4 But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. 5 For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a [a]cloak for covetousness—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
How do I summarize 30 years of ministry? Start at the beginning.
Before going into the actual date and time that the Lord birthed our ministry, it’s important to chronicle where the Lord led us to go for training and impartation.
I came to the Lord in the summer of 1977, during the charismatic renewal within our local Catholic Church in Sayville. My husband came to the Lord in 1974 and went to my high school and even had my dad as a science teacher. The Lord brought us together in the summer of 1978, the year I graduated High School.
We had both gone to the same youth retreats and our paths crossed when he was back from his first year at Oral Robert’s University where the Lord led Pastor to go.
It was really a divine connection and set up that we both came together that summer after we both prayed the same prayers, of just wanting the next person we dated to be our future spouses. We were both done with the dating scene as usual.
While Pastor was at ORU I visited him and the church he was going to. Faith Christian Fellowship, Pastored by Buddy and Patsy Harrison. (Brother Hagin’s daughter). There was an instant connection with that faith based church and the anointing the Harrison’s flowed in. (The same anointing as Ma and Pa Goodwin)
The Lord called me to go out west and learn of the Lord the following year. It was in Pastors heart to go to Rhema, and after I prayed and had it confirmed through Pastor Larry Huggins under Pastor Buddy, I quit my job and went to Rhema the same year as Pastor before getting married in 1980.
Now before fast forwarding to the Lord birthing Oasis Christian Church in Patchogue in Jan. of 1993, I want to share the call and anointing of Bro. Kenneth E. Hagin. We were trained and ordained under him and the transmission and anointing on Him has been passed to those under him.
Brother Hagin had a unique call to the body of Christ to prepare the end time army for the second coming of Jesus. His mandate was to teach God’s people Faith. But he was called from before he was born, and was supposed to be given the name John as he was to prepare the way of the second coming of Jesus the way John the Baptist prepared for Jesus first coming. In the Spirit and anointing of Elijah.
What was the calling on John the Baptist? -
Matthew 3:3 New King James Version
John the Baptist Prepares the Way 3 :3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Luke 1:17 New King James Version
17 He (John) will also go before Him (Jesus) in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Matthew 3:10-11 New King James Version
10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 I (John) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [a]and fire.
Who was the Prophet Elijah and what were his works? -
Elijah was raised up by God during the reign of King Ahab and Jezebel over Israel.
He confronted the prophets of Baal and the spiritual corruption going on in Israel.
He did according to the word of the Lord and had the most unusual signs and wonders to correct the corruption in Israel.
What were some of the signs and wonders that took place during the time of Elijah?
The widow of Zarephath received supernatural provision of flour for bread and oil after listening to Elijah’s instructions. 1 Kings 17:13-15
Elijah revives widow’s son. Resurrection of the dead.
He operated in such power by God that he was able to speak to the rain and it stopped for years. 1 Kings 17:1
Brother Hagin also operated in such an unusual anointing and had many signs and wonders that took place in his ministry as well. The Spirit of Elijah and his mantle was truly on his ministry.
These are some of the anointings that we were honored to receive when Bro. Hagin layed hands on us to ordain us in 1997.
Oasis was birthed in Jan of 1993, and was born in signs and wonders. There were shakings in the earth that took place as the Lord was establishing His lamp stand in this region.
Many miracles, like tumors on a woman’s brain disappeared after praying for her.
Children and teens having visitations of the Lord.
Our primary call was very similar to what John the Baptist was called to do.
Acts 3:19 New King James Version
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
These times of refreshing were to come through worshiping the Lord in Spirit and truth and psalming.
Ephesians 5:15-19 New King James Version
Walk in Wisdom 15 See then that you walk [a]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
We also have a strong desire to want to see the hearts of the Fathers turned to the children and the hearts of the children to be turned to the Fathers.
Malachi 4:5-6 New King James Version 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
The Elijah anointing straightens crooked places and prepares the way for the Glory of God.
So the call on Oasis to bring times of refreshing after repenting or changing by coming out of the worlds mindsets and corruption, through true worship helps to usher in the anointed Glory of the Lord.
Dick Mills, another prophet of the Lord who has roots back to Aimee Semple McPherson, prophesied over Pastor John in 1977-78 at ORU and again 18 years later at our Church. (Oasis Christian Center)
This was the scripture he prophesied over us -
Habakkuk 2:2-3 New King James Version
The Just Live by Faith 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
What is the Vision for the appointed time?
Habakkuk 3:3-4 New King James Version 3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. 4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.
So John the Baptist prepared the way for the Glory of Jesus through the Spirit and power of Elijah, during a time when wickedness was covering the earth.
Bro. Hagin was called to raise up the end time army of the Lord by teaching them faith, and knowing their authority in Jesus, by the same prophetic anointing of Elijah.
So here we are as the Oasis church family on the precipice of such evil taking place in our nation, and the call has been passed on and is the same.
Repent and change so that times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord can come by faith, entering the throne room through spirit anointed praise and worship, to help the families be restored in order for the Glory of the Lord to cover the earth and bring fire down on the prophets of Baal going after the children!
A day of distinction between the true and the false, through knowing the Rhema or spirit anointed word of God!
A day of signs and wonders all across the earth!
We as a church have a wonderful part in this season of fullness or harvest of maturity in the Kingdom of God.
No part is small in God’s eyes as we all stay in our lane, doing what we are each called and designed to do.
Galatians 6:9 King James Version
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Gen. 1: 11 - Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose SEED is IN ITSELF, on the earth”; and it was so.
