Quarterly news letter

Dear Friends,

 Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! This is the first in a series of quarterly updates from my desk. It’s another opportunity for me to reach out to all the friends and partners of Ekklesia Kingdom Ministries, and provide updates on the incredible things that God is doing in our midst.

 2010 has ushered in a new decade, a decade when I believe we shall see God’s amazing power at work in our homes and in His Kingdom. We at Ekklesia Kingdom Ministries are excited about the season we have entered and have declared 2010 our /Year of Excellence/ – a year when the spirit of excellence shall prevail as we strive for dynamic growth. Operating under the spirit of excellence, it is my firm belief that we shall experience God’s phenomenal move as individuals, and as a body.

 I am excited about the many strategic changes that have been made at Ekklesia Kingdom Ministries. One of the most important changes is the establishment of the In-reach and Outreach department, a department with a mandate to harness our strategies for growth, and take us to the next level. I am also excited about the many events that have been planned this year, as we work towards impacting generations for the Kingdom.

 We have recently launched our new website and I invite all our friends to visit us there to view all the life changing events that have been planned for the year. By clicking on the events in the column on the right, you will go directly to our new website.

 In closing, I ask you to partner with us in prayer and plan to join us as God takes our Ministry to the next level.

 Yours in His Service,

 Senior Pastor Paul Edwards

 

 

 

Affinity Fraud Part four

We concluded part three on the fact that affinity fraud main target market is African American and African Canadians, especially their houses of worship.  Mediums they used are real-estate, Gospel concert market and the forex market.

The notion that there is no money in our black churches is now out dated as losses mount in our churches here in Toronto alone is well over several million dollars.

I spoke with on individual who thought this must be the curse of tithing, because we had all these funds in reserve while the house of God lay waste and underfunded while many Christian cheated on their tithing, that these  demonic strategists  intelligent, supplicated, and well educated and driven by greed  Represents the devourer . Mal 3:10-12 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.  11 “And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the LORD of hosts; 12 And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the LORD of hosts.

The truth be told I am not all that divorce from this opinion, But I write this blog  with a burden in my heart for local churches and their member and have included in this blog ten thing that should alert us to  these schemes,  written by the American Christian Credit Union.

1. Be cautious if the promoter of an investment opportunity tries to capitalize on connections or leadership within your church or denomination. A common affinity fraud tactic is to lull the church into a misplaced trust by first selling to a few prominent members. Then, using their names, the con artist pitches the scam to the church itself.

2. Be suspicious of returns that sound too good to be true. Early and high returns on investments may be indicative of a “Ponzi” scheme, which involves the use of later investors’ money to pay earlier investors. These early investors often become unsuspecting–but enthusiastic–promoters of the scheme.

3. Adopt a church investment policy. Include in the policy specific investment objectives, such as safety and liquidity, and the criteria to be used in evaluating potential investments. The policy should identify the level of investment risk your church is willing to take. It may identify particular types of investments as acceptable and specifically exclude others.

4. Always get an offer in writing. A legitimate promoter is always willing to provide detailed written materials that include the nature of the investment, the risks involved, financial statements and the procedures for getting your money out.

5. Make sure you understand the investment. You should be able to explain to anyone in your congregation how it works.

6. Don’t rush into making an investment decision. If the promoter is requiring you to make a hasty decision, it is likely that the investment is a scam.

7. Check out the promoter and the investment through your state or provincial securities regulation agency. You can find their address and phone number in the government section of your phone book or on the Web page of the North American Securities Administrators Association (www.nasaa.org). Your local Better Business Bureau may also have records of complaints about the promoter.

8. Think with your head and your heart. Promoters of religious affinity frauds frequently cloak the investments with the mantle of “good stewardship.” Make the effort to verify any claims made by the promoters regarding their giving.

9. Ask for professional advice from a neutral expert. An accountant, attorney or financial planner can help you evaluate the investment. Be wary of any promoter who discourages you from doing this.

