ALABAMA

UPDATETHE CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY NOVEMBER 2014

Sanctification–Second Definite Work of GraceFundamentals of the Faith—Raymond Pruitt

Part III

IV. Christian Perfection“Christian perfection” refers to a life which is cleansed from all sin, and which is filled with pure love for God and man. 1. Definition. There is probably no other term in the Pentecostal-holiness vocabulary which generates more reactionand criticism than the term perfection. This is due mostly to misunderstanding both on the part of those who hear it used,and on the part of some within who speak of “perfection” without explaining which is meant by “perfection”. We preferthe term “Christian perfection”, since that is the perfection we speak of, rather than an absolute perfection in all things, afrightfully ambitious goal, to say the least. Christian perfection refers to the standard of life which is imparted to the sanctified believer through the atoning workof Christ, and by the appropriation of Him in our lives. Paul described the quality of life in Christian perfection inGalatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I nowlive in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” He also spoke of it inRomans 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, beingreconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” And again he spoke of it in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to besin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” In extrabiblical definitions, John Wesley’s concept of Christian perfection is unsurpassed: “What is Christianperfection? The loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This implies, that no wrong temper, nonecontrary to love, remains in the soul; and that all the thoughts, words and actions, are governed by pure love.” Thisdefinition is in perfect harmony with Romans 13:8-10: “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that lovethanother hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thoushalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet; and if there by any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended inthis saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is thefulfilling of the law.” 2. Some misconceptions of Christian perfection. So many careless and erroneous statements have been maderegarding the life of holiness that it is necessary to pinpoint some of them in order to clear away some of themisunderstandings which surround this teaching. a. It is not absolute perfection. Absolute perfection belongs to God alone (cf. Matt. 19:17). When Paul said,“...that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col. 1:28), he spoke of the perfection which belongs to matureChristians (see also 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 6:1; 13:21: James 1:4; 1Pet. 5:10; etc.). There are levels of perfection. Anythingmay be said to be perfect if it possesses all the qualities contained in its concept. For example, a perfect lounging chair isone which possesses all the implications contained in the concept “lounging chair”. A perfect horse is one whichpossesses all the implications of the “horseness”. A perfect Christian is one which lives his life in accordance with whatGod expects of him (described in “Definition” above–IV, 1). b. It is not Adamic perfection. Adam was created in innocence and holiness, and was placed in the Garden of Edenunder a covenant of works. After the fall, man came under the covenant of grace. The Levitical law itself was actuallyan act of grace in that it provided a way to deal with man’s sins. Even when we are regenerated and sanctified, we do notreturn to Adam’s original state of innocence wherein he had never sinned. Even though we are redeemed, we are stillmembers of a fallen race, and only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ are we made the righteousness of God in Him (2Cor. 5:21). We stand in a holiness which He demands, provides, and imparts to us. It is but by His grace we havereceived such a blessed status. In the pamphlet, “Twenty-Nine Important Bible Truths” (White Wing Publishing House, Cleveland, TN., nd, p. 3), itis said, “Sanctification restores man to the holy estate of Adam before the fall, and gives him the grace to live a life ofholiness, and makes him eligible for the indwelling of the Holy Ghost”. This does not mean that we are restored to theprelapsarian innocence of the first Adam, for it is impossible to go back to a state which is irretrivably lost to us. Rather,we are created anew and made to conform “to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). We have “put on the new man, whichafter God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:f24). Adam lost his holy estate through the fall. Holinessis restored again in those who are sanctified, but it is an imparted holiness, infused in us through the blood of Christ. Adam was not under grace, but works. We cannot go back to Adamic innocence. Our holiness must ever be “in Christ”,who is the Source of our holiness, and in whom we stand. c. It is not a perfection of our faculties. So long as we are in this mortal body, we must suffer its frailties andlimitations. Our judgment will be impaired by our mortality, and our senses and appetites will be impaired by ourmortality, and our senses and appetites will be apt to lead us astray unless we, like Paul, “keep the body under” (1Cor.

