“But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:11-12

Our 2012 theme for our Winter Workshop is I Will Be With You and for our movement – Seek First His Kingdom. However, before we look ahead, let’s remember how the Spirit has moved in 2011. Perhaps most amazing is witnessing the unfolding of Jesus’ plan of the multiplication of disciples!

The Portland International Christian Church started 2011 with 73 disciples. In the last 52 weeks, the Lord added to our number 54 disciples, giving us weekly additions with 31 baptisms, 12 Restorations, and 11 place memberships! The City of Angels Church started 2011 with 303 disciples. In the past 365 days, “the Lord added to LA’s number [more than] daily” as He blessed this great church with 366 additions: 260 baptisms, 49 restorations, and 57 place memberships! Also awe-inspiring was the sending out of the third Crown of Thorns Mission Team – Sao Paulo in late August. Already, the Spirit has more than tripled this congregation from seven to twenty-two sold-out disciples! In fact, over the past four and-a-half years since the City of Angels Church was planted, the Spirit has sent out 118 disciples on six mission teams – Honolulu, New York City, Portland, San Diego, London and Sao Paulo – as well as leaders to strengthen our sister churches in Santiago, Washington DC, Chicago, Kiev and Hilo. Therefore, since God planted the City of Angels Church in May 2007, the original 42 disciples from Portland have multiplied to over 1,500 disciples with 2,500 in attendance on Sundays!

Multiplication by God’s Spirit has also occurred in the leadership of the SoldOut Movement. So incredible at our 2011 Global Leadership Conference were the reinstatements and appointments of 16 Evangelists and Women’s Ministry Leaders: Cory Blackwell – whose son CJ and daughter Avrie were baptized in 2011, Blaise & Patricia Feumba, DJ Comisford, Tyler & Shay Sears, Mike & Brittany Underhill, Chris & Kerri-Sue Adams, Tim & Lianne Kernan, Vic Gonzalez Jr., Coltin Rohn and Jay Shelbrack. Of special note, Chris Broom was appointed Missions Evangelist, and his son Austin was baptized. Earlier in the year, it was also encouraging that Luke & Brandon Speckman of Phoenix were appointed Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader by Chris & Sonja Chloupek.

Tim & Lianne Kernan—the leaders of the Paris Mission Team—in front of Notre Dame!

This past year, the City of Angels Church has been blessed with the raising-up of Shepherding Couples-in- training for each of our nine regions! These efforts have already had a great impact for the Lord as our retention rate is significantly higher than in 2010. It was also a great joy to have Michael & Sharon Kirchner not only become full-time to oversee the administration in God’s new movement, but also to see this awesome couple join the Bordieris and the Untalans as our movement’s third Shepherding Couple. In Portland, we’re also working diligently to raise up shepherds to minister to our congregation.

So many other miracles flood my mind with precious memories. At the forefront is the record setting International Day with 218 in attendance in May, as well as the global efforts of MERCYworldwide’s Day of MERCY in June and our Toy Drive in December. Even though our congregation has grown to over 100 disciples, I sense a greater closeness to God and to one another in our leadership. Certainly, the retreats for the Marrieds and our trip to the 2011 GLC contribute to this reality, as well as “fun events” such as our Labor Day Congregational Picnic and Play Day.

With this year’s theme of I Will be With You and the movements theme of Seek First His Kingdom, the Portland Church Leadership has set before the Lord the following prayer goals for 2012:

1. “This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nation” (Matthew 24:14) Excitingly, three of the 12 Crown of Thorns Cities have been planted – Santiago, London and Sao Paulo. Of note, Vic & Aurora Gonzalez have “forcefully advanced the Kingdom” in Santiago as this sister church has witnessed 50 baptisms in 2011! (Matthew 11:12) Lord willing, Carlos & Lucy Mejia will move to Santiago this summer to allow the Gonzalezes to lead the fourth Crown of Thorns Mission Team to Mexico City, Mexico – Vic’s homeland! Then, our fifth Crown of Thorns Planting will be led by Tim & Lianne Kernan to the great city of Paris. Equally amazing are the church plantings inside the United States which we have chosen to call the Samaritan Project. Lord willing, Coltin & Mandee Rohn will lead the planting to Boston; Mike & Brittany Underhill will lead the mission team to San Francisco; and Matt & Helen Sullivan will take their mission team to Orlando which will be joined by a great remnant group of already 35 disciples. Pray that all five of these plantings will be sent-out in August at the 2012 Global Leadership Conference!

2. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages… preaching the good news of the Kingdom.” (Matthew 9:35) The weekly additions that the Lord blessed us with in 2011 will be very challenging for us to achieve again in 2012, because 7 of our most fruitful disciples will be sent-out this summer. Included in this number are Dustin & Amanda Miller who will be sent-out to strengthen the great Chicago church, who is sacrificing 24 disciples. With that being said, we believe that God will once again bless our congregation with more than weekly additions! A short-term goal which will help us to achieve this is our February 5th Super Bowl Sunday. We are praying to have over 200 in attendance – “200 for the Lord!” Hopefully, by the end of the year there will be two hundred in attendance every Sunday morning!

3. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His Kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 4:1-2) With the multiplication of our movement’s disciples, there is a continual need to mature this ever-increasing number by training Evangelists, Women’s Ministry Leaders, Shepherding Couples and Deacon Couples. Prayerfully as a movement, we will appoint at least six Evangelists and Women’s Ministry Leaders. Secondly, within the Portland Church, our goal is to have trained Shepherding Couples in each of our five House Churches.

4. “Jesus said, ‘Let the [teens] come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’” (Luke 18:16) At the outset of this year, the Portland Church Leadership is dedicated to building awesome High School and Middle School Ministries for our teens and older pre-teens. Presently, there are 7 baptized teenagers in our congregation. To augment this effort, LA is asking DJ & Kacie Comisford to initiate and oversee a very similar program to our former fellowship’s HOPE Youth Corps. Our effort will be called IGNITE – Impacting Generation Next International Teen Explosion. This camp will be held in San Diego from July 7-16, 2012. Included will be bonding in an outdoor camp, a day of service for MERCY (perhaps in Tijuana, Mexico), a day of evangelism, and the teens conducting the Sunday Service of the San Diego International Christian Church. IGNITE will be open to all baptized teens throughout the movement, but will be limited to 30 disciples. More details about the selection process are coming, but in essence, it will include an essay and a recommendation from their local church leader. The cost will be around $500 plus travel expenses to come to San Diego. This money may come from the disciple’s family, their local congregation, or from various fundraising activities. Pray that this effort will allow our teens to become leaders not only in the church of tomorrow, but in God’s church today!

5. “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20) In 2011, the disciples of the Portland Church not only “talked” about financial sacrifice, but they depended upon the “power” of God to meet our financial goals both in our weekly collection and in our two Missions Contributions. As we begin this year, the Portland Church pledge is $3,313 – $32 per disciple. We are calling upon the congregation to increase our collective pledge at the same rate the City of Angels church is calling their members to increase. This will increase our collective pledge to $3,800 by late January. This will take $10 more per single/campus and $15 per married couple to accomplish. We’re also calling on all members who fell short on their pledges to sacrifice and make up as much of what they pledged to the Lord as possible. Lastly, on Easter Sunday, April 8th, we will join all of the other churches in the SoldOut Movement to once again give a 15X Missions Contribution to further God’s movement around the world.

6. “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and [works through His Kingdom to save] those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18) As a church family, each member of the SoldOut Movement is called upon to serve “the broken-hearted” – the poor, the widows, the fatherless and the orphans. The benevolent arm of God’s new movement is called MERCYworldwide, and each disciple in our family of churches is called a “MERCY Ambassador.” (2 Corinthians 5:20) Nick & Denise Bordieri have done an outstanding job coordinating all of our efforts throughout the world for the annual events of our Day of MERCY and our Christmas Toy Drive. To enhance their leadership, Cory Blackwell has been appointed Director for United States Projects and Blaise Feumba has been appointed Director for International Projects. Let’s continue to pray that Christ can be seen through our “mercy” to the “broken-hearted” of this lost world.

7. “If a Kingdom is divided against itself, that Kingdom cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24) The unity of all of the churches in the SoldOut Movement is essential if we are to see the evangelization of the nations in this generation. To further strengthen our young movement’s unity, we have already begun to plan the 2012 Global Leadership Conference. It will be held in the same facility as last year – the Garden Grove Hyatt Regency in Orange County. The actual conference will begin on Sunday morning with a combined worship service of the San Diego, Phoenix and Los Angeles Churches. The program will conclude around noon on Tuesday. Pray that all of the Bible Talk Leaders in our family of churches can attend what promises to be an historic event with the sending-out of the five mission teams!

This time of the year is often filled with New Year’s resolutions that sadly are rarely realized. Yet as disciples, we can claim the promise of Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that’s at work within us to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever! Amen!” Though our movement’s and congregational dreams are exhilarating, it is important that every disciple has Kingdom dreams. These are different than worldly New Year’s resolutions, because you have the power of God working within you. ” and that “He is able to do more than we [pray] or even [dream]!” So be encouraged that God made the promise “I Will Be With You! “Seek first His Kingdom” and dream! For “who knows that you have not come to the Kingdom for such a time is this?” (Esther 4:14 RSV) And to God be all the glory!

Thanksgiving brings a special time of year where we take a break from our individual lives to be united with our families. Sadly in todays society, many children are forced to spend these precious times without their fathers and so become “fatherless”. Maybe the reason was their parents were never married and they live with a single parent. Maybe their parents were divorced. Maybe, there’s conflicts which cause the family members to not want to be around each other. The reason doesn’t matter because, for these kids, the outcome is always the same. The time of year which is meant to be the most joyful of times quickly becomes the most difficult of times. Deep down every child knows that he or she must be united with their father.

Ron Harding Sr was baptized last Sunday - Father and Son united with each other and with our Father in Heaven!

