I am humbled by the outpouring of greetings and encouragements I received during my birthday last Friday through text messages, phone calls and facebook! I thank the Lord for the family of believers and friends He has given me! I turned 43 last July 23 and the best gift I ever received from the Lord happened 27 years ago, the same day (July 23, 1983), and that is His salvation, His Son Jesus Christ! Yes it’s the same month and day as my physical birth.

I was on a bus on the way to Cubao in Quezon City, when I finally gave my life to Jesus.

It’s still so vivid to my mind the time, the situation, the feelings that surrounded my conversion. I was on a bus on the way to Cubao in Quezon City, when I finally gave my life to Jesus. This was after many years and hours of prayer (specifically by my Grandmother), and months of sharing the gospel to me by my Christian classmates. Their prayers were answered as the Holy Spirit opened my spiritual eyes to the truth of Christ! And I’ve never been the same again!

My passion then up to now remains: To know Christ and to make Him known to a world that is lost in sin! To me (like Paul the apostle), there’s no greater desire, lone pursuit, ultimate passion and supreme goal than TO KNOW HIM and to be LIKE HIM! There’s no greater thing than this. This is the greatest prayer a child of God could ever ask God. This is the supreme desire a Christian could ever have. This is the ultimate purpose of living. This is the greatest ambition a Christian can ever hope to achieve. This is what defines our lives. This is why we were created, this is why we were born, this is why we were saved!

It’s been an exciting journey, a never ending adventure with Jesus…

It’s been an exciting journey, a never ending adventure with Jesus. Oh yes, there are high and low moments. There are mountaintop experiences and there are valley-below seasons too! But in and through all these, Jesus’ love never fails! And these are all necessary for maturity. There are valuable lessons in our experiences that shape, mold and make us the kind of people He intends us to be. Listen to what He’s saying in those seasons of trials and submit fully. And when we do, we shall come forth as gold! Purified and tested – proven to be genuine!

…then why not yield to Him and let Him fulfill His purpose in your life?

But He’s not yet done. There is still a lot of work He needs to do in my life and greater works He wants to do through me. And I’m here… by His grace, always available for the Master’s use! How about you? Are you available? Have you given up the right to yourself and let Christ rule? If not, why not? As I always say: Don’t underestimate what God can do to a surrendered life! Never underestimate what the Spirit does to a surrendered will! Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but Your will be done!” God’s will is the best! It’s ultimately for His glory and for our best! God never commits mistakes. He always makes the right choices. He’s wise. He’s smarter than us - and He loves us. Because He loves us, He wants the best for us!

Now if He’s the All-Wise God, the All-Powerful God, and the All-Loving God, then why not yield to Him and let Him fulfill His purpose in your life? Yes…you never lose but gain even more…Him!





Come April 27 we depart to Bangkok for a mission trip. Including Uganda Mission last 2004, this is the 4th time we sent a mission team outside of the country. It’s the third time in Thailand. God uses people to accomplish His purpose. And you are that people, dear church. With your generous help and support, responding to God’s call, you have made yourselves partners with us. And with that, thank you!

Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered…

Oh how great our God is! He is our sufficiency. He specializes in using the weak to shame the strong! He is expert in the impossibilities – for what is impossible with man, is possible with God! Remember the story of Gideon? Gideon’s force was already hugely outnumbered. The Midianite army was 135,000 strong, while Gideon’s force numbered a mere 32,000re 32,000
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Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin. Gideon must’ve been pondering his slim chance of survival. Yet God said, “That’s too many.” The downsizing resulted in a vulnerable 22,000e 22,000
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja! Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin man reduction-in-force. Gideon was left with a meager 300 troops. His only option was to trust God or perish. He was left virtually without an army. God’s reason for this downsizing is so that they would not glory in themselves, that they would not say it’s their own strength that gave them victory. You know the story - God gave the victory!

Now God frequently trims our resources to get us to depend entirely on Him. Sickness, financial reversal, family conflict, and other difficulties cause us to turn our lives over to God. Unlike popular psychologists, God does not propose that we should believe in ourselves. Our self-centered society celebrates self-reliance. But God strips us bare, forcing us to recognize our frailty and inadequacy. God shows us that human resources are insufficient for the battles we face. God then teaches us the lesson of dependence, which results in confidence. Here’s the truth of the matter: When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!

When the odds seem overwhelming, God overwhelms the odds!

Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.

And I say, “Amen” to that!

This is the theme of our recently concluded Pastors and Wives Conference. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12Matthew 5:3-12
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. falsely: Gr. lying ¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.  

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Just about every time I pray for someone, for anyone, I pray that God may richly bless them… But what do I mean with that?