9:27). d. It is not a guarantee against backsliding. We can lose our sanctification unless we follow after righteousnessand continue to walk in the light. “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1John 1:7). Wesley describes how one may fall fromgrace back into sin:

(1) The divine seed of loving, conquering faith remains in him that is born of God. “He keepeth himself,” by thegrace of God, and “cannot commit sin.” (2) A temptation arises; whether from the world, the flesh, or the devil, itmatters not. (3) The Spirit of God gives him warning that sin is near, and bids him more abundantly watch unto prayer. (4) He gives way, in some degree, to the temptation, which now begins to grow pleasing to him. (5) The Holy Spirit isgrieved; his faith is weakened; and his love of God grows cold. (6) The Spirit reproves him more sharply, and saith,“This is the way’ walk thou in it.” (7) He turns away from the painful voice of God, and listens to the pleasing voice ofthe tempter. (8) Evil desire begins and spreads in his soul, till faith and love vanish away: he is then capable ofcommitting outward sin, the power of the Lord being departed from him.”

3.Christian perfection is a present experience. Christians are called to be holy, and it is evident from the manypassages dealing with that requirement that it is a condition which is to be obtained in this life. We are made holy at oncein instantaneous sanctification, and from that point on we are to “perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Purity beginswith the experience of sanctification, but maturity in purity continues until the man of God is perfect and fully mature,“throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:17).

V. The Conditions Necessary for Experiencing Sanctification 1. There must be a recognition that one has an inbred sin nature. The regenerated Christian must acknowledgethat the inbred sin nature dwells in him. “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth inme. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after theinward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity tothe law of sin which is in my members” (Rom. 7:20-23). 2. There must be a deep hunger for release from the bondage of the sin nature, and a thirst for full conformityto the image of Christ. Paul expressed the yearning for deliverance from the body of sin in Romans 7:24, 25: “Owretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Those who attempt to skip over this stage of full salvation on their way to the fullness of the Holy Ghost will bedisappointed. Evangelists and altar workers who do not guide the seekers through a scriptural understanding of the needfor sanctification are failing God and misleading those who depend on them for spiritual counseling. The desire for deliverance from the sin nature is motivated by an overwhelming thirst for full conformity to the imageof Christ, a thirst akin to that of the Psalmist who said, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soulafter thee, O God” (Psa. 42:1). Unless there is a genuine thirst to be wholly sanctified, it will not happen. Only thosewho hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled (Matt. 5:6). 3. There must be a total submission, or consecration, to God. There must be a complete abandonment of oneselfto God. It is a “no-strings-attached” commitment of oneself to God as a “living sacrifice”, in full and joyful recognitionthat one’s spirit, soul, and body is being totally given to God as a temple in which His Spirit will dwell (cf. 1Cor. 3:16,17; 6:19, 20; see also Gal. 2:20). This consecration is not to a special type of service or calling, but to God. “It is avoluntary, unreserved, irrevocable, enlightened, and comprehensive dedication” to God.

4. There must be a simple act of faith in Christ that Hewill sanctify. The Word of God calls all believers to Christianperfection (Matt. 5:48; 2 Cor. 13:11; Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28; Heb.6:1; James 1:4; 1 Pet. 5:10); therefore, it follows that it is Hisdesire to sanctify you wholly. Faith takes hold of the commandand the promise and receives the proffered work of grace. Just asfaith was the necessary ground for being justified, so it is theessential condition for being sanctified. As you present yourselfto Him to be cleansed and to be fully conformed to the image ofChrist, believe that He is faithful and receive entire sanctification. The divine assurance will come with the commitment, and faiththat His promise is true.

Reflecting CGP Core Values In Pastoral Ministry

Part I of III----- Pastor Steve Spears

Recently, the Lord interrupted our regularly scheduled Wednesday night Bible study. The interruption came with a clarion call

to embrace a fuller understanding of what God wanted Harvest Center to look like living during this time before the end. The interruption

was infused with urgency and a call to move forward prayerfully by the Spirit. After the meeting, the Lord convicted me concerning a

pastoral ministry plan I created as part of my academic studies. I have now been at Harvest Center for two years and have failed to put that

plan into practical use. This plan was designed to integrate CGP core values with the mission of the local church and used as a foundation

for local church ministry. What follows are my reflections on pastoral ministry and a strategy for our local church to move forward.

