We’re believing God to just sweeeeep through the place tomorrow. God’s people are longing for the healing and restoration that only happens in His presence. Worship with us! Tomorrow morning at our 10:45am.

Location: Philadelphia Ministries & Training Center
3117 McHenry Ave Ste. C
Modesto, CA
*** We are BEHIND Carpet Unlimited and India Bistro.

According to John 14:17 the Spirit of truth dwells in us.  Additionally, I Corinthians the 7^th chapter lets us know just how the Spirit works in us and through us to outwardly manifests himself; He works by way of the spiritual gifts being used for the benefit of all – the entire body of Christ.

God gave EVERY MAN and WOMAN a gift to manifest His glory.  “Manifest” means to express by extension. The expression of God’s Spirit has been dropped into every believer to extend the benefits of our God to ALL.

We ALL house the same GIFT (the gift of God), but different manifestations of it. The Gift extends out of us in different ways so the varying needs of all mankind can be satisfied by the Spirit of God. (I Cor. 12)

Keep in your remembrance the gift that has been put in you.  STIR IT UP!  Don’t let it go dead or dormant. Rekindle it! Make it anew! Light it up!  Give it strength to be an active and busy expression of our God extended to man!

Each gift has a different maintenance plan that must be followed in order to stay healthy and vibrant.  I Timothy 4:14 tells us not to neglect the gift.  Not neglecting the gift means working the maintenance plan for YOUR gift. The scripture says the gift was given to you by prophecy and by the laying on of hands, but you have to work the maintenance plan to keep it moving.

You are gifted! We’ve laid hands on you and spoke words of lift to your gift; now you stir it up!

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“Planning for Perfected-ness” – is about you perfecting in your gifts, and you doing the work to build the church as the body of Christ.

One indication that the saints are not growing in their gifts is: the church is not growing as the body of Christ.

7 Characteristics of a church body that is growing as the body of Christ (according to I Cor. 12)

1. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts in operation as the gifts have been distributed by God.
2. Each member depends on the Spirit of God to work the gift.
3. God is free to work in different ways and to work in all of us.
4. God has put each part just where He wants it.
5. The spiritual gifts are being used so we can help each other.
6. There is harmony among the members.
7. All the members care for each other.

Each Saint’s Responsibility in ensuring the 7 Characteristics Are Being Manifested In Him/Her – The 7 Steps to Planning For Perfected-ness

1. Find out what your spiritual gifts are.
2. Pray specifically about your gifts. listen and obey.
3. Get delivered from any and everything blocking God from freely working through you.
4. Submit to the five-fold ministry leaders of your local church.
5. Practice using your gifts.
6. Do away with every spirit of offense.
7. Do everything in love and overflowing with grace.

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Preached by: Pastor Alonzo Wade

CLICK PLAY TO HEAR THIS AUDIO TEACHING

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The altar must be more to the saints than simply being a place positioned in the front of the church where you go so the minister can pray for you, touch you, or bless you. There must be an altar in your heart wherein your heavenly Father can commune with you.

In Genesis 12 the Lord told Abram to leave everything he knew and had, and go to a place He (God) will show him. In verse 7 the Lord spoke to Abram, promising him and his seed the vast land upon which he was standing. Abram, in response, built an altar right there and then continued on his journey. As Abram journeyed into Egypt, out of fear he told his wife to tell the Pharaoh she was Abram’s sister. This was a sign of unbelief. Recognizing his own need to be affirmed by God again, Abram went to a place located between Bethel (meaning the house of God) and Hai (meaning a heap). – Genesis chapter 13.

The revelation here is that Abram built the altar between the house of God and the “heap of stuff” (which included fear and unbelief) keeping him from his new day. On the other side of Hai – ‘the heap of stuff’ – was Cannan, the promise land and the new day.

What is keeping you from getting into your promised land; from  your new day? Just as Abram did, take that heap of stuff to the altar, tie it down and call on the name of the Lord!

THIS IS A RECAP OF TODAY’S SERMON (1/8/2012). WE PRAY YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED BY OUR MINISTRY.

~ Blessings, Pastor Wade

There is nothing more vital to a healthy, mature ministry than prayer.  Without having a strong, vibrant culture of prayer, a ministry cannot become all God has purposed for it to be.  It is through corporate prayer that we can grow as a body together, we touch the heart of God together, we bend the ear of God together, and together we listen to hear God speak back to us.  Before Christ’s life, death, burial, and ascension, common individuals like you and me did not have access to go directly to the throne of grace. At that time the priests – those especially called and ordained because they were born into a chosen bloodline – went before the Lord on behalf of the people. But now because of Christ everyone who accepts Jesus as Lord is of the royal priesthood, and can boldly and confidently go before the throne of grace and find mercy in the time of need.

Corporate prayer service is a time when the royal priesthood (that all of us) prays together. Everyone one of us, whether leading prayer or not, has an active role to play during the prayer service. These roles can include, but are not limited to, any of the following:

Continued Discussion

• How to perform the role of:  “Prayer Starter”
• How to perform the role of:  “Prayer Team”
• How to perform the role of: “the Congregation”

We hope you have been blessed by this lesson. For a copy of the complete lesson handout please send us a message. Please be sure to include your email address.

