the next wave magazine october 2012
DESCRIPTION
the voice of Apostolic restorationTRANSCRIPT
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The Voice of Apostolic Reformation Volume 80 Issue 10 OCTOBER 2012
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http://www.icof.net
THE NEXT WAVE
www.icof.net
PUBLISHER
International Circle of Faith (ICOF)
The Next Wave - Contributing Editors
David Tait, Lee Bates, Bernie Wade,
Dallas Carter, Robert Straube, Barney
Philips, John Rogers, Sanford Wade,
Doc Burkhart
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502.410.4263
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THE NEXT WAVE MAGAZINE
P.O. Box 72 Sulphur, KY 40070
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FIVEFOLD
Dr. Bernie Wade
ICOF MISSIONS
Dr. Barney Phillips
Fatal Progress!
Bishop Samuel Smith
RELIGITICS
EUGENICS &
Bill Gates
The Unified Army
Dr. Robert Straube
God Meant it for Good
David Wilkerson
EVENTS
WHAT IS A CHURCH
Dr. Robert Straube
ICOF Business
Development
Dr. John Rogers
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By Bernie L. Wade, Thd.
If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: (Rev. 22:19-20) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, an out of the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book. “Modern Christianity has convinced itself that Jesus provided two distinct gospels and two distinct faiths — one for the first century church and one for those who followed after. The first was miraculously empowered; the second was not. The first had the baptismal gift of the Holy Spirit; the second was merely given a book telling what the Holy Spirit had achieved in the past.”1 This approach to the New Testament gives the modern apologists license to make any change that they want to the doctrine of the New Testament Church. Under this premise grievous wolves have come into the Church teaching a variety of man-made and hell inspired ideas. Even among those who believe the New Testament and understand that there is no Scriptural basis for the
1 KINGDOM FAITH OR KINGDOM FICTION — WHICH IS IT? By Charles Carrin
premise that the Charismata has ended there is misdirection and confusion. All of this is contrary to the mandate of Jesus Christ that He transferred to His apostles to whom He gave oversight of the Church. This is no authority given in Scripture to make such a radical change to the plan of God, but modern organizations have taken the objective to explain away the plan of God for His people. According to one American denomination, “With the restoration of the miraculous gifts to the Church has also come the question of whether God is restoring the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4:11: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be
prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers.” Bible scholars differ on whether the gifts of pastor and teacher are separate in Ephesians 4 (yielding a total of five), or whether a better translation might be “. . . and some to be pastor-teachers” (yielding a total of four). Greek grammar would seem to dictate four, but the New Testament often
discusses pastoral and teaching roles separately. However, the best designation for ministry is neither fivefold nor fourfold but manifold. Ephesians 4:12 gives to all saints the work of ministry, while 1 Corinthians 12:28–30 and Romans 12:6–8 provide aspects of ministry beyond the designations in Ephesians 4:11,12. Relatively few questions are raised
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about the validity of contemporary evangelists, pastors, and teachers.2 So, the position of this denomination is that there is no challenge to Pastors, teachers and evangelists, but they are not sure about Apostles and Prophets. There is also a definite that God has restored the miraculous gifts but he might have decided to hold back on fivefold ministry. Is there really a doubt that the fivefold ministry was given by God to His body? Did the New Testament Church hold this position? This is the exact problem dealt with by Apostle Paul is addressing those who did not believe.
For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.3
Organizations are the work of men. While the concept of being organized and having direction and purpose is certainly good and by not in and of itself contrary to the Word of God. However, organizations or denominations often fail to realize that they are merely a vehicle that God is using. No organization or
2©General Council of the Assemblies of God 1445 North Booneville
Avenue Springfield, Missouri 65802-1894
http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/position_papers/pp_downloads/pp_4195
_apostles_prophets.pdf 3 Romans 11:29.
denomination has the authority to rewrite the Word of God. Let God be true and all men be liars. These organizations take the place of God
when they attempt to decide how and to what extent God Spirit is permitted to operate or to claim part is operational and part was only for those in the -past. Thankfully, God did not appoint a committee of
preachers to decide how His body would function. For more on the subject of Fivefold read The Next Wave - Restoration of the Charismata by Dr. Bernie L. Wade http://issuu.com/charismata/docs/the_next_wave_-_restoration_of_the_charismata
Dr. Bernie Wade is the President of the
International Circle of Faith (ICOF) A
Global body of believers served by more
than 50,000 ministers representing more
than 25 million constituents. This is
considered the largest Apostolic body of
believers in the history of the world.
http://www.icof.net
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ICOF members have united over 50,000 ministers
representing more than 25 Million constituents, several
hundred colleges, universities and other Christian schools,
orphanages & feeding programs, humanitarian aid
organizations, chaplains and other charities.
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Bill Gates and the new
Malthusians
To commemorate the 100th
anniversary of the first eugenics
conference, the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation put on a family
planning conference in London last
month, co-hosted by the UK
Department for International
Development, with a bunch of pro-
abortion and population control
fanatics from Planned Parenthood,
Marie Stopes International, and the
United Nations Populations Fund
(UNFPA).
What is driving Bill and Melinda Gates
to stop people having children? Why
is abortion now part of UK foreign aid
policy? We investigate here
http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/?
p=4011
Psalm 127:3 Lo, children are an
heritage of the LORD: and the fruit
of the womb is his reward.
Bill Gates' ‘Soft Eugenics’
Last month we published a report on
the Gates Foundation, focusing on
how it has been promoting a type of
‘soft eugenics’ under the pretence of
‘family planning.’ More has since
come to light. Read about these new-
styled 'kings of the earth' here:
http://www.christianvoice.org.uk/?
p=4179
Yours in the mighty name of Jesus,
Stephen Green - Christian Voice
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Fatal Progress! by Bishop Samuel Smith
Jesus said: ". . . Take heed that no man deceive you . . . For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:4, 24). If we indeed believe that our Lord provided sufficient warning to be informed relative to the "end-time," certainly the spirit of "deceit" cannot be ignored! Paul warned: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering unto him . . . Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there be a falling away first. . . " (II Thessalonians 2:1-3). I ask a sincere question, was Paul beside himself with end-time paranoia? I am convinced, after years of experience, observing the present state of the Apostolic Church, against the backdrop of the signs of the time, that the end-time battle will be won or lost upon the basis of one's successful struggle with the "spirit of deception!" Amos proclaimed, "Prepare to meet thy God!" Daniel warned of the flattery spoken by, and the marvelous words of, the Prince of Darkness, whose spirit would pervade the last days. Peter predicted, "Scoffers shall arise in the last days." John identified Jesus as the true God, and admonished us
to stay away from idols! Were these Bible heroes "false alarmists?" Frank Bartleman, contemporary of William Seymour and converted newspaper writer, whom God chose to become the recorder of the famed Azusa Street Revival, predicted an end-time church that would be swayed by a "Christ-less Pentecost." Can we discount Bartleman's prophetic warning? After the advocates of advancement and critics of caution have had their say; after the tug of war between conservatives and liberals has played out; both the despisers
of compassion and the unifiers at any cost, have one thing in common, they have drunk from the common cup of religious poison. Christian compassion is not compromise nor is mindless unification, progress! We must ask
these questions: "When did Satan change his grand design, and when did the Harlot Church and her daughters get saved?" We are amply warned of an end-time Harlot Church, where doctrine is polluted by an unholy affair with the world; a system drunk on the blood of the saints, totally adrift, indulging in the pleasures of the flesh; so worldly and so un-heavenly, it is called "The synagogue of Satan." That despicable monster whom the Bible calls the "Great Whore," and powerful preachers, from Luther, Spurgeon, and countless others, even our dear Apostolic forefathers, granted no quarter. That Mother of Harlots draws little notice from
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most today, nor do the daughters she has birthed, except that too often, too many try to craft their claims to success in her's and their scarlet images. When a well-known Pentecostal preacher declares that the Pope's message on universal brotherhood was one of the best sermons he has ever heard . . . Beware! When the leading full-gospel magazine in the entire world speaks favorably of Charismatic and Catholic union . . . Beware! Call me an "alarmist," I rest my case upon the pages of end-time prophecy! In my lifetime I have been challenged by my mentors, Holy men of God, to pursue Bible Revival! In light of the Holy Scriptures and influenced by those anointed pathfinders who have articulated the vision, our Apostolic heritage diligently pursued the Promise; doctrinal integrity and worldwide Bible Revival! Why now, among so many, the "drag and the drift?" Must the flame flicker and die out? Are we doomed by either extreme; hostility to evangelism; or, an ambitious quest to free ourselves from the last vestiges of classical "Pentecostalism" to the point of abandoning Sacred Landmarks and Holy Revelation? In the Quest for big-time "interdenominational" Pentecostal unity, we can never "trade off" the Revelation of the Mighty God in Christ; the power in His name; the masterpiece called the "Acts of the Apostles"; and the role of water baptism in the new birth. I propose this question for those who feel it meritorious to forfeit doctrinal integrity for strength in numbers: why stop with unifying
with non-Apostolic Pentecostals; the numbers would be even greater if we continued further and merged with all neo-conservative/fundamentalists? The fact remains the strength of numbers would really be significant if we unified with mainline Protestantism. The numbers would really be staggering if we continued further and rejoined worldwide Christian Orthodoxy. And really, couldn't we make an awesome statement in the face of the perils of Islam, heathenism, atheism, cultism, and possibly reemerging communism, if we returned to that part of Rome that is charismatic? But wait a minute, I've heard that before! It is the echo in my memory, ringing forth from the pages of Holy Writ, screamed forth from the lips of Paul, "Come out from among them, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (II Corinthians 6:17).
