GNN 9

IN PERSEVERANCE

Because everyone needsa dose GoodofNews

UPDATE

HIGHLIGHT

WINDOW

TESTIMONY

WILL PERSEVERE

READ THIS

The theme for this edition of GNN is ‘Run to Win.’ Just like the apostle Paul conveys to us in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, our life as believers is like a race, and we must be diligent to win this race and enjoy our prize of eternal life with Christ. The goal of this issue is to bring encouragement and to inspire all who read this magazine to run toward the prize, not letting the concerns of this world distract or discourage us. Let us run with perseverance the race which has been marked out for us.

DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT IN A RACE ALL THE RUNNERS RUN THEIR VERY BEST TO WIN, BUT ONLY ONE RECEIVES THE PRIZE? RUN YOUR RACE IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU MAY SEIZE THE PRIZE AND MAKE IT YOURS! NOW EVERY ATHLETE WHO GOES INTO TRAINING AND COMPETES IN THE GAMES IS DISCIPLINED AND EXERCISES SELF-CONTROL IN ALL THINGS. THEY DO IT TO WIN A CROWN THAT WITHERS, BUT WE DO IT TO RECEIVE AN IMPERISHABLE CROWN THAT CANNOT WITHER. THEREFORE I DO NOT RUN WITHOUT A DEFINITE GOAL; I DO NOT FLAIL AROUND LIKE ONE BEATING THE AIR JUST SHADOW BOXING. BUT LIKE A BOXER I STRICTLY DISCIPLINE MY BODY AND MAKE IT MY SLAVE, SO THAT, AFTER I HAVE PREACHED THE GOSPEL TO OTHERS, I MYSELF WILL NOT SOMEHOW BE DISQUALIFIED AS UNFIT FOR SERVICE. - 1 CORINTHIANS 9: 24-27 AMP

At GNU, I heard this quote from Bishop David Oyedepo, and it has stuck with me from the first day I heard it: “faith is not cheap talk, it’s hard work.” In our Christian walk, we don’t just stumble into everything God has or requires of us. Every promise and covenant right in the Word of God concerning us can only be accessed through the action of faith. We need to grab on to them with fervent faith. In this portion of Scripture, Paul explains that the ultimate prize of a believer is eternal life with Jesus, but we can only enjoy our prize through perseverance. He says that all runners in a race run their very best to win, they run in a way to seize the prize. There are no short cuts to a fruitful Christian life, it requires effort. You must have that determination and desire to live the righteous life God requires of us. Sometimes we look at great men and women of God and wish we had the ministries they do, the giftings they possess, and the blessings and impact they have. However, we must recognize that they didn’t wake up one morning and have those things handed to them on a silver

platter; they put in the work. God does not reward laziness; God honors hard work and obedience. God sees the time you spend in the secret place, God sees the time spent studying His Word, God sees when you serve to build His kingdom here on earth, He sees when you take the time to share the Gospel with someone. If you are running in a marathon, you put in the work to prepare; you train and you must have a victor’s attitude. Our Christian ‘race’ is the same. In Romans 12:11, Paul reiterates this by saying, “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.” This can be applied in every aspect of our life. I must note, our salvation is not works based; we receive salvation through grace by faith. But to live a life which makes an impact, to be the believer God uses to accomplish His great plans, it requires a great level of faith and conviction that only comes through diligence and obedience.

This leads me to my second point: we must be people of discipline. In a race, the athletes go through rigorous training to prepare their bodies to run the race with success. Training is not always easy; it is not always pleasant and most of the time it is not our first instinct. Our flesh will always try to win, but like Paul says in this portion of Scripture, we must strictly discipline our body, making it our slave so that we do not forfeit our reward. That means that with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we must strive to live righteous and holy lives, getting rid of all that would defile. In Hebrews 12, we are instructed to strip off all sin that would entangle and keep us from running our race with endurance (Hebrews 12:1-2). We must apply that ‘athletic’ attitude and lifestyle in our own Christian walk. I love how Paul says it in Titus 11:11-13: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.” Discipline is not always enjoyable, but it always brings a reward. Let us be determined to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Within our main text, in verses 25-26, Paulspeaks about the focus and goal the athletes in‘the games’ have. The games Paul is referringto are the ancient games of the Greeks, suchas the Olympic, Pythian and Nemean games.The winner’s crown was made from wild olivebranches, laurel, parsley, or pine. All thesewere so perishable that they began towither the moment they were made. What acontrast to the imperishable crown awaitingChristians in heaven. Paul highlights that ifathletes train and work so hard for a perishablereward how much more should we Christianstrain and work so that we do not forfeit ourreward which is eternal. For this reason, Paulsays that he does not run without a goal, he

doesn’t shadow box, not striking a target. Inthese verses, we clearly see that we as believersmust live our life knowing our purpose anddo all that is required to achieve that crown!We must live intentional lives. In Philippians3:13b-14, Paul says, “but I focus on this onething: Forgetting the past and looking forwardto what lies ahead I press on to reach the endof the race and receive the heavenly prize forwhich God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”Our life must be dedicated to accomplishingGod’s will on this earth and to live a life thatpoints people to Christ. Our purpose must beto run the race with purpose and intention,focusing on Jesus and eternity spent with Him.

Although this life may present challenges and temptations, like Paul’s athlete, we must not quit but run to win! 2 Peter 1:3 says it perfectly, “By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.” I know that there are things in life that may try to steal our joy and peace, situations that may bring doubt, and others that make us feel hopeless. But do not grow discouraged or lose your purpose. That is when the other points come into play. Be disciplined to spend time in the Word and the presence of God, build up your faith, be convinced of your purpose and be an End Time worker in His harvest field. When you are diligent in these things, like the old song says: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” God has equipped and instructed us with everything we need to run to win!

Elizabeth Geronimo Editor in Chief

Many of you reading this magazine may not fully know one of Good News Chapel’s great testimonies: the receiving of our church permit. This testimony is an example of God’s great faithfulness and goodness to His Church. It also conveys one more thing: that there is victory in perseverance. God always honors the action of faith. God will honor those who place their unwavering trust and hope in Him and who truly believe that He can accomplish the impossible. He will work on your behalf if you do not give up and quit. As a church, there were many opportunities where we could have given up, where we could have settled for man’s re port. But through perseverance, through seeking God through fasting and prayer, we received our break through. All glory to God!

In 2009, Good News Chapel, which at that point was known as Fabre Street Pentecostal Church, purchased our current Couture property. This building was purchased with the intention of making this property our new church facility. After the building was purchased, the next step would be to change the zoning and permit for the property to that of a place of worship. However, in 2010 the city of Montreal adopted a moratorium on new churches, which meant that there could be no new zoning for buildings to become a church within a certain area of the city. This meant that we would not be able to receive a permit to become ‘a place of worship.’ In the same year, we moved our church offices to the new

building and began making plans for the renovation. After city council meetings, our church board received approval for the construction of the Chapel, Youth Room and Gym, but a large ‘X’ was placed over the Sanctuary on the plans. The church continued to move forward with construction and in December 2014, we had our first church service in our new building. You may be wondering, “how can we have a service in our new building if we couldn’t receive the permit for it?” Well, there was a religious teaching clause which permitted us to meet for religious instruction, but we could not perform any religious ceremonies such as funerals and weddings.

