CCF International Church

Three of Job’s friends left home with good intentions to minister to their friend Job who had experienced great loss. At the end of their ministry time with Job, this is how Job summed up the effectiveness of their ministry :

WORTHLESS PHYSICIANS, MISERABLE COMFORTERS, WORDS OF WIND

Job 13:1-5
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.
4 But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians.
5 Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!

Job 16:1-5
1 Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you, And shake my head at you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

Job also declared in Ch 16:1 that if the tables were reversed, he would choose to strengthened his friend that needed resuscitation. In Ch 13:1-2 Job declares that he also knows the scriptures, that he heard it all before; that he studied in the same Bible College. He knows about the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28. He knows the Ten Commandments. He knows the Laws and Statutes. What Job required is for a manifestation of the Christ through the ministry of these men that he called his friends…

Isaiah 61:1-3
1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

There is a huge demand for authentic ministry as the world is failing to provide solutions to the problems of the people… The question is this:
Are you a worthless physician, a miserable comforter or are you anointed as an agency of God to bring restoration and recovery ?
Elihu lets us into a secret….
Job 32:8
But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

I encourage all of us to allow that spirit that is fanned by the breath of the Almighty to impregnate our ministry.

TRADUÇÃO PORTUGUÊS

MÉDICOS SEM VALOR, edredons miserável ou um representante de Cristo?

Três amigos de Jó saiu de casa com boas intenções para ministrar ao seu trabalho amigo que tinha experimentado uma grande perda. No final do seu tempo de ministério com Job, este é como Jó resumiu a eficácia do seu ministério:

MÉDICOS SEM VALOR, edredons miserável, palavras de VENTO

Jó 13:1-5
1 “Eis que os meus olhos viram tudo isto, meu ouvido não ouviu e compreendeu.
2 O que você sabe, eu também sei, eu não sou inferior a você.
3 Mas eu gostaria de falar com o Todo-Poderoso, e desejo a razão com Deus.
4, mas você forjadores de mentiras, você é todos os médicos inúteis.
5 Oh, que seria silencioso, e que seria a sua sabedoria!

Jó 16:1-5
1 Então Jó respondeu, e disse:
2 “Tenho ouvido muitas coisas como essas; consoladores miseráveis ​​são todos vocês!
3 palavras de vento deve ter um fim? Ou o que provoca que você responderia?
4 Eu também poderia falar como você faz, se sua alma estivesse em lugar da minha alma.
Eu poderia amontoar palavras contra vós, e balançar a cabeça em você;
5 poderia fortalecer-vos com a minha boca, E o conforto dos meus lábios poderia aliviar a sua dor.

Jó também declarou em Ch 16:01 que se as tabelas foram invertidos, ele escolheria para reforçar seu amigo que precisava de reanimação. Em Ch Job 13:1-2 declara que ele também conhece as escrituras, que ouviu tudo isso antes, que ele estudou no Colégio mesma Bíblia. Ele sabe sobre as bênçãos e maldições de Deuteronômio 28. Ele sabe que os Dez Mandamentos. Ele sabe que as Leis e Estatutos. O trabalho necessário é uma manifestação de Cristo através do ministério desses homens que ele chamou seus amigos …

Isaías 61:1-3
1 “O Espírito do Senhor Deus está sobre mim, porque o Senhor me ungiu
Para pregar boas novas aos pobres; enviou-me a curar os quebrantados de coração, a proclamar liberdade aos cativos,
E a abertura de prisão aos presos;
2 a apregoar o ano aceitável do Senhor eo dia da vingança do nosso Deus, para consolar todos os que choram,
3 Para consolar os que choram em Sião, para dar-lhes a beleza de cinzas,
O óleo da alegria em vez de tristeza, vestes de louvor em vez de espírito angustiado;
Que eles podem ser chamados árvores de justiça, plantação do Senhor, para que Ele seja glorificado. ”

Há uma enorme demanda por ministério autêntico como o mundo não está a fornecer soluções para os problemas das pessoas … A questão é esta:
Você é um médico sem valor, um cachecol miserável ou você é ungido como uma agência de Deus para trazer restauração e recuperação?
Eliú nos deixa em um segredo ….
32:8 trabalho
Mas há um espírito no homem,
E o sopro do Todo-Poderoso lhe dá compreensão.

