After a very busy but very fruitful and memorable anniversary celebration as a church, we now enter into the Christmas season. How time flies so quickly indeed. We’re entering that season again when to merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead. For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do. For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for that morning when they can open their gifts.

It’s a blessed thing — but it’s also a major period of increased stress for many people. So before we get into the hustle-bustle of the time, before we get caught up in the web of stretched schedules and non-stop feasting….just a pastoral reminder: Stop! Chill! Relax! Don’t forget what it’s all about! Sometimes I get the feeling that we are like the people who decided to throw a party to honor a very special friend. They sent out invitations, decorated the hall, & had the food catered. All the people came together at the designated time, but to their surprise, the guest of honor was not there. Finally, they made the embarrassing discovery that no one had ever invited the guest of honor!

I wonder if that happens at Christmas time. Do we go through all the decorating, and buying presents, and preparing elaborate meals, but somehow forget whose birthday it really is? Yes I know, Christmas is not really Jesus’ birthday, but it is wise to redeem the season to focus our attention to one of the greatest miracles of all time, the Incarnation, God becoming man – to save us from our sins!

Yes, that’s why Jesus came. God ‘in the flesh’– was born to die. He was born to take to Himself our brokenness and guilt and shame. Christ came to deal decisively with all the things that we want to escape this holiday season. You can only understand what is going on at Christmas if you see the road Jesus will travel. It is a road that will take Him to Egypt, to Nazareth, and throughout Palestine. But it will end only a few miles from Bethlehem. On a hill outside Jerusalem. At a cross. Only if you see that the road winds its way to Calvary will you understand why this Holiday Season is a holy season. Only if you understand the cross will you understand Bethlehem’s crib.

So, don’t get caught up with what the world views as a great Christmas. It’s not about gifts. It’s about God’s greatest and best gift – His Son, Jesus Christ! If you already have received that gift, if you already have Him, then you already have everything!

Announcement:

• Our 25th Anniversary and H4U Concert are now available in DVD. One DVD for the Morning Anniversary Service, and one DVD for the Concert. Each DVD cost P80 pesos. If you want a set, that is P160. You may order with Sara after the service. Please pay as you order.

• Last day to sign up to be part of the THAILAND MISSION TEAM will be today, Dec. 12. For those who signed up, please fill up the APPLICATION FORM provided at the back table. Last day to submit it will be on Thursday, Dec. 16.

• We are now accepting donations in cash or in kind for our yearly CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING for our dear brothers and sisters from our outreaches. Please refer to the flyer for details.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE on the following schedule:

• CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE on Dec. 24, Friday. (There will be no Thursday Bible Study on Dec.23.)
• YEAR-END SERVICE on Dec. 30, Thursday.

PLEASE COOPERATE WITH OUR PARKING PERSONNEL. Please park properly, no double parking; park on the west side and don’t block any driveways. If possible, share a ride, car pool, or ride a pedicab.



It was a great 25th anniversary celebration we had that culminated in the Hope For You (H4U) concert. It was indeed a display of His greater works! And that only is a preview of the greater things to come, of the greater works He will do in our midst for the coming years. Praise be to Jesus Christ the miracle-worker, the life-changer!

It was a blessing to worship the Lord together as one big family. Not only to worship together but to serve together. Seeing the pictures, hearing the testimonies during the preparations, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for you church. Everyone did their part, every gift exercised, every precious time given. It was indeed a display of unity and cooperation for one purpose and goal – for God’s greater glory!

So, as your pastor, along with my wife and kids, thank you so much for the partnership in the gospel through the years. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6Philippians 1:3-6
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3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, remembrance: or, mention ⁴ Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, ⁵ For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; ⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: perform: or, finish  

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Yes, He’s not yet done with us. God never starts a work and leaves it unfinished, that would be a contradiction of His character. God is not like man. We start things but we do not finish them. Thank God that my hope in Christ does not rest upon my will power. It rests upon the fact that God would never have started the work in me if He had not decided to finish it. Paul says the same thing in Romans 5:10Romans 5:10
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10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.  

WP-Bible plugin: “If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” In other words, if Christ died for you when you were an enemy and a rebel and hated Him; how much more, then, will God keep and sustain you and finish the work He began now that you are His child?! The character of God guarantees the completion of the work.

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We don’t just do good works as a result of the work of grace in our hearts, we are a good work ourselves—God’s own good work. The word in the greek is “poeima” where we get the word POEM. But it’s more than a poem, it’s a work of art.

You see, beloved, you are a work of art. If the work depended on us, we would fail. But it doesn’t. We are like a beautiful work of art, painstakingly designed and crafted by the Master Craftsman himself. We don’t yet see the final result, but God does. So we can trust Him when He gives us the promise, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

So, with one heart, one mind, one purpose – let Him continue to work in us and as we do, we shall see greater works done, for His greater glory!