As the people of God, we have the solution: Unite everyone involved with their Father in Heaven! It’s what every true believer hopes for. But, sadly, many allow their hurts from the past, their feelings and sentimentality, and/or the standards of this world guide them, instead of the standards of the Bible and of their Father in Heaven. I believe it is easy for us to be numb to the gripping and sometimes traumatic emotions of the children growing up around us. The fact is that many of them are “fatherless,” either without a father or without any relationship with their father – Sometimes we’re numb because we ourselves are living this same nightmare.

At 71 years old, Ron Harding Sr was united his father and his family was united with their father!

Our God is holding out His arms to these “little children” desiring to be a father to them. Consider several Old Testament terms for God that give us insight into what kind of father God wants to be in their lives and in ours.

Jehovah-shalom (God is my peace). Even when the children live with their fathers, alcoholism, physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and apathy can make these kids feel “fatherless.” Statistics reveal that the average teenager talks to his father less than seven minutes a week. The tragedy is not found only in these kids because for every one of us,

Uniting with our Father in Heaven will unite us with each other

there has been a time when our human fathers could not meet our needs or expectations. This is why we so desperately need Jehovah-shalom, for only in Him can we find peace. If there is no peace with our Heavenly Father there can be no peace with our Human fathers.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience as everyone watched the miracle of God uniting with his son and then uniting his new son with his son!

El-shaddai (The All-Sufficient One). God is our perfect Father. His aim is to help us become whole. A human father may destroy your life, but God can make it complete. His unconditional love and unmerited favor can change anyone. God does not wait for a good report card, completed chores, or a clean police record; but instead God’s love is available at any time to any child acknowledging his need for his Father. This love gives us the security that God is always there for us no matter how badly we blow it. A human father may destroy your life, but God can make it complete.

Jehovah-raah (The Good Shepherd). As we grow up, our fathers are the primary authority figures in our lives. Therefore, we tend to picture God with the same characteristics as our fathers. Although the Bible commands fathers to discipline their children in love, fathers often pass off the responsibility of disciplining the children to the mothers, to daycares, or the school system. Sometimes true godly discipline has been replaced by harshness, anger, or “buying” their kids obedience with gifts. Without the love of friendship and acceptance, teens who are “fatherless” in the area of discipline become rebellious against authority. have no fear of God, and may even become hopeless when facing the true discipline of God, because they have never been disciplined by someone who accepted and loved them in the course of disciplining them. We must learn to forgive and move past this because of how God forgave us.

Fixing the Baptismal for his own baptism - classic!

Jehovah-rapha (The God Who Heals). God is “a father to the fatherless.”  It is His forgiveness which gives us security and erases the guilt of our sins and cleanses our consciences. Power from God changes our lives and gives us hope that we can continue to change. The God who heals has called His children out of homes where they had no father, no one to be their peace, no on to be their completer, and no one to shepherd them. He has rescued us from ruined home and become to us “Abba”- our daddy. The Lost fathers are lost because they are also “Fatherless.” Our Father in Heaven is also calling us to go get his other children – the lost fathers who need their Father in Heaven. The greatness of our God is not a theological point- it is a reality that touches the hearts of people who need a heavenly Father – people like you and me. Have a happy Thanksgiving and be united with both of your Fathers!

Evangelizing the world in our generation – Impossible; Converting our family members – impossible. David defeating Goliath was nowhere in the plan because no one would have ever hoped for it. It was beyond the Sanhedrin’s wildest imagination that the fishermen they were about to flog would take their message to an entire world. Who would have ever thought that out of Jesus’ greatest opposition – the Pharisees – would come a man of character and integrity, who would proclaim the message of Jesus like the Apostle Paul. And yet, all of these events happened. They all took place because that is how God rolls! In his letter to the church in Corinth Paul quoted the prophet Isaiah, explaining how God works saying “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate” and again, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 1:19, 2:9). Paul is referring to the way of the cross of Christ how God Characterizes the working of His will, and how it left the theological and philosophical experts (both Jews and Greeks) of that day (and our day) absolutely confounded. Man plans elaborate schemes of wisdom and miracles to plot his own salvation, yet God simply laid a stone in Zion, the one the builders have rejected, to become the cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; 1 Peter 2:6-7).

As we survey God’s dealing with man, we see that this has always been His way. God has always worked to make His will clearly known, but in a manner which leaves man astounded by the way promised events actually transpire. The Jewish nation was made from Abraham and Sarah, and as Romans 4 records, it was “against all hope”. From the locust-eating John the Baptist to our cross-bearing Messiah; from unschooled and ordinary men to the very throne of the Caesars – God has always worked to confound the experts - against all hope – to do the impossible. We deny ourselves the greatest blessings when our plans and goals do not go beyond what we perceive as “possible”. The reason so many Christians and congregations confine themselves to mediocrity, unfruitfulness, and a “safe” lifestyle is that they do not believe in the God who delights to work the impossible.

