Cross SUMMER 2010

Israel’s Right
To The Land
Zionism
Will Prevail
Stockton, CA
Landmark Conference 2010
Highlights
 From the Editor»

Contents»

I
n this issue we have taken time to
highlight several of our students
at Christian Life College who are
a representation of many of our young
adults who deeply love God and are se-
rious about their studies of Scripture. We
also wanted to make you aware of vari-
ous functions which have taken place at
Christian Life Ministry. Each article is
a reflection of the belief system of our
college and church. It is our desire that
you will be blessed in some measure as
you read through this magazine.
The time is rather short in view of
the imminent rapture of the church. Our
beloved nation has lost its innocence,
and life will never be the same. At this
point in time only eternal things really LOOKING FOR THAT BLESSED
matter: a pure heart, relationship with
HOPE | 4
God, prayer and fasting as we minister
Several views on the time-frame of the
to the Lord, sound doctrine, faithfulness
rapture of the church
to the house of God, holiness without
which no one shall see God, and love of
family and fellow believers. May we be TRUSTING GOD | 6
ready to meet our Lord Jesus when He Communication and relationship with God
calls His bride home to the city He has
prepared for us. Maranatha!
BIBLE COLLEGE | 9
Nathaniel K. Haney The value of attending Christian Life
College
STUDENT VOICES | 10
Christian Life College students talk about
their experiences at CLC

THE HAND THAT

HOLDS THE PLUG | 16
Developing a passion for truth in the heart
of your child
10 27
REPENT | 20
An examination of the application of the
cross in a believer’s life

ISRAEL’S RIGHT
TO THE LAND | 22
In spite of the Gentile world’s opposition
against Israel, Zionism will prevail

LANDMARK RECAP | 27
Highlights from Landmark Conference 2010
COVER PHOTO: AP PHOTO/HATEM MOUSSA

Published by EDITOR Nathaniel K. Haney No articles may be reprinted in whole or in

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Christian Life Ministry
9025 West Lane
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® 209.957.4027
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DESIGN DIRECTOR Joshua Rivas of the Cross.
DESIGN ASSISTANT Kathy DeLaRosa
STAFF WRITERS Eli Lopez, Kim Haney
THE CROSS STAFF Vicki Ogden,
Nancy Hunt, Regina Lopez

SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 3

 LOOKING FOR THAT
BLESSED HOPE
Pre-Trib or Post-Trib?
By PHILLIP A. DUGAS
Phillip Dugas resides in Portland, Oregon
and is pastor of Abundant Life Church. He is
an ordained minister of the United Pentecos-
tal Church, Int’l and has earned an M.A. in
Exegetical Theology.
“Looking for that blessed hope and the
glorious appearing of the great God and
our Savior, Jesus Christ who gave himself
for us that he might redeem us from all
iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar
people zealous of good works.”
Titus 2:13-14
T
here are several views on the
time-frame of the rapture of the
church -- pre-tribulation, mid-
tribulation or post-tribulation. What are
some of those views and what does the
Bible teach?
PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE VIEWS
In the 1800’s, both C.I. Scofield and
J.N. Darby, the leader of the Plymouth
Brethren in England were outstanding
students of the Bible. They taught the pre-
tribulation rapture of the church, based
upon the clear teaching of the Scriptures.
In the late 1800’s there were a number
of conferences held on prophecy and the
second coming of the Lord. Outstanding
Bible scholars gathered to research and
discuss these vital issues. Out of these
conferences came the Scofield Bible
(KJV), which contributed greatly to the
spread of the pre-tribulation rapture teach-
4 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
ing through the marginal notes. These tribulation judgments even began. This
notes were not the product of one man’s could only be the church, for they are “re-
thinking. A number of men contributed. deemed out of every kindred, and tongue,
What is the alternative to the pre- and people and nation”.
tribulation rapture of the church? The The failure to distinguish between
alternative is post-tribulation rapture, God’s program for national Israel and
which simply stated means the church the church leads to the post-tribulation
will go through the time of great tribula- rapture view. God’s purpose in the earth
tion, which precedes the return of Christ today is to “gather out of the Gentiles a
to the earth. This is the time when the people for His name”, the church (Acts
antichrist will reign. Indescrib-
able judgments will come on
the earth, and men will not be
able to buy or sell without the
mark of the beast.
But is this the blessed
hope of the church? Did Jesus
not really mean what he said
in Luke 21:36, “Watch ye
therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these
things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of
man”? What about I Thes-
salonians 5:9, “For God hath
not appointed us to wrath,
but obtain salvation (rescue,
safety) by our Lord Jesus
Christ?” Continuing on,
verse 11 states, “Wherefore
comfort yourselves together,
and edify one another, even as
also ye do.”
How can this be a mes-
sage of comfort if this verse
indicates that we are to go
through the tribulation (as taught by 15:14). The primary purpose of the
some)? The promise to the church in Rev- tribulation period is to prepare Israel to
elation 3:10 is to be kept from the hour of receive her Messiah, Jesus Christ, at his
temptation (tribulation), which is to come second coming, and to set up the millen-
upon all the world. In Revelation 4 and nial kingdom.
5, John was caught up to heaven and saw Clearly the scriptures teach that the
a multitude of people that had already church is to return with Christ at that
been redeemed from the earth before the event. The church began on the Day of
Pentecost with the sound of a rushing
mighty wind. The next event to take place
for the church is that it will be caught up
at the sound of the trumpet to meet the
Lord in the air. Following the rapture, the
church will appear before the judgment
seat of Christ. After that will be the mar-
riage supper. Then the church will return
with Christ to the earth to rule and reign
with him during the millennial age. The
Church indeed does have a blessed hope,
but it does not include participation in the
tribulation.
POST-TRIBULATION RAPTURE VIEWS
In the book, “The Incredible Cover-
Up”¹ the author attempts to discredit
the pre-tribulation rapture by trying to
show that this idea started from a de-
mon possessed woman named Marga-
ret McDonald, who was a member of
Edward Irving’s church in Scotland in the
1830’s. Margaret supposedly gave forth a
prophetic utterance which indicated that
certain people would escape the tribula-
tion by being caught up to meet the Lord.
Edward Irving was a man ahead of the
times. He believed in the apostolic gifts,
and people spoke in tongues and were
healed in his meetings. For this he was
banned from the ministry. We who are
Apostolic can understand that Margaret
McDonald was not demon possessed, but
rather was filled with the Holy Ghost. As
such, it is very possible that the revelation
she received was from God. That revela-
tion opened up insight on the scriptures
that had been hidden for centuries.
A similar event occurred at the world-
wide Pentecostal camp meeting held in
Arroyo Seco, California in 1913. The fol-
lowing is a quote from the book “United
We Stand” ², by Arthur L. Clanton, page
15: “In this camp meeting there was a
man by the name of John G. Scheppe,
who spent an entire night in prayer. Dur-
ing the night, God revealed to him the
truth of Oneness and baptism in Jesus
name. He ran through the camp, shouting
to all what the Lord had shown him. This
led many others to search the Scriptures,
and the result was that they, too, saw that
baptism must be administered in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ.”² What Scheppe
received was in the Scriptures all the
time, but tradition and spiritual darkness
had covered it up. The same is true with
the pre-tribulation rapture of the church.
An article entitled “Spirit Of
Deception”³ refers to the statements in
Matthew 24 where Jesus warned about
deception. The author states that the spirit
of deception is running rampant among
Christians all over the world. He further
states, “The scriptures are your safety net.
Stick only with those things that have a
solid scriptural basis and foundation.”
The coming
rapture of the
church is still the
glorious event that
awaits the saints.
The original Apos-
tolic church lived
with that hope in
their hearts, even
as the church does
today.
He then proceeds to list what he consid-
ers to be some of the ‘major deceptive
doctrines.’ First on his list is, “Belief in a
pre-tribulation rapture.” Second is, “The
Jews are Israel.” ³
I have read some of this man’s mate-
rial in the past, and his statements on
prophecy and the Jews do not have a
‘solid scriptural basis’. In fact, they fol-
low the same lines as most others who
attack the pre-tribulation rapture of the
church. These attacks are not scriptur-
ally based or addressed, but an effort is
made to tear down the testimony of those
who supposedly brought this ‘erroneous’
view to the front. A further denial of the
pre-tribulation rapture is based upon the
so called ‘silence of history’. That is, none
of the reformers or men of the dark ages
believed in or taught the pre-tribulation
rapture, therefore it must be wrong.
QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE POST-
TRIBULATION THEORY
• Why have a rapture at all if it only
entails a brief meeting of the Lord in the
air, to immediately return with Him to the
earth?
• If all of the saved (church) are raptured
at the end of the tribulation, who are the
righteous that are left to populate the earth
during the millennium?
• If Revelation 3:10 is not a promise to
be raptured before the tribulation, but
only a promise of protection through it,
then who are the saints who are martyred?
(See Revelation 6:9-11; 7:9; 13:7; 14;
20:4)
• If God has two programs during the
tribulation, one for the church and one for
Israel, how can this be reconciled with
the fact that the church is made up of both
Jew and Gentile? Any Jew that would
believe in Christ during the tribulation
would automatically be in the church, if
the church is still on the earth.
• Why is the word ‘church’ (ekklesia) not
found in the Book of Revelation between
chapters 6 and 20, when the judgments
are being poured out upon the earth?
• If the rapture actually takes place at the
Second Advent itself, why is it called a
‘mystery’ (I Corinthians 15:51,52)? The
Second Advent itself is no mystery. It is
spoken of in both the Old and New Testa-
ments.
• If the coming of the Lord for the church
is at the end of the tribulation, it naturally
follows that His coming would not be
something to look forward to. It would
seem logical that we should pray for Him
to delay his coming as long as possible,
for in so doing it would delay the judg-
ments that await the church.
The coming rapture of the church is
still the glorious event that awaits the
saints. The original Apostolic church lived
with that hope in their hearts, even as the
church does today. God, who cannot lie,
will in His time, cause it to happen. Paul’s
admonition to the saints at Thessalonica
is still good today: “… and how ye turned
to God from idols to serve the living and
true God; and to wait for his Son from
heaven, whom he raised from the dead,
even Jesus, which delivered us from the
wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:9,10).■
References
1. MacPherson, Dave, The Incredible Cover-
Up (Plainfield, New Jersey, Logos International,
1975).
2. Clanton, Arthur L., United We Stand (Ha-
zelwood, Missouri, The Pentecostal Publishing
House, 1970).
3. McKeever, James, End-Times News Digest
Issue 128; P.O. Box 1788, Medford, Oregon
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 5
 TRUSTING GOD
By WILLIAM E. RIDDELL, PH.D.
William Riddell is an Associate Pastor and
Finance Director at Christian Life Ministry.
He is also an instructor and Director of the
Communication Department. He holds a Ph.D.
in Communication from Regent University.
O
ver the years, I have taken
many courses at universities and
schools, but for life’s university,
God is still teaching me. It seems that I
haven’t graduated yet. One of the subjects
I have had to retake a few times is “trusting
God.” This is one of those required cours-
es that most of us just want to get through
and move on to the more exciting exploits.
Yet, trust and faith are cornerstones of our
relationship with God, and it is important
that we get them right.
Recently, our 19-year-old daughter,
Deanna, was hospitalized. It began with
minor flu-like symptoms, but as the days
wore on, Deanna became sicker, and our
worry grew. The doctors did not help.
6 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
Soon, her condition was out of our hands,
outside of our control. We had to rush her
to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Suddenly, my wife and I were in the mid-
dle of an unexpected storm, with each step
taking us further from where we wanted
to go, into that place where we could do
nothing—except to trust in God.
Deanna had become so dehydrated that
the nurse was unable to find a vein large
enough to give her an IV. Several nurses
tried, and they were obviously concerned.
They were poking and re-poking her, caus-
ing great pain. This went on for hours. I re-
member the helplessness that I felt. I could
do nothing for my daughter except pray.
I began to walk through the hospital
corridors, praying that God would help the
nurses with this IV. In my wanderings, I
had found a less-traveled area on the same
floor with fewer lights. Here, I stopped
and prayed for God to intervene. I was not
thinking about where I was standing, but I
had a feeling that God was trying to tell me
something. It was one of those slow real-
izations that come upon me when I am pre-
occupied. I was staring into the window of
a vacant nursery near the maternity ward.
The lights were almost off, and there were
a few rows of small clear-plastic cribs, all
empty.
Suddenly, I realized that I was looking
into the same nursery where Deanna had
been born over nineteen years ago, where
I had first seen her as a newborn baby. The
room had been filled with infants. I re-
membered her in her little hospital cradle,
wrapped tightly in blankets, sleeping. I
believed that God had directed me to this
place. Hope filled me, and I saw a distinct
image in my mind of Deanna resting in the
hospital bed with the IV in place. A wave
of relief overcame me, because I realized
that God was there with me, answering my
prayer. And I knew that He had given me
a word of faith. Feeling peace, I went back
to Deanna’s room.
I found Sandy standing outside the
room. There was a worried look on her
face. “They’re going to try the IV again,”
she told me.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “The IV is go-
ing to work this time.” When I said this,
I could see hope in my wife’s eyes, be-
cause the words that I spoke were words
of faith.
They were words of faith, because I be-
lieved that God had answered my prayer.
Unfortunately, our culture does not teach
us how to trust. Culture teaches us to look
for quick results, to seek empowerment,
to dress for success, to self-motivate.
 But God teaches us to seek His will
and follow His direction—to believe and
to trust in Him.
This time the IV worked, though the
nurse wasn’t sure it would hold in place. It
did stay, and it remained in place through-
out her stay at the hospital.
Though Deanna could now rest, the or-
deal was just beginning. It went on for four
days, with no improve-
ment. Medical tests could
not find the problem. I
didn’t know what to think.
I kept smiling and telling
Deanna that she would
soon be home, but each
morning, her condition
was unchanged. Inside, I
was torn up.
This was our little girl.
This was not supposed to
be happening. Why God?
I had always told God
that I trusted Him. But
what did that mean? Did
I trust Him for only posi-
tive things? Could I trust
God even in the storm? I believed that “all
things work together for the good to them
that love God” (Romans 8:28), but all is a
scary word.
That afternoon, as I sat beside her bed
reading, a thought came to me that was so
overwhelming that I had to leave the room.
God showed me that as much as I loved
my daughter, He loved her more, more
than I could imagine or contain. I had dedi-
cated her, as a baby, to the Lord. Who was
I to question what God was doing in her
life? His will was for her life exceeded my
understanding, and His love for her was
perfect. I was only a steward, temporary
at best, who watched over her and cared
for her. God was Creator and Master. She
had always been in God’s hands, and I had
to trust God. Deanna was not ours; she be-
longed to God.
I cannot tell you how the tears that
filled my eyes were both of shame and joy.
Shame, because I felt foolish and selfish.
Joy, because I could release her back to
God. Joy, because I knew that God had His
hand on her life.
Throughout the third day, Deanna was
still in pain and unable to eat. Later that
evening, the nurse told us that the doctor
had ordered a special MRI early in the
morning. Deanna had a look of fear in her
eyes at another test. These tests were ter-
rifying experiences for her. My wife took
our son home, but I stayed with her, until
the head nurse told me I had to leave.
The next day, we got up early and
headed for the hospital. We lived several
miles from the hospital, and when we got
there, it was still dark. I had been praying
and fasting, seeking God throughout the
ordeal. People had tried to
encourage me with kind,
and even positive words,
but such words were not
helping me. What I needed
was to hear a word of faith.
Since Deanna was in God’s
hands, I needed to hear a
word from God.
My wife and I got to her
room just before they were
preparing to wheel her off.
The relief in her eyes at see-
ing me was noticeable.
“Thank you, Daddy, for
being here,” she said, grip-
ping my hand. Her wrists
and arms were purple from
the needle pokes. They looked so frail to
me. I smiled and told her that it would
be fine. Her mother stood beside her and
helped her onto the table that would wheel
her away to X-Ray.
I followed behind them as they nego-
tiated through the halls and special eleva-
tors. I prayed for her each step of the way.
Sandy went in with her to the MRI, and I
waited outside.
When God speaks to you—whether
through a word from a pastor, in personal
devotion, or during a special time of prayer
and fasting—it is, without a doubt, the
most wonderful experience. Even correc-
tion from the Lord during this life is joy,
because for God, discipline is to lead us
closer to Him.
God never just abandons us in life or
leaves us without communication. For
without communication, we die. Even in
the natural, we must communicate in our
environment through interaction, through
breathing and eating. In relationships,
communication creates the connection,
developing the relationship. The disciples
fought to be close to Jesus, because they
needed communication from God.
We communicate with God by the
command to “pray without ceasing,”
through reading and hearing His Word,
and through fellowship with other believ-
ers. When people say that they are in “a
dry place” and cannot hear God, what is
often meant is that God has not answered a
specific prayer, and they believe that God
has stopped interacting with them. We
have all felt that way at times, but we have
to understand that God never stops com-
municating with us. It is we who turn from
Him, or who allow the noise of the circum-
stance to drown out His voice. We may
only have a few special experiences where
God directly intervenes in our lives, and
those are meant as daily assurances. But
God always communicates. He communi-
cates even with a world that does not care
to listen. He employs the entire universe
as His megaphone, speaking His glory day
and night, without ceasing (Psalm 19:1;
Romans 1:20). How much more does He
communicate with those who become His
children, to those who seek Him? Jesus
asked if a natural father would give a stone
to his child who asked for food. Clearly,
the meaning is that a father cares for his
child. To cultivate a relationship with Him
is to begin to listen, to set our hearts toward
Him day and night. To believe in Him is to
live in expectation of his word, even if the
message is, “My grace is sufficient.” An-
other way to say that is “I will provide you
sufficient grace.”
As I waited in the small sitting room,
I could see the nurse in the next room
preparing the MRI. What if they found
serious problems? I reminded myself that
Deanna was God’s property, and she was
in His hands.
What happened next was unexpected,
but God changed everything in an instant.
I remember praying, and at one point,
looking up toward heaven, when words
of assurance came to me: “Tell Bill that
Deanna’s going to be OK.”
These simple words jarred me, and even
in writing this now, I am moved greatly.
The words were powerful because I felt
them resonating in my inner-most being.
I heard them in my heart and in my mind.
These were words that I longed to hear, but
dared not suggest in my own strength. As
such, they were words that did not origi-
nate from me. I cannot say that I “heard”
them, but that description makes sense, be-
cause they were an assurance to me from
outside, from God.
I immediately got up and began prais-
ing God, thanking Him for an answer.
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 7
Once again, when I told my wife words of
faith, she received them.
The next day, Deanna was released
from the hospital. No reason was ever
given to me that made sense. She just im-
proved.
The problem did not just disappear,
however. There were other challenges
ahead for us, more serious. The next day
Deanna was back in the hospital emer-
gency room because she had an acute al-
lergic reaction to the medicine that had
been prescribed. She almost died. There
have been other complications. However,
it was the word that I heard from God that
helped our family through it all. We held
on to it in faith. And I was given such great
assurance—not just that Deanna would
be okay, which I believed she would, but
that God was in control. The entire process
gave us a clearer awareness of how God is
intimately involved in our lives.
Many face challenging times in this
day. We face financial, physical, and emo-
tional mountains that seem impossible to
cross. These problems are not just wished
away. Many of my friends and fellow
church members have lost their jobs and
their homes. They have had sickness and
distress. Sometimes God intervenes, but
sometimes they have had to face loss, and
they have struggled with faith.
Others have heard a word from God for
a ministry or a dream, but they have not
yet seen the promise. Instead they face tri-
als and questionings. But a word from God
becomes a reference point, a cornerstone
of strength that can hold up a ministry, a
vision in the face of opposition.
Culture teaches us that strength comes
from the inside. The universe wants you to
be successful and prosper. You just need
to think a certain way for prosperity and
health to appear. Yet God asks us to trust in
Him. God told Joshua to “be strong” and to
be of “good courage” so that His strength
was not in self but from the Word of God.
Without God, Joshua had no hope of en-
tering the promised land. So then, having
faith and trust in God is more than simply
being positive. In God, it is hearing first,
then believing what He has said. The dif-
ference is staggering to consider. my life and a place where I have found
Abraham was counted as righteous, not
just because he “believed,” but because he
believed God. It was God who gave Abra-
ham faith, because God told him the prom-
ise. Abraham never saw the city of God in
his lifetime, yet he believed in the promise
of God. Even if we have not seen the re-
sults we hope for, we still believe, we still
follow the journey set before us.
Thus we can say that “all things work
together for good to them that love God...”
(Romans 8:28-29). Verse 29 tells us why—
so we can be “conformed to the image of
his son.” Among other things, this is an
image of suffering, obedience, and com-
plete trust.
What is good may not always be posi-
tive. However, good is always good. These
verses in Romans chapter 8 and others re-
mind us that hope is not in ourselves and
not in what we see, so the present suffer-
ings pale in comparison to the glory that
God has in store for us. Though we experi-
ence pain, we have the promise that “God
shall wipe away all tears...” (Revelation
21:4).
I am thankful that God returned Dean-
na to us healthy and whole. I walked away
from that small experience, knowing a
little more about trusting God. For my
own part, finding trust began in prayer and
in listening to God. Hearing a word from
God has always been a reference point in
endurance, even when problems and chal-
lenges have stretched, not just over days,
but over years. This experience provided
encouragement to me for other challenges
that I faced.
When it seems as though we are sur-
rounded and outnumbered, God’s Word
can change everything. Such promises will
carry us through the dark valleys; they will
lift us over obstacles, and they will bring
us through life. In all this, our faith and
trust will grow because God is preparing
us for that place that He has prepared. ■
 *
CHRISTIAN LIFE
COLLEGE
Bishop Kenneth F. Haney
rom generation to generation to gen-
F eration the cause and purpose of Christ
and Christian Life College remain the
same, unlike the trends of our times where
most everything is in the mode of change.
We see it in nations, cultures, technology,
education, medical science, people, even
religion and government.
For over 5,000 years the known world
virtually remained the same: the mode of
travel, education and knowledge. Then, in
keeping with Daniel’s prophecy regard-
ing the end time, knowledge has increased
Rev. Ronnie Mullings
Western District
Superintendent
n Matthew 20:16, Jesus says, “...for
I many be called, but few chosen.” This
Rev. Rick D. Keyes
Western District Secretary
nough appreciation could not be ex-
E tended for the foundational Biblical
truths established in me at WABC, which
in the last days. Suddenly, in the last 120
years, we entered the countdown: the dis-
covery of electricity, the telephone, auto-
mobile, airplane, medical science, rockets
and men on the moon. Today you can snap
a picture in North America and in three
or four seconds, it can be in Hong Kong,
China. This speaks profoundly of the com-
ing of Christ in the clouds for His church.
We who live in today’s world are witness-
ing the evolution of change almost daily.
However, there are some things that must
not change. Christian Life College is com-
mitted to see that it does not. The Word of
God is forever settled in heaven, and our
purpose in training young men and women
is to equip them with an unchanging mes-
sage in a changing world. Also, we must
help them understand the times and the
clarion call of the Holy Scriptures to evan-
is because the calling of God has to do
with His vision for your life. The choosing
has to do with your equipping and qualify-
ing yourself for the call. While the call of
God is an incredible experience, it may be
for naught, if one does not apply himself to
prepare for the journey. We are command-
ed to study to show ourselves approved.
This is why Bible school is so valuable.
is now Christian Life College. I Thank the
Lord for the vision of three generations of
the Haney family that have initiated and
carried through the burden of preparing
individuals for their ministry of the King-
dom. Only eternity will reveal the impact
that this vision has had upon the World.
After 45 years of ministry I cannot
imagine not being prepared and “…ap-
proved unto God…” by equipping myself
gelize the world.
In 1949, Clyde J. Haney, my father,
founded this college and served as Presi-
dent until his untimely death in 1971. At
that time, I became President and served
almost 30 years, until I became General
Superintendent of the United Pentecostal
Church International in 2002. For the last
8½ years, my son, Nathaniel Haney, has
served as Chancellor or President of the
College.  The Haney Family is commit-
ted to the fundamental purpose of training
and educating men and women in the solid
unwavering Word of God, in methods of
Evangelism to reach all cultures of our
world, and to infuse them with a passion
and Holy Ghost anointing to accomplish
the mission of Jesus Christ! ■
It is there that the intensive, focused and
organized equipping and training can take
place. In an environment that is conducive
to spiritual growth and understanding, the
called can be prepared to be sent. ■
with knowledge of the Word and with con-
fidence to apply these truths for the salva-
tion of the lost. Now, more than ever, it is
time to prepare ourselves as individuals to
respond to the cry of the Harvest. What-
ever our call of ministry may be, Christian
Life College is still fulfilling the need in
preparing individuals to meet the chal-
lenge before us in this last day. ■
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 9
*
Student Voices
SHANNON ROBERTS
Bible & Theology Major
Isaquah, WA
F
our years ago, I gradu-
ated from High School and
was about to embark on a
whole new chapter in my life. I
had no idea where I was going or
what I wanted to do, but it was exciting to know that I had my
whole future in front of me. What would I do with my life? I’d
always felt a call to ministry and had been involved in several
things at my local church. I loved it, and I felt a fulfillment there
that I didn’t feel anywhere else. When the idea of Bible College
came to mind, I wasn’t too sure it was my kind of thing. I was
really shy, easily intimidated and unsure of myself. But when, in
prayer, I began to feel God pulling me there, I put in my applica-
tion and told Him, “God, if it’s Your will, I will be accepted. If it’s
not, then I won’t.” Three months later, after receiving my letter of
acceptance, I packed my little orange VW Beetle and arrived in
the parking lot of Christian Life College at around 1 a.m. August
2006 was the beginning of a new season. Little did I know how
much that decision would completely change my life.
It has been four years and is now just mere weeks until a new
graduation ceremony takes place. It is the end of this season and
the beginning of another. I am overwhelmed by the lessons that
I’ve learned, the wisdom I’ve gained, the opportunities I’ve been
given and the friends I have made. Looking back, I would not
trade any of the experiences I’ve had, both good and painful, for
anything. Each one has added to me and has truly prepared me for
the next step.
One of the things that has so changed my life is what we call
Summer of Service. This summer I will be traveling on my third
*
one, and I am so looking forward to it because I know that at the
end of it, I will once again be changed. SOS is a ten-week tour
in which you get to travel with about six or seven other individu-
als and go all over a certain area of the United States. Some go
KWESI KUTESA
Bible & Theology Major
Kampala, Uganda
A
t Christian Life College, I
find myself in an environment where I am allowed
to develop an organically Christian life. Taking time to
pursue God’s calling was a difficult decision, but it has proved
10 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
along the East Coast, some along the West Coast, some in
the Midwest, some in the South, etc. The past two summers
I have spent on the East Coast. But it wasn’t the location
that changed my life, it was the experience. My tours have
been music tours, since I am primarily a singer, songwriter
and musician. We went to camps; we went to churches; we
sang at youth services and at concerts. We were able to do
miniature music conferences and even be involved in the
National Youth Congress in Tennessee. I met hundreds of
young people from all over the U.S. and was able to be a
part of so many different lives. It was absolutely incredible
to go to all of these places and be able to pour myself out, along
with my group, and see lives changed. I’d have never dreamed
in a million years that I would be able to do something like that.
However, God pushed me to do things I never thought I could
do. I learned how to lead worship confidently, how to engage and
connect to my audience so that, together, we could worship God.
I learned how to handle transitions in a service or deal with awk-
ward/silent moments. I learned how to preach and how to com-
municate what I felt to the people around me. I learned that I am
nothing without Christ and that every good thing in me is because
of Him and Him alone. But above all, what I treasure most and
what I hold most dear is that I learned how to have a relationship
with God.
When I came to Bible College I loved God, but I didn’t have
a consistent walk with Him. I didn’t even really know you could
have such an intimate, close friendship with Him. But through
these four years, I have fallen so deeply in love with my Treasure,
my Hope, my Savior, my Jesus. He has become my everything.
He has become all that I need. Now I know that in the next step,
wherever God takes me, wherever He chooses to lead, I will have
no fear because He’s never let me down. Not only that, I KNOW
His love for me never fails. It’s what gets me through the tough
times and what causes me to live my life in complete abandon to
Him. I’m so thankful to have attended a college where a relation-
ship with God was so stressed, so pushed, because this is what I
cannot live without. Take away the music, take away the songs,
take away the opportunities ... but give me Jesus, and I know that
everything is going to be okay. ■
to be the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Almost
two years have gone by, and I find myself in a conducing
atmosphere for daily Christian living and growth. I have
been able to cultivate a lifestyle that involves daily prayer,
Bible reading and all the disciplines that are required in
the pursuit of Jesus Christ. I have the chance to find out
more about the God who saved me and called me and all
He has in store for me.
The classes have helped me grow in all aspects of life
and they have challenged my view of ministry and what
it really means to serve God. I have learned to hone the
skills God has given me and to apply them in ways that
bring people closer to God as well as show them Christ living in
me. I have been privileged with opportunities to work hands-on
in ministry. Christian Life Center has been a great support, not
only in feeding me in the services I attend, but in allowing me to
get involved and see the inner workings of a thriving church. The
daunting task of replicating what I have witnessed firsthand will
soon fall on my shoulders. But beyond that, I have learned that
my personal relationship with Jesus Christ is most important.
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:6-9, “And whether we be af-
flicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual
in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or
whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partak-
ers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came
to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence
of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in
God which raiseth the dead.”
Now, I would be foolish to think of the experiences I have
gone through as close to the persecution of the early church. The
student body of CLC is full of love, and the faculty and the church
have really made me feel at home. I would barely consider this to
be anything similar to what Paul and Timothy were talking about
when they wrote this letter. However, the principle that I find here
is of God teaching me how to rely on Him and not my strength.
He guides me through some trying times (whether it be financial
hardships, illness, loneliness or just spiritual attacks), all to show
me His faithfulness and to prepare me to be the help that someone
else may need in similar times of difficulty. I can therefore say
with confidence that Christian Life College is the best place to
develop into a servant of God. ■

