“Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:4Psalms 37:4
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  

WP-Bible plugin) Many Christians like to claim the 2^nd part of the verse: “He will give you the desires of your heart”, but they’re not delighting in the Lord. What does it mean to delight in the Lord? It means to take pleasure in, or enjoy Him. Have you seen a child’s eyes looking at a new bought toy? How he delights in it? How about a newly wed couples’ eyes? That is the picture here.

We delight in Jesus because He is our first love! He’s all in all that we need. He’s the source of our joy, better still, He is our joy! He is the overriding desire of our heart. The object of our affection, our meditation and our activity! Non-believers delight in their position, possession, and power. But as a child of God, if we delight in Jesus, we will never envy theirs! The world delights in their portion, we must in ours!

Again, some people think this verse is a blanket promise from God to get whatever we want. Just get close to God and He’ll give you whatever you want! NOT SO! I do believe that God will give us the desires of our heart, but I also believe that before He does so He will change what those desires are.

When we think about God, meditate on His blessings toward us, and contemplate the awesome sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us, then our desires begin to change. Once we look at everything through the backdrop of the cross we can start to see things how God sees them. By delighting in God and drawing close to Him through scripture study and prayer, our thoughts knit together and we can see what is really important to Him. In this way, His desires start to become our desires. He gives us the desires of our heart when they line up with His desire for our life.

When we learn to delight in the Lord or get delighted and excited with the Lord, what happens? His wants become our wants! His desires become our desires! Now if He’s desires become ours, would we ask anything we ask for selfish gain? Would we desire those things that we know break His heart? No! We cannot delight in God and at the same time break His heart! But we would desire those things that pleases Him because we’re delighting in Him.

You see when we delight in the Lord, our heart’s desire is being changed and conformed to His heart’s desire. And so when we have His desires in our hearts which become our desire, then surely He will grant it! And what would that desire be that He would grant? Him. More of Him! We delight in Him and He will give us more of Him! And having Him flows out what every soul need: joy, peace, strength, rest, security. When we find pleasure in the Lord God, we will then be rewarded with our innermost desires – we will have all that God intends for us to have!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Please continue praying for another H4U Dumaguete this coming November 27, 2011r 27, 2011
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.

ATTN: CHOIR practice will resume on Oct. 5 at 6:30 pm here at CCD.  Those who are interested to join please feel free to approach Ma’am Jing or any choir member.  We are preparing for H4U Dgte in November.

COVENANT KEEPERS tonight at 6:30 pm, here at CCD.  Inviting all couples to come for a time of instruction and fellowship!

The Annual  Calvary Chapel Pastors and Workers Conference will be on October 18-20 at EcoTech, Lahug, Cebu.  The Theme is THE JOY OF SERVING.

Registration fee:

• P1,400 per person for those staying at Eco-Tech
• P 900  per person for those staying outside EcoTech
• P  700 per child for children sleeping in their parents bed but eating @ Eco-Tech

A non-refundable deposit of 20% is required. If interested please sign up at the back after the service. Deadline to sign up and pay the deposit is on Oct. 2

NEW CCD T-SHIRTS for sale!  This is a fundraising project to help out our Karen brothers and sisters. Samples are displayed at the back.  Please pay as you order.

Ministry Leaders – Deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2012 budget is today, Sept. 18, 2011.

After that fateful day, Sept.11, 2001, what has become of the world we live in? It may have indeed made some drastic effect and change in the lives of individuals. But if we really look at the world as it is, through the lens of God’s unchanging, eternal Word, we know we’re still in a very unstable and uncertain time. Bombings continue in different places, wars and rumors of war are here to stay, the Middle East and Israel still not at peace and many people are still gripped with the fear of the future, and worst of all, sin and wickedness continue to reign in the heart of men! Imagine, the New York City officials are not allowing prayer in the formal 10th anniversary commemoration ceremony of 9/11?! No wonder!

Have you wondered where our world is heading? Do you think that this age will go on and on and on? Praise God we know where the world is heading ultimately. How? God has given us His Word of Prophecy. And know that the Prophetic message is –

1) To show that history is going somewhere, that it is heading for an Omega point, so to speak. It shows that this age is heading to a stop and be replaced by a new age, an age where God would make everything new (Rev.21:1-5)!

