2019 Fall/Winter Issue of The Newsvine

THE NEWSVINE “Every page an altar to His works!”

Expanded Version

FALL/WINTER 2019 REVIVAL CENTER UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH 825 7th Street, Modesto, CA 95354 Business Phone: 209-522-5365

email us at thenewsvine@gmail.com

Google us at: thenewsvine or follow us on: issuu.com/thenewsvine EDITORS Assist. Ed. Multi-media Business LiaisonS GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHERS CREATIVE TEAM

ColumnistS YOUTH REPORTER MAILINGS DISTRIBUTION

LEO AGUILERA VIRGINIA AGUILERA Joshua Aguilera Charlene Wilson Leo & Virginia Aguilera Leo Aguilera, Grover Hunt Gabriel Chavoya Autumn Amador, Tim Warren, Alexis Diaz, Jocelyn Powell Jim Campbell Alexis Diaz Virginia Aguilera Norbert Feliciano

Church staff PASTOR H. TODD JOHNSON BISHOP RANDY G. KEYES

ADMINISTRATIVE PASTOR - JONATHAN QUINONES YOUTH LEADER - JOSHUA AGUILERA

PULPIT STAFF MINISTERS Dana Le Blanc Ravind Narayan Uday Narayan

church secretary resident missionaries SUNDAY SCHOOL DIRECTOR K.R.E.W. Kids director prayer ministries Choir world missionS OUTREACH director Life groups public relations apostolic man ministry B.U.F.F.(Men’s 50+) HYPHEN (Young Adults) THRIVE (Young Marrieds) spanish services Nursing Home Ministry BIBLE QUIZZING GROWTH TRACK SUNDAY - 9:30 A.M. 9:45 A.M. 10:30 A.M. 12:15 P>M> 2:00 A.M. 5.30 P.M. 6:00 P.M. MONDAY - 7:00 P.M. WEDNESDAY - 7:00 P.M. Thursday - 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY - 7:00 P.M. SATURDAY - 10:00 A.M.

Jerry Powell Jonathan Quinones Jeremiah Williams Charlene Wilson Uday Narayan, Ravind Narayan, Xenn Seah Mary Aguirre Kim Johnson Charles Bispo Kellee Hopper, Matt Aguirre Jerry & Andrea Powell Leonard Alvarez Jonathan Quinones Jeremiah Williams Alex Diaz Herb Jenkins Jeriann Powell Chris & Lindsay Castro Antonio Gutierrez Joyce Jones Sujay Diaz Dana Le Blanc

N

ovember, 1989, our first issue appeared, at that time simply titled The Newsletter. For three decades our faithful staff has assisted this editor and his wife letting the world know about His-story in our local church, and how our precious Lord has blessed our congregation. We have always striven to present a positive and significant account of most of the events that have transpired through the years. But what made those events happen are the saints, some who have gone on to receive their eternal rewards, who continue to support the devoted works of our church’s leadership. We are all visionaries for His kingdom! A HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR to all our faithful readers from the editors and the Aguilera family!

MARANATHA! The Lord cometh!

Sunday School-Children - Tuolumne Sunday School - Adults - Sanctuary Morning Service - Sanctuary Growth Track Spanish Service Prayer in Youth Chapel REVIVAL SERVICE All-Church Prayer Mid-Week Service, K.R.E.W Spanish Service Pulse (Youth Service) Saturday Morning Outreach

THE NEWSVINE is published quarterly by the United Pentecostal Church of Modesto, Inc., 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. Postage paid at 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Newsvine, 825 7th St., Modesto, CA 95354-3414. Any submitted articles to The Newsvine are subject to Pastor’s approval and editing by The Newsvine staff.

2

Happy 30th Birthday, Newsvine Magazine!

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

Adam, Leo, Joshua, Jeannette, and Virginia take a family photo during a Christmas gathering at the home of their cousins Marla and Jeff Mack.

Ensemble

t r e c n o tmas C

Chris

O

n December 15, our church held its annual Christmas concert on a chilly evening made gloriously warm by the well-rehearsed musical favorites performed by our very dedicated church ensemble, choir, and musicians. We also need to give recognition to our sound team and lighting technicians who made everything look and sound better. There was a great altar call that made everything right for the season.

Child

ren’s

Choi

r

RC Concert Choir

Laure n Hunt

Jeriann Montes

Mat t Dev hew Ag ina u Agu ir re ir re

More coverage of events continues on page 16.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 3

BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS MUST BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE! A PILGRIMAGE TO BIBLE LANDS

M

y wife Virginia and I, along with church board member Donnie Wilson and his wife, Charlene, our church secretary, took the month of November to travel to the Middle East and visit the countries of Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

For me it was a returning pilgrimage since I had visited Israel 44 years before with my grandmother, Margarita Aguilera.

