[USA] CLF World Conference Academies in NY (Part 1)

Gospel class and Nurture Class

The sound of footsteps echo throughout Mahanaim College at 6:30 in the morning as pastors who yearn for the word walk to their sessions. It is time for the gospel class for pastors who are attending the CLF for the first time.

Pastor Oh Yoon Hong, pastor at the Good News Gang Reung Church, preached the gospel with the words of Romans 3:9.

Gospel Class

“The industrial revolution that took place 200 years ago brought great development to the lives of people and standard of living could not be compared to when man had to live off human strength. There is an enormous difference from doing things with the strength of a man and with the strength of a machine. Becoming righteous is the revolution of spiritual life. I hope that you all experience a revolution in your spiritual life where you give up one trying to do it yourself to receiving the grace of Jesus.”

Albert Castaneda from the Missionary Christian Alliance (Orlando) What I think is special is, how boldly they speak about Jesus Christ. Sometimes, when you go to places where church is, what you learn is kind of superficial. They don’t preach clearly about the gospel. And I’ve been here for just 2 days and I’ve noticed how clear it is to speak about Jesus. About how he’s our savior and we are clean of our sins through the blood of Jesus. It’s so clear yet so simple. Yet that’s not the way we are used to hearing it now with the watered-down gospel. So it is beautiful to hear the gospel very clearly through the messages and through the preaching’s of Mr. Park and all the other pastors that are teaching us through the Word. So it’s been very beautiful.

This time, the CLF established a “Nurture Class” for pastors who were born again through the past 2 years of CLF meetings.

Pastor Gyu Yoon Jo preached about the life of believing only in Jesus through many different examples from the Bible. “Jesus went to the pool of Bethsaida to heal the sick and there the man with infirmity for 38 years received salvation. All the other sick people had turned their back upon Jesus. They do so because they still have expectations in themselves. The man with the infirmity for 38 years did not have expectations in himself and he listened to whatever Jesus told him. He did not react to his flesh but he reacted to the word of God.” Pastor Jo spoke about the reason why people cannot believe in God. It is because they have put expectations in themselves and so, God gives them problems in their lives so they can realize how evil they are.

Jared Maliza from the Philippines

“We were sinners, but God poured His grace upon us and He has washed our sins. If we give our lives to God, then God will manage our lives. When I first attended this meeting in Korea, I treasured the word in my heart. It changed my life and my heart. That is why I wanted to hear the words of Pastor Park this year as well. Just like what Pastor said, I want to keep the word of God in my heart the entire day. I lived for 8 years as a pastor in the Phillippines. I taught they we must confess our sins and we must pass our sins upon God. However, God changed my heart and my life. When I return back to the Philippines, I want to share the words I heart from pastor Park. This is the true gospel –this is the Good News.”

The Academies are Awesome!!

The 2019 CLF World Conference added 5 more academies than what they had last year for a total of 15 academies. There were academies that delved deep into certain subjects such as the tabernacle and the offerings of Leviticus. Also, there are academies that cover aspects of ministry such as youth ministry, prison ministry. The academies became places where pastors can hear expert lectures on a variety of different fields.

Missionary Gyung Hyun Nam from the Philippines

Missionary Gyung Hyun Nam from the Philippines is actively a mind lecturer for Addiction Healing camps in the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, Lesotho, Angola and other countries around the world and also serves as a mind educator for the Airforce, Army, Police headquarters, and at universities. Missionary Nam’s lectures of “Internet addiction” was very popular. He explained that addiction comes from the heart to trust oneself. The people that trust themselves ignore warnings which leads them to addiction.

Pedro Cedemo

“The Addiction Academy was very entertaining. I learned that addiction is not just the addictions of bad things but having the heart that I can do whatever I want is addiction as well. The most important things is for our hearts to be changed by God. And because God is our father, God will changed us from the inside.”

Pastor Ki Sung Kim from Prison Ministry

In his “Prison Ministry” academy, Pastor Kim spoke about how inmates try hard not to enter back into prison when they are released. But in the end, they end up back in prison. He explains that, “guidance leads people to live a clean and happy life.” After he finished, many pastors who were in a prison ministry themselves came to him to ask him questions.

Pastor Jang Young Chul speaking during the “Tabernacle” academy. He spoke about the importance of the knowledge of the Tabernacle

Pastor Philippe Pierroeroland from the Haiti said, “Through this academy, I learned for the first time that the tabernacle is representing Jesus. I was amazed when Pastor Ock Soo Park spoke about Jesus through the story of Joseph yesterday evening. This academy is awesome!”

Besides this academy, church history, offerings, tabernacle, no money witness trip, life of faith, youth ministry, faith and health, missions, special lectures, familial problems, special Bible lectures, and evangelism training were offered for the morning A sessions.

Mundi Chimbaud from South Africa

“This is my first time at the CLF. I was interested in “the Life of Faith” so I went to that academy. As a Christian, God is leading us to the direction of a life of faith. I hope to be led to live a life of faith. I learned that God has put all the power inside of his Word and that is why He wants to give us faith. I am so thankful to what I learned today.”

Antoinette Marissa (Pastor’s Wife) from New Orleans, Louisiana

“Pastor Abraham invited me at my church to the CLF. I really want to learn the Bible so I went to the “Special Bible Lectures” Academy. It is such a great thing to learn about the Bible from different perspectives. This academy has been a big help to my ministry. I really liked the part when I learned about the heart. The heart to believe the power of God and the ability to believe is inside of the word. Salvation is so simple.”

Pastor Marty Parker from Queens, New York

“I learned about the different offerings for sin in the Bible. I learned that through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, no more sacrifices are needed.”

Pastor William Framer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Healing comes from the word of God. If we want to be healed, we need to turn to the word of God. I am so thankful that God allowed me to attend this academy. This academy has helped me believe in God. I have learned that we need faith to be healthy.”

The gospel classes and academies were held at Mahanaim and afterwards, everyone moved to Hofstra University for the rest of the program. The conference lecture sessions are held in the morning and evening at the university and in the afternoon, there is the mind lecture academy time.

To be continued.