From Email:

Our 22 year old daughters heart surgery went well. Our son is also having some symptoms and seeing
a cardiologist.
Lord, we praise and thank You for the successful operation, and we ask for Your healing touch for a full
recovery. We bring our son before You, The Great Physician, for Your healing as well. Bless the Reynolds
family, as they place their trust in You, in Jesus Name, amen.
From Email:
Just to say a big thank you for being there, and your prayers meant so much to me. We are preserved, saved,
provided for by prayers. God bless you HIS people who are in the secret room praying. Bless you all in
JESUS Name.
From Finland:
Dearest Friends, Thank you for your Prayers! Our dear baby girl was born on The 29th of December,
thanks to Jesus! She is still in the hospital because the doctors want to make sure she is alright before
coming home.
From Germany:
Thank you for all your prayer support in the last months. I have been out of a job since October 2011
and was getting into my third year of unemployment, which was not funny. I lost count of the many
applications I have sent.
Finally, I can share with you my praise report:
Thursday, January 30, I got the contract, and I will start working on February 10th. However, the job
contract will last till February 28, 2015.
Have a nice weekend. Warm greetings from Germany.
From Nigeria:
I thank God for sending you into my life and ministry. Since you prayed for me in 2003-2009; my life and
destiny had never remained the same. Now, the hand of God is in my life, and it is moving from glory-to-glory.
From Swaziland:
Thank you for your quick response. The prayers have been answered; it was found at the coffee shop
and I will be getting it soon. Thank you.
2 Church Growth/Summer 2014
3
2 Answered Prayer
3 Contents and Chairmans Letter
4 Salvation
Yonggi Cho
8 My Hope is in The Lord
Younghoon Lee
12 Dedication of Calvary Convention Center
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
16 Avoiding The Pitfall of Pride
Prince Guneratnam
17 Message to Ministers
Dag Heward-Mills
18 Church-What Not to Do
Marilyn Hickey
19 Europe -The New Challenge
Stanley Sjoberg
20 Does God Want Me Healed?
Richard Roberts
21 Children of Light
Peggy Kannaday
22 Lets Get Acquainted
Margaret Court
23 Readers Responses
24 Church Growth Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Oct. 28-31st, 2014
Yonggi Cho (Chairman):
Paul H. J. Kim(Exec. Director)
Ranjit Abraham
Edwin Alvarez
Richard Bernal
Harold Caballeros
Cesar Castellanos
Alex Clattenburg
Margaret Court
Ken Eldred
Francois Forschle
Yukio Funatsu
Petrina Guneratnam
Prince Guneratnam
Dag Heward-Mills
Marilyn Hickey
Benny Hinn
Jerry Johnston
Robert Kasaro
Billy Kim
Sunghae Kim
Kong Hee
Younghoon Lee
Robert Lim
James Marocco
Betta Mengistu
David Mohan
Jacob Nahuway
Robin Oliver
Luiz Pinto
Phil Pringle
Thomas Reid
Richard Roberts
Bob Rodgers
Jhon Milton Rodriguez
Randal L. Ross
Robert Schuller
Mosa Sono
David Spencer
Volkhard Spitzer
Larry Stockstill
Karl Strader
David Sumrall
Abraham Tanuseputra
Casey Treat
Peter Tsukahira
Andrii Tyshchenko
Mario Vega
Hendrik Vorster
Theo Wolmarans
Hiroshi Yoshiyama
Paul Yuke
Paul Zink
HONORARY BOARD
Don Argue
Tommy Barnett
Dan Beller
John Bueno
Il Suk Cha
Andrew Evans
Jack W. Hayford
Reginald Klimionok
Alan Langstaff
Siegfried Muller
C. Peter Wagner
Paul Walker
John Wilkerson
MANAGING EDITOR:
Peggy Kannaday
ADMINISTRATIVE ASST:
Min Sook Lee
Church Growth/Summer 2014
Wake from Sleep!
Romans 13:11, Besides this you know the time, that
the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For
salvation is nearer to us now than when we first
believed.
Arise and Shine!
Isaiah 60:1, Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
Letter from The Chairman:
My Dear Friends and Fellow
Harvesters,
We are looking at a field that is ripe and white for
harvest. It is a field of wheat and tares that have gone
through wars, deceptions, sins of every sort, and it is
comprised of men and women who have learned hard
lessons in their lives.
These people have learned that money will fail,
governments will fail, family can fail, friends can fail, jobs
can fail, health can fail and any and everything can fail in
our lives.
If you have learned these things; then you are in a good
position to learn the Truth. The only One that we are to trust
in with all of our hearts is The Lord Jesus Christ.
He alone will never fail us. He is as good as His Word,
and His Word is 100% true and proven.
During these days when all may seem to fail or fall;
TURN TO THE WORD OF GOD, AND TRUST THE
ALL-MIGHTY GOD OF THE UNIVERSE, JESUS
CHRIST, AND HE WILL ALWAYS BRING YOU
THROUGH VICTORIOUSLY!
In His love and for His glory,
Yonggi Cho
Chairman of The Board
Church Growth International
4
oday, I would like to share the grace of God
under the title, Salvation. Regardless of
where you live or what nation you belong to,
there is hope for the future for those who are saved. To
have a dream for the future; we must come out of the pit
of despair. Knowingly or unknowingly, people sink into
this hole of desperation. They are struggling with guilt,
nothingness, meaninglessness, death and emptiness.
We are the descendants of Adam and desperate beings
that are doomed to face the judgment and the death
because we are slaves to sin. For the desperate to gain
hope; they need to receive salvation. How can we be
saved from this condition of death? Where can we find
salvation from the burden of inherited sin from birth? Sin
will always follow us along with Satan who is always
looking for the opportunity to rob, kill, and destroy us.
No matter how desperately we try to get out of this evil
influence of sin; we continually fail and end up being
frustrated in despair.
So where is the way to be free from sin? Two thousand
years ago; Jesus defeated sin on the cross. Now, if we
would only come beneath the cross, the problem of sin
would disappear.
You cannot escape from the grip of sin. The only way to
get out of sins influence is by receiving the finished work of
the cross, which is the only acceptable condition by God.
Humanity has no power or strength to overcome their sin on
their own. First, salvation is given only by the grace of God.
Ephesians 2:8 says, For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God.
Salvation is so valuable and precious that it cannot be
bought, even at the price of the universe. Jesus who made
the universe sacrificed His own life to pay the price of our
salvation, which is priceless because it was paid off with
the life of the Son of God.
Romans 3:23-24 says, For all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that came by Christ
Jesus.
As Jesus settled the price, this salvation has no price tag.
As long as we believe in it; we are saved! If only you
believe and accept the fact that God has given you this gift
of salvation; you are saved! It is because God has never
mentioned about the qualification of the saved. Since the
Giver is so wonderful, graceful, and great that He wants to
give this salvation; we can receive it free-of-charge.
Even though we are sinful, unrighteous, filthy, deserve
abandonment, smelly, unqualified for salvation, our Giver
is good, merciful, full of love and invites us saying, Take
it! Receive it! Therefore, we have nothing to boast about
it or to fail it. If only we believe; we can receive it.
Titus 3:4-7 says, But when the kindness and love of
God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal
by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously
through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been
justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the
hope of eternal life.
We do not deserve salvation through our deeds. God
determines to give us salvation as a gift of grace. Free
salvation can be accepted without worrying about its price.
Grace is free-of-charge. As we are saved by grace,
Christianity is quite different from other religions.