2) The prophetic message is also to show God at work in human history. To show that God is sovereign. That He is in control of human affairs. May this encourage you to know that in spite of the ever-increasing wickedness and ever-growing chaos in our times, God still has this whole world in His hands. And the hands that shaped us is shaping all things to fulfill its ultimate end – the glory of God! He still got you and me in His hands here and hereafter. Rejoice in that today! AND,

3) The message of Jesus’ Return serves to strengthen and encourage God’s people but warns the unbeliever of impending judgment that will come on those who reject Christ. But again, to the Christians, it gives comfort and courage in this life -1 Thess.5:11. 2 Pet 1:192 Pet 1:19
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:  

WP-Bible plugin “As a light shining in the darkness…” is the description given by the apostle Peter to the word of prophecy.” Peter is saying, “you do well not merely to know about or be interested in Biblical prophecy, but to pay very close attention to it! WHY? BECAUSE -

There is going to be darkness and God’s prophetic word will be the light you need therein. It will guide you, direct, help and comfort. It will help to establish God’s proper goals in your heart and mind. You see, God wants us to know about the future so that we could learn how to live in the present. The life we live here on earth reflects where we are heading. Are you living for Jesus Christ? For yourself? For what the world offers?  The answer to that reveals where you are heading!

LIVE FOR HIM, IN HIM AND THROUGH HIM and you’ll be in the safest place — that even death is a victory for it just brings us to that ultimate, glorious and most blessed state of existence – being with Him forever!

Announcement:

The Annual  Calvary Chapel Pastors and Workers Conference will be on October 18-20 at EcoTech, Lahug, Cebu.  The Theme is THE JOY OF SERVING.

The cost of the conference is:

• P1,400 per person for those staying at Eco-Tech
• P   900 per person for those staying outside EcoTech
• P  700 per child for children sleeping in their parents bed but eating @ Eco-Tech

A non-refundable deposit of 20% is required  before Oct. 4.  Please sign up at the back after the service.

New CCD tshirts for sale!  This is a fundraising project to help out our Karen brothers and sisters. Samples are displayed at the back.  Please pay as you order.

Start praying for another H4U Dumaguete this coming November 27, 2011r 27, 2011
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.

Reminder to all Ministry Leaders – please start praying and planning for your next year’s activities.  Deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2012 budget will be on Sept. 18, 2011.

As Libyan rebels continue to fight for freedom from the Qaddafi regime, I thought to myself how we forget and take for granted the freedom we have as believers. People fight for it today, for us it’s already been fought and won! The word is “redemption” – to release or set free. (see Eph.1:7) We still use the word “redeem” in that sense in connection with a pawn shop. I don’t know how many of you have had the experience of having to pawn something. In order for you to get back the thing you pawned, it has a price. So you buy it back by paying the price. So is the redemption of our souls. Jesus bought us back, a slave and captive to sin and set us free.

Now, many of us have absolutely no idea what it means to be enslaved – to be stripped of any personal rights, dignity, or freedom. To become property of another – no longer human but merely a thing to be used, abused, or neglected entirely at the whim of someone else who “owns” you. We can’t imagine what it means to literally have shackles on our ankles, which limit our ability to move farther than the short chain might allow. We have heard about slavery, but in general it is probably so far removed from our own experience that it is difficult for us to grasp the complete helplessness and despair. To know that there is not a single thing we can do for ourselves to change our situation.

But if you can imagine what it means to be enslaved – if you can sense a bit of the horror and helplessness – then we can start to understand what redemption is. It is the idea of someone, in this case a perfect stranger, appearing out of nowhere and paying the price to buy us back and set us free. Being “redeemed” means that someone from the outside has come to us in our helplessness and set us free. That is the essence of the cross of Christ. Because of our sin, we were enslaved. We were trapped. We were helpless. We were bound by the chains of sin and shackled by the power of Satan. And then God sent His Son and Jesus came to rescue us. He came to liberate us. He redeemed us – buying us back from the slavery to sin and enabling us to be free to be in relationship with God.

Not only that, Jesus came, paid a price, bought us, and restored us to usefulness. Anything in a slave market is of no use at all. Until a slave is purchased he is no good to anyone. And so this is the picture of a slave purchased and freed in order to be useful and fruitful to someone – to the one who bought him. And for us, it’s Jesus. And what a good and loving Master He is indeed! He gave us true freedom – not freedom to sin, but freedom from the power and penalty of sin. He‘s the kind of Master that you would want to serve – not because you have to – but because you want to!

So thank and praise Him today for the freedom we have in Christ, and being made to be useful again in the hands of the Master!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

• The Karen Church building in Mae Ra Moe, Northern Thailand was destroyed by the recent flooding. If you  desire to help out financially you may drop it at the lovebox (please write specifically for the Karen) or give it at the office.
• New CCD tshirts for sale!  This is a fundraising project to help out our Karen brothers and sisters. Samples are displayed at the back.  Please pay as you order.
• Start praying for another H4U Dumaguete this coming November 27, 2011r 27, 2011
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
  Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!
  
