Joe Kamanda Blog

Jesus Is Still Alive and Doing Well

2010-03-05T10:49:00.003-06:00

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!

2009-10-15T10:55:00.002-05:00

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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!

2009-10-01T21:19:00.005-05:00

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.

THE 6 BENEFITS OF GIVING

2009-09-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

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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

2009-09-17T18:28:00.011-05:00

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

2009-09-14T19:51:00.004-05:00

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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.

Let's Meditate: GOD REALLY HEARS US!

2009-09-10T09:11:00.004-05:00

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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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I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU

2009-09-10T07:03:00.001-05:00

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I just learned that there are more people out there who are reading this blog than I first thought. Now, I want to hear from you all. If you are out there, and you feel that this blog is being a blessing to you in any form or shape, please post a comment and let me know you are out there. I would love to hear from you.

Blessings,
Pastor Joe K.

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-08-30T22:26:00.005-05:00

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I know I've been absent in the blog world. A lot have been happening at Schekina that is keeping me so busy that I'm even forgetting to eat! Can you imagine that?

We finally launched our church office earlier this month. It's so amazing how much can be accomplished when you have 3 full time staff! We are still working on a few things to make things flow. We will talk more about the office later.
I finished our 6 messages series: "Sur Le Chemin De Ta Gloire". We have it on a 6-pack CD offer. Let me just say that everyone who reads this blog should call our office (847-328-4335) and order your copy. It's only $25 and it's worth every penny! Once again, call our church office and order your copy today!
Today I was invited to preach at Christ Pentecostal International Church pastored by my dear friend Pastor Isaac Trawick. I love it when God decides to show up mightly in the midst of His people. It was good to see about 95% of the church coming forward for special prayer. We give God all the glory.

DON'T MISS CHURCH TOMORROW

2009-08-08T20:42:00.003-05:00

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Schekina, I wanted to remind you all not to miss church tomorrow no matter what. I mean...use whatever legal and holy means necessary not to miss church tomorrow. We are going to take it another notch with high praise, deep worship and a special word that the Lord laid on my heart to finish our series: "On The Road To Your Glory" (Sur la route de ta gloire).

Make sure you be there early...we are starting at 11:00 sharp.

See you in His presence

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SCC PRESENTS JOSHUA GENERATION - FULL SWING

2009-08-01T22:22:00.006-05:00

For those of you who are not too familiar with Joshua Generation; this is the Youth Ministry of Schekina Christian Center, it's led by Brother Moise Wetu and his wife Sister Nadia Wetu; they are both doing a great Job leading the Schekina youth.

This is their first ever event and it looks like something big is happening there. There going to be something for everyone: Music, Dance, Drama, Comedy, Food,,,and according to my sources, they will also have a FASHION SHOW??? Well, we all need to wear some jeans and plan on being there and have some fun.

A BUSY WEEK

2009-07-28T14:46:00.017-05:00

The past two weeks have been quite busy...at times way too busy. I will try to summarize it in a few points (you should know by now that I love bullet points):

The 3 Days of Impartation with Pastor FreddyShembo went better than I expected. It's great when the Almighty God decides to rock your world. That's exactly what God did to my world. Pastor Shembo preached in a way that I've never heard him preach before. On Sunday which was the last day, he preached for almost 150 minutes (you heard me right...about TWO AND HALF HOURS); the amazing thing was no one noticed. By the time it was all done, the people wanted more!!! That's what I call hunger and thirst after the Word of God. Schekina, I've never been so proud of you than i'm now. Kudos to you all. Pictures coming soon.
Last Thursday (July 23) was my birthday, that's right, I became one year older than I was on Wednesday. My wify took me out for lunch...

Look closely at the middle picture and don't panic! What you see there is a special dish from Thailand...white rice, beef, some vegetable, and all of that dumped in a a sea of peanut butter sauce...hum! yummy!

I decided to take the rest of the week off setting up some personnal goals for my new year. This time, I decided to go bold on some things that the Lord laid on my heart. There are some dreams and visions that I want to see coming to pass before my next birthday by God's grace.
I was surprised on Sunday with a birthday celebration that went really well. Some of us senior pastors, we tend not to like surprises too much...but this one was a pleasant surprise. Thank you all for the outstanding work you did. God bless you abundantly.