10. If you have been the victim of an affinity fraud, don’t give a break to a swindler who hides behind religion. Con artists recognize that the close-knit nature of churches makes it less likely that a scam will be detected, and that victims will be more likely to forgive one of their own. Don’t allow others to be victimized by letting an investment con artist off the hook.

Hi blogger and Christian investors! I hope you will love this piece.

Affinity Fraud – Part Three:  

The Spirit of Bernie

In the spiritual realm, Bernie is a prince demon over investment fraud exploiting a large loophole in our free market economy.   He is the former financier and executive chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange.   Bernie presided over the largest investor fraud in human history, estimated between 60 to 80 billion dollars.

The affinity fraud element of Bernie’s scheme was astonishing.  In is own Jewish community, this scheme forced many into financial collapse.  His victims include: the woman’s Zionist organization of America, some Jewish federations and hospitals, and some Jewish Charities. 

The Spirit of Bernie plays a major role in the recent economic crisis, giving Bernie and his imps around the world the excuse of announcing major loses while they moved their funds to offshore accounts— shaking consumer confidence, greatly reducing the flow of money into the economy, and helping to blow a multi-trillion dollar hole into an economy already weaken by deregulations, the housing bubble, predatory lending and bad economic forecasting.   As a result, millions have been left in the worst financial storm of their lives, coming out of the greatest economic boom in modern history.  There have been more new millionaires over the last twenty years, far surpassing any other economic cycle in the history of the free market economy.

Unfortunately the spirit of Bernie has extended itself to every faucet of society, and the body of Christ is no exception.  In boardrooms now, while I am writing, the next strategy is been designed and the target market is the body of Christ in particular African American and Canadian houses of worship. All of these schemes are the same irrespective of their new branding—they all promise incredulous amounts of profit. About ten percent of investors will see good results initially, then it will collapse.  It lacks the sustainability to guarantee all its investors their funds and about ninety percent of investors lose all their money.

These demonic strategists are driven by greed.  They are intelligent, supplicated, and well educated.  Once the new scheme is developed, they will form an alliance with members of a particular group, religious affiliation, social club, charity, etc. and begin the execution phase of securing investors for a project that may or may not exist, and was designed to fail in the first place.  To be continued…

Continental Keys

Hey blogger, you will love this one!

As I mature, it becomes more apparent that I have just began to scratch the surface of intra-biblical data.  There is a wealth of knowledge and revelation within the confines of Scriptures.  I also realized our approach to the Biblical text was cultural and that many of our great fathers and present day theologians’ level of revelation knowledge was influenced by their cultural background and hemisphere in which they lived.

North America and the Caribbean

Preachers in this region are well known for their sound hermeneutics and charisma, accompanied by pneumatic Epistemology, birthed primarily out of the great 1904-1906 revival and the charismatic movement of the 1950-60s.  They saw deeper insight into Scriptures purely through pneumatic guidance.  This has limited revelation to the idea that teachings of Scripture remain ambiguous until the Holy Spirit illuminates human understanding to the mysteries of God.  

There is a great degree of truth to this, along with Scriptural relevance and support (2 Cor. 2:10), but there is imminent danger in relying solely on pneumatic interpretation in the hermeneutical process.  This danger lies in the potential that the interpreter has not confused His own spirit and some other with the Holy Spirit.  Because of the claim to divine guidance, the result of the interpretation is beyond questioning and has taken a position equal to Scripture itself.   This poses two great challenges.  (1) The church in the next generation struggles with doctrine and other information passed down as God-given with no Scriptural validity and relevance.  (2) Preaching is often marked by the ability to quote Scripture and charisma while sermonizing is either, historical, textual, or expository in nature, often missing the true depth of revelatory knowledge still hidden within the text.