  WP-Bible plugin at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.
• Reminder to all Ministry Leaders – please start praying and planning for your next year’s activities.  Deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2012 budget will be on Sept. 18, 2011.

“It was a beautiful Sunday morning. People were filling the church to its fullest capacity. As they entered, each were given a bulletin filled with announcements, activities to do for the month. At the end of the line stood an older man. His clothes were filthy and you could tell that he had not bathed in days. His face was covered in whiskers where he had not shaved for a very long time. His hair was long, dirty and tangled mess. He had no shoes on his feet, and wore only soiled, black socks.

The usher put his fingers to his nose and glared at the old man and said, ‘Uh. I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid we can’t let you in. You will distract the congregation and we don’t allow anyone to disrupt our service. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.’ The old man looked down at himself and with a puzzled look on his face he then turned to leave. He was sad as he loved to hear the church sing praises to the Lord. He carried in his pocket a small worn out Bible and love to see if the minister preached a passage from the Bible that the old man had underlined.

He was respectful enough and didn’t want to cause any commotion, so he walked back down the steps of the church. He sat down on the brick wall near the edge of the church yard and strained to listen through the closed doors and windows to the singing going on in the church. Oh how he wished he could be inside with all the others! A few minutes had passed by when all of a sudden a younger man came up behind him and sat down near him. He asked the old man what he was doing. He answered, ‘I was going to go to church today, but they thought I was filthy and my clothes are old and worn and they were afraid I would disrupt their service. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Jose.

The two gentlemen shook hands and Jose couldn’t help but notice that this man had long hair like his. He wore a piece of cloth draped over his body tied with a royal purple sash. He had sandals on his feet, now covered with dust and dirt. The stranger reached to touch Jose’s shoulder and said, ‘Hello, Jose, don’t feel bad because they would not let you in. My name is Jesus and I’ve been trying to get into this same church for years, and they won’t let me in either. “

The danger is that the church can become just another club – an elite society that has all the right externals but has forgotten what its true purpose is. Yet Jesus met unbelievers where they were. According to one count, the gospel records 132 contacts that Jesus had with people. Six were in the Temple, four in the synagogue and 122 were out with people in the mainstream of life. If we’re not careful, we can easily become a self-righteous subculture with no room or sympathy for “sinners.”  Remember that the church is not a hotel for saints but a hospital for sinners who need Jesus – that they might be healed and be changed forever!  Welcome and love someone today…as one Christ would love and accept.

Start praying for another H4U Dumaguete this coming November 27, 2011r 27, 2011
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin at the Lamberto Macias Sports Complex.

Reminder to all Ministry Leaders – please start praying and planning for your next year’s activities.  Deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2012 budget will be on Sept. 18, 2011.

Pray for the Missionaries’ Fellowship this coming Aug. 31– Sept. 2 to be led by Ptr. John Michaels.  Theme:  Overcoming Cross-Cultural Insensitivity.  Venue is at the Calvary Chapel Training Center.

We’re inviting you to our MID-WEEK STUDY every Thursdays at 5:30 pm. We are finishing up our studies from the book of Isaiah.

Come and stand in the gap with us as we intercede for one another.  Join us every Tuesday at 5:30 pm, here at CCD for our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MEETING.

August 19 was “Araw ng Wika”, celebrating our national dialect, the Filipino language – that we are to love it, be proud of it, and preserve it for it’s one of our identifying marks as Filipinos. In the same way, Christians have one identifying mark regardless of one’s race, color, or church affiliation – LOVE. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

One of the ways we express love is through kindness. What is kindness? Someone once said, “kindness is simply love with its work-clothes on.” It’s love when it goes to work. It does not mean to FEEL kindly or to feel kindness; it means to do acts of kindness to people. If you love them, you will demonstrate it tangibly by showing them kindness.

A missionary returning after serving many years in the jungles of New Guinea was asked, “What was it like? Tell us what you found there.” “Found? I found a mission field that looked more hopeless than if I had been sent into a jungle of tigers.” “What do you mean?” “The people there were so fierce & degraded that they seemed utterly devoid of moral sense.  If a mother were carrying her little baby & the child was crying & wouldn’t stop, she would throw it into the ditch & let it die. If a man saw his own father break his leg, he would just leave him to suffer by himself. They had no compassion whatever. They didn’t even know what the word meant.”