Our forefathers in the "faith", from Charles Parham at Topeka, until recently, warned us of the perils of Mystery Babylon/Roman Catholicism and the magnetic pull of her wayward, gifted, and ever
so lovely daughters. In the "1960's" my heart pounded, when at a sweltering, hot, July Texas camp meeting, with real sawdust, my young preacher's soul was warned: "While the church-world prepares to return to Mother Rome, we Apostolics are preparing to go home to Father, the Mighty God in Christ." Read Isaiah 9:6. Paul's warning to the Galatians is more than applicable to our time: "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth" (Galatians 3:1).
Charles F. Parham
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Our faithful watchmen on the wall, a generation ago, predicted the inevitable effects of ecumenicalism upon the Church, they recognized the "puppeteer" and his "puppets;" but very few words are spoken today about this fatal threat! Why? Because the extremes are shouting so loud in both ears, right and left, conservative and liberal; must we make a choice to either split hairs and fight "straw-men" or trash our holy heritage? When I hear of Charismatic-Catholics who speak with tongues, and claim that the spiritual gifts make the sacraments of the Church of Rome more dear, and mother Mary more real to their lives, I am troubled! When I hear, ministers, widely accepted in some Apostolic circles, boast that he has Catholics in his church, who still pray to Mary, but that does not bother him; . . . I am bothered! Are we trading our birthright for a "morsel?" Why the rush for numbers, acclaim, fame, riches, leisure and luxury? Every item I mentioned in the preceding sentence is an enemy too real, soul saving "Revival." The fans of the beer-swilling "Christian" athlete, the world-loving Charismatic Hollywood star, to the tongue-talking country-western singer, sit comfortably in many of our churches today! Our claim to fame is not who attends our churches, but who died for our Church! Jesus said, ". . . this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come" (Matthew 24:14). If the commonly accepted version of the "gospel" that so many Apostolics are now rushing to embrace were the real "gospel," then Jesus would have returned by now! That version of the gospel (which Paul called another gospel) has been bounced around the world by monks, conquistadors, denominal missionaries for centuries, (and of late, famed televangelists), to every continent and islands of the seas. I affirm that the Gospel unveils the
revelation of the Mighty God in Christ, in the Old Testament concealed, in the New Testament revealed! At Sinai, the revelation demanded a sacrifice; at Calvary, the sacrifice demanded a revelation . . . Jesus is God! I affirm that infallible
scripture declares, and the Gospel propounds, the power in the blood, the power in the name, and the name sovereign in all instances, not the least of which, in water baptism by immersion. As the old songwriter chorused, "All Hail the Power in Jesus name!" I affirm that the Gospel brings access to whosoever will, by virtue of obedience, and sins remitted, to the Holy of Holies; there they are filled with the promise of God, the Holy Ghost with Bible evidence of speaking with new tongues and power following, to live a life holy and separated, from an unholy and hell-bound world! I affirm that this Gospel is the only means for one being
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prepared when Jesus returns in a moment, with the shout of the archangel! Divine order, as inscribed by the pattern of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, Exodus 25-40, decrees that adherence to this "Gospel" is the only means to live a holy life, avoid "Hell", and be "Heaven" prepared. Acts 2:38, preached by the "man with the keys," contains the essential command, "Repent," the correct formula for water baptism, the power in the name, cleansing by the blood and the promised Holy Ghost infilling: "If this gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost" (II Corinthians 4:3). How can American Apostolics so easily discount the Revelation, and trade off such beautiful truths for apparent progress, when for centuries and even now, there are multiplicities who have paid, and are still paying a great price for this Truth? I know first-hand the account of the Apostolic revelation in India, their struggle with Hindus, Muslims, denominationalism, and non-Apostolic Pentecostals, to attain and maintain the Truth! I have joyfully reviewed the first English version of the history of the Apostolic Church in Russia; how that early in the 20th Century, Spirit-filled Russians, hungered for more truth and God revealed it to them. From that point, at great risk and peril, they treasured the Revelation of the Mighty God in Christ, and water baptism in the name of
Jesus, with equal fervor to their initial Holy Spirit infilling! I have personally talked with the elders of the large True Jesus Church of China, claiming 5 million baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and filled with the Holy Ghost speaking with tongues. They have told me how a Chinese Presbyterian pastor in 1917, seeking more of God, fasted for 39 days, (stopping 1 day short of Christ's length of fast, feeling unworthy to be compared with Him), was commanded by God to baptize himself in the name of the "Lord Jesus
Christ," thus beginning one of the most glorious chapters of the 20th Century Church, a story I cannot even begin to describe in this limited space. I cannot ignore how God used a young Mexican housekeeper,
returning to her native country from Los Angeles to carry this "Gospel" to a land then ravished by revolution and Mary-worship, to sow the seed of another 20th Century Apostolic Revival. During my many trips to the Philippines, I have rejoiced at the accounts of the persistent moves of the Holy Ghost to break through the spiritual darkness of that distant Asian land and reveal this Gospel! In World War II, a dying American soldier gave his Bible to a Catholic Filipino and prophesied that the truth therein would truly liberate him, his family, and country. Since then, countless men and women of the Philippines have selflessly given themselves to preach this Truth. Today
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hundreds of thousands are born-again the Bible way! In Manila, a former Trinitarian preacher so moved by God to dedicate his life to prayer and fasting, that this Truth was revealed to him; he has since preached to 25 to 40 thousand in service each Sunday, and two hours daily upon national television, reaching well over a million souls each week. In Korea, denominational Christians are being baptized in Jesus' name and speaking with new tongues, rising at 4 A.M. daily to pray for God to save their nation. I could continue with a factual parade of worldwide examples of Bible Truth revealed and total commitment to the clearly defined Gospel; but I will stop and ponder the incredible. And we American Apostolics would retreat? While multitudes are rushing to the Revelation, hungry and thirsty for more Truth, can we bear the thought that any of us will pass them, heading the other way? . . . "I want nothing to do with Fatal Progress!"
Bishop is the General
Chairman of the
Apostolic World
Christian Fellowship
[AWCF]
40 Soldiers for Jesus Christ
Even though few today in American sacrifice much at all for their faith in Christ, there are stories in history that tell us amazing accounts of those who have suffered because of their faith. One such story took place in 328 A.D.. in a city high in the icy mountains of Armenia.
