The Next Wave Magazine September 2012
-
Upload
life-network -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
1
description
Transcript of The Next Wave Magazine September 2012
3
The Voice of Apostolic Reformation SEPTEMBER 2012
2
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
Advertizing Inquiries
For more information about advertising
email [email protected] or call
502.410.4263
Editorial Submissions
We welcome submissions and editorials
but assume no responsibility for the
return of unsolicited submissions. Please
send photos, articles, and documents to
P.O. Box 72, Sulphur, KY 40070 Electronic
submissions to: [email protected]
THE NEXT WAVE MAGAZINE
P.O. Box 72 Sulphur, KY 40070
502.410.4263
Annual Subscription: $36 US.
CHANGE
Dr. Bernie Wade
ICOF MISSIONS
Dr. Barney Phillips
Leaders Don't Lie
Dr. Gene Means
The Phony Exchange
of Bildad
Trumpet of Truth
Joseph Prude
ICOF GLOBAL
RECAP
EVENTS
CONGRESSIONAL
PRAYER
BREAKFAST
RELIGITICS
FASCISM VS THE BIBLE
3
By Bernie L. Wade, Thd.
Therefore leaving the principles of
the doctrine of Christ let us go onto
perfection not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead
works and of faith toward God. Of the
doctrine of baptisms
and of laying on of
hands and of
resurrection of the
dead and of eternal
judgement. Hebrews
6:1-2
It has been said that
the only thing that is
constant is CHANGE.
Yet, as followers of
Jesus Christ we serve
a God who doesn't
change. "For I am the LORD, I change
not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not
consumed."
At first glance this might seem like a
contradiction, but in fact we should
understand that God does not change.
What does change is our understanding
of His will, His diving plan and purpose
for our lives. As we gain this
understanding it may seem like God has
changed, but it is we who have made
the change.
In this political season we will hear
many politicians offer change. It will
sound very familiar. Like we have heard
this all before. It was perhaps this false
hope offered by those who 'wanted
something' that prompted the great
Apostle Paul to say, "If we have hoped
in Christ in this life only, we are of all
men most to be pitied."
While the only thing that
is constant may be
change we have hope
through Jesus Christ
that transcends this
world. In this time of
uncertainty we have
hope only in Jesus.
Revelation 3:2 instructs
this: "Wake up, and
strengthen what remains
and is about to die, for I
have not found your
works complete in the
sight of my God."
Constants and Variables. There is a
vast difference between those things
that are constant and those that are
variable. The results of getting the
constants and variables confused are
often disastrous.
A constant is a data item whose value cannot change during the program's execution. Thus, as its name implies –
4
their value is constant.
A variable is a data item whose value can change during the program's execution. Thus, as its name implies – their value can vary.
Those things that remain are the
constants in our lives. Change is the
variable. While we pursue the hope of
change it is the constants that are what
remain. These are those things that
must be strengthened.
In our modern world an example of a
variable would be what style of music
you employ during
worship. God is not
concerned if your
music is southern
gospel, contemporary,
messianic, traditional
or something else.
Styles change, these
are variables.
Changing variables is
ok.
An example of a constant is that Jesus
Christ shed his blood that we might
have life and that more abundantly.
This can never change for those who
follow Christ. Our hope is in the eternal
sacrifice made by Jesus Christ who is
the propitiation for our sins. Changing
constants is never acceptable.
In this time of change we must remain
focused. We must continue to be
steadfast. When those who offer
'change' want to change a variable we
should not find offense. When those
who offer change want to change the
law of God we should be unalterably
opposed. We must have the audacity to
see the constants continue.
As followers of Jesus Christ there is
nothing more constant that the
instruction that He gave His followers
and that His Apostles and the New
Testament church taught and practiced..
There can be no substitute for the
instruction of Jesus
Christ. Nothing has
stood the test of time
and the constant
challenge of change like
the Apostles doctrine.
The simple version is
really as simple as A, B,
C. These things do not
change.
A. Repent - there can
be no substitute for turning from our
sinful nature (that we were born into this
world with) and being set free by the
blood of Jesus Christ. The people of
every nation on the earth understand
that in order to be free from our past we
must change our future. Repentance is
the beginning.
B. Baptism - realizing that the only
thing that could bring real and lasting
5
change was the blood of Jesus Christ
that was given to redeem mankind from
his sins, Jesus instructed His followers
and they continued this instruction, "Be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for
the remission of your sins". Baptism
takes that which could never be forgiven
or forgotten and remits it by the blood of
Jesus Christ. Matthew 28. Acts 2.
C. Holy Spirit - Jesus and his Apostles
made it very certain that there would be
no substitute for the Holy Ghost and
nothing would ever change this. Jesus
promised that He would send back the
Comforter. After the Day of Pentecost
when the followers of Jesus Christ were
endued with power from on High
through the infilling of the Holy Spirit
with the evidence of speaking in other
tongues there was no doubt what Jesus
had promised was delivered prompting
Apostle Peter to respond, THIS IS
THAT!
These powerful truths of the New
Testament Church remain constants.
While many have come offering new
methods and attempting to change
these time honored truths of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ - Change is not
acceptable when it comes to constants.
Change the variables as needed but
leave the constants alone. The next
time you hear a politician (religious,
government or social) offer some 'new
truth' or attempt to explain away the law
of God. Realize that they are offering to
change the constants. Take a stand
and just say no.
While it would be easier or more
politically correct to say nothing
remember the words of Edmond Burke,
"All that is necessary for evil to
prevail is for good men (and women)
to say nothing"!
Stand up! Be firm in your resolve. This
is not a time to be silent. Truth is being
trampled in the street. Lend your voice
to the chorus that refused to allow the
constants to be changed.
Dr. Bernie Wade is the
President of the
International Circle of
Faith (ICOF) Global
Network. 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 world.
