Discerning the Times and Season with Drs. Curt and Linda

REGISTRATION HAS BEGUN!

Spring 2011 Covenant Keepers Bible Institute (CKBI)
Class:  MONEY MATTERS
Drs. Curt and Linda Stennis, Instructors

This class will be held each Saturday in June from 8:00 am to 10:00 am at Salvation and Deliverance Ministries International, 1540 N. Spaulding Avenue, Chicago.

The class will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with spending, saving, alternative investing, real estate and so much more.

Topics will include but are not limited to:

• Putting Money in Places that Count
• The Bible Puts Money in the same Category as Wisdom
• The Law of Spending
• The Law of Exchange
• How to Avoid Debt Traps
• The Real Mindset of Millionaires and Billionaires
• You Have the Ability to Produce Wealth
• Money Management and Monthly Budgets
• The Tithe: A Sure Investment

Tuition Cost: $125.00 includes workbook materials and continental breakfast.

Two ways to Register: call 773 227-2500 or salvation@promise7.org

Dear Partners and Friends,

SPREAD THE WORD!

The revised SDMI website (www.promise7.org) is up and running. It’s new and improved featuring easy access to our various other sites, blogs, YouTube and other new video archives. You’ll love our new advertising of announcements too.

This is only the beginning. There is so much more to come so visit and browse often.

Visit our Website at www.promise7.org

OMG!

It really was a blastoff.

Many thanks to the SDMI/ICMF Families, Friends and visitors who were in attendance for this ground breaking event.

The evening began with worship followed by a thunderous introduction of the Phase I Transition Team and Drs. Curt and Linda.

The word of God was quick and powerful along with music, dancing and even some comedy which made for a GOOD, GOOD NIGHT!

I GOTTA FEELING the Oak Brook Wednesday Night services are going to be dynamic and explosive.

Next service is Wednesday April 13 at 7:00 pm. God is doing a new thing and MOMENTUM has shifted in our favor.

The WAVE has come and we are riding the TIDE! ROLL TIDE!

Drs. Stennis shared an encouraging Word regarding “Resting in our Season of Jubilee” at 8:00 a.m.  “For because of our Faith, God has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we stand.” (Romans 5:1 – TLB).  In the midst of any tribulation, rest in the hope of His Promises.

Breakthrough Service (11:00 a.m.) was an awesome Healing Service with Dr. Edgar Gonzalez from Puerto Rico.  Many received healing from diseases and afflictions after we embraced the miracle of Luke 7:11-15.  We give thanks for the great outpouring of compassion!

ON THE WAY TO OAKBROOK – MOVING FORWARD

Jubilee – Forward March!

Behold, I will do a “new thing”; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19

Yesterday we declared by the unction of the Holy Spirit that God is doing a “new thing.”

This is a season of change and transition locally, globally, and spiritually (for the Body of Christ).

Great comfort and encouragement came to deliver those facing emotional and physical situations.

God said “Awake, awake, put on thy strength. Shake thy self from the dust and arise.” Isaiah 52:1-2

This season of Jubilee represents Restoration, Restitution,
Revival, Redemption,
and Rest.

Comfort has come!
Hope has come!
The wait is over!
Run with the Vision!

FORWARD MARCH!

Job 22:28 “Thou shalt decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee, and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”

This statement was made by one of Job’s friends during the worst crisis a human being could experience. Job had lost his possessions, his ten children, and his health (Job chaps 1 and 2). From a worldly natural perspective, there was nothing left worth living for. Job was sitting in a dirt pile scratching burning boils with broken pottery and a wife trying to convince him to go ahead and curse his God and die!

Yet in the midst of his troubles, his friend exhorts him to “decree his change!”

The word “decree” means to make a proclamation. In Hebrew, the root word is amar, which means “to speak”. So by extension, this verse could say, “Thou shalt decree a word.” And what kind of word are you going to decree? “A word” of change. Speak a word of change! The Greek language has two words that are most commonly used for “word”. One word is logos, and the other is rhema.