ANNOUNCEMENT:



• H4U NIGHT OF TESTIMONY & THANKSGIVING on Dec. 9, Thursday at 5:30 pm, CCD! It’s a special night of testimony for the H4U Concert! Everyone is welcome, especially those who took part in the working committees:

- H4U Band & CCD Choir -H4U Counseling Team
- Physical Set-up & Aftercare - Security
- Transportation - Documentation
- Techical Team - Food
- Stage Crew/Stage Décor - Freaks Drama Team
- H4U Ushering Team - First Aiders

This is a lovefeast affair, so bring some simple snacks to be shared by everyone!

• ATTN: H4U Committee Heads Debriefing tomorrow night, Monday, at 7 pm here at CCD.

• Since we no longer have the parking area across the street, PLEASE COOPERATE WITH OUR PARKING PERSONNEL. Please park properly, no double parking; park on the west side and don’t block any driveways. If possible, share a ride, car pool, or ride a pedicab.

• We are now accepting donations in cash or in kind for our yearly CHRISTMAS GIFT-GIVING for our dear brothers and sisters from our outreaches. More details to be announced later.

• Berean Getting Deeper Class resumes this Tuesday, Dec. 7.

• We are now forming the team for next year’s THAILAND TRIP. Please be praying. There will be a sign-up sheet at the back.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE on the following schedule:

• CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE on Dec. 24, Friday. (There will be no Thursday Bible Study on Dec.23.)
• YEAR-END SERVICE on Dec. 30, Thursday.






Welcome! God bless you today! “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations (Psalm 89:1Psalm 89:1
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89 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Maschil...: or, A Psalm for Ethan the Ezrahite, to give instruction ¹ I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. to all...: Heb. to generation and generation  

WP-Bible plugin)!” 25 YEARS! 25 years of God’s faithfulness! 25 years of His patient workings in us! 25 years of His love, grace and power manifested in our midst! It’s been an adventure, a journey. Yes, there were bumps along the way, stumbling blocks and hurdles on our paths but they just made us stronger and wiser as we learned to depend more on the Lord. And He always comes through! He always delivers!

It’s always good to look back and remember what the Lord has done in the past. It makes us appreciate more His goodness. And it assures us of what He can do in the present and what He will do in the future. It brings hope for He’s the same yesterday, today and forever! But, God is not finished with us yet, individually and as a church. There’s a lot of “growings” to do – there’s still a lot of lands to conquer. There’s more of Jesus we need to know and see; more of His will to be done in our lives. More lessons to learn His ways and be like Him in every way. There’s more giving up of ourselves to Him and His cause – more denying of self, carrying of our cross and following Him!

Paul wrote: “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14Phil 3:14
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14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  

WP-Bible plugin).” Peter wrote, “…Make every effort to add to your faith goodness, to goodness, knowledge…knowledge, self-control, etc. (read the rest in 2 Pet. 1:5072 Pet. 1:507
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WP-Bible plugin).” Also, he wrote – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet:3:18)!”

Are we growing up or just growing old? God desires that we grow and bear much fruit (Jn. 156:16Jn. 156:16
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Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin). How? Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing (jn. 15:5jn. 15:5
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5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. without me: or, severed from me  

WP-Bible plugin)!” Are we “abiding” in Him or “hiding” from Him? apart from Him we can do nothing! “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6Phil 1:6
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6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: perform: or, finish  

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Come, glorify the Lord with me. He deserves all our worship, praise, thanksgiving, love and lives! He’s coming soon. When He comes may He find a faithful Bride in us as He is so ever faithful to us!



Two weeks from now we get to witness again God’s power and grace through our Hope For You concert. What a privilege that the Lord counted us worthy to be part of His harvest. I remember what Jesus said in John 4:35John 4:35
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35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.  

WP-Bible plugin. He said, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

The soul-harvest is a matter of immediate urgency. There are many who still need to be saved. It’s easy to lose the burden for the lost or think that the work is done! The truth is there’s a lot of work yet to be done! Jesus said the harvest is before us. The lesson for us is: The Time is NOW! The time is now to do God’s will. The time is now to reach out to the lost; the time is now to share the love of God.

What are we waiting for? To hear a voice from heaven? Don’t you know that thousands die and slip into eternal fire without Christ? I’m not saying that we could save the whole world but I’m saying that God has called us to participate in the harvest. And you know what’s God’s number one priority is? His glory in the saving of souls! We need to pray toward that end, we need to give toward that end, we need to serve toward that end.

Jesus continued in vs.36 of John 4, “Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.” Notice the idea of rejoicing there. What great joy there is in serving God, in doing His will, in finishing His work – and hearing those words, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter in to the joy of the Lord!” There will be rewards for faithful service.

In John 4:37-38John 4:37-38
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37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. ³⁸ I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.  