http://www.icof.net
6
7
The Phony Exchange of Bildad
By Dr. Stephen Phinney
There is nothing more disappointing than discovering someone who you thought experientially understood the Exchanged Life - didn't! There was a movie released years ago that caught my interest - Braveheart. There was a particular battle scene in this movie that shook me to the core emotionally. As usual, the leading hero (Sir Wallace) was in a particular battle fighting the English with every ounce of blood within him. Suddenly, he noticed the battle turned rather unexpectantly; many of his own men were leaving the battlefield. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the commander who was given such signals was leaving the field in a gallop. Wallace hurried to catch him, knocked him from his horse, and ripped his face mask off to discover it was none other than one of his closest friends - Robert the Bruce. Shock and tears filled the eyes of Sir Wallace as he gasped for words that would not come. The scene: betrayal. Betrayal is probably the most graphic display of pretentious sin that there is. Nothing hurts more than when you put your trust in another to find that trust was used as a means or method to slip a knife into your back. Why do people betray those who they claim as loved ones? Because when push comes to shove - blood is thicker than life itself?! As in the case with Robert the Bruce, the pressure of his father outweighed the integrity of what was right and righteous
with his beloved friend, Sir William Wallace. Money and blood are the two most common reasons for betrayal. Let's take a look at the story of Job again. In chapter 8 of Job, we see Job continuing to do an awesome job of communicating his perspective of his suffering. But like an eager, angry disputant, Bildad (his "friend") changes the mood with this: "How long will you say these things, And the words of your mouth be a mighty wind? Does God pervert justice? Or does the Almighty pervert what is right? If your sons sinned against Him, then He delivered them into the power of their transgression" (Job 8:2-4). Bildad shows his first act of betrayal by using something very dear and close to Job in which to take his first jab - the loss of Job's sons. This is a bit much! Bildad is not impressed with Job's conclusion, nor the conclusion of why his children died. As most people of betrayal, Bildad certainly is showing the ignorance of NOT knowing Job. Job already owned that God did not pervert judgment. Yet, what does that have to do with his children or the assumption they had committed some great sin against God? I don't remember reading anything about the sins of his children being in the dialogue between God and Satan. Bildad's beliefs of extraordinary afflictions are because of extraordinary sins. Bad theology, Bildad! This story is not about Job's children, his wife, or any other human - it is about God, Job, and Satan. This "counselor" has some serious lies floating around in his head. His speech is rhetorical and punitive at best. Read Bildad's conclusion: "Lo, God will not reject a man of integrity, nor will He support the evildoers. He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting. Those who hate you will be clothed with shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no longer" (Job 8:20-22). He is directly associating pain and suffering with the rejection of God. Wow - is that a mistake! God warns throughout the
8
Scriptures that man will suffer; Jesus said that we will suffer as He has suffered. Do you see what Bildad is actually saying here? As Bildad's message trickles down through the ages, he is covertly accusing Jesus of not being a man of integrity; thus, he is placing the same accusation on God. Hmm - not good. This is the earliest form of prosperity doctrine noted in the Word - a doctrine God does NOT support. When we fashion a graven image, like Bildad is doing here, we become futile and our externals become of no profit, even if we ourselves do not see how the adoption of such will ultimately put us to shame. Bildad is fashioning a god (an idol) of fake profit. Because of this fruitless advice, Bildad will soon be put to shame by the Lord Himself - for the crafting of such ridiculous mythology is futile and becomes speculation of mere men. Job's "friend" is not in a mind-set of trembling before the living God. Any plans that man attempts to shape in his own strength are sure to fail. I have learned this over and over again. God is quick to slow "my works" in order to speed up the mighty works of heaven. He is really good at it. This reminds me of a time when God was confronting me, in love, regarding my efforts of adding "add-ons" to the ministry in which He called me. I was exaggerating the efforts of God; He calls this idolatry and a lie. When you and I fashion a graven image, we become futile and these "precious" things are of no profit to God or man. This is why God must put them to shame. Have you fashioned a god or built an idol and pretended it was profitable? I believe when we try to shape our plans by using our own strength and attempt to have our needs met through what we have shaped, well, He is certain to fail our strength. He wants us to drink from the Living Water of the Exchanged Life of Christ within us. If we choose not this drink offering, we will become weary. God is quite experienced at
the process and act of baptism of fire. He obligates Himself to burn them (gods and idols) before we fall down and worship them. I think that many times we take half of our blessings from Him and make graven images, so that our flesh will be deceptively satisfied; but these graven images will not deliver us. If we somehow continue in such vanity, we will end up feeding off the ashes of a deceived heart and once again turn away from Him. Is there not a lie in one hand and truth in the other? If so, these are the components of betrayal. Feeding on the ashes of a deceived heart -
that is flat out ugly! I think this is exactly what Bildad did to Job. He took some relevant Truths of God and mixed them with worldly fables and formed it into a knife. The end result:
Job gets wounded by one of his "friends." It should be clear to each of us that we all fall into mixing Truth with worldly fables. We are all guilty of betrayal! I'm afraid is it a part of our humanness. Most of us don't purposely do what Job's friends are doing. But if we are not led by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and truly live out the Exchanged Life, we are bound to betray as a lifestyle. It makes me sick thinking how many times I have given half-truths and psychobabble to those I have been ministering. It takes much grief, pain, and suffering to purify our counsel to others. It is a fact that comes with our baptism of fire. We cannot beat ourselves with guilt or hesitate to move forward. We simply must embrace the lesson of our permissible suffocation and choose to become wiser still. Scriptures are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
9
10
Leaders Don’t Lie
One of the hardest lessons for leaders to
learn is to tell the truth. What might seem
obvious to anyone in leadership about the
truth may not be easy to practice. Leaders
are constantly involved in delicate matters
whether in business, non-profits, or church.
Some things we know are confidential and
must be guarded while other things may
call for discretion about with whom we
share the information.
If knowledge is power then
secret knowledge is even
greater power. Knowing
what to tell, when to tell it
and to whom to tell it is crucial in any
leader’s experience. A leader “knows”
things that help him/her to lead. But
knowing and telling something is not the
same as not telling the truth. Withholding
information may be necessary at times but
lying has another dimension to it.
I have a friend who served on a church staff
for years. After a pastoral change he met
with the new pastor and was told that he
was wanted and needed in his position for
as long as he wanted to be at the church.
The next week-end the new pastor
introduced a new person to replace my
friend. Promises broken are lies that
destroy. No leader should ever lie and no
leader who lies will last very long. Why are
we tempted to lie? Here are a few reasons I
have experienced.
Fear - Whether we admit it or not, we do
not like to make decisions and choices that
hurt people, send them away, or distress
them. Rather than telling the truth we
often try to coat our words with assurances
that we know will eventually not hold up.
But it is tough to face a person or a group of
people and tell the truth.
Pride - We do not want to be caught in
failure, ignorance, or wrong. The lack of
accountability can contribute to this but in
the end it is pride that will fuel most lies.
Leaders are by nature
competitive, aggressive, and
out front. When we fail or
struggle we may feel our
leadership is undermined and we might be
vulnerable with critics or supporters. Lying
seems the easiest way to cover failures or
weaknesses.
Expectations - Every leader lives under a
burden of expectations. Some are self-
imposed and some can be imposed by
boards, persons of influence, and
assessments by which we are judged.
Expectations can be factual or imagined but
they are real in any case. When a leader is
not meeting expectations, lying to make
things look better than they are is a
temptation.
There is a good rule of thumb for leaders
when tempted to lie: don’t. Nothing ever
comes to good from it.