Ephesians 1:3-6 says, Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us in
the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in
Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of
the world.
Your present salvation is not an accident, but it is Gods
choice even before the creation of the world when God
created the heavens and the earth and everything in it. Our
priority after salvation is to live for the glory of God.
We dont need to live a holy life to be saved, but we
must live a sanctified life because of salvation. As we are
saved free-of-charge; we should try to please God in our
lives. The Lord has chosen us and predestined us to be
holy and blameless in His sight in accordance with His
pleasure and will. Therefore, nobody touches you. As the
Church Growth/Summner 2014
Yonggi Cho
5 Church Growth/Summer 2014
Lord chose and predestined you to become His; who can
snatch you from Him?
He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through
Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will to
the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given
us in the One He loves. There is nothing left for you to do
because it is free! Please repeat after me about the grace of
heavenly salvation. It has no price tag! Every product
has its own price tag, but heavenly salvation has no price
tag. It cant be better than that. Secondly, the way to
salvation is only by faith, as it has no price at all. It is
simply to believe that Jesus did everything for us already.
In the Bible, Matthew 1:21 says that an angel of God
appeared to Joseph when his fiancee Mary was pregnant.
At that critical time, the angel of God showed up before
Joseph and said to him, She will give birth to a Son,
and you are to give Him
the Name Jesus, because
He will save His people
from their sins. The angel
of the Lord appeared to him
in a dream and said that a
Son would be born and that
He would save His people.
It is definitely said in John
3:16: For God so loved
the world that He gave His
one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him.
There is no discrimination, is
there? Whoever believes in
Him shall not perish but
have eternal life. God gives us mighty grace to receive
eternal life.
John 20:31 says, But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
by believing you may have life in His Name.
Jesus Christ is Gods gift to us as His salvation. Jesus
Christ was torn in His flesh and shed His blood on the
cross and was resurrected to become the source of living
water and life to us. Why is Jesus the source of living
water? When Jesus was waiting at the well of Sychar; one
woman came to draw water.
While she was talking with Jesus; she confessed that
even after marrying six times she could not be still satisfied
in her life. You will be thirsty again, but whoever
drinks the water I give him will never thirst. To be
thirsty, we may assume, is that it is a real thirst due to lack
of water, but here it indicates that life wasnt good for her.
She had felt barren in her life even after she changed her
husband five times. More money or a magnificent house
wouldnt bring happiness to her. She found no fulfillment
in any material possessions. A new fancy car would give
her only temporary pleasure.
The real river of life flows in ones heart. The river of
satisfaction and joy can flow only through believing in
Messiah. During her conversation with Jesus, as soon as
she found the secret of happiness and Jesus, as the Messiah,
the river of living water and joy began to overflow in her
heart. The faith in Jesus Christ is not bound by formality or
rituals. When you believe in Jesus, the living water will begin
to overflow in your heart. Peace, joy, happiness, and hope will
flow in your heart and life to
bring great change into it.
Transformation should come
to you, and then the breath of
God will overflowin your life.
In Ezekiel 37, God set
Ezekiel in the middle of a
valley; it was full of bones.
Dry bones piled up high like
a great mountain. God said to
Ezekiel, Son of man, can
these bones live? I said,
O Sovereign LORD, You
alone know. Prophesy to
breath and say to them,
Enter into these dry bones. Then, breath came from
the four winds and breathed into these slain; they came to
life and stood up on their feet, a vast army.
If you live a dull, helpless, hopeless, and joyless life;
please tell Jesus who is the source of the living breath,
Oh, please let living water and breath overflow in me.
Then, your inner being will be changed. This sickening
world would be gone and a fresh living water and joyful
breath will overflow instead! Please repeat after me, I am
drinking the living water in Jesus. I breathe breath in Jesus.
Therefore, I am the happiest person! It will be done
according to your faith! Hallelujah! Therefore, when Jesus
said on the cross, It is finished, it was a magnificent
proclamation! The Lord settled all our sins and iniquities,
all physical and mental pains, curses and poverty, and the
grave. The only thing that remains to us is the overflowing
river of living water and breath.
8 Church Growth/Summner 2014
Ephesians 1:13 says, And you also were included in
Christ when you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel
of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in
Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
When we believe in Jesus Christ after hearing the
Gospel, the Holy Spirit will surely come to live in us. The
Holy Spirit is the living water and breath. Please repeat
after me, The Holy Spirit is the living water and breath
of Jesus. His living water and breath will overflow
within you. When you pray, the living water and breath
also overflow. Therefore, the devil, sins and despair are
all washed away from us, and hope will fill our hearts
instead.
Romans 10:9-13 says, That if you confess with your
mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
It is so simple to be saved. If you confess with your
mouth, Jesus is the Son of God, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are
justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess
and are saved... For there is no difference between Jew
and Gentile, the same Lord is Lord of all and richly
blesses all who call on Him, for, Everyone who calls
on the Name of the Lord will be saved. There are so
many wonderful things in faith and salvation written in
the Gospel of Luke. When Jesus was passing through one
town, the great crowd followed Him, so the Lord preached
the Word and healed many sick people.
Then, a woman brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and
as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping; she began to
wet His feet with her tears. Then, she wiped them with her
hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the
Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself,
If this man were a prophet, He would know who is
touching Him and what kind of woman she is and that
she is a sinner. Jesus answered him, Do you see this
woman? I came into your house. You did not give Me
any water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her
tears and wiped them with her hair... She has poured
perfume on My feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many
sins have been forgiven for she loved much. How can
we know whether she believed in Him or not? Faith surely
works by love. If you love someone; you believe in him. If
you believe in someone; you love him.
Therefore, no matter whoever you look to, if you truly
love him or her with fervent love, you will trust in him or
her. Therefore, Jesus said to this sinful woman, Your
faith has saved you; go in peace. He said that her faith
saved her. So this confirms her salvation. Also, a woman was
there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
When she heard about Jesus; she came up behind Him in the
crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, If I just
touch His clothes, I will be healed. At once Jesus turned
around in the crowd and said to her, Daughter, your faith
has healed you. Go in peace.
This is our faith. It is because we believe in the Lord.
Through our faith; the Lord forgives our sins and heals the
disease of bleeding, too. As Jesus was going into a village,
ten men who had leprosy met Him. They called out in a
loud voice, Jesus, Master, have pity on us! When the
Lord saw them, He said, Go, show yourselves to the
priests. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came
back, praising God in a loud voice and thanked Him and
he was a Samaritan. Then, Jesus said to him, Rise and
go; your faith has made you well. All of them were
saved by faith. It was their faith that made them whole!
Hebrews 10:39 says, But we are not of those who
shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe
and are saved.
Please say to each other, You have faith to be saved.
Yes, we have faith. We believe and are saved, so we must
not say that we dont have any faith.
Salvation is not the fruit we get through fasting, human
effort, or training. Once we believe in Jesus; God gives us
salvation and the gift of faith. Therefore, we have faith. If
we seek it knowing that we have already faith; it will begin
to boil over.
Hebrews 11:7 says, By faith Noah, when warned
about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to
save his family. By his faith he condemned the world
and became heir of the righteousness that comes by
faith.
Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you
and your household. When you believe in Jesus, as one
of your family members, your household will be saved
afterwards because of this promise of God. When you
believe in Jesus and are saved, the Holy Spirit enters into
you; your faith of salvation begins to boil over to
accomplish salvation for all of them. You and your
household will be saved. When we believe in Jesus, the
Holy Spirit brings about salvation to us. C.S. Lewis, English
Christian writer, was once asked about the reason for the
7 Church Growth/Summer 2014
superiority of Christianity among many other religions. He
answered without any hesitation, saying, It is because of
Gods grace. Other religions have no grace at all, but only
Christianity has grace in it. Its grace differentiates itself from
other religions. The core of Christianity is grace. Only
Christianity has its peculiarity in which our salvation is
possible only through Gods grace; not by human effort or
credit. It is done by Gods grace and credit. Therefore, you
have been saved by Jesus Christ. Now, we should not boast
about any human deeds.
Ephesians 2:9 says, Not by works, so that no one
can boast.
We are saved and blessed not by human strength, but by
Gods grace and our faith.
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 says, It is because of Him that
you are in Christ Jesus, Who has become for us
wisdom from God that is, our righteousness, holiness
and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: Let him
who boasts boast in the Lord. We were born from
God. He created you according to His image and likeness.
Then, where are you after being born from God? You are
in Jesus, Who has become our righteousness, holiness and
redemption from God.
The wisdom of Jesus becomes our wisdom; the
righteousness of Jesus our righteousness; the holiness of
Jesus our holiness; the salvation of Jesus our salvation. If
human deeds are included in this salvation, it would be
given for compensation. We would boast about it but end
up being excluded from salvation. We must not boast
about ourselves in the Lord. Rather, we must boast about
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; not ourselves.
Any human-oriented religion or philosophy cannot be
included in this holy process. What we receive is the grace
of the life of our Lord. Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved(Acts 4:12).
Therefore, we receive salvation by the Name of Jesus
Christ, not by any other name. God did not demand of us
any reward for it, but graciously gives us His gift and
holds those who believe and give thanks to Him in His
bosom; we cannot but give thanks to His favor. What can
we do more except for giving incessant thanks to God
who pours down His favor and grace upon us? He who
sacrifices thank offerings honors Me, and he prepares
the way so that I may show him the salvation of God
(Psalm 50:23).
God requires us who are saved nothing but a grateful
heart. The Lord will add more grace to those who give
thanks to Him.
2 Corinthians 6:2 says, For He says, In the time of
my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I
helped you. I tell you, now is the time of Gods favor,
now is the day of salvation.
Now, is the time of Gods grace and the day of His
salvation; we are already saved and blessed so God makes
us deliver this Good News of salvation to others to be
blessed and saved, too.
Nothing is more precious than salvation in this world.
What is more precious than salvation? If we are not saved,
we have to suffer endlessly in eternal hell. People tend to
think that they need to go through celibacy, philosophy, and
all sorts of sacrifices in return for receiving salvation.
However, salvation is accompanied by only two words,
Gods grace and gift. Salvation is a free gift given by the
favor of the great Giver. Please repeat after me, Salvation is
Gods grace and gift. We cannot but stand with our mouth
wide open before this God-given grace and gift. We have
nothing to boast about. Our salvation is given by the favor
of the holy Giver.
We can be saved by faith, and faith only from beginning
to end. I am so amazed at the wonderful spectacle that all
these treasures of God are looking at me now in this
sanctuary. How much does God rejoice over you? The Bible
says that God rejoices over you with singing!
Yonggi Cho is The Senior Pastor
Emeritus of The Yoido Full Gospel
Church in Seoul, Korea. He is also the
Founder, President and Chairman of
The Board for Church Growth
International.
Church Growth/Summer 2014 8
Psalm 39:6-11:
urely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in
vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without
knowing whose it will finally be. But now, Lord,
what do I look for? My hope is in You. Save me from all my
transgressions; do not make me the scorn of fools. I was silent; I
would not open my mouth, for You are the one Who has done
this. Remove Your scourge from me; I am overcome by the
blow of Your hand. When You rebuke and discipline
anyone for their sin, You consume their wealth like a
moth- surely everyone is but a breath.
Todays sermon title is My Hope is in the Lord.
Hallelujah! I would like to share the grace of God under this
title, which is based on Psalm 39:6-11. Please repeat after me:
My hope is in the Lord. My hope is in the Lord.
Everybody on earth wants to lead a happy life. People want
their plans to work well, wanting to receive many blessings. For
this reason; we often find the books about happiness or success
in the best seller list.
However, we must remember that earthly possessions do not
always bring happiness to us. You may think you will be happy
if you have a lot of money. However, the more money you
have; the more worry you will have. You may think you will be
happy if you have power in this world. However, as your
position becomes higher; you will have more problems and
trouble, often being heartbroken.
The things from the world do not bring us true satisfaction.
True joy, true satisfaction, or true happiness comes from God
Who created the heavens and earth, and Who is still controlling
over them. Hallelujah!
When we become the children of God by believing in Jesus
Christ; we will receive the grace and blessing from God. On the
other hand, if we live without having anything to do with Jesus
Christ; we will crumble in vain when we face death. Therefore,
we should live for the glory of God in this short life on earth since
we have become the children of God by believing in Jesus Christ.
Todays Scripture is the Psalm in which David looked
back in his life in retrospect. David spoke about the
weakness and meaninglessness of man, confessing that his
hope was only in the Lord.
First, I want to speak about the human-centered life.
A human-centered life is the life which puts man at the
center.
Psalm 39:6 says, Surely everyone goes around like a
mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
without knowing whose it will finally be.
In a human-centered life, man is at the center of the universe.
When people live human-centered lives, their happiness and
satisfaction is all that matters. Since they think they can do
anything by themselves, they say that they can live without God.
They may look prosperous for a short time, but this short
prosperity may drag them into deeper despair or pain.
You may be in the highest position, saying that you have
achieved everything you wanted. One day, when you lose
your position; you will be swept by unspeakable emptiness
and hopelessness.
I know a congressman who had great political power.
He happened to be on trial and was put into prison. The charge
against him did not look strong enough to put him into
prison, though. After being released from prison; he wrote
me a letter.
He said, Pastor, I prayed a lot while I was in the big house of
prayer. There wasnt much for me to do except praising God,
praying, and studying the Bible. I read the Bible there more
than anytime else in my entire life. I could come closer to the
Lord, greatly experiencing the grace of the Lord. Knowing how
busy you are, I really appreciate your visit while I was in prison.
I came out of prison and found out that this world is still full of
problems and difficulties.
The worldly power is meaningless. Even if we possess a lot
of things, if we do not have Jesus Christ, our possessions will be
meaningless, meaningless, and meaningless. The worldly
possessions will only bring disappointments to us. Therefore,
we must live a God-centered life thoroughly and completely.
In Genesis, Chapter 4, Cain and Abel gave their offerings
to God. Abel brought an offering of blood by bringing fat
portions from his flock. On the other hand, Cain brought an
offering to God, centered on human thoughts.
Younghoon Lee

9 Church Growth/Summer 2014

Hebrews 11:4, speaks about the offerings of Cain and
Abel as follows:
By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain
did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God
spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks,
even though he is dead.
On the other hand; God did not look at Cain and his offering
with favor.
Genesis 4:5a says; But on Cain and his offering He did
not look with favor.
Since Cain lived a human-centered life; God did not accept
Cain or Cains offering. I want you to live a thoroughly God-
centered life throughout your life. Put your first priority on God.
Then, God will bless you. A life without God is meaningless. It
will come to nothing. It will crumble away in front of death.
Psalm 39:4 says, Show me, Lord, my lifes end and the
number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
We are truly weak without God, lacking so many things. We
are not strong enough to live by ourselves.