It was a bitterly cold winter and in the middle of that winter an order came from the Roman emperor that every man, woman, and child under the rule of his empire must bow down to him as a god. Now there was a powerful force of Roman soldiers in that Armenian city known as the “Thundering Legion”, and their reputation as a powerful military force was
known through all the Roman Empire. But the emperor was not satisfied with their military service - he wanted each soldier to bow down to him.
When the time came for each soldier to bow down, 40 could not. They were faithful soldiers, but more importantly, they were Christians - they could not obey the emperor's order to make him their god. They said, “We can only worship the one true God.”
Well, when the word of these 40 Christian soldiers refusing to bow down and worship him was received by the emperor, his command back was simple, “Bow down to me, reject your Christian God, or die”. But the 40 Christian Roman soldiers did not bow
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down - so the decision was made that they would die. But how should they die? Should they be fed to the hungry lions? Should they be burned at the stake? These were both terrible ways to die, but an even more cruel death was prescribed - they were to be frozen to death in the bitter cold winter.
So they took the 40 soldiers to a frozen lake in the middle of a terrible storm. They stripped them of all their clothing and left them to freeze to death.
But the general didn't want to lose these 40 good soldiers. He said, “Simply bow down to the emperor and save your life?” But they did not. The soldiers taunted and laughed at them – “soon you'll be back; you will bow down”. But the laughing stopped when these 40 Christians bravely walked barefoot across the icy freezing lake.
Well, through the night the soldiers lit a fire and cooked food to tempt the Christians to give up. But the Christians prayed to God to make them brave, and they began to shout, “Here die 40 men for Christ”.
The freezing bitter cold night went on until finally, the cold was too much for one of the men. He staggered back to the fire and agreed to denounce his God and to bow down to the emperor. But the remaining 39 Christians would not give in, even though they were literally freezing to death.
Then, amazingly, something happened that they could not believe - one of the Roman soldiers sitting by the fire, having watched the bravery and courage and faith on these dying Christians, he stood before the general and uttered these words, “I will take that man's place - I will be a Christian.” As the general watched in amazement, this Roman soldier removed his clothing and walked onto the icy lake to join the 39.
Well the Roman soldiers sat by that fire all night long and the last thing they said they could remember hearing through the howl of that terrible freezing winter storm was the now 40 Christian men shouting, “Here die 40 men for Christ”. In the morning, sadly, there were 40 frozen
bodies; men who have sacrificed for their faith and belief in Christ.
A full 350 years later, in the chapel in the forum of Rome, was dedicated to these 40 soldiers a plaque, a simple plaque which still hangs there today, with these powerful words engraved on it,
“Here die 40 men for Christ”.
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International Circle of Faith
Business & Development
There is a need for all people of this
world to be as self-sufficient as possible
and it is toward this goal that ICOF is
headed through use of its “Development
Division”.
One of the major difficulties facing
individual and governmental
development is that, even though all
people are created equal, our societal
set-up’s have been already shaped by
our predecessors and “change”
becomes the challenge to many.
For ICOF to bring direction to all, a start
must be made to bring all to belief in
Jesus Christ and what He foresaw as
future needs of societies, including
enrichment of each other in all things.
This enrichment can take on many
forms and ICOF has taken a gigantic
step to meet the challenge through its
“Development Division”.
This Development Division includes
support to assist in establishing new
businesses of all kinds throughout the
world that must be keyed to local
environments, products, skills and
business acumen. This in turn means
improving local education of all those
wishing to have a business as well as
being supported by an educated local
staff that are also able to communicate
with the world and be respected for their
positions and concerns for their nations
and families and friends. This means
working within their countries, spreading
goodwill to the rest of the world while
enhancing the well-being of all they
contact.
International Circle of Faith Global
Union is committed to helping our
members and partners. Realizing that
most churches and ministries need
additional resources to accomplish their
mission and at the same time lack the
wherewithal to have their own
development team, ICOF has
committed, time, talent and resources to
assist in the area of general
development. This commitment
includes but is not limited to:
A. Developing qualified and
sustainable business proposals
B. Attracting qualified investors to
these projects.
C. Advice and direction for churches
and ministries.
D. Unique and innovative solutions
for missions and missionaries.
John Rogers, PhD serves
as Sr. VP of Development
with ICOF Global
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As we approached our
publication deadline Dr. Teddy
Dones launched an amazing
new network! Fivefold
Connection.
Dr. Dones is an alumnus of
International Circle of Faith
Colleges, Seminaries and
Universities (ICOF CSU).
Looking at the success of social
media, he has had a burden to create a
place where those who enjoy social media
can interact without the rudiments of the
world dominating the conversation.
Dr. Dones and his wife Janet are the leaders
of Messengers of Fire a powerful ministry
located in the Ohio valley (USA) but doing
ministry all over the world. Join Fivefold
Connection for FREE!
http://fivefoldconnection.com
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By Dr. Robert Straube
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By Dr. Robert
Straube
Editor's Note: Dr. Robert Straube
Assistant to the Presiding Bishop for
International Circle of Faith (ICOF) has
given us a modern day method for
implementation of the model used by the
New Testament Church. Here are
excerpts. This document is available
online through the ICOF E-LIBRARY.
-------------------------------------------------
A church is a group of people in
fellowship with each other. It should
be a network of relationships. BEING CHURCH
Where we Live Elders
The foundational
relationships are
those between the
elders. Elders are
an essential part of
the church. This diagram shows
five elders. A body
will have at least
four or five elders.
The lines represent the strong
relationships they have with each
other. They will be totally
committed to each other, so they will
be willing to accept encouragement
and correction from each other.
In every place where there was a group
of disciples, Paul and Barnabas
appointed elders (Acts 14:22,23). This
was all that was needed to make a
group of disciples into a Church.
Nothing more was needed. So in the
New Testament, a Church was a group
of believers in a particular place, who
were overseen by elders.
Key issues for many modern churches
are the quality of worship and
preaching. However, there is no
command in the scriptures that
Christians should meet for worship each
week. Communal worship is good, but it
should not be our first priority. (Our
whole lives should be an act of
worship).
In previous centuries, when very few
people could read, regular teaching
was very important. In the modern
world, abundant access to tapes,
videos, television and the
internet makes regular
access to preaching a much
less important priority. The
scripture that should
determine the priorities for
church leaders is Jesus'
command:
“A new commandment I
give you: Love one
another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one
another. All men will know that
you are my disciples, if you love
one another.” John 13:34, 35
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The problem with this command is that
this type of love does not come
naturally. The normal workings of
human nature tend to push people
apart. Christians have to be taught to
love one another. Participating in
worship will not make us love one
another (loving one another may
improve our worship).
Listening to good sermons will not make
us love one another. Christians will
generally need to be taught to love each
other. Given Jesus command, the first
priority of elders should be to teach their
people to love each other.
In Heb 10:25, we are told to keep on
meeting together, but the reason for
meeting is not for worship. It is to "spur
one another on towards love and good
deeds" and to "encourage one another".
These things should take priority over
worship, when the church meets
together.
Jesus spent a large part of his ministry
discipling the twelve and teaching them
to love each other. A perusal of the last
couple of chapters of each of Paul's
letters shows that he put considerable
energy into building relationships
between people in the churches (Phil
4:2). He does not just teach theology,
he also teaches the believers how to
relate to each other. Building
relationships should be a priority for
elders.
Therefore elders have two key priorities:
1. Elders are responsible for
ensuring that every Christian in
their care grows to maturity and
develops their own ministry.
Every member should be
following Jesus in their calling in
the world.
2. Elders are responsible for
building relationships between
the Christians in their Church.
Relationships Each elder will have strong
relationships
with the
people that
they are
discipling or
overseeing.
Here is one of
the elders. He
has strong apostolic gifts (P). Many of
the people he is discipling also have
apostolic gifts. This elder has a strong
relationship with about a dozen
Christians. The large circles represent
Christians who are more mature. They
just need oversight. The smaller circles
represent new Christians who need
more discipling. The lines representing
the relationships
are all the same
thickness,
reflecting equal
strength. The
elder will spend
more time with
the newer
Christian to
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achieve the same strength of
relationship as with those he knows
better.
