship and gather together as a family of believers!

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For those who are wondering, the following is a brief explanation of the conference theme:

Several years ago the Lord spoke to Patricia Bootsma of Jubilee Christian Fellowship that there would be a convergence of the three steams in the Body of Christ – Toronto, Kansas City and Redding. Toronto, with it’s revelation of the Father’s Love, Inner Healing and the River of God, Kansas City with the emphasis of Jesus’ soon return, intimacy, and the Tabernacle of David (Worship and Prayer movement) and Redding’s wisdom in walking in the Power of the Spirit, Signs and Wonders and Evangelism. The converging of these three streams will bring a fuller revelation of the Trinity to the Body of Christ, help usher in the Great End Time Revival and raise the water level (Ezekiel’s River) to an extent we can only attain together.

We are seeing the fulfillment of that prophecy in this year’s PIH International conference. We are so blessed to have Bill & Beni Johnson from Redding, CA, Wes Hall from IHOP in Kansas City and John & Carol Arnott from Catch the Fire Toronto all together in one conference. We are believing for the convergence of these streams to connect us in unity for the fullness of Glory to be revealed.

Enjoy!