WP-Bible plugin, Jesus followed up, “Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” In other words, this is the work of everyone! Your prayer, your witnessing, your giving, support in anyway contribute to the work of spreading the gospel! One sows another reaps. And there’s joy, there are rewards for everyone!

The Bible says, “Now is the day of salvation! There is no day that God stops from reaching out to somebody needing His salvation! There’s a harvest out there – what is needed are faithful witnesses, faithful workers who will bring in the harvest to God’s kingdom! What is your priority? What is most important to you? Is your priority in line with God’s priority? Do you seek to know God’s will for your life, do it and continuing in it? This is God’s best for you, for us all. This is the secret of satisfaction!

As most of you know my voice was failing last week. Praise be to God that I was still able to preach His Word. But when I was on my sickbed, with my voice reduced to a whisper-like sound, I thought, “How can I preach without a voice?” Of course it’s only temporary but then I was thinking about the many voices that we hear today telling us how to live, what to do, what to wear, where to go. It reminded me of Proverbs 1:20Proverbs 1:20
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20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: Wisdom: Heb. Wisdoms, that is, Excellent wisdom  

WP-Bible plugin – “Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square…”

Wisdom calls out at the entrance to the city to all of those who pass by and are heading into dangerous surroundings. There are a myriad of voices that are calling to us from every corner. The voices call out to people of every age group, in every race, and in every socio-economic class. Now among the chaotic choir of voices, enticing us and trying to lure us into what looks inviting, but is actually a dead end road, there is one voice that cries out with clarity for those who desire to hear—it is the voice of Wisdom. Wisdom is the voice of God. He calls out to us, He desires to teach us, and He wants to protect us from the destruction that comes to those who choose not to listen.

As second semester rolls, imagine the scenario: The young man has left the security of his home. He has left the safety of his surroundings with his mom and dad, and he has matured to the place where now he is headed to the city. As he arrives at the entrance to the city, Wisdom cries out. Wisdom cries out above the noise of the Deejay at the school dance. Wisdom pleads with those who are standing at the crossroads of right and wrong. God is speaking to us right where we live!

As the young man comes to the city, Wisdom is already there making her plea to those who are going to be eaten alive by city life, by those who will take advantage of anyone to get what they want. Wisdom shouts out her counsel. Wisdom cries out to the young who are tempted to roll their eyes at her advice and live life any way they desire. Wisdom also makes it very clear that those who reject her counsel will pay a heavy price.

Beloved, do not allow God’s voice, His Word to be drowned out by the voices of men – no matter how inviting and sounds exciting. This is a call to follow Jesus, the wisdom of God! It’s a call to let Jesus through His Word direct us in every area of our lives. Jesus is there to help us make wise choices with the big things and the little things of our lives. God makes wisdom available to us, but we must choose to respond to His direction and leading. We can either listen to God showing ourselves wise, or we can do our own thing showing ourselves to be a fool.

It’s a call to confess our sin—our simple-minded ways, our foolishness, and begin to live our life only for Christ – listening only to the one voice that comes to bless us, teach us, and lead us to safety and rest!

I know it sounds like those zombie movies that attack a town or a city due to some kind of infection that went out of control. Well, it’s not. It’s the eve of Halloween and most of the world, strangely but excitedly look forward to this evening for some costume and “trick or treat” party. It’s a night when ghosts and goblins, vampires and monsters are celebrated – even TV shows are full of horror movies!

How did all this begin in the first place? Hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, the Celts, inhabitants of Britain and Ireland, observed a festival on October 31st. The Celts and their priests, the Druids, celebrated Samhain, a festival that marked the eve of the Celtic New Year, which began on November 1. The fall harvest was complete and winter came into view. The Celts believed the power of the sun was fading. For the next several months, they thought, darkness would prevail.

The Celts believed that during Samhain the living and the dead were as close together as they would ever be. They believed that on the night of October 31, evil spirits and the souls of the dead would pass through the barrier and enter into the world of the living and that when this happened, deceased family members would be able to revisit their earthly homes. The thought was frightening, but exciting. The Celts also believed that these spirits and dead souls could torment the living. These souls might destroy crops, kill farm animals, or even steal babies. But this was also an opportunity to commune with the spirits and find out what the future would hold. The Devil, the lord of darkness, was ordinarily feared, but during Samhain, his power would be called on to foretell the future.

In the 700’s AD, the Church decided to combat this festival by replacing it with a celebration of the Lord of life. Instead of honoring evil spirits and the souls of the dead, the Church chose to recognize the saints, or hallowed ones, who had lived godly lives. The Church seemed to be saying, “All right, if you must have a day to celebrate the dead, then celebrate those who died and are now with the Lord.”  So November 1st was then called All Saints’ Day, also called All Hallow’s Day. The evening before was called All Hallow’s Evening. From that we get the modern name of Halloween. But pagan customs continued. And with the growth of witchcraft in the Middle Ages, additional symbols became associated with Halloween: black cats, witches, bats, skulls, etc. Hence, we have Halloween.