Eu encorajo a todos nós para permitir que o espírito que se espalharam pelo sopro do Todo-Poderoso para impregnar o nosso ministério.

This was probably one of my most productive journeys to Brazil. I resisted the temptation to travel to Paraiba; chose rather to spend time discipling and mentoring the sons and their households with regards to the demands of this present season in God.
Our Family Camp was an amazing success. Over 60 leaders and workers gathered in a secluded retreat in Mozamba on the Green Coast where we taught and shared in a dialogue. Many young people were baptized in the Holy Spirit and began speaking in strange tongues. A time of spiritual refreshing both in Spirit and in the Word. We taught from the ABC bible study programme.
We also had wonderful times of fellowship, singing psalms one to another and encouraging one another. The CCF family was greatly strengthened and they look forward to 2014 (I don’t mean the World Cup). The spirit of family has returned.We want to thank Ap Pedro Amancio and Ps Nilo Nogueira and their families for all their efforts in making this camp a huge success.
It was also great to be joined by Heinz Hofstetter from Switzerland. We sent him onwards to Manaus in the Amazonas where he connected with Ps Geraldo and Tamara Maximo and their household of faith. The people there were greatly provoked, challenged and strengthened by his ministry there. Thank you Ps Geraldo for an open door.

THE WORD OF THE LORD….
Luke 8:50-56
But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “ Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. 52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, “ Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.” 53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “ Little girl, arise.” 55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately.

There are those who will mock and ridicule us as we attempt to do that which is impossible in their eyes….. That which cannot be achieved according to their human understanding that has serious limitations. Remember the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is able to resurrect us from spiritual death… This is the Indwelling Spirit…
Romans 8:11-14
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

The mockers, doubters and unbelievers want the girl, a picture of the church to “continue in her sleeping” mode. Apostolic grace will bring life into any dead environment, but it demands that the mockers, scorners, unbelievers are put outside. We believe that the church will be spiritually restored as it’s spirit will return.

I am grateful to the Lord for a wonderful journey into Nigeria. The Churches in Lagos and Abeokuta received me with love and kindness. The Word of the Lord was celebrated with great joy and many lives were visibly impacted. New relationships have formed through these meetings.
I thank God for Pastors John Ilori and his family as well as Dr Timothy and his family for their hospitality.
I taught the ABC Bible Study lesson Engineering Details during my entire time in Lagos. This was a pioneering journey; although there were many logistical challenges, the Lord strengthened us and kept us motivated and focussed throughout our journey. We were able to fix our eyes on the purpose of the assignment. To God be all Glory, Honour and Praise!

Here is an inspirational article by Nigerian Dele Momodu:

This is the story of a young boy whose parents were murdered during 2002 riots in Kaduna. He was aged 11 years at the time. His parents, Mr Austine and Mrs Josephine Moses, were missionaries until they met their untimely death. The boy left his house to play football but returned home to see that all his parents had laboured for had been razed down and he would never see his mother and father again.
He was taken to London by his uncle almost immediately after the incident. While in London, he began deploying his football skills. Though his parents were murdered, his passion for football was never killed. He played football for his school and later for a local Tandrige League club until Crystal Palace FC approached him. From that point, his career progressed in leaps and bounds.
This player played for England’s under 16, 17, 19 and 21 teams between 2005 and 2010 scoring 11 goals for England during this period. He later moved to Wigan Athletic and now he plays for Chelsea. This footballer is called VICTOR MOSES.
His story is a touching one, I share his pains. I also share his courage. He had a choice not to step into Nigeria again but he didn’t take that option. When the call to serve his fatherland came, Moses dumped England and embraced Nigeria… That is patriotism!
Today, we see a Victor Moses bringing joy to every Nigerian including those who may have inspired his parent’s death… That is Love!
On Sunday, Moses would stand for the National Anthem and pledge allegiance to a country that couldn’t defend his parents… That is faith!
Moses would deliver the “African Cup of Nations” trophy to Nigeria not minding what had happened in the past… That is forgiveness! Moses rose through bitterness and despair to the limelight of hope and courage.
He never gave up on his country. He persevered… That is purpose!
If someone like Victor Moses, despite the bitter past, never gave up on Nigeria, then why should we….! ONE NIGERIA

Joshua 3:3
and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it.

