Here we are Day 1 of the long anticipated “Advancing in God’s Presence 2009 Barbados Conference”

The morning seminar was opened by Pastor David Durant his message was entitled “The Changing face of the Church.” We have all been challenged to become radical in our faith in Christ Jesus and regain our passion for a lost and dying world.

We see the rise of radicalism throughout the nations of the world and face dark and uncertain times if we as the Church do not rise up to our responsibility to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ without fear or intimidation. The face of the church has to change from irrelevancy to relevancy. It will only be those that are radical and passionate for Christ who will be the ones that will bring about a change that the world desperately needs.

Matthew 18:16 Jesus declared that upon the confession of Peter that Jesus was the Son of God that the Church was built and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

We have seen the impact of modern day terrorism and how far people will go for a lost and empty cause people are willing to make themselves human bombs and make themselves human sacrifices for a dead and empty religion. Pastor David implored us that how much more those of us who have the truth of the gospel, God’s word permeating our lives.

We as believers are to rise up with an undying passion and zeal to see real truth being delivered to a lost and dying world. This is even more incumbent upon us particularly paying close attention to our brothers and sisters in the Persecuted church willingly laying down their lives and being martyred for the preaching of the gospel. In comparison we who are in the West have settled for a cheap and soft touch type of Christianity that is based on materialism and comfort, which is more appealing but, in reality shows up as weak and insipid. Pastor David challenged us to leave lives of lukewarmness. This kind of gospel pales into insignificance to that of our brothers and sisters that are paying the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. We will be held to account.

To really see the face of the church rise from obscurity and be a force to be reckoned with taking its prominent place in every nation you and I need to become radical for Christ by:

1. Walking in God’s authority
2. Maintaining spirituality
3. Be willing to make sacrifices
4. Dedicate quality time to God in prayer.

Rev Taylor continued with the challenge in our evening service before she came to preach Rev Greenidge lead us in that anthem “I pledge allegiance to the Lamb” this opened the way for God’s handmaid to deliver a powerful word from Phillipians 3:7-14. Paul declared “ ⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸What is more; I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ¹⁰I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”

There is a necessity to forgetfulness if not we will get stuck in time and not be able to advance in God’s presence.

We are to remember the right things Psalms 103:1-2 Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name, bless the Lord and forget not all His benefits.

We have been admonished to:

1) Forget past successes and achievements

2) Forget past failures and

3) Forget past grievances.

Many responded to the altar call to have their minds healed, restored and renewed to be released from pain and past hurts that weighed them down from advancing and being in the place that God wants them to be.

“We need to get our passion back our minds back and arise from stagnation.”