The following is part one of the first-quarter of 2020 report

(Of course this ministry report does not include my extensive personal ministry to leaders; writing and posting weekly articles; as well as my work preaching with the two campuses of Resurrection Church of NY as well as hours of strategizing and planning for the two networks I lead (USCAL.US. and Christcovenantcoalition.com) as well as MMI.

January

The Todd Bentley Panel decision given in early January

In 2019, Dr. Michael Brown, a respected scholar, author, and public commentator representing the Body of Christ and a Christian Worldview, contacted me about helping him formulate a plan as well as give suggestions related to the creation of a panel related to the ministry of evangelist Todd Bentley.

Evidently, more people were coming forward with serious charges of moral failure and Michael felt the Lord was leading him to lead a panel that would also help raise the standards of biblical leadership for the whole Body of Christ – especially the independent charismatic church world.

Finally after several months of research verifying numerous allegations, a professional investigator presented to our panel a litany of numerous charges that had many firsthand accounts by dozens of people charging Todd with inappropriate behavior.

The panel unanimously gave an opinion , among several other things said, that Todd Bentley should be stepped down from ministry, his ordination removed, and that he should not return to ministry until it is evident he has been fully restored back to God.

The launch of my new podcast “The Joseph Mattera Show”

At the end of December and early January I finally launched my new podcast! The podcast was launched after months of people telling me they felt the Lord wanted me to do something in addition to releasing my weekly sermons.

I will have exciting shows, interviews, as well as numerous teachings related to some of the articles I release, current events, and things the Lord lays upon my heart related to church and culture.

The podcast is already on all the major podcast platforms including Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play.

GOD TV appearance

On January 9th I appeared on the television show “Today with Ward” and taught principles from my latest book “The Jesus Principles”.  I also filmed around 7 devotionals related to my book as well as some teachings from the book of Ephesians.

Heavenly Vision Church, Bronx, NY

My friend Sal Sabino founded one of the largest cell churches in NYC. In the evening of January 9th, I preached for their anniversary to several hundred of their leaders and pastors. I taught on “Making Disciples” from my new book “The Jesus Principles”.

God moved very powerfully through the prophetic preaching and almost everyone made a new commitment to be a disciple of Jesus who makes other disciples.

I thank God for the cell movement founded by apostolic leader Sal Sabino!

CT Church Houston, TX

I was delighted to be invited to minister to the campuses of CT Houston and CT Pasadena led by Pastor Don Nordin.

On Friday evening, January 17th, I ministered from my book “The Divided Gospel” and our mandate to engage culture.

There were about 150 leaders of all the campuses present and the Lord gave me great grace to teach and preach and explain the deleterious effect on the church and culture when the Body of Christ began separating the Good News from the Kingdom of God. This in spite of the fact that Jesus, John the Baptist, and Paul all preached the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Saturday, January 18

I taught the staff of all of the campuses on Saturday afternoon at the Houston Campus on fivefold ministry wineskins. I explained how each congregation takes upon itself the DNA and vision of their lead pastor based on which of the fivefold ministry gifts they function in.

This was an eye opener for many and helped them understand the strengths, weaknesses, and needs of their church. They were able to locate which type of church they functioned in related to the APEST, as well as understand how and why they functioned the way they did. They also received more discernment related to how the Body of Christ operates the way they do in this present day.

At 5:00 PM of the same day I gave a Teaching at the Houston Campus to about 150 of their leaders on “The Church of Ephesus”, where I gave a summary of the book of Ephesians with a backdrop of how that church affected all of Asia Minor as we see in Acts chapter 19.

The Lord gave me great liberty to summarize the whole book of Ephesians by focusing on one verse per chapter. There was a great response and it motivated everyone to participate in a church movement that affected all the residents of their area — not just what happens within the four walls of their building on Sunday.

Sunday January 19th

CT Church English Service (Houston Campus) 10:30 AM

On this morning I preached from my book “The Jesus Principles” and focused on how God has called the church to be a disciple making movement.

There was a strong prophetic anointing upon me and about 95 percent of the congregation responded to the message by coming up to the front to make a commitment to disciple others.

Spanish Congregation 12 PM service

I preached the same message as I preached in the morning service from my book “The Jesus Principles”. A strong prophetic preaching anointing came upon me again for this congregation, but I had a different focus on each point because of the specific needs of this congregation.

There was an amazing response to the word and about 98 percent of the people came forward to both be a disciple and to be a disciple maker! A strong sense of the grace of God came upon them to encourage, uplift, and motivate all of them to walk in the way of Christ and His apostles.

Sunday evening, Inspire Church

I was excited to be invited to preach in another extraordinary church in the Houston area. The church used to be called “Christian Tabernacle” but have recently changed their name to “Inspire Church”. This is a church with about a 70 year history with only three pastors , including my dear friend Dr. Richard Heard.

This is the same church that experienced an extraordinary revival in 1996 that was launched when God supernaturally visited a service by splitting the pulpit! People heard a thunder clap after Dr. Heard read from 2 Chronicles 7:14 – Richard was knocked out and had a vision of angels descending and weeping while the presence of God descended. The result was a 3-week revival in which the church never closed and people were getting healed and saved just by the presence! Tommy Tenney was conducting meetings there when this happened and this revival gave him the impetus to write his bestselling book “The God Chasers”!

I knew that at this service the Lord had me on an assignment to release and impart a strong spirit of prayer and travail to the church.  Evidently, this was a call upon their church from its beginning; hence, Dr. Heard and I believe that my teaching was essentially “re-digging the wells of prayer for them”.

I taught from my book “Travail to Prevail” as well as giving my testimony as an intercessor and the solemnity of God fell upon the several hundred in attendance. People began to weep and groan for their city during the message and afterwards every person came to the front and I laid my hands upon their bellies and imparted the spirit of prayer to them.

Dozens of people were on prostate on the floor, groaning and praying and being released into a profound ministry of prayer for their church and for Houston. What an extraordinary evening and privilege this ministry engagement was!

Dr. Heard called me the next day and wept as he recounted their church history and calling to weep and pray for their city and how that teaching was in line with the anointing and ministry God called their church to carry.

Monday, January 20th

CT Church Bible School

On Monday evening I taught in the “Kingdom Leadership Institute” of the Pasadena campus, led by my friend Jon Ashcraft .

I taught about 30 or more leaders from my book “Understanding the Wineskin of the Kingdom”.

The Lord gave me great liberty to unpack the church’s role to influence every aspect of culture. I recounted how a vacuum was created after the church abandoned culture in the late 19th century, which led to a form of secular humanism taking over every institute of higher learning by the 1920s. The result was the sexual, cultural revolution of the 1960s that we are still paying a price for today with immoral, anti-biblical laws and public policy coming forth in our nation.

I urged all of the students to purchase my book on this subject and to continue to dialogue related to how to engage culture and serve their community.