BLESSING. We like that word. Besides God is God of blessing. He does want to bless His people. Just about every time I pray for someone, for anyone, I pray that God may richly bless them. But what do I mean with that? Depending on what our understanding of blessing is, it can mean very different things. So in the Sermon of the Mount, Jesus gives us a whole other meaning to the word “blessing”. There are two basic measures of blessing. There are worldly measures, and there is a Godly measure. Jesus only has one measure. But the world has many. The Jews of Jesus’ time used worldly measures of their blessings. By the world’s measure, if you are rich, successful, happy and popular, that means you are blessed by God. By the same token, the world says that if you are poor, miserable, ugly and rejected, you have a disability, then you or someone in your family has done something to displease God.

Blessings, by worldly standards, are understood as circumstances. There are possessions, independence, fame, power. All those things are located in the realm of this world. Now don’t misunderstand, of course, God blesses us materially or financially too but that’s only a part of a greater blessing that cannot be measured by what we see nor touch. It’s within. It’s an attitude. This we see from the Beatitudes. Notice it’s a BE-attitude not a DO-attitude. It’s not a means to salvation but rather characteristics of those who have received salvation; those who are subjects of God’s kingdom, those who have submitted their lives to the King, Jesus!

The word “blessed” means “How satisfied, how fulfilled, how truly happy you are.” However, we must be careful not to reduce blessedness to merely being happy. To be “blessed” means to be approved or to find approval. In this case approved of God. And there can be no higher “blessing” than to have God’s approval, God’s favour, undeserved favour! The fundamental question is, who’s approval will you seek? Will you seek man’s approval, or God’s approval? And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus describes the characteristics of one who has God’s approval. How? By trusting in Christ as one’s saviour and totally submitting to His lordship over our lives. That produces in us the characteristics of blessedness. Are you blessed?

Few days ago the Thai government put the nation under state of emergency due to the protesters briefly forcing their way into the parliament compound wherein Lawmakers fled and several senior government figures were airlifted by military helicopter to safety. You see, in a spiritual sense, being Christians in a hostile world we are always in a “state of emergency.” We cannot put our guard down for our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Pet.5:8). Eph.5:15-16 says, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”

"Be very careful"…

“Be very careful” - These are words which are very familiar to all of us. In fact, we use these words to exhort one another quite often. When our children leave the house, we often say, “Be careful.” If one is driving the car, we might say, “Be careful, drive safely.” What we are saying is “Watch out! Don’t do something foolish! Look out for the other guy! Watch your step!” You see the words “Be careful” comes from two Latin words which mean “Looking around” which literally means, “exactly, uprightly.” It’s to keep our eyes wide open, looking around, and discerning the times. The Christian’s walk is to be one that is given careful consideration. It is one that is to be the outgrowth of thought, of purpose, of deliberate and disciplined action. The opposite would be walking carelessly and without proper guidance and forethought.

I read of a news about the senseless injuries and deaths of men and women soldiers after the Persian Gulf War ended. It happened because these soldiers were lulled into a false sense of safety and security. Sometimes in the course of duty, and other times in the pursuit of souvenirs, soldiers carelessly went about in places where mines and booby traps had been placed by the enemy. And this carelessness led to injury and death for some. Now how would you walk when you know that there are booby traps and mines buried somewhere in the ground? You would walk very carefully not carelessly. Christians live in a fallen world, in a hostile and dangerous world. We dare not live our lives in a haphazard fashion. We must give careful thought to our attitudes and actions and decisions. This is what God’s Spirit calls for, nothing less.

Think! Be wise! Look out for detours that take us away from God - and keep your guard up!

With these words Paul is telling us to look down the road before we make our choices, to consider the consequences of our actions before we act. We all know how easy it is to become distracted. We also know what can happen when we are distracted. Think of driving a car. It’s dangerous when you’re driving and you allow yourself to be distracted by anything. Our walk with God should be one that is given great care. We need to watch what we are doing. We need to watch our steps, giving attention to circumstances and consequences, by guarding against everything improper and unbecoming for a Christian. Look first, consider the situation before you take a step! So Paul says, “Don’t be unthinking when you make those choices. Think! Be wise! Look out for detours that take us away from God – and keep your guard up!

It’s such a blessing to come together as a church family to celebrate the most important event in the history of man. In this very day the whole nation and millions all over the world celebrate the best news man has ever heard – that Jesus Christ rose from the dead! This is the single greatest event that changed the world permanently. The world has never been the same again. Indeed He is Lord of all!

And because it’s the first Sunday of the month we will break bread together. Today we also remember the cross for before the resurrection is the cross. What does the cross of Jesus mean?

In the days of Jesus, the Roman Empire had a strict and ruthless justice system. They glorified courage and viewed mercy as a sign of weakness. A popular philosopher called mercy “the disease of the soul.” Jesus came into this heartless society teaching the benefits of mercy. In the Sermon on the Mount He said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7Matt. 5:7
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  

WP-Bible plugin). Mercy is a characteristic of God, an essential part of His nature. The psalmist declares: “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Ps. 103:8Ps. 103:8
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8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  

WP-Bible plugin). Mercy can be defined as providing for people in need, ministering to the miserable, helping the hurting… in essence , offering people what they don’t deserve.