After reading this scripture something jumped up inside my spirit.
I saw that all fruit on trees only form after a long growing season, with the right environment. ( i.e sun rain, nutrients)
The fruit takes time to mature and ripen before the seed can be released in order to multiply in the right season. Without this process, there can’t be any multiplication.
The Holy Spirit revealed that this process is the same spiritually with each of us in the body of Christ. Many are striving to multiply their gifts and callings without first growing up spiritually and coming to full maturity in Christ. Eph. 4: 13
Even in the natural, children, although being equipped for reproduction, cannot bear children (or multiply) until the age of physical maturity.
Jesus wants us to bear fruit, and fruit that remains. The only type of fruit that remains, is fruit that is born of the Holy Spirit, not of religious works. The spiritual fruit is listed in the book of Galations, and is a result of deeply abiding in Christ and His word.
Gal. 5: 22 - 23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23. Gentleness, self - control. Against such there is no law.
I believe we are in the season of the great harvest, which is the season of great maturity or fruit bearing! This fruit bearing and subsequent scattering of the seed which God has put in us, will bring forth a season of multiplication in the Kingdom of God.
Stay longer in God’s presence and you will see Jesus.
Road to Emmaus
Luke 24: 29-31 - But they (two disciples) constrained Him, (Jesus after He rose from the dead) saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent.” And He went to stay with them.
Now it came to pass as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31. Then their eyes were OPENED and they KNEW Him, and He vanished from their sight. 32. And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”
When these disciples decided to linger longer in Jesus presence, their spiritual eyes were opened. Spiritual understanding of the Scriptures and sweet communion with Jesus came to these disciples.
If we want more of the presence of God, we need to linger longer in sweet communion with Jesus and His word.
If we don't learn how to rest in the presence of God instead of racing away from Him in order to do "good works," we will have no peace or rest anywhere on this planet!
Our works born of the restless need to do something in our own power in order to quiet our flesh never works.
We will be restless wanderers looking for a false fix or high from either relationships, false religion, food, work, pleasures, drugs or alcohol.
Isaiah 32:18 - king James Bible And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure (secure) dwellings, and in quiet resting places;
1 Timothy 6:6- Godliness with contentment is great gain.
Matt. 11:30 - ForMy yoke is easy, my burden is light.
Psalm 16:11 - In His presence is fullness of Joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 - The Joy of the Lord is your strength.
What you magnify, is what will manifest in your life-
Ps. 34: 3 - Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Ps. 34: 4-5 - I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed.
Hebrews 4: 2 - 3 - For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; (the Israelites Moses led out of Egypt) but the word which they heard did not PROFIT them, not being mixed with FAITH in those who heard it. Vs. 3. For we who have believed do enter that REST,
Hebrews 4: 9 - 10 - There remains therefore a REST for the people of God. vs. 10. For he who has entered His (God's) REST has himself also ceased from his (own) works as God did from His. (On the seventh day)
Hebrews 3: 19 - So we see that they (Israel in the wilderness with Moses) could not enter in (to God's rest) because of UNBELIEF.
So we see that Faith in God, is THE REST! God's blessing is tied to this REST.
I asked the Lord years ago how to know the difference between truth and error.
This is what I learned from Him -
Everything God says is all truth, because He is truth. There is no shadow of turning or error in anything He says or does.
James 1: 17- Every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or SHADOW of TURNING.
Numbers 23: 19 - "God is not a man, that He should lie.
John 14: 6- ... I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through Me.
The enemy (Satan) mixes a little bit of facts with error. This type of mixture is ALL error, and rooted in lies.
John 8:44 - (Jesus speaking to the Pharisees) "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the TRUTH, because there is NO TRUTH in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a LIAR and the father of it.
Years ago I questioned the Lord about our ministry. There were times when going our own way and doing what seemed right in our natural minds, we would have an external growth spurt and financial increase for a short time. Other times when we would obey the vision the Lord gave us, we would have opposition but slow and more steady internal growth. We would have fruit that remained.
I realized that one can't use external indicators to judge whether one is in the will of God or not.
The Lord led me to study the story of Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham received a vision and promise from God. He and Sarah took matters into their own hands and tried to help God bring it to pass. Many in ministry do the same. It's a common temptation. Gen. 16: 3-5 and Gen. 17: 18.
Although there was an immediate result in Abraham getting a son, it was not God's plan or way. It had major consequences that are still being felt today. God will redeem the best He can, all our attempts at fulfilling His call on our lives, but there is always a repercussion.
Gal. 4: 28- 29- Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. Vs. 29. But as he who was born according to the flesh (Ishmael) then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit (Isaac), even so it is now.
John 3: 6- That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
It's not in our perfection that we overcome trials, But trust in Jesus perfection!
Heb. 12: 2 - Looking unto JESUS, the author and finisher of our FAITH, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Happy Mothers Day to all you Moms out there. What a great day to honor the best job in the whole world! What a privilege to be able to love, mentor, and lay down our lives for the next generation in Christ!
I'm so grateful to have three beautiful grown children. Johnny, David and Grace, and two beautiful grandchildren, Hannah and little Johnny Curcio! Thank you Johnny and Nessa for adding to our family, and giving us such treasures!
What a blessing to have a growing family, or "hamily," as Hannah calls us.
It's the hardest job you'll ever LOVE!
1 Thess. 4: 12- And may the Lord make you increase and abound in LOVE to one another and to all, just as we do to you.