The Israelites were gathered at the Jordan waiting for a command to move.
Joshua’s officers informed them that their next move was dependent on the movement of the Ark of the Covenant.

We know that the two stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments were in the Ark. So visualize this….the movement of the Ark is a picture of the Word of God in a “proceeding”, mobile position. And it is to be borne by the priests.
This means that it was imperative or mandatory that the priests would be responsible for presenting a “proceeding, progressive message” that would provide leadership for the millions of believers waiting at the water’s edge.
This “proceeding” movement will activate the crowd on the banks of the Jordan. No priest would be excused from his responsibility.

In this present day, droves of believers are stranded on the wrong side of the Jordan because priests are unable to receive commands and instructions from Joshua. God has commanded men to provide spiritual oversight in the Body of Christ. We must be able to discern the Joshua in our lives.

The demand is for all to cross over. Where are you positioned in 2013?
The command is “Set out from your place and go after it”.
Happy New Year!
Roy and Sheila Pillay

Ir atrás dela

Josué 03:03
e ordenaram ao povo, dizendo: “Quando você vê a arca da aliança do Senhor, vosso Deus, e os sacerdotes, os levitas, tendo, então você deve criar a partir do seu lugar e ir atrás dela.

Os israelitas foram reunidos no Jordão à espera de um comando para mover.
Oficiais de Josué informou que o próximo passo era dependente do movimento da Arca da Aliança.

Sabemos que as duas tábuas de pedra inscritas com os Dez Mandamentos estavam na Arca Então visualizar esse …. o movimento da Arca é uma imagem da Palavra de Deus em um “processo”, posição móvel. E é para ser suportado pelos sacerdotes.
Isto significa que era imperativo ou obrigatório que os sacerdotes seria responsável por apresentar um “processo de mensagem, progressista” que daria a liderança para os milhões de fiéis que esperam na beira da água.
Este “processo” movimento vai ativar a multidão nas margens do Jordão. Nenhum sacerdote seria dispensado de sua responsabilidade.

Neste dia de hoje, multidões de crentes estão presos no lado errado do Jordão porque os sacerdotes são incapazes de receber comandos e instruções de Josué. Deus ordenou homens para fornecer supervisão espiritual do Corpo de Cristo. Temos de ser capazes de discernir o Josué em nossas vidas.

A demanda é para que todos possam atravessar. Onde você está posicionado em 2013?
O comando é “Definir a partir do seu lugar e ir atrás dela”.

Feliz Ano Novo!
Roy e Sheila Pillay

HEALING OF THE WATERS
( a prophetic Word declared by Roy Pillay at the ABC Leadership Camp, Albert Falls, South Africa, November 2012)

I would like to write about the importance of dealing with pollution of the waters.
For the church to restore it’s credibility as the voice of God, the clarity and purity of the waters have to be restored.

Whenever one needs to revisit strategy for church growth, one has to rewind to a place where the early church began, and it is no coincidence that we always return to Acts 2:42 as the pattern for church growth.

THERE IS PURITY AT THE SOURCE….

