Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday Night Reflection





















Hey bloggers...

It's Sunday evening...we just went to get something to eat, and I came back in and was trying to work a little on LITN X...started reading today's texts and e-mails...listening to my phone messages about this morning's service, and about our direction for the future...just thought I'd share a few of the comments here...


FROM FACEBOOK

Synonyms for reconciliation: harmony, accommodation. To preach the word of the reconciliation to the world it is good that Cathedral and CITN family have reconciled. What a great example of God's reconciliation. Colin and I are so with this.
- Janice Langley Sobers


Hey Bishop, awesome word today! For what it's worth I wanted to tell you that I've really enjoyed having the Cathedral with us. There's been a great energy ITB and your and D.E.'s sermons have been excellent!

- David Disharoon Jr



Bishop, life is all about change, and today's most excellent service made me reflect on the changes our community has been through since you founded Word of Faith. The various buildings are of course obvious, but I was reminded of the major spiritual shifts, like that which occurred with the name change to CITN. Seeing you both on the stage supporting each other and ministering to each other (and then to us) makes my spirit elated in ways I don't fully understand and cannot verbalize - but I know I want more and I want it to continue! I am praying for you and Pastor D.E. -
- Sandra Rosser


Bishop, today's word was awesome and seasonal as always, and I have LOVED EVERY MINUTE of these last few weeks. You know it's funny you mentioned that CHS will celebrate their 50th anniversary next year as we celebrate year 25. 75 years of ...doing the work of God is amazing. It's also the "Diamond" year. And I think that is fitting for both churches. Both beautiful, both rare, both transparent and can only be truly formed in nature. And while many people look at the diamond's beauty, not many people think of the process, which is anything but pretty, especially the most beautiful diamonds, which are formed in the hottest heat, the greatest pressure. Soon the brilliance and clarity of both houses will illuminate the WORLD. Our future's so bright, we gotta wear shades! Continue to be led by the spirit Bishop, in the end it is His voice that matters and only His voice. I love you.-
- Ebony Thornton


CITN...The place of God, the word in it's greates form. What God has joined together let NO man put it under. The DREAM TEAM in the word. Wow!! Cathedral in The Now..Hummm! has a great ring to it?...Amen so be it. Thank you, Bishop & Pastor D. E. for hearing from GOD...
- John Wanza



FROM BLOGINTHENOW...

Very good word today at CITN. I think it is beginning a move of God like the world has not seen with a message that the world desperately needs that will literally save us all...It was Awesome! God is up to something there.....as the Spirit shares from the treasure house of God things old and new to send out a message to the world that has already been in eternity and all ages since time began. A message direct from the eternal Spirit so wonderful and marvelous the fleshly immature mind cannot receive it in it's negative lifeless state. As Christ said through Jesus our Savior "to him that has ears to hear; let him hear" and to the rest I say just hang on yours is coming; each one in your appointed time. The best is yet to come!
- Pastor Dennis Caldwell

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Torri Hornsby Griffin said...

Bishop, I really appreciate you for bringing us (Church in the Now) into this new space with the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. It's just the best of both worlds! As I've said before, it's like my head and my heart have been reconnected and I am satisfied. Thank you.

Brenda said...

This year at CITN has been so great for me. So many changes and so much has been imparted to me. I've had to totally change my whole outlook on the way the church look as well as the messages that God is now imparting to me. Some things go so against the gain of what I have been taught all my life but when I hear them its like I knew that all alone. I guess its like you say I already knew it but just didn't know I knew it. When I hear this message it moves me to want to give not just my money but my time and energy to be the best. I never really knew God loved me so much because it was covered by the hoops I was trying to jump over in order to prove I was worthy for Him to love me. Now that those chains have been broken and I am free it in no ways make me want to sin more but to run to Him and just walk in the love.
Thanks so much for explaining the communion today because I was always taught you can't drink it unless you were "saved" and had been baptised. You could not drink if you were out of fellowship with someone because you would get sick or die an early death. Something that was to be so intimate now turns into horror because what if I forgot someone I was out of fellowship with then God would kill me. Now you are saying anyone can come wow how wild is that. There was so many rules around taking the communion until I just hated taking it now I feel free and not under condemnation if I have thought one unpure thought.
I'm still in the healing mode but now that blinders have been taken off and the Holy Spirit has open up my mind to receive the meat of the word, I'm progressing naturally. I love that Catheral is with us, I get up early so that I can get there and be on time. Pastor Debye said the day would come when we would have to get to church an hour early if we wanted to get the seat we wanted and she was right but I don't mind because Pastor D.E. and Catheral rock and I hope they never leave.