The impossible and the hopeless remain the domain of God, yet He wants us to be co-workers with Him in these areas. The impossible to us is not only possible with God, but is the way He has always chosen. To see the most powerful of his miracles and for our discipleship to be genuine, we must learn to walk in His way. In Matthew 17:14-23 Jesus called His disciples “unbelieving and perverted” when they failed to heal a boy suffering with seizures. This was a totally new way of thinking, which the disciples failed to imitate until later. It is not that accomplishing the impossible provides God a needed stimulation, which comes from an exciting challenge, because to God the impossible does not even exist. Its purpose is always to benefit us. As God continues to work out the impossible in our personal lives, our relationships, and our evangelism, we are left with a greater trust, security, and confidence that “nothing will be impossible for you.” The Question we must face is would Jesus today address us as perverted and unbelieving disciples, or would we be those in whom he would find mountain-moving faith? Our lives are the answer to Jesus’ question: “When the Son of Man comes, will find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Let’s have faith when life seems impossible and hopeless so we can turn this world upside down!

Part Three: Preaching the Gospel to the End of the Earth (12:25 – 28:31)

I. The First Missionary Journey 12:25 – 14:28

Barnabas and Saul are Sent from Antioch 12:25 – 13:3

Ministry at Cyprus 13:4-12

Ministry at Antioch 13:13-50

Ministry at Iconium 13:51 – 14:5

Ministry at Lystra 14:6-20

Ministry on the Return Trip 14:21-25

Report on the First Missionary Journey 14:26-28

II. The Jerusalem Council 15:1-35

Debate over Gentiles Keeping the Law 15:1-5

Peter Preaches Salvation through Grace 15:6-11

Paul and Barnabas Testify 15:12

James uses his Leadership Role to Unify the Church 15:13-21

The Council Sends an Official Letter 15:22-29

Report to Antioch 15:30-35

III. The Second Missionary Journey 15:36 – 18:22

Disagreement over John Mark 15:36-41

Derbe and Lystra: Timothy is Circumcised 16:1-5

Troas: Macedonian Call 16:6-10

Philippi: Extensive Ministry 16:11-40

Thessalonica: “Turning the World Upside Down” 17:1-9

Berea: Many Receive the Word 17:10-15

Athens: Paul’s Sermon in the Areopagus 17:16-34

Corinth: One-and-a-half Years of Ministry 18:1-17

Return Trip to Antioch 18:18-22

IV. The Third Missionary Journey 18:23 – 21:14

Galatia and Phrygia: Strengthening the Disciples 18:23

Ephesus: Three Years of Ministry 18:24 – 19:41

Macedonia: Three Months of Ministry 20:1-6

Troas: Eutychus Falls from Loft 20:7-12

Miletus: Paul Bids Farewell to Ephesian Elders 20:13-38

Tyre: Paul is Warned about Jerusalem 21:1-6

Caesarea: Agabus’ Prediction 21:7-14

V. The Trip to Rome 21:15 – 28:31

Paul Preaches the Gospel in Jerusalem 21:15 – 23:33

Paul Preaches the Gospel in Caesarea 23:34 – 26:32

Paul Preaches the Gospel in Rome 27:1 – 28:31

Rau Moreno, his wife Lynda, and their kids

What do King David, King Solomon and the Judge of Israel Samson have in common? The three of them damaged their lives and those they led, because they minimized — and thus ignored — their lusts. David sinned by lusting after Bathsheba. (2 Samuel 11:2-4) That lust led to adultery, deceit, drunkenness and ultimately murder. It had a profound effect on his kingship, his family, his mighty men, and all of God’s people. Solomon’s all-consuming lust led him to a destructive desire that even 700 wives and 300 concubines could not quench. (1 Kings 11:3) As an old man, one of the consequences of this sin was that he worshiped other gods: Ashtoreth – the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh – the detestable god of the Moabites, and Molech of the Ammonites – the god worshipped through baby human sacrifices. Samson’s lust led him into sin by marrying a non-Israelite woman (Judges 14:1-3), sex with a prostitute (Judges 16:1), and an immoral relationship with the Philistine – Delilah. This ended in his total demise. The loss of his hair – which represented his covenant with God, led to the loss of his supernatural strength, which led to the loss of his eyes – his vision, which led to the loss of his freedom and honor – as he became a slave to the Philistines, all of which emboldened the enemies of Israel to mock God. Ultimately, Samson’s lust cost him his very life.

The strongest man in the world, the wisest man in the world, and the man with a heart after God’s own were taken-out by lust. There is a sobering lesson here for all of us.Lust is “every man’s battle” and the same can be said for most women. As disciples of Jesus, we are in the world but not of the world. (John 17:16) Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart for [only] they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) If this pervasive temptation of lust is not challenged “from the pulpit and in the pews,” disciples will not make it to Heaven, and the wrath of God will come upon them here and beyond. (Ephesians 5:3-7)

For many years, I tried helping the brothers to avoid pornography, masturbation and sexual immorality. But now, I realize that I was focusing on dealing with “the symptoms” and not going after “the root” of the problem – something so vital in discipling. I was not focusing on the obvious underlying sin of lust. Jesus said about lust, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.” (Matthew 5:27-30)

The Odighizuwa family is now completely united in Christ, as the last family member—Osa—is baptized last Sunday!

