Just recently I learned that September is a Peace Month. Peace. A wonderful word but most elusive. This is the reason behind a lot of troubles today. A lack of peace. So we long for it. We pray for it. And to others they fight for it. But truth must be told: It’s not innate. It doesn’t come from within us. For we are naturally at war…at war with God (Rom.5:10; Col.1:20). The lack of peace is due to a broken relationship with the God of peace. And yet He provided a way for man to be brought back to a relationship with God, and that is through His Son Jesus Christ! Through faith in Christ we were reconciled to the Father. And that’s the only time that we can truly experience peace within us. Peace is not a pursuit, it’s a by-product of being at peace with God. And once we have this peace then it flows over to people around us. Now you become a conduit of peace.

...once we have this peace then it flows over to people around us. Now you become a conduit of peace.

Are you at peace this morning? You may have allowed worry and fear dominate your thinking. Trust Him instead. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.” (Isaiah 26:3-4Isaiah 26:3-4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. perfect...: Heb. peace, peace mind: or, thought, or, imagination ⁴ Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: everlasting...: Heb. the rock of ages  

WP-Bible plugin) Almost always, you keep your mind stayed on whatever you are trusting. When you trust money, there your mind is focused. When you trust your job, there’s where your mind is steady. It’s when we get too focused on our problems that we get all tense and anxious. “But if I don’t worry about my problems, who will?” you say. I’m not advocating that we don’t work on our problems, or that we ignore our problems. But there are times when we simply spend too much time focused on our problems, and not enough time focused on our God who is able to handle our problems. So God gave us a tool – it’s called prayer! (read Phil.4:6-7).

It’s when we get too focused on our problems that we get all tense and anxious...

So why do we find it so difficult to trust Him? Often, it’s because we’re afraid that things won’t go as we want them to unless we control them ourselves. The less we are in control, the more anxious and worried we become. Author Hannah Whitall Smith wrote, “It is not hard, you find, to trust the management of the universe, and of all the outward creation, to the Lord. Can your case then be so much more complex and difficult than these that you need to be anxious or troubled about His management of you?”

You know who’s a peaceful person? A prayerful person. A person who learned to give everything to God and trust Him with them. The peace of God comes when you rest your case fully in His hands. When you say, “Well Lord it’s in your hands.” When we simply put the whole matter into His hands, and however He responds, we know it’s going to be the best. That’s when we can say “thanks” and that’s when we receive His peace. The peace of God is not something you can manufacture, buy, or earn. It is a result of a heart that is totally surrendered to Him. When we bring our lives under God’s authority by turning away from sin and seeking Him with our whole heart we receive something priceless…THE PEACE OF GOD.

The peace of God is not something you can manufacture, buy, or earn. It is a result of a heart that is totally surrendered to Him.

When you are wrapped up in the arms of Jesus, and you know that you have an all-powerful God who hears your prayers and is in control of every situation, that’s when you can have real peace, perfect peace! Peace comes from trusting someone trustworthy. Is He trustworthy? Indeed He is!

We all go through crisis. Personal crisis, national crisis, international crisis – even crisis of faith. We don’t like it, nobody wants it, but they do come in one degree or another – sometimes – one right after another! It’s not a matter of if, it’s when. It’s going to happen. They are a normal part of life. Don’t be surprised by it. You can’t plan them, time them, schedule them. Crisis are always unexpected. Crisis just happen. No one is immune to them. Everybody has problems. Yes, even the righteous – the people of God. The important issue is how we are going to respond to a crisis.

We all go through crisis. Personal crisis, national crisis, international crisis – even crisis of faith...

King Hezekiah of Judah faced a crisis, an international crisis that threatens the very existence of Judah (read Isaiah 36-37). And how he and his officials handled it can help us face our own.

He turned to God in prayer (Isaiah 37:1,5-20Isaiah 37:1,5-20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
37 ¹ And it came to pass, when king Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD. ⁵ So the servants of king Hezekiah came to Isaiah. ⁶ And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. ⁷ Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. send...: or, put a spirit into him ⁸ So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. ⁹ And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, ¹⁰ Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. ¹¹ Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered? ¹² Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? ¹³ Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? ¹⁴ And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. ¹⁵ And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying, ¹⁶ O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: thou hast made heaven and earth. ¹⁷ Incline thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open thine eyes, O LORD, and see: and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. ¹⁸ Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, nations: Heb. lands ¹⁹ And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them. cast: Heb. given ²⁰ Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only.  