James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

A good illustration is the flows of a river.
The Amazon River is purest at it’s source….crystal clear….high up in the Andes Mountains in Peru
But as it flows 4080 miles through the nations of Peru, Columbia and Brazil the water begins to lose its clarity and the purity as the various nations begin to pollute it, through commercial exploitation and other activities.
As it ends it’s journey 4080 miles later, it is almost unrecognizable as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
To heal the waters, one has to return to it’s source. This is where you will find the standard….the water at it’s purest.
We must be hydrologists in this season…skilled individuals who can analyze the chemical composition of water….we must be able to study water flows….we must quickly identify the threat of destruction of entire eco systems….
Water is meant to be a critical life giving resource, but in a polluted state it can destroy all living organisms….
(Coincidentally, Elisha also went to the source of the river with salt)

Jericho means a place of fragrance…..yet it’s water was polluted
This many be the reason why great parts of the Body of Christ are emaciated and lifeless because of water pollution.

John has a vision of this in Revelation 22
Revelation 22:1-5
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

THE ABSOLUTE INTEGRITY,CLARITY AND PURITY IN THE WORD OF THE LORD WHEN IT LEAVES THE HEART OF THE FATHER
There are different translations to
Psalm 119:89
Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
English Standard Version (©2001)

Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
New American Standard Bible (©1995)

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)

O LORD, your word is established in heaven forever.

Irrespective of our experiences in our journey with God….God’s Word is settled and fixed. Any change needs to come from us. We can adjust and fine tune our revelation. We cannot reform the Word of God. It is established, fixed and settled.

If we want to know the standard, get a sample from the headwaters….or from the source of the river.
At it’s earliest existence, the church grew at a phenomenal rate in the absence of any technology. No mass media. No mass communication systems. Small groups met in houses.
Yet their impact was amazing.
If we take a close look at all the major religions of the world there is a great consensus in human values…..you study the tribes from the Incas in Peru to the aborigines in Australia….there are common values.
Simple values like love one another, honour your mother and father, being tender hearted towards one another, good manners….and many other values
The Greeks and the Romans and even the pagan religions advocated all these values…..
However, here is ONE big difference, the early church did not just publish a manifesto of their beliefs and value systems…..they lived these highest values….this was the irresistible attraction of the early church. They manifested the very nature of Christ. This is the purest expression of Christ.

We know that the whole earth is the Lord’s. He has ownership over all things.
We may be forgiven for being zealous about the message that God has entrusted to us, but it is becoming abundantly clear that the Greeks and the Romans and the pagans want more than the rhetoric….they have the best of that. They want an encounter with Christ. That is the barrier of entry into any nation on the face of the earth…the check point will be scanning for the nature of Christ….this will get us into the most difficult places. The nature of Christ is irresistable in any place on the face of earth. I am fully convinced that it is at this point of entry where we will rise or fall.

The word nature…means .essential constitution and properties
The sum total of the forces at work, or the combination of qualities belonging to a person.
Jesus is the Word….so apart from all the other attributes of love, kindness etc , the nature of Christ is that He is also the Word
So for the nature of Christ to be manifested, all of these essential defining characteristics must work together in harmony.

One of the precautions that we could take is to constantly submit our minds to the audit process of the Word of the Lord. The Lord would use His chosen vessels to reveal deficiencies in our operations. The letters to the seven churches were actually audit reports. The purpose of auditing is to give credence to our operating system. If we heed to the audit findings and implement the reform demanded, our activities will become more profitable.

1 Kings 18:36-38
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “ Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.”
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

There are three specific requests that Elijah asked of God…
1) That there must be a national confession and acknowledgement of the ONE TRUE GOD over Israel.
This is a confession that every Jewish child has to learn:
SH’MA YISRAEL YAHWEH ELOHENU YAHWEH ECHAD
Hear, Israel! Yahweh our-Elohim, Yahweh One
In this season, believers must pray from this foundation of understanding and total acceptance of the sovereign rulership of Jesus Christ our Lord.

2) Elijah confessed before His God that he functioned as God’s servant, doing all that he was instructed to do by THE ONE TRUE GOD. Public and social opinion did not determine his actions; but simply following Divine instructions as a humble servant, totally submitted to the will of the ONE TRUE GOD.