Jesus’ goal was absolute purity. This must be our goal as well. The way to not commit the sins of pornography, masturbation and immorality is to deal decisively with the sin of lust. Lust by itself will take you to hell if one remains unrepentant. The intent of this passage is that you have to be radical and do whatever it takes to “cut” lust out of your life. How radical are you about eliminating lust from your life?

Do you feel like you will never overcome masturbation or pornography? Do you give-in to these sins regularly and feel like you will never be able to change? Do you feel hopeless and defeated? Have you even considered falling away “feeling” like you will never change and that you can only hide this sin for so long before you get discovered? How many times have you said that you will change by yourself and by your own effort, but it has never happened? Is your hidden sexual sin increasing in magnitude, along with the lies that accompany it? If this is you, I have news for you: There is hope! The hope is to battle the sin of lust with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

One of the ways to battle lust is to see the harm and hurt that it does to the people close to you. How would your wife, kids or girlfriend feel if they could see what goes through your mind as you look at women? Most importantly, how does God feel when you give-in to lust? The hurt that it causes Him is huge! So huge, that Jesus had to die on the cross and be separated from God because of it. The pain that we cause God and others with our lust and the sin that develops after that should lead us to repent. After all, you don’t want to hurt that which you love. Ultimately, you have to choose which you love the most – your sin or your God.

Here are six practicals to overcome lust:

1. Make a purity covenant with God “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.” (Job 31:1) This decision is first made at baptism when we declare “Jesus is Lord.” However, since we gave in to impurity so often as non-Christians, for most the battle for purity is something entirely new. Therefore, I encourage every brother to make a heartfelt vow to God to be totally pure. To do otherwise is to “trample the Son of God under foot [and to treat] as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified Him.” (Hebrews 10:29)


2. Understand that attraction is not sin “God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The fact that you are attracted to the opposite sex is not sin. It is normal. Some have such a guilty conscience that they already feel they have sinned if they see a beautiful women passing by. After this, they give into sin believing that it is hopeless to change. My challenge to you is this: When you feel attracted to the opposite sex, acknowledge it. Then, take warning and move on. I see it as a “yellow alert.” Set yourself free from an overly guilty conscience.

3. Hide God’s Word in your heart “I have hidden your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) Meditating on God’s Word will keep you from lusting. How? Write Scriptures about purity on small index cards. When you are tempted, take them out and read them and combat the temptation with the most powerful weapon in the world: The Word of God. Better yet, memorize these Scriptures so that you can store them in your heart and then call yourself to obey them. (Proverbs 2:1)

4. Nehemiah Prayers “Remember me with favor, O my God.” (Nehemiah 13:30) I love how Nehemiah prays to his God, especially when he first addressed the king about rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem. Immediately after the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted, Nehemiah prayed as he made this incredible request. (Nehemiah 2:4) God favorably answered that prayer with the king’s willingness to send him to Jerusalem. When tempted to lust, pray in your mind and heart right then and there. God will give you the strength to overcome. (John 15:7)

5. Cut off temptation “Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” (Hebrews 12:1) If lust is your battle, you should “throw off everything that [could] hinder” your purity. For example, strive to never use the internet when you are alone. Have a brother or your wife with you. Filters on the internet help, but still you must have the fear of God to keep you from sinning. (Exodus 20:20) Also, I recommend getting rid of the internet on your phone, because you are alone when you use it. It is unwise to watch TV by yourself, especially late at night. For some, they must be willing to get rid of their TV or PC altogether if they are unable to be pure. This may sound radical, and it is! Is lust worth going to hell? Another sin that leads to lust is laziness. Brothers’ time outside of studies and work should be spent in the battle to win souls and in quality and fun fellowship activities. Laziness will kill you.
Other practicals to not get entangled in lust are to only look at women in their eyes and share your faith with any woman that you feel attracted to at work or school. This helps to maintain purity. And with sisters that you may feel attracted to. Be kind to them, but don’t have long talks with them or you will lust. Also, let the sisters disciple the sisters. They are more than capable of meeting their needs. (Titus 2:2-4) This will help you to not get emotionally entangled with them. Many “good intentioned” brothers have sinned by trying to “help” a sister. As someone once said, “The path to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Javier was baptized in our Latin Ministry, which has grown from 6 to 33 disciples in the last 3 years, adding 10 in the last 11 weeks!

6. Confess your sexual temptation and lust daily “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other.” (James 5:19) This is God’s safety mechanism against lust. Every night confess to another brother how the day went in regards to lust and temptation. Do not by any means conceal lust even if you think it is “small or inconsequential.” Be radical and let the light shine on the darkness. A “little lust” in your mind will grow into other sins if you don’t deal with it. Sin is like cancer. A “little cancer” will spread and kill you if you do not cut it out completely. Proverbs 28:13 teaches, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

In conclusion, there is great hope for the disciple of Jesus who is radical with the sin of lust. As I look at my own life, I see many victories that my Father in Heaven has given me, because I have applied these six principles. In my 14 years as a Christian, I have not watched pornography nor has masturbation been an issue. Why? Was it because I was pure as a non-Christian? No! I was very impure and enslaved to the sins of pornography and masturbation, plus immorality! I believe strength comes in understanding how weak I am, and that only with Jesus can there be victory. One of the most powerful Scriptures for me about purity is, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12) Strength comes from weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I’m so weak that I can fall tonight even after writing this article, but with God’s grace and power, nothing can stop us from pleasing Him. And to God be the glory!