After many city council meetings, we still could not acquire approval for the church permit or for the construction of the sanctuary. At one city council meeting, the councillor put in charge of our case told us, “You will never get the permit as long as I’m in office.” To man, it seemed like a hopeless cause. However, we serve the God who can do “ex ceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Fast forward a few months and that city councilman who spoke against us was removed from his position on corruption charges! During this time, GNC spent many periods in fasting and prayer, asking God to move on our behalf, always believing that one day we would hold that permit in our hands! We could have just settled; we could have just accepted the situation as it was and be content with just being able to have ‘religious teaching.’ But we didn’t give up, we were running to win!

In 2017, we began to see the fruit of our prayers. A mosque in our area was encountering much resistance from the city, after 20 men were found praying in their building. They as well did not have the permit to be a place of worship. After being threatened to be shut down and having all their current permits taken from them, they decided to take the city to court. This challenge to the city escalated and went all the way to the Supreme Court of Quebec. The judge found that the bylaws put in place by the city that refused the zoning for new churches was religious discrimination. The judge found the bylaw violated the centre’s acquired rights but went further to find subsequent zoning changes that restricted places of worship to an industrial area infringed on constitutionally guaranteed religious freedoms. The court stated that “this measure adopted by the city in 2010 has the effect of encouraging ghettoization and an accessibility problem and proves to be, in a way, discriminatory with relation to traditional Catholic churches that are typically in residential neighborhoods.” The mosque had won their case but subsequently, opened the door for churches like GNC to be able to obtain our permit. What’s important to note is that we enjoyed the victory but didn’t have to go through the trouble and cost of a legal battle! In February 2018, we received our church permit in our hands! All the years of praying and fasting had led us to this breakthrough. What man thought was impossible, God made possible! In June 2019, construction in our future sanctuary began and is close to being complete. As we’ve seen in this testimony, there is victory in perseverance. There is victory when we put our faith into action. Whatever you may be facing today, determine in your heart that you will run to win, not looking behind but always looking forward to the prize ahead.

HERE ARE A FEW ENCOURAGING POINTS WE CAN LEARN FROM GNC’S TESTIMONY:

James 5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and  remain calm.”

Deuteronomy 1:30 “The LORD your God, who goes before you, will Himself fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes.”

Matthew 21:21-22 “And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Revelation 12:11a “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”

• YOUR TESTIMONY PREPARES YOU FOR THE NEXT TEST

• REMEMBERING WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU WILL FUEL YOU TO KEEP GOING

• IF HE DID IT ONCE, HE’LL DO IT AGAIN!

GOOD NEWS CHAPEL Music

THE GOD WHO HEALS

As a teenager, I sustained an injury to my right hip, which caused me immense physical pain. On an emotional level, it also caused significant trauma. At the time of my injury, I was involved in competitive, full contact martial arts; Tae Kwon Do to be specific. Following the injury, I sought medical attention from numerous doctors, physical therapists, sports medicine specialists, and more. Unfortunately, they determined that my hip had slid or shifted out of place and recommended surgery, installing a plate to even out my hips. I refused. I ended up seeking alternative natural therapies and ended up receiving treatment from an individual who had studied with the Shaolin monks in East Asia. Whatever he did, it temporarily worked, however I would never be able to train and compete as I once had.

Fast forward approximately twenty years, and I started feeling pain again, not only in my hip but in my back, knees and feet. Because my body structure had remained off kilter and uneven for so many years, one side of my body was overcompensating for the other. I again sought help, this time from a podiatrist who believed that shoe insoles would help with some of the symptoms I was experiencing. The podiatrist supplied me with custom orthotics. This unfortunately only aggravated the situation. I awoke one morning and was unable to get out of bed without experiencing tremendous pain, as my lower back had locked. Again, I resorted to more medical professionals, osteopaths, kinesiologists, chiropractors and so forth. After taking additional X-rays and having my previous injury reviewed, the conclusion was that I had originally been misdiagnosed and that my hip had not just slipped out, but indeed had been fractured and healed incorrectly.

During the resurgence of my old injury, I prayed for healing but the healing did not come. Until one day, Pastor Oscar preached and prayed over me and many fellow church members. It was on this day, that the immense pain I felt in the center of my lower back

literally disappeared. I wondered what the difference was between this time and past times that I had prayed for healing. Obviously having Pastor Oscar pray over me with conviction and complete faith was part of it, however my faith too had increased as I grew in my walk with the Lord. The Lord is good! He is always able and willing to heal His children. His children only must ask, believe and they shall receive (Matthew 7:7). Most importantly, I realized that I needed to believe that I deserved to be healed, something that up until that point I did not. I had previously been asking myself, “am I worthy to be healed? Maybe I’m not.” I felt that I was unworthy. Who was I to ask for such an extraordinary gift? But the Lord loves us so much and His grace is so immense and magnificent, that between the two of us, the only one who didn’t believe I deserved to be healed was me. The moment I believed I was worthy, I was healed. The pain dissipated, and every day after that, I felt the byproducts (other pains) caused by my old injury getting better and better.

Fast forward a few weeks to November 14, 2021, Pastor Oscar preached again and to say he is anointed would be an understatement. I had begun to feel strain and pain in one of my legs again. However, nothing remotely resembling what I had experienced in the past. I came to the realization that perhaps I had started to doubt that I had been healed. Pastor Oscar preached on the importance of faith (Mark 11: 22-24, Matthew 8: 5-13) and I realized that the enemy had attempted to plant a seed of doubt in my mind. I prayed during the service that the Lord would heal me completely, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. I literally felt the pain travel from my hip and the top of my right leg, down to my knee, then to my calf and out under my foot, and stayed there, just as the devil is under our feet! Through the authority the Lord has given us through Christ, so too can any ailment indeed be under our feet! Praise God, Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals, (Exodus 15: 26).

Gabriele Di Iorio

GNCV UPDATE

GOOD NEWS CHAPEL VANCOUVER

(GNCV) recently celebrated its official one-year anniversary– and what a year it has been! We outgrew meeting in our homes for Sunday services and are so thankful for the Lord’s faithfulness in providing a larger space, at a brand-new school, to meet and grow into. Church planting exists to reach the unchurched and to tap into communities untouched by the Gospel. This doesn’t always mean a new building or a place that looks like a church, but it does mean creating a space for believers, for those questioning their faith, or for future believers to come and encounter Jesus.

WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO?

We’ve had a fruitful and busy few months! The excitement of 2022 started with our very first baptismal service. It was such a joy to gather as one family to witness nine people publicly declare their decision to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. This is something to be celebrated! The mission of the Church is to preach and teach Jesus Christ. Every believer is given a command to be an evangelist. Jesus teaches us in Matthew 28:19-20, “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, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” By following this command, GNCV has seen over thirty souls come to Jesus this past year.

GNCV is made up of many different ministries and they are all important, but a strong Children’s ministry is vital, especially for the future. There is no question about God’s attitude towards children. The Bible tells us that children are a blessing from God. We are grateful for the men and women who have stepped in to serve selflessly in our Children’s Ministry. We are thankful for the joy and dedication they bring as they teach our children about the Lord. Since the beginning of this year, our youth ministry has also doubled in attendance! Investing in today's youth is necessary in growing the Body of Christ. Together, we’ve learned about the love and authority we have in Jesus, we’ve laughed, ate amazing food, and enjoyed some memorable youth game nights, and most importantly have built relationships that will last a lifetime.

In May, we joined Montreal via zoom for our first GNC Women’s conference in Vancouver. It was a blessing to witness God move the hearts of the precious women who joined us. We walked away blessed, encouraged, and grateful that our spirit and bellies were refilled. We have also seen God’s increase in our worship team. When we planted the church back in April 2021, we only had two singers and one instrument for praise and worship. Now, we have six members playing multiple instruments who serve faithfully every Sunday! We are so thankful for each of them and the work they put in to help us experience the presence of God at GNCV. “Praise the Lord! Let all that I am praise the Lord. I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath” (Psalm 146:1-2 NLT).