WP-Bible plugin) – So, he responds to the threats by immediately turning to God. So often we try to worry and fret about problems that we should be turning over to God. He sees himself unable to win the battle. He doesn’t start with a pep talk to the troops. He didn’t go out and motivate his people, he didn’t call a board meeting to strategize…no, he falls on His face before God for help! That’s where each of us should spend much more of our time…taking the matter to God in prayer!

King Hezekiah falls on His face before God for help!

And when he prayed, Hezekiah acknowledged the God to whom he’s praying to (“Lord Almighty”; “God of Israel”; God over all the kingdoms of the earth; and God who made heaven and earth!) In other words, if He is God over all, then what can He not do? If He is God, then what is beyond His control? Hezekiah realizes the most fundamental fact of all theology: God is God, and we are not! God is God, and our enemies are not!

Here’s the point: When we know who we are calling out to in prayer it puts things in perspective. My problems that were looming…so great that I really couldn’t see beyond them! I was being buried by them! They were overwhelming! But I’m coming to the God who created the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, the One who has all the authority and control. Yes, it’s too much for me, but hey, it’s not even the move of a little finger for Him!

I’m coming to the God who created the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, the One who has all the authority and control...

So you begin to get the things in perspective when you know who the God you’re praying to. When Jeremiah was discouraged because it seemed overwhelming, He said, “Jeremiah, I am God. Is there anything too hard for me?” See it in perspective. That happens when you put the right address on the prayer. Suddenly things are in perspective! Satan’s purpose in your crisis is to get you to focus on you or your problems. God’s purpose in your trials is to get you to focus on Him. Spread out the matter before God like Hezekiah and present it to the Lord acknowledging that He is Supreme, that He is Almighty, that He is more than able to handle all that we present to Him in prayer! Don’t wait…do it now!





This is the topic based on 2 Cor. 1:3-4; 5:5-72 Cor. 1:3-4; 5:5-7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; ⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. ⁵ Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. ⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: ⁷  

WP-Bible plugin, I had the privilege to share during the first CC Missionaries Fellowship held last week at CCTC. How timely, how fitting and how relevant the topic not only for missionaries who experienced difficulties in the field but to all of us who are all subject to weakness, pain and trouble.

“Seeking God in our trouble should be our first response…”

Let me just share with you an excerpt from my notes: Have you ever known someone who was ill, and the doctors have done all they can do, so they say, “the only thing you can do now is PRAY.” When a sick person hears that, they sometimes frown and say, “Oh no! Has it come to that?” In other words, they act as if prayer is the last resort. But seeking God in our trouble shouldn’t be our last resort; it should be our first response!

He is the One “who comforts us in all our troubles.” My favorite word from that verse is “in.” Where is God? Well, He’s everywhere, of course. But the Bible says He is with us IN all our troubles to comfort us. Now, our modern use of the “comfort” has robbed it of some of its strength. To us, it’s a soft, sentimental, soothing feeling. We even use it to described a soft, fluffy covering for a bed, a comforter. But in the Bible, “comfort” is an action word. It’s the Greek word “parakaleo”, which literally means, “one who comes alongside to help.” It’s the same word Jesus used in John 14-16 to describe the Holy Spirit. Our English word “comfort” comes from a combination of two words that means “with strength.” The “fort” in comfort reminds us of the word fortify, or fortitude. So, to comfort means “to come along someone and to give them your strength.”

“God comforts us IN all our troubles…”

Let me give you a visual definition of “comfort.” Imagine an elderly man or woman is standing at the bottom of a steep set of stairs. They look up and wonder if they can make it. If you see their need and then come alongside them help them up the stairs, you are giving them comfort according to the Bible meaning of the word. If you see their need and just yell, “Use the handrail!”—that’s not comfort. Or if you yell, “Go use the elevator around the corner!” That’s not comfort. In order to comfort them, you must come alongside them and physically give them your strength to help them.

Got that picture? Because that’s what God does when He comforts us IN our troubles. He doesn’t just call out from heaven, “Hey use the handrail!” He comes alongside to help you. How? Through His Word as the Spirit gently reminds us of His promises. Through His presence and the spiritual strength He provides. And also, through fellow believers! That’s why we need to stay connected to the church!

Psalm 46:1Psalm 46:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
46 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. for: or, of ¹ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  

WP-Bible plugin – “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” God doesn’t want to be your 911 number, He wants to be your 24/7/365 number—your EVER-PRESENT HELP—right now. So turn to Him first, not just when things get really bad and you’ve run out of all your other options. And when you do, He comes alongside you to hold you and strengthen you!

