I saw the news days ago about the fire that destroyed Ever-Gotesco Grand Central Mall in Caloocan City that lasted for 2 days. Memories of my youth criss-crossed through my mind. Anyway, I remember a story, one day, someone ran up to 19th century pastor, John Wesley, and exclaimed, “Your house burned down! Your house burned down!” Wesley calmly replied, “No it hasn’t, because I don’t own a house. The one I have been living in belongs to the Lord, and if it has burned down, that is one less responsibility for me to worry about.”

This is the response of a man who had the right perspective concerning earthly possessions. He knew who was in control of his life and he trusted God to completely provide for his needs. How many of us would respond to tragedy like Wesley did? So often, when things don’t go the way we planned, we have just the opposite reaction. When tragedy strikes, we turn on God as if we’ve been slapped in the face, asking why He would allow something as devastating as the loss of property, health, or a loved one. In our wrong thinking, we focus on God taking something from us. But I believe this response comes from the inaccurate idea that we are entitled to our possessions.

This could not be further from the truth. Paul reminded the Corinthians that everything they had came from the Lord: “What do you have that you did not receive? (1 Cor. 4:71 Cor. 4:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? maketh...: Gr. distinguisheth thee  

WP-Bible plugin).” You see, the Christian world-view is much different than those who don’t believe – everything is a gift from above and ultimately belongs to God. In His grace, He allows us to be stewards of earthly possessions.

Jesus got to the heart of the matter in Matthew when He said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24Matt. 6:24
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  

WP-Bible plugin).” This is the problem: we either have money or money has us. If we have money, we use it in ways that honor God and bring Him glory. But if money has us, we tend to cling to it tightly and become miserly with our worldly possessions, allowing worry and discontent to rule in our lives. This is nothing less than disbelief in God’s provision.

As the Great Provider, God knows your needs and is more than able to provide for you. If everything belongs to God, will He not share what He has with His children? Jesus asked a rhetorical question of His followers: “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? (Luke 11:11Luke 11:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?  

WP-Bible plugin).” The implied answer is, “Of course not!” Good fathers give good gifts. And God the Father, has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:32 Peter 1:3
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: to: or, by  

WP-Bible plugin).

So, the next time you start thinking God has taken something away from you, try remembering how many things God has given to you. He has given you life, He has given you significant relationships, and most importantly, through His Son, He has given you eternal life. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

Announcement:

AHOY! The Sunday School Kids are invited to a TREASURE QUEST KIDS CAMP 2012 on May 3-5.  If your kid is from Grade 1 to Grade 6 and is  attending regularly in Sunday School, then you can let him/her join.

• Registration Fee: P700
• Venue: Calinawagan Beach House in

Zamboangita.

For those who are skilled and gifted in building websites, we need volunteers to maintain or upgrade our current website. For those who are interested, please approach Janice.

RESURRECTION SUNRISE SERVICE on April 8 at 5:00 am at the Freedom Park.  No services (English and Visayan) will be held here in Motong on that day.

Start praying for our UPCOMING SUMMER EVENTS:

• Resurrection Sunrise Service—April 8
• CC Pastors & Wives Conference—April 17-19
• Kids’ Camp—May 3-5
• Youth Camp—May 20-26

Watch HOPE FOR YOU TV featuring “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel every Sunday night at Skycable Channel 15 (or 17), 7:00 pm. Our regular bible studies are aired every night Mondays till Saturdays from 7 pm—8 pm.

39 people obeyed the Lord in water baptism! Another evidence of what His grace can do!

My son Kenaniah is graduating from high school next week. I’m always amazed of how time flies so fast! But that’s what time is – it doesn’t wait on you, you make life out of it! So to all 2012 Graduates, congratulations!

To the College students (and to the parents’ wallet also!) there’s always that feeling of relief and a feeling of release! All the time, energy and money spent will culminate in graduation day. Alas! Whew! They’re not a waste after all. Praise God! Another chapter of their life is done and another chapter will be written.

“What’s next?” is the big question. Some might have the idea already but many may still be standing on the crossroads of life wondering which way to take. Listen: there are forks on the road. Crossroads. Thus, there are two ways: The way of life and the way of death. The path to life, and the path to death.