Psalm 78:39 speaks about the emptiness of human life as
follows: He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing
breeze that does not return.
This is the life of humankind. Our life will be nothing more
than a passing breeze that does not return.
Hebrews 9:27 says, Just as people are destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment.
Our life is like a mist which vanishes soon.
James 4:14 says, Why, you do not even know what will
happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that
appears for a little while and then vanishes.
If we try to live on our own without ever needing God; our
life would be utterly meaningless. Solomon, who is the wisest
man on the surface of earth in history, confessed the following
in his latter days.
Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 says, Meaningless! Meaningless!
says the Teacher. Utterly meaningless! Everything is
meaningless. What do people gain from all their labors at
which they toil under the sun?
The Teacher repeated the word meaningless four
times in one verse. Meaningless! Meaningless! says the
Teacher.Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.
Life without the Lord is indeed meaningless; utterly
meaningless. To live only for oneself, becoming the master of
ones own life, is meaningless. It is utterly meaningless.
We must open our spiritual eyes.
Dear Lord, help us stop living a human- centered life. Help
us live a God- centered life. Help us not to put our hopes in
earthly things but in eternal heaven, living for the glory of God,
so that we will face death with confidence when the time
comes. Help us not build the Tower of Babel for ourselves,
being based on human-centeredness. Bless us so that we will
dedicate ourselves to the Lord for the glory of God.
Therefore, we must turn from the human-centered lifestyle.
Second, we must live a God-centered life.
What is a God-centered life? It is the life in which we put our
first priority on God.
If we live a human-centered life, without knowing God, our
life will be meaningless. It will be totally in vain. We will end
up with failure and despair. When diseases and death come to
get us; we cannot help despairing with frustration.
On the other hand, if we live a God-centered life; we will not
fear death. No matter what kind of problems or adversities may
come and attack us; we will never be afraid. That is because God
will be with us throughout our lives, guiding us into His grace as
our shepherd and making all things work together for our good.
Genesis 22:12 says, Do not lay a hand on the boy, he
said. Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear
God, because you have not withheld from Me your son,
your only son.
Romans 3:10 says, As it is written: There is no one
righteous, not even one.
We do not have hope anywhere except in Jesus.
Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin is death, but the
gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hallelujah! To live a God-centered life, putting our hope
in the Lord, we must meditate on the Word; putting it into
10 Church Growth/Summer 2014
practice in our daily life.
1 Peter 1:24-25 says, For, All people are like grass, and
all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers
and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord endures
forever. And this is the Word that was preached to you.
Dear Lord, help us be centered on the Word so that You will
take delight in us. Turn us into Your precious children and help us
meditate on the Word day and night. Help us follow the guidance
of the Word. Help us to understand Your will through the Word,
obeying Your will and dedicating our lives to You.
Romans 12:1 says, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and
sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your bodies as a
living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true
and proper worship.
When we do the will of God in our lives; God will take
care of us.
1 John 2:17 says, The world and its desires pass away,
but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Therefore, we must seek first Gods Kingdom and His
righteousness, living a God-centered life, so that we can put our
hope in the Lord.
Jesus said, in Matthew 6:33, But seek first His Kingdom
and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.
Hallelujah! When we straighten up the priorities of life; God
will bless us. When the priorities of our lives are reversed or mixed
up; we will crumble down. European countries enjoyed the most
advanced culture when they preached the Gospel all around the
world. However, when they began to live a human-centered life,
forgetting to live a God-centered life; they began to crumble
down. Now, they have many problems and difficulties.
The same is true with America. America was built on Christian
faith. As time passed by, Americans began to live a human-
centered life, forgetting to live a God-centered life, even though
God has blessed America so much. Now, Americans are
struggling with many problems, difficulties, and disasters.
We must thoroughly repent of our sins and turn to God. We
must turn from the life which is centered on the worldly
standard of value to the life which is centered on the Lord.
Isaiah 1:18 says, Come now, let us settle the matter,
says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall
be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they
shall be like wool.
When we come to the Lord, repenting of our sins, the Lord
will take us in His arms, forgiving all our sins. We must
remember what the Lord said to the Church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:4-5 says, Yet I hold this against you: You
have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far
you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If
you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your
lampstand from its place.
Dear Lord, help us to be thoroughly broken and humble
through our repentance. Forgive our sins since we have lived a
human-centered life. We have lived self-centeredly. We repent of
our selfishness, greed, arrogance, and desire to satisfy our need.
We have exploded with fury when things were not going the way
we wanted. We have hated and fought with each other. Forgive
us, Lord. Bless us so that we will break our human-centeredness.
Turn us into Your humble servants, exalting and giving glory to
You. Hallelujah! When we live a God-centered life; God will
take care of our lives. Hallelujah! Let us serve our Lord with joy
and thanksgiving.
Third, God will guide our lives when we put our hope in the
Lord. I want to talk about the guidance of God.
Psalm 39:8 says, Save me from all my transgressions; do
not make me the scorn of fools.
Dear Lord, stay with me throughout my life, guiding me
and delivering me from all sins, despair, and problems. Protect
me when others blame or accuse me. Guard my heart.
When we try to serve the Lord after receiving the grace of
God; we may have to encounter persecutions or difficulties.
When we were baby Christians, no one cared too much about
us. As we get actively involved in the voluntary service for the
church; we may encounter accusation or difficulty. Look unto
the Lord even when such things happen. You will become
more mature and your faith will grow through suffering.
Pastor Yang-Jae Kim of a Church in Bun-Dang sent me a
book, titled, Suffering is a Gemstone. It is true. Sufferings
that we are going through now will turn into the gemstones of
heaven. We will get broken and made humble through suffering.
We will get to trust the Lord more as we go through suffering.
We will become God-centered through suffering. God indeed
changes our suffering into the gemstone of heaven. When we
Church Growth/Summer 2014 11
give glory to God, being centered on God; God will bless us
throughout our lives. No matter what kind of problems or
difficulties you may encounter, bow down before the Lord and
pray, asking for His help.
Psalm 39:9 says, I was silent; I would not open my
mouth, for You are the one who has done this.
When we ask the help from the Lord, being silent, bowing
down before the Lord; God will make all things work
together for our good. Let us recite Romans 8:28 all
together. And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love Him, who have been called
according to His purpose. Amen! All things work together
for our good. All things work together for our good. God will
take care of those who put hope in the Lord throughout their
lives. Those who live a God-centered life will receive great
blessings from the Lord.
There was a boy who lost his parents during the Korean War
at the age of ten. A bomb exploded near him while he was
playing with his friends, which made him blind. Sun-Tae Kim is
now a great pastor, doing so much great work for the Lord. I first
met him when I was a pastor of a church in the United States. We
have had a close relationship since then. I respect and love Pastor
Kim very much. Pastor Kim is now the director of Siloam
Ophthalmic Hospital, giving hope and dreams to those who are
hopeless. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award,
which is often considered to be Asias Nobel Prize.
When Kim was little, however, he went through a very hard
time since he was blind, having no one to support him. He
managed to live by begging. He often got his feet frostbitten in
winter time. Sometimes, he got food poisoning from eating
spoiled food. Pastor Kims suffering was beyond description.
Once he fell asleep by the poison oak tree and got poison oak
all over his body.
In the middle of despair, however, Kim met the Lord. Kim
thought that he had been totally forsaken, but the Lord came to
him. Since he was a blind orphan boy, he had no one to help or
guide him. However, the Lord came to him and guided him.
