Jesus Is Still Alive and Doing Well

Now, that's what I call "A Come Back Title". Yes, Jesus is still Alive and doing well!! I'm back in the blogging world after a long nap...taking care of some "deep" things. So much has happened since my last post:

• The church has been growing and keeping me super busy, our 2010 new year's eve service was off the hook (you can see pictures here)
• We launched Schekina Mass Choir in addition to the Schekina Praise Team. The mass choir is led by Brother Nestor who is doing a tremendous job.
• We started 2010 with some new things that the Lord laid on my heart that must be done this year.
• We started the Haiti Children Project (right after the earthquake). We are going to sponsor about 100 orphan children who lost their parents during the quake. It's a massive project that requires some serious finances. I believe we serve a big God who does big things, so no task is bigger than our God. We first wanted to sponsor 20-25 children, which was going to leave out many of them. So, here we are, trusting God for 100 children. I'm asking you, my partners all over the world to help me tackle this great task. It costs $30 to feed 1 child per month; we will need about $3000 per month to take care of all these 100 children. I pray that God will touch your heart to partner with me by sending your donation of $30, $60 $90 or whatever amount you can send. Help us show the love of Jesus to these children in a tangible way. make your checks payable to SCHEKINA CHRISTIAN CENTER - PO Box 1023 - Round Lake Beach, IL 60073.
• We are partnering with Pastor Chanquit Masculin of Eglise Evangelique Chretienne d'Haiti who will house these children take care of them on our behalf. He is a man of integrity and he is already taking care of them right now without any outside support.

Overall, I'm excited and overwhelmed by what God is going to do this year. Did I mention that 2010 is our year of Breakthrough? Well, this is it, this is the year, this is the season, this is the time and this is the moment that you've been waiting for. My expectations are at a boiling point; every day I wake up expecting the miraculous and the supernatural to occur at any moment, and let me tell you...I'm seeing it every time. You go God!

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, I would like to personally invite you this Sunday for a time to remember in the presence of Most High God. Come meet the God of Elijah who answers by fire. See you there.

OCTOBER FOR JESUS KICKOFF - IT WAS A BANG!

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By Guest Blogger: Brother Jimmy Batila (Schekina Music Director)

Saturday October 3rd 2009 was a great day for the cities of Evanston and Chicago. Hundreds of people flocked the Schekina Christian Center sanctuary located on 723 Howard Street, Evanston Illinois for an evening of praise and worship with the Schekina Praise Team kicking off our month of October For Jesus.

Different tongues and tribes, from more than 14 different nations, gathered around to lift up the only name given to mankind for salvation: Jesus-Christ. This rainy and chilly day of October did not prevent God’s children to join in great numbers to give Him praise!

Kicked off at 7:00PM after an opening prayer by Evangelist Chrispain Muntu, the concert started with a upbeat instrumental music by Brother Jimmy Batila (Director of Music and Drama, Singer, Keyboard Player, Bass Guitarist, Song Writer), Brother Hans Basengana (Head of Praise Team, Lead Singer, Keyboard player, Song Writer), Brother Ludovic Muntu (Drum player, singer), Brother Yves Mbuyamba (Keyboard Player, Guitarist- Bass + Acoustic, Singer). They would soon after be joined on stage by Brother Ali Mayombo Mbanza (Singer, Song Writer), who then introduced the rest of the Praise Team: Brother Thierry Mbandankulu (Singer), Sister Sonia Sony Balelia (Singer), Sister Stephanie Yapi (Singer), and Brother Mike Mulamba Mbanza (Singer).

After a brief demonstration of an array of upbeat dance steps from Africa, the praise team took the assembly of Saints on a two-hour long journey, a musical expedition around the world by performing songs filled with so many different flavors, in honor to the Most High God. From performances of songs with reggae beat by brothers Thierry, Mike and Ali (“Gloire A Toi, O Dieu D’Amour ”, “I’ve Got My Mind Made Up”, “Rain Down” ); inspirational songs by Sister Sonia and brother Hans (“Entends Mon Coeur”, “More, More, More”, “Unbelievable”); to energetic “clap-your-hand” and “stomp-your feet” praise songs from different countries of Africa by Sister Stephanie and the Schekina Praise Team(“Regardes à Jesus”, “Eternel Est Dieu”,”Appelles, Il Te Repondra” ), the audience could not refrain from asking more and more!

To God be all the glory and honor.
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GET READY FOR A MONTH TO REMEMBER!

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OK, I know the title is a little too flashy, but I hope you understand my excitement. I don't know what you have planned for this month, you need to change your plans and join us for a month to remember. We've prayed, visualized, rehearsed, planned, planned some more, and still planning for this life changing month. October will be full of power, praise, worship, drama, laughter and so much more. Our goal is simple: We want to make Jesus famous in our city.

Now, the only missing ingredient is YOU... that's right, we want you to come and bring your friends, your cousins, your papa, your mama, your sis, your bro...(just bring your entire family). THIS IS MY PERSONAL INVITATION TO YOU!

PS: If you need transportation, please call the church office (847-328-4335) and we will be glad to pick you up.

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THE 6 BENEFITS OF GIVING

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I hope everyone is having a great week. Sorry for the long time periods between blogs.

I received a few questions this week from different people about giving to others, giving tithes and offerings to a local church, giving to your man or woman of God... So I would like us to talk today about giving!