So, very clearly, it’s a pagan holiday that honors those who are on the side of darkness. Christians are in the light and obviously we’re to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Eph.5:11).”  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (Eph.5:8-10)

This was the theme of the recently concluded Calvary Chapel Workers and Pastors Regional Conference held in Cebu. It was a very refreshing, instructive, challenging and encouraging two and a half days indeed. I could say the best so far… and very timely too, as so many are falling away and are tempted to quit the race. Are you among them? Are you in a situation that seems so hopeless you want to give up? Are you one serving the Lord for years and have become weary of life’s battles you want to hang your sword and lay down your shield?

Read this: “Being confident of this, that He who has began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil.1:6).” That’s good news! He does not and will not quit on you! So why quit on yourself? Precious people, God had a purpose in view when He began His saving work in us, and that purpose will neither be abandoned nor unrealized. In other words, you can count upon God to consummate whatever He intends for you. He is going to see it through. I don’t know what your circumstances are, but if you are a child of God, I am sure you can testify that God has brought you up to the present moment, hasn’t He?  Can’t you look back over your life and see how He has led you and provided for you…especially when you thought there’s no way out? Then why should you be concerned about tomorrow? Do you think He is going to let you down now? I don’t think so.

Notice three truths here: 1) Jesus is the one who started a work in us. Heb.12:2 –‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.’ This is where Paul and where we can base our confidence that the work in us will be finished – on the character of God himself. God never starts a work and leaves it unfinished! That would be a contradiction of His character. Thank God that my hope in Christ does not rest upon my will power. It rests upon the fact that God would never have started the work in me if he had not decided to finish it. The character of God guarantees the completion of the work.

2^nd, notice the kind of work He started in us – It’s a GOOD WORK! Not a bad work. God never does something bad. If there’s bad in the world today, it’s because of sin in the world. But even the seemingly bad situations we face that God allows are designed for our good – for God does something good out of bad circumstances.

The 3^rd point: Notice where the work is done: IN YOU. The work is within. Change takes place from the inside out. How many times, when we pray for God to change something, do we later discover that we are the ones He wanted to change all along? You see, He’s more interested with our character than our circumstances!

So beloved, Jesus is faithful through and through and He’s faithfulness enables us to be faithful unto the end!

It captured the world’s attention. The world heard. The world watched. The world waited…and waited. And the world celebrated!  I’m referring to the 33 miners rescued after being trapped underground for 69 harrowing days. My hats off to the rescuers but it’s by God’s mercy and grace that they have been freed.

Have you been in a pit? I have not been in a pit, or trapped inside it, and I wonder what it must be like buried down there. It must be horrible. Now you may not be in a literal pit but you may be in a situation like you’re in a pit. David felt that way. He wrote in Psalm 40:1-2Psalm 40:1-2
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40 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. ¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. I waited...: Heb. In waiting I waited ² He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. an...: Heb. a pit of noise  

WP-Bible plugin – “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Are you today in a pit of despair, disappointment and discouragement?  Anything that causes a sense of helplessness and desperation and threatens to ruin life or take it away – that is the pit.  You scratch and claw to try to get out and get some air and relief, but you keep falling back into the pit and there seems to be no hope of improvement.  That is what being in a pit feels like. A sense of desperation and futility settles in.  David felt like that. But what did he do in the pit? David cried out to God for help! Regardless of how HOPELESS David’s situation seemed, he knew what SOURCE to turn to find COMFORT and MERCY!

Now David not only cried out to the Lord but he waited patiently for the Lord to deliver him (vs.1). Having cried out to God for help, we then need to wait. And wait patiently. I know it’s not easy. We rather have things instantly, we rather be helped now. The flesh does not like to wait. It is so impatient. And the funny thing is that most of us when we call out to God for help don’t wait long enough for God to act. After a short while, we start to do things on our own again instead of continuing to ask God and wait for Him to act.

Now, waiting patiently for the Lord does NOT mean just saying, “OK, Lord, I’m just going to sit here and wait for something to happen.” No. Waiting patiently for the Lord means to actively seek Him. It means continuous praying to God for help. It means continual obedience to God even as we wait for Him to solve our problems. It means considering and reflecting on God’s Word. It means to focus all of our energy on Him. It is not neglecting God and denying the problem, but it is actively waiting and hoping in God.

And how long will it take for God to answer our prayers? We don’t know for sure. We don’t know how long it will take for our situation to be changed, but our responsibility and our comfort is to wait patiently for God to act. And ultimately as we wait, hoping for our situation to change, it is our heart that is being changed! And that is what God is most after…our heart.

