God Scatters And God Gathers

December 23, 2007

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’” Nehemiah 1:8-9

When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down, its gates charred with fire and the remnant were in great trouble, he wept and then prayed. He began his prayer with a humble confession of sin – his, as well as his fellow Israelites and their forefathers. Some might suggest that Jerusalem’s destruction and the exiling of the Jewish people to Babylon were simply the efforts of Nebuchadnezzar, influenced by Satan, to expand the Babylonian Empire. Yet in this prayer Nehemiah acknowledges the sovereignty of God – God either makes or allows everything that happens. Nehemiah fully understood God was working through this man and his army to fulfill God’s promise about the Israelites to Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations.” Therefore, Nehemiah pleads with God to remember the second half of His promise to Moses and the Hebrew people, “But if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them [together].” Truly, God scatters and God gathers!

Tragically in 2003, the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) were scattered by the hand of God – not for one man’s sins or for the sins of the leaders, but for everyones! This truth has been acknowledged by those who have been healed through repentance and forgiving those who sinned against them. (Luke 5:31-32) Therefore, God is gathering from this number a new discipling movement “from the farthest horizons.”

Sadly for many disciples, most ICOC churches remain in the Babylon of mainline Church of Christ theology. Causing confusion, about the Spirit’s new movement as well as the theological source of lukewarmness in the ICOC, are misleading reports on “Hot News,” an ICOC website. In a derogatory article (Mike Taliaferro: November 19, 2007) on Raul Moreno’s heroic decision (City Of Angels Bulletin: October 21, 2007) to join our new discipling movement, Mike Taliaferro deceivingly reported – “the ICOC churches have planted nearly 100 churches in the last four years,” “most of our churches have Discipleship Partners,” and concerning the dream to evangelize the world in a generation, “I do not know a single evangelist or elder in the ICOC who has renounced the dream.” For the honor of God, these half-truths and deceiving claims need to be addressed. Implied in the “100 church plantings” is incredible numeric growth. Yet, some of the “100 church plantings in the last four years” are from the dividing of congregations, such as the former Atlanta International Church of Christ which splintered into nine, yes nine so-called “new” church plantings! Likewise the Washington D.C. ICOC crumbled into five so called “new churches.” This deception of growth was refuted even by the ICOC’s own “Missions Memo” website of August 28, 2007. In their words, “When the [latest] survey is completed, we expect to show a fourth consecutive year of losses [in worldwide membership].”

Secondly, shared by scores who visit the City of Angels Church from the ICOC, discipling in their home congregations is optional or non-existent. Former ministry leaders in the ICOC who are now members of the City of Angels Church, such as Marty and Cathy Wooten, Lu Jack and Cathi Martinez, Kyle and Joan Bartholomew, Carlos and Lucy Mejia, Rob and Burgandie Onekea, Albert Wagers, Ron and Tracy Harding, Steve and Jeanne Bolin, Victor and Sonia Gonzalez, Jay and Angie Hernandez, Mike Underhill, Sal and Patricia Velasco and Ken and Liliana Zindler, all agree the discipling of every Christian in the new movement helps sustain our zeal for God and love towards one another. Indeed, we are striving to put into practice with much mercy what we have learned from our past mistakes.

Lastly, the false claim that there is “not a single evangelist or elder in the ICOC that has renounced the dream” is in direct contradiction to well documented teachings at the Athens Institute of Ministry (AIM) by such evangelists as Scott Green and Sam Laing as well as one of the ICOC’s pre-eminent teachers, Doug Jacoby. He writes, “The New Testament nowhere commands us to make disciples of all nations in this your present generation.” (Questions And Answers, “One Generation” – September 29, 2007) I have been called a “false prophet” and in some places disfellowshipped because I called the ICOC to this dream for 20 years. Let me be clear, never have I wavered in my conviction that God desires this world evangelized in this generation. It is with this compelling and motivating vision that the Spirit has raised-up the new “Sold-Out Discipling Movement.”

