GoodnewsEverybody.com Ministry Challenges

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"YOU (God) must increase, and I must decrease"

After graduating from the Summer Institute of Ministry Training School in the summer of 1999, I (Sal) was all pumped-up to do college ministry. I continued this book table outreach at UMM Student Center that a guy used to do from my local church did for 5 years after he graduated from UMM. I had the desire to do the same, so I would sit at this table in the Student Center almost every Wednesday from 11a-2p. Then at Food Service (a.k.a. PFM-Professional Food Management) almost every Tuesdays (whenever) @4:45p-6:30p. I met many college students through this table outreach every week, which helped build the bridge between my local church and the college students. It worked for me, which got me plugged into the current local church I'm involved in since my sophomore year of 1996. I wanted to the same for others as it did for me when I attended UMM 95'-99'.

Numbers Become Overwhelming at Booktable

I did the book table faithfully from the Fall of 1999 and it started to dwindle between 2001-2002. I started to become overwhelm of the many people I was meeting and I didn't have the time to minister to each individual. I had this sign-up sheet where students and professors/staff/faculty at times would jot down their name, e-mail, questions/needs/prayer request. I would then try to e-mail each individual an answer to their question, which became a lot of work by myself. I would try to pray for more individuals to team-up with me, which He did send some people my way. Some of them would just sit with me once, twice .regularly. I realize that it would be easier and more effective whenever there was someone sitting with me. It was like how Jesus sent his disciples 2 by 2! Another advantage of another person sitting with me was that the particular individual knew people that I never met before. It became a tag team outreach as we would pray and team together in reaching out to these individuals. I started to build relationships with these people that their friends introduced to me and ended up becoming a chain reaction or domino effect. Unfortunately, meeting all these people at the booktable became quantity and less quality ministry. I wasn't able to get close to individuals to help them grow as I would like to. I remember one individual would come to the book table and while I was taking to them; another individual would try to talk to me. To not be mean, I would talk to this new individual and the other person would leave as he/she felt over look at. It started to bother me, which I slowly decreased the time I do the weekly book table-from 2x to 1x to 0 times by the end of the Spring of 2002.

Positive Results: Instead of trying to reach "everybody", I asked God to narrow down several individuals to focus on. It led to mentoring several college men in a weekly or regular basis. Also, from all those questions I was challenged from doing the book table from all sorts of topics and issues. I ended up keeping those answers I found through long hours of research and putting it in website form. It resulted to all these websites:

  • Goodnews UMM: Issues
  • UMMAlpha: Nations
  • Borrowing Money to the Needy?

    I associate with a lot of college students that are always financially in need. They asked me to borrow money ($100, $40, etc..for transportation means, phone cards, etc..), which majority have never paid me back. I would get frustrated at times when this happens over and over, but God somehow provides or redeems what I lost. The Bible does say "its better to give then receive". I try to remember this verse when I do borrow money and never get it back, which I feel I do get it back-not materialistically, but spiritually-eternally. I also see this as a learning opportunity-a test from God to see where my heart is. It's useless if I give with the wrong heart-might as well don't give at all if my heart isn't right. I'm learning this day by day as God brings people in my life asking for help, whether it's financially or any other form. I remember when I was in college, I would indirectly run (I never asked, but my parents would ask) to my parents whenever I was in need of financial help. I feel it has been a blessing and that God wants me to be a blessing to those in need or are poor; especially those who are less fortunate as I am.

    Alcoholic Rehab Without Discipline

    A local church family asked my housemate and I to house a young adult in need of a place to stay for just one week-around August of 2001. Will call him John, who we knew a while back as he came to visit our church with this family several times before. I wanted to prove to this local church family and the church that I can be used effectively by getting him on his feet! After 2 years since SIMT School, I wanted to show them that what I learned is being used. We got to know John pretty well from these past visits, which we were looking forward to housing and getting to know him within this week. When he came over, we greeted him and shared our personal background stories slowly overtime. John was looking for a job, so we would try to help him find one within this week time. We got close to helping him find one, but none! After a week and getting to know him, it was time for him to leave. This local church family called us and we told him if we could have him stay longer until he finds one. Well, he did find a job after less than 3 weeks, but we had him live with us longer to get him more stable (financially, spiritually, etc�) before finding his own place. It became a month, 2 months, etc�. Then our landlord found out we were housing him in our 2 bedroom apartment when he got John�s mail somehow. John had enough money to pay rent, so we had him continue to live with us as we got closer and became friends. It wasn�t too long when we found out that he still had problems with alcohol. We knew he was recovering after being in a drug treatment center in downtown Minneapolis for 2 unsuccessful months (quitted the program after some unexpected situations and irresponsibility in his part), but we didn�t know how severe it was. We had to learn it the hard way:

