Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:15-18 KJV
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus did not say that He would build His church on Peter, but that He would build it on this fact: That Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The English word “church” is derived from the word kuriakon which means “belonging to the Lord”. It does not mean a building and is never used in the New Testament to designate a building. In the English New Testament the word “church” is used to translate the Greek word ekklesia, which means “an assembly of people”. In some passages, it is simply translated as “assembly”. Ekklesia is derived from two Greek words, ek meaning “out from,” and kaleo which means “to call.” The Greeks used the word when speaking of their legislature – the people designated and called out to represent their community in the legislature. We are “called out” of the world and gathered together to serve and represent the Living God here on earth and also in Heaven!
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus is putting the emphasis not on the word “Church”, but on the word “My”, as in “I will build MY Church…” The Church is unique, not merely because it is called a Church, but because it is the Body of Christ – an assembly of believers who belong to Jesus! Jesus is the Head of the Church:
Ephesians 5:23 AMP – For the husband is head of the wife as Christ is the Head of the church, Himself the Savior of [His] body.
Colossians 1:18 NIV – And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV – But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
In the New Testament, the word “Church” is used to designate the Church in general – the whole Body of Christ – and also a specific local church or assembly of Christians. However, it is not referring to a particular group or denomination.
The local church, in a particular area, is vital to the growth, development and expansion of the Body of Christ in that area. It is important for each of us to be a part of a local body of believers, with people who love and accept us, and also who hold us accountable as we grow in our faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 AMP says, “And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”
The mission of the local church is:
Preaching and teaching
Making disciples
Fellowship
Worship
Missions and evangelism
Maturity of the believer
Ministry in the home
Ministry to material needs
And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]. 16 He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned. 17 And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; 18 They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well. Mark 16:15-18 AMP
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV
Mark emphasizes preaching and Matthew, teaching, but they are agreed on the overall role of the Church. The Church’s mission is to get people saved, delivered, healed, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, and then to take care of them, disciple them, and send them out to continue to do the work of the Church.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
The Ministers Conference was phenomenal this year. It was going to another level. With the theme being No Limits No Boundaries. You could feel the excitement of the people as the Holy Spirit started to really minister. The new song that was sung every day ministered so strongly. When I woke up in the morning the song and the words would be going through my head. There are truly No Limits! As Pastor Rodney Started preaching on what the Lord was giving him you could sense that it was a message that was right on time. That God is doing something big. The scripture verse that was theme for the meetings 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 – Where Jabez asked God to bless him and enlarge his territory. God is trying to enlarge our territory and one of the ways that he is doing it is through the Tithes and offerings that we give.
Pastor Andre talked about how we must give upstream like Abraham did with Melchizedek. He taught us that as we give upstream we will receive the total blessing and how there were some that were not and this was the main reason that they did not receive the blessings that they so want to attain.
Pastor Rodney talked about how we need to have our own business to fulfill our mission. God has placed us in our own business in our personal life and it was confirmation to me that we are in the perfect will of God.
Tuesday morning Pastor Rodney talked bout he operates the ministry on a zero balance most of the time. He said when God tells me to go somewhere I must go. Not to wait until all the money is there. We walk by faith and not by sight.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
This minister’s conference had a great impact on my life. I was serving almost every service and physically, I got very tired. But my spirit was hungry and thirsty for all that God had for me. I had a few extraordinary encounters with God this week that I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only did God touch me, but He also spoke to me and I got direction for what He wants me to do with my life.
For some time now I have been seeking God for answers to questions that only He has the answers to, and this week God answered a few of those questions. A lot of what was taught grabbed a hold of my heart and me. A need and a passion grew inside of me, to make a difference in a lot of areas in this world. I got confirmation of what God has called me to do and God also revealed a few new things that He wants me to accomplish for His kingdom and glory.
God used the guest minister’s mightily this week, not only to make an impact on the people attending, but for this generation. The seeds that they sowed into so many people’s hearts will grow and reproduce in other people’s lives. These seeds will spread like the fire that touched us and will set this generation on fire for God. If what happened during Minister’s Conference 2010 would stay within the four walls of the River at Tampa Bay Church, it would be a disgrace for the kingdom of God. But I know it won’t. What happened in my life as well as in everyone else’s that attended this conference will not only shake America, but other nations as well. This was only the beginning of a great explosion of the power of God manifesting in our lives and in the lives to come. This life changing conference is the beginning of the power of God changing the world. I can only look forward to the next step, in saving and shaking this world for the glory of God.
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
My internship here at RBI has definitely not been what I expected. It has been better.
Coming into the internship program, I was not sure what exactly what I would be doing. I knew I wanted to learn different aspects of the ministry and how the ministry operated on a large scale. Since I have started my internship, I have learned how to fill out tax exempt cards, update pictures on to a website, and call pastors informing them about up coming events. There are many skills I am still learning like how to transfer a call at the receptionist desk and how to take minutes in staff meetings. By no means have I learned everything that there is to learn, so I am excited that I still have three quarters left to my internship.
I would say the number one thing that God has shown me while I have been at RBI is to walk in love, regardless of whether the person I am having a conflict with deserves it or not. Sometimes there are days when it seems like everyone has something against you, but then you have to think, “Maybe I am the one with the attitude, not everyone else.”
No matter what problems or circumstances I have faced, I know that nothing is impossible with God and with His help I can do all things
Worship Soundtracks from RMIRiverSong on Vimeo.
Recently I have been helping in Main Event in Studio B, the Kids Church at the River at Tampa Bay. The services are filled with loud, exciting music, fun-filled games, and powerful teaching. This past Sunday, the church gave away school supplies –notebooks, pencils, and folders –to every child in attendance that Sunday. Because the River Outreach Department thoroughly advertized the give-away, many first time visitors rode to the church on the church buses and brought their children with them.
The line for registration was packed! Inside Studio B, the kids played games and listened with rapt attention as the simple message of the gospel was presented. In response to the teaching, over one hundred children came forward to the altar to give their life to Christ. It was incredible to see the change on their faces as they prayed. The sweet presence of Jesus was so strong; I was personally impacted and challenged by the sermon and the anointing that was present throughout the entire service. Helping in Studio B is more than just supervising an auditorium filled with children; every Sunday, I get the opportunity to make an impact and sow into the kids that attend each Sunday –and each Sunday I get challenged to rise to the next level and seek God more.