You could hear it coming. My wife Lolit went to our room’s window wondering what she was hearing. I heard it too. It sounded like an old air-condition engine, according to her. Coming from afar slowly approaching, my wife standing in front of the window, feels the coolness of the air, until it fell…and it fell hard! The rain came down hard! Yes, at the time of this writing it was raining. And I heard from the news that some parts of our country are experiencing a storm.

“Storms have a way of revealing what is real and lasting…”

I remember watching many great storms that hit Metro Manila. I watched those storms peel shingles from roofs and send them flying through the air like feathers, I thought, storms have a way of revealing what is real and lasting. In times of our deepest crisis, we gain wisdom that enables us to discover who we really are, of what we are truly made, and what life is seriously about. I’ve seen storms uproot trees and wondered how deeply rooted am I in the Lord. It is not the storm without, but the enemy within that poses our greatest threat.

There’s a story of a ship that was caught in a storm. The frightened crew hears a terrible crashing sound below. Immediately the men know what it is: a cannon has broken loose and is crashing into the ship’s side with every smashing blow of the sea! Two men, at the risk of their lives, manage to fasten it down again, for they know that the unfastened cannon is more dangerous than the raging storm.

“How does one weather the storms of life?”

Many people are like that ship—their greatest danger areas lie within their own lives. How does one weather the storms of life? An old seaman said, “In fierce storms we can do but one thing. There is only one way to survive; we must put the ship in a certain position and keep her there.”

Beloved, this is what we must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must put your soul in one position and keep it there. You must stay upon the Lord, fix your eyes on Him and, come what may— winds, waves, seas, thunder, lightning, frowning rocks, roaring breakers—no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus!

“Fix your eyes on Him… come what may… no matter what… hold fast your confidence in God’s faithfulness and His everlasting love in Christ Jesus!”

“Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…..No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us…nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom.8:35-39)!” That’s the best position you can be most secure – in His love! The rain may fall down hard but His love is your everlasting shelter from the storm.

Heart trouble is the most common thing in the world. In fact one of the contributors to a physical heart disease is a heart trouble – spiritually and emotionally! No rank, or class, or condition is exempt from it. No bars, or bolts or locks can keep it out. Partly from inward causes and partly from outward – partly from the body and partly from the mind – partly from what we love and partly from what we fear, the journey of life is full of trouble! Even the best of Christians have many bitter cups to drink between grace and glory. Even the holiest of saints find the world a place of fears.

Jesus had already said He’s going away and they thought that Jesus is going somewhere else – to a different location. The disciples didn’t know that He’s going back to the Father, after He resurrects from the dead. So their hearts were troubled (see John 14:1-3John 14:1-3
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14 ¹ Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  

WP-Bible plugin). They could bear to die with Him, they could not bear to live or die without Him. Jesus knew what was going on in their minds and hearts. He knew how disturbed and upset they were, and knew what was causing it. He knew the remedy for it, as well. Perhaps there are many among us here who are suffering from the same affliction as these disciples – troubled hearts, fearful hearts, upset, disturbed, agitated hearts because of what was going on. Our Lord knew that these men were afraid – afraid of what was coming. And even as believers we go through times when our hearts were trembling; and our hearts do have fear – and we are concerned about the future, we’re concerned about our circumstances, we’re worried about different things that are in our lives. And here Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled.”

Trusting in God is the cure for troubled hearts! Not fretting, murmuring, nor grumbling, but trust in God! So the cure for heart trouble is trusting God! What we believe determines how we respond when our hearts are troubled. Why, “Trust in God?” Well, trust in God who is in control, who knows what He is doing, who is capable of exercising infinite wisdom, infinite power, and infinite love. Trust the One who is too kind to do anything cruel, too wise to make a mistake, too deep to explain Himself. And Jesus said, “trust also in Me,” Jesus who is the means by which all that wisdom and resource and power of God is made available to us! That is the secret.  When we’re in trouble get hold of His promises, His truths revealed in His Word and entrust everything to Him. Let go! But you say, “It’s easier said than done!” That’s true but what’s the alternative? What’s the other option? Is there any other solution you know? When Jesus says, “Trust in God” He’s giving us the only solution to troubled hearts! You can choose to believe it or not!




So hush dear troubled heart…trust Him today, tomorrow and the rest of your life, for He knows what’s best for you and let Him work things out according to His glorious purpose and plan.






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.

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).

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.

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.

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
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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!

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!

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
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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!

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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
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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!”

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It’s been in the news, talk programs and social networks all over the world with mix reactions and comments, good and bad. No. I’m not referring to the Miss Universe Pageant that landed our own Miss Venus Raj to the Fourth runner-up position. I’m referring to a more serious and tragic event – the Hostage massacre that killed eight tourists last Monday. It was a sad day indeed.

Now, Scripture tells us that there is a terrorist out there lying in wait to take you hostage. He is a spiritual terrorist, but he is very real. One of his tactics is to keep you away from the truth. Jesus said, “The wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19Matthew 13:19
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19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.  