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-07-12T20:15:00.004-05:00

What a DAY!!!!!
I think we had a very powerful service today.
It wasn’t because of the music or the teaching…there was a mighty visitation of the Holy Spirit in the room today.
I love it when Pastor Ida (my lovely wife) prays for our people…she prayed for more than 30 people today (one by one) and it was great watching her cry out to God to bless His people.
So many new people are visiting and deciding to make Schekina their church home!
God is stirring my heart on some big time things on how we are going to impact our city for the glory of God.
3 Days of Impartation With Pastor Freddy Shembo start this Friday at 6:00pm…you can not afford to miss it. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you don't miss out: 1) Ask a day off 2) Leave work early 3) Close your business early 4) Take a vacation day 5) use whatever legal and holy means necessary to be at church this weekend. You won’t regret it.
Please don’t come alone! Bring your husband or wife, bring your best friend, bring your aunty or uncle, your nephew or niece…just bring somebody with you; they will thank you for it. And make sure you tell them your Pastor sent you :-)

3 DAYS OF IMPARTATION With Pastor Freddy Shembo

2009-07-10T20:52:00.010-05:00

I can not stress this enough, folks, you need to make plans to attend this conference. For those of you who are not familiar with our guest speaker for this event, please check out this website (www.montcarmel.org) to get a little glimpse on this powerful man of God.

Pastor Freddy Shembo is a great teacher of the Word and very few people can break the Word the way he can. He has a special gift of making the Word of God relevant for the everyday believer.

Make sure you don't come alone. Bring your family and friends and be ready to be impacted forever.

Dates:

Friday, July 17 @ 6:00pm
Saturday, July 18 @ 6:00pm
Sunday, July 19 @ 11:00am

Venue: GLORY HOUSE - 723 Howard St, Evanston, IL 60073

PS: If you need transportation, please call us and we will make sure you get picked up

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GOD IS REALLY GOOD! Part II

2009-07-10T20:45:00.003-05:00

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I have just become aware of some divine favour that has been happening to me that I have not consciously acknowledged. You know how we all tend to see what we need as against seeing what God is providing. We are more aware sometimes of our needs than our blessings. More aware of what Satan is doing than God. I believe that is why we see more of the enemy's activities in many more lives than God's. If you have been giving Satan all the attention and focus, repent and stop it. Give God glory.

Lately some heightened favour began to come my way and it prompted me to do some checking on the subject and that is why I am writing. For me it is more like when I first learnt about the power of praise and tried it expecting to see immediate results, which did not happen. Never give up on God's truth just because you did not get results immediately. Keep at it and let the reality grow within you and you will see results. I had a similar experience with Divine Favour when I first seriously heard of it.

Now I am sure of its availability and God's willingness to bestow it on us as we position for this flow in our lives. I want you to trust God for favour in every area of your life. Your first encounter with truth will not always produce revelation but as you stay in fellowship with truth, revelation will flow and you will experience truth. A life of obedience will surelyopen you to an outpouring of Divine Favour.

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GOD IS REALLY GOOD!

2009-07-09T14:17:00.004-05:00

"Then He said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." Exodus 33:19

I’ve been meditating on the goodness of God everyday this week and the more I meditate on it, the more I’m blown away at how God has been good to me and to everyone around me.

You know, God's goodness is expressed through His mercy. We tend to talk about the Lord's mercy only in relation to His salvation plan providing for our rescue from the bondage of sin. But most of us fail to realize that God’s mercy also responds to our everyday hearts’ cries. Do you remember the blind beggar, Bartmaeus, who cried out to Jesus for mercy, and the Lord responded by healing the man's eyes. That was a show of God’s goodness.

And how many times have we cried out to Him to deliver us, to save us or to remember us, only to find out that our answer was on its way even before we finish our prayer! God has been good to us indeed!

So today, I would like to encourage someone out there…to look beyond the material possessions you may or may not have. Look beyond the friends you may or may not have. Look beyond the job you may or may not have. Look beyond the healing you may or may not have; and thank God for His goodness to you.

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SCC Presents 3 DAYS OF IMPARTATION

2009-07-09T08:00:00.005-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

I would like to invite you to a time of impartation at Schekina.

Join us and your life will never be the same.

Our guest speaker will be the one and only

Pastor Freddy Shembo

(from Charlotte, NC

See you in his presence,

Pastor Joe Kamanda

FATHER'S DAY CELEBRATION AT SCHEKINA (PICTURES)

2009-06-29T15:40:00.003-05:00

Schekina celebrated a awesome father's day with a great service all led by women in action then the entire church headed to the park by lake Michigan for a great BBQ.