Recently, Elena and I returned to Santiago, Chile to encourage the Santiago International Christian Church. Under the Moreno’s gallant leadership, in three months this group of 29 disciples has grown to 37! During the Sunday we were in Chile, they had 103 in attendance! Of the 29 original members, 20 were Bible Talk Leaders who stood by Raul Moreno’s side when he called his former congregation to the vision of world evangelization in this generation, discipling with every member and to be a part of the new movement. In June, Matt and Helen Sullivan of Phoenix will begin leading the Santiago congregation, and excitingly for us, the Morenos will come to the City of Angels Church for further training.

Also visited in the past two weeks were the church plantings – Chicago International Christian Church and the Phoenix International Christian Church. Dear “partners in the gospel,” Chris and Theresa Broom, planted Chicago with 18 other disciples being added to nine remnant disciples gathered from Wisconsin and Illinois. Presently after a year and a half, the Spirit has grown the church to 71 disciples! They had 179 in attendance this past Sunday! God has also blessed our sister church in Phoenix during this same time period. Under the Sullivan’s inspirational leadership, God has grown the Phoenix Church from 14 disciples from Portland being added to a remnant group, to almost 50 disciples with 100 every Sunday! Joining the Phoenix Church in January from Portland is Mike Patterson, who will serve as the Campus Minister to Arizona State University, the largest university in America with 60,000 students!

Great news from Europe and Africa! The London International Christian Church was planted by the Kernans in late October with 19 financially poor disciples. The Kernans, also with little money to their name, traveled to Paris to lead a new Bible Talk! Yet, they could not return to London as their visas were invalid. Quite frustrating at the time and unbeknown to the Kernans, the visa company in Toronto had falsely put that Lianne was single, so as to ease her entry to London. Long story short, after returning to Toronto, desperately short on funds, their visas were approved to preach in London and the visa company was penalized $5,000 – given to the Kernans! God always provides!

Tim then went to encourage our sister church in Kinshasa, Republic of Congo in Africa. He wrote in an email, “Bro, what a wonnnnderful time in Kinshasa. Wow…with 70 disciples, over 240 people came out to service. They have tons of studies… I had an army captain with me all the time. He even slept near my door. He is a dear brother. The poverty is mind boggling…one of the leaders lives in a filthy garbage dump which gets flooded every time it rains. I must confess, I was scared, but I went everywhere with disciples, even out into the worst slums. It was the wildest experience of my life. Their faith and perseverance is incredible!”

Good news from Central America! The San Pedro Sula International Christian Church celebrated their one year anniversary and has grown from 50 to 80 with almost 500 at their anniversary service! For your prayers – after staying with the Portland Church for several months, visiting us in Los Angeles presently is the former full-time couple, Jose and Laura Morales. They have their hearts set to return to Guatemala in late December and plant a new congregation of sold-out disciples as well as to bring into our family of churches a group of 15 of their friends now meeting in El Salvador!

During the summer of 2008 new discipling churches will be planted in New York City – sent out from the City of Angels Church and led by DJ and Kacie Comisford and in Washington D.C. – sent out from Syracuse and led by Andrew and Patrique Smellie. In the City of Angels Church, we are equally happy to send the Bartholomews to Honolulu this summer to lead the Honolulu International Christian Church. Also encouraging, our sister congregation in Mumbai (Bombay), India is growing and Lord willing a new congregation in India will be formally initiated in January. Also Maxim Potapov, who leads our sister church in Kiev, Ukraine, reports that in Novosibirsk, Russia, a new congregation of sold-out disciples started just last week! The Scriptures are once more coming alive, “But the Word of God continued to increase and spread.” (Acts 12:24)

Who would dare deny the works of the Spirit of God? “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) The past seven months in the City of Angels Church has been, “beyond all we have asked and imagined.” (Ephesians 3:20) Beginning in May with 42 sold-out disciples from Portland, God has added to our number 48 baptisms, 42 restorations and 63 placing membership! So inspirational this past Sunday were the five baptisms, two of which were children of members, Cassi Swann and Salud Gonzalez! Truly, the last words of the Old Testament that were to be one of the signs of the Kingdom are once again coming true, “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” (Malachi 4:6) Let us rejoice in insults, persecutions, false witnesses and even in our own weaknesses. God continues to be faithful… in 2003 God scattered us and in 2007 God is gathering us from the “farthest horizons.” And to God be the glory!