Dr. Gene Mims
11
12
'Guilty as charged,'
Cathy says of Chick-fil-A's stand on biblical & family values
by K. Allan Blume/Biblical Recorder
CARY, N.C. (BP) -- Dan Cathy oversees one of the country's most successful businesses. As president and chief operating officer of Chick-fil-A, Cathy leads a business with 1,608 restaurants that had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year. They sell chicken and train employees to focus on values rooted in the Bible. His father, S. Truett Cathy started the business in 1946, when he and his brother, Ben, opened an Atlanta diner known as The Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House). In 1967, his father opened the first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta. Today, Chick-fil-A is the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States based on annual system-wide sales. Dan Cathy's success has not erased the biblical values he learned as a child in a Baptist church. He is a warm, common man who is deeply committed to being a faithful Christian witness. And he is fully involved in New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga. He drives Chick-fil-A's efforts to provide genuine hospitality, ensuring that customers have an exceptional dining experience in a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Based on Matthew 5:41, Cathy is on a mission to
provide customers with "second-mile" service -- exceeding even the highest expectations of a typical fast-food restaurant. "We don't claim to be a Christian business," Cathy said in a recent visit to North Carolina. He attended a business leadership conference many years ago where he heard Christian businessman Fred Roach say, "There is no such thing as a Christian business." "That got my attention," Cathy said. Roach went on to say, "Christ never died for a corporation. He died for you and me." "In that spirit ... [Christianity] is about a
personal relationship. Companies are not lost or saved, but certainly individuals are," Cathy added. "But as an organization we can operate on biblical principles. So that is what we claim to be.
[We are] based on biblical principles, asking God and pleading with God to give us wisdom on decisions we make about people and the programs and partnerships we have. And He has blessed us." Rather than leading from his corporate office in Atlanta, Cathy chooses to spend the majority of his time traveling to the chain's growing family of restaurants and interacting with Chick-fil-A's committed team members. His actions stem from a belief that working in the field provides a clearer understanding of the needs of Chick-fil-A customers. Leading from the
13
front line also enables him personally to convey his servant spirit to the chain's 61,000-plus employees. Cathy believes strongly that Christians are missionaries in the workplace. "Jesus had a lot of things to say about people who work and live in the business community," he said. His goal in the workplace is "to take biblical truth and put skin on it. ... We're talking about how our performance in the workplace should be the focus of how we build respect, rapport and relationships with others that opens the gateway to interest people in knowing God. "All throughout the New Testament there is an evangelism strategy related to our performance in the workplace. ... Our work should be an act of worship. Our work should be our mission field. As long as we are stateside, let's don't think we have to go on mission trips by getting a passport. ... If you're obedient to God you are going to be evangelistic in the quality of the work you do, using that as a portal to share [Christ]," he said. When asked if Chick-fil-A's success is attributed to biblical values, Cathy quickly said, "I think they're inseparable. God wants to give us wisdom to make good decisions and choices." Quoting James 1:5, he spoke of how often he asks God for wisdom. "Frequently Jesus challenged us to just ask ... we're simply not asking as often as we should. We need to be more faithful to
depend on a God who does love us and wants to have a relationship with us, and wants to give us the desires of our hearts." There is another success story attributed to Cathy's organization. They have a positive influence in the world of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Southeastern Conference (SEC) football. There was a time when the Atlanta college football bowl game, which is now named after Chick-fil-A, was called the Peach Bowl.
The annual bowl features teams from the ACC and the SEC. It struggled for a long time. Then 15 years ago the Chick-fil-A organization got involved. It was rebranded as the Chick-fil-A Bowl and has been incredibly successful with 15 consecutive sellouts.
"We are the only bowl that has an invocation. It's in our agreement that if Chick-fil-A is associated in this, there's going to be an invocation. Also, we don't have our bowl on Sunday, either," Cathy said. In 2008 Chick-fil-A began sponsoring a Chick-fil-A Kickoff game matching two of the nation's top teams and hosted on the first weekend of the season in the same stadium (Georgia Dome) as the Chick-fil-A Bowl. This year Chick-fil-A will host two kickoff games, one on Friday and one on Saturday. "That's never been done before," he said. The pair of Chick-fil-A Kickoff games is expected to generate more than $60 million in economic impact. The bowl website
14
describes the event as "a college football celebration of epic proportions." When questioned about Chick-Fil-A's "Closed on Sunday" policy Cathy responded, "It was not an issue in 1946 when we opened up our first restaurant. But as living standards changed and lifestyles changed, people came to be more active on Sundays." The policy has not changed over the years as malls began changing their policies by opening on Sundays. "We've always put in our lease that we will be closed on Sundays," Cathy said. "We've had a track record that we were generating more business in six days than the other tenants were generating in seven [days]." "While developers had no identity whatsoever with our corporate purpose to 'glorify God and be a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and have a positive influence on all that come in contact with Chick-fil-A,' they did identify with the rent checks that we wrote to the mall, that were based on our sales. "So, they would make an exception for Chick-fil-A when they wouldn't make an exception for anybody else, simply because they knew we would pay them more in rent than any other tenant would that was open even seven days a week." The company invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners.
It began as a college scholarship and expanded to a foster care program, an international ministry, and a conference and retreat center modeled after the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. "That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added. Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as
charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.
"We operate as a family business ... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles."
15
16
ICOF JOINS GOVERNOR HUCKABEE
IN SUPPORT OF THOSE WHO
BELEIVE THE BIBLE
Americans unite to oppose Christophobia
and Bibliophobia. The Spirit of Sodom and
Gomorrah has come to America
Washington, DC, July 29th,
2012: Long before biting into
a chicken sandwich became
a political statement the
Bible was written as a
roadmap to righteousness.
Those who believe the words
written in the Bible include
adherents of two of the
world's major religions:
Judaism and Christianity. For
Christians, the Bible is the Holy Book.
Those who would openly defy the Bible
are openly defying all Christians and
their God. The official position of the
International Circle of Faith (ICOF) is
that the Bible is the Word of God. ICOF
stands in support of righteousness. We
encourage all of those who are opposed
to unrighteousness to REPENT.
In recent days an American, Mr. Dan
Cathy, a follower of Jesus Christ and a
man who believes the Bible has come
under attack because of his faith.
Bibliophobia (fear of the Bible) and
Christophobia (fear of those who follow
Jesus Christ) are not something any
American should be subjected to in a
nation that has Christian values as it's
cornerstone. Yet, Bibliophobic and
Christophobic groups and persons have
decided their opinion is superior to the
Bible and that their proclivities are more
important than the Bible and those who
hold to this Holy Book. These are
vehemently opposed to all those who
don't support their Bibliophobia
and Christophobia.
Mr. Dan Cathy is the President
of Chick-fil-A, a fast-food chain
known for putting faith ahead
of profits. Christophobic and
Bibliophobic groups have
called for a boycott of Chick-fil-
A.