Before meeting the Lord, Kim lived in the middle of despair,
living self-centeredly. After meeting the Lord, however, his life
was centered on God. Then, God guided him throughout his
life, pouring His grace on Kim.
One cold winter night, Kim was wailing and praying to God
on the seashore. Then, the Lord spoke to him, Sun-Tae, I love
you. You have hope in Me. Do not worry. Since you believe in
Me, I will help you.
Hallelujah! Pastor Kim bowed down before the Lord and
prayed with tears, crying out to the Lord and holding on to the
promise. God opened a door for him. Kim could go to school
by the grace of God. He went to Soong-Sil Middle School,
Soong-Sil High School, and Soong-Sil University. He studied
Theology at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Then, he
received his Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick
Theological Seminary, U.S.A.
Kim always wanted to be a male Helen Keller. He founded a
special school for the blind, distributing braille Bibles, and
braille hymnals, giving scholarships to more than 1,000 blind
students, and helping more than 200,000 blind people to have
the eye operation to gain their sight back.
He also founded Siloam Ophthalmic Hospital, Siloam
Welfare Center for the Blind, Siloam Nursing Home, and
Sullivan Study Support Center to help the blind students with
their school work and study.
Pastor Kim said, I was living at the bottom of life, begging
for food. I was living in total despair. The only way to warm
my cold body in a freezing weather was to stand under the sun
in the morning. Everybody will go through a dark period of
time in his life. Even though we may not be aware of it, there is
the ray from the sun, shedding its light and warmth on us under
the guidance of God. Therefore, we should never give up. God
transforms the worst life into the best life.
Hallelujah! Let us give glory to God. When we live by faith,
putting our hope in the Lord; God will pour His marvelous grace
upon us so that all things will work together for us. We will be
blessed in the spirit and in the body. Our surroundings will be
blessed, too. I pray that you will live a God-centered life. This is my
earnest prayer for you in the Name of the Lord. God bless you.
Let us pray, Our Heavenly Father of infinite love, grace,
and mercy, help us put our first priority on God. Help us not
live human-centered but God-centered. Help us put our hope
in You, Lord. Pour Your grace upon us so that we will
faithfully do Your work. We believe that You will receive
glory from us. We give thanks, praises, and glory to You. In
Jesus Name, we pray, Amen.
Younghoon Lee is The Senior
Pastor of The Yoido Full Gospel
Church in Seoul, Korea. He is also
an honored member of The Church
Growth International Board of
Directors.
Church Growth/Summer 2014 12
r. Yonggi Cho, founder of the largest
church in the world of over one
million members-Yoido Full Gospel
Church-came to officially dedicate the Calvary
Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur on The 27th
August, 2013. Close to 5,000 people from 39
nations packed into the four-floor auditorium for
this momentous ceremony.
God has put this vision of building the
Calvary Convention Centre in Rev. Prince
(Guneratnam) a long time ago, said Yonggi.
And now I see with my own eyes the glorious,
tremendous church you have. I cannot express
in all languages what a great church!
The prophecy was fulfilled after a decade of
purchasing the land in 2003, where CCC had
their first church service in March 2013.
Currently, CCC is the largest church in
Southeast Asia, covering an exterior of 600,000
square foot.
Rev. Prince has accomplished a miracle in
Asia. You brought the power of God and
dissipated the power of Satan. We are very
encouraged by you, said Dr. Cho commending
Rev. Tan Sri Dr. Prince Guneratnam, Senior
Pastor of CCC.
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Church Growth/Summer 2014
13
Dr. Cho prayed that the Holy Spirit would saturate and
multiply the church, healing people in the Name of Jesus
Christ.
Most of the people in this generation are neglecting the
power of Jesus Christ, but when you look into the Bible,
Jesus spent two-thirds of His ministry in healing and casting
out the devil, said Dr. Cho.
At 17 years old, Yonggi was saved by the touch of a
miracle from tuberculosis in his lungs. Having told that he had
only one week to live; he went home to await his death when
one day, a Christian lady came to his home and shared the
Gospel with him.
I told her, I am a dying person; I dont need a religion,
said Yonggi.
The lady told him that Christianity is not a mere religion,
but it can change lives. Hence, he prayed to God for the first
time, where Jesus heard his prayer and came to him in a
white robe at night. Ever since, Yonggi was healed from
tuberculosis until his current age of 78 years old.
Healing is Gods will, and it comes from the power of
the Holy Spirit. We are not only dedicating this church as a
healing ministry, but for Jesus Christ to take away the curse,
and bless His children with The Abrahamic blessing, said
Dr. Cho.
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Citing an economic professor from Peking; Dr. Cho shared
how the professor found that all developed nations had the Bible
and Christianity in place before the country experienced
tremendous economic growth. Indeed, the prosperity Gospel
is not heresy per se, but wealth in resources could support many
missionary works to the ends of the world.
Personally, he had also experienced prosperity during his
first year of preaching, where God multiplied his one straw
mat in the church into becoming 70 mats!
Jesus was rich but become poor for you, so that you
can receive the Abrahamic blessing. The born-again
people in the (Yoido Full Gospel) Church start to
become prosperous and the number of people who get
saved increases.
It was not done by my own triumph but by the power of
the Holy Spirit. God said again and again in my heart, You
pray, I work. Work belongs to Me, but prayer belongs to
you, said Dr. Cho.
And although the journey of his growing church had its
growing pains and sorrows, the will of God is fulfilled.
Only that Jesus wants us to give Him total sovereignty
over our church. When we dedicate this church for divine
healing, sanctification, and salvation; Jesus Christ will
use us to change the whole nation and the whole world,
said Dr. Cho.
Many people asked Dr. Cho how he could fulfill his
vision and dream. He explained that it was the Holy Spirit
who guided him to fulfill them. Now, having retired from
the church; people would tell him that he is too old to start a
church.
I am not too old. I am young in God. When I come back
from Malaysia, I will decide if I will have my evangelistic
ministry after a long vacation, said Dr. Cho, who
humorously shared that The Lord would bring him home,
if he planned to take a long vacation.
God is counting your time in the world, said Dr. Cho.
You should always have a clear goal in your heart. God
would make it very clear. He will come and touch you,
giving you fulfillment in your dream. I dont only preach,
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14 Church Growth/Summer 2014
15 Church Growth/Summer 2014
but I receive visions and dreams that everything was
fulfilled, he added.
Such was the vision given to Rev. Prince Guneratnam who
saw the fulfillment of the completed Calvary Convention
Center.
Following Dr. Cho, Rev. Ong Sek Leang, General
Superintendent of AOG in Malaysia, also gave his
congratulatory message before Dr. George Wood performed
the benediction ceremony. The night ended with a traditional
Korean fan dance personally brought by Dr. Yonggi Cho.
Amongst the prominent guests who came to the
dedication ceremony were YB Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and
his wife Puan Sri Melinda, YB Dato Sri Idris Jala and his
wife Datin Sri Pang Ngan Yue, Isak Burger (Vice Chairman
of the Pentecostal World Fellowship), Dr. George Wood
(General Superintendant of AOG in USA), Larry Miller
(Secretary of the Global Christian Forum), Tan Sri Murphy
Pakiam (Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Kuala Lumpur), Rev. Dr. Eu Hong Seng (Chairman of the
Christian Federation of Malaysia), Dr. Geoff Tunni Cliffe
(CEO and Secretary-General of the World Evangelical
Alliance) and also the honorable speakers of the Pentecostal
World Conference 2013.