River said...

Send the rain Send Your Reign Send the rain Send Your Reign It's Raining It's Raining The Spirit Is Reigning Spirit is Reigning

It's been a great past few weeks
The Spirit is Reigning

Anonymous said...

After reading my post; I see that twitter has almost completely broke me from using any punctuation......

Pastor Dennis

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

Thanks, Brenda...I did want to say that Paul, in fact, wrote in his first epistle to the Corinthians (Chapter 11), that some people in the Body were sick and had died pre-maturely because of taking the Lord's Supper "unworthily"...but, as I always say, you have to look at that in context...his point was about how disconnecting from the spiritual body can and will affect the health of the physical body...it wasn't a matter of sin disqualifying a person ("Lord, if You mark iniquities, then who would stand?"), it was about how connection with the Christ brings total salvation...spirit, soul, and body...

Thanks for your comments...

Bishop Jim Swilley said...

It'a all good, P. Dennis...you're just speaking in stream of consciousness...the message came through loud and clear...

Peacemaker said...

It's good to read the notes of agreement that have been shared here and on FB. I know it brings assurance and peace. But...agreement nor dissent can stop what is happening as long as you and Pastor D E follow your inspiration. The relational conciliation is obvious, as well as having both congregations think further outside the box.
Deeper than that, there is so much happening on so many levels because of this union, the full effect will not be realized for quite some time.
What's happening now is just the tip of the iceberg.
By the way...great service today!

Peace,
PM

Unknown said...

I agree Sandra, it is a challenge to put words to a move of God...and I see after a refresh that Peacemaker has gone where I was exploring...so I'll just add: John said the world couldn't contain the books if ALL that Jesus did was written...

One word comes to mind after today's service though...ADVENTURE. (Note: "Advent" is in its etymology, from the Latin word adventurus meaning...about to happen, to arrive).

Count me in.

Anonymous said...

Lou Smith said...

Bishop, It is hard to know what our future holds, but it is ever so comforting to know that whatever it is, God has it all worked out! Sometimes I think back on my life 25 or 30 years ago and would have never imagined I'd be where I am today, but here I am loving it! Isn' t our God great? !! It's a great journey!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bishop.....

Ebony said...

Bishop I am so glad you found comfort in my post and that you liked it enough to post it here. I post more on FB, but I am checking BITN here and there, so I may be out of sight but I am around. It's also funny you brought up the "eat or drink unworthily" scripture, my mom's baptist church for years used to quote that scripture before every communion, that for a while, I didn't take communion because of some detours I had made on my journey of working out my own salvation. It was a few years later, in my life application bible that I read that one of the reasons Paul wrote that in his epistle was because the church was using the communion for a time to be gluttonous, drunken, depravity, not to alienate members of the body of Christ for their journey detours. I wonder when we get to the other side how many times Jesus, Moses, David and Paul are going to tell believers "You used what I wrote to do WHAT?!!", "You thought I meant THAT?!!". The mind wonders. But like you said today, we are all the body, but seperate members, and we all have a place. So here's hoping we stop trying to change each other, and work in harmony.

Anonymous said...

Sonia Dean said...

First time in the house for service! Love CITN and kids loved KITN. What a beautiful sanctuary!......So much meat today. I made a decision and feeling really good about it! Thanks

Larry Usher said...

It would be hard to imagine the Cathedral folks NOT being there now. Went to lunch yesterday with a group that was half n half and we just click, so... Great service, great people, great Spirit, great day!

Anonymous said...

John W. Brumlow said...

I do love the service as it is going and am sure that I will for as long as it lasts. When the gospel of reconciliation is delivered like it was Sunday morning at CITN by all serious preachers and teachers there will be an end of war and famine that follows. The agreement on giving this good news no matter the cost by two ministers in a pulpit is ... Read Morepowerful. I do believe this is a courageous move by both of you and it will pay off in great measure.