Part 1

Any pastoral model we offer should reflect the core values of the CGP as well as address the immediate challenges that face our

movement. An emphasis must be placed on practical theology and spiritual development among our emerging leaders without neglecting

the needs of the local church. As with all movements, pastoral ministry in the CGP is challenging. Our denomination has very few large

(150 members and up) churches. Many of our congregations have fifty members or less. Many of these churches were thriving at one time

and have mortgage free properties and buildings. Despite the opportunity, the CGP is challenged in its efforts to find qualified people to

pastor these churches. The denomination is also challenged because of the demographics of our leaders. Eighty percent of our licensed

ministers are above the age of 40. We have more licensed ministers above the age of 60 than under the age of 40. Unless the CGP finds1

a way to develop leaders, they will soon be facing a leadership crisis.

As our call mandates, our passion for ministry is pastoral. There are four areas of church development that may offer a model for

pastoral ministry in the 21 century. First, the bedrock of any ministry should be prayer. Today, many prayer movements are springingst

up. This is very encouraging, even though some are not as healthy as others. It is the pastor’s job to lead the congregation in the ministry

of prayer that invites the manifest presence of God into the life of the church. It would be good to explore what is taking place in other

movements and integrate new and healthy models of prayer into the local congregation. Second, we must find a way to create an atmosphere

of discipleship that is intentional, formative and Pentecostal. This means developing a discipleship program that will integrate every age

group into a trajectory of Spirit-empowered service.

Third, the church must be missional in every area of service. We can no longer afford to compete with the world through the

programs we offer. The world will always be more relevant and cutting-edge because their budgets are bigger. Being relevant is not what

we are called to be. We are called to be faithful. People are hungry for the supernatural today. They are looking for real-life solutions. To

be faithful in the Pentecostal church, we must allow the Spirit to infuse creativity into our mission efforts to meet such needs. Fourth,

because of the current crisis, the church should focus its efforts on leadership development. We must find a way to bring our young people

to a place of maturity where they will know that they have a place to use their gifts for the Lord. The following are a few thoughts for

implementing these four fundamental areas of church ministry.

Prayer

The lack of prayer in the church today is evident by the absence of spiritual fervor and the fruitlessness of God’s people. The good

news is that there is a groundswell of prayer revival showing up all over the world. This revival is cutting across denominational, cultural

and societal lines of demarcation. One refreshing aspect of this revival is how many young people are living out this call with renewed

creativity and enthusiastic expressions of worship. This youthful enthusiasm can help bring life and a renewed fervor to seek the Lord in

a local congregation. As pastors, we must work towards harnessing this energy created through communion with God in order to infuse

life into every aspect of church ministry. The construct of developing mission that flows out of our understanding of God, church and

Gospel would be a useful tool to help keep prayer theologically focused. Prayerfully reflecting on the nature of God, Gospel, Church, and

mission may be instrumental in maintaining healthy theological grounding in every area of life and ministry. However this is done, it will

be important to maintain creativity and enthusiasm.

Pastors must develop a congregational prayer ministry where prayer is designed to ignite a deep sense of calling and imagination

in those who participate in it. It is important to create an atmosphere where people find freedom to express themselves “in decency and

The statistics offered here were presented at the Tennessee State Convention in Murfreesboro, Tennessee1

in the summer of 2011 by Shaun McKinley Liaison to the General Overseer of the CGP.

order.” This will help create a sense of wonder that invites and encourages people to go beyond the status quo that plagues much of North

American Christianity. It is a call to allow the Holy Spirit to infuse new life through prayer into every aspect of church life. Perhaps calling

it a Prayer Initiative will help generate new thinking on what it means to be a people of prayer. Pastors, we must be very intentional in our

efforts to design such an initiative. It can point the participants to a greater understanding of prayer and what it means for the church to

become ‘a house of prayer’. It should reflect a Pentecostal ethos marked by a spirituality that goes deep into the soul of each person in the

community. It will be a call for Pentecostals to reflect on where they came from and what unique contributions we can make to the greater

body of Christ in these days before the end.