Click here to see pictures (worship service by women in action)
Click here to see pictures (BBQ)

PRAYER WORKS!

2009-06-29T14:52:00.001-05:00

Something holy is happening at Schekina! It looks like everyone I talk to or everywhere I go, people are fasting and praying. Our 21 days of fasting and praying have spark a fire in our people’s heart; a number of our people have either restarted their fast or decide to go on an additional 7 day-fast…it’s amazing!!

This morning I was visited by 2 brothers from the church who came not to visit but to spend some times in prayer with me! Folks, I smell revival here!

You know, Jesus’ life was saturated with prayer. When you read the scriptures, you will always see Him going from prayer session to healing the sick, from prayer session to casting out devils, from prayer session to raising the dead…Jesus was a man of prayer. It was in a prayer meeting that the New Testament Church was birthed.

Dynamic churches all over the world today (in America, Africa, Europe or Asia) are those who devote themselves to intense prayer, because prayer works. Schekina, get ready to shake the throne of the Most High God like never before. We will pray, pray and pray some more…the reason is a very simple one: PRAYER WORKS.

Join us this Wednesday at 7:00pm for a glorious time in the presence of the Lord.

ALL NIGHT PRAYER (VEILLEE DE PRIERE) PICTURES

2009-06-22T14:50:00.017-05:00

As I said, I'm still speechless about this past weekend at Schekina. Here are some moments captured by our media ministry:

Brother Moise Wetu shook the house with a timely message: "It is finished". Brother Moise is among a generation of new ministers God is raising up at Schekina...I'm very proud of them.

Per divine instruction, we sealed our 21 days of open heaven with communion. At this point things reached the boiling point. Let it be noted that on this night, God made a special covenant between Himself and His Church (Schekina).

The service ended with a special blessing for everyone who attended. It was a very powerful moment.

Click here to see more pictures. Enjoy!

I'M SPEECHLESS

2009-06-20T17:27:00.004-05:00

Our All Night Prayer (Veillee De Priere) last night was nothing short of incredible! We started around 10:45pm last night and by the time we left the building around 5:50am, my voice was fried, I was literally speechless...I like the way one Generation Joshua young man put it: "God rocked my world!" Praise God Almighty!

This was the largest crowd we ever had on a Friday All Night Prayer. Pictures coming soon.

PS: Tomorrow is our double dip celebration: End of Fast and Fathers' Day...you do not want to miss Fathers' Day Celebration tomorrow. Come early so you don't miss out!

21 DAYS OF OPEN HEAVEN - Some Pictures...

2009-06-19T09:56:00.002-05:00

These are some moments during our 21 day fasting and praying...

For more pictures... CLICK HERE

21 DAYS OF OPEN HEAVEN - Day 17

2009-06-17T14:47:00.007-05:00

This is our theme for today...we are believing God for supernatural, sweatless victories tonight. It's about time for people of God to stand for their inheritance and take charge of their lives.

Join us tonight as we wait upon the Lord in prayer and fasting. VICTORY IS OURS TONIGHT!.

Verses Of The Day: Matthew 16:18-19; Isaiah 54:1-6

See you tonight in His presence

IS MY FAITH BIG ENOUGH?

2009-06-16T14:39:00.005-05:00

This is the question I woke up with this morning...

Is my faith big enough to trust God for the most ridiculously immense thing that I'm getting ready to ask Him?
Is my faith big enough that God can trust me with the biggest assignment of my life?
Is my faith big enough to withstand any storms that may come my way?
Is my faith as big as the tiny grain of a mustard seed?

WHEN YOU SEE AND HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE THIS VIDEO, IT JUST MAKES YOU WAKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND WONDER...is my faith big enough to believe God for what no man has ever accomplished?

What about you? have you ever wondered if your faith is big enough?