    -I went to take a 3 week vacation in October to the Philippines, when I came back-I would later find out some troubling news. My housemate told me that he was easily convinced by John to take him to Alexandria (45 minutes northeast of here) to visit some �old buddies�. Well, John who was trying to turn back his life, went back to his old friends to drink. In fact my housemate told me that he even bought some alcohol with him to drink with his old friend. I told them why did they do this as I was shocked to see them do this behind my back. I was disappointed, but I somehow let it go and said to myself that this was just a �small thing�.
    -One time I had to drive John to the local county hospital as his stomach wasn�t feeling well. It was soo..bad that he had to go to the emergency room past midnight! I remembered I was in the waiting room for an hour and slept. Then John came back and I was happy to see him that everything went ok! I was mad that he could�ve prevented this if he stopped drinking, but I cared for him so much that I was more concerned and happy of his well being!
    -While I was gone as most of the time when these uneventful situations happens, John was drunk and being abnoxious outside our rented house. Our neighbor took this situation in his own hands after he got overboard and tore a tree branch from his front yard. He then called the cops, which a cop lady came over and tried to take him inside-out of harms way in the public residential neighborhood. Being drunk, he got too violent and ended up hitting the lady cop. He ended up getting arrested for a day and was taken to court to be fined.
    -Hospital Visit Again: He went to the hospital again, but this time in an emergency visit. They had to pump all this alcohol out of his body, which he was taken to the Fergus Falls Treatment Center. He called me from there and I ended up picking him up while he was dressed foolishly in his orange suit. I picked him up right before visiting some friends from Fargo, ND for the Living Waters Ministry: Fireworks Fundraiser Sale at the Walmart parking lot in Fergus. Yes, I should've did some discipline guideline right there!
    -One of the rare occassions I caught him drunk wasn�t really friendly! A friend of mine told me that he was going to drive while intoxicated from the house of his �drinking buddies�. Not wanting him to endanger himself or others, I tried to prevent him from driving. As I was intervening, I noticed a very unpleasant spirit visually. It was a side I never seen before and never ever want to see again-unfortunately I would see again! We were able to take his key from him and walked back to our house. John came over furiously as he stormed to the living room. My housemate and I were sitting in the living room couch when he stood in front of us asking for his keys back. He started to get physically violent as he knocked the 3-bulb lamp from it�s stand to the carpeted floor-fortunately it didn�t start a fire. We then stood up and told him that we weren�t going to take this. Unfortunately, it�s been a while that I cannot describe the exact events from here. I do remember that we did go out to his car again and he got more physical. I believe I was praying during this time, which I was led to put the keys in the car and have the headlights on during our dispute with him. By the time I let John go into his car, the battery died and he wasn�t able to drive after we gave him the keys. He was mad as I smiled inside with relief. After this, I can�t remember exactly what happened after, but we got through this evening and had to prepare for what�s going to happen to discipline him.

    Discipline Plan

    I never lived with an alcoholic before and I never ever had to deal with a severe situation as this before. The only situation similar to this that I could reflect back to as I write this is when I was an RA. I had to confront two college minors-students busted with having a fair amount of open bottles of beer. What we did to discipline them was to have them make posters on the health affects of alcohol and put them around the residential hall. That was about it! What my housemate and I did with John was that we�ll kick him out of the house if he ever came home drunk again. It�s been awhile, which I can�t remember exactly whatever happened after we sat down with this discipline guideline plan.

