September 18, 2022

Good News Today

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Friends, the good news today says WHEN WE COME TO CHURCH REGULARLY AND EARLY, IT SHOWS JESUS IS OUR PRIORITY.

Just recently, we transferred to Oriental Mindoro. It’s normal for us to find a church we can have the Worship Service on Sunday. Glory to God, Labasan Church of Christ is just 500 meters away from our residence. The very first thing that strikes me most is the brethren keeping the service on time. Devotion starts at 7:30 am and Worship Service commences at 8:00 am. Our Servant Leader Ptr Cesar Fortez always makes sure we are on time to the extent of announcing “in 5 minutes, we will start”. It gives me so much motivation to get to church early.

There are many reasons to get to church on time, or even early! Getting to church on time is important, and I think, all Christians need to be starting to get into this habit.

Let’s face it, new people are usually the ones who get to church early. If we get to church even five minutes before the service starts, you can welcome them before the first song even begins.

By coming to church early, we meet new people. Our churches need to be welcoming new people, whether they’re Christians visiting from another church, Christians who might be looking at coming to the church, or people who are yet to know Christ just coming along to see what it’s all about. It’s good to meet new people after the service over tea and coffee. But welcoming them and having a good conversation with them before the service even begins is going to make them feel so much more at home. It could be the difference that makes them want to come back next week.

Going to church early allows us to encourage the encouragers. Getting to church on time shows those serving at the service that we appreciate what they do. If you’re there when the service begins, sing heartily along to the music, listen when the bible is read, and listen to what the services have put together, we are showing that we appreciate the work they are putting in, to encourage the church.

When we come to church early, it shows our priorities.
Regularly turning up to church late might not seem that big a deal for us. But I think, if we’re really honest, it’s just a symptom of the real problem, we don’t see the church as important as it should be.

Friends, Church isn’t just a bunch of random meetings in a building each week. It’s not just a combination of readings and songs and talks. It’s the time when we encourage each other in our faith, reminding each other to hold onto the hope we have in Jesus, as we wait for him to return.

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith burning.

September 17, 2023

Good News Today

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Friends, the good news today says WE NEED TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS FAR AND WIDE WITH GREAT BOLDNESS.

We were made in the image of God, whose perfect character and eternal attributes encompass all that man desires and needs, but the world, in general, is separated from the one source that gives everlasting life.

The good news is we can get back with the only source of life, love, and peace with the one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, the Lord Jesus Christ.

We read in the Bible Christ’s teaching, read His miracles, and experienced them in our own life. We read and believe He was nailed to the Cross, and rejoiced, three days later, He rose from the dead. We believe Jesus is the Son of the living God, and that in Him were the words of eternal life, light, truth, and love. We should believe that Jesus alone is our blessed hope. So, we need to proclaim the good news far and wide with great boldness.

Friends, there is truly no other way to be saved. Our salvation cleanses us from our sins by only one name, Jesus Christ. So when we pray, ask petitions to only one name Jesus Christ. No other name can save us (Acts 4.12).

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 16, 2022

Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Friends, the good news today says WE ARE ALLOWED TO COME TO GOD PERSONALLY, THERE IS NOTHING BETWEEN US AND GOD.

Everytime I visit my FB account, I always read post saying that “they are weary, down and a lot of HUGOT NA MAY PINAGDADAANAN. It’s natural sometimes to feel down. The good news, Lord Jesus is inviting us to come to Him.

God wants us so much that Jesus died on the Cross just to prove it. Jesus didn’t have to come to this earth and die, but God’s love is so great, and He wanted us so much that He chose to come.

Several times, I experienced that when I tried to do everything with my own strength, it does not turn out well. When I’m doing it alone, it is like my spirit, mind, will, and emotions can’t function because there is this weight on me that I try to lift by myself. It causes me to feel down, depressed, anxious, all those negative things that I do not want in life.

Friends, our cited verse says when we are weary, God will give us rest, and the best thing is, He even tells us how and that is by carrying the load for us. Let’s come to Jesus.