The elder will also work to establish
relationships between the Christians
receiving oversight. He will focus on
ensuring that each Christian is part of a
Pair. Every believer should be in a
relationship with one or two other
Christians who can provide the
following:
• A warning when taking the wrong path (Col 3:16)
• A challenge to besetting sin (James 5:16)
• Support when standing against demonic attack (1 Thes 5:11)
• Encouragement in ministry (Heb 3:18)
• Comfort when things go wrong. (1 Thes 4:18)
This is what the relationships look like when they are all put together.
Here is another elder. He is more
prophetic (R) in his style and gifting.
He will draw Christians who also tend
to be prophetic. He will not be so
strong on discipling new Christians.
He will not be able to care for as
many people as someone with
apostle or pastoral gifts. However,
he will still establish a strong
relationship with each Christian under
his oversight. He will also build the
relationships between them.
This elder is an evangelist (V). He
tends to have a lot of new Christians
around him. He is also training some
more mature Christians who are keen
on evangelism. This elder also builds
strong relationships with and between
the Christians he is accountable for.
Here are two more elders with strong
teaching/pastoral gifts.
Continue reading this tremendous
teaching by Dr. Robert Straube. This
Church Model is a revolution that will
lead us into this next wave of the Holy
Spirit. Take time to read the rest of this
online:
ICOF E-LIBRARY.
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The Unified Army
By Dr Robert Straube
The following was written by Dr. Straube in 1997-
2004 as a prophetic word to
the church:
We are nearing a time of great spiritual battle. At present God is
preparing a Unified Army, which can fight and win under tough conditions with few resources. Then He will drop
a bomb, which will almost destroy the enemy army and
will shatter the conventional forces in
God's army. He will then send in the Unified Army which because of
its training has been unharmed by the bomb.
It will defeat the shattered enemy army. It will treat the injured,
and reorganize, re-equip and rejuvenate the shattered forces of
God's conventional army. The result will be a mighty victory for God.
The Unified Army is a small group in the church, which God is calling, into
strict discipleship. They will reject the things of the world and live solely
on what God provides. Their joy in poverty will be a witness to the world.
They will be mighty warriors in prayer. They will experience the
power of God, being able to minister to all people in all situations. Their
sole motivation will be the love of Christ.
When this Army is ready God will drop the bomb on the World. It will be an economic depression on a scale that we have not seen before. It will make the depression of the 1930's
look mild. God will shake the nation. It will have two effects. Firstly - it will shatter the church. The church has become a peacetime army unaware that an intense battle is raging. The people have been blinded by wealth and have become so satiated that they have sunk into apathy. They
have taken a worldly attitude into the church and run it like a business, paying their fees and letting the minister do the work. They have
become so worldly that they no longer provide a
witness to the world. Under economic depression these
people will be totally shattered. They found their security in wealth and now they will have none. They found their happiness in material
goods and now they will have none. They run the church with money so it will grind to a halt. It will
be a judgment on the church. The world forces will also be shattered. Satan has used the lure of money
and material wealth to hold the people outside the church captive
and the crash will mean that his hold is broken. Thus, we will have a
situation where the church is ready for renewal and the nation is ready
for revival.
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At this point God will send in His Unified Army. Because it's members
have learned to live without the things of the world they will not be
touched by the depression. They will minister to the church and preach to the nation. The people of the church
will be shattered out of their complacency. They will see that their
old lives lacked meaning and purpose. They will be looking
desperately for something else which is meaningful and fulfilling and the lifestyle of God's special forces will be an attractive
alternative. There will be a great renewal in the
church, as people repent and turn
back to God. Many will be
ministered to and discover a
wonderful new life in the Spirit through Christ.
Thus God's glory will return to the church. At the same time the Unified Army will go throughout the nation
preaching the gospel. The people will be looking for a new meaning to life
and will be ready to receive the gospel. Thus as a result of a great
move of the Spirit many people will be added to the church.
The depression will not come for a short while. There are a number of
reasons for this:
God has only just begun to prepare His Unified Army. They still have a lot
of training to do.
These events will come when people are not expecting them. At the
moment everyone is talking about depression. But things will improve, giving people a new hope, then just when the trouble appears to be past
the crash will come.
These events will be a judgment on both the church and the nation, and when God judges He always warns
first. And before the crash can come, God must warn the church and the
nation.
Although these events are a little way
off, they are inevitable.
At present God is calling up His Unified Army, but He is only
calling for volunteers. Thus it is a time of decision. If
we join it will be costly but it will save much
heartbreak later. If we choose to join we must become WARRIORS OF
GOD. We must become POWERFUL IN PRAYER. We must learn to MOVE IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, we must lay aside all the things of the
world which would encumber us. We must learn to live solely for the LOVE
OF GOD. It will be costly, but Oh.. how great is the prize...
A Nation brought back to God..!
December 1997
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The Ambush
An ambassador was traveling to a neighboring kingdom with a gift and a message of greeting for the king.
However, he was not what he appeared to be. He had really been sent to spy out the land by another king, a cunning evil man, who was
planning to invade the kingdom that was ruled by a good king. (The good king is Jesus and the evil king is the
devil.)
When the ambassador came to what had been the border, he was surprised to find that it was no longer there. He
travelled many miles further down the
road before he came to the border post. Those who were
guarding the border had retreated far
back into the kingdom.
As the ambassador travelled through the kingdom on the road to the king’s
palace, he was amazed by what he saw. The crops had been neglected and were choked by weeds. No one had bothered to harvest the grain which was ripe and it had fallen to the ground and been eaten by the
birds. In the villages, the people were sick and starving. In the streets men were fighting and killing each other.
Everyone was a law unto himself.
In parts of the kingdom, wicked rulers had seized control. They
dominated the people who lived in their "turf", making their life a misery.
As he rode into the city the ambassador passed a statue of the
good king. Children were using it for target practice. Its face was almost smashed to pieces. The decrees of the king had been published on a
notice board, but they were covered with so much graffiti that they were
unreadable.
When the ambassador came to the barracks around the palace he
discovered that all the soldiers were drunk or asleep. The officers were all squabbling among themselves about
who should lead. There was no authority
because each one was looking for a place of authority for himself,
but no one was willing to submit to authority.
They were so busy jockeying for power
they were totally unaware of what was
happening in the kingdom.
The ambassador was able to walk right into the palace without being challenged. When he entered the
throne room the king was surrounded by courtiers. They were
all singing a song in praise of the king. When the singing stopped, a
courtier cried out in a loud voice, "We praise you O King, because you are
seated on the throne!" Another courtier cried out, "We praise you O
King, because your kingdom extends as far as the eye can see!" At this all
the courtiers gave a mighty shout and they all clapped and cheered
their king.
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The ambassador listened, thought of what he had seen, and smiled...
A king sitting on a throne cannot establish a kingdom. He needs
servants who will do his bidding, and soldiers who will obey his
commands.
As he headed back to his home, the ambassador noticed that scattered
around the kingdom were about forty powerful men. They were like giants, standing head and shoulders above
everyone else. They were loyal to their
King and were trying to get things going for him. However,
they were ineffective because each one
was working independently of the others. They acted as
protectors for the people who lived around them, but passed on the same independent attitude. The people felt secure
having these strong men to protect them. When the ambassador saw
these powerful men, he smiled again, because he noticed how vulnerable they were. They were easy targets, because they were standing alone.
When I received this vision I was troubled because there seemed to be no hope. Then the Lord showed me
that something else has happening in the kingdom; something which the
ambassador had not noticed because he had looked in the wrong places.
In isolated and insignificant parts of the kingdom, men and women who
understood the times in which they were living were preparing for battle. They had formed into strong Unified
units that were ready for warfare. Each member had a task and was equipped and ready to do it. They
had learnt to move in unity, because they knew each other and had come to trust each other. The units were
flexible, so that if one member was to fall, another could step into his place.