“Well, what were you able to do? Did you preach to them?” “No, not at first. I thought it better to show them my faith by my works! When I saw a baby crying, I picked it up & consoled it.  When I saw a man with a broken leg, I sought to mend it. When I found people distressed & hungry, I took them in, comforted & fed them. Finally they began to ask, ‘What does this mean? Why are you doing this for us?’ Then I had my chance. I told them about Jesus, & many of them came to know & love Jesus, too.”

Beloved, kindness will influence more than eloquence! Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read! Kindness is almost a lost art today, isn’t it? So many people are rude & self-centered, worried about themselves and not concerned about others.

How about in your family? Are you showing kindness towards your family members? Because I want to tell you how you are at home is how you really are. If you are not kind to those people in your family, any kindness you show to those outside your family is basically hypocritical.  Husbands, how about it? Are you showing kindness toward that lady you are married to? Wife? Parents? Children?

Kindness starts at home that spills over to the church and then to the community. And then and only then, that the world will know that we are truly His disciples! May we speak the language of love from now on.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

We’re inviting you to our MID-WEEK STUDY every Thursdays at 5:30 pm. We are finishing up our studies from the book of Isaiah.

Come and stand in the gap with us as we intercede for one another.  Join us every Tuesday at 5:30 pm, here at CCD for our INTERCESSORY PRAYER MEETING.

I’m sure Silliman University is gearing up for their founder’s day. Activities, programs, parade and reunions will once again light up and fill the festivity. I just hope and pray that amidst the celebration, Christ, the foundation of the school, will be honored above all. I thank God for the Christians and the Christian organizations in the campus that will be the light and the salt there. May they grab this opportunity to share and proclaim the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Jesus Christ!

Sad that “Via, Veritas, Vita” is reduced to an ideology, a philosophy, a motto. No, it’s a Person. It’s the Son of God who is God the Son! He’s the Way – without Him there’s no going; He’s the truth – without Him there’s no knowing; He’s the life – without Him there’s no living! Quoting an anonymous author, “He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End! He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!  He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times. He always was, He always is, and He always will be… Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain! He was persecuted and brought freedom!  He was dead and brought life! He is raised and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace! The world can’t understand him, the armies can’t defeat Him, the schools can’t explain Him, and the leaders can’t ignore Him.  Herod couldn’t kill Him, the Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him, and the people couldn’t hold Him! Nero couldn’t crush Him, Hitler couldn’t silence Him, Religion can’t replace Him, and the secular media can’t explain Him away!

He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure. His ways are right, His Word is eternal, His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me. I serve Him because His bond is love, His yoke is easy, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life. His goal is a relationship with ME! He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, never overlook me, and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!  When I fall, He lifts me up! When I fail, He forgives! When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way! When I am afraid, He is my courage! When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me! When I am broken, He mends me!  When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me! When I face persecution, He shields me! When I face problems, He comforts me! When I face loss, He provides for me! When I face Death, He carries me Home!

He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and every way. He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine! So, if you’re wondering why I feel so secure, understand this… He said it and that settles it. God is in control, I am on His side, and that means all is well with my soul!”

This is my JESUS! I love Him and I will proclaim Him to the ends of the earth…until my breath runs dry and my heart ceases to beat!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Last Sunday night we received a message from MJ regarding Mae Ra Moe Camp – due to a typhoon, they have suffered several landslides and 440 plus houses were under water. Three rice warehouses got flooded.  Ptr. Eric and MJ sent all the medicines we left behind, some of our clothes, and some tents/supplies to the camp. Phii Lala (their contact) as of last Sunday, asked for prayer for food and clothing. Today, MJ said that all they need for now is temporary shelter.  The Bible College by God’s grace was not that affected by the floodwaters.

Because today is Communion Sunday, meditate on this truth: It was thirty feet wide, sixty feet tall and woven as thick as a man’s hand. It hung between the holy place and the Holy of Holies. As Jesus hung on the cross that afternoon, this thick curtain was suddenly ripped apart from top to bottom (Lk.23:45). In other words, no one standing on the ground ripped it. Only a Hand from above could rip it that way. The rending of this curtain has tremendous spiritual implications for us. Because the curtain was torn, there are three important truths we can embrace:

1.No more barriers –  The Jewish Temple was a series of barriers or walls. If you weren’t a Jew, you could only go into the court of the Gentiles, if you were a Jewish woman you had to stop before you came to the court of the men. If you weren’t a priest, you couldn’t enter into the court of the priests.  Only a few priests were allowed to enter the Holy Place, which was the room outside the Holy of Holies.  On Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the Jewish High Priest would lift the corner of this massive blue curtain and slip into the holy of holies with fear and trembling. Once inside, he would take the blood of a lamb and sprinkle it on the seat of the Ark of the Covenant. He was there as a representative of the Jewish people to seek forgiveness on their behalf. But when Jesus died on the cross, this curtain was torn! God was saying, “There will no longer be any barriers between you and Me!” Now, you and I can approach God freely. (see Heb.10:19-23).