    Current Status

    John ended up getting 2 DWI's:
    First one was on Main Street when he was swerving out of a bar, which the cop pulled him over in front of the Conoco gas station. I would find out about this the next day when I get a call from him at the Kandyohi County Jail in Wilmar, which I should've talked to him right there and negotiate sometype of guidleline before bailing him out.
    Second one was outside of a bar in Hoffman when he hit a parked vehicle while drunk. He got sentenced for some number of months in jail and then hitting an oncoming vechicle head-on going to Alexandria. Praise God that the driver of the vehicle didn't get killed, which would be on my conscience for the rest of my life! He served a total 9 months (June 03'-March 04 w/a 1 month break in September-October) at the Douglas County Jail. Right now, he is looking for sometype of treatment as he is housed at the Alexandria Shelter (4/19/04) after getting a taste of reality when he came out in 3/30/04. He is asking me help find sponsors to donate a total up to $200 that will cover transportation to some rehab place in Atlanta, GA (...more on jail ministry rehab)

    ...more on alcohol

    Ministry Relationship With No Trust

    I volunteered at the See You At the Party 02' in Alexandria, MN when I met this guy that appeared to have a heart to minister youth-looks can be deceiving! I'll call him John again! Well, a UMM Alumn also took notice and he got me going into contacting him to have him do some ministering in Morris-especially the college campus in reaching out to African Americans since he could relate to them. I was in a desperate help in having co-laborers in reaching out to this particular group of people after Alpha & Omega was going down in numbers. I also remembered one of those prophetic dreams that was shared to our local church that appeared to be on target with John! I called John a month after SYATP and I told him if he felt called to come speak at an A&O meeting some Friday. He first told me to come to Alexandria and see first hand what God is doing through him there. I went to visit him for a day and joined him on his regular ministry activities: College Fellowship "One Eighty" at Alexandria Technical College-he was part of the fellowship, Jail Fellowship at a Lutheran Church-bible study w/ jail mates or former ex prisoners/jailmates, and this particular day was his Birthday as he got acknoweldge by each fellowship group. He then went with me to Morris (sameday or after-can't remember?), so I can show him the ministry opportunities at this college campus community. Well, I took him around the campus and scheduled a Friday for him to share-particularly men one night! I sent an e-mail beforehand to invite the men of A&O to come. Unfortunately, I didn't talk to individuals to spread the word until last minute about John speaking. Before the 8pm A&O fellowship would start, we sat in the Student Center to buy some time and invite men last minute to hear John share his heart. While we sat in the Student Center, John and this older women (somehow contacted another brother in Christ and found out John was speaking, which she wanted to meet him through some connections she had in Alexandria) chatted. A UMM Student teased to me that John was flirting with this blond lady. I kept telling him "no he wasn't", which I had to explain to him the circumstances. I would later regret this "inkling" that was a clue of how John was really at, but I didn't speculate until later on. The fellowship group started, which was only for men; later realize that I should've opened this up to everybody after 2 college women asked to come, but I closed the doors on them. When we started the men "only" fellowship in this particular A&O fellowship, there were 2 men. I was a little dissapointed became the predominate "minority" A&O men didn't come, but I was content with the 2 Caucasian American men. ***Learn? I learned that we sometimes have ministry desires to reach a particular group of people, which God wants us to reach "every nations" or people group. This selfish desire can be a disruption to what God wants to do through us.*** John spoke his heart out that captivated the men present there, which he built some bridges to the UMM Campus Community this particular evening. We decided as a group to do this in weekly basis on Friday evenings, which lasted for only several Fridays. Through our A&O student membership, we would schedule Oyate Hall or other rooms every Fridays. Being a Friday, we had few numbers, but the consistency of the same individual college students. John began to build relationships with these individuals that led to others of their peers at UMM.

    Getting to the Groove

    John still had his heart to continue the ministry activities he was involved in Alexandria, so I would drive him back and forth for so long. When he would stay with us in Morris in the 4 men (built for 2 only) apartment (same time as the "first" John in the store before), he would get in the groove of what he felt God called him to do in Morris. We would get up early in the morning (if possible all the men) to read the Word and be pumped up to do His work that particular day. John would sometimes volunteer at the Salvation Army (only a block from our rented apartment) and would use this connection to get FREE stuff (he didn't work, so he would find "street" ways to get daily clothing or things). He also had the heart to reach the older people, so he would meet a lonely senior citizen (father of a Salvation Army employee) man in his house just to talk and keep him company.***What did I learn? John taught me to NOT preached to senior citizens as a sign of respect of authority, but to just listen and be an ear. This is a way to shine Christ's light to them through our own individual actions. We would sit with this senior citizen man and listen to stories he wanted to share. I realized that we young folks can really learn from older people and gain wisdom****

    He would go to the campus early and meet with college students before I did many times. His ambition to minister to them really encouraged me as he taught me to daily read early in the morning and night as a way to get fueled up. John would at times sleep only 4 hours! I was excited to see another co-laborer that had the heart to mentor/disciple the college students-"the harvest" at the campus.