By learning to share, these people had been able, even in a time of poverty, to devote many of their resources to
preparation for battle. These men and women, who
were ordinary citizens during the day, had prepared quietly and now were committed, trained, equipped
and ready for battle.
In a number of places throughout the kingdom,
similar groups had formed spontaneously and independently.
They were unknown and insignificant people, but the strength which came from their dedication to the king and
commitment to each other, made them the key to the king’s victory. The ambassador had not noticed
them, but these Unified units would be the stumbling block on which the
enemy king would fall. They went unnoticed, but they were at the cutting edge of the kings’ work.
(February 1999)
.....................................
26
The ambassador returned to his kingdom and spoke to his king. He
told him that the kingdom that he had visited was very vulnerable. It would be the perfect time to attack the good
king.
Up until that time he had only made minor skirmishes into the kingdom. These had mostly been made under the cover of darkness. The King now decided to make a full frontal attack.
He amassed his entire army, and marched down the road towards the
good king’s palace.
Before the army got to the border,
the bad King initiated his secret
weapon to deal with the giants who
protected the people. Many
weeks earlier, he had infiltrated
skilled bowmen in to the good King’s
kingdom, one to track each of the powerful men, but remain in hiding. When the bad King gave the signal, each of the bowmen attacked one of the unsuspecting, powerful men they
had been tracking. Before they realized what had happened each of
the powerful men was dead or severely wounded, brought down in a shower of enemy arrows. When the people realized that the men whom they looked to for protection had been blown away, they were filled with dread and began to tremble.
About the same time, the enemy’s army arrived at the border post. The border guards were asleep, but were eventually woken up by the sound of
the large army marching by. When they saw the size of the army, they
panicked and ran away. As this great evil army marched into the kingdom people everywhere were paralyzed with fear. The soldiers of the army
were wicked ruthless men, who destroyed everything that they touched. They cut a swath of destruction across it. It was
frightening to watch. The people were so confused they didn’t know
whether to run away or to surrender and welcome the enemy.
Then suddenly I saw a stirring. All over the
kingdom soldiers came out of their homes and work
places. They joined together into Unified units fully equipped, trained and ready for
action.
One Unified team moved quickly to a
bridge over a large river the enemy army had to cross before it could reach the king’s palace. They set
explosives and blew it up. When the enemy army arrived they came to the river but there was no way to cross. Another Unified unit moved quickly
to set up an ambush in a narrow gorge that the enemy army had just passed through. Their way of retreat was cut off. Other units attacked the enemy army at points where it was vulnerable. They would move in to
inflict damage and then swiftly withdraw to safety. Other units set up large artillery on the hills nearby and began to lob shells into the trapped
27
army. Soon panic began to spread through the army.
Some of the Unified units moved towards the king’s palace and took up defensive positions. One team went into the palace. The palace
guards were still squabbling among themselves. In the palace, the courtiers were still singing the
praises of the king. "Your kingdom extends as far as the eye can see". They seemed to be totally oblivious
to the danger to the king, or that their kingdom was under threat. The members of the
Unified unit warned the king of what was happening. When the courtiers heard what was happening they
began to tremble with fear. The palace
guards, who were watching, looked like
they wanted to run away.
The king recognized that the Unified unit understood what
was happening and were ready for action. He gave them authority over
the palace guard. They quickly reorganized the soldiers, establishing
order and authority. They moved to get the defense of the palace secure.
Some of the Unified units went into the towns and villages, where they
gathered the people and taught them the decrees of their king. Many of the people did not even know who their
king was. The Unified's also organized the people into groups and
established order in the land. The people started to work in unity and
began to harvest the crops together.
A number of the Unified units immediately moved over the border into the evil king’s kingdom. He had
been so confident that he had left few soldiers behind to defend his
kingdom. The Unified units were able to take control of all the strategic
positions in the kingdom. Two of the Unified units went straight to the bad
king’s castle. Within a few hours, they had captured the remaining
guards and raised the good king’s flag over the castle tower.
Back in the other kingdom, the bad army was trapped on the road. It couldn’t move forward and it couldn’t move back.
The evil king sent out numerous patrols to find a way out, but
each one was quickly captured and never returned. Eventually the whole army was in panic and began to run away. Once they moved off the
road and into the countryside, the Unified units had a tremendous
advantage. They knew the lay of the land like the back of their hands; the enemy soldiers were lost. Many were
killed or captured. A few escaped back to their own land.
The king managed to escape with a few of his soldiers. He got back to his own land, but he couldn’t get back to his castle. He fled into the mountains at the very back of his kingdom. He hid there for many years. He would occasionally go out and make an attack, but he was almost totally
28
powerless. I do not know what happened to the ambassador. He
probably survived but he would not have been very popular.
The good king was able to recover all the territory that was first lost. He
was able to extend his authority over most of the enemy king’s territory. He
was also able to establish order in his own kingdom.
May 2002
....................................................
I was amazed at how effective the Unified units were. They all seemed to know exactly what to do; yet no
one was in control. They operated in
a totally co-ordinated way. It was amazing. The Lord showed me why.
Many years earlier, the good king had written a manual for the defense of the kingdom. He had foreseen what
would happen and he had prepared a plan for the defense of his kingdom
and for conquering the enemy’s kingdom. The Unified units had
studied this manual as part of their training. This was why they knew
exactly what to do. They had trained and prepared for this battle.
I was also amazed at the speed and power of the Unified's. Again, the
Lord showed me why. Each Unified unit had a good supply of special water. At first I thought there jars were labeled H2O. When I looked
closer, I realized that the water was called HS. This gave them super
ordinary strength. It enabled them to move incredibly fast and with great
power.
The members of these Unified units were unknown and insignificant
people. Yet they were to become the key players in a great victory for their
King. This victory meant that their King and his Kingdom was
unmatched for many, many years, and forever and ever.....
July 2004
29
Fivefold Roundtable Responsibility
The fivefold ministry was given by Jesus Christ to his Bride fivefold ministry was given by Jesus Christ to his Bride (Royal Priesthood) the Church. The fivefold ministry was given as servants Priesthood) the Church. The fivefold ministry was given as servants to the Bride. The fivefold roundtable consists of pastors, teachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets.
The assignment of the fivefold is:
For the perfecting of the saints For the work of the ministry For the edifying of the body of Christ:
The goal of the fivefold ministry is to serve the Body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith and faith and The knowledge of the Son of God Unto a perfect man Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth
in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-17)
Apostolic Reformation
Throughout history there have been waves of the Holy Spirit that resulted in attempts at restoration or reformation of the Church to return it to the original doctrine of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Movements of Apostolic Reformation have happened repeatedly since the time of John
Wycliffe. In the last Century there was an Apostolic reformation that birthed the Apostolic Faith movement and subsequent Pentecostal Movement. It is our expectation that we are on the verge of another similar wave of the Spirit. We refer to this as The Next Wave.
The Next Wave
The Next Wave will move away from the traditions of men and focus on the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the New Testament church and the
30
Apostles of Jesus Christ. The next wave has little interest in superficial events and pseudo "outpourings‟ opting for a real and sustaining manifestation of the power of God. Royal Priesthood For the Royal Priesthood (or the Body of Christ) to come to maturity it will take a fully functional fivefold ministry. To this end we have committed to ICOF FIVEFOLD ROUNDTABLES. It is our mission to form one of these in each country in the world. To these we are connecting legitimate fivefold ministers.
Unified Army
Moving forward we expect to use this unified effort to prepare a unified army as a catalyst for the greatest wave of the Holy Spirit. Welcome. For more information or to join hands and hearts with the fivefold roundtable in your area contact:
Lea Bates - [email protected] Phone: 404.863.7947
Or Bishop Derrick Day at [email protected]
or call the ICOF International offices at 502.410.(4263)
Facing some tough economic times? Would you like to help others prepare their family for disasters? Could you use some extra income? If you answered Yes to any of these questions you should consider becoming a C.O.R.N. Disaster Preparation Consultant (DPC). A DPC is:
Is a passionate and caring person with the vision, mission and values of C.O.R.N.
