Joe & Becky Cruse

School Days, School Days….yes, it’s that time of the year….and all the parents said, “AMEN!” What a great start it is for our two schools here, as well as the local public schools your students are involved in. The students (new and returning) are fantastic and there is much to learn and much to give. This promises to be our best year yet and we are excited for what God has in store.

As part of the Body of Christ here at City Worship Centre, we continually endeavor to follow the spirit-filled model of the early church as described for us in Acts. Have you ever wondered what that first church was like? Acts 2 paints a beautiful picture for us and enables us to see what Christ had in mind when He spoke of the church and the “gates of Hell not prevailing against it”. Let’s examine this passage further. Acts 2:38-47 says–
38And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself.
40And [Peter] solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation.
41Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.
42And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers.
43And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).
44And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;
45And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.
46And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord’s Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,
47Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].

Let’s see here…let me paraphrase this in 5 short words—
Worship—Communion/Prayer
Word—Teaching and Preaching the Word of God
Giving—Finances-Time-Talent
Demonstration of the power of God by the Holy Spirit
Souls—Daily souls were saved

Does this sound remotely familiar? These are the five building blocks for CWC—patterned from the New Testament church!

Keying in on verse 42–And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord’s Supper] and prayers.

These five key components were vital to the early church and fruit of the early church! Prayer, specifically mentioned was fresh and vibrant. You must understand, for years, these were guidelines for duties under the law and now, the Holy Spirit poured out brought fresh revelation, fresh visitation and fresh impartation! How exciting it must have been to be a part of those first meetings and once again, we find that vital ingredient that we spoke of last week—UNITY!

Church, we can all find our prayer closets at home and be islands unto ourselves but there is a very powerful dynamic at work when we come together corporately, with a spirit of unity, in worship, the word, prayer, giving, demonstration and outreach—things happen! And not just in the natural realms but in the heavenly realms as well!

So am I shamelessly plugging our Wednesday Night Recharge Service?? You betcha!! Let this writing serve as your formal invitation this fall to join us every Wednesday night @ 6:30 for a very powerful time together in prayer/praise/fellowship. You will not leave the same way you come in and being together will encourage your week and your walk!

This week, we are praying for:

1. Worship—that we all might go to higher heights and deeper depths in our pursuit of Him. Let this new season be a time of renewed prayer, not just for ourselves but for others. We are also praying that folks attending Sunday services will experience new levels of God’s glory in the worship experience. “So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD”. (1 Kings 8:11 KJV)

2. Word—that the Word of God would come alive for many. Whether you are a seasoned believer or brand new to the faith—the “Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

3. Giving—that the revelation of giving would be active and alive as we once again realize that “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. (Acts 20:35 KJV)

4. Demonstration of the power of God by the Holy Spirit— “And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God”. (1 Cor. 2:4-5 AMP)

5. Souls—that we may get a renewed passion for the lost—in our community and around the world; “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. (Mark 16:15 KJV)
Church, have a great week! We look forward to seeing you in one of our weekly services. We love each one of you and pray you abundantly prosper.

Ps Joe and Becky and the team

How are you today? I pray you are blessed and highly favored. It was so good to be home this past Sunday and see so many of you, our family. It’s always great to go, but it’s even better to come home! We had an incredible 30 days seeing God do amazing things in Africa, but we are very excited to begin a new school year and believe it will be our best year yet.

Friend, can I remind you of something so incredible? JESUS IS PRAYING FOR YOU AND ME! Isn’t that an amazing thought? Look at John 17:20-26.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24″Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25″Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

And what is He praying? U-N-I-T-Y. As a matter of fact, He is praying for unity, for our eternal destiny, and that we would see His glory. Let’s look at these key areas that affect our earthly life and our heavenly reward.

Unity is vital to any relationship. Unity in a marriage speaks of the power of covenant. Unity in a corporate setting brings dreams and visions to pass. Unity in the church is how people know we are Christians. Unity brings the commanded blessing (Psalm 133) and answered prayer (Matt 18:19). If we don’t have unity, we can’t clearly communicate the power of the gospel. Jesus was well aware of the importance of unity. In fact, “the boys” (disciples) left him at the place of prayer at a time when Jesus probably could have used a bit of moral support!

Our eternally destiny was, and is of great importance to our Lord. The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”. The reason we must walk in unity is that it is the single element that sets us apart from the world. As members of the Family of God, unity is key and is the mark of our testimony. And it is what draws the lost to Christ.

Lastly, Jesus prayed that we might see the Glory of God made manifest. One interesting note is that under the old covenant, God’s glory was not able to be seen by man. (Exod. 3:6). But Corinthians tells us that, under the new covenant that the Spirit filled life is more glorious! (2 Cor. 3:6-8)

And Isa 40:5 says, “And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it”.

What an awesome promise! For if we see His glory, we can be partakers of His glory. And if we are partakers of His glory, we can also show forth His glory, displaying His power, faithfulness and goodness to others who desperately need Him.

And the only way we walk in unity, destiny, and seeing His glory is by walking in His love. My prayer this week for each one of you is that you not just “know” his love but that you might experience His love, just as Paul prayed in Eph. 3:17- 19 (AMP) which says—
17May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,
18That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];
19[That you may really come] to know [practically, [e]through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses [f]mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] [g]unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and [h]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!
As we agree in prayer this week, let’s ask the Lord:
1 for unity and the commanded blessing in our homes, our businesses, our church/ministries
2 for our eternal destiny to be founded on Him and through Him as we reach out to win others
3 the glory of God would be in us and upon us and we would be the image of Christ in our world
4 students and schools would be abundantly blessed as they begin a new year
5 a harvest of souls this week
6 wisdom, grace, and mercy in all our decisions
7 supernatural health and wealth

This coming Sunday is very special in the life of the church. Our very first, “PROMOTION SUNDAY” happens with many of our young students moving into new seasons in their lives. We as a church believe it is important to celebrate accomplishments and so this Sunday, we will be celebrating with those “promoting” into upper grades. Also, we are beginning a new Equip class for 4th-6th grades that is very exciting. With the huge success of our first VBS and the addition of students, new families, and teachers, CWC is postured for great growth and success. Make your plans now to join us this coming Sunday. In addition, Ps Joe will be sharing a very important message, “The Blessing of Partnership” which I know will be vital to all as we move forward in unity, in destiny, in glory and in love.

Have a blessed week and join us for prayer this Wed night @ 6:30. It will change your life!

Much love,
Ps Joe and Becky and the team