"God is a just judge…"

God is also completely just. The psalmist reveals: “God is a just judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day” (Ps. 7:11Ps. 7:11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. judgeth…: or, is a righteous judge  

WP-Bible plugin). Another word for justice is righteousness. It means to render everyone their due. Therefore, you might logically say, “I don’t understand! How can God be both just and merciful at the same time? If God is completely just, shouldn’t He punish sin? If He’s completely merciful, doesn’t that negate His justice?” Good questions! But God had the answer: Jesus Christ.

At the cross, both justice and mercy were accomplished. Justice was served when Jesus died, paying the price for our sins. Mercy was extended through Christ’s atoning death. We did not receive the punishment we deserved, but were offered eternal life instead. God is truly the Supreme Judge! Beloved, as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup, remembering the Lord this morning, thank God for being both a merciful and just judge. For if He’s not, we won’t even be here today!

It was an interesting week. Interesting in a sense that, within a week, there were a number of deaths that occurred to loved ones of whom we’re directly or indirectly connected to. Now, I know deaths are occurring every day, it’s just that it reoccurred to my mind that we’re indeed dying; how life is so fragile and short. And the thing is – life is fragile and short and so many people are not living their lives to the full. And when they leave the earth, with wasted lives, directionless and meaningless, no joy nor bliss nor glory await them but ultimate suffering.

That is what God has decreed upon men – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The only way to have life and live life to the fullest is surrendering one’s life to Jesus Christ, who is the Resurrection and the Life. But for us who have been born-again, who have this hope of eternal life, what kind of life should we be living here and now? How can we live the life to the fullest? When we live for the glory of God (1 Cor.10:31). “So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it (2 Cor.5:9).”

This world is not our home…

There is no other way. And be reminded that we are strangers and aliens in this world (1 Pet.2:11). This world is not our home. All the great blessings of life would not necessarily be found in this present time but we’re waiting for them in glory. Therefore we do not need to be distressed if we do not have everything that those around us are trying to get in this life. That is the truth that will deliver us from the pressures of the times. We must hold things lightly. We must not think that houses, cars, money and material gain is all that important. Even if we lack these things, the great treasures of our life remain untouched. To strive constantly to gain what everyone else has is a mistake. God teaches us to hold these things lightly. We must never forget that we are in the world but not of it. We are never to settle down here for good. C.S.Lewis has put it: “Our kind heavenly Father has provided many wonderful inns for us along our journey, but He takes special care to see that we never mistake any of them for home.”

We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world…

We are pilgrims and strangers, passing through this world. We are involved in it, deeply sometimes, but we are never to see ourselves as a part of it. And one day, we’ll be home just as He promised! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor.4:18). “Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Col.3:2-4).”

Congratulations to the Graduates! To the College students (and to the parents’ wallet also!) there’s always that feeling of relief and 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 lives is done and another chapter will be written.

Following Jesus is not a one hundred meter-dash run but it’s a marathon…

“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. May our Lord Jesus give them wisdom and guidance as look to His guidance. The Christian life is like that. Following Jesus is not a one hundred meter-dash run but it’s a marathon. It’s a lifelong assignment. Empowered by His Spirit and guided by His gracious hand, we go from chapter to chapter, phase after phase, change after change, from faith to faith until we reach the finish line. And there at the finish line, is our graduation day. We graduate from this life either by translation (via rapture airlines) or by physical death. The Bible calls our “graduation day” the “Bema Seat of Christ.” It’s a judgment not unto condemnation but unto rewards or lost of rewards (1 Cor.3:12-15).” For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done in the body, whether good or bad (2 Cor. 5:102 Cor. 5:10
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10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.  

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Until that day, like the apostle Paul, by the grace of God we must FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, FINISH THE RACE AND KEEP THE FAITH (2 Tim.4:7).” If we do there is in store for us the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to us on that day - to all who have longed for His appearing (2 Tim.4:8).”

Crossroads…

For those who are on the crossroads, let me share this with you:



“Sometimes, when I look back and think of all the “could-have-beens” in my life,

I often wonder: did I make the right choice? Did I miss a road sign?…

Am I on the right track?… CROSSROADS…

They happen all the time — saying goodbye to some, choosing only one.

Letting go, holding on… settling for now, but facing what must come…

Yes, in life we all reach a crossroad sometime.

We make painful decisions and take some risks as we pursue our dreams.

But one should not stay at the CROSSROADS too long.

For even the birds have to leave their nests sometime and learn how to fly.

Life’s road is long and rough, and there are stretches when one has to do it all alone.

And should you meet the cross at the road, be consoled.

