Joe & Becky Cruse

I want to start this letter by thanking my Lord for His faithfulness and for showing Himself strong this past week. We have had some great meetings through the years, but for your pastors, it was a blow out for us personally. I don’t know when I have enjoyed “worship, the word, and the greater works any more than this past week!”

What an incredible blessing and privilege to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” We enjoyed having our friends, David and Maggie Holmes and their boys with us this week and what an amazing time we had in the school this morning before they left to return to Australia. The impartation that David brings to the students on campus here is immeasurable. I also want to thank the Lord for the healings and for the lives that were changed! What a watermark for this church and as we begin year #9, we are renewed, refreshed, and refired! AMEN!

We also want to take a moment to thank all of the staff that worked so hard to make our 8th Anniversary Celebration a huge success. To all of the servant leaders, volunteers and staff—big hugs and lots of thank you’s for a job well done!

So pastors, what’s next? Well, exciting news is on the horizon. We are preparing to move to our new home very soon. We are in the planning stages of making a successful transition and will be sharing the details of the move in the next few weeks. Things have come together very nicely and actually, relocating will be a big blessing, from a growth standpoint and from a financial standpoint as well. We will be saving the church quite a bit of money by getting out of the buildings where we currently meet and this will enable us to make good investments into our permanent home. The schools will continue on without any hitch and the Sunday and Wednesday services will carry on with Equip classes running as normal. Will you pray with us for wisdom as we move forward in this area? We want God’s plans and His timing and we believe now is the time!

With regards to our prayer time this Wed night, we are going to be sharing a bit more of the moving plans, and will be praying towards this end along, with the following prayer requests:

1. FAITH—Read Mark 6:1-6 When we read this account, we find that Jesus could do no mighty miracles because of the peoples’ lack of faith.

Our prayer this week is that we walk in new levels of faith—trusting God for our eternal salvation, our daily needs, and future dreams and goals, and that as we cast all our cares on Him, we know He cares for us and is working on our behalf.

2. FAMILY—Read Acts 16:25-34 The account of Paul and Silas in jail reminds us that our praise and our prayers can be the salvation of our families.

We are praying for all the families of CWC, to be built up as strong fortresses, standing against any schemes the enemy might throw their way.

3. FINANCES—Read 1 Timothy 6:17-19 This passage reminds us that our focus is not finances, but our focus is God, who liberally supplies us with all we need and then tells us what to do with what he gives us.

As we pray for finances, lets ask the Lord to make us faithful stewards with what He puts in our hands and to provide seed for sowing, bread for eating and to multiply our resources for giving.

4. FRIENDS—Read John 15:12-17 Church, we have a responsibility, not only as friends of God, but to be TRUE friends by sharing His love to others.

We want to pray for our friends on the Operation Austin cards. We must be about the business of seeing others enjoy what we enjoy, as disciples and followers of Christ.

5. FUTURE—Read Acts 17:24-28 Friends, God has our destinies mapped out, corporately and personally! We can trust Him with today and tomorrow!

Let’s pray for a successful transition from our current location to the next. We are trusting God that all of the needs be met supernaturally and that the church and schools will be postured for great growth and blessing. Let’s call the land (Victory) “ours” in Jesus Name, speaking those things that are not as though they are. Moving our services to the property is the next step.

Have a great week! We love each one of you and speak God’s blessings over you all!

Ps Joe and Becky and the team

You are cordially invited to join us as we celebrate our 8th anniversary with a week of revival! (is there any other way???)

Wed Sept 16 Revival @ CWC @ 7:00 pm

Thurs Sept 17 Reception @ the new property @ 7:00 pm—food, live music, raffles, awards, and plain old fun!

Fri Sept 18 Charity Golf Tournament @ Falconhead Golf Course @ 8:30-3:00 and then
Revival @ CWC @ 7:00 pm with David Holmes and family, (from Hillsong Australia) Marcus and Cindy Cruse Ratcliff and family (Lakewood Church Houston), and Ps Joe and Nancy Cruse from Ft. Bend Tx

Sat Sept 19 Revival @ CWC @ 7:00 pm (come on…DVR the game and see it later)

Sun Sept 20 Revival @ CWC @ 8:30, 11:00 and 7:00 pm

Church, let’s take advantage of these tremendous opportunities—time for fun, celebration and impartation from some of worship’s biggest names in the industry!

Don’t let this pass you by—when we say “party” we mean “PARTY”!

Blessings,
Ps Joe and Becky and the team

Greetings in the strong name of Jesus! We are so excited to see what the Lord is going to do as we set aside these next few days for revival here at CWC. Wed. Sept 16-Sun. Sept 20 are going to be monumental days for this ministry and we believe, will set the course for the next phase of God’s plans for us.

In my personal time of study, God reminded me of a passage of scripture out of Joel that, while yet prophetic in nature, has very practical application for the New Testament church.Look at Joel 2 (NIV) and verses following—(I have chosen specific verses for times’ sake)

12 “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”

13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

17 Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. ?Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’ ”

18 Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.

19 The LORD will reply to them: “I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.

23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.

24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm my great army that I sent among you.

26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.

27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed.

28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.Here we see 4 things that happen as a people prepare for a fresh outpouring of God’s spirit.

RETURN—v12 and 13—To return is to make a willful choice. And we don’t just decide to return, I also believe it is HOW we return. Joel says that we can’t just give lip service. It’s not just an external returning, but has all to do with returning with our hearts! I can make my grandkids say, “I’m sorry Mimi” but it is means more for them to say it on their own. I have seen people come to an altar—sorry yes, but sorry they got caught! But when their hearts are repentant, and they are sorry for their sins, much more is accomplished. Yes, returning to our first love is important, but coming back with the right heart is all the more, important.