The Jim Henson Co. one of
these
Christophobic/Bibliophobic groups has
pulled its Muppet toys from kids' meals.
Since the Jim Henson Co. makes items
for children, Christians should be aware
the opposition of this company is in
support of those who openly promote
sexual perversion. We have all been
shocked in recent days by those who
are openly homosexual operating as
pedophiles and preying on children such
as the case of Jerry Sandusky. The
17
message we get from the Bibliophobic
actions of the Jim Henson Company is
simply disturbing.
As a result of this continued onslaught
against Civil Liberties from Christophobic
and Bibliophobic groups, International
Circle of Faith joined Billy Graham, Don
Wildmon of the American Family
Association, Gov. Mike Huckabee and
others in supporting "Chick-fil-A
Appreciation Day" on August 1st, 2012.
Governor Huckabee
said this, "I ask you to
join me in speaking out
on Wednesday, August
1 "Chick fil-A
Appreciation Day.” No
one is being asked to
make signs, speeches,
or openly demonstrate.
The goal is simple:
Let's affirm a business that operates
on Christian principles and whose
executives are willing to take a stand
for the Godly values we espouse by
simply showing up and eating at Chick
fil-A on Wednesday, August 1.
Too often, those on the left make
corporate statements to show support
for same sex marriage, abortion, or
profanity, but if Christians affirm
traditional values, we're considered
homophobic, fundamentalists, hate-
mongers, and intolerant. This effort is
not being launched by the Chick fil-A
company and no one from the
company or family is involved in
proposing or promoting it.
Simply affirm appreciation for a
company run by Christian principles by
showing up on Wednesday, August 1
or by participating online – tweeting
your support or sending a message on
Facebook."
Sadly, even elected representatives
(who are supposed to support the Civil
Rights of all people) have taken the side
with those who are Bibliophobic. This
includes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel,
Sanfrancisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee and
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino who value
their own opinions
above the law of God.
We would urge all
those who believe the
Bible to boycott the
cities these men rule
until such a time as
they REPENT.
Encourage your
friends, family,
company, etc. to do
business with those who are not
Christophobic or Bibliophobic. Additionally,
we encourage supporters of
Righteousness (those who believe the
Bible) to continue to vote with their dollars
by boycotting all those who are
Christophobic or Bibliophobic.
We are instructed in the Bible to
support righteousness and avoid the
unrighteous. For more information on
these companies visit the American
Family Association http://www.afa.net/
18
19
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
20
Female Prayer Warriors Issue Call for US Intercession
SHAWN A. AKERS
Shirley Dobson
The platform of the American Prayer Initiative is a simple one. It is to inspire people to “return to the God upon whom this country was founded.”
The operative word here is prayer.
During a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., a group of influential Christian women –including Vonette Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ and Chair of the National Day of Prayer Shirley Dobson—banned together to create the American Prayer Initiative.
Awebsite, www.americanprayerinitiative.org, was set up with a 31-day calendar that prompts individuals to pray 60 seconds each day of each month on a specific topic until Election Day, Nov. 6.
Prayer topics include life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as the Declaration of Independence suggests; as well as justice, domestic tranquility, defense, the general welfare and the blessings of
liberty, as the Preamble to the Constitution denotes.
“The website is simple enough that we didn’t want to drive people away,” says Nancy Schulze, a member of the committee, founder of the Congressional Wives Speakers Bureau and wife of former nine-term congressman Dick Schulze. “We didn’t want to overload the website. It’s simply one minute that everyone can take out of their day to pray for their country. Those prayers are sorely needed right now.”
The main goal of the American Prayer Initiative, however, is to help America return to its core values set down in the 18th century by the founding fathers.
“The prayer topics and prayers themselves are designed to strategically address issues in our founding documents and to draw novices and seasoned prayer warriors alike into prayer for the reclaiming and rebuilding of America on her founding roots and principles,” Schulze said.
The movement was born out of a prayer and accountability partnership between Schulze and Bright surrounding the Christian Worldview program established by Chuck Colson. The two felt as if they “had to try to do something to help change the culture of this country.”
While Bright made phone calls some of her influential friends in the Christian community, Schulze gathered together some of her friends in the political arena. They all met in Washington for a “one-day pow-wow.”
21
“We had enough spiritual, intellectual and political firepower in that room that day to start any kind of movement,” Schulze said. “We weren’t out to start an organization, we were just there for a very intense day of discussion.
“We decided at the end of the day that no movement that we could start would be sustainable unless we the people come back to our first love as a nation. Thus, the American Prayer Initiative was the result.”
Other women who gathered for the meeting include Penny Nance, executive director of Concerned Women for America; Anita Staver, attorney and president of Liberty Counsel; Devi Titus, president of Global Pastors Wives Network; Kathy Bright, national director of Bright Media and Discover God 4Kids.; and Jennifer Kemp, daughter of the late Jack Kemp, a former long-time congressman from New York.
Schulze said there are two other members of the movement who are currently running for influential offices in this country who wished to remain anonymous so that, according to Schulze, “there would be no complications in their campaigns.”
Schulze said she already has gotten a great deal of positive feedback about the website and the prayer movement.
“One thing we are finding is that men really like this website,” she said. “There was a man next to me, and he
started telling me about the prayer initiative. He pulled out his IPhone and showed me, and I told him all about my involvement. That was totally unsolicited, but it was so great to see that the website is having that much appeal.”
23
Preparedness is beneficial to several different audiences:
Individuals and families who
realize there's more to disaster preparedness than a "72 hour kit."
First Responders and Military Personnel who must protect the families they leave at home when they report for duty.
Emergency Management officials who need better information with which to train their communities.
Faith-Based Organizations who want to help their congregations and their community.
Civic Groups that are looking for ways to help their members.
Schools that would like to teach preparedness as a class.
Employers who can offer family emergency readiness education as a "perk".
Business Continuity Plans depend on key employees
Business Continuity plans depend on key employees being able to report to work, and that depends on the safety of their family at home.
Practical Things Having a Plan
will Help:
Your washing machine can help you in either a house fire or a hurricane?
Your oven can help you in a wildfire?
Your clothes dryer can help you in an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) attack or tornado?
Your camera phone has multiple emergency uses?
A "baby monitor" can drastically increase your home's fire protection?
That virtually every city has a cheap and plentiful supply of potential storm cellars?
That there are roughly 26 criteria points for choosing an evacuation destination?
That your tornado-damaged automobile still has about a half-dozen emergency uses?
You can make an expedient "air conditioner" using two-liter plastic bottles?
Why stocking your regular food is more important that stocking "survival food?"
That in times of crisis certain types of food will fly off the shelves, but some more useful items won't?
Why you DON'T need to buy all that expensive "survival" gear?
24
Realistically prepare your family for emergencies without fear or unnecessary expenses.