Note: Calvary Church was started by Prince Guneratnam
and his wife Petrina in 1972. Currently, it has planted more
than 30 churches, sending out missionaries and having given
more than 28 million US dollars to national and foreign
missions.
Prince and Petrina Guneratnam are honored members
of The Church Growth International Board of
Directors.
-See more at:
http://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/dedication-
calvary-convention-center-dr-yonggi-cho/#sthash.
8FnQqz9i.dpuf
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18 Church Growth/Summer 2014
Prince Guneratnam
o you love the world or the things of the world?
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is
of the world. And the world is passing away, and lust of it; but
he that does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).
Our human nature loves the world instead of our Heavenly
Father. We are blinded to the fact that the world can only offer us the
lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. However, if
we truly love God, there is no room for the love of the world. Pride is
the love of power, position and popularity. No one is free from its
clutches. Pride is the result of a feeling of low self-esteem and of
insecurity. We doubt ourselves because we feel insecure. We do not
know who we are and the secure position we have in Christ.
Pride is the Facade for Insecurity:
To deal with pride; we must first deal with insecurity.
Firstly, insecurity is the weapon of Satan.
He makes us feel condemned by accusing us, but we must
remember what John said in Revelation 12:10, Then I
heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now salvation, and
strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren,
who accused them before our God day and night, has
been cast down. Satan is real, but he was defeated. In
Christ, we need not feel condemned or insecure although
Satan will continuously accuse us.
In Job 1:8, God asked Satan, Have you considered My
servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a blameless
and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? In
verse 9, Satan replied, Does Job fear God for nothing?Satan
questions Jobs sincerity towards God, verse 11, But now,
stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will
surely curse You to Your face! As long as we are determined
to walk with God; Satan will always try to hinder us by accusing
us. However, Gods Word encourages us in Romans 8:1,
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. If we are Gods children; we do not
have to suffer from an inferiority complex.
Secondly, insecurity is the result of sin. Sin brings guilt, and
guilt robs us of our confidence, making us feel insecure. There are
two directions we can take whenever we sin. We can go to Jesus
and let Him be our Sin-bearer. Alternatively, we can, like Adam,
run to the bushes and trees for cover; that is hiding behind the
things of the world. We look for fine clothes, cars, houses,
education, wealth, position, power, popularity... the list is long
indeed. He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever
confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Proverbs
28:13). We need mercy; not justice. We need to come under the
blood of Jesus Christ. The answer to our guilt complex is simply
to confess and repent (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Jesus, the Most Secure and Humble Person:
Jesus is the antithesis of the proud man. He is God, but He
humbled, Himself to become a man. For our sakes; He left
His Father, His throne and His heavenly glory. In order to
overcome the pitfall of pride; we must emulate His humility.
Jesus expressed His humility through service. Philippians 2:6-8
states that even though Jesus was in the form of God, He chose
to take a form of a servant. He knew who He was and His standing
in God. He never grumbles or complains. He had no inferiority
complex because he knew what He was doing. This was His secret
humility. A government ministers involvement in a Gotong-
Royong (community work) project does not make him any less of
a minister in the sight of others. Like Jesus, the minister is able to
serve because he knows his position and reason for the service.
We too, must know our position in Christ. We must know
that we belong to the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Our
sins have been washed away, and we are heirs to the Kingdom
of God. Indeed, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.
Secure in knowing these facts; we are able to be humble. This is
the Christians key to a life of humility and service.
How to Avoid the Pride of Life (James 4:7-10; Hebrews
10:25).
I would like to use the following Scriptures as steps to
avoid the pitfall of pride:
1. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will
flee from you (v.7).
Continued on Page 22...
17
Church Growth/Summer 2014
Dag Heward-Mills
My Dear Pastors and Fellow Workers;
believe that the greatest temptation for a minister
is the temptation to be unforgiving. This one sin will
cut you away from Gods love. In the Old Testament,
there were some basic requirements for being a priest. A
priest was not supposed to have unhealed wounds and
sores. Unhealed wounds become infected and pollute the
whole body.
And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither
good nor bad: for ABSALOM HATED AMNON, because
he had forced his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:22).
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah Davids brother,
answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have
slain all the young men the kings sons for Amnon only is
dead: for by the appointment of Absalom THIS HATH
BEEN DETERMINED FROM THE DAY THAT HE
FORCED HIS SISTER TAMAR (2 Samuel 13:32).
A dangerous son is full of unforgiveness and bitterness.
Absalom was someone who did not forgive his brother for
raping Tamar. He nursed the hatred in his heart for two years.
He planned his revenge and eventually carried it out. This
world is a place of much offence. Many things will offend
you in the church. Harboring bitterness is the last thing that a
minister should do.
A priest or a pastor was not allowed to carry around
unhealed wounds. No man with a crippled foot or hand
or who is hunchbacked or dwarfed, or who has any eye
defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged
testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has any
defect is to come near to present the offerings made to the
LORD by fire. If he has a defect; he must not come near to
offer the food of his God. He may eat the most holy food of
his God, as well as the holy food; yet because of his defect,
he must not go near the curtain or approach the altar. There
are two common wounds experienced by pastors; the
wounds inflicted by ungrateful and disloyal people. It is
unbelievable how people forget the extent to which you have
been a blessing to them. They turn on you. Many ministers
cannot handle the ingratitude and disloyalty of people. The
inability to handle ingratitude often becomes the turning
point of their lives and ministries.
In the last interview of his life, Derek Prince was asked
whether he had any regrets. Amazingly, he said that he
regretted not forgiving the people who had hurt him as
quickly as he should have.
To have become a minister is to have received extra mercy
from God. This mercy is over and above the grace that is
shown the average person.
It is God Himself, in His mercy, who has given us this
wonderful work (of telling His Good News to others), and
so we never give up (2 Corinthians 4:1, Living Bible).
We are therefore expected to show mercy and forgiveness
to those who offend us.
One day, I went for a walk with a pastor who had been
betrayed by his assistant. As he spoke about this fellow, I
noticed that he was virtually trembling. He could not believe
what this disloyal associate had done to him. He had repaid
all the goodness he had shown him with a slap in the face.
I could virtually see the running sores and the open wounds
on my brother. I felt sympathy for him because he was
genuinely hurt, but I also worried for him because I knew it
could be the end of his ministry.
You see, Absaloms unforgiveness was the beginning of his
journey to desolation. Perhaps, Absalom would have been the
King after David, but Amnons wound turned Absalom into
something else.
Pastors are turned into bitter personalities by wounds that
are inflicted on them from outside. Your reaction to something
can kill you. God expects you to be more forgiving and walk
in love. Stay blessed; Stay connected.
Dag Heward-Mills is the Founder of
Lighthouse Chapel International
headquartered in Accra, Ghana. He is
also an honored member of The
Church Growth International
Board of Directors.
18 Church Growth/Summer 2014
Marilyn Hickey
id you know the Bible is filled with great examples
of what NOT to do? It holds great wisdom, but
some of the most valuable lessons ever found are in
the actions of those who blew it big time!
One of the biggest mistakes a believer can make is a failure
to realize one particular, vital truth. GOD IS FOR YOU!
I dont know what youre going
through, but I do know that Ive
faced some pretty dark circumstances
at times. Im reasonably sure neither
one of us has ever faced a situation as
utterly grim, as the one faced by a
group of Israelites described in the
Book of 2 Kings 6. (Read chapters
6 and 7); Israel was about to starve!