What’s next?

If you look back over the past year, it’s obvious that God is doing a new work in our midst. “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 NLT)

We witnessed the Lord take our church from a season of uncertainty and move us into a year of intimate dependence on the Holy Spirit. God is on the move in our church and community, and I think He’s just getting started. There’s no denying that the world has changed since 2020, but I believe we have more opportunities to share the Gospel now than ever before. New families and cultures are growing our neighborhoods, and new tools and technologies are expanding our reach. God is working in and through every member of our GNCV family.

In the coming months, we as a church are believing for growth, in numbers and spiritually. We ask that you stand with us in prayer that we would have influence and favor in our community as we make plans to do more outreaches and be the light that Jesus asked us to be.

On behalf of myself and everyone at GNCV, we want to thank our Pastors for their complete obedience to the Lord and for leading us with diligence, love, and grace. We also want to thank the leadership of the church and everyone at GNC for believing in us, standing with us, and most importantly praying for us. We love you all! We are very excited to see what the Lord has in store for GNCV. All Glory to God.

Sandra Roberge

GNCV SOFTBALL TEAM

GNC Women’s ministry exists to empower women through the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit to fulfill their God-given callings as servants of Jesus, daughters, mothers, wives, and creatives.

GOD IS BUILDING AN ARMY IN THIS FINAL HOUR!

That includes you! Jesus is the Commander in Chief of this army! This ensures us that those who join will be victorious in this life and in the life to come. To be a part of this mighty army you must KNOW YOUR IDENTITY as a woman. There is a demonic attack on gender and family in this age. Women are becoming masculine, and men are becoming feminine. You must understand that you were designed as a woman with unique attributes and characteristics. Feminism is attempting to rob our generation of a God-given identity that is so valuable! Many are rejecting their God-given role and trying to take on one that they were never designed for. This is why so many women struggle in their marriages and as mothers. God desires to empower you to thrive in what He has called you to be. Recognize that YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF GOD! As a daughter, we should reflect the image of our Father. We have access to all the resources of our Father.

YOU ARE A KINGDOM CITIZEN! You are in this world but not of it! You have royal blood. “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14b). You were made for this hour in human history! It may be difficult, but God knew that you were up for the challenge!

YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD! Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We are not here to become a better version of ourselves, we are here to become more and more like Jesus! Let Jesus increase in us day by day.

KNOW YOUR PURPOSE. Jesus is the One who gives the command, and we follow His orders. We listen for the voice of God, and we do what He says to do. We go where He says to go, and we say what He says! WE PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS! What kind of reporter are you? Even in the midst of famine, inflation, disaster and plagues, we are to declare the Word of God. We are to bring hope! We are in covenant with God, with the promises of His Holy Word. This should cause us to speak differently than everyone else, which causes us to live differently than everyone else!

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.”

ISAIAH 61:1-4

PASTOR JESSICA GESUALDI

I believe that God has called us to rebuild, raise up, and repair this ruined city! It can only come through the anointing of the Holy Spirit on a person who decides to be used by God! Even in the midst of what the enemy has tried to do, I will let God use me to rebuild these old ruins! It may seem like a big job but start with your family, start with your children, start with your friends, and let the Word spread like wildfire through us! God needs more reporters in this hour! God needs more laborers in the harvest field. It is white and ready!

JUDGES 5:7-9

“There were few people left in the villages of Israel— until Deborah arose as a mother for Israel. When Israel chose new gods, war erupted at the city gates. Yet not a shield or spear could be seen among forty thousand warriors in Israel! My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war. Praise the LORD!”

A MIGHTY ARMY – CONFERENCE RECAP

On May 21st, GNC hosted our first GNC Women’s Conference entitled “A Mighty Army.” With more than 250 women in attendance and many others watching online, we had a wonderful time in worship, the Word as well as ministry and fellowship. Pastor Jessica preached a powerful word based out of Judges chapter 4. Looking at the lives of two women, Deborah and Jael, Pastor Jessica highlighted 4 characteristics women must possess to lead their people into victory.

BE WISE

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

BE COURAGEOUS

4. PROCLAIM GOOD NEWS

The conference ended with a call; “who would like to enlist in God’s mighty army?” With an overwhelming response, the women had hands laid on them to receive fresh anointing to be empowered to do the work God has called us to do.

TO BE A PART OF GNC’S MIGHTY ARMY, MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW GNC ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER, AND SUBSCRIBE TO GNC’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER TO STAY CONNECTED WITH FUTURE GNCW EVENTS.

God Always Sees the Best in Us:

A LESSON FROM GIDEON BY LUCY CONTE

When we first meet Gideon in Judges chapter 6, we are told he is threshing wheat in a winepress. To us modern readers, this doesn’t jump out to us as significant. But anyone in Gideon’s time would have recognize that threshing wheat was not an activity done in a winepress. Threshing wheat is to be done in the open, outside, because the wind helps in the process. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress because as it is revealed in Judges 6:11, he was hiding from his enemies, the Midianites. At the time of Judges 6, the Midianites were oppressing the people of Israel, stealing all their crops. Sometimes we may try to hide from our enemies, but we cannot hide from God. Gideon is hiding in fear when the Angel of the Lord appears to him in that winepress. However, instead of calling him out on this, in Judges 6:12 it says, “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon,He said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

When the Lord spoke to Gideon, He didn’t describe Gideon according to what he was in that moment, instead He described him as what he could and would become: a mighty warrior! Gideon didn’t see his potential, but God did. God saw the best in Gideon. He looked past his faults and weaknesses. The same is true for us today; God sees our potential. However, to become the mighty warrior Gideon was, we must do what Gideon did, make ourselves available and God will make us able. Gideon was obedient and did as God instructed him to do. Because of that, God used Gideon to lead the people of Israel to victory!

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” God is not looking for the best qualities in us, He is not looking for people who have it all together. He is not looking for the smartest, richest, or most influential. He is looking for people who are willing and ready to submit and obey Him. It is through those believers that God can and will do extraordinary things.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Isaiah 64:8

Gideon’s life is very similar to our lives today. Some may struggle to see what God sees in us, but we must remember that we are children of God. Our identity is that of a son or daughter of God. Because we are His children, we carry authority and power, given to us by Jesus.

Gideon’s story also reminds us that tough times can be the times we experience the most growth in our Christian walk. In those times, we are strengthened and reminded that God is in control. When we overcome trials, it helps build up our faith to a greater level.

We must always be growing in our faith, always submitting to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must always strive to become more like Jesus. We must always be maturing and moving forward.

“Being confident of this very thing, thatHe who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of JesusChrist” Philippians 1:6

When Gideon went into battle, The Lord reminded him “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16). God is always with us. But like Gideon, we need to constantly seek God’s direction to be victorious. When we listen to the voice of God, He will keep us on the right path. We must trust and obey Him.

From World to Kingdom

From World to Kingdom

Let me take you back to 2017.

My husband Gaby and I were living a regular life with our two beautiful healthy daughters: Dalia Rose, 3 years old and Liana Sara, our newborn. Our family was complete, minus the dog – or so that’s how the world would see it. Little did we know that God had plans for us. We didn’t know because we were too busy living our own lives instead of living for the Lord. We went through the motions of routine-filled days, with ups and downs and many struggles as new parents. I was just trying to live according to societal expectations. We lived as if everything in our life was accredited to our own power, knowledge etc. Now, looking back, I can pretty much say, we were clueless to the fact that we were God’s creation and that we should have been living with Him at the center of our lives. The result of this became very apparent.