Yes, more often than not, the road less traveled will surely bring you home.

Face the light and the shadow falls behind you.

Turn your back and the shadow stays in front of you.

Indeed the truth hurts, but it will surely set you free.

The bitter pangs of parting will give birth to another moment called growing.

So grow on… until it’s time for you to move on…and face the crossroads again,

knowing that God loves you and is in control of everything. Be strong at the crossroads.” 

The Old Gospel Song

It’s been raining hard, floods in some parts of Manila, classes and offices suspended at the time of this writing. And there I was missing my kids terribly, can’t wait to go home. It was a good time with my family though. Nice to minister and spend time with my Dad and Mom who are not getting any younger. Well your life may be in a storm right now and the flood waters are engulfing you. If you are, let me remind you that God has the whole world in His hands.” Remember the old gospel song? He’s got the wind, the rain, the tiny little baby, yes, even you and me in His hands.



He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran…

His Sovereign Hands

How easy it is to forget that! And it isn’t limited to our geography or our culture, you know. He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran, Cuba and India, Indonesia and Russia—all right there in the palms of His sovereign hands. And while we’re at it, He’s got our future, our children, our circumstances, our friends, and our foes in His hands … within His grasp … under His control. He’s there—in charge.



God Knows Your Ways …

But there are times when we find it really hard to believe that our circumstance is truly in His hands. Not only are the wind and the rain and the tiny little baby in His hands, but so are life’s minor interruptions as well as major calamities. In fact, would you believe they never leave His attention? There will be times we will need the reminder of the wise prophet named Isaiah, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16Isaiah 49:16
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16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.  

WP-Bible plugin) In other words, God sees us exactly as we are … warts and all, needs and all. He sees everything. And how close does He view it? It’s in the palms of His hands. God knows your ways … and He knows them continually. That includes your responses, your experiences, your reactions, what you call your calamities, your dead ends, your so-called impossible situations.



He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control…

Unshockable

Not only does He have you and me, the wind and the rain, and the tiny little baby in His hands, He has yesterday’s failures. He has today’s challenges, He has tomorrow’s surprises right there in His hands. And not one of them causes God to gasp. Not one causes Him to react with surprise, “Ah! I never knew that.” Not one. He is unshockable, He is immutable.

He’s got the whole world in His hands. What’s more, He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control.

What exactly is grace? And is it limited to Jesus’ life and ministry? You may be surprised to know that Jesus never used the word itself. He just taught it and, equally important, He lived it. Furthermore, the Bible never gives us a one-statement definition, though grace appears throughout its pages … not only the word itself but numerous demonstrations of it. Understanding what grace means requires our going back to an old Hebrew term that meant “to bend, to stoop.” By and by, it came to include the idea of “condescending favor.” If you have travelled to London or perhaps heard or read about it, you know royalty - the most famous was the late Princess Diana. If so, you may have noticed sophistication, aloofness, distance.



Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved.

On occasion, royalty in England will make the news because someone in the ranks of nobility will stop, kneel down, and touch or bless a common person. That is grace. There is nothing in the person that deserves being noticed or touched or blessed by the royal family. But because of grace in the heart of the queen or the princess, there is the desire at that moment to pause, to stoop, to touch, even to bless. Someone said it best: “Love that goes upward is worship; love that goes outward is affection; love that stoops is grace.” To show grace is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn’t deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God’s acceptance by grace always stands in sharp contrast to earning it on the basis of works. Every time the thought of grace appears, there is the idea of its being undeserved. In no way is the recipient getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.

And the greatest demonstration of grace is the cross of Calvary. There the King of kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, stoop down to save us from our sins. Undeserving as we are we receive His love. What kind of love is that? It is a love that is more concerned about making the object of love feel loved, than it is in making the lover feel loved. The lover is willing to sacrifice, to make any sacrifice necessary just to make the object of love feel loved. That is what God did. It is the kind of love that does not regard itself, but unselfishly goes to the cross & sheds its blood, & gives its life so that there might be hope for those of us who are hopeless without it. That is “agape” love.



And the greatest demonstration of grace is the cross of Calvary…



So when the Bible says that “God is agape love” it means that God doesn’t love us with just a surface type of love, but He loves us with an all-sacrificing love. He gives Himself completely to express His love. And this we never deserve…it’s grace from beginning to end! As we come to the Lord’s table today, thank Him for His grace and love undeserved!



As school opens, there’s once again a great opportunity for ministry. Often in the New Testament, when it speaks of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, you’ll find the image of an open door. The apostle Paul was especially fond of that image: “…meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word” (Colossians 4:3Colossians 4:3
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3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:  

WP-Bible plugin). “For a great and effective door has opened to me” (1 Cor. 16:91 Cor. 16:9
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9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.  

WP-Bible plugin; 2 Cor. 2:122 Cor. 2:12
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12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,  

WP-Bible plugin).