Has a burning desire to reach out and assist families to be prepared for any emergency situation.
Exemplifies eagerness, and inspires to expand all families' knowledge of disaster preparedness, providing peace of mind in the midst of calamity.
Has a great conviction for promoting the C. O. R. N. philosophy and message through helping others. Thus, DPC’s have the opportunity to create additional income for themselves and security for their families.
Training is provided To become a DPC visit the Cities of Refuge Network (C.O.R.N) website: http://www.citiesofrefugenetwork.com
Or email:
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It is with tremendous excitement that we offer the 5th Cruise with a Cause missions cruise—this time to Port au Prince, Haiti! You’ll join together in a common cause with fellow believers to reach others in need, help a hurting nation and change your eternal perspective in the process. We have seen countless times as families from different social, racial and economic backgrounds unite to become the family of God in spreading love and sharing the gospel with those in need. This is unlike any other experience cruise or mission available! Haiti is a nation full of need and filled with opportunities. They sit at a turning point both spiritually and economically. Our mission isn’t to offer handouts, but a loving hand up—and their government has given us very special sanctions and protection, allowing us to go places and help in ways unavailable to other mission efforts in Haiti. Teams of volunteer missionaries will visit schools and orphanages; do construction and renewal projects to rebuild areas devastated by the earthquake; provide aid in medical clinics and deliver medical supplies; visit with locals in the streets and tent cities; and help us host an evening evangelism outreach festival for almost 100,000 locals. We’ll share the Gospel to everyone we meet all along the way!
The very act of bringing a cruise ship to Haiti is a large part of our mission. As one of the only nations in the Caribbean without a tourism industry, our assistance and efforts will show the world that Haiti is “tourism ready” and be the first step in breathing new life into their economy. Ours ship will be the first to dock in Haiti in more than a quarter century! During our cruise to Haiti you’ll have days to rest, along with all the famous food and fun from a Carnival cruise ship experience. You’ll hear from our diverse lineup of Christian speakers, artists and leaders. There will be more than 80 concerts and conferences! Adults, singles, students, children, men, women, and couples will all be encouraged by the worship, teaching and missions training available onboard the ship. Please consider joining your favorite Christian personalities and over 3,000 other Believers this June 1-6, 2013 for the largest foreign mission ever! We’ll be serving shoulder to shoulder to help lives and save souls. It’s an experience you’ll remember the rest of your life!
Matthew Dunnaway
33
“Pimp, Pastor,
Pulpit and
Prostitute”
Author takes critical look at
current state of church
leadership
Bishop Woodrow H. Dawkins Jr.
compares pastors to pimps in
new book
GREENSBORO, N.C. – “The
people are being bamboozled by the pimp
in the pulpit,” believes author Bishop
Woodrow H. Dawkins Jr. In his new book
“Pimp, Pastor, Pulpit and Prostitute: The
naked truth” (published by Trafford
Publishing) Dawkins shares his belief of how
some church leaders have mislead and
misused their members.
“Some of these things are going on now,”
Dawkins explains. “Someone needs to
speak out and I am one of them, but we
need more people to take a stand against
this type of pimping that is going on.
Someone must help the people that cannot
help themselves.”
An excerpt from “Pimp, Pastor, Pulpit and
Prostitute”:
Some of our leaders try to
put the Lord’s name in things
that He had nothing to do
with, when we should just
come clean and tell
the truth. This is
what I am trying to
show you: that
some of the
smoothest pimps
are in the churches’
pulpits today and
that’s why our
church is upside
down. We have
been pimped out
like prostitutes and
do not even know it.
“The preacher that’s going
bad is like the pimp in the street. He/she
will turn the people of God into prostitutes
in the churches.”
About the Author
Bishop Woodrow H. Dawkins Jr. is a native
of Gaffney, S.C. He has traveled the country
and preached the Gospel for the past 30
years. He founded Jesus Way of Deliverance
of Apostolic Faith Inc. in Greensboro, N.C.,
in 1997. In 2004, the church uprooted and
34
replanted in Simsboro, La., where he
pastored for six years. Dawkins is the
founder of the first public housing
community watch program in Greensboro,
and is affiliated with numerous programs
that reach the inner city and restore hope
to hurting people. Dawkins’s anointed
purpose is exemplified in his work for the
Lord: doing the Great Commission.
The Next Wave Magazine has now become a
daily news source, The Next Wave Magazine
Online. Every day you can read both a morning
an and evening edition of the The Next Wave.
International Circle of Faith Colleges,
Seminaries and Universities is available to
serve your Christian education needs. ICOF CSU
is a network of Christian Education
professionals, bible colleges, Christian
seminaries, Christian universities, and other
Christian education institutions. for more
information visit us online.
http://www.icofcsu.yolasite.com
or
http://www.icof.net
Updated ICOF Membership
Cards are now available.
ICOF Members write to
to receive yours.
35
Christian Greetings,
We welcome you to the International Circle of Faith Global Missions Department. Our missions department exists to aid our network of established ministries and churches in a holistically approach of restoration of body soul & spirit; to extend the church beyond the traditional parameters of the edifice complex. We are dedicated to community and family development by helping meet the needs of the citizens and communities we are called to serve. We must focus on the needs of an ever growing population in our communities, cities and Nation. Every day, individuals and families who are at risk of homelessness, hunger and other life crises in our communities go unnoticed by society at large. We are the body of Christ and it is our mandate to help those who need our help the most? ICOF Missions focus:
1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ 2. Humanitarian 3. Business and Economic
development We believe that by assisting those in need– physically, mentally, and spiritually – and helping them to reach their full potential, our communities become stronger, and the lives of each member become ready to empower
their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us and be a part of our efforts in doing our part to improve our ever increasing poverty rate, degeneration of values and overall quality of Life; by focusing on the needs and solutions for all these areas including the neglect of our Nation's children. We are purposed to impact
the preservation and restoration of the family. We hold that the Church was patterned after the family.
We are a mission’s resource network; partnering with churches, organizations, agencies and nonprofits and faith based communities to achieve our mission to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every man woman and child.
Africa
Our past and present missions include: Drilling water wells, free medical services and in current development of Agriculture &Housing.
India
In partnership with ICOF CSU we have started the Patrick Song Academy
English School, to help young Indian children to speak English, so they can function in elementary and secondary education. ICOF Medical missions in conjunction
with Project Eye Openers, reaches the poorest, most vulnerable patients, who
36
may not be aware about eye care and free medical camps services. While Project Eye Openers current outreach teams provide free medical services and eye examinations to approximately 400 plus patients in each Village per Medical Camp outing, their ultimate goal is to eliminate obstacles by providing pre-screenings through our Mobile Medical Camps.
Pakistan
Evangelism: We have a program called “Project Logos “The program consists of sending bibles to Pakistan translated into their native language. Medical Missions: Through ICOF Medical Missions “Physicians with a cause” provide free medical camps and sharing of the gospel, throughout remote villages in Pakistan.
USA We also are focused on Church Home Missions in the USA. Through Community Enhancement that acts as a safety net for individuals and families in need, ICOF Global Missions works to strengthen and enhance communities by working with varies other agencies, churches, non profits within the Faith Based communities already in existence. We are committed to our Senior citizens community including information and referral, food distribution and collaborations with the faith community.
Senior Citizens
ICOF Home Missions offers personal interactions for the elderly. Providing a much-needed ministry for older people to receive care and human concern. With the baby boomer generation fast approaching their senior years, a swelling tide of concern for the many that will need support and assistance is evident by the many senior citizen charity groups that continue to organize throughout the country. ICOF Home Missions division offers opportunities for any person to donate time and important resources to this growing challenge. Holistic Family Restoration. A long term priority is to under-served communities. The goal is to lead individuals and families in need towards a better life, improved happiness and inner peace in addition to rebuilding their material lives or improving their living and an educational condition with the power of the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ ….body, soul & Spirit. A hundred years from now it will not matter how much money you have, what kind of car you drive or what kind of House you live in, but the world will be a better place because you made a difference in the lives of others”.