Unfortunately, much of Pentecost has been swallowed up, and therefore diluted, by the Evangelical movement. Pentecostals face

an identity crisis. We have lost our bearings. The future is shrouded by a fog of uncertainty because we are unable to navigate the spiritual

and societal challenges of our times. Reflective prayer can change all of this. One way to do this is to get in touch with our Pentecostal

roots. As we move forward, we must not spurn the past. We must integrate historical reflection with the pressing needs of our day in a way

that puts us back in touch with the power Pentecostals once had to meet such needs. Several goals would be kept in mind: First, it will be

essential to inspire a deep sense of knowing who we are and what place Pentecostals have in the body of Christ. The particular trajectory

offered should go beyond the Wesleyan influence and will show how Pentecostal roots go deep into Reformation history.

The second goal is to inspire a sense of faith that God wants his people to possess, the kind of faith that lets people know prayer

really makes a difference. To accomplish this, it will be very important to integrate historical content with a reflection on the modern prayer

movement to show that God is working today, just as the Lord has done throughout history. Of course, discernment will be used to filter

through some of the less useful models that are being projected, models that are oriented towards dominion and nationalistic interests

threaten to move the church off course. Third, the discipline of prayer can be modeled using various levels of accountability through the

implementation of small groups and accountability partners. Finally, we must challenge our people to answer this question, “What does

the Pentecostal movement have to offer the prayer movement of our day?” Pentecostals cannot afford to be separated from what God is

doing in and through other Christian movements and denominations. However, our greatest contribution to the body of Christ can only

come when we know who we are and what God wants to offer through those who embrace what it means to be Pentecostal.

Discipleship

Discipleship is critical for any movement if it is to continue forward as a viable expression of God working in the earth.

Pentecostals have become theologically schizophrenic by undiscerningly identifying with Evangelical language and practice. The

discipleship effort of the CGP in the local church must be intentionally Pentecostal. It will not do to take our Baptist friends’ programs,

add tongues to it, and call it Pentecostal. Pentecostals have a distinctive hermeneutic (we read the Bible through the lens of the ever present

Spirit). Yes, while we must find ways to work within the greater Kingdom of God, Pentecostals need to realize we have a specific call for

these days before the end. It is time to embrace this call and train our people accordingly.

There are three aspects of discipleship that could be implemented in every church using our network of churches and leaders

already in place in the CGP. First, discipleship would be based on a proper understanding of the nature of God. God’s nature is essentially

cruciform (cross – conforming). It is Jesus Christ who has shown us the Father’s cruciform self. His life, mission and teaching inform our

understanding of who we are (the Church), what we believe (the Gospel), and what we do (mission). It is imperative that the church find

ways to develop and implement Spirit inspired, biblically-sound, discipleship that reflects the essential nature of God.

Second, within this construct of discipleship (mission flows out of ones understanding of God, Church, and Gospel), we should

integrate the five-fold Gospel that Pentecostals have historically embraced and propagated. Each aspect of the construct would illustrate

how the Pentecostal understanding of Jesus as Savior, Sanctifier, Spirit Baptizer, Healer, and Coming King informs our spirituality and

theology. For example, a discussion on the nature of God would not only focus on the obvious connections with Jesus. It would explain

how the Father and Spirit are understood within the five-fold rubric. In a discussion on the church, perhaps it would be helpful to link these

aspects of Jesus’ salvific work (the five-fold Gospel) with the sacraments of Baptism, Footwashing, Tongues Speech, Anointing with Oil

and Communion.

Third, we must be intentional. One way to do this is have a five-year plan for spiritual development. Each department of the

church must be integrated in such a way that would take every disciple through a series of measurable objectives where growth and

development could be tracked. Pastors need to work towards infusing a sense of movement in each member of the church with specific goals

in mind. The goals would vary according to age, but the material for each group would be the same theme or topic. Perhaps an age-

appropriate catechism with everyone involved would be one way to define it. Specific goals, such as the development of spiritual

disciplines, how to read the Bible with our eyes and ears open to the Spirit, as well as theological concepts would be presented in such a

way that a sense of synergy is created in the church. The synergy will take place as each child, young person, and adult is moved to a place

where every member feels they understand his or her place in the body of Christ.