So much had changed in little over a generation ago. For one, the crowds were a lot less. Visiting Bethlehem on Christmas Eve Night 1975 was hosted by the Palestinian Christians who had arranged Handel’s Messiah to be sung on Manger Square.

Bonfires lit the surrounding hills to recreate that holy night of shepherds’ camps almost 2,000 years ago. The village had a population of 16,000. Today, most of the Christians have migrated to Argentina, Manger Square is filled with shops and restaurants, the view of the hills are covered with apartment complexes to house the Bethlehem population of 280,000, and the city is surrounded by a 60 foot security wall that separates Israel from Palestine. Jerusalem has changed even more; the population of 260,000 now is almost a million, hotels crowd the holy sites and tourists have increased a thousand-fold. We stayed at the same kibbutz in Galilee my grandmother and I had visited, but back then, we could help in the kitchen, grab a hoe with the Jewish farmers, and eat in the cafeteria with the volunteer workers, many of them veterans of the 1948 uprising that made Israel a Jewish state. Today, the kibbutz is a large resort with a restaurant. I am not complaining about progress, for the Lord has blessed Israel despite hostile neighboring nations. But I did miss the friendlier congeniality toward Christians back then; my grandmother and I were able to enter the Dome of the Rock and visit the rock below the sanctuary floor where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac. Today, only believers in Islam are allowed.

CONFLICTS INTENSIFIED Which leads me to a startling observation between two generations: animosity between the three major religions co-existing in the Holy Land has intensified. More devoted followers of Islam and Judaism, some perhaps fanatical, are more prevalent, especially in the holy sites. Christians seem to be caught in the middle of a struggle between two peoples with imminent war a constant threat. While we were there in Jerusalem, rockets from the Gaza Strip were landing and exploding Jewish homes just 42 miles away.

4

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

Yet, there is a third group of the population that has definitely increased in numbers, a secular score of citizens who are non-believers. Two of our excellent Egyptian guides, Michael and Bob were Coptic Christians, but our third guide in Israel was agnostic, though well-acquainted with the history of Bible times. Even so, he became aware right away we were strong believers of the Christian faith, and others in our tour group asked me to enhance the biblical perspective on many of the sites we visited.

WHAT IS TRUTH? After visiting these nations and seeing first hand so many archaeological wonders mentioned in the scriptures, I left feeling more convicted to proclaim the Holy Bible is true. It is not to be taken in a literal sense, that is, if the Bible says “the Lord is my Rock”, we do not believe our Creator is a stone; but a true Christian must believe that everything in the Bible as true! This means all the Bible stories did happen. The Red Sea was parted, Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, and Jesus did perform those wonderful miracles on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The doctrine of the gospel cannot be compromised, creation cannot be debunked, and certainly the Bible is the infallible word of God, which means a true Christian does not question if God exists.

For those who can visit these ancient nations already believing the Holy Bible is an historical account of God’s dealings with mankind and the doctrine found in its pages reveals God’s redemption plan for all through the ministry of Jesus Christ, then visiting, for example, the ruins of Egypt makes the scriptures come alive knowing these silent monuments once witnessed the divine judgment of God through the ten plagues mentioned in the book of Exodus.

Many of the archaeological sites, especially where Jesus ministered, are questioned and doubted by the secular world, but when my wife and I took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, that was enough for me to enjoy sailing on the same waters my Savior crossed again and again to preach His gospel. He saw the same hills and shorelines I could now view that made me feel that much closer to the Divine.

Christians who visit the Holy Land, gaze at the colossal size of the pyramids, and visit the mystery of the Petra ruins cannot feel they are just tourists, but rather pilgrims, confirming and rekindling the faith once delivered to them first in a Sunday School class or a good Bible study. My faith I will carry to the end of my sojourn here on earth, and the Holy Bible is where I can never tire reading again and again those incredible miracles and divine interventions I accept by faith are TRUE!

Exploring Biblical Sites

We pose in front of the pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza wonderfully captured under a glowing setting sun by our excellent tour guide Michael Roushdi (pictured above) who also gave us an informative tour of the Step Pyramid, south of Giza. Just imagine, these monuments witnessed the 10 plagues mentioned in Exodus.

The Sea of Galilee is beautifully photographed by one of our tour group friends. She took this photo as the sun was setting while we took a boat ride not far from Capernaum. This grand view is what Jesus saw when he sailed these waters. A grateful thanks to Laurel Troy who hails from Port Huron, Michigan, for the photo.

Leo steps into the cool, refreshing waters of the Jordan River at the traditional site where John baptized our Savior. Behind him a man is about to be baptized by a minister.