In desperation, the king decided
to go see the Prophet Elisha. (Have
you noticed that some people dont
have much use for the things of
God, until their situation gets
desperate?) When the king arrived,
the prophet had a word from the
Lord for him. A good word! He
told him that by tomorrow, the
citys market would be so filled
with food that it would be selling
cheap! One of the kings buddies
responded the way a lot of people do when confronted by a
promise from God. He didnt believe it:
That couldnt happen even if the Lord opened the
windows of heaven! (2 Kings 7:2 NLT).
He didnt believe Gods Word of deliverance. Unbelief,
hard-heartedness and words of doubt always produce the
same result.
God can and does open Windows between the unseen
realm of the spirit and our natural world. What opens those
windows? Steps of faith, acts of obedience, and words of
confidence in Gods goodness and faithfulness.
The Bible is filled with examples of 24-hour turnarounds!
Joseph went to bed in a prison and a day later was living in a
palace. One day Daniel was thrown to starving lions as dinner.
The next day he was one of the most powerful advisors to the
king.
God can turn a situation around so fast; it can take your
breath away - God is for YOU!
The Word is very emphatic
about that. We see it in Romans
8:31-32:
What then shall we say to
these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us? He who
did not spare His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how
shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things? (NKJV).
If God is for you, who can be
against you? Gods Word is clear.
He is for you. You can be the biggest
mess in the world, but the Good
News is, God is for messes! You
might have done the most stupid
things in the world, but thats
okay, God loves stupid people (Me
included!).
Say it out loud, right where you are: God is for me!
www.marilynandsarah.org
Marilyn Hickey is The President
of Marilyn Hickey Ministries in
Greenwood Village, CO, USA. She is
also an honored member of The
Church Growth International
Board of Directors.
19 Church Growth/Summer 2014
he Middle East TV-station Al
Jazeera reported recently that 16,000
Muslims leave Islam every day and
convert to Christianity. It means six million new
believers in Jesus as The Son of God and their
Savior, in one year!
The prophetic vision for a worldwide Church Growth
Movement, proclaimed through the man of God, Dr. Yonggi Cho,
is now a reality. There are now more than 1. 2 billion Christians in
the world! The largest churches in the entire history of Christianity
have become a global reality. Spiritual leaders in Africa, South-
America and Asia, with Australia, East Europe and in the Middle
East, tell about the teaching and the example of the leadership of
Dr. Yonggi Cho and how the congregation in Seoul has been the
inspiration, motivation and the pattern for their church growth.
There is one exception in this global, victorious report. That is
the decline of Christianity in Europe. Especially in the north of
Europe, with Germany, France, England and the Nordic
countries, where I belong. Sweden has become the most secular
country in the world. Less than two percentage of the
population attend church for Sunday worship. In evangelical
and Pentecostal churches, about half the number of members
take part in their church. In a church with 500 members, about
200 come to church. There is one exception and that has been
the charismatic Word of Life Congregation with Pastor Ulf
Ekman. In the middle of March this year; he suddenly declared,
during a Sunday morning service, that he and his wife had
joined the Roman Catholic Church and no longer believed in,
what he had been used to do, during the last thirty years, in a
successful ministry. The Theological Training Center in
cooperation with Oral Roberts University in America was
closed and church members and thousands of Christians in the
country experienced how the man they looked upon as their
shepherd and leader, left them for joining the religious system
that is identified with ceremonies without spiritual life.
There are many individuals within the catholic church, filled
with The Holy Spirit and great examples in following Jesus. We
have met in prayer and even had large conferences in cooperation
with true unity in the Spirit, but the catholic church in Europe is
more recognized in the society because of corruption.
The bishops of The Swedish Lutherans who were the
State Church during many centuries, has now opened their
cathedrals for the exhibition with actors
presenting Jesus as a homosexual, transvestite,
in an erotic presentation, in front of The Holy
Communion Table. The bishop of Stockholm
is a lesbian woman.
Theological Universities teach a humanistic
understanding of The Bible and deny in the teaching material
the incarnation, ethical values, the miracles and the prophetic
dimension of the Bible. Even in the Pentecostal Movement
there is a theological academy with teachers who affirm such
blasphemous presentations of Jesus and express loyalty to an
open denial of The Bible as The Word of God.
All over the country there are praying Christians. The hope for
Sweden has become the Arabic, African and Asian immigrants
who have come as refugees and now have their own separate
churches where they are free to worship in their own language.
Sweden has a movement of prayer, with serious leaders who
motivate for fasting and prayer. At the same time there is a tendency
in the churches to lean toward a traditional form of catholic mass-
prayer with The Holy Communion. The understanding of a literal
transformation of the bread and the wine to become the body of
Christ with His blood, has been more or less accepted. Liturgical
symbols with candles burning, oil anointed and with the sign of
the cross, are embraced while the gifts of The Holy Spirit with
tongues of fire in prayer, are seldom manifested.
Sweden is a mission field! The need right now is a strong
influence of apologetic teaching to defend and explain the
Bible as The Word of God. Many Christian leaders embrace
Islam and accept even Islam within ecumenical relationships.
Now is the time for restoration of faith and renewal in the gifts
of The Holy Spirit with miracles that will convince the unbelievers
to understand that Jesus is alive and that He is what The New
testament declares about Him. The signs of our time confirm the
prophetic revelation in The Word of God. Jesus soon will return!
Now is the time for an outpouring of The Holy Spirit upon all
flesh, even in Europe, even in Sweden. Please pray for Sweden!
Stanley Sjoberg was born in Brooklyn, NY, and he is the
son of a Missionary Tage Sjoberg. Stanley Sjoberg was an
honored member of The Church Growth Internationanl
Board of Directors. He is active today in Evangelism and The
Pentecostal Renewal for Europe.
Stanley Sjoberg
20 Church Growth/Summer 2014
ickness is a terrible
thing, and weve
all faced it in some
way in our lives. However,
there is something worse
than just being sick- and
that is to be sick and wonder
if its Gods will for you to
be well. If youre sick, you
may be asking yourself:
Why has this happened to
me? Doesnt God care that
Im sick? Does He even
want me healed?
The answer is yes! God
cares about you, and He
wants you to be healed, healthy, and well! The Bible
answers this question very clearly. Exodus 15:26 says,
I am the Lord who heals you. First Peter 2:24 says
that by the whipping Jesus received, You were healed.
Psalm 107:20 tells us, He sent His Word and healed
[us].
The best Bible picture of Gods desire to heal people is
Jesus. By studying Jesus; we can see a clear picture of what
God is like. As the Gospels describe the ministry of Jesus, it
seems Jesus was always either on His way to heal someone,
or He was there in the process of healing someone, or He had
just finished healing someone. This tells us that God is a
Healer by nature. Healing is a part of who He is.
Matthew 14:14 is a good illustration of the healing
ministry of Jesus: And when Jesus went out He saw
a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion
for them, and healed their sick. Jesus was and still is
moved to heal because of His love and mercy for you and me.
When He sees people sick; He wants them to be well. His
entire life on earth was devoted to seeing people healed and
made completely whole-spirit, soul, and body.
Acts 10:38 says, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with Him. Remember, Acts 10:38
says He went about to heal All who were oppressed by
the devil. This reveals
what sickness really is. Its
not a blessing from God to
teach us something. Nor is it a
punishment from God. If God
were the source of sickness,
then He wouldnt have sent
His Son Jesus to bring us
healing.