2. No more sacrifices – The Jewish priests had slain thousands of bulls and lambs in the Temple area.  The temple was built on Mt. Moriah, where centuries before Abraham prepared to kill his only son Isaac. Instead, God provided a ram as a substitute. Jesus died as the Lamb of God, and there is no need for anymore animal sacrifices. Aren’t you glad we didn’t have to bring a lamb or a goat to be slain today? The Lamb of God has already made the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The curtain was torn in two to show us we no longer need a Temple in which to make sacrifices because Jesus made the final sacrifice for us when He died on the cross. So, no more barriers, no more sacrifices —

3. No more mediators – The average Jewish person could never enter the Holy of Holies. They needed a priest to enter in for them. But when the curtain was torn God was telling us we don’t need anyone as a mediator between us except for the Lord Jesus Christ. The curtain was torn open so we can approach God on our own. You don’t need to confess your sins to anyone except Jesus. He is our high priest, and through Him we have access to the Creator of the Universe. The Bible says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:51 Timothy 2:5
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  

WP-Bible plugin)“  Hebrews 4:16Hebrews 4:16
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence.”

So as we break bread today and drink the cup, let’s thank Him for such salvation, access and freedom He bought for us through the cross!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

• The CCD CHOIR will resume practice this Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30 pm here at CCD.
• 8410 USHERING MINISTRY will have a Prayer Fellowship this Saturday, March 12 at 9:00 am here at CCD.

It’s been rainy, windy and cold in the past days. Pretty unusual but not surprising with the changing weather patterns we have globally. Just like life, it’s not going to be summer all the time. There will be rainy days too. And that we cannot control. It’s the normal pattern of life. You may be in a storm right now. It may be raining trials and difficulties for you right now. But it is part of God’s plan to bring us all to spiritual maturity. Without suffering in our lives, and without God’s accompanying comfort, how proud, how unconcerned, how rebellious, how immature we would be.

There is an old Arab parable that says: “All sunshine and no rain makes a desert.” If you never have any down times, dark times, gloomy times in your life you’ll be dried up. You’ll have no depth to yourself, no maturity. It takes good times and bad times to make a mature person. God knows the balance of sunshine and rain to grow us up. Life is a mixture of pain and pleasure, of victory and defeat, of success and failure, of mountain tops and valleys below. Peter says, “These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Pet.1:7) So he says, “This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith…”

God wants to build your faith in the valleys of life. We love to enjoy the mountain tops, but you don’t build faith on the mountain tops. You build faith in the valleys of life. When everything is going fine and great you don’t really need God. But when you come face to face with a dark valley, you get on your knees. Faith is strengthened in the valleys. Every problem has a purpose. Even the little tiny ones, the inconsequential ones, the things that seem like mere irritations. They have a purpose. God can teach you character. He wants to change you, mature you. God wants to build your character. He is far more interested in your character than He is in your comfort or your convenience. God’s goal in life is not to just make life comfortable for you. He wants to build character – to be like Jesus.

And know this: In changing seasons of life, Jesus’ love never fails. The Christ who today reigns on the throne of heaven is the same Christ who sat and shared meals with the worst of sinners. He loves as much today with the crown of glory on His head as He did when He wore a crown of thorns on His head. Jesus’ situation has changed from 2000 years ago, but His love has not changed. Our world has changed in the past 2000 years, but Jesus’ love has not changed. If you’ve been embraced by Jesus’ love and have shed His blood to pay for your sins, then you can be sure that He will never stop loving you and that absolutely nothing can separate you from God’s love in Christ (Romans 8:38-39Romans 8:38-39
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

WP-Bible plugin).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Please PRAY for LIVING VESSELS FELLOWSHIP’S AFFAIR OF THE HEART on Feb. 11 (Friday), 6 pm at the Spanish Heritage. Inviting all young adults for a night of acoustic music & dinner buffet. Speaker will be Ptr. Joseph Jo. Tickets are available at P150—limited only. Please approach Jun Lapatha, Popong Geconcillo, or Bem Martinez.
• WHAT: MARRIAGE SEMINAR with Ptr. Jo
  WHEN: Feb. 12 (Saturday) from 9:00rom 9:00
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
  Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!
  
