| ciasia update: jan 2006 Greetings from Japan:
Teddy and I want to thank you for all your prayer and support this last year, and trust that 2006 will be even greater. We had a great holiday season; all of our family came together for Christmas. After a busy 13 days – holding four conferences across Japan and one in Korea - we were able to take off most of the remainder of January for rest and preparation for the months ahead.
CONTENTS:
MAKING CHANGES FOR INCREASE and HARVEST:
I believe “increase and harvest” is the theme from the Lord for all of us for 2006. God really wants us to increase and receive harvest. However, we must be willing to make some bold changes in order for this to happen. Basically, we must shift from a “believing and waiting” to a “believing and doing” mindset. Satan always tries to cause delay in the fulfillment of the promises of God. He does this by causing us to think that now is not the time. God counters this by sending the prophet. The word of the Lord will actually break delay if we believe and begin to do what it commands.
An example is in the book of Haggai. The people honestly thought the rebuilding work of the temple could not proceed. They thought, “Now is not the time” (Haggai 1:2). God sent Haggai who prophesied that it was the correct time. Their hearts were stirred, and in faith they began rebuilding against impossible odds. With God’s help the project was completed, resulting in great spiritual and financial blessing (“From this day forward I will bless you” Hag 2:19). Note the following:
- It is easy to fall into passivity and conclude that now is not the time
- We keep on doing the old things, and there is no blessing of God (note that they were in poverty even though they worked very hard - Hag. 1:6)
- God breaks this by sending the prophetic word
- They had to make a bold shift and actually begin the building process
- As they obeyed and did what God requested, He released the necessary miracles and help to complete the project
- The completed project/obedience resulted in much higher levels of spiritual blessing and financial breakthrough.
POWER OF PROPHESY – A TESTIMONY FROM KOREA:
A couple of weeks ago I did a two-day conference at a church in Seoul. It was my first time there, but I was amazed at how the ministry and style of the church was the same as our own. I mean that church really had our CI DNA, so to speak. The pastor told me that almost ten years ago he was at a very low time in his life, without church or ministry. He came to one of our meetings in Seoul, and Teddy (“…not you, Apostle Sawka, but Apostle Teddy prophesied to me”) ministered to him. He went on to say that prophesy changed their lives and launched them into what they are now doing. Hallelujah…
NATIONS UPDATE and REPORT:
JAPAN – The New Year’s conference with Dale Mast (Dover, Delaware) was awesome. Dale ministered on being strong in God based on who He is and not who we are. We can do miracles because of God, not because we are or are not “good” believers. One of his messages dealt with Jacob, who schemed his way into receiving the blessing of the firstborn. Isaac, almost totally blind, felt the skin of an animal, and thinking it was Esau, blessed Jacob instead. In the same way, God chooses to become blind to our shortcomings. He doesn’t touch our flesh (if He touched our flesh we would surely die), but sees the righteousness of Christ (we have put on Christ - Gal 6:20) and freely bestows on us the full and complete blessing of the firstborn (Heb 12:23). This was the type of message that Apostle Dale gave and served to build strong foundations for miracles.
RELEASING SPIRIT OF THE MARTYRS:
We held the conference in three other cities besides Sano (Kobe, Okayama, and Okinawa). Thus, total attendance was almost four times higher than a normal conference. One key agenda in each place was to release the spirit of the martyrs (Rev 12:11 – “they loved not their lives to death”). I gave a short history of the martyrs in Japan and emphasized three important facts that apply to Japan right now. 1) Christianity spread like wildfire all over Japan. In just 40 years (1549-1587) a large percentage of population had become Christian. If it spread so quickly back then, surely it can happen like that in our times… 2) Even though Christianity was outlawed and enforced with intense, thorough and ongoing persecution, (roughly 1587 to 1868) it could not be wiped out. This shows me that there is a great perseverance and “unquenchability” that God will put in the Japanese Christians to bring great revival to Japan. 3) Japanese Christians were not afraid and did not “love their lives to death” (Rev 12:11). Historical records show that they considered it an honor to die for Jesus. In each meeting we prayed and declared that this same spirit of no-compromise was now coming back to Japanese Christians. It was like a passing of the torch. I believe and will continue to declare that God is raising up Christians filled with the unconquerable, unquenchable Holy Spirit that will result in beginning of great harvest.
KOREA – After a meeting of all CI Asia Korea pastors and an ordination ceremony, we held an “invitation only” meeting for pastors, leaders and supporters that we are connected to. We wanted to bless and thank them for their association with us. We ministered the word of God, and then prophesied to each individual that attended. It was also a good time to share the vision for Korea for 2006 which is as follows:
- Monthly training for leaders, including a Doctorate program that we are offering in Korea, beginning March 2006.
- Expansion and development of CI Asia Apostolic Network of Churches
- Expansion of Apostolic Prayer Network for Korea
- Need for our own building to host the doctorate program, business school and seminars.
A BIRTHING AND A DREAM (Malaysia and Taiwan [?])
One day, during a time of prayer and intercession, the Holy Spirit came very strong upon me. After praying in tongues, I shifted into a birthing type of prayer and knew the Holy Spirit was birthing something. The next day I had a dream in which Teddy and I moved to Malaysia. In the dream I was happy with the move but began to sense an oppression in the laws. While driving I was startled to see that roads had not yet been developed, just grassy paths. With help in interpretation from Dale Mast, I realize the Lord gave us a prayer guide for Malaysia, if not also for Taiwan. Pray the following:
- God wants stronger base established (in the dream we had to move there)
- The prophetic and apostolic has not been established or developed (not proper roads but just paths in the dream)
- There is an oppression of the enemy warring against what God wants to establish.
So I ask you to begin praying for these two nations. I will be in Taiwan at least twice this year (April and June).
SCHEDULE:
Feb 3-5 Church of Praise, Osaka – This seminar will emphasize the miraculous in the marketplace.
Feb 8-15 Sibu, East Malaysia
Feb 17-22 Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia
Feb 23-26 Tawau, East Malaysia (network church of CI Asia)
Feb 27-Mar 3 Women’s conference, Seoul, Korea (Teddy and Ron)
Mar 5-7 Taejon, Korea – opening of our first CI Ministry Training School
Mar 9-10 Seoul - opening of our own CI doctorate program
FINANCES:
We are asking God for 300 persons to support us with US $1000 during 2006. I am so thankful for those who have responded and I pray for them regularly. Continue to believe with us for 300 to rise up to support us as we travel to the nations.
Blessings.
Ron and Teddy Sawka
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