There is no doubt that much has to be overcome in the area of human nature to do what is currently being done here by both churches. I pray for the continued agape in this work and personally see this as one of the strongest examples to rest of the church world of what it means to be the Body of Christ.

For me, communion was as good as it gets Sunday.

Anonymous said...

Good Evening Bishop Swilley,

I am going to say, this is the first time I’ve heard of your preaching. For the first time (On Sunday, October 5), I watch you and Pastor D.E. Paulk on the internet. I praise and worship God today for this Duo of Dynamite he has entrusted his work to.

I realized both of you are talking about the offerings and the tithes. I want you both to know, just like Pastor Debbie said, the same God that entrusted the two of you with this Message can and will provide the funds for his work be performed. If God can provide for Pastors that are in disobedient to Him, by not preaching the truth, don’t you think he will also do the same for you both who are not afraid to preach it? I believe He will.
The Lord says bring the whole Tithe to the Storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
The LORD is telling us bring our faith, belief, and trust to Him, by giving, and supporting the house where we come to hear His Word of Revelation week after week.
I want you to know though I can’t be in the Building, but I do promise to do my part by sending my offerings and tithes to the Storehouse, to help support THE WORD GIVEN TO ME EACH WEEK.
Thank you to both of you, for your obedience to the Father.
God Bless you and Pastor D.E.

Anonymous said...

How do I access kingdom wealth and power?

Matthew 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
The seed is constant, the ground is constant but understanding varies.
Your depth of understanding the word of God determines your level of fruitfulness.
Unveiling the mysteries of the Kingdom involves 3 basic steps: Hearing, Understanding & Doing.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH OUR DOING? Since we Hear,and Understand,

These are the "rock" upon which the house is built.
"May you be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding".

Remain blessed!

Anonymous said...

Michelle Howell said...

Reconciliation focuses on the relationship, while resolution focuses on the problem. Bishop, reconciliation and restoration is at work with you and Pastor D.E.

dgm2007 said...

hey yall.. garsh I haven't been on in a while. so bizarre.. I'm studying abroad again in Egypt so if you see someone streaming that'd be me.. I was wondering if any of you are experiencing tiny miracles. seeing things happen simply by the light thought of them..

For the past few days I have been living off of freebies.. Its incredible.. One story or example is this past Sunday I was sick of cooking for myself and decided to order food.. My check card is expired so I can only use my credit card.. I call up a restaurant that delivers to my campus and ask if visa is accepted.. they reply yes but the machine is down.. I thank them for there time and explain why I cant complete my order.. the owner lets me finish my back story and asks "well what do you want to order... you can pay later when you come in or if you order again.." since I'm in Egypt it will take a long while before I can get my new check card and I don't have a way to get to this restaurant since I have no car. I explain this and hang up.. the owner calls me back and asks me "what do you want.. you can pay whenever you have the money its ok we will take your order and you can just pay later.. whenever.." Im stunned and like wow.. this is amazing.. the delivery man comes with a smile and says you pay later whenever you have the money.. so that was one miracle.. that I had to share. the same day I thought to myself man I sure would like some water but cant buy any since.. I cant take the money out.. Im just chilling in the common area and i make friends with some locals during the convo a guy by the name of Ahmed goes to get water and asks me if I would like a bottle.. knowing that I couldn't pay him back I say ahh thats ok I'm fine.. he brings me a huge bottle of water and a pepsi.. I have a ton of stories like this.. and the only thing that I have been doing is thinking hey that would be nice but I don't dwell on it I just think and let it go.. Has anyone else been having these types of experiences.. its amazing.. one last story
I got a man to push my groceries all the way to the bus stop for me last night after simply thinking boy I sure don't want to carry this stuff.. amazing!

besides just thinking and letting it go I have started saying to everyone my life gets better everyday.. I have such an amazing life and I feel that so strongly..
In other news.. I love the sunday duo.. I have class on sundays so I cant really tune in to the entire service but eh... I know its amazing.. If there are any bloggers in the region hit me up..