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The Call...
In 1988, Tony Fiore became serious about his 10
year relationship with JESUS. He
told the LORD that he would do whatever HE wanted, but that he just “didn’t
want to talk in front of people”. Well,
GOD, in his infinite wisdom, knew that that is exactly what Tony needed. That it
would be a huge testimony to the fact that this ministry could not possibly be
Tony, who was quiet by nature, but had to be God!
So, for the next 7 years,
GOD presented Tony with many opportunities to speak with people about his first
love, JESUS. HE taught him to pray
effectively, to lead those who were hungry for JESUS, to draw close to JESUS in
quiet time, to listen to what HE had for Tony.
He showed him the spiritual battle being waged around us…the weird, the
way to address it, and the calling on his life.
Then, in 1995, HE let Tony know that HE wanted him to step out in the
gift of Pastor (a call, not taken
lightly). Tony approached the leadership of his home church, and asked them to
pray about this call. They did so,
and the HOLY SPIRIT confirmed it in their hearts.
They agreed that Tony should start a new work and would commission him to
set forth. On
Sunday, March 26, 1995
, there was a commissioning service, and Tony was released to begin a new
church.
The Sons Of God Are Led
By The Spirit Of God...
JESUS is in charge of all things, and just because we didn’t know exactly
where we would be having church on April 2, HE did.
So, on Monday, as Tony was driving back from
Venice
, he listened as GOD told him to turn down
Yale Street
in
Englewood
. There, on the corner of Yale and
Cedar, he found a small white church building nestled among the pines, in a
destitute neighborhood of small homes. He
walked around the building, looking in the windows to see what appeared to be a
functioning church. He got the name
and number of the pastor, and we called to find out why GOD had presented us
with this location. The pastor, Bill
Wilson, was wary, as he inquired about how we knew that the building was for
sale, as he had only recently made that decision, and had not divulged it to
anyone, nor listed the property. When
Tony said that GOD had lead him there and we didn’t know the reason, but that
we needed a place to hold services. Pastor
Wilson agreed to meet with him.
Miraculous Beginnings...
The church had undergone a
terrible split, and he was left with virtually no congregation, which also left
him with no financial support to pay the mortgage or bills.
He really needed to sell the building, but we were not in the position to
take on mortgage payments, we needed to rent.
After praying together, Pastor Wilson agreed to rent to us on a monthly
basis as GOD had told him there would be someone coming to begin a new work and
relieve him, but he had a desperate need of $2,000 immediately.
Tony and he went back into prayer, and after amen’s were said, there
was a knock on the church door. A
man was standing at the door with an envelope.
He said “Mr. Wilson, I have something for you.”
The envelope contained $2,000 in cash!
When Tony was commissioned, he addressed our home Bible study group and told
each of them that they needed to return to their home church as we didn’t want
anyone to leave where GOD had put them. The
only way we wanted anyone to come with us was if they felt as though they had no
ministry at the other church and wanted to pursue a ministry.
Almost the entire group decided to join us, giving us a congregation of
10 families. Several of them went to
EBC to see the building, and as soon as we walked in, the agreement was, despite
the musty smell, the dust, and the clutter….it was home!
Restorative Miracles...
It was discovered at this time that Pastor Wilson was having a difficult time
hearing, and he explained to Tony that he had not been able to hear out of one
ear due to a childhood accident. Tony
and some of the other men laid hands on him and prayed for restoration.
Pastor Wilson started yelling “I can hear!” as the Lord restored his
hearing! GOD threw open the doors
and the windows to begin HIS new work.
The Saturday before our first service, our little family met to dust and
vacuum and de-“must”ify the sanctuary. Confirmed
in each of our hearts was the truth that this is exactly where JESUS wanted to
meet us. This all happened in less than a week!
The Cattle On A Thousand
Hills...
After a few months of
renting, Pastor Wilson met with our leaders to let them know that he absolutely
had to sell the building and that his immediate need was $35,000. (an
astronomical amount to our little body). Right
there, prayer was begun for this need, but we left with no clear direction,
waiting on JESUS. The next day, as
Tony was sitting in his office, a man of our acquaintance came to the door.
