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Monday Edition
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April 11. 2011
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Greetings!
Do we doubt God's provision for us? Do we always wonder where our next morsel of food is coming from?
Consider what Jesus did when He fed the five thousand men, in addition to all the women and children, from the five loaves of bread and two fish that his disciples gathered from the crowd before Jesus asked God's blessing on the food.
When He started breaking the loaves and fish into pieces and the disciples distributed them to the people, they all ate as much as they wanted, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers gathered afterwards. (Read Matthew 14: 13 - 21)
Let us not worry where we will get our provisions from, whenever there is a call for help there or an urgent need here. Our God is always faithful to provide us with whatever we desire to expand His Kingdom here on earth.
The Church Staff
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PREVIEW
We had a good "birdseye" view of the Palawan project yesterday at the Core Group Meeting. Another church campus is to be constructed a few miles away from the Irawan church.
Besides the church that will seat approximately 200, there will also be an all-purpose building/gymnasium complex in this campus, as well as an office that will serve as headquarters for Gospel Life in Palawan.
Nearby will be a commercial complex for offices/stores and a motel that can house guests of Gospel Life as well as tourists to the area. Other structures will be constructed in the future.
These are all made possible through the generosity of Paul and Dollie Sy. Let's continue to ask God's blessings on them and impart our blessings to them as well.
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ITINERARY
Pastor John outlined their travel plans when he and his wife, Jessie, leave for the Philippines next week. Much of their time will be spent in the Greater Manila area as they meet with groups there who will form the nucleus of what will become Gospel Life's group in MetroManila.
A Pastors' Conference is scheduled for several days in Palawan. Pastors and Lay Ministers from Gospel Life churches in various areas of the Philippines will gather in the Irawan church campus for these meetings. Ordination of these pastors and ministers will take place in Palawan.
There will likewise be meetings conducted in the Guimba, Nueva Ecija church. Their pastor will also be ordained to the ministry while Pastor John and company hold meetings and church services there.
Trips to other areas will depend on availability of opportunities to do so and on time constraints. There are church groups and companies located in Davao and Cebu. Another possibility is Mindoro.
Our prayers are with our ministry team as they prepare to go next week.
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"LOVE LETTERS"
Many "love letters" went out yesterday to our church membership describing the finances of our church. It is a love letter, indeed, because only as we love are we able to muster the courage to exercise generosity in its full measure.
Several types of gifting are described: the regular/proportional giving, the sacrificial giving and the faith giving. We are asked to prayerfully consider these as we contemplate on the necessary expenses that we as a church have. This includes the mortgage that our church still carries, which will be due in May, a year from now.
One of the reassuring facts we know is that God owns the universe, and He has unlimited resources to fill our needs. We need to recapture the kind of faith and trust we had when we first came to know that our Miracle Hill church campus became available to us some eight years or so ago. After all, didn't God give us this property even when we didn't have the money then?
We are now, as it were, in the midst of a storm and we worry that our boat will sink and we will drown. But Jesus says, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he stood up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly all was calm. (Matthew 8:26 NLT) |
DISASTER RELIEF
Our Japan Disaster Relief Fund drive-through was a success in terms of funds collected in a short period of time. The united and cooperative efforts of several organizations and individuals can be credited with the results. Above all, God's grace moving among our citizens made them as generous as they have been.
Gospel Life Community spearheaded the drive together with the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Gabriel Valley, the Asia Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association, The Chinese American Association of Walnut, the Eastern San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center of West Covina, McLeod & Co., Seafood City Supermarket of West Covina, and other individuals.
Seafood City Supermarket of West Covina provided coupons entitling recipients to a $5 discount on their grocery purchases from their store in West Covina.
Proceeds of the fund drive will benefit the most devastated area of the recent earthquake and tsunami that hit northeastern Japan, the city of Sendai in the Miyagi Prefecture.
Donations will continue to be received for this project till the end of this month.  |
MARKETPLACE MINISTRY
Elevated From the Pasture
Now then, tell my servant David, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture and from following the flock to be ruler over My people Israel." - 2 Samuel 7:8 Have you ever heard someone say, "He is a self-made millionaire"? They are stating that this person accomplished everything through his own efforts. His achievements were a result of his hard work and street smarts. David was nearing the end of his life. The prophet Nathan was responding to David's idea to build a temple where the Ark of the Covenant would stay. God reminded David of his roots and where He had brought him. God took David from the fields of pasturing sheep to pastoring a nation. God reminded David that He cut off all of David's enemies. (David never lost a battle.) Have you ever felt tempted to look at your accomplishments with pride as if you were the reason for your success? Have you ever thought your prosperity was due to your ingenuity? Has your material success been a testimony to others that God is the ruler of all aspects of your life, even the material side? Joseph's greatest test was not his temptation to be bitter against his brothers. It wasn't the sexual temptation that came inside Potiphar's house. It wasn't even the discouragement of years of imprisonment for being wrongfully accused. It was the temptation of prosperity and ownership. Once he was elevated, he was given choices that he never had before. It was totally up to him as to which choice he would make. Stewardship reveals what we believe about God and ourselves. "Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all to survive is prosperity." -Oswald Chambers Do you have a proper understanding of who you are? Do you understand that it is God who has given you the ability to work and achieve? He is the source of all good things. Ask God today if your life models this belief.
(Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.)
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DO NOT FORGET
Fifteen pastors and lay ministers will converge at the Irawan church campus in Palawan for a Pastors' Conference on May 12-16. They will need assistance with their transportation fare to the tune of approximately $150 each. Please sponsor them so they can attend these instructional conference to be conducted by our lead ministers and our other ministers who will be there for them. Any amount you are able to provide is deeply appreciated. Please submit these funds by next Sunday, April 17th, at the latest.
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MEDITATION
'I remember a sweet song from my childhood that begins "Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world..." Yes, Lord, you love all the children. I pray that every Christian will look at others through your eyes. Yes, you hate our sin, but you love us so much and want us to have fellowship with you and be with you in eternity. And children...are so precious. I pray that their innocence will not be stolen, that every one will be loved as they should be, that every one will have comfort and food and shelter...and loving families. I pray that every child will have the chance to grow up and know you and serve you...and give back to you and to others through reaching out in ministry as you lead and equip them to do. Bless each one. Help us adults to be sensitive to the needs and feelings of all children and to be caring and compassionate and Christ-like examples, as Jesus would have us to be. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.' |
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