NEWS
Category : News :
Breakthrough in Jerusalem
August 30, 2007
by Rod Light
Photos by Michael Melahouris
More than 3,000 people from nearly 30 countries gathered in Jerusalem in July for Foursquare's first-ever truly international convention. What they experienced was a significant moment for The Foursquare Church worldwide. An exclusive Advance report.
A pivotal juncture for The Foursquare Church occurred in Jerusalem this summer, July 22-25, when more than 3,000 people from the movement met in the land where Jesus walked. Announced as "The International Congress on Worship, Prayer and our Global Witness," the throng, primarily from Foursquare churches in the U.S., included nearly 500 representatives of another 30 nations.
Dozens of churches hosted tour groups to Israel in conjunction with the event, wonderfully involving a larger than usual number of lay members—a feature that marvelously added vitality to this, Foursquare's annual gathering. By reason of this fact, the spiritual ministry and prophetic spirit emerging from this convention were compounded to even greater significance through the unique blend of leaders and laity in attendance.
A Word for the Foursquare Family
A key highlight of the convention was Pastor Jack Hayford's Monday evening message—a powerful time of ministry that included prophetic direction for the worldwide Foursquare family. As U.S. president of the movement, he framed his message in the words of Scripture: "'You shall receive power ... and you shall be my witnesses ... beginning at Jerusalem'" (see Acts 1:8). Noting Jerusalem as the location of Christ's introduction of the Lord's Table, His crucifixion, His powerful resurrection, His issuing of the Great Commission and His personal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, he called those present to a current, personal and prophetic participation in the spiritual dynamics of each of those "Jerusalem dynamics."
Illustrating the significance of the breakthrough possibilities in such a response, Pastor Hayford related the experience of those present at the former LIFE East campus when two buildings were demolished last April. Sensitively, he explained how an unfinished mosque and minaret remained—left when the preceding owners vacated the property.
He noted the inescapable sense of spiritual warfare all sensed being encountered: "There was a holy electricity in the air," Hayford said of the day, noting how each of the many leaders present discerned that they were encountering more than an ordinary demolition. "After the first building fell, increasingly we recognized we were not merely engaged in a physical demolition. We were addressing a spiritual stronghold."
The 75-foot-high tower, originally erected to serve as a minaret before the site was sold, repeatedly demonstrated remarkable and humanly unexplainable resistance. A cable snapped during one attempt to bring down the tower, but after several obstacles and delays, the structure was finally toppled to the ground.
As a distinct presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit filled the conventional hall, in a definitive declaration, Hayford spoke this prophetic word over The Foursquare Church around the world: "Even as this tower is being toppled, I [the Lord] am setting forward to topple strongholds everywhere throughout this church. Tell the leaders: Rise and receive what I am ready to set in motion where you minister! Stand and embrace the victory I am demonstrating against the darkness now! This is your hour of breakthrough ... It will begin as you believe it ... it will proceed as you move forward in faith.
"It will seem to fall in slow motion. There will be times you wonder if your obstacle has truly begun to fall. As with the contractor's difficulties, you may find delays. But hear the Word of the Scriptures first—the Holy Spirit's word by the apostle Paul, saying: 'For the weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but they are spiritual—casting down imaginations—against arguments of the mind ... against every pretension or high thing that boasts or sets itself up against God'" (see 2 Cor. 10:4-5).
With further exhortation, Hayford continued the call to the whole Foursquare movement: "I want to invite you to rise and join me in receiving the word as it was engraved in my spirit that day: 'Oh, my people! Hear the word of the Lord: The spiritual strongholds that you have faced are beginning to topple ... The Lord your God has set Himself to destroy strongholds, across the nation and around the world. This word is yours to possess as your own promise, according to My Word!'"
Session Highlights
The presence of God was evident from the very beginning of the Jerusalem convention, starting with the traditional Hebrew blessing by a Jerusalem rabbi and the blowing of the shofar by local Israelis. Bridging traditional and contemporary expressions of praise, Foursquare's own Tommy Walker led the convention body into the presence of the Lord. Adding to the rich music ministry were internationally acclaimed artists Ken Medema and Pedro Eustache.
An unusually tender moment occurred as Asher Intrater, a trusted prophetic voice in Israel and director of Revive Israel Ministries, stood to speak and asked his youngest son to pray over him before he began. Intrater's message challenged Christians from around the world to expect a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to move from the past to the present of all God wants to accomplish in their lives and ministries.