This summer CLC will sponsor our Summer of Service Tour. Multiple groups, comprised of both students and faculty members, will be
traveling throughout the United States in the months of May, June, and July, singing, preaching, ministering, and providing assistance
to as many churches and district camps as possible. This extensive effort allows our students the opportunity to dedicate their sum-
mer to involvement in ministry. We desire to see great moves of God in the churches we visit. It is our hope that we may portray the
hands and feet of Jesus, working for His Kingdom while benefiting the local church. If you are interested in hosting a dynamic group
from Christian Life College, please contact Richard Bishop at 209.476.7840 or Email us at info@clc.edu. We look forward to working
with you this summer!
Last year, the W.R Starr Campground and the Michigan District were blessed
to have a group of seven students from CLC attend our Senior High Camp as
counselors. From day one, these students brought an energy and excitement that
prevailed throughout the week as they helped with everything from recreation to
altar call. All of the CLC students were given a chance to share their individual 
testimonies and our campers were blessed by the anointing upon the CLC Stu-
dents’ lives.  
 The W.R. Starr Campground very willingly  extends an open invitation for 
CLC students who would desire the opportunity of a lifetime by positively im-
pacting the Michigan District Youth. Special thanks to those students who vis-
ited in 2009: Sarah Lingbloom, Johna Acio, Alicia Mills, Chantelle Brua, John
Khantheti, Chris Villanueva, and Eric Taylor.
—Rev. Kevin G. Leaman
Camp Administrator
Michigan District, UPCI
*
Student Voices
EMILY MURRAY
General Ministry/
Missiology Major
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
I
came to Christian Life College
as a missiology major, desiring to
develop a deeper understanding of
the Scripture and a closer relationship
with God. Through Bible-based classes
under the instruction of qualified, passionate instructors, not only
has my knowledge of the Bible been broadened, but I personally
have been driven to become more involved in biblical study. I
have been challenged by the realization that to know God is to
*
know His Word.
One thing that has deeply impacted and changed me is the
dynamic culture of prayer present in the college and the church.
Much emphasis is placed upon developing a personal, intimate
JOSHUA ABREGO
Bible & Theology Major
Watsonville, CA
N
ever had I imagined I would come
to Bible college. But little did I
realize that God’s thoughts are not
my thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, as Isa-
iah says, His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts
higher than our thoughts. What a wonderful thing when God re-
veals His thoughts to us. They are so powerful and full of purpose
that our own base and simple hopes and dreams for the future fall
by the wayside.
When the Lord called me to Christian Life College, He was
requiring more from me than I had ever given before: a life com-
pletely dedicated to the ministry. The voice of God that was re-
sounding so heavily in my soul was calling me to move to a place
where the Lord could mold me into the man
of God He required me to be. And in the
same manner, He has also called many other
men and women to a life of consecration and
dedication to the will of God, as He is look-
ing for available souls who are willing to
take up their identity as a fervent, end-time
generation. I have come to appreciate Chris-
tian Life College so much, as it has offered
me opportunities to develop my walk as a
man of God. Classes provoke me to change,
and instructors are not merely just looking
to do their job as teachers, but are willing
12 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
relationship with God. This is communicated through
classes designed to foster deeper communion with
God, chapel services, and an atmosphere conducive
to prayer.
An integral part of CLC life is ministry involve-
ment. The school is committed to providing opportu-
nities for students to get involved in active ministry
in as many different areas as possible. During my
time at CLC, I have been privileged to work with the
Lao-Cambodian congregation of the church. In this,
I have been able to participate in their youth ministry.
This has been a positive opportunity for me to develop skills in
teaching and leadership. The college is on the forefront of the
evangelistic efforts of the church and is regularly involved in out-
reach.
Christian Life College can be a place of tremendous opportu-
nity and growth for anyone seeking to develop spiritually and in
ministry. Christian Life College provides training, education, and
an environment for personal spiritual growth. ■
to pour into us out of their own experiences in
ministry and personal walks with God.
What I also appreciate about CLC is that it
not only offers theoretical classroom learning, but
also practical hands-on experience through the
ministerial, music, drama, and missions teams.
We have a pastor here at Christian Life Center
who has a desire to involve every college student
in some type of ministry work with the church.
This is something of priceless value, as the stu-
dent body here looks forward to becoming lead-
ers, not merely with head knowledge, but with initiative action
in the kingdom of God. But undoubtedly, over all the ministerial
opportunities I have been given, the most valuable thing I have
learned while at Bible college is to have a deeper, more intimate
walk with God. It is one thing I am indescribably grateful for—a
leadership that fights to provide an environment that encourages
and challenges us to a closer walk with our heavenly Father.
If anyone is interested in attending Christian Life College, I
warn you now, it will provoke you to a change that you will not
be able to resist. I believe God has anointed CLC with a special
task: to help raise a generation
with a missionary spirit in these
end times, to raise a generation
that will proclaim the Gospel of
Jesus Christ with a passionate
heart, a generation of men and
women of God who understand
that relationship with our God is
above all things! ■

