2014 Archives
December 31, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
Today, we have this overwhelming gratefulness for the goodness and faithfulness of God for the past 12 months. If we try to recall the significant events in the past year, all we can find are the awesome blessings that He has showered upon us in every season. Without a doubt, we can testify to the signs, wonders and miracles which we have witnessed as His Hand powerfully moved in our life. And now, as we face the year ahead of us, let us take hold of God’s unchanging promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It is clear that God is ready to pour out His blessings which He has prepared for each one of us. We know that it brings pain to His heart when we fail to acknowledge this great promise and miss the fullness of life He has planned for every born again believer in Christ.
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December 2, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” - Luke 2:11 A shelter... a refuge... a home... These are among our most essential needs in life. And that was what Mary and Joseph needed when Jesus was about to be born. But “there was no guest room available for them” (Luke 2:7). No shelter... no refuge... no home. Yet still, that was not enough to hinder God’s plan. The Bible tells us the good news that brings great joy, “A Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord”(Luke 2:11). The news which signaled the start of God’s magnificent work to redeem the entire humanity – the first scene in the divine plan that would eventually lead to the greatest sacrifice at the Cross of Calvary.
It’s the season of joy once again; the season of giving! We can feel it everywhere. Every heart and spirit is lifted in anticipation of that most awaited day: Christmas Day. Picture this. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Too often, we focus on the wonder of a child born in the manger, and the example of giving as set by the three wise men who knelt before our Savior. But these words from the Holy Scriptures are more than that! They are not just an account of a historical fact that is more than two thousand years old. They are not just a story of a homeless family in the dead of night or a lesson on the generosity of the rich to the wanting. These words are the most picturesque revelation of the depth of God’s love for us.
November 27, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!- John 1:29 Guilt. Nobody escapes this horrible feeling that gnaws at the soul. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We project a composure of stillness, and yet a certain kind of chaos rages within us. Sometimes, what we do is to try to forget the wrong that we committed but we simply cannot. Eventually, we deal with it by asking for forgiveness. All we want to hear are the words, “It’s all right. I forgive you.” And then add our efforts to make up for the wrong that we have done – sacrifices and favors which we hope to give us relief from the guilt. Maybe surprise gifts. Perhaps extra time and attention.
November 17, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
The entire Christian world is in a state of mourning. We have lost a great man. A man who has devoted his entire life in service to God and, in doing so, has inspired people from all over the world to do the same. History will forever record the name Dr. Myles Munroe as the pastor who died while fulfilling God’s purposes in his life. Without any iota of doubt, he has finished the race set before him by Christ. Surely, heaven’s thunderous applause welcomed him in. For his was a short-lived, but well-lived life. And so, to the bereaved family, friends and colleagues of Dr. Myles Munroe, and to the congregation of Bahamas Faith Ministries International Fellowship, we share your grief, but we also share heaven’s joy for the homecoming of a faithful servant.
July 18, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” – John 8:10 When it comes to judging people, for most of us, we’re very black-and-white about it. Was it immoral? Yes. Did she suffer because of it? Yes. Then she deserves it. Was it illegal? Yes. Should she be punished? Yes. Then proceed with the punishment. Was it un-Christian of her? Yes. Should she be excluded because of that? Yes, she should at least expect that, right? Picture the scene well. There she was, caught in the act! And it was adultery, no less! Was it immoral? Yes! Was it illegal? Without a doubt! Was it un-Christian of her? Hah, did you have to ask?!
(The Appointed Food of Man’s Soul) “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33 The body of man was created in such a way as to always need food and drink. These may come in various shapes and forms, but, just the same, they are nourishment that the body needs to continue to live. It is the same with the human soul. The soul of every man naturally starves and thirsts. By nature, we turn to our own abilities, our own hard work in order to find something – anything that satisfies. We look to relationships. We look to achievements. We look to fame. We look to wealth. We even turn to vices and every fleshly enjoyment conceivable. And although there is a certain amount of pleasure derived from all these, we find that there is something quite indefinable that seems to elude us, that we seem to never quite catch, that we seem to entirely miss every time, all the time. What is that something? Who: Jesus.
May 14, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
“And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised from the dead.’” – Luke 9:22 Victory, in any man’s dictionary, is always synonymous to words like success, triumph and winning. It comes as no surprise that, in Biblical times, the Israelites were looking at victory through the very limited lenses of humanity. To all of them, even Jesus’ very disciples, God’s victory is success over the prevailing political powers at that time, the Romans; it was national liberty. Knowing how narrow and shallow the human understanding was, God set out a plan of redemption that took hundreds of years to prepare and just a little over thirty years to execute. His plan of redemption was a work of beauty because it evolved around the most influential and most pervading figure in human history: JESUS.