  WP-Bible plugin am till 11:30l 11:30
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
  30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.  
  
  WP-Bible plugin am, and 2 pm till 4 pm. Lunch will not be provided.

Unexpected. Unplanned. Untimely. Stranded in Siquijor. Because of strong winds, high waves and choppy waters, boat trips were cancelled that day.  But it turned out to be good for me and the team. It just means extended fellowship and what a memorable experience we had that we all shared. Do you ever feel sometimes that your life is stranded, stuck, due to circumstances we cannot control? Prov.16:9 – “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

We can plan, dream, and hope, but the final outcome is from the Lord. And this really is comforting because even though your plans may not turn out the way you want it, God who is sovereign will lead us to what really is best for us. For what we think is best for us may not be the best for us, and what we think is not good for us may turn out to be the best for us!

And if you are right now “stranded” in your circumstance, embrace it and use it to cultivate your relationship with the Lord. He’s preparing you for something good He has for you. Submit to God’s will and pray, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Submitting to God’s will makes us open to the Lord’s RE-direction and correction; making us flexible allowing Him to RE-arrange our lives. We just go with His flow – and this shields us from frustration and disillusionment.

“I would give my life to the Lord, but I’m afraid,” a perplexed teenager told his pastor at a church youth conference. “What are you afraid of?” the pastor asked. “I’m afraid God will ask me to do something dangerous!” “The dangerous life is not in the will of God, but out of the will of God,” the pastor replied. “The safest place in the world is right where God wants you.”

So think, pray and plan – but always open to the Lord’s re-direction, be flexible to His modifications, and accept the change. Don’t be stubborn like Jacob, instead keep an attitude in your heart that says, “Not my will but Yours be done!” For He is in control of our lives and our Father in heaven knows best!

Prov. 3:5-6Prov. 3:5-6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.  

WP-Bible plugin – “Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Did you ever notice how much of life is full of warnings, full of cautions? You can’t drive from here to home after church today, without seeing something that’s a direct warning or caution, or at the very least, a law or a limit with an implied warning. There are all kinds of warnings in life. Most products we purchase have labels warning about improper use. Cautions, and warnings, can be our friends. They exist to keep us well, sometimes they exist to keep us alive.

The same is true of our life in Christ. While we rely completely on the grace of God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for our eternal destiny, we Christians often do stupid things to mess up our lives on earth. We can all think of things we’ve done, or not done, things we’ve seen others do, or not do, things that had at least some short-term negative consequences, or often, even long-term, or life-altering consequences.

The Word of God is first and foremost a book revealing God’s love plan for us. It’s first and foremost a book that details His eternal plans for our salvation. But the Word of God is also a book full of caution and warning. You see, God doesn’t just tell us in this book how we can be saved, but He tells us how we can live godly lives for Him, and in doing that, escape the consequences of what we’d otherwise have to classify as foolish, or even stupid, behavior. While I believe that this fallen, sinful world we live in, just about guarantees some measure of trouble, illness, or hardship in our lives, I also believe that by walking wholeheartedly with Jesus, by devoting our lives to Him, we can escape some of the things we’d otherwise have to deal with in life.

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.” The words, “Be careful” 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.

Just like the story 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. 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.

So, precious people of God, be wise. Look down the road before we make our choices, to consider the consequences of our actions before we act. Read and heed the warning signs. The days are evil but you don’t have to fall into its trap.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

• If you received a 25^th Anniversary and Hope For You Concert DVD that is defective, you may return it to the office and we will replace it for you.
• H4U T-SHIRTS are now available at P250 each!  For orders please approach the Youth table at the back after the service.  This is a fundraising for the upcoming Youth Camp this year.
• BEREAN “GETTING DEEPER” CLASS and IBS CLASS has already resumed every Tuesdays and starts at 7:15 pm here at CCD.

Last Monday we buried the body of our dear ate Clarita Singh. What a life lived out for the glory of God. One commented to me how really different it is when a Christian dies, compared to non-Christians…where there is joy in the midst of death because of the hope that we have in Christ.  Death has a way of reminding us of the truth that life is indeed short.  What are we doing with this gift God has given us called LIFE?  The difference lies in people’s response to that truth. We can’t control the LENGTH of our lives, but we can control the DEPTH. As somebody once said, “The measure of life, after all, is not its DURATION, but its DONATION.  Williams James: “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”

Do not waste your life, do not run after every titillating experience, every empty pleasure that life may fling at you. Do not seek after comfort, but significance. What are you living for? What are you dying for? What is the purpose of your existence? Why are you here? What is it all about?