Part II in December Issue

Alexander City: Theladies from our churchthat attended LadiesRetreat had a great timeand cannot wait to goback next year.Anniston-Praise andWorship: We had 5new members to jointhe church and 3 werebaptized. Altoone: Some of theladies at Altoonechurch traveled to LakeBarkley in Cadiz,Kentucky for a fewdays. We had a specialday of reading scripture and studyingabout faith. It was a very enjoyabletrip. Sister Taylor spent a lot of timegetting the materials for our lessons.Bessemer-Woodland Hills: ThankGod for one of our new ladies beingbaptized. Praying that more will followin her example.Browntown: We celebrated Familyand Grandparents Days with lunch anda brunch. Brother Chad Smith ran arevival for us.Clanton: We are rejoicing over a soulgetting saved this month.Cunningham Bridge: Thank God forthe revival with Danny Whitaker as ourevangelist. Fayette-North Pointe: North Pointecelebrated homecoming services with120 in attendance. Bishop L. V. Jonesand Sister Billie Ruth were our guestsfor the service. Everyone enjoyed themessage and fellowship as wecelebrated the history of the Fayettechurch with a slideshow presentation. We honored those members who hadpassed away and most recently, SisterEffie Wilson, who had her final home-going September 11 . The youthth

ministered with a drama. Five ladiesattended the Women’s Conference atCamp Boothe and were blessed by thespeakers and fellowship. Preparationsare underway for the Frog LevelMinistry at the local Frog LevelFestival where we will have a booth setup to give away water and tracts andhave finger paints for the children. The

older youth enjoyed a trip to theTrussville Playstation. We had twochildren saved in children’s church thismonth. Also, another individual received the Holy Ghost. Praise theLord for His blessings! Gadsden-Living Waters: This monthour couples ministry held a date nightfor the married couples. We began anew singles ministry for those whohave been widowed or divorced. Special thanks to Sister Gene Hunterfor her help in this ministry. A groupfrom the church celebrated “Feast ofTrumpets” with a Messianiccongregation, “Beth Halell” inBirmingham. Everyone had a greattime. The ladies concluded the monthat Women’s Conference at CampBoothe.Goodwater-Joyful Praise: We hadone to become a member by covenantthis month. We welcome JosephGriffin to our fellowship.Hackleburg:Our day was formatted to be aHomecoming Style service. TheBarnett Family brought an incredibleHymn Medley to open the service. Weshowed the video of our church’spresentation interview at theInternational Assembly. Our youthdance team showed some new moves to“Alive” by Kim Walker. Ourchildren’s ministries did a hip-hop stylepraise dance. The ‘Sprouts’ toddlerministry quoted scripture and sang twobeautiful songs. Pastor Clint sat in aarmed chair and read some very

interesting history of theHackleburg Church andits foundation in theregion. The worshipteam did outstandingleading us into thepresence of God andour keynote speaker,Cathy Payne, delivered amost timely Word to ourcongregation. The altarsfilled as she gave thecall to let God move inour lives. Severald e l i v e r a n c e s a n dhealings took place asthe Holy Ghost moved

on Sister Cathy and Pastor Clint to layhands on those who had come forward. Dinner followed with incredible time offellowship and great home cookedfood. Finished out with a hugeAnniversary Cake! All was great andGod was magnified! Enclosed is apicture of the mortgage burning.

Haleyville-Pathway: We are excited atPathway. One Sunday we had a visioncasting service where several leader’sshared their vision for the youth,children, worship, etc...How exciting tohear the vision for each ministry andhave workers ready to work. The workon the children and youth building isfinished. The lights are awesome in theyouth room and the children’s church isa nice light blue. The kids are workinghard to have a new ceiling tile put in.

Below is a picture. We had 122Sunday and 2 gave their heart to theLord!!! We also had our fall festival onSunday with a hayride, blow up bouncehouses, and games. Our homecomingwas wonderful! Our theme was“Celebrating the Past, Present, andFuture of the Church.” We presented aslide show with pictures of the firststore front building, first pastors andfirst member of the church to thepresent time of what God is doing. Wehad former pastors the Hitts, Smithsand Ryes to be in attendance. Thecount was 115 and this was twice thismonth we broke the 100 mark inattendance. We have a VISION and weare ready to run with it! No time toslow up, we are getting ready to goUP!!! Our Best Is Yet To Come!Happy Hill: We had Danny Cook for ayouth revival this month and increasedin members with Sister CharleenTucker transferring in from Hamiltonand Theresa Clemons Stanley joiningby Covenant.Harris Chapel: Two new memberswere received into the church. Thiswas the last day for Pastors James andPaulette Ramsey at Harris Chapel. Webid them God’s speed as they move intothe next phase of their life and ministry.Huntsville-Mastin Lake: There hasbeen a powerful and intimate stirring ofthe Holy Spirit over the last month thathas intensified the last two weeks. Wehave Intercessory Prayer every Mondaynight and the things that have beendone in the Spirit of Prayer have begunto happen in our services and ourchurch family. Dedicated PrayerWorks! We had a move of God outsideof our program and our plans again, tocall us into a level of His anointing andSpirit that moves us into a new level.