Virginia stands on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, within walking distance of the harbor town of Joppa, just south of Tel Aviv. It is from here that Jonah tried to escape his calling and was swallowed by a whale. Also here Peter raised Tabitha from the dead and saw the vision of the sheet of unclean animals that called him to the house of Cornelius where TRUTH was preached to the gentiles for the first time.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 5

More of Egypt

Sunset on the Nile River in Egypt.

The Nile which is the longest river in the world, is approximately 4,132 miles in length, with just under a fourth of it flowing through Egypt. When Moses struck the waters of the Nile with his rod, Exodus 7 says that ALL of the Nile turned to blood. What a sight of God’s mighty power it must have been!

Abu Simbel This complex was one of the most amazing sites in Egypt we visited, especially when you learn that it was moved to higher ground to avoid being flooded by the Aswan Dam. It was built

by Ramesses II who many Bible scholars and historians believe was the Pharoah who contended with Moses. His monuments boast an enormous ego, fitting for the Pharoah who defied Moses and Aaron.

Luxor There was so much to see in Luxor that it was nearly overwhelming. Above left, we had the experience of our lives floating in a hot air balloon at dawn above the villages and farmlands of Luxor with the Nile River in the far background.

Above right, Leo stands near the Colossus of Memnon, erected during the time the ancient Hebrews were slaves. At right, Bob, our knowledgable tour guide, explained to Virginia the massive Karnak temple complex which was built over a period of 1,000 years. The complex covered over 275 acres. It is interesting to note that around the time of Emperor Constantius II, Coptic Christians used the Temple of Amun in the center of Karnak for religious services. You can even see Christian-themed art on the walls from that time.

6

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

More of Israel

all photos from our camera

There was so much to see in the Holy Land! The top photo shows a view of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives at sunset. There are few sights as beautiful! This view is from where our Lord wept over the city. The golden Dome of the Rock is where the Temple once stood. Left, are olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane. The one tree on the left may be over 2,000 years old, a small sapling when Jesus prayed there. On the right is the Western Wall also known as the Wailing Wall. As you can see it is divided into two areas for prayer: one side for the men, the other for women. As the devoted pray, many place papers into the cracks of the walls with their written prayers. We were told these prayer papers are considered very holy and are gathered, placed in a box, and buried. How many prayers have gone up before God at that ancient wall...

Jordan

More ancient ruins The final country we visited was Jordan. We were anxious to see the spectacular ruins of the old Roman city of Jerash (far left) and also the amazing Nabatean city of Petra (left) which is literally carved into the sandstone mountains of the area.

Jerash is where the ancient kingdom of Ammon existed. The lost city of Petra was built after the Nabateans conquered the descendants of Edom, the children of Esau. As we traveled down the King’s Highway, still in use since the Exodus of the Hebrews, we passed by fertile lands, wheat fields, and ancient cities of the Moabites and the Edomites in today’s Kingdom of Jordan.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 7

8

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

Stewardship Missions Conference

RC Missions Choir directed by Matthew Aguirre and Kellee Hopper opens the conference with worship.

W

hat an amazing weekend we had at this year’s Stewardship Missions Conference! It was four services of anointed singing, worship, and preaching which culminated in sacrificial giving by our congregation. It was a series of services that will surely impact us as individuals and as a church body as we follow Christ and support His kingdom.

Friday Night

F

riday night began with great expectations. The choir led by Matthew Aguirre and Kellee Hopper began with “I Can’t Stay Here.”

As the choir sang the words, “Heaven, come rushing in,” the Spirit of God began to move in a powerful way.

Administrative Pastor Jon Quinones then introduced the first of our home missionaries, Jourmeel McLaurine, pastor of Apostolic Bible Church in Royal Oak, Michigan. He recalled how four years ago at the Signs of the Times conference in Alexandria, Louisiana, he felt God calling him to start at church in Royal Oak. He and his wife Vivian began praying. He remembers he received calls from across the United States from people who had been praying that God would send a man to start a church in that city. Since he began ministering there, he has baptized 20 people in Jesus’ name, and God filled many with North American Church Planters Jourmeel Mcthe Holy Ghost. “I believe the greatest days of the church are before Laurine (left) and Devin Akers are prayed for by us,” he exclaimed. the ministry including POA Senior Pastor AnthoThe next home missionary was Devin Akers, who pastors Stello ny Mangun.

Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. Stello means sent with purpose, and he and his family spent months preparing for God’s purpose for the establishment of this congregation. “We prayed that God would send us growth that was multicultural,” he said.

God heard their prayers and although their community is 85% Caucasian, they have been reaching a large Hispanic community. “God sent us an interdenominational revival!” he said. “I can’t wait to see what God will do in the next decade!”

The choir once again ministered in song, blessing the church with “My God, He Is Champion” and “He Has Never Lost a Battle.” We are blessed with such anointed and dedicated singers and musicians.

Our Friday night speaker was Brother Mark Brown who is pastor of Jesus Church in Watertown, South Dakota.