Dr. Barney Phillips
ICOF VP of Missions
37
Speaking of travels, I heard that
when Marco Polo first opened the
trade routes to China, he was quite
impressed with their rockets. Now,
these weren't quite the fireworks we
now know, but they did shoot into the
air, explode and make some pretty
patterns. Strangely, no matter where
he went, there were people who made
fireworks, but he had trouble finding
someone to demonstrate them for
him.
"Not here!" they said. ...very
confusing. Until ol' Marc came upon an
ancient military fortification at the
community of Chu'Lai. Here, fireworks
were launched every night, and Marc
was very impressed!
But still he wondered, "Why here?" At
the end of every week, people came
from great distances, bringing their
own fireworks to launch. So Marco
Polo asked his guide why everyone
came here to launch their fireworks.
Marc's guide replied: "Why honored
Sir, ... We always set off fireworks on
the Forts of Chu'Lai"
FUNERAL SERVICE FOR A DOG
Submitted by Michael Otobong:
Church member: Pastor my dog is dead can you do a burial service?
Pastor: We don't do service for animals. Church Member: Please Pastor did you know any church that can accept N20m
donation for my dog burial service? Pastor: Wow! why you don't you tell me
the dog was a Christian?
Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody
but He never met my sister.
Yours sincerely, Arnold. Age 8, Nashville.
Dear Pastor, My father should be a
minister. Every day he gives us a sermon
about something.
Robert, Age 11, Anderson.
Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more
money in the plate, but my father didn't
give me a raise in my allowance. Could you
have a sermon about a raise in my
allowance?
Love, Patty. Age 10, New Haven
Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious.
She goes to play bingo at church every
week even if she has a cold. Yours truly,
Annette. Age 9, Albany
38
In an effort to share the work that ICOF
members around the world are doing for the
Kingdom of Jesus Christ we share this overview
from our members, friends and partners:
AFRICA
Dr. Wade,
Praise the Lord Jesus! The Lord is steadily
uniting the Fivefold here in Africa. My present
concern is agreeing on a specific date and time
for our ICOF African Fivefold Meetings. For
now, one of our major difficulty is internet
connection - especially now with the very heavy
rains (we had rain fall here in Buea, non-stop
for 4 good days, until today that we have seen
some sunshine!), thus causing Skype to become
fairly ineffective.
Well, the future is very promising! International
Business is helping to bring into Africa modern
and quality communication gadgets - Mobiles, I-
pods, etc. I see the Lord also blessing His
people! It is well! Please, have a blessed day!
Love you all!
Dr. Ngwa
Secretary General ICOF Africa
www.icof.net
Cameroon
Dear Bishop Wade,
It happened again in the city of Yaounde
today July 28th. ICOF reached the
Presidency through an illustrious son of
Cameroon the president of the World wide
church of God who was awarded the
prestigious Ph. D in Divine Laws from
ICOF CSU.
This is an
extension of the
4th Convocation
which held in
Buea on the
23rd of last
month. His
candidature was
postponed for
obvious reason.
We had to do a
thorough investigation of his personality for
integrity before any such award. We found
him worthy and the award was done today in
the presence of the Secretary General for
ICOF Africa Dr David Ngwa.
(L to R) Dr. Victor Balinga Sunday - Bishop of
Limbe Bishop Ngwa David - ICOF Secretary
General for Africa, Bishop Tembi Alfred Tembi -
Bishop of Cameroon, Dr Ndoudoumou Jean Jaques -
Director General of Contract and Public Markets at
the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon.
39
CONGO
hello administration président de l'Afrique ICOF
en ma qualité de coordination principal de
l'icof-Congo D R C pour bien s'organiser dans
l'unité, l'amour et surtout dans la transparence .
j'ai voulu vous informer que mon administration
c'est -a-dire staff national d'exécution invite
nos membres leaders , les chef des antennes de
icof dans tout les quartes coins du Congo ,
puisse me rejoindre d'ici mi-janvier 2013 pour
que nous puissions reconstruire icof CONGO-R
D C , lors de mon mandat manuel de 2012 à
2014.
espérons vous lire bientôt
NATIONAL OFFICE ICOF -CONGO
BISHOP NOE SAKAHANDU
NEPAL
Dear Brother, Greetings,
How are u and The Family? It Was Nice Talking to you this Morning. As you know I have sent u the Invitation this program will be of 2 days. So If anybody another wants to come u can bring them. And Please Inform Me Too. This Program Will Be Held In Hetauda, Makwanpur. It Is Very Expensive Program so please pray that God Arranges Money And Every other Stuffs. Thank You God Bless You Rev. Matthew Suroya
PHILIPPINES To: Bishop Bernie Wade ICOF President, USA Dear Bishop Wade: Greetings from the Philippines. Bishop the work here in the Philippines is increasing by God’s grace and ICOF Philippines is still in the process of forming, praying for the right timing to take off. I am writing you about the flood I told you many times that needs our attention. The flood was so strong that it affected 2.8 million people during the strong flood last August 4-8 in Metro Manila. Thousands of people are still in the process of recovery now. I proposed for a budget of $1,200 to help few families that were affected . It is a very small amount compared to the great need but ICOF will start in a small help then the pastors will know us and it is easy for them to join us when we gather them someday. But if ICOF USA can raise more than I suggested the better. Since $1,200 is very small amount, this is what I plan for the help:
1. Target 5 to 10 families to meet their immediate needs
2. The families should be ripe for follow up for bible studies and friends of the nearby pastors
3. We will buy medicines, grocery items- rice, can goods, soap, noodles,
4. Part of the money will be use to help children for their schooling- fare, notebook and paper
The Lord will bless our humble beginning in the Philippines. Hello to all ICOF USA directors, bishops, pastors, supporters and partners.
In the Lord’s vineyard, Bishop Bing Gadian - ICOF Philippines
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PAKISTAN
Dear brothers and sisters
More than 7000 Fanatics has entered into the Church compound in Mardan. They were carrying petrol, right after entering in the premises they started beating the Christians. After words they burn St. Paul’s Lutheran church, St. Paul’s school building, they have burn the house of Principal of St. Paul High School as well as the houses of Pastors in the same compound. In Him Bishop Yaqub Paul, Lahore Pakistan
FLOOD RELIEF - PAKISTAN Respected Sir, Greeting in Jesus name. I want to humble request to ICOF for all Nations ICOF internationally , all leaders, pastors, Bishops , Apostle and ICOF Members. You have Watched in News that in Pakistan four provinces has been effected, people are living on road without food, living due to discrimination Christians are not help by the any NGOs or Govt. So I request to our Head office ICOF please release this news on Next wave and personally request to all members of ICOF support us in Pakistan in this crisis time the affected people needs 1.Food 2.Medicines 3.Tents 4.Cloths. 5.Clean Water 6.kitchen articles, pots, plates, spoons, etc. 7.blanket. We want to reach these Christian people . Bishop Dilshad Bhatti - ICOF Pakistan
INDIA Dear in Christ, ICOF Greetings • we had fasting prayers in our Church INKOLLU, A.P. INDIA • God has anointed with His Holy Spirit • we prayed for each one in the circle and for all • And in the circle we prayed for the world • God have used me with anointing like a sharing word of God, healing sick and getting gifts of Holy Spirit. • Glory to God for it. Your brother in Christ Pastor DANIYELU = Hyderabad
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GOD MEANT IT for GOOD!
-David Wilkerson
In Pharaoh's court stood Jacob - an old man of 130 years of age - and Joseph, his lost son, rushed to embrace him. As it turned out,
Joseph was second in command over all of Egypt. Everywhere Jacob went with his son - in the palace, through the streets in his chariot - people bowed to Joseph in respect and awe
(see Genesis 46 and 47). When Pharaoh asked Jacob how old he was, he answered, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been" (Genesis 47:9). The Hebrew reads, "Few and sorrowful have my
days been." In short: "I've seen a lot of suffering."