This is the image: You are walking down a trail, and come to a fork. Ahead of you are two ways, two roads, two paths. One looks attractive: the way is sunny, easy, and smooth. The other looks difficult: storm clouds gather in that direction; there is a steep climb in the first half mile; the path narrows and looks treacherous. You cannot see far down either path. Each path bends after a half mile or so, and you can see no farther. Which do you choose?

Surely the temptation is to choose the path that looks easy at the beginning. But where do the paths lead? What is around the corner? What if there are snakes there waiting to bite you? You might be thinking, “But Pastor, if I come to a fork like that, I’ll explore the easy path first, and then turn back if it turns out to be dangerous. What’s the problem with that?” The problem with that is how do you know you will be able to turn back?

Beloved, all humanity is divided into two: those who take the path of life and those who take the path of death. Every day we are standing at the fork in the road. God’s Word tells us the end result of each path. Which will you take? Think! Look ahead! Don’t just look at the immediate return! God’s Word says, “Pursue your greatest joy! Don’t do something you will regret for all eternity! Look beyond the short run! True joy, true delight is found in the way of life – not in the way of death!

God’s Word protects us from making major wrong decisions in life. I think of how much heartache and pain we could avoid if we would only accept the heavenly wisdom from God. There are so many life lessons that we learn through our mistakes and mess ups. But as a loving Father, God wants to shield us from avoidable pitfalls in life. He knows what will happen when we make poor choices and He wants to protect us.

So walk straight, sight steady on the Lord Jesus, choose to do His will…for there’s no other safe way to take!

Announcement:

Watch HOPE FOR YOU TV featuring “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel every Sunday night at Skycable Channel 15 (or 17), 7:00 pm. Our regular bible studies are aired every night Mondays till Saturdays from 7 pm—8 pm.

THAILAND MISSION TEAM 2012 TRAINING starts this Monday, March 19 at 7 pm here at CCD.  This is also open to anyone who wants to sit-in.

RESURRECTION SUNRISE SERVICE on April 8 at 5:00 am at the Freedom Park.  No services (English and Visayan) will be held here in Motong on that day.

Start praying for our UPCOMING SUMMER EVENTS:

Resurrection Sunrise Service—April 8

CC Pastors & Wives Conference—April 17-19

Kids’ Camp—May 3-5

Youth Camp—May 20-26

Could’nt help but say something on this matter: Inquirer.net reported that Fr. Catalino Arevalo—the spiritual adviser of the late President Corazon Aquino—said in his March 4 homily at the Our Lady of Edsa Shrine, “If you call anybody ‘you fool,’ you are worthy of the fires of hell.  And she called them fool, before millions of people.” Though he didn’t name who he was referring to in his homily, Arevalo later told a reporter who asked if he was indeed referring to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago that he “did not have to name her.”

In response, Senator Santiago—who has a master’s degree in theology—has released a statement in reponse to Arevalo’s pronouncement. Santiago pointed out: “Under [the Second Vatican Council], there is no hell; but even if there is, there is nobody there.  Unfortunately, some of the religious refuse to accept the changes started by Vatican 2.” Santiago clarified that according to theology, hell is not a geographical place but is “a metaphor for distance from God.”

No doubt that Miriam Santiago is a very brilliant lady (her command of the Law was mesmerizing), an accomplished judge and an excellent senator. But she was wrong about the afterlife. She was in error on the subject of hell. And not surprisingly for her source is the Vatican Council and NOT the Holy Scriptures! There is a literal hell and not just a metaphor for distance from God. In fact Jesus spoke of hell more than heaven. He mentioned Hell 56 times in the Gospels and only mentioned Heaven 24 times. Why do you think so? Because, 1) It is real and 2) He doesn’t want people to go there.

Sometimes the question is raised “How could a loving God send some people to Hell?” I do not have enough space to cover that question extensively but let me point out the error and inconsistency of the question itself. We don’t ask, “How could a good judge send a serial killer to the electric chair?” Why don’t we ask that question? The answer is because the judge is not the one responsible for him going to the electric chair, his own evil choices are! Hell is originally created for the devil and his angels. But when man follow the devil instead of God, hell became a place for those who reject Him. Now people may have their opinion on hell, and everyone is entitled to it, but when all is said and done, it’s NOT man’s opinion that will matter, it’s the Lord’s Word!