Prepare the best family disaster plan or family emergency plan possible.
Ready your family for virtually any type of emergency or disaster.
Deal with actual incidents focusing on realistic preparations, reactions, and solutions.
Protectyour financial stability before, during, and after a disaster.
Make the best disaster kit ("bugout kit" or "go bag" or G.O.D.S. Bag™) your budget allows.
Organize for either a rapid evacuation or a lengthy shelter-in-place.
HOW TO BEGIN:
Talk with your family
about potential
disasters and why
it's necessary to
prepare. Involve
each member of
your family in the
planning process.
Show them simple
steps that can increase their safety.
This will reduce their (and your) anxiety
about emergencies.
Make sure everyone knows where to
find your disaster supply kit and
G.O.D.S. Bag™. According to FEMA
you should have a G.O.D.S. Bags™ (or
similar type bag) for each adult member
of your family. You should have these
in your house, your car and at your
workplace. You never know when an
emergency will strike or where you will
be. GET EQUIPPED! BE PREPARED!
There are many organizations involved
in disaster preparation. Cities of
Refuge Network is dedicated to
preparing Christian families. C.O.R.N.
will help you get prepared. C.O.R.N.
has a network of Disaster Preparation
professionals trained to help families.
Contact the C.O.R.N for the Disaster
Preparation Consultant (DPC).
http://www.citiesofrefugenetwork.com
Things that you can do to ensure your
plan:
Have a
flashlight and a pair of
shoes under
everyone’s bed in
case there is an
earthquake or other
emergency during the
night.
Use a plastic
bag tied to the leg of
the bed to keep these
items from moving during an
earthquake.
Plan where to meet after a
disaster if your home becomes
unsafe. Choose two places, one
just outside your home and one
outside your neighborhood in
case you are told to evacuate.
Be sure your gas tank is always
at least half full.
Determine the best escape
routes from your home. Try to
identify two escape routes.
25
Make sure each member knows
who your family’s out-of-state
contact is and instruct them to
call this person and tell him/her
where they are.
Locate the gas main and
other utilities and make sure
family members know when and
how to turn them off.
Practice your evacuation routes,
Drop, Cover & Hold and Stop,
Drop & Roll drills.
Teach each member of your
family how to use a fire
extinguisher.
Create emergency response
cards for each of your family
members.
Take into account the special needs of
children, seniors or people with
disabilities, family members that don’t
speak
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:
26
27
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
28
THE PRESENT FUTURE:
SIX TOUGH QUESTIONS
FOR THE CHURCH
A counselor once
told me he had just
one problem with a
particular book: “I
wish I had written it
myself,” he said. He
meant that in that book, the author had
expressed all of his own most crucial
beliefs about personal growth.
I’ve never felt that way about a book
before. Usually the material (at least
some of it) has been new to me, or else
(rarely) it has been very familiar but not
terribly close to my heart. Having
read The Present Future now, however, I
think I know what he meant. Reggie
McNeal has found a way to articulate
many of my most urgent concerns for the
way we do church.
The core of it is what he calls “The
need for missiology:”
I am proposing that missiology
come into prominence, both as
a theological pursuit and as a
guiding operational paradigm.
And just what is missiology? It’s what
effective Christian missionaries study
and practice. They make it their business
not only to understand the timeless
gospel message, but also the culture in
which they are ministering. They
understand that communicating
effectively means much more than
learning the language. Effective
missionaries are lifelong learners of
culture, working to understand where
their people currently are so they can
lead them to a true, yet truly
enculturated, understanding of the grace
and truth of Jesus Christ. They
understand that the core of the Good
News can come wrapped in different
packages and expressions.
Years ago I was a member of a
denomination that was facing what
seemed like quite a puzzle: it was
29
growing overseas but shrinking in North
America. At the time I said, “That’s not
hard to figure out at all! Our people in
other countries know they’re
missionaries; their churches know
they’re not clubs, they’re mission bases.
If we just applied here what we
know there, we’d grow here again too!”
Our church, like so
many others, was
operating from what
McNeal calls a
“refuge mentality.”
Western churches’
work has changed
over the past few
decades. It is a missionary enterprise
now. If there was a ever time (which is
arguable) when our culture was
predominantly Christian, that time has
decisively ended. If there was a time
when churches could count on drawing
new people in just by being there, that
time has ended. If there ever was a time
when churches needed to go outside our
walls and seek to effect community
transformation, that time is now.
Other themes in McNeal’s book also
resonated strongly with me. “Sunday
schools” and other small groups need to
move beyond head learning and into the
proverbial streets, to meet community
needs in the name of Christ and thus
practice what we’re learning. Otherwise
it’s questionable whether we’re actually
learning anything at
all. I’ve tried initiating
this kind of outreach
at my church, but
either because of my
weakness as a leader,
or the church’s
inability to take up a
new paradigm, it fell flat. If a whole
church resolved to move that way
together, a group would have a far better
chance of succeeding in ventures like
this.
This takes vision, a clear sense of
purpose. McNeal emphasizes that as
well. As a mission organization strategic
planner, I’ve learned that a clear sense of
direction is by far the most crucial
element of any plan. This is not about
the “how” but the “what” and the “who:”
30
what is it that God wants us to
accomplish in our community and in the
world? Who are we now, and who is God
calling us to be? In some settings is the
only level of long-range planning that’s
practical, for the great pace of
unpredictable change typically forces
frequent re-adjustments of the “how.”
If I had one concern regarding
McNeal’s book, it would be in his
approach toward apologetics and the life
of the mind. In context of the whole
book, McNeal is probably on a fine track
with this; he recommends churches
create “Chief Learning Officers” as staff
or high-level volunteer positions. At the
same time, he rightly points out that
many Christians and churches are too
much “head” and not enough “hands.”
The answer, though—and I hope
McNeal’s readers understand this—is not
to learn less, it is to apply more, and
especially to apply more in context of
the community.
McNeal opened the book with a
warning: don’t read it if you’re not ready
to be challenged regarding change the
way you think about church. I urge you,
fellow followers of Christ, to be open to
that change. See what McNeal has to say,
and see what difference it might make in
your church. This book was
recommended to me by two pastors at
our church, as we are moving through a
time of transition. I have high hopes we’ll
make progress with it in a new and
exciting direction.
The Present Future: Six Tough
Questions for the Church by Reggie
McNeal. San Francisco: John Wily &
Sons, 2003. 172 pages. Amazon Price
US$16.47.