Oh my, what a sermon! He spoke about the struggle of starting a home missions church with words that gripped the FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 9

Brother Mark Brown preaches “Where’d the Water Go?” on Friday night, focusing on the need for us to freely sacrifice, knowing that our giving will benefit the kingdom of God even though we may not see the results ourselves. heart. He said he felt a calling to South Dakota near the end of his junior year of Bible College. He and his wife prayed about it during their senior year of college and felt it was God’s will. They thought they were going to just help out, but they were directed to start a church in Watertown, the 5th coldest city in the United States! Preachers had come and gone without success for three decades.

Brother Brown and his family moved into the old church building that had been built by the original pastor who spent all of his time, money, and strength building it and because he had nothing left, he had finally given up and left. The church was on the first floor, and the Browns slept on the floor in the basement. It took them three months to find jobs after they arrived, and they both had to work multiple jobs just to barely survive.“We had nothing,” he said. “We felt isolated.” The closest church in their district was an hour away. “All we knew was that God called us to go,” he said.

For seven years he preached, and not one person received the Holy Ghost. Suddenly during a five-month period, they had one hundred affluent people, leaders of the community start attending. It looked like things were finally going to turn around. They started looking at properties to buy, then the phone calls began. Each time it was a group of these new members who queried him on his stance on Apostolic doctrine. Every time he stood steadfastly for truth knowing what it could cost him. These new converts unable to persuade Brother Brown to back away from Apostolic doctrine walked away until all one hundred members were gone. “I never want to be held hostage with somebody’s money,” he said. He felt God tell him, “Now I can trust you with revival.”

One day while driving, he saw a church building and he prayed, “God, I want this property, and I want it without a monthly payment.” At the time he only had 10 church members, and they didn’t have any money to buy this property that was worth 1.3 million dollars. As he was preaching to his congregation that January, he remembers something coming over him, and he began to prophesy into the wind. They all left the service and drove to the property during a blizzard and began to prophesy over the building saying, “This is our building!” He kept going to the property owner asking to purchase the building, each time lowering what he was willing to pay. He finally got the owner to agree to a purchase price of only $250,000, but they had to complete the transaction in three weeks. God miraculously provided, and they were able to purchase their present building. (You’ll have to have him come and preach at your church for the details).

He spoke of the many times God laid it on his heart to give to the ministry of others, and he gave in faith and God blessed him. “Jesus said where your treasure is,” he said, “that’s where your heart is... Your giving is not wasted, it is invested.

Saturday Night

S

aturday’s night service began with worship led by the Revival Center choir. The Spirit of God moved mightily as the chorus “A Miracle Can Happen in this Place,” was sung.

We heard from Tobias Gardner, missionary to the country of Germany. Germany has a population of 83 million people. Out of those 83 million, 11 million people are from all over the world. “You can find every nation, every 10 FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

Saturday night special guests (from left): Tobias Gardner, missionary to Germany; Superindent of Italy Salvatore Arcidiacono; and Daniel Borges, missionary to Brazil. tongue in Germany, and we have been reaching them,” he said. He said they are having a multicultural revival. “God is reaching every nationality!”

Pastor Johnson then introduced Salvatore Arcidiacono, the superintendent of the country of Italy. He said, “There is a great revival on its way; it’s happening right now!”

Our final missionary to be introduced was Brother Daniel Borges, missionary to Brazil. He pastors the very first UPC church in Brazil that was established in 1957. He thanked the church for giving to missions. “When you give to missions, you are birthing revival in a foreign field,” he said. “Great miracles are always found on the other side of great sacrifice.”

The church was then blessed by the singing of a choir made up of some of our Spanish-speaking local and Bay Area members, led this year by Oscar Hernandez and Joshua Aguilera.

Spanish choir ministers during Saturday night’s service.

Our special speaker for Saturday night was Anthony Mangun, senior pastor of The Pentecostals of Alexandria. His title was, “Rejoice Anyway.” He encouraged believers to get the devil off their backs and under their feet. “We don’t have to live in fear and anxiety,” he said. “We need a revelation of who we are and what we have and the Name behind us.” He spoke of Paul’s joy even in the midst of trouble. He went on to say that no matter what we are facing, we need to “put a smile on our face, get a Saturday night main speaker POA dance in your feet, get a shout in your soul.” He asked, “Where’s your joy, where’s Senior Pastor Anthony Mangun your smile?” He said not to let the circumstances of life choke out your joy. “We preaches “Rejoice Anyway.” need a baptism of joy to come over our congregation!” he exclaimed. When the altars were opened, they were filled with shouts of joyful rejoicing.