Now here’s where we come in – if we truly believe that there is a hell and there is a heaven, what are we doing with this truth? A study says that 3 people die every second. If this fact is true, then 180 people die every minute, 259,200 people die every day, 94,608,000 people die every year. Of the 7 billion people on earth today, experts also say that 2/3 of them have never heard the Gospel one time. If these percentages hold true, then 63,103,536 people die every year without ever hearing the Gospel one time! Some of these people are within our reach!

What are we doing with this information? If you had a cure for cancer, it would be a crime to withhold it! So, GO in His power, and rescue those who are heading to hell through the preaching of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ our Lord!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY WORKSHOP – a workshop on how to study through the Scriptures effectively and designed especially for pastors and church workers.

• Speaker: Ptr. Dan Finfrock
• Date: March 19 to 21, 2012
• 8:00 am registration on March 19 (tentative 9:00e 9:00
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
  Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!
  
  WP-Bible plugin am – 4:00 pm workshop proper)
• Registration Fee: P100/head, includes lunch, snacks and materials
• Venue: Calvary Chapel Training Center

Space is limited to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For reservation or information please call CCTC at 422-7775 and ask for Chona. And for more information, refer to the poster at the Admin Corner.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES – we are in need of more volunteers to teach in our children’s outreaches.  If you love kids and desire to be used by the Lord in children’s ministry, please approach Janice.

Today most of the health education is focused on keeping the heart healthy. Why? More people die from a heart attack than any other killer. The same is true spiritually. God always begins with the heart, then works outward. Prov.4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.“ The heart is the totality of your MIND (intellect), your EMOTIONS (feelings), and your WILL (choices). It’s the place to which God speaks and moves.

The Bible describes the heart as inner capacity through which God connects us to Himself in worship and relationship — or, my heart becomes the place where that relationship can be betrayed. That happens when the heart is drawn away from Him. Yes the Bible has warned us many times that the heart can get turned and move us toward sin, and we’ll end up bowing to illegitimate altars.

Have you seen a clogged water-pipe, or a clogged sink? You see, all physical systems, over time, accumulate debris. It’s a sad fact of life. They get cluttered, and clogged, and congested, and that hinders the operation of the system. The same principle applies to other, non-physical, types of systems. Marriage relationships, for example, can become clogged with unresolved conflicts and un-forgiven offenses.

Beloved, if we’re not careful, our hearts can get cluttered up with the debris of sin. Our minds and hearts can be filled with the deposits of ungodly beliefs and attitudes. And that hinders our relationship with God. It hinders our fellowship with one another. It hinders our ability to experience joy, and peace, and power in the Christian life.  And what’s really tragic – even a bit frightening – is that we probably won’t even realize that it’s happening.

What am I saying? That when one falls away from walking with Christ, it’s usually a gradual process. Little by little, their taste for spiritual things diminishes. They lose desire for holiness, their zest for knowing God fades; so that the kind of spiritual activities which used to give them pleasure now seem dull and uninteresting. What used to be a blessing now seems like a burden. One way of describing it is that, although they still know the words of Christianity, but they’re unaffected.

And as the world seduces them, their tolerance for impurity in their own heart, and mind, and conduct, gradually increases. To be concerned about avoiding sin no longer seems important or worthwhile.  This is why guarding or protecting our heart is of highest priority.

Jeremiah 17:9Jeremiah 17:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  

WP-Bible plugin “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah says, my heart is not just polluted by sin but it also has great capacity to deceive and be deceived. I can fool others. What’s even more amazing, I can even fool myself…fool myself to think that I’m ”okay” when in reality I’m not!

What’s the solution? “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24Psalm 139:23-24
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. wicked...: Heb. way of pain, or, grief  

WP-Bible plugin) Jesus has already given us a new heart. You just allowed it to be cluttered and crowded by things, people and the cares of life. Lay your heart before the Lord today and let Him cleanse it, renew it and change it.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY WORKSHOP – a workshop on how to study through the Scriptures effectively and designed especially for pastors and church workers.

Speaker: Ptr. Dan Finfrock

Date: March 19 to 21, 2012

Registration Fee: P100/head, includes lunch, snacks and materials

Venue: Calvary Chapel Training Center

Space is limited to 100 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. For reservation or information please call CCTC and ask for Chona. And for more information, refer to the poster at the Admin Corner.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES – we are in need of more volunteers to teach in our children’s outreaches.  If you love kids and desire to be used by the Lord in children’s ministry, please approach Janice.