According to W.E. Vines, the Greek word rhema is not the whole Bible, but a specific word given by God for a specific time and a specific season and a specific situation. We would call this Restoration in Progress Series a rhema. It’s a word that sets your heart on fire with expectation and faith and power to believe God! That rhema is anointed by the Holy Spirit to bring you faith for your miracle and for your change! When God gives a word (rhema) like this, it is up to you to decree it by faith, and that’s what we are encouraging you to do today! Decree your change, decree your restoration!

In Job 22:28 the word “thing” (decree a thing) is the Hebrew word yesh and means “substance”. When God gives us a rhema word, it is a word of substance.

Remember, not everyone who hears the same message responds in the same way. Some people soak up every word preached and some will have other things on their mind while the word is being declared and proclaimed. The Holy Sprit causes the word to come alive in your heart and you receive a “revelation” of the word.” The carnal mind cannot understand spiritual things. Spiritual truth must be discerned and understood by the Holy Spirit, and God is revealing to you what you need to do to receive your restoration!

Job was in a mess. This wealthy man had lost his wealth, his health, his home and his ten children. Yet in the midst of this great trial a word came to him telling him to “decree a thing”. In essence that word was telling him if he would believe God and decree a thing (substance), he would have plenty of gold and silver again and receive back all that he lost. As we examine the final chapter of the book of Job, we read where the “Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends, also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10)

Job 42:11 reveals that Job’s brothers and sisters came to him and every man gave him a piece of money and every one an earring of gold. This gold and silver became enough for Job to invest in live stock again, and God doubled his blessing in the end of the trial and gave him twice as much in the end.

Restoration is Still in Progress!

Here is a sample of the testimonies that are coming in during this season.

• Marriages are being restored.
• Promotions and significant increases have come.
• Transportation (new vehicles) are being released.
• Open doors (opportunities to preach the gospel) are increasing.
• Several people have received physical healing from previous conditions in their bodies.
• Backsliders are being restored in their relationship with Jesus.

Decree Your Change Today!

Joel 2:18-25:  “Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people . . .“And I will restore to you the years that the locust have eaten.”

Restoration is in Progress!

This is a prophetic word from the Lord! Your restoration is in progress! It is happening now! It has been set in motion by the Holy Spirit and you just need to know that!

You need to know what to expect from God. This 2^nd chapter gives us a very good description of what we can expect to take place in our lives. It tells us some of the things we can expect from God. Verses 19-29 gives us that description.

God moves in times and seasons. He is a very timely God! He orders seasons to come into our lives, and although we pray and cry out to God for help, for healing, for increase, for answers to prayer, they will come to manifestation all in God’s time and season!

So we need to rejoice and be glad, just like the scripture tells us because – Restoration is in progress! Go ahead and get the party horns and streamers ready! Go ahead and hang out your sign – The Party Is Here!

Do you not know that God loves to throw a party? That’s why he told the children of Israel not to forget certain days but to observe them and celebrate them with a feast! So yes, God loves throwing a party! He established seven feasts for Israel to remember. Each year there were seven major feasts the Hebrew people celebrated. Some lasted for the full day, and others lasted for up to one week!

The feasts centered around the time of seed planting, harvest and rain.

Here are the SEVEN FEASTS:

• Passover (The 14^th day of the 1^st month).
• Unleavened Bread (The 15^th- 21^st day of the 1^st month).
• Feast of First Fruits (The 1^st Sunday after Passover).
• The Feast of Pentecost (50 days after First Fruit).
• The Feast of Trumpets (The 1^st day of the 7^th month).
• The Day of Atonement (The 10^th day of the 7^th month).
• The Feast of Tabernacles (Begins the 15^th – 21^st day of the 7^th month).

During the course of a year, the spring, summer and fall months were times when the Hebrews enjoyed these celebrations. These feasts were reminders of past victories and prophecies of future blessings.

Besides the seven major festivals there are several minor festivals and holidays.

There are also two main rainy seasons in Israel. One begins in the winter months and continues into the early spring, and the other begins in the fall and moves toward the winter months. One is called the early rain and the other is called the latter rain. These are also known as the autumn and the spring rains. These two rainy seasons are separated by several months of hot dry summer weather and very little rain.