The
31
Trumpet of Justice
Newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The word of the Lord comes and says to you my people I come to speak to
you in this hour concerning the balances of life. The Lord says there
are those who have hijacked my message, and have pulled the message of God into the confinements
of their culture. They view me only from the prism of what they have
known, and still move in the realm of superiority. There are those in this nation who believe that they are the
only ones who I speak to, and that the word of the Lord that comes to them
is the only word that is accurate
and pure. But I am
the Lord, and I will have a just
weight and a just balance in everything. This is the beginning of
the shaking says the Lord, when I will shake everything that I did not plant. I the Lord say to you I shall begin to
deal with racial superiority at the very root. For the Lord says this nation has
had some pseudo-seasons of racial repentance, but not real repentance says God. Many have brought
together great councils, and times of meeting. With many tears and
weeping, but yet no real repentance in action and deed. All across this nation
my voice is beginning to move, I'm rooting up, I am exposing all that is hidden and unrighteous and dark says
God. In this hour I will so shake the
church, that many will call it the devil and not understand is the shaking of the most high God. I will deal with the
deep insidious sin of racism. I the Lord shall begin to layout my parameters
for true repentance and not the false repentance that has been demonstrated in times gone by. I will
break down the wall's of limitation, were whites for the most part refuse
to submit themselves to Black Apostles and Prophets who are called
and appointed of heaven. But yet many black men, and black women, and black families have submitted to
men of other races without a second thought. I the Lord will make my
church look like the church at Antioch. I shall begin to show my heart as it relates to the events of the hour,
many have connected themselves to crafty political workers who use my
gospel as a tool to continue to oppress the poor and walk in hate. They have been able to beguile gullible leaders in
the kingdom and cause them to think that the false righteousness they walk
in is the righteousness of heaven. It has grieved me much, as my people who are called to serve me, and
demonstrate my heart in the Earth have connected themselves with those
that hate the poor. I say to you consider the area of healthcare, did not my word say, that I would send
health and cure.
Jeremiah 33:6 (HCSB)
6 Yet I will certainly bring health and healing to it and will indeed heal them. I will let them experience the
abundance of peace and truth.
It has grieved me as I have blessed
this nation with incredible wealth yet
32
many are suffering in this nation
because of a lack of access to healthcare. I am the one that rose up this president and put him in office to
execute acts of righteousness which are pleasing to me. All that he has
done has not been righteous and holy, but I will weigh him in the balance as I weigh every man. Many that profess
my name have raised a hand against the acts of heaven, not even
understanding that it is the Lord. Do you not believe my word my people?
That says that promotion doesn't come from the East or from the West or from the South but the Lord is the
judge and raise up one set down another. Why? Would my word not be
applicable, says the Lord when your political party does not win. Why are you now eating the leaven of the
Herodians, you have exalted your politics above my word, you made
your Constitution the holy writ, and made my written word secondary. I the Lord am the one that brought
healthcare to this nation, I brought up because of the groan of the suffering
of the poor. I am the omnipresent one, that has heard the groan of the single mother that does not have
adequate healthcare for her child. It has come before me, it reached my
throne, I am the one that is responded to the oppression of the poor and the sighing of the needy. It has grieved
me people of mine, as you have lifted up your hands to rail and fight against
what I have done. This is the time says God that you will see great correction in my church. There are no
people on the face of the earth that own the gospel. In this hour I come to
bring a just weight and a righteous balance. I will put away every doctrine of Devils that has infiltrated my
church. The deceitful doctrine, of
conservatism that has caused many to
think that conservatism and the kingdom are synonymous. The doctrine of false liberalism that
supports false marriages and aborts babies. For yes there is a true
liberalism, as spoken of in my Scriptures that loves the poor and is magnanimous and kind. I will restore
true liberalism, which will heal the heart of the broken and mend the
wounded. I will pull down, I will divide asunder between soul and spirit. No
longer shall my people be deceived, I'm sending out says God, a great sound of a trumpet calling for those
who are grieved the hijacking of my gospel. I will rise up a new movement,
which I will fund by my own hand out of the treasuries of heaven. It shall not be a left-wing, or a right wing
movement, but it shall be a kingdom movement sent from the throne of
God. In this season justice shall run down like a River and righteousness like a mighty stream. I will rise up
prophets and apostles full of the oracles of justice. They will stand for
the poor, and the I will give them power to rebuke all lies that distort my gospel. This is the hour, I the
Lord, I'm looking for soldiers, who are ready to be trained and untrained. I'm
looking for soldiers, who will allow me to detoxify them from the dark influences and viruses of his current
church atmosphere. This will be in a new move that many will not
understand.
Apostle Joseph Prude
Apostolic and Prophetic Congress
33
Bakery Won't Sugar-Coat
Marriage Views
If the Chick-
fil-A
firestorm has
accomplishe
d anything, it
may have
emboldened
business
owners who
agree with
Dan Cathy. As difficult as it's been for the
popular franchise, Chick-fil-A has been an
example of unshakable faith to proprietors
like Jack Phillips. The owner of Colorado's
Masterpiece Cake Shop says he isn't about
to waver from his belief in marriage as the
union of a man and woman--not even when
a homosexual couple is trying to destroy his
business for it. When two men visited his
store looking for a wedding cake this
summer, they said the meeting "only lasted a
few seconds." Jack was kind--but firm--in
his conviction that he would not bake for
events he disagrees with. The local News
Channel 5 reports Phillips as saying, "If the
state won't recognize gay marriage, neither
will [I]." Stunned, Dave Mullin and Charlie
Craig took to Facebook, launching a
campaign to force Phillips into submission.
The chances of that look slim. Jack says he
feels so strongly about the issue that he'd be
willing to sacrifice his business over it. "If it
came to that point, we would close down the
bakery before we would compromise our
beliefs. That may be what it comes to... we'll
see." Our hats go off to Jack and business
owners like him who politely but firmly
stand their ground when the bullies come
calling. There is no appeasing the other side
on marriage--and the sooner Americans
learn that, the better.
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.
34
"THE STRANGER"
-author unknown.
A few years after I was born, my Dad met a
stranger who was new to our small town. From
the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this
enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to
live with our family. The stranger was quickly
accepted and was around
from then on.
As I grew up, I never
questioned his place in my
family. In my young mind, he
had a special niche.
My parents were
complementary instructors:
Mom taught me good from
evil, and Dad taught me to
obey. But the stranger... he was
our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound
for hours on end with adventures, mysteries
and comedies. If I wanted to know anything
about politics, history or science, he always
knew the answers about the past, understood
the present and even seemed able to
predict the future!
He took my family to the first major league ball
game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry.
The stranger never stopped talking,
but Dad didn't seem to mind. Sometimes, Mom
would get up quietly while the rest of us were
shushing each other to listen to what he
had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for
peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever
prayed for the stranger to leave.)