Several began walking the aisles inworship and then others responded bycoming to the altars. It was glorious! Iam reminded again, we are a SpiritualHouse and we must have the Spirit ofGod. Thank God for what He is doing.Leesburg: Our men’s ministries madea rafting trip to North Carolina. After aday of rafting, they spent the night atFields of the Wood. For GrandparentsDay, children’s ministries preparedbreakfast for the grandparents and gavethem gifts they had made.Lincoln: We thank God for one beingbaptized.Moulton: Moulton experienced an oldtime Holy Ghost meeting and one wassaved. Thank you Jesus!Pinson Parkway: We had a great time! The message was titled “Born AgainWhat Does It Really Mean?” Therewas a visitor that got saved. PraiseGod! We are looking forward to havingour facilities used by a Spanishcongregation. We believe that God isabout to do something Great! Robertsdale: Thank God for two newmembers by covenant, Carla Championand Whitney Champion.Short Creek: We were blessed to seeone of our elderly ladies (79 yearsyoung) who has been a member foryears, receive the baptism of the HolyGhost. Praise the Lord! We had 5ladies attend Ladies Retreat. Ourwomen’s ministry began a weeklyBible Study entitled “Unglued” whichaddresses our raw emotion as we makeimperfect progress in life situations. We also made plans for PastorAppreciation Month.Sterrett: Great things still happening atSterrett! Three different, wholefamilies are asking how to makeSterrett their family church! God is notdead!Tarrant: We honored our pastor witha birthday love offering. It was a joybeing a part of the Birmingham TrueNorth District as we all came togetherto welcome Bishop and Sister Jones toour district service. We were blessed tohave 10 ladies attend the Ladies’Conference at Camp Boothe. The pastseveral weeks the pastor has been

preaching a series on sanctification. Recently, a lady who has beenattending Tarrant for the past severalmonths came forward and said “I wantmy vessel clean”. The more we prayedthe harder he sought God. She wastruly earnest in seeking God. Andthrough her seeking, she was sanctifiedand baptized with the Holy Ghost. Praise the Lord! We were walking onclouds as we headed home. Winfield City Family: Another greathomecoming was experienced. It’shard to believe we’ve only beenorganized 4 short years and already inthe building process. God is Great! We had a packed house with more foodthan we could possibly eat. There is ashort video progressing the past year ont h e b l o g a twindieldcityfamilychurch.blogspot.com. Hope everyone can go and look atit. God has great and mighty things instore for Winfield.

Tips For Abundant Life

Carolyn Guyton

Examination. The Bible

states in 2 Corinthians 13:5,

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the

faith; prove your own selves.” We must be

transparent with God and honest with

ourselves to truly live in abundance.

Holding back areas of our life from full

surrender will prevent us from complete

freedom. A few tips for examining

ourselves:

* Fearless Moral Inventory. I recently

heard a sermon by Andy Stanley in which

he recommended this step from the 12 Steps

of Recovery. We must take an honest look

at ourselves and then deal with what we

find. Life happens to all of us. When we

don’t face the hurt and pain as we encounter

it, then it lodges in our heart and grows. It

is my experience that when I ask God to

show me my true self and help me work

through what He reveals, He does.

* Accept the Truth. We tend to blame

someone or something else for what

happened to us, rather than accepting our

participation in it. Instead of dealing with it

when it comes up, we explain it away. We

will not be entirely whole until we accept

Continued on next page .........ALIVE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Prayer Line with Dr. WesslySaturdays 9:00 - 10:00 AM

Dial 712-432-1690

NOTICE: Due to health issues,Pastors Ben Howard (Odenville)and Kenneth Elmore (Brown’sChapel) are stepping down fromPastoral positions.