WP-Bible plugin). Don’t fall prey to this adversary by failing to listen to and obey God’s Word. Maintain a steady schedule of Bible study so that you can stay safe from the devil’s wiles.

Scripture calls Satan “the tempter” (1 Thessalonians 3:51 Thessalonians 3:5
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5 For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.  

WP-Bible plugin). Another of his tactics is to lead you into temptation so that you’ll walk away from God and into the enemy camp. When temptation comes your way, know that it’s a scheme to lure you from the God you love. Trust that “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (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). God is stronger than the tempter, so rely on Him for strength to fight the temptation. Remember, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:41 John 4:4
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4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.  

WP-Bible plugin).

We’re thankful for those who have been freed by the hostage-taker. And true freedom—spiritual freedom—is found only in knowing Jesus Christ. This freedom can never be taken away; this freedom is not limited by race, nationality, or social status; this freedom is available to all who choose to follow Christ. Are you bound today by something? Are you being held as a hostage today – unforgiveness, alcoholism, pornography, bitterness, any other addiction? Admit it before God and ask Jesus to break the chains that bind you. For whom the Son has set free is free indeed (John 8:36John 8:36
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36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.  

WP-Bible plugin)! If you already have found freedom in Christ, take a moment this morning to thank Him for liberating you from the bondage of sin and your past.

Beloved, the world is an ugly place and “your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:81 Peter 5:8
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8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:  

WP-Bible plugin). But you can “resist him, steadfast in the faith” (1 Peter 5:91 Peter 5:9
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9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.  

WP-Bible plugin). Stay in God’s Word so that you can be strengthened within. Stay in fellowship with other believers because there truly is strength in numbers. And stay in prayer so that you are walking strong in obedience to God’s will for your life. You can overcome the ultimate terrorist by faithfully following your great God. And hey, let me remind you, he’s already a defeated foe!

“The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” (1 Samuel 10:61 Samuel 10:6
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6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.  

WP-Bible plugin). The past week was one of those times when my mind’s running 100 kilometers per hour! It was so far my tightest, most hectic week so far since we had our H4U Ozamiz outreach. No. I’m not complaining. The truth is I enjoy what I do. It’s always an honor and a privilege. But sometimes you get tired too, physically, mentally and emotionally. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

So looking back to that week I pondered, “How did I make it through. How did I accomplish those things that needed to be accomplished?” And the answer is clear – the ministry of the Holy Spirit! Have you ever looked at ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things in the kingdom of God and wonder how they do it? Our mistake is that we look only at the person rather than at the power behind the person – the Holy Spirit.

The subject of the Holy Spirit evokes uneasiness among some. Excesses they’ve seen in the past come to mind and, as a result, they want nothing to do with Him. Then there are the thrill seekers who think there must be emotional drama manifested or the Holy Spirit wasn’t present, so they feel disappointed. Both are extreme positions that require balance. The Holy Spirit is our divine Helper – that’s how Jesus described Him. He’s not just an observer but an active participant in the believer’s life: strengthening, advocating, interceding, and helping. (I say we can use all the help we can get!) In our own strength, the Christian life is impossible. The Holy Spirit gives us the help to pull it off.

So what does the Holy Spirit do? Jesus said, “He will glorify Me” (John 16:14John 16:14
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14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.  

WP-Bible plugin). That’s the Spirit’s primary task – to point people to the Savior and in doing so bringing Him glory. Everything else He does is built upon that. When He gives gifts, when He heals, when He manifests Himself in any way, it is for the sole purpose of glorifying Jesus. And how does He glorify Jesus? One way is through us, His people. He empowers us to do that which we cannot do on our own strength! Yes, there’s power available for living and for service!

Beloved, the Holy Spirit wants to take your ordinary life and help you to do extraordinary things for His glory. Let Him fill you today, let Him pour His life in you, and then let Him flow through you!

Amazing how in our modern time still there are people who are superstitious about Friday the 13th! Many believe it is bad luck, seriously or jokingly. But sad that there are those who base their lives on luck. Bad news! You certainly can’t count on luck. If you believe in luck, you may think you’re having great luck one moment, only for it to turn into rotten luck the next moment.

There’s a true story of a couple Woodrow and his wife Lois. They were thrilled. The winning number for the lottery had just been announced, and that exact number was on their ticket. The grand prize was $12 million. Woodrow and Lois were jubilant—at least for a few hours. Then lottery officials found that there had been a proofreading error when the winning number was published. The ticket wasn’t worth $12 million after all; it was worth nothing. It had all been a mistake. The next day Woodrow died of a heart attack.

When you hear that true story, you may say, “What rotten luck!” But I think all luck is rotten. I think it’s disastrous to trust in luck. Every story where luck is the main theme will eventually have a sad ending. You may disagree and think luck is important. You may like lotteries or casinos or some other kind of gambling. You may use good luck charms or lucky numbers to improve your chances, and you may avoid certain things that might bring you bad luck. Then again, you may not believe in charms or omens, and you may think it’s dumb to throw money away on gambling. But you still might believe that life is just a series of random events. That life is a lottery, a matter of luck.