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-06-14T23:07:00.003-05:00

"It's amazing what the Lord is doing at Schekina!" this thought has been on my mind all evening today.
It was another expectation-exceeding Sunday at Schekina. Attendance was great...packed house, Bro. Jimmy wasn't in today, so Brother Hans and the Schekina Praise Team rocked the house. There is this new praise song from Cameroon that I'm liking alot .
I continue to thank God for all those who serve on a weekly basis at Schekina, Thank you from the bottom of my heart; Schekina would not be where we are without your support.
Today I preached on Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (I will need to double check that spelling :-))...I hope everyone was encouraged to keep on keeping on and finish strong.
We just realized today that Schekina has topped the 200 active members mark, although our weekly average attendance is a little lower than that. We still have a way to go to reach the 500 mark as the Lord promised. Thank you Lord.
Women In Action (our women ministry) are on fire!! Fathers' day this year will be unbelievable (come back for more info this week)
I loved seeing the spiritual hunger in the house today.
Tomorrow, we start our final week of the 21 day fast. This will be a week of miracles and wonders for our church. I invite everyone who read this blog to join us...God might surprise you!

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-06-07T22:06:00.004-05:00

POWERFUL & AWESOME DAY!
I don’t know if I have ever preached as hard as I preached today. I have literally walked off the stage feeling like I’ve been hit by a 18 wheeler.
Speaking about Faith, Victory, Destiny and Spiritual warfare is my passion.
I felt a strong leading of the Holy Spirit to give an opportunity for people who needed a miracle within the next 5 days…and we had over 50 people come forward for prayer! I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR TESTIMONIES OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD OVER OUR PEOPLE!
Schekina is an awesome place to be in! What God is doing here at times leaves me speechless. We are literally an international church with 12-14 nations represented every Sunday morning.
Schekina Praise Team was once again at their best. Bros. Hans and Serge performed “Il Parle Aujourd’hui De Toi” one of my favorite songs (I have about 45 favorite songs J) . As a matter of fact, I tried to sing the song while preaching about David…Let me just say…I tried!!
Attendance was awesome. The room was packed with spiritually hungry folks ready for a divine visitation.
Our Attendance and membership have almost triple within the last 7 months! God is seriously up to something here!!
Did I mention that we had our membership class today? This was the last session of the class. Bro. Jean Claude was great delivering the course. Graduation is coming soon.
Word is going around that Women In Action (the women ministry of Schekina) is preparing for a never-seen before father’s day celebration. I can’t wait to see the outcome!
Have you ever looked at your kids and feel blown away by how fast they are growing up?
DON’T FORGET WEEK 2 OF OUR 21 DAY FAST START TOMORROW AT 10:30AM. We will pray and fast for our families here in America or everywhere else they may be.

21 Days Of Open Heaven - Day 3

2009-06-03T18:26:00.002-05:00

Theme Of The Day: JERICHO MUST FALL (Warefare)
Verses Of The Day: 2 Corinthiens 10:3-6 , Isaiah 54:14-17 , Joshua 6:1-2

21 Days Of Open Heaven

2009-06-03T18:15:00.004-05:00

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-05-26T09:20:00.005-05:00

I will try my best to post Sunday Night Reflections on Sunday evenings so they are fresh and warm for you. These are simply thoughts running through my head that one day I can look back and remember where I was mentally during this time.

This past Sunday was as a great one…we were a little low on attendance because some of our folks stayed over the weekend with Maman Emie Kutino at Champaign.
I attended the Saturday night service at Stone Creek Church where Maman Emie ministered. Schekina was well represented by about 20 people. I can not say it enough…I’m proud of you Schekina, very proud! Kudos to Pastor Guy Lombela who did a great job organizing the event. I really enjoyed myself.
Let me say it again: This past Sunday was great. We talked about “Fight A Good Fight”
We dedicated baby Canaan Mpelosi…a real cutie.
We are preparing for our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting…it’s going to be a blast. Please plan on joining us, you won't regret it. June 1st to June 21st, 2009.
To all of you who attend Schekina, be prepared to be blown away by what lays ahead of us.
Now, remember to fight the good fight of faith, keeping your faith and good mental state of mind, and the Lord will see you through every situation you face. Your enemies are being repositioned and set up by Almighty God to work for your benefits.

MAXIMIZING YOUR POTENTIAL

2009-05-21T14:11:00.004-05:00

Recently I started analyzing some of the major Biblical characters who didn’t reach their full potential in God. My goal is to identify the factors that limited them from maximizing their potential in their gifts and calling.

Although I’m still researching this, but so far I’ve noted 3 major categories. I’m sure there are more, but this is a fine framework for me:

1. Blatant sin/disobedience (the kind that disqualifies)
2. Unbelief - wavering at the promise of God.
3. Distraction & Lack of Commitment - a divided heart

I want more than anything to pour out every last drop of potential God has poured into me. By the grace of God, I am determined to come as close to maximizing my full potential as a Husband, Father, Minister of the Gospel, a Pastor and of course as a simple human being. What about you?