    Real or Not

    After awhile John was here, I would start getting questions about him. One college student asked me how I met JOhn, which I told her the story as mentioned above on how I met him. She told me that JOhn believes she can be used by God migthily, which I agree. However, she look puzzled still and wanted to know his background. I really couldn't give an answer as I just knew him based on when I saw him at SYATP. I would later find out that he was a father in Minneapolis, which he "escaped" his responsibilities (had to pay child support). He spent all this time doing ministry in both Morris and Alexandria to "esacape" his responsibilties. I began to realize that he would love to "preach" and "talk the talk", but not "walk the talk" or "practice what he preaches". That really began to bother me! In the summer of 2002, John took the John I (mentioned above) to Minneapolis one weekend. Well, John II hit his stress peek after he got a letter on how he had to attend court in Minneapolis to pay child support. The side of John II that I never knew became revealed. In fact I saw it months ago in March when I took him to the cities with a teenager I mentor. I was going to pick him up in Alexandria and then back to Morris to head to the cities. I visited him in a lakeside home he was staying for free for voluteering with the Regeneration Center. He look "stress" as he sat in his bed depressed. After talking to him about our planned trip to the cities, he got encouraged and started listenting to Gospel music and read the Word with me to get "pumped-up". I should've notice this first hand, but he told me that he had a drinking problem. I somehow ignored it as I understood him from my experiences with John I. Well, getting back to his trip to the cities with John I-John II wanted to help John I find a job after he was unemployed for a season (2 plus months). They were hoping to do some labor work (painting, carpentry, roofing, etc..) in Minneapolis to get some quick money. That evening when they went to the cities, John I called me and told me an unexpected, but somehow not suprising story! He told me that John II took him to a bar and they both got drunk! I was mad and furious, but I tried to stay calm in prayer! John I told me that John II was getting abnoxious and authoritative to the point that John I was scared. John I took his vehicle in the middle of the night and left John II in Minneappolis. John I arrived in Morris early Saturday morning 4am or so? He was desperate to leave as he told me that he didn't like how John II was acting. I first though that it was good John II did some discipling with John I after his drinking problems, but it became too fearful for him. We (John I, my housemate, and I) decided as a group to never have John II ever live with us. John II called us the next day and wanted to restart over. We told him to get his life straight and take care of his responsibilities as a dad. I was so mad and hurt after being deceived that it took a long time to forgive him. Yes, God did say that we should forgive those who tress pass against us; however, I learned how I was at falt and needed to get my life straighten out. After this incident, I grew away from ministering at the college campus via booktable (a factor to stop doing this particular outreach as mentioned in the story above this website). I felt ashamed of letting John I co-labor as the relationships he built with the college students ruined my credibility in my part ministering at this campus. Yes, it sounds selfish, but it really bothered me for a season of away from the college ministry.

    Positive Results: My move away from the campus made me focus on the ministry God already gave me before through my job at the group home. Currently, I try to attend an every other Monday fellowship group with some folks from my local church-Anointed for Business. God is doing mighty things through my job as it'll be my 5th anniversery this coming June of 2004. I currently meet with folks at the college campus, but not in a regular basis; whenever there is a open time. God already sent some co-laborers throuch Chi Alpha (a fruit that came out of Alpha & Omega-thanks Ami) this past year (2003-2004). ***What did I learn? I learned that God wants to use other to minister to the people we have a desire to reach. We need to be delivered from selfish ministry work and co-labor with his family of believers! Let others get blessed too instead of taking all the blessings!***

    Trying to Help those Who First Need to Decide to Want to Help Themselselves

    Another story is a guy from Chicago, who we met unexpectedly in his freshment year. We will call him Don...more later!

    more.....good works-is it God or god stuff?