Fast forward to August 2020. Dalia had just turned 6 and Liana was almost 4 years old. Our marriage was crumbling – actually, it was just about over. Our family was on the verge of falling apart and in my mind, the only way to move forward was to be divided and broken as a family. The enemy made me believe that once Gaby and I would be divorced, I would then find happiness and true joy. What a lie!

As we neared the brink of complete destruction, we were invited to Good News Chapel through a dear friend, and the Lord instantly started a mighty rumbling of His miraculous works in our lives. He had His hand on us the entire time and His plan hit us like a bolt of lightning.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ this person is a new creation the old things passed away behold new things have come

Not only did the Lord open mine and Gaby’s eyes to the truth, but He forgave us of our sins and transformed us into new creations. We started to live our lives for Him and with Him at the center. As a result, our marriage was restored, and our family was revived. We had now put God first and started to attend every service and event at church. Dalia and Liana also started to attend GNC Kids’ services twice a week. Our girls absolutely love going to church and would count how many “do-do’s” until the next service. We also enrolled Dalia at GNCL, (Good News Center for Learning) which is GNC’s Christian homeschool co-op program and she is excelling and loving every minute of it.

One day, Dalia approached me and said, “Mommy, when we sing and worship God and Jesus at church, I feel something here, in my heart.” I explained to her that what she was feeling was the Holy Spirit and her love for Jesus.” She smiled and went on her way; I knew right then, that was from the Lord, and I thanked Him for the transformation that was happening in our children as well.

with Pastor Steve.” We were stunned and not sure if she fully understood what it meant, so Gaby asked her if she knew why she needed to go pray with him. She replied, “I know I have Jesus in my heart, but I need to go pray with Pastor Steve in front of everyone because I want God to forgive me of my sins. Daddy, can you come with me because I feel shy to go there by myself?” He joyously escorted her to the altar, and she declared her love for Jesus and received Him as her Lord and Savior. Hallelujah! Our seven-year-old daughter was now saved and has been given the gift of eternal life. Thank you, Jesus.

Our lives consisted of prayer, thanking the Lord, and giving Him all the glory for everything we had and for the new path that He had paved for us. Our faith in the Lord became stronger and because of it, we were growing as a family. So much that in 2021, at the last Christmas Eve Candlelight service, another one of God’s wondrous works happened right in front of our eyes. Pastor Steve

Proverbs 22:6

As a family, we decided to live for Jesus, and our lives were transformed from troublesome to victorious. We thank God every day for Good News Chapel and its leadership. From the first time we walked into GNC, having been received with such a warm welcome, to now having made many friends who we embrace as brothers and sisters, we are so grateful to be part of such a God-fearing family.

While many people in Montreal were faced with the fear and turmoil brought upon by the pandemic and having nowhere to turn to, Good News Chapel kept their doors open to all who seek the Lord and His comfort. If GNC would have kept their doors closed, I would not be sharing this testimony with you. My marriage would have been over, and my family broken because we would have continued to do things “our way”. This is the reason why church is essential, to save the lost at any cost. My family’s victories are living proof of that.

We know that God will use the Di Iorio family to do many great things in this world. We love him and continue to share His greatness and all that He does for us. Amen!

Melissa Miglialo Di Iorio

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is older, he will not depart from it.”

SERENA'S

tEStIMONy

A TESTIMONY FROM GNC KIDS

REcENtly, I felt it on my heart to start helping with the GNC Minors. I had never been involved in Kids Ministry because I was afraid that I wouldn’t know how to react in certain situations. I have always been someone who reasons with children and youth in conflict more than console them. Despite my fears, I decided to join the team and trust God for guidance.

One Friday night in June, I was the teacher, and we had the opportunity to go outside on the playground. All the teachers were overjoyed and so were the kids. Friday nights can be a challenge for the little ones since it’s a long day and they can get restless if there aren’t enough changes of environment.

During the time at the playground, a three-year-old girl was playing on the jungle gym with other children around her. Although she was having fun, she ended up accidentally falling from one of the platforms and hitting her head directly on a steal bar. I saw everything happen five feet from me, and immediately felt responsible for not being there to catch her. I tried consoling her, but she was still crying in my arms after two minutes, tears streaming down her face and asking for her mother. In that moment, I prayed and asked God to help me somehow to console her.

I’m so thankful God always shows up when we need Him. Immediately, it hit me - no pun intended. I took her aside and said, ‘we’re going to pray for Jesus to heal your head and for it not to hurt anymore’. Through tears and panting, she agreed and held my hand. I placed my other hand on her head where she hit it and started praying, ‘Dear Jesus….” I was not expecting what happened next.

Still through tears, the little girl repeated ‘Dear Jesus’. What incredible childlike faith! Initially I was just going to pray for her but felt God saying, pray as if you were her. So, I continued, ‘Please help my head not hurt anymore. Thank you for healing me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.’ And she repeated. I kid you not, right after both of us said ‘Amen’, she stopped crying. A minute later, she went back on the playground.

GNC KIDS

In that moment, I knew why Jesus put it on my heart to be a teacher even when I was apprehensive about being involved in the ministry. Children need to be guided ever so slightly but they innately know that if we ask Jesus for anything in His will, He will gladly give it to us (Matthew 7:9-11). And in this case, it was for healing (Isaiah 53:5).

PRAISE GOd fOR HIS cONtINuEd fAItHfulNESS ANd GOOdNESS tO All tHOSE tHAt ARE HIS, whether they are children in Kids Church or the teachers helping in the ministry.

Serena Hernandez

Hey GNC Kids!

Have you ever ran in a race before? If you have, I'm sure that you trained very hard for it, so that you could win first place!

Did you know that the Bible also tells us to run a race? In 1 Corinthians 9:24, Paul reminds us that our Christian faith is like a race, and we are all runners. At the end of the race, only one will get the prize. Paul encourages us to run in such a way as to win the prize. The prize that the Bible is talking about is much

greater than any prize we could have on earth--it's eternal life! There is nothing greater than spending eternity with God in Heaven! Be encouraged today to run the race with perseverance and joy so that you can enjoy the reward that God has in store for you.

Pastor Giulia Donnini

WORD BANK

GNC MISSIONS HIGHLIGHT

Within GNN, we are excited to begin a new series entitled, ‘GNC Missions Highlight.’ Good News Chapel is a church which is committed to giving and blessing others. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:25 that, “a generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

There are many wonderful ministries which GNC has partnered with, who do the work the Lord has called us to do: preach the Gospel, make disciples, and feed and clothe the needy. Here at GNN, we would like to bring their work to the forefront. In this issue, we begin with highlighting Giuseppe Platania and the work he and his family do in Israel, especially within Jerusalem. We had the opportunity to speak with Giuseppe Platania to ask him a few questions about his ministry.

this land and this people so much, I am ready to give my life for them. I went back to Italy, got all my affairs in order, and moved to Israel not long after. I met my wife here in Israel, we have a beautiful family and are serving the Lord together here in Israel with our four children.

A: I was born and raised in Italy. Although I had a Jewish background, my family and I didn’t practice Judaism or live out the Jewish culture. At the age of 14, I gave my life to the Lord in a Pentecostal church, and later my whole family joined me and gave their life to the Lord as well. Because of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and all the repercussions that these conflicts have on the rest of the world, I didn’t really have any interest or desire to move or visit Israel, and moreover I was even very critical of Christians idealizing Israel.