When a door appears, you have only to go through it.



That’s the kind of open door of opportunity that’s around each of us. The mature, observant Christian will walk through it. Some of you are artists, writers, musicians, mechanics, engineers, teachers, businessmen, housewives. All of us have open doors that God has placed just for us; we just have to look for them. God opens doors of service for us that no one can shut. The problem is we don’t always look for them. When we pray, “God, open a door,” we should expect to find one right where we are. All around us are open doors to share Christ with unbelievers — in our neighborhood, in our work, in our community, even in our own families.



Share Christ in our neighborhood… even in our own families…

The key is to have a vital, growing relationship with Jesus Christ. When you are on fire for Him you will attract others to Him, because that kind of faith is contagious. So number one, get close to Jesus Christ, and get enthusiastic about what He is doing in your life. Then, look for those opportunities, those open doors. And don’t be surprised when you find that God has already provided them for you!





When you are on fire for Him you will attract others to Him…

peek into
the
very heart
of God, in
this intimate
conversation between the
Son and the Father…
Have you ever eavesdropped on someone when they pray? In John 17, we have the opportunity to eavesdrop on Jesus as He prays to His Father. It’s the longest prayer of Jesus recorded in the New Testament, and what makes John 17 so wonderful is that you get to see what’s important to Jesus. In this chapter the veil is pulled aside and you get to peek into the very heart of God, in this intimate conversation between the Son and the Father.

Jesus meant for us to eavesdrop on Him. He spoke this prayer out loud so that people could hear it, and so that it would be recorded for all history. And we should pay close attention to it, because these were the things that were on Jesus’ heart to pray for; these were His priorities. After praying for Himself and the disciples, in the last verses Jesus prays for “those who will believe in Me through their word” (v. 20). That’s us, you and me. Jesus had you in mind when He was speaking to His Father. Can you imagine that — Jesus putting you on His prayer list? Does that excite you? Jesus Christ loved you enough to pray for you and He’s still praying for you, even today (see Romans 8:34Romans 8:34
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34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.  

WP-Bible plugin). That’s awesome!

Because Jesus prayed for the things in John 17, it means that this is the basic will of God for our lives. When we cooperate with the very things we read about here, when we pray for the same things, we are lining ourselves up with His will. The secret of prayer is to find out what He wants, and pray that. When you pray for the will of God, you will see results, and you’ll see joy and power in your life. 1 John 5:14-151 John 5:14-15
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14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: in: or, concerning ¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

John 17 is the greatest prayer ever prayed, and it’s wonderful that Jesus allowed us to eavesdrop on Him. Read it over, study it, and become conformed to what Jesus expresses to His Father. You can’t go wrong that way!

May 1- Labor Day, a day the Nation honors the laborers of the different sectors of society. Indeed they are to be recognized and commended, especially those who are diligent and honest, those who are devoted to their work. Without them there will be no progress. Same is true in the spiritual realm! Everyone involved in God’s work is to be recognized and commended (though that should not be the motive). Paul the Apostle, who once said that he forgot those whom he baptized (1 Cor.1:16), never forgot to mention those men and women who have labored with him one way or another. In Romans 16 and his other epistles, he mentioned by name and commended those wonderful believers. Like Paul, I greatly rejoice in the Lord for you who have been co-laboring with me in this work God has entrusted to us. God knows who you are. But there is so much work to be done; many lands to conquer, souls to save and disciple.

The harvest is great but the workers are few. What a contrast to the physical realm! In the physical, there are many workers but no jobs available (how many jobless Filipinos today?). But in the spiritual, there is a great work to be done but few workers! Jesus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field (Matt. 9:37-38Matt. 9:37-38
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37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; ³⁸ Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.  

WP-Bible plugin).” Have you been asking? If so, then maybe you yourself are the answer to that prayer! Are you willing not just to pray, but to be the answer? Why not -  when Jesus through His Spirit gave His church gifts? You are included. Every believer has a gift. You are to simply be humble and available, willing to do the humblest of things. And when you step out in faith He will enable and empower you to do that work.

Jesus is looking for open hearts to which He could conform to His and hands through which He could perform His task. What a privilege to be co-laborers with Christ! There’s no greater task to do than do those things that last — those things which have eternal value! Praise God for His unsearchable wisdom and grace that we are made worthy for such great a task!

“Please Lord, be with me when I’m fearful, to make me faithful. Be with me when I’m faithful, to make me fruitful. Be with me when I’m fruitful, to make me humble. For it is only by Your grace that I was chosen to serve You; only by Your strength that I am even able to serve; only by Your faithfulness that I am still serving You today. Amen.”