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish Chemist who invented dynamite and other explosives in the 19th Century. One day he opened his paper and read his own obituary! It said, “Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite died yesterday. He devised a way for more people than ever before to be killed in war, and he died a very rich man!” He was shocked to read those words. Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died and the newspaper made a mistake. But the obituary had a profound effect on Nobel. He didn’t want to be remembered as a man who got rich by selling explosives. He changed his will to award money each year to people who promote peace.

Today when you hear the name Nobel you don’t think of dynamite, you probably think of the Nobel prizes. Nobel later wrote, “Every man ought to have the chance to correct his obituary in midstream and write a new one.”  If you could read your obituary tomorrow, what would it say and what would you want it to say? A newspaper obituary only runs for a couple of days and then it’s forgotten, but your choice regarding Jesus Christ has eternal implications. You have the power to choose to accept God’s love and mercy and forgiveness and to rewrite your eternal obituary!

SUPPOSE YOU HAD ONLY TWO MONTHS TO LIVE? Wouldn’t you take time to visit and speak with those you love and tell them how much you loved them? Wouldn’t you make the most of every opportunity? Of course you would. And so would I. Why don’t we live this way? Life is an opportunity to know Jesus, to make Him known and to demonstrate His love. If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real, what’s most important and necessary, what lasts for eternity and what is not. Anything we do, we want, we dream, we wish, we hope to be that do not count for eternity and for Jesus’ glory are to be thrown aside. Concentrate and focus only on the things that will outlast us – for there is “ONLY ONE LIFE, AND IT WILL SOON BE PAST; ONLY WHAT’S DONE FOR CHRIST WILL LAST.”

ANNOUNCEMENT:

• ATTN: Elders/Wives and Ministry Leaders — PRAYER/FASTING & YEAR-LONG PLANNING this coming Jan. 21 till 22, starting from 6:00rom 6:00
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
  Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!
  
  WP-Bible plugin pm Friday until Saturday 10:30 am. This is an overnight at CCTC  If you need a ride, please be here at the church at 5:30 pm, Friday. Be ready with your ministry’s year-long activities.
• For those who ordered our 25^th Anniversary and Hope For You Concert DVDs, they are now available at the back after the service.
• H4U T-SHIRTS are now available at P250 each!  For orders please approach the Youth table at the back after the service.  This is a fundraising for the upcoming Youth Camp this year.
• BEREAN “GETTING DEEPER” CLASS and IBS CLASS resumes this Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011Jan. 18, 2011
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
   
  
  WP-Bible plugin and starts at 7:15 pm

They say it’s the year for the strong-willed, those who persevere. Though I don’t look to “animals” to guide my life nor be guided by psychics, astrologers, etc., I find in the rabbit a characteristic that is necessary in the life of a Christian – perseverance. You see following Christ is not compared to a wind sprint, but to a marathon. It’s not a 50 or 100 meter dash, but a marathon. In a wind sprint you run as fast as you can for a short distance, and speed is the critical factor. But in a marathon, endurance is the critical factor.

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1Hebrews 12:1
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
12 ¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  

WP-Bible plugin says “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” The word “race” is from the Greek ‘agon’, from which we get the word agony. In other words, the race of faith is not a jog but rather a demanding and grueling, sometimes agonizing race.  It takes a massive effort to finish strong!  So this word “perseverance” is a strong word that refers to the ability to keep in stride when the competition is the hardest, and the road is the roughest.

Marathon runners tell us that there are two critical times in the race. The first one is at the beginning. When you begin to run you feel so good, and the temptation is to run too fast too soon. So you expend all your energy and don’t have enough left for the end of the race. Some Christians have done that, too, haven’t they? They started out with great promise but didn’t finish the race.   The second critical time in a marathon is at the half-way point. You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as you’ve already run & you’re already very tired. Runners call it “hitting the wall.” You’ve come to the end of your endurance & you’re not sure you can put one foot in front of the other anymore. I’ve seen it happen in the Christian life, too. You’ve been around for a while & you’ve fought the battles, but you’re not sure there is enough energy left to make it to the end, & the temptation is to quit. But we are to persevere! How?

Runners call it "hitting the wall."

The word “persevere” means “hupomone” – to abide under pressure” or simply “stick-to-it-ness.” Perseverance is developed through trials and difficulties – “…you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (Jam.1:2-4).” “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope (Rom.5:3-4).” But that will have no lasting effect without this: “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. (Heb.12:1-2). The key to perseverance is to focus on Christ, to trust Him and rely on His sufficiency.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.

