Must Read

"Disciplines of a Godly Man" by R. Kent Hughes

Our churches and homes need men willing to follow the path of godliness no matter what the cost. This inspiring book has been speaking to the hearts of men for the past 10 years, and its words are still relevant. Using engaging illustrations, scriptural wisdom, practical suggestions and study questions, Kent Hughes offers a frank biblical discussion on major areas of Christian manhood: family, godliness, leadership, ministry and more. This newly revised edition is for every man who wants to know what it means to be a Christian in today's world.

"We will never get anywhere in life without discipline, be it in the arts, business, athletics, or academics. This is doubly so in spiritual matters. In other areas we may be able to claim some innate advantage. An athlete may be born with a strong body, a musician with perfect pitch, or an artist with an eye for perspective. But none of us can claim an innate spiritual advantage. In reality, we are all equally disadvantaged. None of us naturally seeks after God, none is inherently righteous, none instinctively does good (cf. Romans 3:9-18). Therefore, as children of grace, our spiritual discipline is everything - everything!"

Revival w/Gahfoor

What an awesome visitation of the Spirit of God we had during the revival with Ashgar Gahfoor. Evangelist Gahfoor is truly a man of God that is in tune with what the Spirit wants to say to the people he is ministering to.

Pastor Gahfoor is a converted Muslim to Christianity and for a time had a Fatwa on his life. After a year that his wife had given her life to Jesus at the Potter's House in Killeen, TX and through much prayer, Evangelist Gahfoor gave his life to Jesus. Gahfoor speaks several languages, holds a Master Degree and was an officer in the U.S. Military. But with all these accomplishments, Ghafoor stated that he was empty and realized that Christ was truly the answer that he needed. Through the testimony of his wife and others in the Killeen church, he saw genuine faith and deliverance in the people of God.

There was a tremendous touch of the Spirit given by the evidence of those who were healed of infirmity and the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" by speaking in tongues. People were challenged to trust God and to answer the call to be personal evangelist to the world. Pastor Gahfoor stated that you don't have to be an ordained evangelist to do the work of one per-se. He said that the great commission is for all believers in that we all have a responsibility to spread the Gospel.

It was truly a wonderful event and have kicked around the idea that for next year, we can have Gahfoor come and do a San Benito/Harlingen Healing Crusade followed by a week of revival with Gahfoor. It will truly be a site to behold. Amen.

J.C.H.C.

Pastor Felan

RVG Marriage Retreat

Here are some pictures that were taken during the marriage retreat in McAllen, Texas hosted by the The Door - McAllen featuring guest speaker Pastor Richard Rubi and his wife Yolanda from the mother church, The Door - San Antonio, Texas.

It was a wonderful time of ministry. God really spoke to the hearts of married couples in the issues of wives being the women that God wants and the husbands putting their wives on a pedestal. A place of security and honor. Pastor Rubi gave an excellent sermon on men to love your wives and don 't get bitter at them.

Sister Yolanda also had an opportunity to speak to the women in a separate session during this marriage retreat. According to my wife, Yolanda spoke to the women about the needs of their husbands. The need for the physical and the spiritual. Not as the covering when you think about the head of the marriage, but the covering and protection when it pertains to sexual needs and the respect that men so crave.

This marriage retreat was the first for me and my wife in the valley. It was a great time of refreshment. Everyone had a great time playing the "Not-So Newlywed Game" and others. Please keep the marriages of our saints in your prayers and for marriage in general.

J.C.H.C

Pastor Felan

Holy Matrimony

Praise God for those who God is the Lord!

In March I had the privilege in perform my first marriage in the Harlingen congregation where I Pastor. Two wonderful saints, Fillipe and Elsa Ortega were married in Holy Matrimony in 2010.

Our sister Elsa was the first to come to the church. She remembered our Christmas Float during the parade and the testimonies that were given over the bullhorn. She recalled that someone said "that God can change your life and that you don't have to continue on the road your living in." See said to a sister in church "that her life was a wreck and she needed to change course." She answered the alter call and gave her life to Jesus. From that day forward she has linked her heart with the people of God and has gone to several outreaches. There is a genuine conversion that has happen in her life.

After her spiritual re-birth, Fillipe came and gave his life to Jesus. He was amazed on how the saints were so genuinely friendly, kind, and were praying for him. He said that you can feel the sincerity in the church and you can see that these people really care. His conversion was prompted by the testimonies and openness of the people. Kindness, beloved, goes along way.