Besides the political unrest going on in Bangkok Thailand, weeks ago the BBC News had an amusing story. An autistic boy in Bangkok was on his first day at a special needs school. He started crying for some reason and crawled out a window. Trouble was, the class was on the third floor, so he ended up sitting outside on a ledge. As the firemen tried to get the boy to come back inside, one of them overheard the boy’s mother saying he liked comic book superheroes. So the fireman got a brilliant idea. He dashed back to the station and donned a Spider-Man costume that he wore at schools to liven up fire drills. Then, when he beckoned, the little boy eagerly went to “Spider-Man.”

The little autistic boy wouldn’t listen to those strange firemen, but he knew who he could trust! Now think of yourself as that little boy, out on a ledge, in danger. There are people calling to you, but you don’t know them. Then suddenly you see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice, and you know you’ll be saved. John chapter 10, Jesus gives the analogy of the “good shepherd.” He describes the special relationship between Himself and His followers, pictured as sheep. “And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (v. 4-5).

Sheep come to know their shepherd intimately, down to his manner and the sound of his voice. They trust him because of what he does for them; he has earned their trust. Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, has earned your trust because of who He is and what He has done: “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (v. 11). Jesus did far more than pull us off a ledge or out of a pit. He took our blame, and accepted the punishment of a righteous God, all so that we wouldn’t have to pay for our sins with our own lives.

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (Jn.10:3).” When you hear Him call your name, follow Him. He will never steer you wrong.

I am sure you feel a true sense of your relationship to the important people in your life whenever you refer to them as “my husband,” or “my wife,” or “my children,” or “my friends.” In a similar, but much more profound way, we should experience a sense of our personal relationship with God when we call Jesus Christ “my Lord.”

Mary Magdalene certainly felt that. When she found the tomb was empty on Easter morning, she felt a deep personal loss. As she looked inside, one of the angels asked her why she was weeping. “She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him’” (John 20:13John 20:13
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13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  

WP-Bible plugin). Thomas felt it too. In his doubt, he said he wouldn’t believe the Lord had risen unless he could touch the wounds in His body. But when he saw Jesus, his reaction was dramatic. “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28John 20:28
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28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  

WP-Bible plugin). And it wasn’t only those at the time who knew this relationship. Thousands of years earlier, Job said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27Job 19:25-27
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25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ²⁶ And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: And…: or, After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh ²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. another: Heb. a stranger though…: or, my reins within me are consumed with earnest desire within…: Heb. in my bosom  

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We can have that same sense of personal relationship. It’s important, and that’s why I always ask people to make a public commitment of their decision to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus commended Peter when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16Matthew 16:16
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16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  

WP-Bible plugin). It’s good to see Him as “the Savior,” “the Son of God,” “the Redeemer.” But that keeps Him at arm’s length. To have that personal relationship, He must be “MY Savior,” “MY Lord,” “MY Redeemer.” This relationship should be much closer than even what we share with those we call our “blood relatives.” Jesus is truly a “blood relative.” He bled and died on a cross outside Jerusalem 2,000 years ago so that we could be part of His family, an adopted child of His Father. That’s what we celebrate this week, our sure hope for eternity.

So don’t hold Him at arm’s length. Embrace Him. Say, along with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus was crucified not because He had to; He did it because He wanted to. He did it out of love. No one forced Him. He laid down His life voluntarily. He loved you so much He was willing to die in your place. I picture Him in my mind as He carries the cross on the way to Golgotha. But what He was carrying is much more than the cross. He carried the weight of the sins of the world on His shoulders. Remember how you felt when you were weighted down by the guilt of your sin. Now, multiply that guilt and shame times every man and woman who would ever live. That’s what Jesus carried.

Bleeding, gasping for air, lightheaded from loss of blood, Jesus stumbled down the Via Dolorosa until He was too weak to stand. Someone was pulled out of the crowd to carry the cross the rest of the way to Golgotha. All the while thousands upon thousands of angel warriors watched and waited for a signal. They were ready to stand at His side and defeat the forces of evil. But that signal never came. Jesus had to fight alone.

He was laid out on the cross. Large spikes were driven through His hands and feet into the wood. The cross was raised and then dropped rudely into the ground with a jerk that pulled at His flesh. He screamed in agony. Blood was everywhere. He could barely breathe. He was gasping for air. Naked and shamed. Bruised and bleeding. Pierced for our sins. Dying in our place. Hell was howling with laughter. The crowd was mocking. The Lamb of God was dying.

It was a pitiful sight. He had taken upon Himself everything - every sin. Every blow had been for a reason. Every stripe on His back, every drop of blood…there was a purpose for it all. Jesus fought off death until He knew the price was paid. When the deed was done, the Bible says Jesus lifted up His eyes toward heaven and let out a war cry that reverberated all the way to heaven. It seemed like an admission of defeat but it was really a victory cry. Jesus the Lamb of God summoned His last ounce of strength and shouted, “It is finished!” And He died.