April 1, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.Philippians 4:12-13, New International Version It’s the month of graduation days – when students revel in victory after finishing yet another stage of their lives.
March 18, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
“Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart” MATTHEW 3:8 (Weymouth New Testament) I belong to Him. Deep within me, I know that’s true. But I can’t seem to live that life that just shouts this to the rooftops… what is wrong with me? I need to think big, yes. But, Lord, let me start small. One day at a time. One breath, one heart, one gesture of love at a time. This is all I can do right now, Lord. See, Lord? I’m disciplining my thoughts now. I am choosing what to listen to, who to listen to. I am choosing what and who influences how I feel. I’ve turned to You, Lord. This counts, doesn’t it?
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” EPHESIANS 3:20-21 (New International Version © 2011) There is only one way for faith to die. You kill it. There is only one way for faith to work. You exercise it. There is only one way for faith to be exercised. You live it.
HIS LOVE IS LIFE 17On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18Now Bethany was less than two milesb from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
March 13, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 31The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. 33“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” 34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him. (Matthew 20:29-34) Never knowing… this isn’t the way to truly live!
February 11, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. John 13:1b This is that special month when all the world seems to focus all its energies on one thing alone: LOVE. There are many definitions of love that have been unearthed and circulated, especially in the social media. This world has even come as far as to interview so-called experts in the hope of “new” explanations. But for others, this endless search for the perfect definition of love is, simply put, an exercise in futility. For them, love can never be defined. “Love is a mystery that can never be deciphered by the finite human mind” – that is what love is, they say.
February 8, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
When we think about God’s love, one of the few choicest words that come to mind is ‘everlasting.’ He Himself described His love as such: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3). We wonder. When God said everlasting, did He really mean that His love is with no beginning and no end, with no condition, with no possibility of ever changing at all? Let us journey through time and find out the answer. For etched in every part of the history of humanity, is the love of God, the Lover of our Soul.
January 21, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
Scripture Reading: John 11:1-44 Lazarus typifies man: •Lazarus was buried in a cave that served as his grave. Man’s appalling state has dug him his own grave. •There is no way that Lazarus can come out of his grave without God’s help. There is no way for man to get out of his ‘grave’ without God’s help.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 PETER 5:7 (New Living Translation ©2007) You carry the world on your shoulders. Everyone looks to you for answers. You always seem to have them.
January 9, 2014 by admin | Leave a Comment
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 It happens every year. The first day of the year marks the beginning of new things in our lives. On the eve of the coming year, we find ourselves with an inevitable prompting to prepare a long list of various kinds of new-year-plans as a preparation for the long journey ahead. And for many people, this prompting is a need to ensure the start of a good year.
Jesus is the Life-Giver. Remember the bleeding woman whom society had treated ‘dead’ for the last 12 years of her life? Or the leprous and the blind, the widows and the beggars – people who, in view of their predominant socio-cultural setting, did not have any chance at life? Only upon meeting the Life-Giver did they understand what life really was. But while the Bible is teeming with miracles where Jesus brings significance – life in its truest sense – to a person’s life, it also highlights exceptional miracles where Jesus literally brings people back to life.
(HIS LIFE-GIVING LOVE) “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” – John 1:4 This new year, the best place to start is not really where or when, but Who. It all starts with Jesus. The truth is simple. We were created in the image of God and enjoyed the sweetest fellowship with Him. But we fell from that image and lost that sweet relationship when mankind sinned. The most principal consequence of that sin is separation from the joy of intimacy with God.
December 29, 2013 by admin | Leave a Comment
Bro. Eddie C. Villanueva's New Year Message New Year has always been about beginnings, resolutions and turning over a new leaf. But for many of us, it means so much more. It means rising from the ashes. And marching onwards with greater courage and a more unyielding fortitude against all the failures, disappointments, hurts and pains of the past year. We have much to rise from. Blow after blow has been thrown to beat us down. On a personal level, we have had to face our own challenges in our families, among our friends and peers in the workplace. Ruined plans and broken dreams. Financial devastation and loss of home and properties. Betrayed trusts and emotional devastation. Illnesses. Injustices. And deaths. On a national level, calamities after calamities came one after another: earthquakes, landslides, floods and typhoons, the latest being this year's world's strongest and most devastating Super Typhoon Yolanda.
January 30, 2013 by admin | Leave a Comment
Church Planting: God takes you to places By Karen Santiago“…I just want to be remembered as a person who serves […]