Yet, was it worth it? Yes, absolutely! Jacob and his family had been delivered from the famine. All seventy members of his clan were now safe from harm, planted in the richest farmland in
Egypt. Jacob's son was on the throne and they had all the food they could eat.
Jacob - a man with a contrite heart - could look
*back and say, "When my brother Esau threatened me, it seemed my life was over but
God brought me out. My Lord was there the whole time. When Laban tried to destroy me, God blessed and delivered me. Furthermore, the Lord delivered my wife, Rachel, and my
family from the perils of idolatry.
"I was victorious over all my enemies. None of them ever rose up to challenge me. I lived to
see my seed multiply and prosper - the beginnings of a great nation. I lived to walk in the midst of my grandchildren, even my great-great-grandchildren. And now my sons will be the patriarchs of Israel, leaders over their own
tribes. Not a word God told me in the beginning has ever failed. My Lord
has kept His every word to me."
And, beloved, so will He be with us today!
WARNING - BILL JOHNSON and BETHEL CHURCH
by Andrew Strom
I am really hoping to make this the last of this type of article for awhile. Some people
think I "love" putting out this stuff. But I honestly wish it would all go away, so we
could get on with the 'real' work of building the kingdom.
However, Bill Johnson is doing such damage to the Body of Christ around the world that I simply cannot stay silent. In New Zealand
(where I am currently) he holds a huge Conference once a year called "Manifest
Presence". This is almost certainly the biggest and most influential Christian conference in the whole country. And likewise in other nations, such as UK,
Australia, Singapore, and many others. His influence is enormous.
Bill Johnson is a very charming man. He also
emphasizes a number of things that I heartily agree with - such as street
evangelism using the gifts of the Spirit, prophecy and healing on the streets, etc. But the problem is that he endorses and
promotes an "anointing" exactly identical to the one that Todd Bentley promotes. The
"drunken glory", fire-tunnel, laughing, jerking, gold-dust, "Angel-mania"-type
anointing that has done such damage to the Charismatic movement around the world - and in many cases reduced it to a shocking travesty of what it once was. What would
42
Derek Prince or Keith Green think of the things these men are into - spiritual
drunkenness, "portals", 'visualization', spirit-travel, fire-tunnels, angel-orbs and the like? (Found all the way through the
New Age movement, but not in the Bible). Bill Johnson was one of the biggest
supporters of the Lakeland revival led by Todd Bentley. And even after the fiasco
that it became, he publicly endorsed Todd Bentley's ministry again in 2011. But Bill
does it all with such "down-to-earth" charm and wise-sounding words - "how could this be deception?" That is what makes him so
dangerous.
His wife Beni is co-pastor with Bill of Bethel church in
Redding, California. And interestingly she is even
more open about the bizarre things that they are
into. She even puts it in writing on the Internet, for
all the world to see. For example, in her "Life and Wellness" blog on July 6
this year, here is what she wrote in an entry called
'Love Shack Time': "I was talking with Ray Hughes the other
day and was telling him about using a 528 HZ tuning fork as a prophetic act. Someone
told me that this tuning fork is called the tuning fork of LOVE..." (Please note that
crystals and tuning forks are used in NEW AGE therapy - and have nothing to do with
Christianity in any way).
Beni continued: "Recently I got up to speak at a meeting and walked up to the song "Love Shack" by the B52's. I was calling
people to more love. It was so fun."
I guess we are now beginning to get a sense of the strange spiritual world that these people inhabit. Another blog post that
Beni wrote about 'WAKING UP ANGELS' in March 2009 was also very revealing:
"In the last couple of months, I personally have become more aware of the angelic activity in this realm. One of those times
was when we were on a prayer trip to Arizona... One morning as we were driving up over Tehachapi Pass and coming down
into the Mojave Desert, I began to feel angels. The closer we got, the stronger the
impression felt. I could see them everywhere! I
announced this to the group and said, "We have got to
stop! We have to stop somewhere..." As we drove
around a corner Isaid, "I think that we are going to
wake up some angels here..."
"We knew we were to turn around, get out of the RV and wake up the angels. I wish I could convey to you
the energy and the quickness of how God was working. We
jumped out of the RV, I blew the shofar and rang the bell, and we yelled "WAKEY
WAKEY." We got back into the RV and drove off. As we drove off, hilarious laughter
broke out! We were stunned at the speed at which this all took place and were spinning from the adventure and the
angelic activity. What in the world had just happened?! Heaven collided with earth.
Woo hoo!!
"Since that time, there has been a stirring in
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me to awaken the angels for use in this Kingdom reign that is upon us here on
earth. I have shared these two stories in other places and have done a prophetic act of waking up the angels: having everybody
cry out, "WAKEY WAKEY!" I know it is strange but it is very effective... One of our gals who enjoys God's angels... gets pretty
wacked when they are around..."
The reference that Beni makes here to "Heaven colliding with
earth" is of course directly tied to Bill
Johnson's most famous teaching on "When
Heaven Invades Earth". Clearly, this is the kind of
thing they mean when they use that phrase. So
if we get with their program so-to-speak, we
too can go around "waking up angels" and getting "pretty wacked" when these 'angels' are
around.
I guess the obvious question is whether they are "serious" about all this. Sadly, the
answer is "Yes." When you get so completely deceived that you think
"drunken glory" and 'tuning forks' and getting "wacked" are normal Christian
behavior, you are open to anything. Tragically, if we look at all that these people
have said and done now for years and years, we have to conclude that one of
Christendom's biggest leaders (Bill Johnson) inhabits the most bizarre quasi-spiritual universe that you can imagine. And he is
spreading this deceived foolishness in the Body of Christ on a mass scale. It might
seem almost "funny" if it wasn't so 'New Age' serious.
One young lady named Johanna who had been a student for many months at Bill
Johnson's 'Bethel' school wrote to me the following:
"In August 2008 I moved to Redding, California to attend Bethel School of
Supernatural Ministry (BSSM). I graduated in May 2009. Almost right away I began to question the bizarre behavior that is so
normal there.
"At Bethel, there are many sayings that are tossed around daily.
"God only has nice things to say," "There´s no high
like the Most High." There would be all kinds of distracting behavior
(random shouting, laughing, etc.) during
school sessions and church services. When any guest speaker came to school, students
would flock to the front to get as close to the speaker as possible. We were taught that any anointing we wanted could be
received by simply "claiming it" for ourselves. Students would rush the stage
and the front of the sanctuary so the speakers could lay hands on them.
"Among the guest speakers were Bob Jones,
Heidi Baker, Georgian and Winnie Banov, Randy Clark, John and Carol Arnott... We also had regular sessions with Bill
Johnson, Beni Johnson, and other Bethel pastors. The drunken behavior and
44
questionable teachings from some, if not all, of these speakers was shocking at times. I can safely say that I never heard the word
"repentance" once in any teaching.
I would always hear people talking about their encounters with angels and how they visited heaven. One young woman I knew
said she could see angels everywhere, she talked to them all the time, and she
would help her friends to do the same. God becomes like Santa Claus. Without the
preaching of the true gospel, the fear of the
Lord is lost."
ANDREW AGAIN: As you can see from all these reports, the ministry of Bill Johnson is
highly suspect. Sadly, because the deception is not as "obvious" as Todd
Bentley, people are charmed into thinking he's "fine". Charismatic leaders around
the world flock to his meetings and openly endorse his teachings. For this reason I
believe he is far more dangerous than Todd Bentley ever was. The Bible says that in the last days will come false teachers and "lying
signs and wonders" to deceive if possible the "very elect." And what do we see
today? New Age practices and spirits are flooding the church. And it is men like Bill
Johnson that have become the "acceptable
face" of this invasion. Please, friends, steer well clear.
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ICOF CSU Graduation
November 3rd
ICOF CSU Zambia
Host: Dr. Charles Mwape
47
THE INTERNATIONAL
GATHERING OF EAGLES
ACCRA GHANA.
8th to 10th of November 2012.
Bishop Freeson (ICOF Bishop of Ghana)
51
Distribution:
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