Dont think for a moment
that God has caused you to
be sick. Sickness is not from
God.
Its not a fact of life that
God expects us to accept and
live with. No, sickness comes from the devil, who uses it to
steal our potential to do good things in life. God is a good
God, who loves us and wants us to be healthy. God wants us
to fulfill our potential in life.
The truth is, God sent Jesus because He wants us well.
and He wants us healthy in every area of life. He wants us
healthy spiritually, physically, emotionally, financially,
and in our relationships. He is unlimited in His power, and
completely able and willing to heal us. Once this truth
saturates your mind and heart; you will be on your way to
knowing, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jesus wants
to heal you.
Richard Roberts is the Chairman and
CEO of Oral Roberts Evangelistic
Association. He and his wife, Lindsay,
host a nationally syndicated TV program,
The Place for Miracles, an interactive
daily broadcast that reaches out to
millions. He is also an honored member
of The Church Growth International
Board of Directors.
Richard Roberts
21
Church Growth/Summer 2014
he most efficient indicator of a persons moral
character is to see what he or she does in the
darkness or when their deeds are hidden. However,
everything is laid bare before our God, and all of the truth
eventually will be revealed to all.
We think of Ananias and Sapphira when they thought that
the Disciples and others would not know how they were lying
to them.
However, the Holy Spirit revealed it all, and Ananias and
later Sapphira were struck dead.
We were once in darkness, but now we are the Children
of Light. We are to continually walk in the light. Where
there is light; there can be no darkness.
8, For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9, (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;)
10, Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11, And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them.
12, For it is a shame even to speak of those things which
are done of them in secret.
13, But all things that are reproved are made manifest by
the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
If you have the fear of God; then you will have wisdom,
and with wisdom you can understand the will of The Lord.
You can be led by The Lord and The Holy Spirit. You will be
filled with The Light and Life of The Lord, and it will produce
love, joy and peace in your life.
Those that are walking in the light; have a wonderful gift. They
do not need to be afraid that their sins will be revealed. They have
a grateful heart, and they only fear God. Fearing God is the
beginning of wisdom and a healthy moral and emotional life.
15, See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but
as wise,
16, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17, Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what
the will of the Lord is.
18, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit;
19, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord;
20, Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the
Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21, Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Now is the time to make your decision. Will you be swayed
by the majority of those who do not know God, or who do not
walk in the Light?
These are the days when we must choose whom we will
serve. We as children of God are commanded to walk in the
beautiful light of the Lord and His Word. Gods Word will be
a lamp to our feet, and it will be a light to show us how to live,
to think and to guide us each and every day.
Ps. 119:105, Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a
light to my path.
Walking in the Light of The Lord Jesus Christ is the most
wonderful of all paths to take in this life.
He will never leave you, forsake you, or lead you astray.
Walk in His Light, and you will have the Light of His Life,
and He will always cause you to triumph!
Peggy Kannaday is The Managing Editor for Church
Growth international.
Contact: 803 500 1267, or lkannaday@gmail.com
Eph. 5:14, Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
Peggy Kannaday
22 Church Growth/Summer 2014
astor Margaret Barry Court is Australias most
successful and celebrated tennis player of all time. No
player in tennis history has ever surpassed her
incredible record of 62 grand slam titles, in both singles and
doubles. Margaret became a Christian while she was still the
worlds best, and when she finally retired from the game in
1976; she settled down to a life as a wife and mother, but could
not resist the call of God that was on her life.
Wanting to find answers for a debilitating torn valve of the heart,
insomnia, fear and depression, she pressed hard into the things
of God, only to come under wrong teaching and unscriptural
practices of inner healing which left her in a far greater mess.
However, the Word of God was to become alive to her and the
fact that faith comes by hearing Gods Word, and that she could
grow in faith and change her defeated life into a victorious one,
would be the catalyst to her receiving her total healing.
In 1991, Margaret was officially ordained to ministry and a
year later established her own outreach ministry, Margaret Court
Ministries, Inc. Her vision was to see the lost, lonely, sick and
defeated triumph in life by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, and to teach them how to implement the faith principles
by which they too could live a successful life.
Facing the challenge of God once again in her life, in June
1995, Victory Life Centre, Inc. was established. Margarets
desire for Victory Life Church is to train an army of strong
believers, knowing who they are in Christ and the Christ within,
to go and take the nation and the nations for Christ. (We here at
C.G.I. are very honored to have Margaret Court on our Board of
Directors).
Margaret Court
Submit to God by accepting His way of salvation. Then, by
an act of faith, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts,
you double minded (v.8).
Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts by faith in the
Blood of Jesus Christ. Draw near to God with clean hands and
a pure heart, and He will surely draw near to you. His Presence
will give you the confidence and assurance you need to
overcome the love for the world.
3. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He
will lift you up (v. 10).
Humble yourselves before the Lord. Adopt His attitude of
humility, and do as He bids. Let nothing be done through
selfish ambitions or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, each
esteem others better than himself (Philippians 2:3). Then,
God will lift you up.
4. ... not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is
the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much
the more as you see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25).
Fellowship with other believers is a safeguard against pride.
Our brothers and sisters in Christ will warn us against it. Thus, it
is necessary to belong to the Body of Christ. In the fellowship of
believers; we find strength and enablement to live humbly
before God and man.
Prince Guneratnam is The
Senior Pastor of The Calvary
Church in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He is also an honored member of The
Church Growth International
Board of Directors.
Continued from Page 16...
23
From India:
Dear CGI Team, I am so glad to greet
you, and thank you for your kindness to
invite me to The CGI Conference. The
conference made me strong and rich in
spirit. I love you and pray for you. God
bless you to the end of this year!
From Malawi:
Thanks a lot for sending me the
magazines; they are helping me in teaching
as well as preaching. May the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you.
From Mauritius:
Thanks and be blessed with lots of
love. I am having a very good time in the
conference. I was really blessed. I thank
you for all. JESUS IS WONDERFUL!
KAMSAMIDA KAMSAMIDA .
From Myanmar:
I have been receiving Church Growth
Magazine for the past 1 to 2 years, and it
has been a good blessing, and for my
local church and our A.G. Thantlang
Section Council. We pray for The Church
Growth International Ministry. May God
continue to lead and guide you, and
bless the wonderful work you, and your
team are continually pursuing.
From The Philippines:
My wife wants to extend her heartfelt
gratitude to all of The CGI staff and
both of us have experienced the great
outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
From Russia:
We want to say thank you very much
for your CGI Conference! God bless
you!
From Singapore:
We would like to thank you for your
hospitality during The CGI Conference.
Special thanks to the staff who has
been very kind, considerate and patient
in assisting us. This mail serves to
communicate my heartfelt gratitude for
the excellent organization of The CGI
Conference and the hospitality I received
there. Thank you very much, the Lord
richly bless you.
From Sri Lanka:
I just returned from The CGI conference
on The 25th to Sri Lanka. I spent three
days fasting prayer at Prayer Mountain. It
was an amazing event at the Prayer
Mountain and Seoul Stadium. I was
inspired by your incredible event. Thank
you for what God is doing in Korea. Your
country is an example for the whole
world.
From U.S.A.:
Thank you, thank you, thank you all for
a great job done. For me and my mom;
the CGI was perfect. We just want to say
thank you, and God bless you all.
From Vietnam:
Thanks a lot for the hard work of you
and your team. We are very blessed to
attend The CGI Conference and prayer
rally, and there are so many things for us
to learn from you all and the churches in
Korea.
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