We don’t know what’s ahead for us this year, but we know that God’s grace is sufficient for all our weaknesses. Besides, He goes ahead of us. He is around us and is our rear-guard. He covers us from above and He holds us on the palm of His hand.” MAY THE LORD DIRECT YOUR HEARTS INTO GOD’S LOVE AND CHRIST’S PERSEVERANCE (2 Thess.3:5). Amen.

ANNOUNCEMENT:

• ATTN: Elders/Wives and Ministry Leaders please mark your calendar — PRAYER/FASTING & YEAR-LONG PLANNING will be on Jan. 21 till 22 starting at 6:00 pm Friday night. This is an overnight at CCTC. Be ready with your ministry’s year-long activities. Please sign up at the back after the service.
• For those who ordered our 25^th Anniversary and Hope For You Concert DVDs, they are now available at the back after the service.
• H4U T-SHIRTS are now available at P250 each!  For orders please approach the Youth table at the back after the service.  This is a fundraising for the upcoming Youth Camp next year.
• BEREAN “GETTING DEEPER” CLASS and IBS CLASS resumes on Jan. 18, 2011Jan. 18, 2011
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
   
  
  WP-Bible plugin.

Holidays are the most lonely time of the year.  People are told everywhere they’re supposed to be happy and they realize they’re not.  They see everybody else acting happy, and they feel so lonely.  Success can make you lonely.  You often hear it’s lonely at the top.  Old age makes you lonely.  You can be lonely in a big crowd.  You can be lonely in a mall.  Loneliness, one of the chief maladies of our age, but Jesus has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb.13:5)  When I am discouraged, His presence sees me through.  When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up.  When I am worried, His presence just calms me down. And when I am tempted, His presence will help me out. We need just to practice the presence of the Lord this new year.  And when the devil comes and knocks at our heart’s door, we can just simply say, “Jesus, please go answer the door.”  The Lord is there with us to take care of us.

When God has already given you the best, His Son, He will willingly give you everything you need in life!

Rom.8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  When God has already given you the best, His Son, He will willingly give you everything you need in life! Can you imagine a husband giving his wife a beautiful diamond necklace maybe for Christmas or Valentine’s Day or for a birthday or anniversary and she opens the box and there is this beautiful diamond necklace. She says, “Oh, sweetheart! Thank you so much. I know this is expensive. Thank you…and you know what, dear, I love the box too.” And he says, “Oh, you can’t have the box. I want the box for myself. The box is mine.”

That would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? When he gives you something as expensive as a diamond necklace, sure he’ll give you the box. God has already given us the precious diamond of His Son, and now, anything else He could ever give to us is just like the box the diamond comes in. Everything else is so much less valuable than His Son; He willingly and graciously gives us all things.  So why be afraid?

Knowing we belong to the Lord is a wonderful answer to fear. We can know that He holds us, protects us, guards us, and cares for us. We can know that He would not have created, redeemed, and called us unless He intended to finish His work in us. How can we be afraid when we know this God is for us, is looking out for our interests? The issue is not what you have or don’t have, but to whose you belong!  So, why fear…when you belong to Him?

So, why fear…when you belong to Him?

Beloved, put it down big and put it down plain and put it down straight, you can go into a new year with this kind of a promise.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• For those who ordered our 25^th Anniversary and Hope For You Concert DVDs, they are now available at the back after the service.
• H4U T-SHIRTS are now available at P250 each!  For orders please approach the Youth table at the back after the service.  This is a fundraising for the upcoming Youth Camp next year.
• PRAYER MEETINGS resume this Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011Jan. 4, 2011
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
   
  
  WP-Bible plugin.
• BEREAN “GETTING DEEPER” CLASS and IBS CLASS resumes on Jan. 18, 2011Jan. 18, 2011
  English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
   
  
  WP-Bible plugin.

I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest...

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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.

“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.”

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.

Now is the day of salvation! There is no day that God stops from reaching out to somebody needing His salvation!

In John 4:37-38John 4:37-38
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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!

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.

“The wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart”

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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).

...true freedom—spiritual freedom—is found only in knowing Jesus Christ.

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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.

Stay in God’s Word so that you can be strengthened within...

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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.

“How did I make it through. How did I accomplish those things needed to be accomplished?”

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.

Let Him fill you today, let Him pour His life in you, and then let Him flow through you!

So what does the Holy Spirit do? Jesus said, “He will glorify Me” (John 16:14John 16:14
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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!

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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.  

WP-Bible plugin)

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
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
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!