Dad ruled our household with certain moral
convictions, but the stranger never felt
obligated to honor them. Profanity, for
example, was not allowed in our home - not
from us, our friends or any
visitors. Our long time visitor, however, got
away with four-letter words that burned my
ears and made my dad squirm and my
mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal
use of alcohol but the stranger encouraged us
to try it on a regular basis. He made cigarettes
look cool, cigars manly, and
pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (much too
freely!) about sex. His
comments were sometimes
blatant, sometimes suggestive,
and generally
embarrassing.
I now know that my early
concepts about relation-ships
were influenced strongly by the
stranger. Time after time, he
opposed the values of my parents, yet he was
seldom rebuked ... And NEVER asked to leave.
More than fifty years have passed since the
stranger moved in with our family. He has
blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating
as he
was at first. Still, if you could walk into my
parents' den today, you would still find him
sitting over in his corner, waiting for
someone to listen to him talk and watch him
draw his pictures. His name?.... We just call him
'TV'.
(The average Westerner watches about 12
YEARS of television in his or her lifetime. Yes -
12 YEARS. I wonder what it has done to our
generation that we are not even aware of?)
35
Chick Magnet:
Millions Drawn to Chain's Defense
by: Toni Perkins
It wasn't a good day to be a chicken, but it was a great day to be an American. By the millions, people swarmed their local Chick-fil-As, shattering records--and perceptions--about where the country stands. The media can dismiss us, the culture can degrade us, but there is no denying the powerhouse of deeply faithful people in this nation. By noon, even reporters couldn't ignore the outpouring of support told in the lasting images of cars snaked around for miles, customers spilling out across city blocks, and snarled traffic.
It was the slowest fast food anyone had ever had--and customers were never happier to wait. There were reports of restaurants running out of food, 1,884 Google results for "long lines at Chick-fil-A," and special deliveries to congressional offices. There also were poignant stories, of people in San Diego
ushering military members to the front of the 200-person line and bursting into applause; of customers circling up to pray; of CEO Dan Cathy calling Rick Warren, stunned that the company had set a world record for sales.
But above all, there was hope. In every corner of America, people seemed to say, "You are not alone!" Across parking lots and food courts, customers were
high-fiving, striking up conversations, and snapping photos with people they had never met. On this day, there were no strangers--only allies. And in one simple gesture, ordering a meal, they showed the world a strength that no poll ever could. It
was the resounding confirmation of a values movement that is not only surviving the pressure--but thriving under it.
Even Gov. Mike Huckabee, who designated Wednesday as Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, was almost speechless. It went "beyond anything I could have imagined," he said. "You know, for all the talk, 'we need to be tolerant and have diversity,' I'm all for that," Gov. Huckabee told reporters. "But let's include Christians in that, let's include people who believe in old-fashioned biblical values. Those folks are Americans too. And if Dan Cathy wants to say something, fine. Other people say something quite the opposite. I don't go around trying to put them out of business over it."
36
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 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
37
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
38
BE CAREFUL HOW YOU VOTE
While walking down the street one day a
Corrupt Senator (that may be
redundant) was tragically hit by a car
and died. His soul arrives in heaven
and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
"Welcome to
heaven," says St.
Peter.
"Before you settle in,
it seems there is a
problem. We seldom
see a high official
around these
parts, you see, so
we're not sure what to do with you."
"No problem, just let me in," says the
Senator.
"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders
from the higher ups. What we'll do is
have you spend one day in hell and
one in heaven. Then you can choose
where to spend eternity."
"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want
to be in heaven," says the Senator.
"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to
the elevator and he goes down, down,
down to hell. The doors open and he
finds himself in the middle of a green
golf course.\ In the distance is a
clubhouse and standing in front of it are
all his friends and other politicians who
had worked with him.
Everyone is very
happy and in
evening dress.
They run to greet
him, shake his hand,
and reminisce about
the good times they
had while getting
rich at the expense of the people. They
played a friendly game of golf and
then dine on lobster, caviar and the
finest champagne. Also present is the
devil, who really is a very friendly guy
who is having a good time dancing and
telling jokes. They are all having such a
good time that before the Senator
realizes it, it is time to go.
39
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell
and waves while the elevator rises.
The elevator goes up, up, up and the
door reopens In heaven where
St. Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's
time to visit heaven..
So, 24 hours passed with the Senator
joining a group of contented souls
moving from cloud to cloud, playing the
harp and singing. They have a good
time and, before he realizes it, the 24
hours have gone by and St. Peter
returns.
"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell
and another in heaven. Now choose
your eternity."
The Senator reflects for a minute, then
he answers: "Well, I would never have
said it before, I mean heaven has
been delightful, but I think I would be
better off in hell."
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator
and he goes down, down, down to hell...
Now the doors of the elevator open and
he's in the middle of a barren land
covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags,
picking up the trash and putting it in
black bags as more trash falls to the
ground. The devil comes over to him
and puts his arm around his shoulders.
"I don't understand," stammers the
Senator.
"Yesterday I was here and there was a
golf course and clubhouse, and we ate
lobster and caviar, drank champagne,
and danced and had a great time. Now
there's just a wasteland full of garbage
and my friends look miserable. What
happened?"
The devil smiles at him and says,
"Yesterday we were campaigning,
Today, you voted.."
Vote wisely on November 2, 2012
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?
40
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.
41
GHANA
PRESIDENT ATTAH MILLS IS DEAD
Dr. John Evans Fifii Atta Mills (21 July 1944 – 24 July 2012) is the third and
immediate past President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, having defeated the ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo
in the 2008 election. He was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and stood unsuccessfully in the 2000 and 2004
presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress
(NDC). He was a friend to the International Circle of Faith Global
Union and will be missed.
KUWAIT
Kuwaiti's Royal Prince Abdullah al-Sabah
converted To Christianity from Islam. He
stated, "If they kill me because of it,
then I will appear
before Jesus
Christ and I will
be with Jesus
Christ forever."
The Royal Prince
went on to say (in
a recorded Audio tape),
He stated “I will accept whatever they
do to me, because the truth in the Bible
has guided me towards the right path.”
NYC churches
win battle to meet
in schools
by Dr. Tom Askew
It’s official! After 17
years of rulings,
counter-judgments,
being pushed out,
let back in, and
often subjected to legal bafflement, 60-
plus churches in New York City (NYC)
have received a green light to use public
school facilities from the U.S. District
Court for the Southern District of New
York.
For the many who have followed this
case with prayer, this is great news! In
42
the aftermath of this victory, there are
even more causes for rejoicing.