Meet us in our virtual prayer room at: http://heartstowardheaven.wordpress.com/

~ Blessings.

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You must make decisions about the house of your heart. Will you let enemies stay and make their abode in the house of your heart?  You HAVE to live there, but the enemies do not. You can put them out!

The purpose of this training was to introduce and review some basic concepts on Praying In the Spirit.    By the end of this lesson, each person was able to:

• Explain what it means to pray in the Spirit
• Describe how praying in the Spirit works
• List the purposes for praying in the Spirit
• State who can pray in the spirit
• Explain how often we should pray in the spirit.

Here are notes from the training session:

What is it?

1. It is also called “speaking in tongues”
2. It is speaking in an “unlearned” or “unknown” language
3. It may sound to some like nonsense or gibberish
4. When you pray in the Holy Spirit is “guiding” how you pray and what you pray for. He is moving, motivating, enabling and energizing your prayers.

How does it work?

1. The Holy Spirit will not force anyone to speak.
2.  It is not the work of your own mind.
3. It is not the same as praying with understanding and praying in the Holy Spirit.  The mind must be yielded to the Holy Spirit for one to pray in the Holy Spirit.  ~ “For if I pray in an unknown tongue… my understanding is unfruitful”  (I Corinthians 14:14-15).
4. It requires you not to put confidence in your own self, but rather to trust God. ~ “Worship in the Spirit of God…and put no confidence in the flesh…” (Phil 3:3b)
5.  After speaking in tongues the Holy Spirit may enable you give understandable words to what was said in tongues. ~ “Wherefore, let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret” (I Cor 14:13).

What are the purposes for speaking in tongues?

1. It is “prayer” is unto God, not to men ~ “For he that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries”  (I Corinthians 14:2)
2. It is the ability to pray when we don’t know how to pray for someone or something; in doing so, we are praying according to “the will of God”. ~ “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.    And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God”  (Romans 8:26-27).
3. It is the ability to sing praises in a language other than our own.  ~ “… I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also”  (I Corinthians 14:15).
4. It is the one way a believer can edify (build up and strengthen) himself so he/she will not faint during hard trials. ~ “He that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue edifieth himself; (I Corinthians 14:4). ~ “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 1:20). ~ “Be on guard that your hearts may not be weighed down…worries of life…that will come upon all those that dwell on earth…Keep alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength. (Luke 21:34-36)
5. Speaking in tongues may also edify the church body as well. ~ “Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual [gifts], seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.    Wherefore let him that speaketh in an [unknown] tongue pray that he may interpret”  (I Corinthians 14:12-13).

Who can pray in the Spirit?

1. Every believer can pray in the spirit (speak in tongues) even though not every does it.  ~ “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying”  (I Corinthians 14:5).  ~ “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4)

How often should you pray in the spirit?

1. Always ~  “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18)

For a more comprehensive study on Praying in the Spirit visit this website.

RELATED BLOGS

1. Praying In the Spirit – By Rivers of Hope

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~Blessings!

Evangelism is “the act of spreading the gospel… preaching the gospel…[and] teaching men how to avail themselves to the offer of salvation.” Outreach, on the other hand is “reaching out to the community in order to meet needs…[It is] an act of love…[that] allows people to make a connection with the church.” It is through outreach that unbelievers experience the love of Christ.

Outreach alone will not result in the saving of souls; however it often leads to evangelism, which often does result in repentance and acceptance of Christ. In doing the work of outreach we can let people know the reason for our actions is because Jesus loves them and so do we.

While I recommend you read the article in it’s entirety, here are some final take-away messages shared by those who participated in this training:

Evangelism –

• The word “evangelism” comes from the same Greek word as gospel and good news.
• If there is good news there’s also bad news.  The ministry of evangelism must create a picture of both.
• The bad news: sin is an offense against God that will be judged.
• Good news: If you confess your sins and repent, don’t have to be judged.
• The good and the bad news are both part of the gospel message.
• In terms of evangelism, Jesus said: “GO”; He didn’t say “Stick around here and let people come to you.” (Matthew 28:19)
• Evangelism is the spreading, declaring, and teaching of the gospel.

Outreach –

• Is showing the love of Christ, but not necessarily preaching the good news.
• In outreach, you’re reaching out to the community, region and nation. You’re making yourself visible, making it known that you are there to help meet practical and physical needs of people.
• You sometimes have to do outreach first in order to have the “right” to be there to evangelize.
• Outreach opens the door by meeting the practical need; you go out and find someone who obviously needs help, and meet them exactly where they are.
• Friendship is a type of outreach.

In closing, I would like to make one final point. I have often observed well-intended Christians spreading the gospel in the most condemnatory of ways.  While evangelism must include some degree of expression of God’s dissatisfaction with our sinful behavior, when proclaiming the gospel we as  should gradually release words of correction in this way:

1. During outreach – No words of correction
2. During evangelism – Few words of correction; enough for the person to acknowledge the sin and to desire to repent from it
3. During discipleship – more and more words of correction released as the new convert develops and spiritually matures.

The scripture does say “He who wins souls must be wise.” (Prov 11:30).

Blessings to you!

~ Pastor Michelle