You know, the Bible says “God so loved the world He gave” This is the most quoted verse in the Bible. Perhaps the most misunderstood as well. Love and giving are intrinsically tied together. In fact I would say real love expresses itself in real giving. Not just resources, but our time and our energy and our emotions as well.

I was thinking how much we love giving to those we love, and also how much we love those who we give to. Giving thoughtfully selected gifts, which are then carefully wrapped anticipating the day they are opened. This is the same for God too. He thought of you and carefully wrapped His Son for the world. The day that gift is opened, imagine the expression on God's face watching you receive the gift of eternal life!. Imagine the angels who rejoice.

Apostle Paul refers to giving as a grace, and I have found out that giving is a major key to the operation of grace in our lives. The attitude and stance of being a giver activates grace in the life of a believer. I am talking about the giving that is motivated by the love of God. Please understand that it is a privilege to give as unto God; it benefits us, not God. It increases our capacity to receive and develops our confidence in God's ability to sustain us. The condition for this is if we give as unto the Lord glorifying God in our giving, He must be our focus as we do it.

So, here are the 6 Benefits of Giving as unto the Lord, with the right attitude:

1. It delivers you from selfishness.
2. It breaks your dependence on the natural things you can see, touch and taste.
3. It stirs up the joy of giving as you see others enriched.
4. It enlarges your capacity to receive from the Lord through others.
5. You lay up treasures in heaven for the time to come.
6. Your giving today enriches your future.
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SCC Presents...OCTOBER FOR JESUS 2009

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The month of October is being dedicated, consecrated and anointed as OCTOBER FOR JESUS. We are holding nothing and going all out for Jesus. This will be bigger and better than last year's celebration.

I'm calling on all Schekinaans to come out and invite your family and friends like never before. Souls will be saved, bondage will be broken, those who are sick will be healed, the depressed will be rejuvenated and above all, Jesus will be lifted up forever more.

Here is the calendar:

• Sat, 10/3 @ 6:00pm - MEGA CONCERT with the Schekina Praise Team and Guests
  


• Sat, 10/10 @ 2:00pm - WOMEN IN ACTION Conference: "Your Best Life Now"
  


• Sun, 10/18 @ 11:00am - Schekina Welcomes PAST. FLORIAN KAMANDA (RICC - Indianapolis, IN)
  


• Wed, 10/21 & Thu, 10/22 @ 6pm - 3 Days Of Fasting & Prayer: "Jericho Must Fall"
  


• Fri, 10/23 @ 10:00pm - NIGHT OF OVERCOMERS (With Past. Thierry Agossa from Palime, Togo)
  


• Sun, 10/25 @ 11:00am - NATIONS DAY - Celebrating our heritage
  


• Sun, 11/1 @ 11:00am - FAMILY & FRIENDS DAY (Food, Music, Dance...)

Join us and your life will never be the same again.

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MONDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

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Yep, you read it right...it's Monday night, not Sunday. So I thought I will name this post for what it really is...Monday Night Reflections:

• This past weekend was nothing short of woaw. My family and I visited Indianapolis for 2 reasons: to rest and share the good news of Jesus Christ at Restoration International Christian Center pastored by my blood brother Pastor Flo Kamanda. The church is less than a year old, was planted with $0 budget, started with 1 member (the pastor himself) with a BIG VISION. Today they have close to 140 members with close to 90 in attendance every Sunday. Go God!!
• I get excited whenever i visit a church that's litterally kicking the devil's behind and making Jesus famous. Needless to say how proud I am of Pastor Florian Kamanda and his entire team (Br. Namaan, Br. Eddy, Br. Simon, Br. Stephan, Br Bobo...) and many other brothers and sisters who are making a difference in the Indies. On Saturday night, Pastor Flo took me and Pastor Ida to go check out the building before Sunday morning service...it was 11:30pm and people were still working in the building, cleaning and getting the place ready for Sunday...now, that's what i call DEDICATIOOOON (ok, maybe I put too many "o"), but I hope you got the point :-)
• I heard things went great here in the land of Lincoln...Schekina had a great service this past Sunday. The leadership team was up to the challenge and delivered a great service. These guys continue to amaze me every week! Kudos to them all.
• October 4 Jesus is coming soon...expect more info shortly.

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Let's Meditate: GOD REALLY HEARS US!

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Jeremiah 29: 12 “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

Have you ever talked to someone at a party or gathering whose eyes, even as you speak, are moving across the room, looking for someone more interesting to talk to? Frustrating, isn’t it! When we talk to people we don’t just want to feel tolerated, or even casually listened to. We want to feel that the person we are speaking to is genuinely interested in what we are saying and finds us interesting.

The good news is that when we pray, God doesn’t just tolerate our words. He doesn’t sit up there with a bored expression, waiting for us to finish with what we are saying so He can move on to other more interesting things. Anytime we come to the Lord in prayer, He actively, intensely and attentively focuses on what we say, what we sing, what we think and how we feel. God really hears us! And it doesn’t stop there. Not only does He listen; He also responds to what we have to say, both in His words and in His deeds. We actually influence the actions of Almighty God!

Think about this. The God who created the heavens and the earth, who determines the course of the planets, who originates and sustains the laws that keep the universe – this same God listens to the prayers of one man and He can even change His actions accordingly. That is the privilege we have when we pray to our heavenly Father. We come to God and pour out our hearts to Him and know that He hears us. Our prayers and petitions are capable of moving mountains! Why don’t you talk to Him today about the things that concern you?
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