The trouble with luck is that you can’t really trust it. You never know whether luck is going to be for you or against you. You can be praising your good luck one moment, only to find out the next moment that your luck has gone bad. If you’re like Woodrow, your faith in luck can give you $12 million dollars one day and then take it away and kill you the next day. In this life I couldn’t bear to think that everything that’s going to happen is just a random jumble of chance events. I couldn’t handle the wondering and worrying. I couldn’t feel safe or secure. But I don’t believe in luck. I believe something better than luck. I believe in the unchanging faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

The good news is that, amid so many changes, there is one unchanging reality you can always count on. The fact is, your health can change, your finances can change, weather patterns can change, economies can change, technology can change, governments and national boundaries can change, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Changing times don’t change the Lord. All other things, even the very earth and sky, are changing. The Bible says earth and sky are like clothes that eventually wear out and must be changed. “But,” says the Bible of Jesus, “you remain the same, and your years will never end” (Hebrews 1:11-12Hebrews 1:11-12
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11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; ¹² And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.  

WP-Bible plugin).

So, beloved, don’t look to the stars to guide your life, instead entrust your life to the One who created the stars!

Russia has wildfires, Pakistan has flooding, bomb attack in Zamboanga City airport and a murder committed in our neighborhood. Just some of the bad news from last week. In times like these, how can we remain steady and secure? Psalms 21:7Psalms 21:7
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7 For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.  

WP-Bible plugin – For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.”This is where our victory and security lies, – trust in God’s unfailing love! Isa. 54:10Isa. 54:10
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10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.  

WP-Bible plugin – “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.”

Beloved, in a time when all of man’s programs and systems are failing…

Beloved, in a time when all of man’s programs and systems are failing, when the foundations of the world are crumbling, when uncertainties have left nations and households with a sense of apprehension, there is one thing that is sure, that is certain — which we can trust – God’s unfailing love! What does it mean to trust in His unfailing love? First, trusting in His unfailing love means knowing that God is aware of every situation. Isn’t that comforting – that He is aware of every situation? “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies. Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs of your head are numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows (Lk. 12:6-7Lk. 12:6-7
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6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? ⁷ But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.  

WP-Bible plugin).” Our Father in heaven knows your tears and your fears. You are not alone in your situation.

…trusting in HIS unfailing Love…

2nd, to trust in His unfailing love means to know that God is in control. The Lord’s sovereign rule extends over everyone and everything. This includes both the situations that He directly causes to occur, as well as the ones He indirectly allows to take place. And in the end, His purposes and will, will be fulfilled. 3rd, to trust in His unfailing love is to know that He is Wise and Understanding. From the very beginning, the Lord has always exercised His sovereignty with wisdom and understanding (Prov.3:19). In our troubled times, it is good to know that God knows what He’s doing and what He’s allowing. It may not be clear to us, we may not understand everything, but we can trust in a loving God whose ways are just and pure, working behind the scenes to a glorious end! 4rt, to trust in His unfailing love means to know that God is able to bring good out of bad situations (read Rom. 8:28Rom. 8:28
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28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

WP-Bible plugin). He can use global uncertainties to focus lives once again upon Him as the only “hiding place” in a dangerous world!

He Himself will become the place where we find refuge and safety in the storms of life...

Beloved, when times change like shifting sand, when events unfold that leave us overwhelmed within, how wonderful it is to know that God is our Rock and stability and strength. When we don’t know what to say or what to do, we can quietly look to God alone to work. When our hope seems to diminish, we can put our expectations upon the Lord. He will be our stability. He will be our defender. He will keep us from being blown away by impossible circumstances. He will bring His glorious grace to bear upon our situation. He Himself will become the place where we find refuge and safety in the storms of life.

As believers, many of us understand intellectually what it means to be forgiven. We know that Christ’s death atones for our sins. By placing our faith in Him, we are saved into an eternal relationship with our Lord that never changes. Even though we may still sin after becoming a Christian, we know that when we turn to the Lord with a repentant heart, confessing our sin to Him, He washes our sin away. First John tells us that when we confess our sin, God “is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:91 John 1:9
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9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  

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“It may seem like our sins are beyond God’s forgiveness…”

Yet sometimes, people discover that they are unable to find that feeling of reconciliation with God. No matter how often they confess and after doing all that they can to make reparation for their sin, they still feel as if they cannot be forgiven. It may seem like their sins—things like pornography, drunkenness, abortion, or adultery—are beyond God’s forgiveness. They continue to carry the burden of their guilt along with them each day, weighed down by a feeling of permanent distance in their relationship with the Lord.