But all of that changed when I was invited to Israel for a short visit, I was hesitant at first but then I gave in. When I arrived, I visited the Western Wall, which was probably one of the most powerful encounters I have ever had with the Lord. I remember crying there for hours not knowing why I was crying. I remember asking the Lord, “why am I crying?” I felt the Lord answer me in that moment, “Giuseppe, those are not your tears but my tears.” In that encounter, the Lord shared His tears, His passion and love for His people and for the land of Israel with me. I had a personal revelation of God’s heart. After that moment I felt a strong conviction within me; if God loved

A: I remember when I first moved to Israel, an orthodox lady, to my surprise told me, “in the End Times, every drop of Jewish blood will wake up and return home to Israel.” The Lord is truly bringing back His people to Israel. After the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, there was a great scattering of the Jewish people out of Israel to the ends of the earth. However, there are many prophecies within the Bible that say that the Jewish people will one day return to their homeland. For example, in Ezekiel 11:17 it says, “I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.” The term Aliyah means “going up” and

refers to the immigration and returning of the Jewish people back to the land of Israel. It is a phenomenon which is difficult to comprehend. I know of so many people who left behind great careers, homes, and families to come to a land at war and in the heart of a world conflict, where they didn’t know the language and had to start all over again just because they had a burning desire to return to their homeland. Aliyah is about Jews from different backgrounds and different cultures all returning to Israel. It’s a calling that two thousand years of diaspora couldn’t quench. The King is coming back and so are His people to welcome Him at His return!

We must also remember that there was no Jewish homeland till the rebirth of the state of Israel in 1948. When the nation was reborn, a new law was passed called ‘The Law of Return.’ This law basically legalized Aliyah, meaning that if you are Jewish, you can “come back” and you will be made an Israeli citizen.

Q: FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING YOU FROM YOUR PREVIOUS VISITS TO MONTREAL, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BACKGROUND?

Q: AS YOU HAVE MENTIONED, ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS WE ARE SEEING HAPPEN IN ISRAEL IS ‘ALIYAH.’ CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT ‘ALIYAH’ IS AND HOW YOU ARE SEEING THE EFFECTS OF THIS WITHIN YOUR CHURCH AND YOUR COMMUNITY?

GNC MISSIONS HIGHLIGHT

"This law does not provide for the State to bestow the right to settle upon the Jew living abroad; it affirms that this right is inherent in him from the very fact of being a Jew; the State does not grant the right of return to the Jews of the diaspora. This right preceded the State; this right build the State; its source is to be found in the historic and never broken connection between the Jewish people and the homeland."David Ben-Gurion

When they were drawing up this law, there was a big question, “who is Jewish enough to be considered Jewish? Who has the right to come back?” There were many discussions about it, and they couldn’t get into agreement. Until someone had the great idea of using the same standard that Hitler used to measure whether an individual was Jewish enough to be killed in the Holocaust. That standard was that if at least one of your grandparents was a Jew, you were also considered a Jew. This new law was defintely an act of redemption for the Jewish people. Ever since, Jews have been returning to Israel, fulfilling the Scriptures. Not even Covid restrictions interrupted Aliyah, as there were special airplanes that never stopped bringing people back to Israel. End Times prophecy is unfolding in front of our eyes. Jesus said in Matthew 28:29, “for I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until YOU say, ‘BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!”

The restoration of our land and the return of our people is certainly a pivotal element for the fulfillment of end time prophecies. But end time revival is not all about the Jewish people coming back to Israel or even receiving the revelation of Messiah, it lies on fulfilling our calling which is to bless the nations. Both the Jewish people and the Gospel have come full circle, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, and now back to Jerusalem preparing for the greatest revival in history and the return of the king. For the first time, after the disciples of Jesus, once again we have a generation of Jews, born and

raised in the land of Israel and followers of Messiah Yeshua! We have great expectation to see harvest in Israel. “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Zechariah 12:10

He is faithful, we will see a mighty outpouring of His Spirit over the house of Jacob! “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14-15. We must see the missionary DNA of the Jewish people fully restored, for this new season we are entering, in this last hour, so that once again the law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. We need to be a light to the nations, embracing our calling!

In Isaiah 2:2-3 it says, “Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths. For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

WE HOPE TO HELP FULFILL THIS CALLING WITH OUR DISCIPLESHIP SCHOOL, OUT OF ZION TO THE NATIONS. FOR US TO DO JUST THAT, GOD HAS OPENED UNPRECEDENTED DOORS AND NEW HIGHWAYS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST, FROM JERUSALEM!

VISIT

A: To answer this question, I’d like to start with a story. During one of my mission trips to an Arab country, which for security reasons I won’t share the location, we were having powerful meetings over the night into the early hours of the morning. One evening as I was sitting in a restaurant with my interpreter and other believers, two men at the table next to us began to ask me questions. I would say they were in their midtwenties. I knew they were not believers by the way they were speaking to me and because of the many questions they were asking. So, I began to share the Gospel with them, they asked, “what is this all about anyways?” I shared with them this illustration: after a long day at work, all a father wants to do is come home, sit on the couch, and hold his children in his arms. I told them that this is what they were searching for, the embrace of the Father. Tears began to fill up their eyes, and I could see in front of me a fatherless generation, a generation broken by so much war and hatred. I told them, in order to have that intimacy with God and be called sons, you need Christ to come into your hearts and set you free from sin. As they were weeping, I asked them if they wanted to receive Jesus as their personal savior. I prayed with them, and they accepted Jesus into their hearts that day. As we are praying someone whispers into my ear, “those two men are refugees from Syria that had just crossed the border”. Now, they had an entire church ready to welcome them.

It was an incredible experience for me, especially being an Israeli in an Arab country, during a time of war. Once again, just like in the time of the disciples, we are seeing the Gospel going out of Jerusalem reaching our region! That is what our discipleship school is all about. We will disciple and prepare for mission both Israeli Jews and Arabs together with believers from the Nations. “He has broken down the middle wall of separation The Healing of the broken relationship between Isaac and Ishmael will be like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion” (Psalm 133)

Our reconciliation will unlock these ancient doors of blessings making us "a blessing in the midst of the land" (Isaiah 19). The two need to walk together, a beautiful display of the power of the cross able to bring down the wall of separation! A house divided will not prosper. This is another important key for end time revival. It’s not about Messianic Jews or Muslim background believers, it’s about the cross, we need to learn how to walk together, as one new man and we will see His Glory! (Ephesians 2:14-19)

Beyond Borders Jerusalem Discipleship School’s goal is to equip, empower and send out workers into the harvest field. We are at the dawn of a great revival, we’re living in exciting times in Israel and in the

Middle East, where it all began! Withstanding challenges, pandemics and wars, God’s plans are not stopping or delaying; to the contrary, they are moving faster than ever before. Millions of people are ready to receive the Gospel, they are desperate for a God that can bring love, life, and hope, amid so much darkness, hatred, extremism, and radicalization. As the darkness gets darker, the light will be brighter! As it is written: “how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” This is what Beyond Borders is all about, fulfilling the call to bring Good News to the land of Israel and to the whole region. Our school will open in 2023 and we will be receiving students from all over the world; anyone who has a heart for evangelism in the Middle East.

A: There was a specific night when I was crying out to the Lord with all my being “Lord, let revival come to Israel, Your people.” In that moment I felt the Lord speaking to me saying, “I am holding the latter rain over Israel as spoken of in Joel, until you are ready to send out and bless the Nations.” I was not expecting this word, but then I realized that for too long we have been preaching “bless us and you will be blessed.” There is much truth in these words, we all know the blessings God has promised to those that bless Israel (Genesis 12:3 & Psalm 122). However, I believe teaching to bless Israel is not the essence of our job description! Our job description for the end times is to be a blessing to the nations and prepare the way of the Lord.