Raul Moreno

Everything we build with God’s help, whether a single disciple, a Bible talk, or a ministry starts with a vision. We may have a vision to see a Bible talk in our neighborhood or to have a ministry that reaches a certain type of person. We may have vision for our family members to become a true follower of Jesus and we have vision that the gospel will be preached in our hometown. God puts these visions on our hearts. A few years after I became a disciple God placed on both my wife’s and my heart a vision to go to the East Coast; so began our journey from Corvallis, OR to Hollywood to New York City. While living in Hollywood we were asked to lead a Bible Talk at Cal State Northridge. There we found an incredible bunch of disciples who had not seen any fruit borne from their group in over a year. Through faith and imitation we were able to see that Bible Talk baptize 6 disciples within a few months time. We came into that Bible talk with a vision: a vision to make others great (Mark 10:43-45). We also had a vision to see our group grow numerically. Many of our discussions would have 10-15 visitors.

When the Spirit sent us to New York we started another group at City College of New York in Harlem. City College is rated one of the most diverse universities in America. Our vision quickly became to see “all nations” become disciples. Our Bible talk quickly became a region, and as our vision grew, so did our number.  We started out with 5 disciples (including Amanda and myself) and our region grew to almost 30 disciples. We started with one Bible Talk on one campus and multiplied to 4 Bible Talks covering different areas of Harlem. From all the things God has allowed us to see I have learned a few keys to having a fruitful group.

Lulu gets ready to be baptized by her two sons. She said that she thought she was leading her sons in life, but that they ended up leading her to true life!

#1 Vision

“He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed…yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32

Again, every group starts with a personal vision. We give this vision to those in our ministry and they in turn give this vision to others.  If the vision does not spread, nothing will grow.

#2 Labor

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

Many men and women have vision for their ministry, whereas a leader strives to see it come to fruition. The example is set for us in the book of Acts as we see the First Century disciples preaching the Word “wherever they went.” Jesus also teaches us to wash each other’s feet.  Whether we are sharing the gospel or serving one another, hard work is essential.

#3 Example

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

A leader must always keep in mind that a righteous example has the power to uplift those who see it.  The ministry will thrive or wither based on the leader’s conduct, and the most important part of their example is their humility. We know that God will expose any unrighteousness in a leader’s character. Attempting to live an exemplary life requires the utmost humility. A ministry will learn from a leader’s mistakes, just as they will imitate the pattern of his or her life that yields victory over challenges.  We are reminded of Paul’s words as he addresses young Timothy: “…but set an example for the believers in life, in speech, in love, in faith and in purity.”  A great leader will always take the initiative when it comes to setting the bar for those in his or her care.

Oswaldo and Luis baptize their mother into Christ!

#4 Systematic Approach

“Follow my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.” Philippians 3:17

It also takes humility to follow.  A great leader must first be trained to follow, imitating another’s effective approach.  Many leaders fail because they are unwilling to imitate the established patterns that make other bible talks effective.  One pattern we see in the Scriptures is Jesus’ focus on the willing few.  Jesus’ effectiveness lay in his ability to work with those who were inclined to follow.  In Luke 19:5, Jesus looks up at a willing heart and calls to him: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today.”  Time after time, we see Jesus’ influence limited by a lack of openness; his response was to first pursue those who were eager to follow.

The Odighizuwa family will soon be united in Christ!

Another principle we find in the ministry of Jesus was the amount of time he committed to those he had already impacted.  Consider the man born blind:  “Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’”  Many souls stay lost because of a lack of concern on the part of disciples who do not follow up with them.

#5 Family Time

“Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15.

At the end of the day, a Bible Talk is only as effective as its ability to build family.  Jesus built family as he set aside time from other ministry needs for the sole purpose of encouraging, teaching, strengthening and feeding his disciples.  We are called to build family this same way.  A great way to build family is by creating identity within your group.  Jesus designated the twelve apostles by giving them a unique purpose and a partner with whom to share it.  A great bible talk will imitate these same principles.  The best friends we have in the kingdom are the partners in the gospel with whom we work to bear “fruit that will last”.  A leader serves his group by helping to foster this kind of friendship.

Working together, we’ll see Jesus’ Vision become reality in our generation!

Jesus valued his small group of willing disciples, even above his own life.  He entrusted them with his vision to evangelize the world.  His lived a life of self-denial and hard work so that others would hear the good news. His example was humility and constant service.  His method was to dedicate himself to investing in those who were open, and he invested most in the servants who became his friends and ultimately his family.  As Hebrews 2:11 says, “Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family.  So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”  Let us resolve to love our brothers, imitate Christ’s holiness, and work with all we have to obey his vision for the world, and to God be all the glory!

Dustin Miller

In the evaluation of a man, we consider his appearance, his occupation and his accomplishments. God looks at the heart. Religiously, we concern ourselves with others’ teachings and practices and make efforts to alter them into accordance with the Bible. But God looks at the heart. God is not concerned with what we look like, but rather what we are on the inside because what we are on the inside drives what we do and how we live.