Imagine what it must have been like to be all-powerful and do nothing. Jesus knew that the only way to win was to allow these things to happen. He could have stopped it at any moment. He could have fought back and sent those demons running. “He could have called ten thousand angels but He died alone, for you and me.” It was love for you and me that kept The Lamb of God on the cross when everything within Him wanted to come down and fight. But He knew he had to die in our place as a sinless sacrifice. Only by dying could He win a victory once and for all over sin. And you know what? HE DID WIN!

Now, what are you going to do about it? Could you say “No” to Him? Could you say “No” to His love? Today and throughout this passion week, remember Him and His love for you.



Do one of Two things this coming year

Unnecessarily worry about your mistakes?


Here we are at the door of 2009. Counting this day we are 4 days to go into the New Year. It seems that with each passing year time just speeds up. We all can do the one of two things this coming year:

1. We can waste it away by sitting around and worrying about the things we failed to accomplish last year, or the mistakes we made through out the year; we can sit around and have a pity party because things didn’t go the way we wanted them to;
2. OR, we can decide to make the most of this coming New Year that God has granted us.

The fact is for some of you perhaps the year 2008 was more of a disappointment than a joy. Some of you may have experienced a loss of some kind. For some of you it may have been a year of set backs and failures. The bad news is there is nothing we can do to change this year. The good news is we can learn from the past and today we have the opportunity to start over and make some changes. God brings life to us in small pieces that we know as hours, days and months. At the beginning of every year He says, let’s wipe the slate clean and let’s start with a brand new year. Its like God is saying, “ Let’s start over. ” And that’s good news! The good news is that, amid so many changes, there is one unchanging reality you can always count on. Hebrews 13:8Hebrews 13:8
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8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus never changes, and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him never changes. “His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4Psalm 91:4
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4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  

WP-Bible plugin).



Standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ

Have you ever had a rough ride in an airplane? Turbulence tosses the plane this way and that. An air pocket makes the plane drop suddenly, and your stomach jumps into your mouth! As you near your destination and come in for a landing, the plane shakes and sways in the wind. When it reaches the runway, the plane bounces a few times before screeching to a stop. After such a wild and bumpy ride, what a relief to be on firm ground! It feels great to have both feet standing on something solid. So too, if you’ve been blown this way and that by turbulence and changing times, it feels great to have both feet standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ brings security and stability you can’t find anywhere else.

Your health can change, your relationships 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, rejoice in Him who holds you secure – and know that nothing can pluck you out His powerful and loving hands!



The Take No Glory - MUSICIANARIES came to Dumaguete City June 2008 to do an evangelistic concert. A lot of Dumaguetenos came forward and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. What a harvest! The Lord indeed is awesome and amazing… We share with you some pictures and a Christmas greeting from Eric and Mandy of TNG.








Download their New Christmas song for FREE by clicking here.

Excerpts from the Take No Glory Blog…Please read the full narrative by clicking here.



…On Sunday morning, we played at Calvary Chapel Dumaguete for both morning services 8:30es 8:30
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WP-Bible pluginam and 10:30am. It was an awesome blessing to worship with fellow believers. The house was packed out for each service.

…God opened the door for us to play a full evangelistic concert at Sillman University. Missionaries established this university in 1901 and we have been told they have NEVER let a band come do an evangelistic concert before. So, all the locals kept telling us this is a VERY big deal that we are invited to play and preach the Gospel. What great favor the Lord has shown us!

We just got back from the event. It was packed with almost a thousand people there. Eric and Ian boldly shared the Gospel with all the students. They exhorted them to make a commitment to Christ and to have a personal relationship with Him. Lives were be changed and the students were able to connect with the local churches to get discipled. Hearts were convicted and refreshed as we worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. The Lord worked in supernatural ways as we witnessed spiritual revivals within the hearts of these college students.

…This Saturday June 21st at 7pm is the BIG free concert at the Macias Sports Complex. Prayerfully, the local churches are expecting 5,000g 5,000
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Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin people to be there. Take No Glory is the only band playing and we will hand out as many free CDs as possible while also connecting the attendees to the local churches. The Gospel will be preached and there will be a call to respond. Right now there are almost 200 volunteers available to serve!! Please pray for this important event. May it transform Dumaguete City.



Wake Me Up






Global financial crisis…

The U.S. financial crisis has many people worried. And the troubles are worldwide. We’re facing a global financial crisis, just as the Bible predicted will happen in the last days. In the book of 2 Kings, Samaria was in a crisis that threatened their very lives. The Syrians had besieged the city, and there was a famine so terrible that people had resorted to eating horrifying things. Then Elisha prophesied to the king that by the next day “a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel” (2 Kings 7:12 Kings 7:1
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7 ¹ Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.  

WP-Bible plugin). A seah is about seven quarts, and a shekel is worth about 25 cents, so this would be a huge turnaround in their fate.