Other Israel-based keynote speakers included Ari Sorko-Ram, director of Maoz Israel Ministries, Tel Aviv; David Davis, pastor of Kehilat Ha Carmel (Carmel Assembly), Mount Carmel; Samuel Smadja, a native-born Israeli with more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry in Israel; and Wayne Hilsden, pastor of King of Kings Community in Jerusalem.
Also sharing during the convention was Ishan Ozbek, national Foursquare leader in Turkey. Ozbek shared about his years of religious frustration as a Muslim, and then described a vision he had of light and cloud, in which he heard a voice say, "I am God!" As a result, he began "seeking the God who would speak to him." As he read the New Testament, his life was transformed through Jesus Christ.
The convention body prayed for God's protection over the Ozbek family, who face persecution in their city following the highly publicized martyrdom of two Christian missionaries last spring. Ozbek preached the funeral message for the martyrs, and people around the world who were following the events watched with awe as, only days following the death of these men, their widows publicly forgave the murderers.
Other inspiring testimonies of Middle East ministries were also brought, including Scott Winters, Foursquare missionary serving in Jerusalem, and Elias Malki, founder and president of Middle East Gospel Outreach and a 1956 graduate of LIFE Bible College (now called Life Pacific College).
Grand Commissioning
The final convention session—the Grand Commissioning Assembly—brought ministry from Glenn Burris Jr., vice president/general supervisor of The Foursquare Church, who continued with the text, "' ... witnesses in Jerusalem, unto Judea and Samaria.'" He summarized God's dealing with mankind before Christ, citing the many times God's people were assured of His promise of redemption.
Burris illustrated God's present and parallel faithfulness among us; telling (a) of the 237 couples who stand trained and ready to plant Foursquare churches in the U.S. in the next year; (b) of incredible developments within a Nevada prison where every section of the prison now has a Foursquare mini-church in operation; and (c) of a 3-year-old Foursquare church now operating within a hotel, where the Portland, Ore., police report the church's presence has effectively broken up the city's largest center of methamphetamine distribution.
Looking ahead, Burris also highlighted the Foursquare NextGen Summit '07, coming to Anaheim, Calif., in December, that will network 8,000 young people and leaders to take the message of Jesus' love to a world in need of solutions to problems both needing spiritual dynamics as well as actions of justice and mercy.
He concluded noting how every great work of God began with a promise, and called all to faith and action, believing each one's future ministry will be graced by the same promise.
Mike Larkin, vice-president/director of global operations and missions then proceeded with the final commissioning message. He began by thanking all international leaders in attendance for their grace and partnership with the U.S. church. He then opened the Word, beginning with a personal testimony: a dramatic story from his experience as a police officer, when a desperate father thrust a baby—blue around the lips and clearly dying—into his hands. The riveting incident stirred all present, as Larkin described his sense of God's mercy and grace as he was able to resuscitate the baby before paramedics arrived.
He described the Lord's word to him at that moment, that at every turn of his life, every career decision, his training for law enforcement and every other fact of his life, God was pointing to that moment--that his life was not about him, but had everything to do with the baby girl whose life had just been spared. He applied the encounter to summon our personal motives as those who serve the Lord—called entirely to live for the benefit of others and not for ourselves.
Larkin reported The Foursquare Church today is a movement present in 150 nations of the world. Speaking of the miraculous expansion of the Christian church within countries such as Turkey, Iran and Bahrain, he reminded the delegates that no ideology of man can stop the expansion of the kingdom of God.
As the convention concluded, and just as the disciples in Jerusalem had done 2,000 years ago, the huge delegation of 3,000 were led by Pastor Jack Hayford in a prayerful, powerful and climactic moment, observing communion together.
In conclusion, he invited Ken Medema to minister—a memorable moment as Medema sang a spontaneously composed prophetic summary of the four-day gathering. The song sealed the event—focusing the brand-new day the Lord is bringing to The Foursquare Church; encouraging leaders to be bold and faithful as God reveals His plan for each one in The Foursquare Church; and reminding everyone present of the Lord's word spoken by Pastor Hayford just days before:
"This is your hour of breakthrough ... It will begin as you believe it ... it will proceed as you move forward in faith ... Rise and receive, stand and embrace the victory!"
Rod Light serves The Foursquare Church as ministry specialist in Christian education and as facilitator of National Church Communications. He and his wife, Tanya, live in Arcadia, Calif. You can read detailed reports of each day's services, messages and events during Foursquare's 2007 convention in Jerusalem by logging on to Foursquare's official convention Web site, www.FoursquareConvention.com. An array of photos are also available for viewing.