Now this man was not a wealthy person, but he began to tell Tony that
after the recent sale of his home up north, GOD had impressed on him that he
needed to give a gift to EBC. (he didn’t know of the financial need) He
presented Tony a check for $35,000!!!! How
can you not put your entire life and trust in a GOD who answers prayer so
precisely and with such accurate timing! We
paid Pastor Wilson the money he needed and he turned over the remaining mortgage
to us. What is another $75,000 debt to our GOD?!
Within one year, the mortgage was paid off!
I cannot begin to tell you how this happened with a tiny body of
believers who were absolutely not able to tithe enough to meet this debt……
but it did.
Within one
week, GOD met our need for a place to gather (including the prayer of the
pastor’s wife – that she really wanted pews)…. HE met the physical
and financial need of Pastor Wilson’s family and within a year, HE financially
more than fulfilled the desires of the EBC family.
(and continues to do so.)
Food Pantry Ministry...
A bout a year after we
started holding services on
Yale Street
, the LORD told Tony to look around at where HE had placed us, in a neighborhood
that suffered from poverty, abuses of all kinds, and desperately in need of HIM.
(Read James 2:15-17) JESUS
HIMSELF handed us a ministry right where HE placed us!
The Englewood Bible Church Food Pantry was begun by taking a few gallons
of milk and a few dozen eggs to the surrounding houses.
To date, in January 2003, JESUS has allowed EBC to minister to 40 – 80
families each week in
Englewood
, handing out approximately anywhere from 2000 to 7000 pounds of food. How does
our little church provide for this ever increasing throng? Through HIS
provision, with HIS love, and through HIS willing servants who
volunteer week after week!
Unconventional
Structure...
GOD has been so good in
providing volunteer ministers, so that HIS funds can be used strictly for
ministries. EBC has not had a budget
since the second year of our existence. We
initially set up a budget for what we thought was needed … GOD decided
something else, and seeing as HE is the one who owns all the cattle on a
thousand hills, and touches people’s hearts to give, we threw out our
collection plates, put up a box on the back wall and left it up to GOD to
provide. HE has paid rent, electric bills, water bills, and other necessities
for the church and the people of
Englewood
. HE has provided when needed, never
too soon, never too late.
EBC Meets GA...
In 2001, Tony was introduced
to Global Awakening and Randy Clark. Global
Awakening Ministries leads healing ministry trips to different areas of the
world. God touched Tony’s heart to
join with Global in reaching out to the nations.
One of the requirements by Global is that when you sign up for a mission
trip with them, you must go through a training seminar.
Tony went online to schedule the training, and the first couple he
e-mailed, informed him that they had no available time.
GOD is SO GOOD…because HE wanted the Cassada’s.
EBC Meets The Lion's
Heart...
Bill and Barbara came to EBC in August 2001 to train our team.
It was as if they had always been a part of our body.
They came, armed with all the tools and weapons we had been desiring, but
just hadn’t accessed. (not something that is readily available in your local
Home Depot) A spiritual fire was lit
and the hunger we had began to be fed! A
spiritual rumbling began under our church and a prophecy was spoken that EBC
would be a “sending” church, equipping the saints and sending them to the
nations.
Bill Cassada had a vision of
our church, seeing it from above the earth.
And where
Englewood
was, there was a bright, glowing light, marking EBC.
On
September 10, 2001
, our team of over 20 left
Miami
Airport
, for
Brazil
. Most of the day in the airport,
was spent seeking out people to pray with. We
had become a radical group of prayer warriors looking for those that GOD wanted
to heal! After a full night of
flight, the plane landed in
Sao Paulo
,
Brazil
… to be met by reporters hungering for an interview with Americans to get
reaction to the terrorist attack in
New York
. What a beginning to our first ever
mission trip! Although everyone was
saddened and concerned, they knew that GOD had sent them to minister, and they
were not to be swayed from the goal. For
two weeks, they prayed for healing, deliverances, and impartations, getting back
more than they gave. At home, too,
the prayer services cranked up, doing battle for those on the front lines in
Brazil
. There was a power that we had not
felt before.
Going To The Nations...
The trip to
Brazil
really encouraged those who went, as they saw healing after healing of those
who came for prayer. The first
person that Tony got to pray for was a man who had had a paralyzing stroke
several years before and was carried up to the platform by his family.
As Tony prayed, he saw the man fully restored.
The man began to dance and praise God, as his family cried with joy.
His children had only seen him as a crippled person, and now he was
healthy.
To Be Continued...
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