Rev. Tony Copple
O
n March 2, 47 prospective stu-
dents began arriving on campus.
Upon arrival they were paired up
with their student host, and their Xperi-
ence week began. Christian Life Col-
lege Student Development department
had planned a packed schedule for the
prospective students. The drama team,
lead by Tara Withers, hosted a game night
in the student center on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, Xperience students were
exposed to the highly dynamic Wednes-
day Morning Praise, CLC’s weekly
chapel. Xperience students also enjoyed
a tour of Christian Life Ministry facili-
ties and were able to attend CREED, the
x
christian life college
[ xperience week ]
young adult ministry at Christian Life
Center. Thursday began early as Xperi-
ence progressed into the classroom where
students observed instructor-student
interaction firsthand. That evening CLC’s
campus seemed eerily quiet due to the
Xperience events moving off campus.
John’s Incredible Pizza was taken over by
a multitude of hungry college students.
After students had their fill of pizza and
arcade games, they made their way back
to campus to participate in a truly unique
event, Student Body Prayer. On Friday
morning, Xperience students attended
Friday Real Time, the weekly student-run
service. One of the highlights of Xperi-
ence is the annual basketball night. This
year proved to be no exception as the
competition was fierce. Xperience and
CLC students, along with faculty, enjoyed
a relaxing barbecue in the field on Satur-
day. As Xperience week came to an end,
goodbyes were given and information was
exchanged in hopes of keeping in contact
with each other. Xperience week was
summed up by a prospective student quite
effectively when he said, “This was an
eye-opening event and I learned what the
purpose of Bible college is.”
—Israel Rodriguez
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 13
*
Student Voices
ALICIA MILLS
General Ministry Major
Bristol, CT
A
s a junior at Christian Life
College, I have had three years
to experience the vast oppor-
tunities afforded to a student that em-
braces the spiritual atmosphere set forth by the leadership of this
ministry. During my freshmen year we had a chapel service where
different ministry leaders in the church spoke to the student body
about their areas of leadership. I sat there, amazed at how many
different ministries there were just within Christian Life Center.
The Bible college is blessed to be so closely connected with a
magnificent church family, resulting in more ministry openings.
The opportunities for my involvement began to quickly un-
fold. I immediately got involved with the music ministry at both
Christian Life Center and the College. The following year the
church was able to sponsor a group from the college to go on a
mission’s trip to Tampico, Mexico, of which I was privileged to
be a part. That mission’s trip completely transformed my life and
put in me a burden for missions and more specifically a stronger
burden for the lost.
*
The following summer, I was chosen to go on Summer of
Service Tour, where for ten weeks I traveled from youth camp
to youth camp being a servant in God’s kingdom. In those ten
weeks, I became closer knit in my relationship with the Almighty,
GARRETT BRANNON
Bible & Theology Major
Ventura, CA
C
hristian Life College has truly
changed me. Before entering my
senior year of High School I had no real goals for my life.
It was during my senior year that I learned about Christian Life
College. At the same time, God was dealing with me about enter-
ing into the ministry. I had found my place in the church. I had
found where I belonged. I had a great hunger to know everything
about the Bible, and part of that hunger was to go to Christian
Life College and be immersed in an atmosphere of prayer, study,
and ministry.
Now that I have been here for an amazing two years, I look
back, and I literally weep at times, seeing how far God has brought
me. I have learned to do so many things here. I have learned how
to read the Bible the way that it was meant to be read. I have
learned how to pray effective prayers, and because of the faith
that was built into me, I was able to lay hands on my sister and see
14 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
and I learned many practical things about life and
young people. I was completely pushed out of my
comfort zone into ministry opportunities like never
before. During that summer I was a camp counselor
at six different camps, kitchen staff, public speaker,
praise singer, and so much more. I made different
contacts throughout the entire Midwest, and I am still
connected with many of those young adults and lead-
ers today. Had it not been for Tour, I’d still be terrified
of stepping out into the unknown and would not have
gotten the experience of working so closely with so many differ-
ent churches and youth groups.
Now as a junior, I have had the honor of being a part of this
year’s student body senate, and I have also had the opportunity to
help teach the 5th and 6th graders of Christian Life Center. I have
been able to practice leadership qualities and have been put into
a position of leadership to prepare me for any future positions the
Lord may have for me. With every door of opportunity that God
opens for me, I step in with faith and thanksgiving, knowing that
God’s will is being done for my life.
Looking back, I understand why I was placed in certain op-
portunities. Each time, I learned something new and my view of
ministry was enlarged. Each opportunity was a stepping stone that
God placed there for me to grow into the woman of God which
He called me here to become. With every step I took, I put into
action what the classes were training me for; what I was learning
became what I was doing. ■
her healed of a stroke.
Last summer, I was selected to go on the Sum-
mer of Service Tour. It was such an amazing op-
portunity that God gave to me. It was on that tour
that I realized that the Gospel of Jesus Christ had
absolutely no boundaries. It transcends everything.
Jesus Christ has worked so many miracles in my
life since I have been here, that I now know what the Apostle John
meant when he said, “There are also many other things that Jesus
did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the
world itself could not contain the books that would be written.”
(John 21:25)
I must say that if you feel like you are called to the ministry, if
you are serious about bringing the Gospel to the world, and if you
are willing to go through the necessary growth pains, then I would
advise you to pray earnestly, and to speak with your pastor about
attending Christian Life College. I recommend this college to any
person who wants to come to know God. ■
 jonathan whittemore