Cottondale: We have 2 NCAARegulation Fiberglass BasketballBackboards and goals with aretractable crank-system for sale. Original price was $2500. Asking$2000, in excellent condition. Individual who installed atCottondale is willing to help withinstallation process who buys. Contact # 205-344-3045 orronmartin1025@att.net.

Class For Clerks and Pastor:January 24 , 9:00 am-3:00pm,th

at Woodland Hills Church

Class: New North America On-Line Reporting System for

churches and ministers

Bishop J. Croyle Teacher.

STATE WEB SITESA l a b a ma Up d a t e B l o g :W W W . a l a b a m a u p date.blogspot.comAlabama Web Site: alcogop.orgYouth-Tim Beck Web: www.experiencehydrate.comwww.hydrateministries.com

AVAILABLE FOR REVIVALS

Rodney Bridges, 707 4 Street SE,th

Ft. Payne, AL, 35967; 205-317-5642.

Joey Dobbs: Member of SterrettChurch of God of Prophecy. Telephone (205)746-3017.Earlean Emerson, P O box 1863,Hamilton, AL 35570. Telephone(205) 921-5637.Christine & Curtis Englebert, 111Woodland Road, Dora, AL 35062Telephone (205) 648-2871 or cell #2 0 5 - 2 7 5 - 1 1 9 9 . cenglebert2871@charter.net. Fillin for pastors also.Brenda Kay Pate, P O Box 30Cordova, AL 35550; 205-388-1087or 388-3129. Fill in for pastors also.

SPEAKING AND SPECIALPROGRAMS:

James Adkins, P O Box 921,Collinsville, AL 35961-0920,Telephone (256) 524-3130.Anita Falkner Parker, 3615Moody Pkwy, Moody, AL 35004. Telephone (205) 640-6207.Brenda Kay Pate, P O Box 30;Cordova, AL, 35550; 205-388-1087or 388-3129.

DEATHSFayette-North Pointe: EffieWilson went to see her SaviorSeptember 11 . th

NOVEMBERPASTORS/WIVES

Morris BatesCharles BoydJohn Billy ButlerDian ElmoreTamera PateVicki PigorschBetty PrescottBobbie SmithLloyd SmithJohnnie Ruth StantonDaniel StrongeKenneth Wilkins

ÈÈÈ

ANNIVERSARIESKenneth and Dian ElmoreLynn and Kim HittErnest and Vicki PigorschCurtis and Joyce Sutton

COMING EVENTS

Hydrate Campus Tour

December 31-January 3 Winter Conference

“The New American Revolution”March26-29 Gordon-ConwellMay 31-June 6

Collegiate JuneCamps

continued ...........ALIVE

the truth of the matter. It is one thing to

deceive someone else, but deceiving

ourselves can be deadly to our Spiritual

walk. Face the truth of your life. God

will forgive you and help you to forgive

yourself.

* Recurring. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that

“the heart is deceitful above all things, and

desperately wicked:” Our hearts will lead

us back to believing the stories we have

used in the past to explain away our

responsibility for our lives. That is the

reason we must repeat the examination of

our hearts and lives often. We are

encouraged in the Word to examine

ourselves before partaking of the Lord’s

Supper, which we are to do regularly.

Regular, sincere inspection of our hearts,

attitudes and actions is necessary.

Seek every day for the abundant life that

only comes from God.

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September Statistics 2014

CHURCH SM TITHES Alexander City 27 2977.10 Aliceville 8 3335.44 Alton 44 2201.43 Altoona 15 1937.00 Anniston Praise Worship 69 3939.92 Bayou La Batre 19 250.00 Bessemer Hopewell Rd 119 11791.10 Woodland Hills 70 9355.41 Boaz 6 1132.00 Boldo 40 --- Brown’s Chapel --- 764.40 Browntown --- 3590.55 Calera Harvest Chapel 105 --- Carbon Hill 147 7415.16 Chickasaw 18 1723.13 Citronelle 15 2318.30 Clanton 37 2396.00 Collinsville Harvest Center 34 2861.40 Cordova 62 --- Cottondale 111 4490.00 Cunningham Bridge 3 578.00 Decatur 47 2974.00 Dothan 7 973.20 Dry Valley No Report East Lake Highlands 41 2263.65 Elba --- 901.00 Elkmont No Report Eoline/Tuscaloosa --- 3082.57 Fayette-North Pointe 90 4069.00 Fort Payne 8 807.20 Gadsden Living Waters 54 4915.26 Goodwater Joyful Praise 18 1416.74 Gordo 40 6824.40 Grant-Sanctuary No Report Greenpond 83 7972.46 Grove Hill No Report Hackleburg 170 21158.20 Haleyville Pathway 68 4164.15 Hamilton New Heights 70 1889.33 Happy Hill 84 8564.00 Harris Chapel 51 5756.64 Hartselle No Report Hazel Green 42 ---