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
KENYA VICTORY PRAISE; AUGUST 5TH, 2012. Praises unto our God forever, greetings and love from Bungoma, Kenya, Africa in Jesus mighty name! SUNDAY SERVICE: The Lord really moved amongst the congregation. We had an Assembly of 7 churches with great testimonies of new Souls coming to Christ Jesus. It was over 20 Souls
within a week in the Assembly. The Lord moved touch and blessing through the Important Service preachings/ Teachings. The Lord Jesus healed several illnesses and delivered three from strong DOOR TO DOOR EVANGELISM:
Door to door Evangelism harvested 5 Souls last week and many more others ministered to for healing and deliverance. The Team is doing the follow-up program. PRAISE/WORSHIP CHOIR CONFERENCE: We are in prayer and
preparations concerning the coming National Youth Praise & Worship conference on 29th & 30th August 2012. We will also have the awards to the Youth groups at District level. Please join us and be part as we look to Him. KENYA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2012: We are having General Elections again postponed from this year in December to 4th March 2013 needing your prayers again as we remember the 2007 Post election violence that saw more than 2000 killed. Your prayers are very essential for God to move. CHURCHES SECURITY: Pray with us as we are in need to set up security
measures in and around our churches due to the threat of Islamic Al Shabaab terror attacks. Psalms 18:1 How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. 2 The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me
and keeps me safe.
43
Dear Bishop Wade, Greetings from the Philippines. I am very sorry I cannot join our skype meetings because I am always travelling and the time of our meeting I am always having meetings with people. I am in Manila and I visited our ICOF people Sheraz and his wife in their residence inside their bible school. We plan to do something for ICOF this year. Also I will introduce to you our ICOF coordinator in Manila in the name of Mrs. Jessica Soriano. Please see her email account and welcome her in our circle. She is a gifted women in the unity of the Body of Christ. Please plan to visit the Philippines and we will conduct conference for our people here and also introduce ICOF here. The Lord bless you more with our wife, children and staff. Love, Bishop Bing ICOF- INTERNATIONAL CIRCLE OF FAITH, PHILIPPINES
INDIA
Greetings from Salem, India. Very dry season now, no rain and no water in our part of India. Hoping and praying for rain. There is no water in our borewells of churches and orphanges. We appriciate your prayers for the same.
It is always good to serve needy childen, lepers, HIV families ,unreached groups, and people are in need of help and guidance. At Bargur lepers colony we were able to distribute shoes for nearly 200 lepers. Mr.Thandapani one of the leper said that he was walking without shoe for many month with his wounds in his feet. Now he is happy to wear shoe.
In many villages and in a old age home we done free medical camps for the benefit of poors, lepers and needy. With our medical team Dr. Predita went to all these camps to provide treatment to people. Based in semmanda patty hospital Dr. Jones and medical staff involve in visiting villages for medical service. Sister Joshphine in Salem old age home thank our mobile medical team for their camp for old age people. Children at Chetti patty home, Sangeetha patty and Kamalapuram home got clean water fecility now. Yes,a company in Goa donate these machines for children in orphanages and in village schools. Nursing training graduation
took place last month. We thank God for Gayathry, who joined in our home when she was 5 years old. Now she became a nurse through this training at our mission. Esther at Kulandai nagar village leads a church and child care centre
44
with 40 children. Her husband who was a pastor died by heart attack. She joined in our leadership training and she is appointed to lead this church to continue her husband's ministry. You know well how it is hard to encourage women in leadership. We do it by God's grace. Above all, we speed up church planting and reach unreached. All our churches in JMHA aim to plant more churches within 2020. I am so excited to spend most of the evenings in meeting houses, villages and individuals for ministry. We set up youth groups, women groups , men groups and children clubs to do more ministries. Every Sunday churches we hear many exciting testimonies and new people in churches. I love to share a testimony briefly that happened life of Gunaseely, a blind lady; Recently, we went to Thathiam patty village to screen JESUS film for villagers. To our surprise only one lady came to watch this film after many hours of our advertisement. When we saw her closely we were shocked to know that she is blind lady. Then we asked, "How can you watchthis Jesus without sight? She replied to us that she may not be able to see Jesus, but she could hear his voice . She added that she is blind, but not deaf. After we began to screen, than many people came to watch. In the end we gave an altar call. This blind lady was the first person who wanted to give her life to Jesus. Then, she became strong believer of our church and use to proclaim Jesus to others through songs on her own composing and testimony. She is very poor and belong to lower caste family. We as the church want to build a small house for her.
Her present hut is in falling condition. She sleeps on a pillar cave which is tied up with some dried palm leaves. You can see her present hut and sleeping cave. By God's grace we have raised some money to build a small house to this blind woman, who leads many into the light of Jesus. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and assistance. Everyone from our mission send you
wishes and regards. Yours cordially J.Glory Dhas with Team 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
45
Social Media Director
Key Skills:
: Highly proficient with social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linked-In, Digg, foursquare,
Google+, and/or Flickr. Send your resume to: mailto:[email protected]
Disaster Preparedness
Consultant (DPC).
The DPC position is the nucleus of the
Cities of Refuge Network (C.O.R.N). Enjoy
earning a tremendous income working with
a family based company with Christian
values.
The ideal candidate will have a background
in ministry, call center, sales, network
marketing, or related fields. This person is
someone who enjoys interacting with
people.
No experience necessary. Training
provided. As a DPC you will help
individuals and families plan for life's
unexpected situations. Annual income $40-
75K. Send your resume and cover letter to
\
ICOF CSU INTERNSHIPS
ICOF CSU offers internships to students.
This program is designed to help the
student develop their ministry while
working hands on with ICOF in a
variety of areas. The student will
receive an ICOF CSU degree or
credit toward their degree.
Available internships for the 2012-
2013 academic year are in the following
areas:
SOCIAL MEDIA
GRAPHIC DESIGN
GRAPHIC LAYOUT
TEACHING
WRITING
NON PROFIT MANAGEMENT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MISSIONS
GRANT WRITING
INTERNET TECHONOLOGY
ADMINISTRATION
CHURCH MANAGEMENT
MINISTRY MANAGEMENT
CONFERENCE/EVENT
MANAGEMENT
PASTORING
PREACHING
PROPHECY
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT:
[email protected] Reach over 50,000 loyal Christian
readers with the Next Wave. For
more information contact:
mailto:[email protected] or
502.410.4263
46
Ohio Valley Fivefold Roundtable
Tuesday
September 11, 2012 - 6 PM
Prospect, Kentucky
HOSTS: Robert and Jackie Straube
Email for more information:
http://www.icof.net
47
SEPTEMBER 21
CONGRESSIONAL PRAYER
BREAKFAST
WASHINGTON DC
Hosts: Bishop Clarence Harris
Congressman Paul Broun
BISHOP RANKINS ANNIVERSARY SERVICE
ABUJA, NIGERIA
OCTOBER 25 - 28th
ICOF CSU Graduation
October 17th
ICOF CSU Zambia
Host: Dr. Charles Mwape
THE INTERNATIONAL
GATHERING OF EAGLES
ACCRA GHANA.
8th to 10th of November 2012.
Bishop Freeson (ICOF Bishop of Ghana)
48
50
51