Sunday Morning Missionary Children Pastor Todd Johnson introduces our guest missionary children to the congregation. The church each year gives a special offering to them to spend just for themselves.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 11

S

unday morning during Missions Conference is always special because we are introduced to the children of our missionary guests. Afterward, baskets are placed on the altar and filled with a voluntary offering to be split among them.The children are told that the money is for them to spend anyway they want. It came in handy for a couple of the children who were being treated by their parents to a special Disneyland adventure. It is a blessing to give to these children who so often sacrifice for the kingdom of God. Although we usually have the wives of the various foreign and North American missionary wives speak, this year we had a single speaker - Sister Sunday morning main speaker, Mickey Mangun. After ministering in song with “I Have Confidence.” She used the Sister Mickey Mangun story of Joseph as her text. She described how his jealous brothers convinced their father that Joseph was dead. Showing him Joseph’s torn and bloody coat, “Is this your son’s coat?” The coat was Joseph’s, but the blood was not. Misinformation had robbed Jacob of his joy. “Today many people suffer crippling situations in their lives due to the wrong question being asked and the wrong answer being given and the wrong answer being believed,” she said. She went on to say the Bible “tells me that dead dreams will come alive.”

Sunday Night

A

ll of the conference built up to our final service Sunday night in which we take a sacrificial offering and make giving pledges to support missions and the Nehemiah project for the following year.

The service began with the children of Brother and Sister Jesus Magallanes, missionaries to Nigeria, singing a beautiful worship song. Then several of our missionary guests were invited to address the congregation.

We first heard from one of our very own--Brother Dannie Becerra. He and his wife Esther are going to Belize as AIMers for one year to fill in for Brother Abernathy while he is out on deputation. He said God gave him a call to missions during one of our mission conferences. “Belize is hungry for revival,” he said.

We next heard from Brother Rincon who pastors a home missionary work in McFarland, California. He has pastored there for one year, reopening a church that had been closed. When he started, he only had two members. “Be faithful in the little things,” he said. “God sees everything, and it matters.”

Following Brother Rincon was Brother Jesus Magallanes, a missionary in Nigeria. He said he was so touched by the burden of Sister Phelps in last year’s Missions Conference that all he and his wife could do when they returned home was to cry and pray for this African country. The Phelps encouraged them to come first as Nigeria is a very rough country. They visited for a month. “We didn’t want to leave,” he said.

Finally it was time for Brother Mark Brown to speak. He started by quoting a series of Bible verses focuses on trusting God in our giving. He encouraged us to seek the kingdom of God first, making it the priority in our lives.

“We like to say we trust God,” he said, “but do we ever ask God, Do you trust me?” He went on to say that every blessing that comes our way is a test of our trust, a test of our faith in God. “You are blessed to be a blessing,” he said…. “God says put your money where your heart is.” After recounting several times God miraculously blessed him after he sacrificially gave, he ended with, “Cheerful, willful, prayerful, and sacrificial — it will not make a lick of sense. We do not give to get; we give because He gave!”

The service ended with members coming to the altar, tearfully and prayerfully, with both their sacrificial offering, as well as their monthly giving pledge. A wave of spirited praise to God then flowed freely and joyfully. May this conference be live changing for all and may God bless and multiply our giving. May we always lay up treasures in heaven, investing in God’s kingdom, willfully, cheerfully, and sacrificially. For all who helped our pastor and wife in all preparations for this event, may God richly bless your time and sacrifice of labor for another successful missionary conference. We are all visionaries for His kingdom!

12 FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

(From top) The Johnsons give in the sacrificial offering; Pastor Johnson prepares to pray for our guest missionaries and their families who selflessly labor in God’s kingdom; The congregation worships on Saturday night as Matthew Aguirre leads the choir.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 13

Annointed Holy Ghost Preachers Visit Holy Ghost Revival Continues!

We were blessed by the ministries by several men of God this fall and winter. We were ministered to by (top row from left) Brocc Chavis, director of UPCI Multicultural Ministries (far left) and Jeff Mallory, pastor of The Sanctuary in Kahluli, Hawaii.

(Bottom row from left) are evangelist Victor Jackson; and the always dynamic Sam Emory, pastor of Apostolic Tabernacle in Merced, California. We were blessed by such sermon topics as “It’s Time to Get Out of There!”, “Come Forth”, “The Gospel of the Kingdom”, and “The Unknown God.” We are blessed to have such anointed preaching!

Revival Continues...

From left: Brother Chavis ministers in the altar; tech crew Kiah Williams, MaKayla Johnson, and Jon Harris; our RC Ensemble leads worship.

From Left: Our young people worship as Pastor Johnson looks on, our devoted and talented musicians.

14

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

Senior Christmas Banquet Senior Christmas Banquet photos by guest photographer John Rodriguez

Seniors Know How to Party Ugly Sweater Style!