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 7, 2022

Good News Today

1 Thessalonians 5:10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.

Friends, the good news today says WE BELONG TO GOD AND WE STAND OR FALL BEFORE HIM ALONE.

Jesus is our Saviour. He is our Lord. He is our God. Jesus saved us by grace. Salvation is His gift of grace to all who believe in Him, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). The price He paid for us was His own life and as believers we should be living unto the Lord, living to please our Saviour for the honour of His name and to the glory of God. We belong to Him and we stand or fall before Him alone.

Everything is for the glory of God. Even “the heavens declare the glory of God,” (Psalms 19:1).

Friends, we have a wonderful opportunity in our lives to live to the glory of God: “Whatever we do, do it to the glory of God.”

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 14, 2022

Good News Today

James 3:5-6 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Friends, the good news today says WE NEED TO CONTROL OUR TONGUES SO THAT THEY SPEAK WORDS THAT BUILD UP AND GIVE GRACE.

Our cited verse says the power of life and death is in the tongue. Our words influence our relationships and where other people end up in life. We can literally send people down a path of death or a path of life. Path of security or a path of insecurity. Path of love for God or a path of hating God.

The horse can be directed where the rider wants to go by the bit. The ship can be directed where the captain wants to go by the rudder. Our words can
help steer someone’s life in a good and God-glorifying direction.

Parent who speaks words of affirmation and loving acceptance over their child helps that child grow up with an inner confidence that they’ll take with them for the rest of their lives. The teacher who shows kindness to a lonely, insecure child and builds them up with words of encouragement can literally send that child on a different trajectory in life then they would have otherwise gone without those words. Sunday school teachers can sow seeds of God’s word in young hearts that bear eternal fruit.

Friends, we need to control our tongues so that they speak words that build up and give grace. God can use our words can help direct the people in our lives to be better people. The tongue’s power is directive.

God bless us all. Let’s all keep the faith.

September 12, 2022

Good News Today

Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near

Friends, the good news today says WE NEED TO STIR UP ONE ANOTHER TO LOVE AND GOOD WORK.

I learned that my batch mates are planning to have a grand reunion. So today, I write about the benefits of fellowship looking at the Bible perspective. I strongly believe that reunion is a kind of fellowship that Jesus said is very important for us brothers and sisters in building camaraderie, bonding, and growing love together.

All over the world, there is a fellowship of brothers and sisters (i.e. all transcends time and distance having the commonality of Christ). It’s truly a marvelous thing that we have the responsibility to care for and stimulate one another toward love and good deeds by reminding ourselves of the amazing things Christ has done for us.

Meeting with our friends, and classmates regularly is the key to spiritual growth. When we come to share our lives and talk about our experiences, excitement builds and encouragement spills over onto one another. The effects are contagious.

This is what should happen when we get together. This is why we need to come, stir each other up and encourage one another continually. We do not have to go through life alone; we have thousands of friends, classmates, and fellow believers. As my batch mate NELA said, WE ARE ONE BIG FAMILY.

Friends, as one big family, we need to often bond together. Further, when we bond together, we talk bout the goodness of God in our life.

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 11, 2022

Good News Today

Psalm 23:4 Lord, even when your path takes me through the valley of deepest darkness, fear will never conquer me, for you already have! You remain close to me and lead me through it all the way! Your authority is my strength and my peace. The comfort of your love takes away my fear. I’ll never be lonely for you are near.

Friends, the good news today says GOD AUTHORITY IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR PEACE.

Traveling back from the US to the Philippines yesterday, the plane we are riding passed a turbulent zone just two hours from our departure. To think that we are to travel for 13 long hours, like any normal person, I felt that my heart beat doubled. When I was still in the government service, several times I experienced a situation like this. But this time, I felt it was different. Maybe, it’s because it’s been three years since the last time I rode a plane.