“Windows in heaven”

At this point, one of the king’s officers said, “Look, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” (7:2). His reaction is understandable, on a purely human level. They were starving, with enemies all around them. But God was about to provide for the people in a miraculous way. You can read this fascinating story in 2 Kings 6:25-7:202 Kings 6:25-7:20
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25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver. ²⁶ And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king. ²⁷ And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress? If…: or, Let not the LORD save thee ²⁸ And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. ²⁹ So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son. next: Heb. other ³⁰ And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and, behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. ³¹ Then he said, God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day. ³² But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him: but ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? ³³ And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of the LORD; what should I wait for the LORD any longer? ^{7 1} Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, To morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. ² Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. a lord…: Heb. a lord which belonged to the king leaning upon his hand ³ And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? ⁴ If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. ⁵ And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. ⁶ For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. ⁷ Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. ⁸ And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. ⁹ Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household. some…: Heb. we shall find punishment ¹⁰ So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. ¹¹ And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within. ¹² And the king arose in the night, and said unto his servants, I will now shew you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we be hungry; therefore are they gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive, and get into the city. ¹³ And one of his servants answered and said, Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city, and let us send and see. in the city: Heb. in it ¹⁴ They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. ¹⁵ And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. ¹⁶ And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD. ¹⁷ And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him. ¹⁸ And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be to morrow about this time in the gate of Samaria: ¹⁹ And that lord answered the man of God, and said, Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. ²⁰ And so it fell out unto him: for the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died.  

WP-Bible plugin. But look back at the expression the officer used: “windows in heaven.” I picture a building so filled with grain that when the windows are opened, it pours out like a flood. And this description was pretty much true. There were “windows in heaven.” God had a plan, and God provided.

I know who holds the future!

Are you
not
of more
value than they?
Now I want to draw you to the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on… Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26Matthew 6:25-26
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25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ²⁶ Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  

WP-Bible plugin). Several times in this section (v. 25-34) He repeats that message: “Don’t worry.” I think it’s no accident that Jesus talks about worry right after the folly of trusting in wealth. Riches are insecure, just like everything else in this world. But the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills isn’t worried. His storehouse is full, and He cares for you.

I won’t try to predict what will happen in the financial world; I’m a preacher, not an economist. But I want to echo the words of Jesus: “Don’t worry.” As the old song says, “I know not what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.”

You may be searching for God and do not know where to find Him. You have come to the right place as we are here to help you find and meet God. You may be experiencing an emptiness in your life that only God can fill. God loves you and desires a personal relationship with you. Please take the time to learn more by reading on.

1. God Loves You!

The Bible says, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life”

The problem is that
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2. All of us have done, said or thought things that are wrong. This is called sin, and our sins have separated us from God.

The Bible says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” God is perfect and holy, and our sins separate us from God forever. The Bible says “The wages of sin is death.”

The good news is that, about 2,000 years ago,
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3. God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God
demonstrates
His own
love for us
in that
while we were
yet sinners Christ died
for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life — of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.”

God reaches out in love to you and wants you to be His child. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe on His name.” You can choose to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and come in to your life as your Lord and Savior.

________________________________________

4. If you want to accept Christ, you can ask Him to be your Savior and Lord by praying a prayer like this:

“Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins and give me the gift of eternal life. I ask you in to my life and heart to be my Lord and Savior. Now, Lord guide me to Your ways. Help me grow in being a Christian.”

• If you prayed that prayer - please read: HOW TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN

• If you have NOT prayed that prayer and you want to know more - we invite you to read: KNOW MORE

“With Jesus Christ in your life, your eternal victory is secure…”

I watch the Olympic games when I have the chance to. Again it’s interesting to me how the Olympics or any sport can be a picture of life. In our lives, as in sport, we will encounter both victory and defeat. But, we don’t need to dwell on defeat. You see, if you have Jesus in your life, your eternal victory is secure. When Christ died on the cross, He forever defeated the power of sin and death to give us new life. As Christians, we can rejoice in ultimate victory: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:571 Cor. 15:57
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57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

WP-Bible plugin).

Scripture teaches that in this world, we have a choice: to experience defeat by allowing the world to overcome us or to be overcomers through faith in Christ. Thankfully, we have this promise: “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith” (1 John 5:41 John 5:4
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4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  

WP-Bible plugin). Jesus told His disciples, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33John 16:33
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33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.  

WP-Bible plugin). Are you an overcomer or have you allowed yourself to be overcome?

If you’re feeling victorious in your life today, rejoice in God’s goodness. However, if you’re feeling discouraged, look to Christ. As the writer of Hebrews said: “Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Heb. 12:3Heb. 12:3
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3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.  

WP-Bible plugin). Turn to Christ when you feel defeated, knowing that He has won the battle for your soul. The setbacks are only temporary but our ultimate victory is eternal and assured!