    Below is part of an e-mail I sent to christian brother of mine on 8/1/04:

    "Till then, keep in touch and in prayer 24/7-don't give up whenever you feel you are at the end of the rope because Jesus is right behind you pushing you to keep on going!"

    I sent this after a recent "ministry challenge" I and other leaders from my local church were dealing with, which we saw part of the "light" to the end of a particular ordeal/situation.

    Enabling?

    I have grow-up helping people, which I get a "high" from. However, I'm learning now that we can do so much when we help others. When we try to be there for people all the time, they start depending on you...in a way where they're depending on you instead of God for themselves. When do you draw the line? This is where discernment (see teachings) comes in, which you need the Holy Spirit in prayer to give you guidance on tough day-to-day decisions/choices. Another tip on making key decisions is getting council from as many people (older the better since they've experienced life longer) you can.

    Yes, it's hard to say no to people-especially when they are in tough circumstances. However, when they go to God and come out of it. Their faith and total dependence on the Heavenly Father grows. Enabling those in need can affect others around them too, which your actions can negatively or positively impact those that you may not expect to be affected.

    Related Links:

  • Raising Thinking Kids, from Focus on the Family
  • Sin Has Consequences

  • Recommended Resources

    Local-GoodnewsMorris

    State-GoodnewsMinnesota

    Nation-GoodnewsUSA

    Articles

  • What are the greatest challenges for the church?, From the book, “What People Ask About The Church,” by Dale A. Robbins from victorious.org

  • "The challenges of today's church are many and it is difficult to define which are the most ominous. But from my years of working with the church, I would say that its greatest malady usually boils down to two chronic impediments, with which pastors and church leaders continually strive to overcome.
    (1) Compromise with the standards of the world. Unfortunately, the modern American church seems to have been more influenced by society, rather than society being affected by the church. Recent Gallup polls show a majority of Americans profess to be Christians, but the general spiritual condition of our nation has never been worse. The fact is, although many churches have concentrated on techniques of getting people in the doors, they have not always been as successful in improving their spiritual condition. The Apostle Paul said, "...beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Cor. 7:1).
    There is a widespread deficiency in the basic elements of Christian character, ethics and morality. In contrast to past generations, recent counseling statistics show that the ratio of moral dysfunctions among professing Christians closely parallel that of secular society. Domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual immorality and promiscuity are commonly found within the churchgoing populace. In the 1980's, the Christian divorce rate reached the same deplorable level as that of secular marriages — today more than 50% of all marriages, including those of professing Christians, result in dissolution.
    Today's pulpits are virtually silent on the issue of "sin." The church has become more and more like the world. It has sought to be popular and acceptable to society, and in doing so, it has compromised its standards of morality and holiness. The scripture warns, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).
    (2) Apathy toward its mission in the world. By and large, the modern church world has become mostly occupied with what God can do for them, rather than remembering their mission to reach the lost for Christ. We live in a very self-centered society, and rarely do we see churches and believers laying aside their selfish interests to serve the Lord's interests. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:1,4).
    The scriptures make it very clear that it is the duty of every Christian to take on the task of helping to bring people to the saving message of Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18). But unfortunately, the statistics show that only a tiny percentage of Christians ever attempt to share their faith with others. This apathy is inexcusable and has contributed to the woes of our society, which can only be remedied by the new birth of Christ in the hearts of sinful men and women. "...if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing" (2 Cor. 4:3)...

    Life
    (e.g. Persecution, Purpose, etc..)

    Does God Have a Wonderful Plan For Your Life?

    "That depends. If you die unconverted, you'll think He has a terrible plan for you. But what about Christians, can we tell other believers that He has a wonderful plan for their life? Find out in this video clip from www.CrossTV.com"

    Bible


    Miscellaneous

  • Church Challenge, a forum to share your views on topics that the "church" face

  • "We, as Christian, Faithful, and Hopeful, are happy to open topics for discussion. We don't know everything. In fact, we don't even claim to know anything all that well. However, driven by a common purpose to pinpoint our beliefs and actions, face our own inadequacies, and promote life and truth, we have initiated the Church Challenge. .."