God desires to shape and mold our hearts through with the power of his hands

Jesus said the most important commandment is to love God, and the second to love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:34-39) These two, surprisingly, are not included in the Ten Commandments, (Deuteronomy 5:7-21) but are the foundation for every command in the Word of God.

In Mark 7 Jesus calls the Pharisees and teachers of the Law hypocrites and points out their desire for traditions rather than God’s commands. Their worship is in error, however, was not the problem, it was only a symptom. “These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me,” Jesus said. They were pleasing themselves rather than God. Their disobedience proved their lack of love for God. More importantly, their disobedience proved who they were in their hearts. If we love the Lord, we will dig deep in the tough situations in our lives to find out what pleases Him and we make our hearts and our actions be obedient to His will. Paul attempted to teach the Corinthian church this standard of Loving the Lord when he said, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians10:5

Michael Kirchner Preaches the Word to the Portland and Eugene Churches!

So the real issue is never doctrine, the Bible is clear enough. The issue is: Do you love the Lord with all your heart. soul, and mind? Does your life revolve around His will? What would God say about your heart?

What would you say about your heart? There’s a well known verse which says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 So if our hearts deceive us, how can we know what is in our hearts? Thankfully, God gives us the answer in very next verse (not so well known) when he says, “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10

Jesus mentioned three indicators of the condition of our hearts:

1. What we say (Matthew 12:33-37) “ … out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can all create an image of ourselves with carefully chosen words. But the careless words we mutter under our breath, the words we yell in our anger, the gossip and slander in casual conversation are the very words for which we will be held accountable. Do you talk about God or the weather? Are you encouraging or always critical? Are you careful with your words? What is flowing out of your heart?

2. What we do. (Mark 7:20-23) Jesus says all the sins we commit originate in our own hearts. The Devil cannot make us do it. He only suggests it.

Incredible worship with the churches of Oregon!

3. Where our treasure is. (Matthew 6:19-21) “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We probably treasure most our time and our money. The way we spend them shows what we love.

Jeremiah, Ron, and Michael enjoy their partnership!

What we say, what we do, and where we spend our time and money all give ample evidence of what we are- of what is in our hearts, whether we like it or not. No exceptions, no excuses. Fortunately, however, we can do something about the condition of our hearts:

Carlos & Lucy helped us see what is truly in our hearts as marrieds Couples!

1. Decision (Matthew 6:19-21) This same passage about our treasure implies that if we change our priorities, we’ll change our hearts. That’s why Jesus tells us to Store up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Put your time and money into the only thing that lasts-souls.

2. Guard your Heart (Proverbs 4:23) “ … for it is the wellspring of life.” Computer Programmers and IT Professionals often say the phrase “garbage in, garbage out.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 says “bad company corrupts, good character.” Everything we expose our hearts to will affect them. This is why constant involvement with the Church, regular study of God’s word, and constant prayer are essential for a pure heart .

3. Pray for God’s Power (Ezekiel 36:26) “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your own heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Now baptized disciples, Luis & Anna Avila were united with Christ at our Married Retreat!

We must accept that there are some things in our hearts which only God can change , then pray for him to purify our hearts. We must also face the fact that our speech, our actions, and our priorities reveal the true nature of our hearts.

Through discipling, decisions to repent, greater involvement with God’s people, through his word, and through prayers to God for His power – our hearts will change….and so will our lives.

Phinehas was as zealous as God himself for God’s honor. He refused to be “tolerant” when the men of Israel were drawn into the worship of Baal and sexual immorality by Moabite (non-Israelite) women. Compelled for God’s honor, this article will address the issue of marrying and dating only disciples.

Mario, Alfredo, and Oswaldo - who was just baptized 2 weeks ago - all take part in baptizing Ivan - the son of Magda who was baptized 3 weeks ago!

To fully understand God’s heart on many subjects, one must search not only the New Testament, but the Old Testament, realizing it was the “Scriptures” for the early church. (2 Timothy 3:15-17) Throughout the Bible, God’s heart has been to have a “people of His own.” (Deuteronomy 7:6) In the Old Testament, they were the Hebrews – the physical nation of Israel. In the New Testament, His people were the Christians, the disciples, the church, the “holy nation” of spiritual Israel. (1 Peter 2:9) Let us not forget that the Old Testament is the physical fore-shadowing of the New Testament spiritual realities. The Hebrews’ slavery in Egypt parallels the slavery of sin before one becomes a Christian. The miraculous Red Sea crossing parallels baptism – the washing away of all our sins. (1 Corinthians 10:2) The forty years wandering in the desert is analogous to the Christian life. (Some people mistakenly believe the Promised Land is the parallel to the Christian life. That’s why their faith is shaken when tough times come; they expect all their problems to go away, not the “venomous snakes and scorpions” of life.) (Deuteronomy 8:15) The Jordan River represents death, thus the song, “Jordan River, I’m bound to cross.” Finally, the Promised Land is heaven!