ping pong in the student center

weekly chapel service

[ student life ]
REAL concert

shannon roberts
 THE HAND THAT
HOLDS THE PLUG
Developing a passion for
truth in the heart of your child
By KIM HANEY
Kim Haney is the Women’s Ministry
Director at Christian Life Center.
I
am by birth, what many of my fel-
low Californians call an “Okie.” I was
born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a
state surrounded by cowboy boots, rhine-
stone belts, rodeos, and country music.
However, I was raised in the city, and the
last type of man I thought I would ever
marry would be a cowboy. Well, I guess
God does have a sense of humor.
God blessed me with a California guy
who wears wrangler jeans, has an interest-
ing assortment of cowboy boots, and likes
country living. He’s pure country, and I
love it.
About four years ago, we moved way
out into the country with our five children.
16 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
It was actually very beautiful as it was
surrounded by walnut orchards, cherry or-
chards, and an alfalfa field in the front.
Now that we were country folks, we de-
cided to get the kids some baby chicks. We
took them down to the local feed store, and
we each (yes, the two big adults did too)
picked out a couple of chicks that would
be “ours.” To say the least, we learned
real fast that those cute, little fluffy chicks
turn into big, messy, and sometimes mean
chickens! If you have ever had chickens
you will know exactly what I’m talking
about without taking it into any further
detail.
We have had quite a time with our
chicken experiences. We have had them
secretly ride on the back rail underneath
my husband’s truck on his way to prayer
at about 5 am. Can you imagine being the
guy behind him on the road with four white
chickens staring at you from the back end
of a truck? As the sun began to rise, they
decided they were finished roosting, and
we had a real-life chicken round up right
there in front of the church.
Within the next few months, one by
one they began to disappear. We joked
and said the devil got them because they
quit going to church. (I’m sure their devil
was a coyote.) Only a couple of them sur-
vived. One of the chickens that survived
was mine. It was a cute little black silky
hen. One day she made a nest in my flower
pot on the front porch and hatched out six
little chicks.
I watched this little mama hen as her
chicks grew. Since our chickens roamed
the property, we didn’t give them feed. This
mama taught her babies how and where to
find food as they followed in her footsteps
and pecked and pulled where she pecked
and pulled. In the heat of the summer days
she taught them where to find water from
an old, broken sprinkler pipe that dripped
just enough water to make a small puddle
for them to drink. She showed them the
safest place to roost at night as they grew
too big to sleep under her wings. They
learned how to survive by following her.
Eventually, these babies grew into
adults and the momma wasn’t around
as much anymore. It was like she kind
of knew that her duty and purpose had
been fulfilled, and they would be okay. I
watched these chickens as they grew to
adults. I noticed they were very different
from the other chicks that we had picked
up from a local feed store.
The feed store chicks are taken away
from their mamas as soon as they are
hatched. Many of them are even hatched
in incubators and never know what it’s like
to sleep under the wings of their mother
or hear the beating of her heart. Feed store
chicks have a very low survival rate. Many
of them even die inside the box on the way
home.
As I studied and watched these chick-
ens, I came to realize that even in the ani-
mal kingdom early destruction often comes
to an offspring whose mother is not consis-
tently teaching, instilling, and involved in
their lives when they are young.
If you are a mother who is reading this
article, the day God placed that tiny baby
in your arms your true God-given purpose
in life began. The day you decided to bring
a baby into this world it’s no longer about
you or your plans anymore. Somewhere
through the years and the changing cul-
ture, women have lost their way and lost
sight of their real purpose for living. Ful-
filling your God-called purpose brings true
contentment and happiness into a woman’s
life and shields her from depression, anxi-
ety, and guilt.
As we well know, all those tiny babies
grow up to be big kids that will eventually
make choices and decisions of their own.
We mothers basically have one shot of ap-
proximately 10-11 years at the most, at do-
ing all we can to plug our kids into falling
in love with Jesus, loving and cherishing
the truth of One God, and instilling the
foundation of truth inside of them.
In his book, “The Life and Times of the
Messiah” Alfred Edersheim, (Volume one,
1969 pp 228, 229) a Jewish author and his-
torian, wrote this about the Jewish home
and its influences. Read closely what he
says about the mother:
“The first education [of the child] was
necessarily the mother’s [responsibility].
But it was not only through sight and hear-
ing that, from its very inception, life in Is-
rael became religious. There was also from
the first positive teaching, of which the
commencement would necessarily devolve
on the mother. It needed not the extrava-
gant laudations, nor the promises held out
by the Rabbis, to incite Jewish women to
this duty. If they were true to their descent,
it would come almost naturally to them.”
This is why, with some thirteen million
Jews in the world today, you can hardly
convert them to any other religion or way
of worship. Through the centuries many
have tried it by confiscating their proper-
ties, persecuting them by expulsion, beat-
ings and torture, and trying to annihilate
them through gas chambers and cruel
deaths. History has proven: a Jew is a Jew
for life. The Jewish people knew way back
then, and still today, what it takes to keep
the chain of faith strong: by teaching and
bringing understanding of doctrine to
their children. The truth of “Hear, O Is-
rael: The Lord our God is one Lord” still
burns in the hearts of the Jewish people
because they are not slothful or lazy in
their consistent teaching of the Scriptures
to their children.
Just as the Jewish people have been
The first
commandment
was to have your
children be
consumed with
the teachings of
this One God they
served. These
teachings were to
be embedded into
the soil of their
hearts.
attacked in the natural, Oneness Chris-
tian families have had their own form of
expulsion and attacks upon their children.
As this world grows darker, our children
are faced with powerful temptations at ev-
ery corner. Less than thirty years ago the
concern was Johnny holding hands with
his girlfriend, now we are just relieved
if he’s attracted to a girl and not a boy.
Technology has birthed the internet which
has opened wide the door of easy access to
pornography. It’s not just online anymore,
but now a kid can easily receive it through
their cell phones through “sexting.” Pre-
marital sex doesn’t carry the conviction it
used to have in the lives our young people.
“Respect” is a word that has lost its mean-
ing years ago, and to some never even ex-
isted. We are now battling another spirit
that has recently been unleashed without
measure: the spirit of spiritual deception.
This, to me, is the deadliest of all. Satan’s
bullets of death have been re-scoped and
targeted to deceive our young people into
believing a doctrinal lie, and raping them
of the power that abides in separation from
this world.
Taking your kids to church every Sun-
day is good, but it’s not enough! We are
living in a dangerous place when we allow
church, Sunday School, and religious pro-
grams to replace US teaching our children.
Let’s face it; it’s easier to let someone else
do the teaching. We all have busy lives do-
ing our thing “for God.” Going to church
or being apart of an organization is not
going to keep our children in the boat of
salvation, but it’s the doctrine and an un-
derstanding of the treasure they possess in
truth we must get inside of them! They still
have to know what they believe to keep
them close to our God.
When the children of Israel finally
made it to the promised land of Canaan,
they were entering a land filled with en-
ticing temptations and many opportunities
to follow after heathen tribes that served
other gods. When God gave them instruc-
tion on how to keep strong, He did not
write a book. He summed up everything
in two commandments: “Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:4, 5).
The first commandment was to have
your children be consumed with the teach-
ings of this One God they served. These
teachings were to be embedded into the
soil of their hearts. The second command-
ment was to love the Lord their God. Now,
this is a commandment to love someone.
Have you ever noticed that? How do you
make someone love someone else? Know-
ing that love is an emotion that comes from
the heart, how can you command or make
someone to love?
God explained to them exactly how
this happens in Deuteronomy 6:7, “And
thou shalt teach them [the Scriptures] dili-
gently unto thy children, and shalt talk of
them when thou sittest in thine house, and
when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
God was saying, “This is how you
get your kids to fall in love with Me.”
This is how they go beyond just know-
ing “church” to really knowing “God.”
It’s by diligently and consistently teach-
ing them in the home of Who I am.
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 17
 Teaching them ABOUT God brings forth have made will be rewarded when your
a love FOR God inside of them! Many family circle stands unbroken around the
mornings, while my kids are getting ready throne. It will be worth it all! ■
for school, and we have finished our morn-
ing prayer and Bible lesson, I play the Bi-
ble on CD throughout the house. (I have a
great dramatized version.) It is just another
way to place the Word of God into the fer-
tile soil of their tender hearts. When you
take the time to plant seeds of truth inside
of your kids while they are young, you will
transfer and transmit a love and passion for SEEDS OF JOCHEBED
God inside of them. $13.00
Mother, there is nothing more impor- (Special Offer: FREE Shipping & Handling)

tant than your kids knowing God. There is
nothing more important than them know-
ing and cherishing truth. When your kids
are grown you no longer have the influence
you once had in their lives, but the seeds
you planted inside of them when they were
young will become strong trees with deep
roots. On that great day, when you stand
before the throne of God, every effort you
To order, visit us online at
www.clministry.com/church/store
Sis. Kim Haney has written a book for a mother who desires to plant Seeds of Truth in the
hearts of her children. Every day, from September to May (the school months), contains a
seed of truth. These seeds will help plant the foundation of One God, separation from the
world, God’s plan of salvation, and bring understanding of the spirit realm in a child’s
understanding.