The seniors had a great time at their annual Senior Christmas Banquet. After a delicious potluck--seniors know how to cook--carols, and a white elephant gift exchange, the highlight of the evening was the Ugly Christmas Sweater contest (above). This year’s winner was Terry Hector (above right). Amy Rodriguez, Jenifer Winter, Mary Aguirre (middle) show off their sweaters. A huge to thanks to John and Amy Rodriguez and Paul and Jenifer Winter who headed up this fun-filled event. Thanks also go out to Kiah and Josh Williams, Brianna Fletcher, Jon Harris, Dana Le Blanc, Sujey Diaz, Youth Leader Joshua Aguilera and the RC youth group.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 15

Current Events & More~ Candlelight Service

The Gospel Still Shines!

Illustrating how Christ’s great love lights up our world overcoming the darkness, members hold up lighted candles and offer up praise to Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. On the right, Brother Uriel Caraveo and Angelo hold up their lighted candle. It was so moving to see families holding up their candles together. May the light of Christ’s gospel, shine in the hearts of our children and to all future generations until He comes!

Pastor Appreciation Service

To Our Pastor’s Wife

We Love Our Pastor!

When we thank God for our pastor We must give Him thanks for two, For when your husband came to us, God also sent us you.

In November we had the opportunity to take some time to formally show our appreciation to our dear pastor who is the shepherd of our soul. Pictured here is Joyce Jones who had the privilege of being our spokesperson for the night. We love you and your family, Pastor Johnson!

“And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.”

- Jeremiah 3:15 (NIV)

•

16

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

A pastor's wife must be many things, You have many hats to wear; And we say thanks for all you do And lift you up in prayer.

You adjust your life to meet the needs Of your husband's congregation, And it seems that you can always cope With most any situation.

Your presence blesses all of us Who know you from day to day.

As our pastor's wife, you are serving God In a fine and worthy way.

Author Unknown

Growth Track Graduation

Congratulations to our latest group of Growth Track graduates! This ministry led by Dana Le Blanc and assisted by Barb Seah is a series of three one-month courses which focus on church doctrine and Christian living principles. They take place on Sundays after the morning worship altar call and are open to new and long-term members. We appreciate the faithfulness of our Growth Track teachers and applaud our graduates!

JAM and KREW Are a Blessing to Parents!

If you have ever tried to pay attention to a church service while taking care of a fidgeting, fussy child, you know what a blessing these two children ministries are. JAM, also known as Jesus And Me, is designated for our toddlers and KREW Kids, Kids Radically ExperiencingWorship, is for elementary school aged children. JAM and KREW take place during Sunday morning and Wednesday night services. A huge thank you for all of our helpers and teachers who provide fun, and Bible-based lessons for our children.

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 17

The true story of Gabriel Chavoya’s powerful, spiritual deliverance from gang life in East San Jose! PART 1

Gabriel (center) with his family

T

(Editor’s Note: Brother Chavoya is a dedicated saint in our congregation, faithful as an usher and part of our church sponsored team called ACTS which counsels and provides education to individuals with alcohol and drug dependency. Our ACTS program will be featured in our spring issue. The following testimony expounds the saving mercy of Jesus Christ who can reach down to the most hardcore gang member and make him a devoted Christian. Read and be inspired!)

he “homies” needed to hijack a vehicle for a drive-by shooting on a hot, summer night in East Side San Jose.

The gang of Hispanic young men walked up to the end of the line of waiting cars in a Jack-in-the-Box fast food eatery.

At gunpoint they demanded the young driver to get out of his idling car. He refused so one of the gang members pointed a 12 gauge sawed-off shotgun at his chest and fired. A few days later they were all arrested. Gabriel Chavoya’s older brother was one of the gang members at the crime scene. He did not pull the trigger, but he was convicted as an accessory to murder. Even though he was only 16 years old, he was tried as an adult and sentenced to seven years in prison.

“This was a promise made to himself that he would not keep.”

Gabriel was 10 years old when his brother was put away. He had always looked up to his older brother, but at that young age he told himself, “I will never do that kind of stuff. I will learn from this and will not walk in his footsteps.” This was a promise made to himself that he would not keep.

Childhood Struggles Gabriel says he was born on April Fool’s Day, 1980, at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, California. He was the last of two siblings born to Rosario, a welder, and Elizabeth Chavoya, a housewife. He was raised close to his mother’s parents and family. Growing up, he and his cousins feared their grand14

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

father Charlie because of his gangster lifestyle with a notorious Hispanic gang and a wicked sense of humor.

One time when he was nearly 5 years old, Gabriel remembers playing with his cousins at his grandparent’s home when suddenly Grandpa Charlie came after them with a butcher knife. He screamed at them, raising the knife over his head. The children ran out of the house, frightened out of their wits. They ran across the street where Gabriel found his grandmother Margie visiting a neighbor. They told her about Charlie’s horrific threat. She stormed across the street and entered her house, berating him as he chuckled to himself sitting on his lounge chair. Both his father and grandfather abused alcohol and were violent when they were drunk.