To carry the word of the Lord out of Zion is not an exclusive End-Time mandate given to the Jewish believers in Yeshua that have returned to the land, rather it is a call for all of us, a call for the Church, a call for all Nations to carry the word of the Lord, out of Zion.

This is another important element that will unlock End Time revival, the alignment, and the return of the Church from around the world to its birthplace, Jerusalem. A great harvest is waiting for us, one body, one new man. Once again, we will walk together in the ancient paths of blessings that the Lord has set before us. Join us from Jerusalem to the Nations.

Q: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE DISCIPLESHIP SCHOOL IN JERUSALEM YOU WILL BE STARTING? WHAT IS THE VISION AND MISSION OF THIS SCHOOL? WHAT WORK DO YOU ASPIRE TO DO?

Q: IN CLOSING, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS ISRAEL’S ROLE IN THESE FINAL DAYS BEFORE MESSIAH RETURNS FOR HIS BRIDE?

LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN JERUSALEM!

White Chocolate Cheescake Tarts

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

3 tbsp sour cream

5 tbsp cool whip, thawed

2 ½ tsp lemon zest

Pre-made tartlet shells, baked

Fresh berries, for garnish

Fresh mint, for garnish

Powdered sugar, for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add melted white chocolate and sour cream and beat until combined. Gently fold in cool whip and lemon zest.

Spoon into baked tartlet shells and top with either fresh berries, lemon zest, or mint, and dust with powdered sugar.

C.C

*PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY PETTROTA

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup butter or margarine, melted

• ¾ cup of white sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 ½ cup diced apples

• 1 ¾ cup flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

TOPPING:

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2-3 tbsp white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Blend melted margarine or butter, sugar and egg until smooth. Add buttermilk, salt and apples and mix well.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and add to wet mixture gradually. In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients and set aside. Spoon into greased muffin cups and sprinkle with topping. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

*Makes 10 large muffins

*PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY PETTROTA

*PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANTHONY PETTROTA

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

• 440g (14 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, drained but reserve juice

• ½ cup milk, at room temperature (full fat milk preferred)

• ½ tsp white vinegar or lemon juice

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 cup brown sugar, loosely packed

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil (or canola)

• 1 ⅓ cup flour, plain or all-purpose

• 1 ¼ tsp baking soda

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

• 1 ⅓ cups shredded carrot (1 medium carrot peeled)

• 2 tbsp coconut, shredded or desiccated (unsweetened)

• ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped (measure after chopping)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

• 180g/6oz cream cheese, at room temperature

• 90g/6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 3 ½ cup soft icing sugar/powdered sugar, sifted

• 1/8 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners. Drain crushed pineapple well, reserving juice. Measure out ¾ cup pineapple and 2 tablespoons of the juice. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, vinegar, eggs, sugar, oil and the 2 tablespoons of pineapple juice. Stir in carrot, crushed pineapple, coconut, and pecans into the wet ingredients bowl. Pour wet into dry ingredients, stir only until flour is no longer visible. Batter will be lumpy and thick, but not runny.

Divide batter between the 12 molds. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and fully cool before frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

Cream butter using paddle attachment on a stand mixer (or whisk attachment for hand mixer), beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add cream cheese then beat for 1 minute until smooth. Add ⅓ of icing sugar, then starting on the lowest speed, beat until mostly incorporated. Add half of the remaining icing sugar, beat in, and then add the remaining icing sugar.

Beat on high for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla and salt, beat briefly to incorporate. Transfer to piping bag fitted with a round tip (or Ziploc bag with snipper corner). Pipe onto cupcake and sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired.

J.T.

Eats

Biscotti di Zizi

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 eggs

• 1 cup maple syrup or date paste

• 4 cups flour

• 6 cups mixed nuts, roasted

• 1 envelope of Paneangeli Lievito Vanillina

• 1 tbsp of baking powder

• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Roast nuts in oven. Once nuts are cool chop into small pieces. In a large bowl, mix ingredients together, adding the nuts in last. Mix until well combined. Form the mixture into a log shape and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 °F. Cool. When cool, slice into approximately one-inch slices.

Scones

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 4 cups flour

• 1 cup white sugar

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 cup butter

• 1 egg

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, blend sour cream and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cut in the butter. Stir in sour cream mixture and the egg into dry ingredients and mix until dough is formed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Make 2 even balls. Roll them out to ¾-inch thickness. Cut into triangles or rounds. Place scones ½ inch apart on a prepared cookie sheet (line cookie sheet with parchment paper).

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with berries and crème fraiche.

C.L

Pastor David Colantonio

Every Christian that has some biblical knowledge of End Time events cannot neglect the fact that the rapid changes occurring in the world are a wake-up call that Jesus can appear in the sky at any moment to take up His Bride, the Church. Tucked in the Letter to the Hebrews, it says in chapter 9 verse 28, “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

The teaching and preaching of Jesus’ imminent Return has been laid aside in many Christian/Evangelical churches, with the excuse that it might scare people away. It has been replaced by the ‘Prosperity Gospel,’ the ‘Healing Gospel’, and ‘the God of love Gospel.’ It is not that we do not believe in prosperity, healing, or the love of God but many churches put their sole focus on these things, insinuating that it doesn’t matter what kind of life you live, God’s love and grace covers all. This ‘feel-good’ message gives a false hope to the listeners.

Two major Christian movements in the world do not believe or teach the doctrine of Jesus’ physical return. They view it as an allegory or as figurative, and that God one day will come and judge the living and the dead, and these will be judged by their good deeds.

This teaching is different to what the Bible teaches, as a matter of fact it is the opposite. The Bible teaches that the Return of Jesus will come in two phases: His First Appearing in the clouds, where He comes to take-up His Church, those who have a relationship with Him. No one else will see Him, but the world will see its impact.

Following the Rapture, the Tribulation and Great Tribulation will take place. During this period, the world will experience great calamities that will last for seven years.

At the end of these seven years, Jesus will physically return to earth, and He will descend on the Mount of Olives. At that time, the entire world will see Him. At that time, He will judge the nations of the world for their actions and because they have refused Him.

The God of Israel and of the Bible, is loving. He loved mankind to the point that He sent His Son to redeem every human being. But the Bible also teaches that the God who is all love is also all just. In the Bible we read several times that the God of love is also the God who judges mankind because of their sins and their un-repented and rebellious attitude.

Here are a few examples of God’s love & God’s justice:

In Genesis 6, we read about God’s compassion and patience by warning the people of that time that their sinful and rebellion attitude was going to end up in judgment. So, He chose Noah, a righteous man, to build an Ark, which took over 120 years to build. This was God’s compassion and patience. He gave them time to repent but the people refused God’s love. The day came when God sealed up the Ark and rain poured for 40 days and nights. All perished except Noah and his family. The God of all love is also the righteous God. It is estimated that the world population at that time was approximately 135 million.

In Genesis 19, we read about two large cities, plus other little surrounding towns, who had chosen a lifestyle that God could no longer tolerate. These cities are known to us as Sodom and Gomorrah. God sent His servants to advise Abraham that He was about to destroy the whole area located around the Dead Sea, because of their rebellion and sinful activities. Abraham interceded to the Lord that if there were at least 10 righteous men, He would spare the area. God agreed to Abraham’s request but there were none except Lot and his family. The angels also advised the people, but they refused God’s love because of rebellion and sinful practice. God’s judgment came upon them, and they all perished.