18 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010


Eli Lopez is Executive Associate Pastor
at Christian Life Center. He is also an
instructor at Christian Life College.
20 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
REPENT
W
hatever happened to repen-
tance? Think about it for a few
moments. Can you remember
the last Christian song you’ve heard that
highlighted this important aspect of salva-
tion? Can you remember the last time
somebody testified about a great repen-
tance experience? Has repentance become
a relic of a bygone Christianity, a symbol
of how things used to be?
Those of us in the apostolic truth will
quickly respond that we preach repen-
tance every time we preach the new-birth.
It’s in the very formula that Peter gave
us on the day of Pentecost when he was
asked what the unsaved needed to do to
By ELI LOPEZ
get right with God: “Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). There
it is right there, at the very beginning of
this process—Repent! Before you do
anything else, before you take any more
steps … simply repent.
In its most basic form, repentance
refers to a decision by an individual to
confess to God his or her sinfulness and
to ask for God’s forgiveness and help in
forsaking those sins forever. We often
consider repentance to be a human effort
to try to line up with God’s word and will.
However, we must never forget that
repentance is actually an impartation of
grace. Consider the following verses:
“Him hath God exalted with his right
hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to
give repentance to Israel, and forgive-
ness of sins” (Acts 5:31).
“When they heard these things, they
held their peace, and glorified God,
saying, “Then hath God also to the
Gentiles granted repentance unto life”
(Acts 11:18).
“In meekness instructing those that
oppose themselves; if God peradven-
ture will give them repentance to the
acknowledging of the truth” (2 Timothy
2:25).
According to these verses, repentance
is something God gives to humanity in
order that we might be made right with
Him. Without God granting us this “gift”
we could never hope to enter into a born
again experience. Repentance opens the
door for us to receive all the provisions of
the atonement. Without it, we are doomed
to be standing on the outside looking in
on the realm of God’s kingdom.
Since repentance is a paramount
issue, why has so much of Christianity
replaced it with a message that teaches
us to simply accept Christ’s salvation?
In modern Christianity, there has been a
focused effort to make the unchurched
feel comfortable in our services. With this
mindset, anything that causes discomfort
or uneasiness is avoided. The mantra
seems to be: “Everyone is good, every-
thing is good, God loves and accepts you,
and won’t you accept Him too?” While
I agree that we should go out of our way
to welcome visitors into our midst and to
be understanding of their perspective, we
cannot hold back from declaring that “…
all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God” (Romans 3:23).
Conviction is the channel God uses to
make people aware of their need to have
their sins forgiven. The feelings of shame,
remorse, and sorrow for sins committed
are not bad. Contrary, these feelings drive
us to the foot of the cross so that we may
be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Con-
sider Paul’s words regarding this issue:
“For godly sorrow produces repentance
leading to salvation, not to be regretted;
but the sorrow of the world produces
death. For observe this very thing, that
you sorrowed in a godly manner: What
diligence it produced in you, what
clearing of yourselves, what indigna-
tion, what fear, what vehement desire,
what zeal, what vindication”
(2 Corinthians 7:10-11, NKJV).
According to Paul, the Corinthian
believers experienced godly sorrow which
led to repentance which in turn led to a
complete change in their area of failure.
This godly conviction (not to be confused
with condemnation) was a wonderful tool
to bring these men and women in line
with the will of God. Had there been no
As one studies the
great awakenings
and revivals of the
past, one aspect
turns up over and
over again. These
movements were
characterized by
great conviction
and sorrow fall-
ing upon masses of
people and as they
repented, a great
zeal for God would
arise in their midst.
sorrow there would have been no change.
One need only contemplate the ministry
of John the Baptist to realize how impor-
tant repentance is to God. John was the
final prophet of the Old Testament era, the
forerunner of the Messiah, the one tasked
with preparing the way of salvation. To
accomplish his mission, God gave him
one message—repent! Without any
miracles, without an engaging personality
or a dynamic ministry, without a notable
position in society, John was given the
mission of getting the people ready for a
new dispensation… and his proclamation
was repentance. Through this message
hearts were prepared for the manifestation
of the glory of God in their midst. Jesus
came in power only after repentance was
decisively preached.
We often parallel the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ with the born again
experience of a believer. We link the
cross to repentance, His burial to baptism
(Romans 6:4), and the resurrection to
the infilling of the Holy Ghost. No one
would run past the cross to focus only on
the burial and resurrection. Yet, do we
quickly skip through repentance and only
stress water baptism and the Holy Ghost?
If so, are we setting people up for failure
as they attempt to serve a God to whom
they never fully committed their lives in
an altar of repentance?
On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards
preached “Sinners in the Hands of an
Angry God.” As he stood in the pulpit,
conviction was so intense that people
wept and screamed. It is reported that
some even grabbed for solid things to
hold because they expected the floor of
the church to open up and the fires of hell
to consume them. Amazing as this story
is, this is but one account of such over-
whelming conviction. As one studies the
great awakenings and revivals of the past,
one aspect turns up over and over again.
These movements were characterized by
great conviction and sorrow falling upon
masses of people and as they repented,
a great zeal for God would arise in their
midst. Of all the methods we use to have
revival, could genuine repentance be a
missing ingredient?
If we neglect to prominently proclaim
repentance then we are robbing people of
God’s goodness:
“Or do you despise the riches of His
goodness, forbearance, and longsuffer-
ing, not knowing that the goodness of
God leads you to repentance?”
(Romans 2:4)
Until the trumpet sounds, may there
always be a church that will proclaim to
a lost world: “Repent therefore and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, so that times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord” (Acts
3:19). ■
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 21
 G
enesis 26:3 states, “…for unto
thee, and unto thy seed, I will give
all these countries, and I will per-
form the oath which I sware unto Abraham
thy father…” The aim of Zionism is, and
has always been, to create a homeland in
Palestine for the Jewish people. By this
definition, Zionism is now approach-
ing four thousand years old and was first
founded by Yahweh, the God of Israel.
Many today would like for you to embrace
the belief that Zionism is a relatively new
development that is less than a few hun-
dred years old and is nothing more than a
political land grab by the Jews, thus justi-
Cover Story» fying the cause of anti-Semitism.
At present, Christians are being in-
undated with propaganda that presents
different terrorist organizations living in
Gaza and the West Bank as displaced refu-
gees. Whole histories have been rewritten
to establish a platform that undermines
the existence of the Jewish state. Joseph
Goebbels, the famous Nazi propagandist,
said it well, “If you tell a lie enough and
keep repeating it, then people will even-
tually come to believe it...” This strategy
presents the nations surrounding Israel as
having existed for thousands of years, thus
giving them rights to these lands. But actu-
ally, none of these nations are more than
75 years old. In 1882, the entire area of
Palestine only had about 250,000 people,
but by 1918, that number had grown to
about 600,000. Of this number, about
100,000 were Jews. What is generally not
known is that after the Jewish Aliyah (He-
brew Ascension used for immigration to
the land of Palestine), some 300,000 Arabs
migrated to Palestine because of the jobs

ISRAEL’S created by the Jews.

At the close of World War I, the Brit-
ish held the Palestinian Mandate as the

RIGHT responsible party to partition the land into

nations from which Israel was to receive
48,000 square miles. However, Abdul-

TO THE lah ibn Hussein protested to Britain and

was given 40,000 square miles (Tran-
sjordan) of Israel’s land. Great Britain

LAND had stripped the Jews to a little less than

8,000 square miles. Twenty-eight years
later, on November 29, 1947, the United
Nations adopted resolution 181, which
Zionism further reduced Israel’s land holdings
down to 5,700 square miles. Jerusalem
Will Prevail and Bethlehem were to become a cor-
pus separatism under U.N. control. Con-
sider that the entire landmass of the Arab
By NATHANIEL K. HANEY League nations is 6,145,389 square miles.
22 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010