There was a sermon I preached on the "Sanctity of Marriage" that prompted them to come to me and confess that they were not legally married. Fillipe spoke to me and said that he wanted to do things right and said that Elsa and him were talking about getting married. I told him that I'm all for it and most importantly that God's all for it. I told him that if he is serious, to go down to the court house and get the marriage licence and I will perform the ceremony. Well, the pictures say it all! The people of God rose to the occasion and decorated the church to bless our brother and sister. It was truly amazing.

At the reception, Elsa made this statement to all present at her celebration, "God is a Good God and all this would not be possible without God and my church family." Isn't that awesome. Thank God for His people.

I hope, with permission, to post their full testimonies on our website or this blog. There testimonies are truly amazing and give evidence to the power of God that is still into changing lives. I'm very excited about what God is going to do in this couple and their family.

Please pray for the Ortega's and pray that God will give us more like them!

J.C.H.C.

Pastor Felan

The I - Team

Do you remember the 80's T.V. series the A-Team? The A-Team was an American action adventure T.V. series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces who work as soldiers of fortune while being on the run from the military for a crime they didn't commit.

Unlike the fictional characters on the T.V. series, The I-Team is the real deal! The I-Team (Invasion Team) are a group of faithful Harlingen Church saints that take evangelism very seriously. Soul-Winning is the #1 directive. They place high priority on one-on-one street witnessing and street preaching.

Two most recent I-Team missions were to help our cousin and brother in the coastal bend and San Antonio area. On Feb. 20th we went to help Pastor Richie of the Potter's House-Aransas Pass hand out flyer's for the upcoming revival with Oscar Jaime of The Door-Corpus Christi. We had a wonderful time infiltrating Aransas Pass for the Gospel. Their were 13 people who prayed the sinners prayer for salvation with a few members of our group. One of our I-Team members, Dahlia, witness to a women who was hooked on drugs and stated that she was going to a church but had stop attending for some reason or another. There are many lives in Aransas Pass that need Jesus. Pastor Richie was so appreciative of the The I-Team taking time on a Saturday and coming all the way from Harlingen to lend a hand.

Pastor Richie took our mercenaries for Christ to Pizza Hut for re-fueling and fellowship. It's been 5 years since Pastor Richie was sent out to this area and it is a great thing to see God working in this coastal town.

On the 27th of Feb., The I-Team also went to help Pastor Martinez-The Door/S.A., pass out flyer's for their church services. 19 people responded to the salvation message through the testimonies of the saints. It was a powerful time of evangelism in my hometown of S.A.

We were introduced to a man who happen to receive a flyer by the name of "House". And he was built like one. He was a biker dude with a spike helmet and a leather vest with a large patch of a skeletal hand throwing the figure. House sat with Pastor Martinez and had some food that the church provided for the I-Team. You could see that House really was interested in what we where doing. Pray for House that he will come and lock in the church.

We also had the opportunity to street preach while we where there. We learned a new strategy to get people's attention. "Wave at the Queen" and "Put on a big smile". It was great. One employee at the corner gas station stopped and talked with a member of our group. Street Preaching works!

Pray for us that God would bring in more recruits in the I-Team and for Harlingen as we take on the world for Jesus.

J.C.H.C.

Pastor Felan

Men's Discipleship Seminars

Six of us men went to San Antonio on the 22nd of February to hear Pastor Gabriel Alonso preach a powerful message on becoming a cynic. He dealt with much of what is transpiring in our world especially when it comes to the people of God. This happens sometimes in our lives when we have gone through issues in our walk with God. It is the attitude that says "Just wait... you'll see".

This world can make you cynical. People and what they do can make you cynical. And when you let this spirit take hold of you, it can hinder your walk with God. You give ear to the words of discontent and complaint. Like the people that Moses had to deal with in the desert. Always unhappy with circumstance, wishing for the onions and leeks of Egypt. This kind of complaining would where me down. But that's why we need for God to touch our lives and give us a fresh new breath of faith. To believe God. That God is able and able to do it time and again.

That He is still able to heal. That He can still make the blind see and the lame walk. That He can still change a life. Heal a marriage and transform a broken home into a family again. That we don"t have to burn out in the things of God. And that we can still trust our headship despite the moral failures of other that erode the creditability of the Gospel within pastoral ranks. Not all leaders fall. And God should never be blamed.

I thank God everyday for my Pastor, Pastor Richard Rubi. But I know that he is a man and that no matter what may or may not transpire, God will always be habitually righteous and holy. Man can fail you but God never will.

If your a man reading this and have never gone to a men's class you need to go. Or if your attitude has been, "Ah, another men's class. Been there, done that." Then you especially need to go. Don't be a cynic.

J.C.H.C.

Pastor Felan