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IN VIEW OF JESUS’ IMMINENT RETURN

In Genesis 11, we read of another crowd of people with a spirit of defiance. They had the attitude of ‘God, You judged the world with the Flood but we will prepare ourselves this time, we are going to build a tower so high that You cannot reach or drown us.’ However, the Lord came down and confused their language so that they were unable to communicate. God judged them with total confusion and terminated their plans. The God of love is also the God of righteousness, that will end the defiance of men.

These three examples are prototypes/ rehearsals for what lies in the future. Our God is a God of love, but He is also a God of justice. There will come a day when sin will be punished. We need to remember that ALL that is recorded in God’s Word will be fulfilled as written.

Like I mentioned before, two major Christian organizations deny the Return of Jesus for His Church and they deny the judgment of those who have rejected Christ as their Saviour. They teach that there will be a final judgment day where those with good works will go to heaven. But they also teach that those who did evil deeds, can eventually go to Purgatory and eventually reach heaven, because a loving God would not allow anyone to end up in Hell.

Today, there are number of Christian churches that claim that the preaching of Jesus’ soon return, the Tribulation and that which will follow will scare people away from church. They believe this in turn will affect the church income, so these choose to preach a gentle and loving Gospel, without any commitment and transformation. This type of teaching dulls the mind, causes spiritual blindness and false hope. These risk being left behind at Jesus’ return.

Let me conclude with these truths:

More than 50% of Bible Prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. The rest of the prophecies recorded will be fulfilled at the time of God’s choosing.

Our text of Hebrews 9:27-28 is a reminder of the very near future events:

It is appointed for all men and women to die once; it is 100% guaranteed.

After death, follows judgment. Men’s unbelief does not change God’s plans.

Christ was offered once to atone for men’s sin, He died and resurrected.

He will come/appear for those who eagerly/with expectation wait for Him.

This will complete His plan of salvation for those who are waiting for Him.

Following Jesus’ return for His Church, an unprecedented time of sorrow and calamity will follow on earth.

7 years of unbelievable calamities will shower this world, reducing it to an unbelievable condition.

The message of the hour is, be always ready for the sound of the trumpet/shofar. It can happen at any time, and Jesus will appear in the clouds to take His True Church.

In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus said to His disciples: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

OUR NATION IS RIPE FOR A GREAT AWAKENING, and we know God is preparing an army for this final hour. In this time, the Church must rise up like never before to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and forcefully advance His kingdom.

We believe that at Good News U, you will have deposited in you a greater love for the Word of God, a greater compassion for people and a fire of the Holy Spirit to empower you to impact our city, our nation, and the world with Christ’s message. This is the most exciting time to be alive and to be following the call of God on your life!

At Good News U, student life consists of in-class teaching, weekly chapel services, as well as the Ministerial Service Practicum, which is designed so that students receive hands-on experience in ministry within Good News Chapel. Students will also have the opportunity to be trained for soul winning and will hit the streets weekly(Term 1+4) to preach the Gospel.

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TESTIMONIALS

“GNU came like a light in the dark. Being able to be trained, even from Haiti, has been an opportunity that has changed my life.”

INFORMATION EMAIL US AT

“I have loved my time at Good News U. In the year that I’ve been attending, I feel like I have a greater love and appreciation for the Word of God, more than I ever did before. I have not only learnt theology, but principles that I can apply in my life and future ministry. Also, having the opportunity to be trained alongside my wife has been a blessing. I also have great memories of going soul winning with my fellow students, winning about 52 souls in totality, and having encounters with people that I will never forget!”

- Gerlain St Georges

- Jon Geronimo

It’s been a little over three years ago since my wife Alysia and I first met. I knew right away that there was something special about this girl— she on the other hand wasn’t quite so sure. Our first few months of dating were challenging for me. You see, she had patiently been waiting for her husband for over three years and I’m well, you know, Kyle. So, after a few months, I suggested that we take a week apart to pray and seek the Lord to determine if this was right. It was during this week that I realized I loved her and would always love her.

So, things are moving along with Alysia and me. We decided to start attending Pine Hills Church together since she and I had both been at our respective home churches for over 20 years. I didn’t realize it yet, but this was very important for our spiritual development, which I’ll get to in a bit. But back to the story. We’re dating, we’re going to church, we’re clicking and she’s staying put. Overall, I’m saying there’s a chance this goes somewhere. Then, while on a business trip, my director approached me about taking a promotion and moving to the North Pole, I mean, Montreal. These positions don’t come often, and they are rarely, if ever, offered to someone at my age. I told Alysia about the opportunity, and she said that if it’s God’s will for us to be together, she would consider moving to Canada.

It feels like yesterday that Alysia and I were visiting GNC for the first time. I remember being greeted by Nino Di Francesco when we came in and meeting amazing people. We were welcomed like family, which was quite the contrast we experienced moving to Montreal in May 2020. I wasn’t sure if GNC was right for us right away. Alysia told me that Pastor Steve had been praying in tongues, which I assured her was in fact Italian. I remember going to Remnant for the first time and Pastor Oscar invited to the altar those who desired to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Alysia went up, I stayed put. This was quite a contrast from the church that I grew up in. My home church, Emmanuel Community Church (ECC), was an amazing church with incredible biblical teaching and the worship sets were as close to perfect as you can get. But I had stopped growing years ago and I was skeptical of overly emotional expressions of faith. However, Pastor Steve said in one of his sermons that being a Christian isn’t about being Pentecostal, or Baptist, or Lutheran, or any other denomination. It’s about believing that all hope is found in the resurrection of Christ. When I heard this, I decided I could stay at Good News Chapel—even though I still wasn’t sure about all the Italian in his prayers.

While I was reticent to embrace certain elements of faith, Alysia was all in. She enrolled at Good News U and began to grow spiritually. Her knowledge and love for the Lord grew daily. She even began to speak in tongues during one of the Fall prayer services, which really made me take a pause to think. Alysia is humble, modest, gentle, and would never seek attention by speaking in tongues or falling under the power of the Holy Ghost. I’m not saying other people do those things to seek attention, I’m just saying I was skeptical. The Lord began to use the changes in my wife to open my heart. I remember during a Remnant service, I refused to go up to the front when Pastor Oscar gave the call to receive the Baptism of the Spirit. He came over to me, tears in his eyes, and said “you’re not meant to stand on the sidelines while your wife fights for the Kingdom.”

I put my hands up and thought to myself that there is absolutely no way I will fall. Man, I fell forward on my face. I later asked Pastor Oscar if he pushed me and he chuckled and answered, “bro, you fell forward, I would have had to pull you.” When Alysia and I got into the car to go home, I didn’t say a word and she didn’t ask me about it. I was still trying to figure out how Pastor Oscar pushed me down.

Back to the start of this story. I decided three years ago that I was going to stop being a lukewarm Christian and was going to let Christ have all of me. I had grown up in church but had never really taken that next step. I served on the worship team for over ten years and went on ten mission trips, but a part of me was still stuck in the world. Meeting Alysia and pursuing the Lord together started opening the emotional aspect of my faith that had been pretty nonexistent. While Pine Hills isn’t a Pentecostal church, it is a charismatic non-denominational one that helped me start to worship in spirit and in truth. This period at Pine Hills was instrumental in preparing Alysia and I to get plugged into Good News Chapel.

