Pst Joy and her team were instrumental in bringing Andre Crouch and his team for the Jakarta Jazz Festival this year. We spent a wonderful evening with Andre and his Manager, Ramon Hervey at a private dinner on Saturday night. Time got away from us, something I don’t normally allow for before ministering on Sundays, but we were engaged in fascinating discussion with two men with a “touch” for consisitantly making musical hits. Andre of course in the Christian music realm and Ramon both in the Christian and secular arenas. Ramon has managed and continues to manage the careers of many influential music artists. They agreed to come to the 10:30am service on Sunday... just to attend.
It was an awesome service! Pst Joy and Soul2Praiz took us into an amazing worship experience and we had a special dedication for Munesh & Mona’s baby, Nikhil Vasandani. Then I asked Andrae to greet the people. He must have felt the pull of the Holy Spirit, because he shared a powerful testimony and then had one of his team members, Sue Merriett, go into a worship set while Andre got onto the Keyboard. The power and presence of God swept over the place and I cannot possibly describe what was happening in the lives of countless people! We will undoubtedly be receiving testimonies of miracles in the next few days. It was awesome! The service ended much later then normal, but the people of God were incredibly blessed... even the ones who had to duck out and leave before it was over. Obviously, I did not preach this time... I am so refreshed!!
Pst Joy and I are in the car on our way to JakJazz as I write now, where we will watch Andrae and Abraham Laboriel perform on the main stage... But even if we weren’t, we would already be satisfied with the awesome work God has done at ICCJ through His servant Andrae Crouch. Thank you God!!!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
The River Deepened at ICCJ Last Sunday
There is an amazing awareness of God’s presence and power that is increasing as God is continuously touching His people!
Towards the end of the service last Sunday as Pst Joy was leading us in “Shout to the Lord,” I experienced a difference in a sensation that I often have. Though I wade through something that feels like water on a regular basis, especially while preaching or standing at the area that we conduct prayer time in front of the altar, this time the water was significantly higher. It was almost to waist level. I interupted Pst Joy for a moment and expressed this to those in the congregation.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, other people were experiencing much the same thing... in particular, the musicians and singers!
Pepe the lead guitar player experienced it first, and he is not the kind of guy who “feels” these kinds of things. For a moment, they thought that there was an earthquake because they were having trouble standing. Nyonk the drummer heard the sound of angels singing and felt the swirling of the river around him. Others too!
I asked Pst Joy to lead us in some more quiet songs after the dismissal so that I could pray with those who wanted it near the front of the sanctuary. Prayer lasted for well over 30 minutes and I was surprised that the entire musical team kept going... Normally, they would give it another 2, maybe 3 songs and then would fade out and go to lunch. When I went to them, they were weeping, some on their faces and crying out to God... even an hour after the service was finished.
There is a hunger that is growing and the Lord is encouraging us to press in many ways! There is more my friend! Much, much more! Let us both individually and mutually go after God with all that is within us! The river of God’s presence is deepening...let’s go!
Towards the end of the service last Sunday as Pst Joy was leading us in “Shout to the Lord,” I experienced a difference in a sensation that I often have. Though I wade through something that feels like water on a regular basis, especially while preaching or standing at the area that we conduct prayer time in front of the altar, this time the water was significantly higher. It was almost to waist level. I interupted Pst Joy for a moment and expressed this to those in the congregation.
Unbeknownst to me at the time, other people were experiencing much the same thing... in particular, the musicians and singers!
Pepe the lead guitar player experienced it first, and he is not the kind of guy who “feels” these kinds of things. For a moment, they thought that there was an earthquake because they were having trouble standing. Nyonk the drummer heard the sound of angels singing and felt the swirling of the river around him. Others too!
I asked Pst Joy to lead us in some more quiet songs after the dismissal so that I could pray with those who wanted it near the front of the sanctuary. Prayer lasted for well over 30 minutes and I was surprised that the entire musical team kept going... Normally, they would give it another 2, maybe 3 songs and then would fade out and go to lunch. When I went to them, they were weeping, some on their faces and crying out to God... even an hour after the service was finished.
There is a hunger that is growing and the Lord is encouraging us to press in many ways! There is more my friend! Much, much more! Let us both individually and mutually go after God with all that is within us! The river of God’s presence is deepening...let’s go!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Picture of Joy on Stage with Israel Houghton, Sidney Mohede and New Breed
Joy McKinney & Soul2Praiz and Sidney Mohede & his band both opened for Israel Houghton and New Breed on Nov 14. My personal favorite part, and I am biased, is when Israel asked both Joy and Sidney to join he and New Breed on the platform for the final song... "I Am Not Forgotten." The place erupted with energy and it was a memorable time.
The concert was fantastic and God was glorified! Amen!
The concert was fantastic and God was glorified! Amen!
Catch the Wave
There is a swell in the Spirit. It is a powerful surge, a force that is building as we continue to pray, follow the leading of the Spirit and to build our lives according to the specifications of God’s Word.