REPENT—v 17—so how do we repent? The temple porch in Solomon’s temple was quite a distance from the altar. It was the place where fasting and praying was required. It wasn’t the place of sacrifice, but it was the place of petition—the starting point, if you will. God’s forgiveness is immediate, but forgiving ourselves is another story! Because we so condemn ourselves, the process of returning may take longer for some than others. That is why the presence of God is so important. It is in that place that we experience His touch, His love, His forgiveness and move ourselves forward to help others experience Him as well. Repenting is turning around and NOT GOING BACK! Close the door on the old and step into the new life He has provided for us. And then, be a part of helping others do the same!

RECEIVE—v 19-27—the benefits, or “blessings” of returning and repenting are numerous! GOD ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS WITH PROMISES! v19 says, “The Lord will reply” and what is His reply? ‘ABUNDANCE’, ‘OVERFLOWING’, ‘REPAYMENT’, ‘PLENTY’. Church, why would anyone choose anything else? I believe we are on the verge of seeing these promises fulfilled. If not now, when, If not here, where? If not us, who? This is what your pastors are praying over this church and its ministries! As we return with the right heart and repent, receiving God’s forgiveness, we posture ourselves to receive in abundance!

REVIVE—v28-32—“And afterward, I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT!” Church, more than we need money, more than we need land, more than we need another bailout, we need God’s spirit!!! If the church in America is going to help usher in the coming of Christ, we must wake up! It is amazing how those of us who contend for the move of God’s spirit each week, seem to get familiar with it and ease back into a place of “dulled ears” and “dimmed eyes”. We cannot be lulled to sleep by the familiar! We must get hungrier and more radical as we press into all God has for us! Are you ready for a fresh outpouring in the church? Your pastors are hungrier today than ever before. Get your eyes off of people and the choices they make, and get your eyes on Jesus!

I’m sure that on the day of Pentecost, some missed out with what they thought were good excuses and valid reasons! City Worship Centre, the Lord says, “This is your time, this is your day of visitation!” “Don’t miss out on what I am about to do, says the Lord of Hosts!”

Return, repent, receive, revive—a simple, yet powerful promise and pattern for the Body of Christ, and those of us here on the SW side of Austin!

This week, in preparation for revival, lets use this outline as our basis for the prayer of agreement.

RETURN TO

•A passion for worship
•A passion for the word
•A passion for His presence

REPENT OF

•Sins that would keep you from “drawing near”
•Thoughts that condemn and sear your conscience
•Words spoken by others or to others that negatively affect your walk with God

RECEIVE

•God’s love and His forgiveness
•God’s Word as the blueprint for your life
•Those God has put in leadership over you
•God’s promises for you—they are yes and amen

REVIVE

•Ask for a fresh outpouring of His spirit in your life
•Ask God for a fresh hunger for worship and the word
•Ask God for a renewed sense of eternity
•Ask God for a renewed hunger to see the lost saved

Church lastly, let’s get some folks on our hearts that need to be in the services during revival and BRING THEM WITH YOU to the house of the Lord. We will see amazing things happen for the Kingdom of God. AMEN!

Love you all,
Ps Joe and Becky and the team

Hello—we trust this writing finds you incredibly blessed! It’s exciting to see what God is doing in the church these days. God is moving by His spirit and peoples’ lives are being changed and blessed daily! Psalms 103:2 says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits”. Daily He blesses us with the benefits of life, salvation, love, grace, and mercy, just to name a few. How can we not praise Him?

Speaking of praise, have you ever noticed that much of the Psalms is actually prayers that David and others wrote? I once heard someone say that the highest form of prayer is praise and worship and for those of us who consider ourselves worshippers, that is certainly true. Because David was a man after God’s own heart, I believe his songs were his prayers and his prayers were his songs! He was a man who knew his God!

As we continue on the subject of prayer this week, let’s put our focus on worship and dive into the Psalms to more clearly see the daily confessions of a worshipper like King David.

Psalms 16:8-11 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall restb in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalms 45:7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Psalms 51:10-12 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a rightb spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”

Psalms 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

Psalms 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 9:2 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

Psalm 16:7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

And so on, and so on, and so on….

For all of King David’s faults and failures, he loved the Lord and loved to praise his God. My challenge for us this week is to get a few of these psalms in our mouths and meditate on them. Try putting them to your own music! Trust me, God loves your personal song. Even the apostle Paul knew the power of worship. He speaks of praying and singing together in 1 Corinthians 14:15.

“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also”.

When regular prayer seems a drudgery, try making your prayers your songs! Worshipping the Lord through singing and praising can set the captive free and if you remember, King Jehoshaphat sent out the praisers and singers and won a great battle without lifting a finger. What a powerful thought.

Let’s link our hearts and faith together this week for:

• A spirit and a sound of worship in CWC to arise like never before
• Love and unity to flow from every member
• The word of faith would be in our mouths
• The word of wisdom for our business people
• The abundance of finances in these days for God’s kids
• All the details and finances of the land will be worked out
• God’s favor to rest upon WMI and it’s ministries
• A passion for the lost and that we would see souls added to the church
• Pray for the teams going out to win souls on our Super Soul Winning Saturdays
• Pray for our staff and leaders

Church, have a blessed and prosperous week. We love you and thank God for each one of you. If you have any prayer requests, please call the office and let us hear from you. See you at Recharge this Wednesday night!

Lots of love and blessing,
Ps Joe and Becky and the team