 

The African Region  

Little was known by the West of the African approach to Scripture until recently, through the emerging of great African apostles onto the international stage.   They have accurately mastered the balance between pneumatic guidance and Scriptural principles, giving rise to metaphoric dimension of Biblical interpretation far superior to that of the western hemisphere, where places and individuals in the Bible are location and people.  They are now systems and counter systems, cultures and counter cultures.  For example, the Lebanic system re-cultured Jacob from a generation of self-made millionaires through divine favour, to become a person that works for a paycheck.  Meanwhile, only the worldly demonic Lebanic system benefited, Jacob’s calling and anointing suffered, and his destiny was delayed.  The same principle can be applied to places and people through the Bible, releasing greater insight into the narrative within the text.     

Maybe the answer is found in what one great African Apostle, Bishop Bismark, calls the transferring of continental keys.  When in Biblical preaching, the approach of the West and of the African region merges to release a season of the greatest revelatory period in human history.

Hey bloggers, I am tired now.  See you next time.

 

From:  The desk of Pastor Paul Edwards.

Hey, readers here’s is a powerful piece on Soul healing; await your comments

Types of healing:
· Soul healing: dealing with inner turmoil and strife, having complete peace of mind

Different types of healing;
· Healing of the land: financial healing
· Healing their backsliding: restoration of relationships
· Healing the broken-hearted
. Healing of the waters: levels of anointing

Luke 4:18-20
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

When our bad experiences of the past are not processed properly, they become hindrances and roadblocks to our future.

Examples of roadblocks one may experience are:
· Sins of the forefathers
· Generational curses and iniquities
· Demonic stronghold
· Soul ties
· Cultural and tradition stronghold
· Spirit wounds and hurts

Spirit hurts are wounds of the soul and spirit, often caused by betrayal. They are emotional scars that are not physical and cannot be seen. Past hurts rule many lives, they can stifle and shut us down completely.

These types of spiritual laceration cannot be measured. There is no mental, spiritual or emotional gauge. They are only dealt with when the following are manifested:
· Hate
· Fear
· Guilt
· Self-hate
· Revenge
· Abandonment
· Rejection
· Depression
· Frustrated
· Multiple personalities
· Suspended development
· Self-destructive behaviour

Things that hinder our deliverance:

Analytical thinking
· Rationalizing our short comings
· Always trying to stay in control

Demons try to empower our analytical thought processes
Demonic Blockage
· Unbelief
· Doubt
· Skepticism
· Demonic whispers
· Feeling of unworthiness
· Passivity

Denial
· Wearing a façade of having it all together
· “God does not want to heal me any way.”
· “I know what I am doing”
· Turning your mind against the pastor

God’s intent is that we experience healing right now:

2 Chronicles 7:14-15
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Psalms 147:3
He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.

Exodus 15:26
I will not bring on you the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord that heals thee.

Affinity Fraud Part Two Biblical principles for wealth transfer and prosperity

Affinity fraud part one

Definition:  A name for a type of scam that targets members of a specific demographic.

Most people, in one way or another, are connected to a group through our religious beliefs, ethnic background, culture, career or interests. Organizations in which we share common bonds with others often play a big part in our daily lives. They can be an extended family — friends who share the same values and whom we depend on for support and advice.

Unfortunately, because they are based on closeness and trust, these organizations also provide the perfect setting for a growing brand of investment scam known to regulators and law enforcement as “affinity fraud.” In these schemes, a con artist joins a religious, ethnic or other close-knit group of people, intentionally builds a common bond — or affinity — with its members to gain their trust, and then defrauds group members of their money.

Affinity fraud is a crime. In recent years it has caused hundreds of diligent, honorable people  to lose millions of dollars of their hard-earned money to individuals they believed could be trusted.

RELIGIOUS GROUPS
In the last five years, affinity fraud among religious groups and church congregations has grown rapidly and is now a widespread problem. Con artists are found in all denominations. This applies both to investment scams and to financial advisers who claim religious affiliation. The reason these groups are so vulnerable is that it is human nature to trust someone who purports to be religious.

The body of Christ have invested and lost millions, in ponzi schemes, as Christian leaders falls victims to these diabolical devices.  It is time for God’s people to trust Him and believe that He holds the wealth of the world in his hand and does not need a scheme to transfer wealth and resources to the body of Christ.