In contrast, his grandmother and mother had long before been converted to Pentecostalism. They attended church faithfully without their spouses. There was conflict between his parents, especially when his father would come home drunk and verbally, then physically fight with his mother. Being the youngest, Gabriel did not have a bedroom of his own and had to sleep in the living room, so he saw and heard everything.

Elizabeth took Gabriel and his brother and sister to church every Sunday. He liked his Sunday school classes, but mostly slept under the pew during worship services. Pastor Moses Guiterrez of Abundant Life Temple Pentecostal Church effectively instilled into him to fear the Lord, but Gabriel admits that he didn’t have much of a prayer life.

He attended elementary schools in West San Jose and was a good student. But soon after his brother was locked up, the family moved to East San Jose into the home of his mother’s parents. Gabriel entered the 6th grade at Herbert Hoover Middle School. Most of his cousins had joined the gangs, and at eleven, Gabriel started to hang out with the “homies”. He began to smoke and sell marijuana on the school campus.

Drugs and Gang Violence By the time he was 13, he had matured quickly and was living a hard-core life of a gang member. Pride and a demand for respect for his gang had him involved with inflicting injuries to rival gang members. His gang could be involved with beatings, stabbings, and even shootings on individuals and their families. At the same time, Gabriel lived in fear, watching his back from a sudden assault or being jumped in retaliation from rival gang members. He admits that the mentality of a gang member is twisted, almost brainwashed to believe that profit for the gang and gaining the upper hand, no

matter the legality or morality of the action, is the utmost priority. Gabriel laments that God and what is right and wrong never influenced his behavior during the time he spent with his homies.

But at the beginning of the second semester of his freshman year, his family suddenly moved to the small town of Alviso north of Santa Clara, located on the southern shore of the San Francisco Bay. There, at Wilcox High School, Gabriel turned a new leaf. He became involved with the high school marching band, playing the trumpet and keeping his delinquent behavior in check. In fact, Gabriel had been keeping his gang life activities hidden from his parents for quite some time. He was most of the time high on marijuana, making his mother wonder why he was always so sleepy and sluggish. Gabriel was clever selling marijuana on campus on the side, sometimes profiting $200.00 a day. He would spend the cash on weekends still gang banging with his homies, since it was expected that all members followed the code to represent the original origin of your hood no matter where you resided. He confesses that deep down inside he wanted to do what was right and stay out of trouble, but loyalty to the gang dominated his very being.

During his sophomore year, a good kid named Gene befriended Gabriel and encouraged him to join the wrestling team. “So I took him up on the offer, since I was always fighting anyway!” He was placed on the team under probation because of his grades. He worked on improving his grade point average with success, and by his junior year he was also on the swim and polo teams. His focus on weekdays was on sports, but on weekends he devoted his time to gang activities.

Then he discovered LSD at sixteen. Even though he was

“...but the pure adrenalin is what kept us alive!” fascinated with the hallucinations, he really preferred the high the acid drug produced. One hit could last 42 hours, perfect to indulge for the weekend, but if you drank orange juice during the week, the vitamin C brought back the high. His adrenalin was like a roller coast, for the high could suddenly turn into a bad trip escaping drive-by shootings “and running for our lives!” His gang members would many times challenge each other to “march 30 deep into a rival gang’s hood and rush their houses” just to keep the hostilities going. “Scary!” Gabriel exclaims, “but the pure adrenalin is what kept us alive!”

This gang devotion finally affected Gabriel’s performance in school and on the sports teams. He was suspended then expelled from several school districts, once FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 19

even threatened to attend continuation high school, until he finally graduated from the fifth high school since his freshman year. During this time, his family was in an upheaval when his mother walked out of her troublesome marriage and literally disappeared for several months. His father went into a panic and even made a missing person’s report with the police. Gabriel felt dejected, especially during his graduation missing his mom. Later, when she returned, she told him she did attend the ceremonies undetected and was so proud of him.

“I lived for the high.”

For the next seven years, Gabriel sank even lower in his drug abuse, snorting crank and/or crystal methamphetamine, and taking opium, hash and even the dreaded PCP, which he quickly dropped when he heard some of his homies “fried their brains out rather quickly.” Amazingly, he had steady employment working for the Job Corps, getting training in testing electronics and being hired by several Bay Area tech companies. But it was selling drugs on the side that enabled him to support his drug addictions.

“I lived for the high!” Gabriel admits. It overwhelmed his very existence. What finally got to Gabriel was delivering drugs to homes where there were small children. “One time I even let a single mom handle her business while I watched her kids.” He realized, “I was robbing people of their souls!” Gabriel remembers being caught by police officers under the influence of a controlled substance and on several occasions spent time in jail. A DUI finally landed him in a drug rehabilitation program at age 24. Things were about to change for him.