    Revivals

    Personal message from Rory and Wendy concerning Lakeland (Florida)
    Friday, September 26, 2008 4:27 AM
    From: "revival@god.tv"

    To: "goodnews_usa@yahoo.com"

    " Beloved GOD TV viewer,

    In the light of many statements having been released about the LAKELAND OUTPOURING and concerning Todd Bentley�s marital situation, we sensed that the Lord has released us to write concerning this situation, so that you, our viewers would know our heart concerning this matter.

    The first thing we feel led to do is to state unequivocally that in the same manner as the Lord instructed us to broadcast and serve TheCall gatherings with Lou Engle; to broadcast what was happening at the International House of Prayer with Mike Bickle; Rick Joyner and MorningStar; the Solemn assembly in San Francisco; BattleCry and Teen Mania with Ron Luce; Focus on the Family�s prayer event for America; the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem; and hundreds of other anointed events over the past three years, we believe that the Lord instructed us to broadcast the Outpouring services at Lakeland with Todd Bentley.

    It was not a mistake.

    It was not by mistake.

    We believe it was a clear instruction from the Lord.

    Over the past twelve years, but especially since our launch in America, we have in obedience to the Lord searched through the earth for those events and anointings that the Lord has laid on our hearts � to amplify their message and anointing to the Body of Christ in this crucial endtime hour that we live in.

    The Lakeland Outpouring with Todd Bentley was one of those events. We received over 45 000 e-mails many, many of these heart rending, powerful testimonies from viewers across the earth of their bodies or their families bodies healed, their lives transformed and their hearts revived.

    None of us have ever seen such significant fruit in all the years of broadcast.

    Far more profound than that were the desperate cries for help. I (Wendy), would go through the live inbox and see the desperate cries from mothers, wives, sons and daughters, so many with TERMINALLY ILL husbands, wives, children, sometimes babies in arms � sensing HOPE in their situation that for so long had been without hope.

    Just reading these prayer requests would bring one to tears �

    We are often so cloistered from the agony of peoples day by day real life agonies - and their agonies were written there.

    So much so - that we both sensed that would need the word of the Lord under the fear of God to stop these broadcasts with the life changing impact they were having in homes not only in the UK and America but all across the world. And the Glory of the Living God that was being imparted.

    We both kept a very close pulse on the revival since the start of its broadcast - we had first hand knowledge of the enormous criticism, persecution and reviling that Todd Bentley was receiving (often we were second contenders for it) but it was Todd Bentley and the Fresh Fire team who received the terrible weight of this.

    Todd ministered each day as the revival continued but was consistently and unrelentingly criticized, maligned, persecuted - the attacks grew increasingly violent - and the heartbreaking thing was that so much of it came from the Church.

    At the same time, Todd was facing a second wave of attack. This was from the covens, the warlocks - we heard firsthand concerning some of these assignments. The enemy had heard of the great honoring of the Lamb and was determined to destroy it - BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE AND AT ANY COST.

    And the cost was Todd Bentley.

    Was it because Todd was vulnerable and certain areas of his life were not surrendered wholly? Yes � like so many of us - in all probability.

    Was it because the character of Christ was not yet formed in him in the equivalent measure to his gifting? Yes - like so many of us - in all probability.

    Could it be the case that there by the grace of God go YOU AND I� Yes - In all probability.

    Some of the areas in our lives are watertight and have been honed and refined and polished by the Lord while still other areas in our lives are often still in desperate need of attention. We are an ongoing work and we work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

    Well - all ministers who preach should ensure their lives are in order, you may be saying.

    Yes - we and our board and our minister peers across the globe agree wholeheartedly.

    And yet, beloved - unfortunately, THERE ARE TIMES when satan comes unawares and targets a vulnerable area whose weaknesses only become apparent under the most enormous and unrelenting pressure brought to bear.

    We believe and of course this is just our personal opinion, that the revival stirred up the satanic realms in a manner that has rarely been seen and with a violent wrath.

    It is difficult to understand the degree of spiritual battle that comes against a leader. We have learned we need to protect the move of God with greater prayer for leaders, including ourselves. The body of Christ is growing in greater transparency and accountability, and this too should be a subject of prayer.