21 DAYS OF OPEN HEAVEN

2009-05-20T11:52:00.011-05:00

As we are getting ready to embark on a journey with God in prayer and fasting, I'm excited for what the future is holding for our church family. I believe that there is great power in the principles of prayer with fasting. But so many people either ignore fasting (“it’s not for me”), or they just misunderstand what fasting is all about.

During our 21 Days Of Open Heaven (as we fast and pray), we will develop this subject in great details. Here are some of the topics we will touch on:

1. The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting
2. The 10 Things Fasting Will Do For You
3. Why Should We Pray and Fast
4. Open Heaven

Plan on joining us Monday thru Friday, from June 1-June 21, 2009.

Morning sessions at 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Evening sessions at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm.
Sundays at 11:00 am.

Venue: Glory House - 723 Howard Street, Evanston, IL 60202.

SUNDAY NIGHT REFLECTIONS

2009-05-17T22:18:00.003-05:00

Awesome weekend at Schekina
Maman Emie Kutino preached a terrific sermon yesterday titled: Mon Cas Est Different (My Case is Different); and today, she shook the place with "Je Desire Le Meilleur De Dieu" (I Desire the Best Of The Lord".
Schekina Praise Team was at their best today with some of their best and most popular songs.
I consider Schekina to be one of the best places of worship in Chicago; as a matter of fact, I believe we are one of the fastest growing churches in the city of Evanston, Illinois.
I'm so humbled by the grace of God upon our Church. Thank you Lord
I said it before and let me say it again, Schekina has the best volunteer group in the entire world. May be I'm exaggerating a little....but believe me, Pastor Ida and I have some of the smartest and anointed people in the country around us right now. If you are reading this blog and you serve at Schekina, I want you know how grateful I am to have you in the team.
The church is growing so fast that we need some new and powerful sound equipments.
God is up to something here.
We need some volunteers for our Transportation Ministry. We just purchased a church van and drivers are needed. If you are interested to know more, please contact us asap.
I am tired after a beautiful and long weekend.

Heaven On Earth (Ciel Ouvert) Coming Soon

2009-05-15T22:06:00.001-05:00

- Just got back from a very productive day. Days like this make it all worth it...worth the sleepless nights, the palm sweating (if you know what i mean)... All I can say is THANK YOU, LORD!!

- All of you who attend Schekina, be prepared for God is getting ready to blow your mind.

- I really love pastoring Schekina, a great church full of imperfect people that love Jesus and love one another with passion.

- Heaven On Earth Conference starts in less than 24 hours. Make sure you come ready to receive a overflowing, overpowering, overtaking, mind blowing blessing from above.

FULL PACKED DAY TODAY!!

2009-05-15T08:04:00.001-05:00

1. I'm getting my daily dose of Dr. IV Hilliard's preaching ministry on The Word Network. If you never heard this great man of God, please check him out and you will not be disappointed. I really consider myself a sermon junkie...there are preachers that I listen to every single day: Dr. Creflo Dollar, Dr. IV Hilliard, Apostle KC Price....

2. I have a breakfast meeting with Bishop Emie who just landed yesterday. I look forward to it.

3. There are some activities going on in the church as well in preparation for "The Heaven On Earth" Conference: Prayer, Rehearsal, meeting...

4. Then I will have to answer to my fatherhood duties at Angel and JJ's school tonight. They have a play and they need their daddy by their side.

5. For all of you who call Schekina your home, make sure you invite your families and friends to the conference tomorrow. Take my word for it, it's going to be unforgettable.

Bishop Emie Kutino Is Coming To Schekina

2009-05-14T19:57:00.001-05:00

For those of you who do not know this mighty woman of God, let me just say you NEED to come and experience it for yourself. She is one of those people that electrify the room every time she is preaching.

The first time she visited us was last year, and that was the first time I ever heard her preach. Man, we were surely blessed and impacted.

If you live in the Chicagoland area and just visiting the city, you can not afford to miss the opportunity to hear one of God's generals. Leave and comment and let me know you're joining us this weekend (Saturday, May 16 @ 6:00pm & Sunday, May 17 @ 11:00am)

Welcome To The Blog World

2009-05-14T19:53:00.001-05:00

I waited for way too long, so here I am, Blog World. I'm sure it's going to be fun.

More coming soon...