Yes they still go at it. They’re still pointing fingers on who’s to blame. Yes, those responsible for the failure of the hostage-taking crisis should answer to the law. But it seems that all they do is play the blame game. Someone has said, “If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.” The first people on earth, Adam and Eve, first played it so it’s not surprising that the children would follow. The Lord God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Yes,” Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.”

“Often we seek to blame others for our behavior and our failures…”

Adam both blamed the woman and God who gave him the woman! Then the Lord God asked the woman, “How could you do such a thing?” “The serpent tricked me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” It was the classic “The Devil made me do it,” defense! Yes the Devil will tempt us to do wrong, yes he wants you to fail as a Christian. But you don’t have to. One of the greatest promises in the bible is found in 1 Corinthians 10:131 Corinthians 10:13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. common...: or, moderate  

WP-Bible plugin, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”The bible never says that we won’t be tempted, but it does say we don’t have to give in to temptation.

Now, how often in our lives do we seek to blame others for our behavior and our failures on others? ‘It was because of my parents, or my teachers, or my friends. They led me astray.’ Beloved, when you blame others, you give up your power to change. And so you don’t need to change if it was someone else’s fault that you sinned. Very seldom do you hear someone say “I sinned, it was my choice, nobody forced me, tempted me or enticed me, I did it because I wanted to.” And there’s no forgiveness for that.

Many suffer for years with a guilty conscience because they are not willing to come to the place where they acknowledge their sin. They will not call it what God calls it. We all tend to cover up sin and make it sound nicer than it is. “No this is not sin, it’s a weakness!” “No, this is not gossip, it’s just telling you this so you can pray.” We use pleasant names to describe it. Thus, we try to cover over our sins. But we can never be forgiven while we do this, for the first step in the process of forgiveness is an acknowledgement of sin. Not trying to cover it up, blame others for it, justify, rationalize or make excuses for it! But when we stop protecting our sins, and confess them, then we receive forgiveness and the process of restoration begins. And we not only regain a better relationship with God – a peace with God, but we also feel His peace within and at peace about ourselves!

“So, confess, admit, open up… and you shall be free!”

Chapel of the Doves





Mission:

Love alone for Jesus Christ is the motivation behind our missionary thrust and answering that commission He gave in Matthew 28:18-20Matthew 28:18-20
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teach...: or, make disciples, or, Christians of all nations ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  

WP-Bible plugin is at the heart of Chapel of the Doves. God’s order in Mark 10:13-16Mark 10:13-16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵ Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. ¹⁶ And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.  

WP-Bible plugin excites us and moves us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the next generation. Whether its across the streets or across the islands – our desire is to bring the good news to those who have not heard through the children. We believe that the only true basis of Christianity is His (Agape) love, which is greater than any differences we possess and without which we have no right to claim ourselves Christians.



Vision:

Every child should know the love of Christ through His word, hence, the entire Bible will be taught to the child. We want each child to be ministered to in a a manner that allows for them to enter into the presence of Jesus Christ. To that end, there are classes for all ages (3 levels). the curriculum we teach progresses through selective books of the Bible. Praise and worship songs, memory verses, Bible stories, crafts and games are used to instill joy in the knowledge of the scriptures. Praise reports and games are given by the children right after the praise and worship, then the study of the word. In short, Chapel of the Doves is actually a children’s church.



5 Outreaches:

(90% of our workers are students of CCTC/CCBC) * SCANDINAVIAN VILLAGE, Candau-ay, Dumaguete City * HABITAT COMMUNITY, Candau-ay, Dumaguete City * PNP PHQ, Agan-an, Sibulan, Negros Oriental * PNP DAY CARE CENTER, PHQ, Agan-an, Sibulan, Negros Oriental * SAN MORITZ, Maslog, Sibulan, Negros Oriental



Services:

Weekly feeding programs (4 outreaches), education (2 Day Care Centers), medical/dental outreaches and provides children’s bible studies. Parents’ Livelihood & Skills Training programs in coordination with the local and national government agencies. Free 98 houses for the poorest of the poor: Scandinavian Village, Candau-ay, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental



Target Group:

Children at risk like street children, children in conflict with the law, abused children, children from disadvantaged families, children with disabilities and children from the cultural minorities.


Contact Us:

• (A Holistic Ministry) P.O. Box 299, Dumaguete City 6200 Calvary Chapel of Dumaguete, CCD office: (35) 225-0407 and (35) 422-9093
• Ministry Leader: Baby Jambora – Contact No.: 09156831961 E-mail: chapelofthedoves@gmail.com
• Member: Oriental Negros Children’s Advocacy Network (ONCAN) Website: www.oncan.org





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