    Should all of us wait till we are as perfect and as watertight as can be and mature in every area - that of course, would be the safest course of action, but the truth is that most of us would be 90 years old!

    The Lord who made us and knows that we are as dust and yet looks on us with His great mercies and compassions knows this and He the sovereign God of heaven and earth still chooses to take a GOD-risk on you and I every day of our lives.

    That even under the most intense pressure that we would choose HIM.

    That we would love HIM.

    That in times of intense duress and temptation that we would follow HIM.

    And let it be so - even more in all our lives, but beloved - let us not forget so many of those who walk in ministry across the earth today with such COURAGE and FERVOR and lay their lives down for HIS CAUSE at great cost to themselves - Todd and Shonnah sowed their lives to sow the seeds of revival and we believe became a supreme target of the enemy.

    On the June 23rd, Todd actually spoke openly and with great vulnerability of his and Shonnah�s previous marriage challenges and how they had faced those challenges and the Lord had begun His work. He did not try to hide their struggle but shared their ongoing journey.

    As Rick Joyner so wisely put it �

    "In marriage, I have learned there are those who admit they have been through times when they wondered if their marriage would make it, and then there are liars. Relationships are hard, and the closer they are, the harder they can be. I tell everyone that I give premarital counseling to that the Lord has ordained their marriage in order to kill both of them! That is true. It is also worth it! The greatest gift He gave to man was marriage and family. However, to have a marriage that is good, both will have to die to themselves. If either one does not make the commitment to lay down their life for their mate and their family, then what was meant to be heaven can be hell."

    It is an ongoing walk - and we all are ongoing works. But the Lord said something to us some years ago - He said - When you hate sin because it HURTS ME - then it will lose its grip on you. When you hate sin because it displeases ME - its hold diminishes.

    The Lord also shared with us that someone can be deceived in an AREA of sin but it does not necessarily mean that in every area of his or her life or ministry, they were walking in deception as some critics of the revival may lean to believe.

    And who is to judge that the Lord does not hold the violent unleashing of criticism and faultfinding and tearing down and divisiveness of the heresy hunters, as severe a sin as separation in a marriage?

    We will find out before the judgement seat in eternity.

    One of our greatest grievings has been to see how many in the church backtracked to protect their own reputations. We have been truly refreshed by several close ministry friends with their uncompromising love of truth and lack of a man pleasing spirit that has arisen in the church in the light of the Lakeland aftermath. They have given us fresh courage when we grew weary.

    So beloved friend �

    Do we at GOD TV refute the Outpouring? NO.

    We are presently planning to broadcast other offshoots of Lakeland in both the United Kingdom and America, including revival meetings in Dudley, England.

    We have determined in our hearts to follow the Lord with all our might as courageously and as boldly as we can, to reject the pressures to bow to a man pleasing spirit but instead to humble ourselves under the Fathers leading.

    For HE is our all in all.

    He is our great desire.

    Finally, dear friends, while we defend and rejoice in the many ten thousands that God lifted and healed, we also know that there were dear souls, sheep, who were scattered as a result of Todd�s personal choices. The Bible says that �hope deferred makes the heart sick� and this is the last thing GODTV would want to see happen. We arepraying for any that stumbled and believing that the Lord will restore them to Himself.

    Remember: this was never about Todd Bentley. It was always about the Holy Spirit and the fact that God loved you and I. It was GOD who touched our lives.

    One thing, we felt impressed upon our hearts thirteen years ago when we first launched this ministry. That the Father will allow none of us - whether in ministry or as a viewer to hold idolatry in our hearts for any man.

    For the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit alone are to receive our worship.

    We continue on the road to maturity.
    We continue our efforts to serve an end time spiritual army.

    We continue to try each day to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of the ONLY one who is worthy of ALL adoration.

    Of ALL HONOUR.

    Of ALL WORSHIP.

    Remember also, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

    Let�s turn our eyes toward Him and away from our trust in man.

    He who sent His only begotten Son.

    The Great Father of Compassions.

    To Him alone we bow.

    Personally we believe that the best is yet to come.