A few more months went by, and Alysia and I were starting to get involved within the church. I was starting to serve on the worship team, we were protesting in the coldest weather I’d ever experienced, connecting with people, and becoming a part of this family. We loved being a part of GNC and I was completely content, but the Lord wanted more of my heart. Before Alysia and I headed back to Fort Wayne last summer, Pastor Oscar again gave a call to receive the Baptism of the Spirit. This time I went up on my own—since I really didn’t want Pastor Oscar to push me down again. Evangelist TJ laid hands on me, and I don’t remember what he said, but I do remember what I saw and the healing I received.

Backtrack to 2009, I enrolled into the United States Air Force Academy to pursue my lifelong dream of serving my country and becoming a fighter pilot like my father. Unfortunately, I would end up becoming medically discharged due to my struggle with depression. There was nothing harder than coming home, trying to start over, and explain to my friends and family what had happened. My depression started when I was about 12 years old. It is not due to family circumstances, sin or a character flaw. It was not created by repressed memories or a traumatic event. It was simply the result of a chemical imbalance as my brain developed. I struggled with depression through most of middle school and high school, but it wasn’t until April of 2009 that my youth pastor came over to my house and informed my parents of how bad it had become. Since I was an honors student, varsity wrestler, and very active in my church, no one would have ever expected that I obsessively thought about ending my life. To me, that was normal, and I didn’t know anything else. So, when I heard USAFA had a confidential counseling center, I went and told them what I had dealt with. This initiated a string of events which ultimately lead to a medical discharge. I came home from the Academy and was able to start treatment. I received the medication I needed and through the love and support of my friends, family, and Christ, I began the slow process of healing. In May of 2016, I was able to stop my medication and have not had a major relapse since.

While I had been healed of my depression, I had not been healed of my anger. I was angry for years that my dream had been taken away. Angry that I was so naïve to talk about what happened. I was angry that my peers were flying, and I wasn’t. I used this anger as fuel to excel in my academic work and my professional career. If I didn’t feel motivated to work out, get into the office, or stay up late, I would take myself back to that counseling center and think about having everything I had ever wanted taken away. I had gotten used to living with anger that I didn’t even realize it was there. That is, until Evangelist TJ laid his hands on me, and I willingly received the Baptism of the Spirit. This time I saw myself at 18 in the counseling center and heard the Lord tell me that this was always the plan. I began to understand what Jesus meant when He said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). When I went back home in June, my friends and family started noticing that I was different. Alysia and I came back to Montreal, and it was a night and day difference. Work hadn’t changed, the COVID environment hadn’t changed, but Christ changed me from the inside out.

Alysia and I began to pray in September 2021 about extending our time in Canada. Despite all the challenges we had experienced, our faith and marriage were strengthened in a way that just wouldn’t have been possible back home in Fort Wayne. We loved serving at Good News Chapel and being a part of a truly special remnant of Christians in Montreal. You are our family, and we love all of you.

In January 2021, I was approached by my director with an unusual job opportunity. He asked if I was interested in taking a large role in Denver, Colorado. Now, if he had asked me this two years ago, I would never have been able to say yes. When I would fly into Denver for work, I would battle anxiety as I remembered my experience at the Air Force Academy. In fact, the original transition plan after Canada was either Paris, Singapore, or Philadelphia. I met with Pastor Steve and Pastor Jessica as well as Pastor Oscar and Melanie to pray over this decision. On a total completely coincidental note, we just happened to be in our time of fasting and prayer while Alysia and I were discussing this decision. We committed it to the Lord and felt peace that this was the right path for our life. I would relate the way this decision felt to meeting Alysia, getting married, and moving to Montreal. Only the Lord can make this happen. It wasn’t something we planned for or even expected. In fact, we prayed for the door to be violently shut to Denver if it was not in God’s will. Instead, we have seen every detail get resolved to open the door to Denver. Reflecting on our time at Good News Chapel, I can see that these two years had been a time of preparation for Alysia and me. It’s not easy to say goodbye, so I will end the way we end every service.

The Lord bless you, and keep you. Make His face shine upon you And be gracious to you The Lord turn His face toward you And give you peace. Kyle Luithly

GOD CREATED US TO PERSEVERE IN THIS LIFE AND TO THRIVE IN EVERY AREA.

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need to live life to the full. We can achieve this by coming to know Him more and more. We cannot do anything in our own strength, and God gave us the perfect fuel to keep us going strong, His Word. We can discover truths of His marvelous glory and excellence in His Word. (2 Peter 1:3) His Word is flawless!

(As for God, His way is perfect:The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30) The Word of God is also living and active. ( For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12) There are going to be hurdles in this life, and you may have moments where you do not feel like you are winning, but do not panic! Get in the Word and put it to work!

HERE ARE SOME DECLARATIONS FROM THE WORD OF GOD TO SAY OUT LOUD WHEN YOU START TO FEEL A MOMENT OF DOUBT OR DISCOURAGEMENT

COMING ON. SAY THESE WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP AND ALL HOPE IS LOST AND YOU NEED SOME ENCOURAGEMENT. HERE ARE A FEW TO START YOU OFF… THEN YOU CAN SEARCH THE WORD AND KEEP DECLARING TO KEEP ON WINNING.

I HAVE THE VICTORY BECAUSE MY GOD IS WITH ME.

For the Lord your God is He who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.

Deuteronomy 20:4

I WILL THANK GOD IN EVERY SITUATION AS HE LEADS ME TO ACHIEVE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST.

But thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

2 Corinthians 2:14

WHEN MY FAITH IS IN GOD ALONE, I WILL OVERCOME WHATEVER COMES MY WAY.

For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

1 John 5:4

I WILL PERSEVERE, NO MATTER HOW THINGS LOOK LIKE AROUND ME, KNOWING THAT MY REWARD IS GREAT!

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:12

I WILL NEVER BE PUT TO SHAME!

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.

Isaiah 50:7

7Day

#Challenge

I challenge you that for the next 7 days, put these things into action! Be disciplined to achieve the reward.

Wake up half an hour earlier than you usually do

Read 5 chapters of your Bible and then pray for 20 minutes

Drink one gallon of water

Complete a 10 minute workout

Go to bed half an hour earlier than you usually do

Stefi

YOU GOTTA READ THIS!

Our hope here at GNN is that anyone who picks up a copy of this magazine, would be exposed to the light and hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As you’ve read believers’ testimonies, devotions and other articles, we pray that we have shown God’s love, faithfulness and power. God is real and He is working in the lives of those who call upon Him.

The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Because everyone has sinned and has fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23), God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for our forgiveness while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). Through God’s free gift of salvation, we are made new, filled and empowered with His Holy Spirit, and have inherited eternal life in Heaven with Him. Life will never be the same again! Jesus came to earth so that we may have and enjoy life more abundantly (John 10:10).

The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that “if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you have never made a decision to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour, and want to make your life right with God, pray this prayer out loud:

Heavenly Father, I thank you for Jesus, He is the answer I am looking for. Jesus come into my heart today, I surrender my life to you. I admit that I am a sinner, forgive me of my sins. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and gave His life on the cross for my forgiveness. Make me whole and new. I confess You to be my Lord and my Saviour. Help me to live for You all the days of my life. Fill and lead me by Your Spirit. Thank you for this new life and for saving me. This I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen

Hallelujah, you are now a child of God! You have made the best decision of your life! You now belong to Christ and have become a new person. Your old life is gone; and a new life has begun! (II Corinthians 5:17)

Please feel free to contact us at info@goodnewschapel.org

OR Visit our website at https:// www.goodnewschapel.org/ got-saved

IF YOU’VE PRAYED THIS PRAYER, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEND YOU A FREE GIFT TO GET YOU STARTED WITH YOUR NEW LIFE!