CHURCH SM TITHES Huntsville Mastin Lake 82 6611.85 Bell Road 17 2070.00 Mission --- Jasper 25 2862.00 Leesburg --- 4451.90 Lincoln 22 2552.90 Mentone 29 2022.30 Montgomery 11 1217.00 Moulton 25 3180.04 Munford Silver Run 22 1441.00 Odenville 57 2720.70 Pelham 30 2865.88 Parrish 25 1070.00 Phil Campbell --- 723.36 Pinson Parkway 28 1677.00 Poarch 8 528.64 Red Bay 20 2919.00 Robertsdale 21 2413.00 Rock Cliff No Report Russellville Living Word --- Sheffield Cliff Haven 123 15646.49 Short Creek 50 3405.70 Sterrett 130 7402.72 Summerbrook 37 2759.50 Tannehill Mission 70 --- Tarrant City 42 2776.17 Trinity Worship 65 9087.53 Twilleytown 46 4839.00 West Blocton 20 --- Winfield Family 39 2183.35 World Outreach 8 --- THE ABOVE STATISTICS WERE TAKEN FROM TREASURERS’ REPORTS RECEIVED IN STATE OFFICE AS OF OCTOBER 2014

Reports from Previous Months July New Heights 70 1438.10 August Dry Valley --- 2547.96 Mentone 16 1538.23 New Heights 71 2240.50

The Next American Revolution Winter Conference 2015

12.31.14 – 1.3.15

www.hydrateministries.com

NORTH AMERICA

20/20 VISION

Empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) we will focus and expend resources to live the CORE values of the Church of God of Prophecy in North America. We envision reaching every community with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

To promote prayer campaigns in each of our states and regions, in order for our local churches to become houses of prayer. (Mark 11:17) This will begin each year with the 21 Days of Seeking.

HARVEST

Recognizing the needs of lost humanity, our church is dedicated to fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in every way possible. Our goal is to plant one new church each week in North America, and to strengthen existing churches with resources and various methods of evangelization and membership retention.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Jesus lived with and mentored His disciples for 3 1/2 years. Paul mentored Timothy and instructed him to commit the same to faithful believers who would teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2) North America is committed to equip and develop leadership at all levels, with excellence as it is our goal to raise the bar of effectiveness in ministry.

HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERMENT

The Church of God of Prophecy in North America seeks the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in all we do. From prayer to harvest to leadership development we recognize that we are utterly powerless to accomplish these goals without Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)

ALABAMA UPDATE NON-PROFIT ORG.Church of God of Prophecy U.S. POSTAGE P.O. Box 707 A PAID Bessemer, Alabama 35021-0707

Permit No.256 BESSEMER, AL

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Our Sympathy to our Ministers Families

Willis Eldred (W. E.) RobertsonOctober 9, 2014

Retired Minister and Pastor

The Alabama Update is the official monthlypublication of the Church of God of Prophecy inAlabama. Yearly subscription rate is $7.00. Statements in this publication referring to the Churchof God have reference to the Church of God ofProphecy. Articles and news briefs submitted forpublication must be received by the fifth of the monthfor publication, and should be sent to: AlabamaUpdate, PO Box 707, Bessemer, AL . 35021-0707.

L. V. Jones, EditorBillie Ruth Jones, Assistant Editor

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Enclosed is $ for a year subscription ($7.00per year) to the Alabama Update.Name (Please print)_____________________________Mailing Address_______________________________City_______________State_____Zip Code__________Church_______________________________________