    For our King and His Kingdom Rory-and-Wendy-Sig

    Rory and Wendy Alec

    Books

  • The Shack

  • ""
    *referred by co-workers (3 of them) and online classmates (July 09')
    Reviews:
    The Shack (Paperback) by William P. Young Price: $8.24 (amazon.com)
    'Shack' opens doors, but critics call book 'scripturally incorrect', By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY Updated 5/29/2008 8:17 AM
    "...Incredible journey
    Minister Steve McVey of Tampa, author of Grace Walk, praises The Shack.
    McVey says Young connects with people outside of, or unhappy with, institutional churches that "tell us what we ought to do for God, while grace focuses on what God has already done. A person discovers grace when you come to the end of your own self-sufficiency and realize you have been made acceptable through Jesus Christ and him alone. You can't score points with God."
    Today, Young, who goes by his middle name, Paul, happily recounts how he finally tapped the wellspring of God's love he says was always there for him to find.
    He exudes quiet calm, disrupted now and then by bursts of enthusiasm, like bear-hugging strangers on first meeting.
    Ordinary things delight him. He walks up to Multnomah Falls, his plaid shirt and fleece jacket coated with the mist of the cascading water, his smile irrepressible.
    This majestic waterfall plays a role in the novel's opening pages. Mack tells his little daughter, Missy, the legend of an Indian princess who hurls herself over the falls to save her people from death.
    Will I have to die to save others? she asks him. No, he tells her, Jesus has done this for you, and she sleeps soundly, secure in Christ.
    The foreshadowing is hardly subtle: the sacrifice of an innocent life for the sake of salvation. Missy is kidnapped by a serial killer and is murdered in a filthy, deserted shack in the wilderness.
    Years later, Mack, still devastated, receives a note inviting him back to the shack. It's signed "Papa," the name his more resilient and spiritual wife, Nan, uses for God.
    Mack's weekend at the shack is a compressed journey toward belief, forgiveness and acceptance.
    But what a trip. Instead of a dump, this shack is a mansion in an Eden-like garden where God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit embrace him. For two days, they talk, eat, walk, garden and share visions of heaven, where little Missy romps happily.
    They tell Mack they live in a loving relationship without hierarchy, guilt or shame, all fully human, all divine. They say that through Jesus' death, God is "fully reconciled" to the whole world, so that all might discover God's love.
    It's a vision of joy to Young, however far it strays from most evangelical dogma.
    Young was born in Canada to missionaries who brought him as an infant to New Guinea to live with the primitive Dani tribe. He says he was subject to the harsh verbal attacks of his unhappy father, and sexual assaults by tribesmen. He went to a missionary boarding school at age 6, he says, and was molested by older students.
    He never lost a sense of God, but to Young, God was distant and judgmental. "I learned to survive by becoming a performer/perfectionist," he says.
    Even as he roamed the world and eventually wound up in a Bible seminary for the Christian Missionary Alliance, he knew he wasn't meant to be a pastor or missionary. He finally graduated from Western Pacific College in Portland and landed at a Four Square Gospel church, working with collegians.
    There he met Kim, who poked holes "in my version of being a perfect performer to earn God's love. You can't perform for God. You can't run. You can't hide. You can adapt, but that won't heal the stuff you've buried deep inside, in your 'shack.' "
    Soon after they married, waves of tragedy gouged their life. When he was 25, his 18-year-old brother died in a work accident, Kim's mother died unexpectedly, and his niece, 5 years and one day old, was run over by a cement truck while riding her new birthday bicycle.
    Grace seemed nowhere in sight.
    Young was 38 and the father of six when his life took a hairpin turn after his adultery. He spent a year in counseling, years more soul-searching, marveling at Kim's steadfast commitment, before he reached wholeness in faith, he says.
    He wrote The Shack in 2005, prompted by Kim. She wanted him to open up his heart and his thinking to their children, now ages 14 to 27. The book was meant to be like the box top on a jigsaw puzzle, the picture that shows where all the pieces fit, Young says...

    101 Ways Your Church Can Change the World
    "Sometimes those of us in the church tend to do the same things over and over again because they've worked in the past. The author of this book served as a church leader and pastor for over 40 years and was always looking for new ideas for reaching out to the community and world to make a difference. It's true that what works in one community may not work in another; what excites some people may not inspire others. This Ebook is provided hoping it will spark new, fun and effective ways for your church to reach out to a hurting world."

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