Abraham is our “father of faith” and the “father” of the Jews. When he sought a wife for his son Isaac, Abraham told his servant, “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:3-4) In the next generation, Isaac and Rebekah’s first son Esau married “outside” God’s people – two Hittite women. Rebekah comments to Isaac, “‘I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.’ So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: ‘Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.’” (Genesis 27:46-28:2) Clearly to marry “outside” God’s people disturbed Rebekah. Incidentally, Esau later married a woman of God. (Genesis 28:8-9)

For almost two weeks, Maika of the City of Angels Church prayed & fasted for her husband Marc to receive a visa to join her in America from the Philippines. She asked for God to do this by their First Anniversary. God did, as Marc arrived in LAX on Marc & Maika’s anniversary! Marc was baptized three weeks later!

As for “casual dating” relationships, who can forget the unholy Delilah and her “influence” that took Samson away from God. (Judges 16:20) Seemingly, Samson’s attraction to women was purely physical as he previously was married to a non-Israelite (Judges 14:2) and after her death spent time with prostitutes. (Judges 16:1) Like many, Samson confused lust with love.

In 1 Kings 11:1-4 the Spirit writes, “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter – Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’ Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” The Bible is clear that Solomon’s non-Jewish wives led his heart astray from God through “love.” The “feelings of love” for a “person not of the faith” must be crucified because of our love for God. (Luke 14:25-27)

During the restoration of physical Israel and the rebuilding of the temple, Nehemiah “lays it out” about marrying outside the faith. “Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab… I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: ‘You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women. Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?’” (Nehemiah 13:23-27) In this passage marrying a “foreigner” is “sin,” “terrible wickedness” and “being unfaithful to…God.” The prophet Ezra wept over this same unfaithfulness to God. (Ezra 10:1-3)

Oswaldo & Faviola were married before their baptism so they could Honor God!

The New Testament teachings on marriage are built on the Old Testament’s foundation. God is “the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 13:8) God’s desires for His people are: 1. Faithfulness to Him (Revelation 2:10); 2. Purity – sex only within marriage (Hebrews 13:4); 3. Produce children of faith through the marriage union. (Malachi 2:15) 1 Corinthians 7:39 teaches, “A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord.” “Freedom in Christ” is not marrying anyone, but marrying “anyone who belongs to the Lord.” Remember there is no marriage in heaven. The fundamental purpose of marriage is to get us and our children to heaven. An insightful person once said, “The person you marry will likely determine where you spend eternity.”

In the recently planted Stockholm International Christian Church, our dear brothers, Erik af Klint and Kaspar Tambaur baptize Carl-David!

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 states, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ ‘Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’ Since we have these promises… let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” In this passage, the Old Testament (Isaiah 52:11) is quoted in verse 16 as the command to be “separate” from the world. Therefore, this New Testament passage clearly teaches that a relationship – marriage or dating – “outside” of Christ is not “reverence for God.”

Though dating is a Western culture phenomenon, this relationship is extremely influential in our lives. As a young Christian (eight months old), I went home for Christmas vacation and got together with my old high school “friends” at a high school basketball game. Afterwards I spent time with a non-Christian girl, who was “just a friend.” In a few days time, we “fell” into gross impurity. The next day feeling overwhelmed by guilt because of my hypocrisy, I went to this girl’s front door. When she answered I apologized for my behavior and shared with her I had recently become a Christian. Though she did not feel at all badly about our sin, I told her I could not see her again. And I did not. My rationalization for going out with her was I did not see anyone in my campus ministry that I “liked.” Since I was spiritually weak, beauty and personality replaced “a heart devoted to God” as my top priority in looking for a girlfriend. I learned the hard way that “light” must be separate from “darkness.”

How should we proceed in God’s new movement? First of all, be unashamed and teach from both the Old and New Testaments God’s principles on marriage and dating, showing God’s heart to have “a people of His own.” Secondly, if any weak Christian begins to date a non-Christian, then in compassion reach out to and prayerfully study with the non-Christian. At the same time, share with the weak disciple God’s Word on this subject and in love call this person to obey God’s commands to separate themselves from the non-Christian. Do not be led astray by the argument that “so and so” dated a non-Christian and later was baptized as a rational for dating non-Christians. Sometimes people become Christians in spite of our lack of righteousness! The facts are that countless numbers have fallen away from the truth because of their “love” of a non-Christian. Many of these in rationalizing dating outside of the church have become “fuzzy” on who is a true Christian and have compromised God’s doctrine by then attending a denominational church. To be a Christian, one must believe in Jesus, repent (making the decision to be a disciple), and be baptized for the remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This true doctrine of salvation is not practiced in most denominational churches, so Paul’s words, “to watch your life and doctrine closely…so you will save yourself and your hearers” is a stern warning.

Of consideration, even the Catholics teach you should marry Catholics; the Mormons believe in only marrying Mormons; and the Muslims have been known to kill a Muslim that does not marry a Muslim. Though these groups do not follow the Scriptures’ teaching on salvation, they understand the concept of marriage in relation to “their view” of “God’s people.” Are Jesus’ true disciples to be any less convicted?