When ocean waves reach a coral reef, they hit it and crest into something that a surfer can ride. As a young man, my brother and I would paddle out on our surfboards at 5am to catch the best waves. We would sit out just beyond the place where the ocean waves converted into surfing waves and we would choose which waves to catch. We became good at sensing which waves were bad, good or great! Once the wave converts, it is too late to catch it. Some mornings there never would never be a good wave... or even worse, there would be only ONE good wave and we didn’t sense it in time and we watched others who caught it have an amazing ride.
If you want to catch the coming wave of God, you must sense it before it crests and get on that wave. Let this be your fair warning. Get ready to ride! Start paddling! Begin to position yourself now! Pray, fast, worship and expect! Turn off the radio and turn on the Christian CD’s. Moms, turn off “Desperate Housewives” and become a desperate housewife... desperate for the presence of God! Working men and women, put your career on a better track and don’t miss your CARE group this week! Get your priorities straight! Rush home to spend time with your spouse and your kids! Start talking about what God is doing to everyone you can! Build excitement and expectancy! Get ready, get ready, get ready!
When ocean waves reach a coral reef, they hit it and crest into something that a surfer can ride. As a young man, my brother and I would paddle out on our surfboards at 5am to catch the best waves. We would sit out just beyond the place where the ocean waves converted into surfing waves and we would choose which waves to catch. We became good at sensing which waves were bad, good or great! Once the wave converts, it is too late to catch it. Some mornings there never would never be a good wave... or even worse, there would be only ONE good wave and we didn’t sense it in time and we watched others who caught it have an amazing ride.
If you want to catch the coming wave of God, you must sense it before it crests and get on that wave. Let this be your fair warning. Get ready to ride! Start paddling! Begin to position yourself now! Pray, fast, worship and expect! Turn off the radio and turn on the Christian CD’s. Moms, turn off “Desperate Housewives” and become a desperate housewife... desperate for the presence of God! Working men and women, put your career on a better track and don’t miss your CARE group this week! Get your priorities straight! Rush home to spend time with your spouse and your kids! Start talking about what God is doing to everyone you can! Build excitement and expectancy! Get ready, get ready, get ready!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Live or Die by the Word
Moses had a talk with the people which was a prelude to their hearing all of the laws given them by God. He said in Deuteronomy 4 (NIV): " 1 Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you."
Many in our congregation have been experiencing intense warfare in the last few weeks. Some would say it is the most intense they have ever experienced. For me personally, the warfare has ranged from family and financial all the way to physical. This past Sunday was one of those that I didn't know how I was going to make it to the Church, let alone preach, but I knew that if I did, that God would deliver me and use me. I had spent the previous 3 days laying flat on my back being crushed with something like food poisoning, though it wasn't food poisoning.
There had been a warning the previous Sunday. Over our speaker system during the 10:30am service had come a sound which had made the hair on the back of many knecks stand up. It said, "Darkness is hovering over this place, darkness is hovering over this place." It came over a muted speaker, louder then anything else happening at the time and many heard it though not all did. Some were fearful, others were excited. Pst Joy and I were some of the excited ones. You see, we have declared war on darkness and we are a force fighting for Jesus and I believe that the enemy often exposes himself when he is getting desperate. It is darkest before light. But when we are warned, when we know that the enemy is circling, hovering, looking for opportunity, we need to make certain that we "circle the wagons" and close every opening that he might enter. It is a time to unite, and especially to be careful to follow God's commandments completely, as Moses encouraged us to.
God has a plan for you and for I... it is a plan to prosper us and not to harm us... to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11 paraphrased). According to His Word through Moses, He has already given us the land. We are already able to enter into this land freely. But entering the land and moving about in it, touching it and feeling it, is a very different thing then actually possessing it.
Lots of people enter the Church which is the vehicle that will help you acheive your destiny in Christ, but few people will actually possess their destiny. I'm not trying to discourage you friend. I'm just calling it like I've seen it for 40 years in every Church and Christian home I have ever known.
I said these words this last Sunday: "The Church is the safest place in the world!... for people who are careful to obey completely, the Word of God. The Church is the most dangerous place in the world for people who are not careful to completely obey the Word of God." I whole-heartedly stand behind what I said then and have written here today. You will either live and take possession of your promised land or you will die... in the Church!
Get all the wisdom you can, obtain all the wealth and prosper to your hearts content, cast demons out, go deep into the realms of prophecy and prayer, heal the sick, preach with eloquance and amazing revelation, value family and fellowship as your highest priorities, feed the hungry, house the homeless, send missionaries, plant Churches... do all of those things and do them well... but more then anything else... be careful to follow the decrees of God so that you may live and not die.
1 Peter 5:7-9 (NIV) "7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
The services on Sunday were powerful, Monday has been even better and an hour from now, Tuesday will be even more amazing!... for those of us who are being careful. God is full of grace and He loves us! Thank you for your prayers and loyalty to God and to His Kingdom! To the One who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more then what we can ask or imagine, to the One who is able to KEEP us until THAT DAY, we give You all the glory and commit our lives fully to YOU!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Michael's Baptism
Michael Wilson Setjaadi was baptized at the Bellagio swimming pool on November 02, 2008. We had a wonderful service as we praised the Lord for Michael's public decision and testimony to live completely and on fire for God!
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