During the intense turbulence, fear creeps into my whole body, my palms start to get cold, and my heart starts pounding. I can feel my mouth drying. I can feel the fear of my wife who sits beside me.

At that moment, we pray without ceasing believing Jesus is with us and He will never leave us or forsake us.

Fear is described as a mainly unpleasant emotion, caused by pain or a threat. Fear has the power to paralyze us to the point where we are rendered incapable of doing anything. Unfortunately, many are controlled by their fear.

If we allow it, fear can penetrate every area of our lives. Sometimes we experience physical signs. It has the capability of literally paralyzing us.

The good news is that God wants to comfort us and fight our battle against fear. The common issue occurs when we enter the “fight-or-flight” mode. When a circumstance introduces fear, our bodies produce adrenaline, the fuel that motivates us to either take a stand and fight against the fear or run away from the fear.

Friends, take a minute to think about how we react when faced with fear. We have the option of praying to God or succumbing to the symptoms of fear paralyzing us.

God bless us all. Let’s all keep the faith.

Friends, the good news today says GOD AUTHORITY IS OUR STRENGTH AND OUR PEACE.

September 8, 2022

Good News Today

Matthew 22:37-40 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Friends, the good news today says LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS THE FIRST, AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER IS THE SECOND.

Healthy relationships make life enjoyable perhaps more than anything else. Even if your health isn’t the best, if you have loving relationships, you can enjoy life. You can make a pile of money, but if your relationships are broken or shallow, your life will be empty.

The Bible ranks healthy relationships as the most important thing in life. Loving relationships with God are of first importance, but loving relationships with others are second. The Bible is all about these two important relationships.

Because the Bible emphasizes healthy relationships so highly, it’s sad that many families have broken relationships. Many homes have been devastated by bad relationships. Many parents are at odds with their children and brothers among brothers.

Friends, in our text, Paul gives the prescription for healthy relationships. “First, Love the Lord our God, second, love our neighbor as we love ourselves”.If we consistently practice these qualities, we will have healthy relationships.

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 6, 2022

Good News Today

Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings so that we may also share in his glory.

Friends, the good news today says CHRISTIANS SHOULD SHARE CHRIST GLORY.

There is every reason why believers should love one another and live in unity. We trust the same Savior and share the same glory. We will one day enjoy the same heaven! We belong to the same Father and seek to do the same work, witnessing a lost world that Jesus Christ alone saves from sin.

We believe the same truth, even though we may have different views on minor doctrinal matters, and we follow the same example that Jesus set for His people, to live a holy life. Yes, believers do have their differences, but we have much more in common, and this should encourage us to love one another and promote true spiritual unity.

One day, each of us will have to give an account of our ministry. It is a solemn thought that we shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give our “final report.”

Friends, I trust that we will be able to say, “We have glorified thee on the earth; We have finished the work which thou gave me to do” (John 17:4).

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.

September 4, 2022

Good News Today

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Friends, the good news today says SOMETIMES, WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE BEST THINGS IN OUR LIFE.

When I’m still young in my faith, I’m confused when I saw people getting away with cheating, lying, and treating others wrongly, but God wasn’t punishing them. The wrongdoers seemed to have the benefit of good health, popularity, and money. In my young faith, I would ask, why does God allow people making all the wrong choices to succeed so much.

Later, as I matured with my faith, I begin to understand that the Bible tells us to trust God to make all things right. He will deal with each person according to his deeds sooner or later either in this life or in the eternal life to come. Having wealth and enjoying other human pleasures are not always signs of God’s approval of a life.

On the other side of the coin, tragedy or the lack of money are not necessarily signs of God’s judgment upon a family. Jesus explained this truth to his disciples in Luke 13:1-5.

God inspired King David to write: Do not fret because of evildoers or be jealous of them, for they shall soon be cut down like grass.

Friends, trust in the Lord and do good, feed on His faithfulness to you and He will give you the desires of your heart Psalm 37:1-4.

God bless us all. Let’s keep the faith.