In the spiritual sense the rain represents the Holy Spirit. The coming of the rain is a “type” of the coming out pouring of the Holy Spirit. Both Joel and James prophesied about this rain which would come. (Joel 2:23. and James 5:7)

Scripture can have a dual application – first the natural and then the spiritual. Most of us experience seasons of “refreshing” but between these seasons of refreshing, are seasons of drought. We know that dry seasons will pass with time and the drought is over! Restoration is in Progress!

“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.” – Joel 2:21

Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified Version)
“Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the convictions of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses).”

God wants you to know that your next level blessing will require the next level of faith!

Key Points

• The faith we operated in during the last season will not be sufficient for the task or the blessing God has for us in this new season.  Our faith should always be growing.
• The challenges that we face today require our faith to grow. No longer can we ride on the accomplishments of previous years.  Thank God for them, but its time to go from faith to faith and glory to glory (Romans 1:17) which means new (next) level faith is imperative.
• The next level faith sometimes requires you to do something that appears unreasonable.  Abraham was called to leave his homeland, not knowing where he was going.  The Lord commanded him, and by faith, he was to journey to a new place God would show him (Genesis 12).  To the natural mind, that kind of action is unreasonable.  Abraham obeyed and the rest (blessing) is history!
• Faith never operates in the realm of the possible.  God will usually require you to do something that you seemingly cannot do, but faith begins where our power ends.  If what you need or desire is possible for you to acquire or accomplish, faith is not necessary.
• The next level blessing will also require a new sacrifice.  It will require our faith to grow.  Faith is like a muscle that can be strengthened.  If we do not use a muscle, it becomes weak and flabby.  However, if we exercise that muscle, it becomes stronger and is capable of doing more than it did before exercising.  So it’s time to exercise our faith by putting in action what we’ve been taught, what we’ve heard and read.

Here are ways to help our FAITH grow:

Keep hope alive!

• Athletes have a goal that cheers them on.  They will do whatever it takes to cross the goal line and win the victory.  They will submit to whatever training is required in order to win.  The prize is always before them, calling them forth.
• People who are satisfied with the routine of daily living will never be among the ranks of the winners.  It’s time to experience the extraordinary and get out of the box.
• The men and women of the Bible did not become champions of faith in a single moment.  They exercised their faith against all odds and were later recognized as giants of faith.
• Refuse to settle for ordinary.  Go to the next level.  A champion does not become a champion in the ring… he is simply recognized there.

Perseverance is another way to exercise our faith.  Often we find people who start well.  The challenge comes in continuing to be faithful to the end and persevering at all times.

• Isaiah 40:31 “Yet those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength.”
• A certain level of faith is required for mounting up.

Vision for the end is needed in exercising our faith.

• Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time, it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.  Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
• The blessing and the victory belong to those who do not quit before the manifestation of God’s promise.
• Our faith has to go to another level. This is where God reveals Himself to us in a new way.

God is preparing the church for an awesome movement of His spirit.  Our timing and posture are vital to the success of this move.  We must position ourselves and anticipate this mighty wave of the Holy Spirit because a wave is “rising”.

The first “wave” at Pentecost quickly overtook the world.  There is a wave of the Apostolic rising again!  This wave will be similar to the outpouring at Pentecost.  The presence of this wave will be felt across the earth.

The church is going to be activated again and revival shall sweep across the nations of the earth.  We will witness the kind of miracles, signs, and wonders that followed the first century apostles.  Ultimately, apostolic people will walk in apostolic power.  The sick and the oppressed will be healed and delivered in large numbers and many will hear the gospel and be converted.  A great harvest of souls is coming in through this wave of the Holy Spirit.  The wave of the apostolic is upon us and rising and shall shape this new millennium.

Peter remarks in Acts Chapter 2 , verses 15-21, that there would be a continuation of this outpouring in the generations to come.  “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call”.  So the promise of Joel was for future generations as well.  This wave of the apostolic is mounting again in our generation as God commands us.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people, but God will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1, 2)

The church is arising from slumber to a fresh new anointing!