Perhaps the waters of guilt have washed over you, and you feel like you are sinking in sorrow and regret. What could be preventing you from moving beyond your past and feeling forgiven? I have observed a number of mistaken ways of thinking that are common among those who struggle with past sins. I’ll only share one (but the most common) due to lack of space. Crossing over these thought “barrier” is a major step on the road to feeling forgiven . . . and free.

“We have made our particular sin out to be uniquely bad and Christ’s payment to be inadequate…”

“What I have done is too bad. I know that God is forgiving, but I cannot be forgiven for this.” This barrier ensnares many sincere believers because it gives such a strong appearance of sadness over sin. It feels like a righteous response; we don’t want to downplay the gravity of our sin. Yet an honest look at the above statement shows that it is not really humble nor is it true. In effect, it implies that Christ’s death was not enough to pay for all sin. It is as though we are saying, “Maybe His atonement covers the sins of the rest of the world. But Jesus’ death cannot cover this.” We have made our particular sin out to be uniquely bad and Christ’s payment to be inadequate.

What a far cry this is from the truth! If our sin is an exception to God’s forgiveness, then Scripture lies because it declares, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved” (Acts 2:21Acts 2:21
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21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

WP-Bible plugin). No exceptions! The truth is that our sin is no worse (and no better) than the rest of humanity’s. All sin is evil in the Lord’s sight. Yet Christ’s death is sufficient(see Colossians 1:20-21Colossians 1:20-21
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20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. having...: or, making ²¹ And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in...: or, by your mind in  

WP-Bible plugin; Hebrews 7:24-25Hebrews 7:24-25
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24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. an...: or, which passeth not from one to another ²⁵ Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. to the...: or, evermore  

WP-Bible plugin). It is more than enough—many, many times over—to cover all the wrong we’ve ever done and will ever do. No sin is beyond God’s forgiveness. Hallelujah!

As we remember the Lord today at the Communion table, rejoice in that truth and give Him thanks!

A tree fell and it caught our TV cable that made it snap and resulted in a 2-day cable-less existence. That was ok. No big deal. But when our internet connection, for whatever reason it was cut off, that’s another story. It affected me, my work and the kids…their assignments and all! Now that’s a big deal! One day without it…it was okay. 2nd day, it’s still kind of ok, but when it was 3rd day, we all started squirming, feeling restless, incomplete that we can’t connect. Yes, Globelines took a long time coming to fix it. But then, I realized something. Those times without TV cable and internet connection were actually a good thing. We had more time together as a family, more time with the Lord in prayer and His Word, more time with just thinking, meditating, just there being still before the Lord. And I really began to like it.

I think of the early church that had not much distractions like we do today. What we have in this present time produces shallow relationship with God. Our modern age suffers from a great lack of depth in our walk with the Lord. Many distractions work against a deep, substantial relationship. Jesus said that in the last days, the love of most would grow cold (Matt. 24:12Matt. 24:12
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12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  

WP-Bible plugin). He warned about the traps that would hinder a deep relationship with Himself. He mentioned the cares of this life: the pressures of making a living, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for more and more things (see Matt. 13:3-23Matt. 13:3-23
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3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; ⁴ And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: ⁵ Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: ⁶ And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: ⁸ But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ⁹ Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. ¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? ¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. ¹² For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. ¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ¹⁵ For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. ¹⁸ Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. ²⁰ But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹ Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. offended: he relapseth, or, falleth into sin ²² He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. ²³ But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  

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Our electronic age brings further distractions. Television, telephones, cellphones, the world wide web and computer games constantly flood our minds with all kinds of stimuli and ideas, gobbling up time we might have spent in meditation upon God. We are living in an age when man has become very, very broad, but not very deep. Through the mass media we can now bring up many subjects. We know a little about everything, but not much about anything. And our relationship with God has suffered as a result. In many ways, the days of the apostles were far better to our own. More readily than today, they were able to have the kind of communion and fellowship with God that creates character God can use. Think about Paul, the apostle, when he walked from Jerusalem to Caesarea, about a three-day journey. He wasn’t listening to music or keeping up on the local news. He was surrounded by nature – by the trees, the flowers, the animals. At night he would wrap himself in his blanket and look up at the stars. How could he not think about God and His creation and His works? Solitude is very conducive to communion with God, to meditation on God.

Today, in a fast-paced, crowded, information-overload generation, you’ve got so much stimuli coming into your brain that you can’t commune with God and have a time of real spiritual enrichment. Our whole society and manner of living has taken us away from simplicity. We are not as close to God as the saints of old, and that may be one reason why we do not see much of His power evidence today as it was back then. Because a prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian. A deep-abiding faith in God is nurtured in solitude.

So, beloved, from time to time, turn off that TV, close that computer, shut off that cellphone…and listen. Stop, look and listen to the God who made you – He who desires to be with you and show you things in His Word; He who loves you and wants an intimate relationship with you.