A Spiritual Struggles Begins His mother had struggled coming back into her family life. She got in trouble with the law, but finally Elizabeth was determined to get back into church. She now suspected her son had a serious drug problem and compelled him to go to church with her. This time Gabriel heard what the Pentecostal preacher said. He remembered going to the altar and the power of the Holy Ghost consumed him.

He began to speak with other tongues, shaking him to his very core. The experience still left him hesitant to get baptized in Jesus’ name and commit his life to Jesus Christ.

He returned to his drug use shortly thereafter, but a crisis rose in his very mind and soul. The drugs kept him high, but he returned several times to that Pentecostal altar to feel that powerful dosage of the Holy Ghost. Something was happening. He began to struggle spiritually serving 20

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

his addictions, but at the same time feeling the pull of the Holy Spirit. One time, when he was incarcerated, he begged the guard for a Bible. He became concerned and conflicted when he read in Luke, chapter 11:24-26: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of the man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, ‘I will return onto my house whence I came out.’ And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worst than the first.” Gabriel reached an epiphany – “I realized in that moment this was my dilemma. I was loaded with countless dark spirits!”

Shortly after this revelation, Gabriel reaped what was his conviction about himself. His brother had already been released from prison, and Gabriel was driving them during the high traffic commute. He knew they were up to no good, for Gabriel had a gun in his lap. An unmarked police car flashed his lights at them to stop, and Gabriel said, “I’m sorry, bro, I gotta do this! I gotta do this!” He floored the gas pedal and started a highspeed chase. He rammed several cars and unbelievably eluded the police. He threw the gun out the window, got off the freeway, and drove the vehicle to hide its whereabouts, knowing the cops had the plates. They would discover the vehicle was rented but never returned to the agency.

Rock Bottom A week later, Gabriel returned to the hideout to take possession of the car. A mother of one his homies asked him a favor to drive her to a liquor store to cash some checks. What Gabriel didn’t know was there was a string of Subway Sandwich eateries being robbed. Gabriel had backed into the parking lot of the liquor store, keeping the car idling, and right next door was a Subway Sandwich eatery. The Merge Unit of the police department was monitoring the fast food restaurants trying to catch the “Subway Bandit”.

Gabriel exclaims, “All at once I saw what appeared to be 40 agents surround my vehicle with guns drawn. ‘Put your hands up!’ they shouted. I immediately complied with the sudden realization that I had reached rock bottom. I frantically started calling out, ‘JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!” -TO BE CONTINUED-

Ladies’ Annual Holiday Prayer Breakfast

Food, Fellowship, & Prayer. What great reasons for our ladies to gather during the Christmas holidays! Our ladies ministry met in December at Denny’s Restaurant in Salida a special prayer breakfast and gift exchange. After a yummy breakfast and fun gift exchange, they were blessed by the ministry of Reverend Janice Smith of Christian Life Center in Stockton, California. Her topic was on prayer. She provided some sage advice, such as pray the hardest when it’s the hardest to pray and to always press your way through. Thank you Joyce Jones, JoAnn Gann, Kay Hall, and Pauline Cameron for your hard work in organizing this wonderful event for our ladies!

Guest speaker, Janice Smith (left) of Christian Life Church. She has dedicated her life to over four decades of ministry and service to her community. Presently she also serves on the board of Christian Life College. As you can see from her picture on the left, she is a very classy lady!

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019 21

Remember Our Conference Missionaries in PRAYER

Salvatore Archdiacono Superintendent Italy

Devin Akers

Stello Church Raleigh, North Carolina

Tobias Gardner Missionary Germany

Jourmeel McLaurine Apostolic Bible Church Royal Oak, Michigan

Dannie Becerra AIMer Belize

Mark Brown Jesus Church Watertown, South Dakota

Miguel Rincon

Apostolic Pentecostal Christian Church McFarland, California

Tobias Gardner Missionary Germany

Jesus Magallanes Missionary Nigeria

22

FALL/WINTER NEWSVINE 2019

The Newsvine

REVIVAL CENTER United Pentecostal Church of Modesto 825 7th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Mr. and Mrs. Tim Montes Congratulations to our newest married couple, Tim Montes and Jeriann Powell. Both have been long-time faithful members of Revival Center and are actively involved in our music and worship. Tim is an amazing musician on the keyboard and Jeriann, in addition to the choir and ensemble, is one of our worship leaders and our HYPHEN Director. May God continue to use them for His glory and honor.

Photo by Mehgan Fairbanks

Follow us on issuu.com/thenewsvine and be sure to share The Newsvine with your friends and family.

Thank you for your faithful readership.

- Editors Leo & Virginia Aguilera