3) Elijah articulates the mercy of THE ONE TRUE GOD….that the purpose of the miracle was to turn the hearts of the people back to God. Every sign, wonder and miracle is not meant for personal gratification; it is a catalyst that would accelerate the return of the children of God back to the heart of the Father…THE ONE TRUE GOD.

Father, I pray today, LET YOUR FIRE FALL !
The Lord bless you.

It will be great to be back in UMZINTO again next week to be part of the anointed ministry team that will be submitted to the grace of Pastors Mervin and Roseanne Mundie, senior ministers of Christian Outreach Ministries.
The Lord has placed the burden of gathering the various ministries together to represent the Body of Christ in the region. The Lord has a message to communicate to the Body. The days of independent, isolated and detached ministerial activities have run their course and are now counter productive to what God wants to do on the earth.
John saw a significant change in the landscape.
Revelation 16:20
Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
We are praying that the city of UMZINTO will gravitate towards the plans and intentions of God.
The eyes of the Lord are running to and fro….scanning the earth……He wants to command blessings upon brethren who will gather together in His Name… united around His Word, united around the Cross.
The Lord bless you all.

Having travelled the nation of Brazil for 21 years I have seen many transitions. Beginning from my work with the brothers in the Methodist Church where I recall our glorious experiences as many would be baptized in the Holy Spirit, speak in tongues. I remember how many transitioned into the Pentecostal/Charismatic season where we were witnesses of great manifestations of God as signs and wonders followed us everywhere. Who could forget the manifestation of gold dust or the manifestation of oil or the eyes of the blind woman being opened or the many women who were barren who were delivered?
These continual accompaniments of the miracles of God ensured my continued passion for this nation. About twelve years ago God ushered His people into the apostolic/reformation season where the emphasis shifted from the believers being fixated on the manifestations to studying the doctrine of the apostles which placed a great demand on the reformation of the church in accordance to the pattern that is established by the early church in Acts 42.
Acts 2:42
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
This clearly defines the four building blocks of any ministry.
And now, here we are, standing at the threshold of yet another season in God. We call it the “post apostolic” season.
This season demands that we function from His Presence……His Glory
Functioning from a spiritual Zion….God’s Holy Mountain.
This is clearly a season to build and to plant.

Isaiah 11:6-9
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole,
And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.

What a great expectation! What great joy! We announce this new season in God!

Returned from Rio de Janeiro on Sunday where I finalized the plans for the 2012 BRASIL APOSTOLIC CONFERENCE to be held in the ESPACO MAIA centre in the heart of the city of Itaguai. The dates are 6th to 9th September (both dates inclusive) Great excitement among the believers as the Lord would unveil His plans for a new season in Brazil.We refreshed various associations to ensure that everyone had an opportunity to listen to present day truth.
We also had the privilege and honour to be invited by Boas Novas TV to appear on their prime time programme Cabeca Para Cima. Boas Novas has a national viewership of 30 million people.To God be all Glory, Honour and Praise.

Ruth 3:8-14
Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 And he said, “Who are you?”
So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”
10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

There are many who would be attracted to grace; in Ruth’s case, she was sent to Boaz by Naomi. Leaders often find themselves in situations where there is a demand placed upon them to provide spiritual oversight. 
Ruth was commended by Boaz that she followed the protocols of the family in that she came to him, and had not sought relief and deliverance from any external, perhaps carnally more attractive options. 
Yet the integrity of Boaz does not allow him to exercise an option that actually is the right of another man…a “closer” relative from within the family. Boaz demonstrates extraordinary discipline and foresight as he advises Ruth    on this matter. Boaz acted in the best interests of the family. Did Naomi not know this? Did Naomi not know that there was a “closer” relative? Or did she knowingly send Ruth to the bed of Boaz for reasons of security (Ruth 3:1)
Ruth was able to spend the entire night at the feet of Boaz in submission to his instructions, whilst Boaz maintained his integrity. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NELSON MANDELA…YOUR INTEGRITY IN THE STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSIVE REGIMES WILL ALWAYS BE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL SOUTH AFRICANS.