Arabs in Palestine c. 1900
(Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey
are not included in these figures.) In com-
parison, Israel today only has about 8,463
square miles. Amazingly, the prophet fore-
told of a time when Jordan would be taken
from the Jews and the rest of the world
would try to steal Eretz Yisrael, “…the
heathen…Idumea, which have appointed
my land as their possession…” (Ezekiel
36:5).
The Arabs refused to accept Israel in
1948 in spite of the fact the Jews were only
given 5,700 square miles. On the morning
of May 15th they attacked this tiny nation,
where 600,000 Jews had to defend them-
selves against 45 million Arabs. All the
while, the U.N. stood by and did nothing.
Prior to the attack, the leaders of the Arab
world had urged their people to leave Pal-
estine. In time, the Palestine Arab Higher
Committee asked other Arab countries
to bar all entrance to the refugees. The
discrimination against fellow Arabs was
ghastly; those barred were herded into refu-
gee camps where they were to be held hos-
tage as political weapons. Some managed
to return home to the countries they had
come from, and approximately 156,000
Arabs stayed in Israel and held onto their
property during the war. After the war the
Arab leaders demanded that Israel allow
the refugees who fled to either return back
to Israel or be compensated. Amazingly, at
the prospect of compensation, the number
PHOTOS: AMERICAN COLONY (JERUSALEM). PHOTO DEPT.
of people who claimed to be refu-
gees doubled beyond the actual fig-
ures.
The Israelis refused this demand
for several reasons. First, the Mus-
lims were the aggressors, and their
return poised a real security prob-
lem to the infant nation. Second, the
Muslim nations had cost the Israelis
$500 million in cash, some 6,000
Jewish colonies and settlements. Commencing a
Jewish settlement. Jewish settlers arriving. c. 1920
lives, and 15,000 causalities in a war they
never wanted. The nations who attacked
the Jews refused to shoulder any financial
responsibility for their actions. Thirdly,
there was the issue of 820,000 Jewish ref-
ugees from Islamic nations whose stolen
wealth totaled over three hundred million
dollars. This amount was several hundred
million more than the combined displace-
ment of the entire Palestinian refugees,
and true to Islamic justice, they refused to
acknowledge or offer any kind of compo-
sition to them.
As of today, millions of Islamic Jihad
militants have migrated into Palestine
from surrounding Muslim states claim-
ing to be Palestinian refugees even though
they have no connection whatsoever to the
Arabs who lived there before 1948. To ac-
commodate these Islamic immigrants, the
Palestinians have built over 262 settle-
ments on disputed land belonging to Israel.
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organi-
zation (PLO) was founded. This organi-
zation contained a terrorist group called
Fatah led by an Egyptian named Yasser
Arafat, who took control of the entire PLO
after the Six-Day War. The PLO is respon-
able for the murder of hundreds of Jewish
civilians.
One horrendous event that we were
all reminded of recently was the Coast-
al Road Massacre, which happened on
March 11, 1978, when a small group of
Palestinian terrorists seized a bus with
the intent of killing as many civilians as
possible. They went on a murder spree
headed toward Tel Aviv, and when it was
over 39 Israelis were killed, including 13
children and more then 72 were injured.
The bus was set ablaze and burned until it
exploded. Among these Palestinian terror-
ists was 19-year-old Dalal Mughrabi, the
only woman among them, who became a
heroine overnight to the Palestinian people
for her part in the cold-blooded murder of
Jews. The purpose of this attack was to de-
rail the peace talks of Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat and Israel. Yasser Arafat and
the PLO bitterly opposed peace between
Egypt and the Israelis. Afterwards, the
PLO issued a statement saying that Is-
rael must expect more operations of this
kind. We are reminded of the word of God
that says “…they make hast to shed inno-
cent blood… the way of peace they know
not…” (Isaiah 59:7-8). However, no mat-
ter what these terrorists do to the Jews, the
Jews are here to stay. Zionism will prevail.
Sadly though, it is to this group of peo-
ple that America is presently pressuring
Israel to relinquish her lands so they may
establish a terrorist nation on her borders.
Today, the West Bank and Gaza are home to
more than thirty different terrorist groups.
The prophets foretold of a day not too far
away when the world would try to forcibly
steal the land and Jerusalem from the Jews.
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 23
 However, this attempt will fail because
God is going to come to Israel’s defense. At
present, contrary to world opinion, Israel
does have a legal right to these lands they
are presently controlling—this includes
the West Bank, which was taken in a pre-
emptive defensive action that is consistent
with article 51 of the U.N. charter. Thus,
Zionism has become the enemy of the
world. Because the time is near for Christ
to return, we are seeing politicians of the
western world pledging to bring peace to
the Arab-Israeli conflict. The solution is
always the same: land for peace. In the
world of American politics, from former
president Jimmy Carter to the present, ev-
ery American president has had one thing
in common. They have tried to bring peace
to the Middle East at Israel’s expense. Up
to this time, concerning this peace process,
the worst of all our presidents has been
President Obama; his actions have revealed
him to be a personal enemy of the Jewish
people. Time and again, he has completely
sided with the Arabs on Middle East issues
against Israel.
This past year I traveled to Israel to
spend some time praying and writing. It
Vice President Joe Biden at Tel Aviv university,
on March 11, 2010.
was while I was in Jerusalem that Vice
President Biden flew to Israel with instruc-
tions from Mr. Obama to condemn Israel
for building homes in the West Bank. It
seems that President Obama and God have
a dispute about just exactly who owns this
land. “…And the LORD appeared unto
Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give
24 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
this land…” (Genesis 12:7). It was at a
time close to Abraham’s death that gifts
were given to his other sons and then were
sent away, but to Isaac he “gave all that he
had.” This included the Abrahamic Cov-
enant of Genesis 25:5-6.
These other sons (and their descen-
dents) never got over their bitterness and
jealousy of Isaac; they keep coming back,
trying to steal his heritage. To date, the Pal-
estinians that claim roots to Abraham have
built twice as many settlements on this
disputed land belonging to the Jews, with
never even a rebuke from America or the
world. What has not been widely reported
is that earlier this year the Palestinians
held a special 32 year memorial ceremony
for Dalal Mughrabi which included nam-
ing a plaza after her for her heroic deeds
of murder. At this gathering, Fatah leaders
and PA officials made it clear that to them
she was not a terrorist, but rather a martyr.
The question Americans and Christians
should be asking is, “By what authority
does the Obama administration condemn
Israel for a building project on their own
land while ignoring the actions of Palestin-
ians who honor a murderer that killed Jews
to purposely stop the peace agreement?”
While in Israel, I witnessed a situation
where one day Jerusalem was relatively
calm, and on the next day the atmosphere
had become explosive. One got the feeling
that the Obama administration deliberately
inflamed the Muslims in hopes of creating
a national crisis in Israel to spite the Jews.
Muslim mobs appeared out of nowhere
and the government was forced to bring
in soldiers and set up barriers to keep riots
from breaking out.
The world has taken the position that
Israel has victimized her neighbors, even
though the facts state otherwise. This po-
sition was made clear on June 4, 2009,
when Obama flew to Egypt and delivered a
speech to the Muslim world. In his speech,
he accused Israel of building in and on il-
legal land in the West Bank. “The United
States does not accept the legitimacy of
continued Israeli settlements. This con-
struction violates previous agreements and
undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is
time for these settlements to stop…”
The Muslim world took this as Obama
had hoped they would—that Israel had
broken U.N. laws and stopped the Ameri-
can road map for peace, thus positioning
Israel as having committed serious crimes
against the international community. Nev-
er mind that the Muslims, whose mission
is the annihilation of the Jews, are never
pressured to give anything for the cause of
peace except to slow down on their suicide
bombers. All this talk of peace is nothing
more than a smokescreen to cover the true
agenda of Israel’s neighbors. The real ene-
my to peace is the spirit of Islam that hates
the Jews, but with or without peace Israel
is here to stay. Zionism will prevail. This
year, while the Arab League of Nations
gathered in Libya for their summit, the Pal-
estinian Islamic Jihad militants demanded
that indirect peace talks with the Israelis
for Peace be stopped. The Arab League of
Nations Secretary-General stated that, be-
cause of Israel’s intent to build new homes
to house Jewish citizens in the West Bank,
indirect talks with Israel would end.
America has taken its place among
the Arab nations demanding that Israel
stop any construction in the West Bank.
The western world has bullied Israel for
centuries with stealing, plundering, kill-
ing, and expulsions. Israel can only af-
ford to take so much of this and continue
to survive. She must do something to en-
sure her survival. Since the beginning of
Obama’s presidency (a man with Islamic
roots) relations between Israel and the
U.S. have been strained to a very danger-
ous point. People who are righteous should
be outraged at this injustice against Israel.
As Christians, until our departure hap-
pens, we must become unwavering sup-
porters of Zion. I remember one particular
DAVID FURST/AFP/GETTY
 Islamic Jihad militants demanding that indirect peace talks
with Israel be stopped, in Gaza City, March 27, 2010.
conversation I had with Bro T. W. Barnes
where he related to me that the Lord had
commissioned him to pray for Israel’s pro-
tection. He told me how God had asked
him to become an intercessor for the Jew-
ish people in times of trouble. One of the
prayers I remember hearing him pray on
several occasions was that God would send
Michael the archangel to fight on behalf of
the Jews against their enemies. I can still
hear him saying that Satan hated the Jews
because they held to the truth that there is
only one true God—therefore he wants to
destroy them, and so we must pray against
Satan and all of Israel’s enemies. This call
to prayer for Israel is needed more than
ever as the world is aligning itself against
her. The Gentiles have a wicked history of
persecuting the Jews and taking her land in
the name of Christ or Allah, depending on
what God the invading armies served. But
no true Christian has ever been commis-
sioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to hurt or
kill a Jew; furthermore, no Christian who
believes in the Bible would ever consider
that anyone other than the Jews has any
right to Palestine. The covenant God made
with Abraham clearly details Israel’s deed
to Palestine. It is first found in Genesis
AP PHOTO/HATEM MOUSSA
12:1-3 and is enlarged and reaffirmed in
Genesis 12:6-7; 13:14-17; 15:1-21; 17:1-
14; and 22:15-18. The outline of this cov-
enant is first mentioned in Genesis 12:1-3.
“Now the Lord had said unto Abram…I
will make of thee a great nation, and I will
bless thee, and make thy name great; and
thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless
them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.”
In Genesis 12:1, God told Abraham to
leave his father’s house and to come to a
land that God would show him. The Abra-
hamic Covenant was dependent on this
single act of obedience; once this condi-
tion was met no further conditions were
laid upon Abraham. In Genesis 13:15,
God placed this covenant in irrevocable
and eternal terms, “For all the land which
thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy
seed for ever.” The purpose for which God
deeded the land to Abraham is seen in the
foundation of the covenant, where it states,
“I will make of you a great nation.” To
date, no existing nation can survive with-
out a homeland. In Genesis 15, Abraham
is told that the boundaries of the land that
was to be given to him and his descendants
would be between “the river of Egypt to
the great river Euphrates.” This means
that, at present, several Muslim nations are
occupying Israel’s lands illegally. Israel’s
present landholding comes nowhere near
the covenanted boundaries.
The world has taken it upon itself to
divide the small portion of land that Is-
rael presently holds and then expects the
Jews to be thankful the Gentile world lets
them exist. This is to be part of the premise
of judgment when Christ returns. “I will
gather all nations and bring them down to
the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will en-
ter into Judgment against them concerning
my inheritance, my people Israel, for they
have scattered my people among the na-
tions and divided my land” (Joel 3:2).
The prophet Ezekiel, in chapters 35-36,
records God’s thoughts on this matter, and
some day soon God is going to weigh in on
this issue as the blood of the Gentiles will
reach the depth of about four feet. (See
Revelation 14:14-20.) The seed of this
covenant was to “…be a stranger in a land
that is not theirs, and shall serve them;
and they shall afflict them four hundred
years” (Genesis 15:13). These people are
identified without question in Acts 7:5-8
SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 25
 as the Jewish people. another, but something on a much grander
Christians who support modern Israel scale. The Scriptures foretold in several
have come under attack by teachings that places of this gathering that was to happen
Israel is not entitled to the land until the near the end of the age.
millennium begins. For sincere Christians, Ezekiel 37 presents the second re-
this generally stems from a lack of Scrip- gathering from a different perspective—a
tural understanding about the differences regathering that happens in stages until
between the first and second regathering. finally Israel is converted. Daniel 9:27
God, who anticipates the church’s fail- clearly identifies the presence of a Jewish
ure to identify this destination, spoke to state that exists in Israel before the second
us through Isaiah. “And it shall come to regathering. The government of this nation
pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his will enter into an agreement with a pow-
hand again the second time to recover the erful European politician before Messiah
remnant off his people…” (Isaiah 11:11). returns. The modern state of Israel is no
Notice he calls this the second time, not accident, and it fulfills these requirements
the first. This passage is referring to the fi- needed for God to continue on with His di-
nal regathering of the Jewish people that vine plan for this age. Daniel further speaks
takes place at the end of the tribulation. that “…The people of the prince that shall
From 11:11 through 12:6, Isaiah clearly come shall destroy the city and the sanc-
details this worldwide gathering of Israel tuary.” General Titus fulfilled this in A.D.
in preparation for entrance into the king- 70. Modern Israel is this nation that Daniel
dom age. So if this is the second regather- was writing about; whose ancestors were
scattered to the four comers of
the world after Jerusalem fell,
and remained so until 1948.
These passages of Scripture
teach us that before Messiah
returns there is to be a Jewish
nation in place that is capable
of signing a seven-year cov-
enant with a world ruler.
The state of Israel is not
yet the total fulfillment of the
prophet’s vision, but it is the
first stages of the Valley of
Dry Bones that have come
together. The breath of God
has not yet entered into them,
meaning that present-day Is-
rael is still blinded to the iden-
tity of Christ and will remain
so until the tribulation begins.
Ezekiel 38:8, 14 shows us of
the conditions of a short-lived
peace that modern Israel will
dwell in up until the mid-point
The Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann during of the Tribulation, as they will
his trial in Jerusalem, March, 1961.
be “dwelling safely” in their
ancient homeland. This will
happen in part because of the
ing, we must ask ourselves when was the agreement the people will make as speci-
first time that the Jews were regathered? fied in Daniel 9:27.
Some might say this happened under the In summary, the modern state of Israel
Persians, but according to the context, has full covenant rights to the land they
this is the second worldwide regathering, presently hold. The covenant spoken of in
compared against a previous worldwide Daniel is centered around three things: 1)
gathering that will have already taken The Jewish people, 2) the temple mount,
place. This means that the first regather- and 3) control of the city of Jerusalem. “...
ing was not a return from one country to Seventy weeks are determined upon thy
26 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010
people and upon thy holy city…” (Daniel
9: 24). The theme of the first regathering
is associated with the land being brought
back from the sword. Ezekiel 38:8 implies
that it is possessed in the same manner
that past Jewish generations had possessed
it—through war. This is certainly true of
modern Israel, for when they declared
themselves a sovereign nation on May
14, 1948, their enemies immediately at-
tacked. This reveals God’s intentions for
the Jewish people to possess all the land
they have had to occupy because of Arab
aggression toward them. The Bible further
speaks of the armies that will be defeated
on the mountains of Israel before the sec-
ond regathering: “…thou shalt fall upon
the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 39:2-4).
Contextually, these mountains are con-
nected to the land Israel is already dwell-
ing in before the invasion begins.
The conclusion is that Israel has been
regathered to fulfill the remainder of Dan-
iel’s 70 weeks. Since 1948, this modern
miracle has organized itself into a political
state, become part of the United Nations,
prosecuted Nazi’s for war crimes, and has
defended itself in wars against other hos-
tile nations that attacked her. The world is
going to have to get used to the fact that
God has ordained the time in which we
are living. The dry bones lay scattered for
2,000 years among Gentile nations, but
beginning in the 1800s those bones began
to move. Whether Islam accepts it or not,
the Jews will remain in Eretz Yisrael. Zi-
onism will prevail. The Jews are now in
control of Jerusalem so that Zechariah
12:1-5, 14:1-3 can take place when the na-
tions of the world invade Jerusalem. It is
at that time that Messiah will come to her
defense. Thus, the desire of Christ will be
fulfilled: “…how often would I have gath-
ered thy children together, even as a hen
gathereth her chickens under her wings”
(Matthew 23:37).
At present, Israel is awaiting the fu-
ture return of Messiah while the church is
awaiting the call of ascent into heaven. We
are the generation who has witnessed the
fulfillment of the first phase of these Scrip-
tures that will usher in the tribulation com-
pleting the final years of this age. For the
church, our time of departure is at hand.
The flight desk has issued the last call to
board, the fullness of the Gentiles is near
completion, and it is time to meet our Lord.
Is anybody ready to go home now? ■
PHOTO: ISRAELI SECURITY AGENCY
 LANDMARK
2010
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR’S CONFERENCE

SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 27

Kenneth
Haney

Ladies Day

Nathaniel
Haney
 F
or the past 38 years, the annual Landmark Conference has been a mainstay of Pentecost.
Originally started by Kenneth Haney, this meeting has been a blessing to our movement
for almost four decades. This year’s conference reached a new depth of awakening as we
purposed in our hearts to seek after God like never before.

To truly tell the story, we must first look to the week that preceded Landmark 2010. The mem-
bers of Christian Life Center and the student body of Christian Life College set aside an entire
week for prayer and fasting. Under the leadership of our pastoral staff and college faculty, a 24-
hour prayer chain was established as we sought God around the clock for seven straight days.
We ended this week of consecration with a corporate communion service. Oh, how God’s glory
met with us! For many in our ministry, this was a “landmark” experience.

As we moved into the week of the conference, we continued in the vein of prayer. Tuesday
night featured a pre-conference prayer summit. Every speaker and conference worker was in
attendance so that we could operate in a spirit of unity in every session and service. Wednesday
morning featured the ministries of Bro. Eli Lopez and Bro. Dannie Hood as we were instructed
in how to flow with the river of God’s Spirit. On Wednesday evening, an intense time of prayer
and worship erupted before the service ever started. We knew that God had taken control of
the meeting as His Spirit began to be poured out upon hungry souls. Bishop Kenneth Haney
delivered the key-note address, a stirring message about the “Breath of God.” We were off to a
great start!

Thursday morning featured both Men’s and Ladies Landmark. In the men’s session, Pastor
Nathaniel Haney and Bro. Dannie Hood both emphasized the importance of relationship with
God. Pastor Haney used the story of Martha and Mary as the background for a challenge to
men (especially ministers) to put relationship with Jesus Christ as a greater priority than the
Donna
Linville acts of ministerial duty. In the ladies session, Sis. Kim Haney led our women in a deep time of
prayer and worship and was followed by the impacting ministries of Sis. Liz Shivers and Sis.
Donna Linville.

Elizabeth As the Thursday evening service started, we were again caught up in a wave of the Holy Ghost.
Shivers As it came time for the choir to minister, the service grew quiet and focused as a gentleman
wearing Jewish prayer garments stepped onto the platform and began to pray the Shema (Deut
6:4-9) in the Hebrew dialect. This was a moving sight that reinforced Christianity’s ties to the
monotheistic teachings of the Old Testament. At the conclusion of his prayers, the choir broke
forth in a Pentecostal Shema—an anthem that declared our belief system and offered praise
to the one true God. As the congregation heard these words of truth, a spirit of worship swept
across the service and covered both the platform and the pews with a tangible touch of God’s
presence. Pastor Nathaniel Haney followed with a timely message about the signs God has
given that testify of the imminent rapture of the church.
Prayer of the
Shema

SUMMER 2010 | THE CROSS 29

 Friday morning featured the ministries of Bro. James Lashley and Bro. Eli
Lopez as a special call went forward for young people to embrace the apostolic
truth that has been handed down to us. A deep prayer of commitment was of-
Dannie Hood
fered by many of these young men and women as the ministers in the congre-
gation came forward and laid hands upon them to help impart the necessity of
walking in the truth.

Friday night’s service started with a surge of expectancy as the building was
nearly full before the service could even start. Again, intense prayer and wor-
ship launched us into God’s presence. Due to the overwhelming response from
the previous night, the Pentecostal Shema was again sung by the choir and
again there was a time of great worship. Bro. Dannie Hood closed out the con-
ference with a dynamic message titled, “There is No Substitute for Fire!”

While we know we cannot relive the past, we are still enjoying the memories
of these services. Through the many DVD’s and CD’s of the various services,
it still seems that Landmark 2010 is alive and impacting so many. Even though
we are many months away, we are already anticipating what God will do in
2011 (January 25-28). We hope you will be able to be a part of another life-
changing Landmark encounter with God. ■
—The Cross Staff

CLC Mass Choir

PHOTOS: NATHAN WALMER/ANGELA BARDOT

CLM MEDIA

30 THE CROSS | SUMMER 2010

Cause of the Cross
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