Experience God's Presence Daily!!!

Matthew 1:23 
...and they shall call His Name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

God has promised you His constant presence (Hebrews 13:5),but are you conscious of His presence every day?  When You are conscious of His presence every day, you will experience a peace that gives you rest, joy inexpressible in your spirit and a power that nothing in this world can offer.  In fact, you will begin to be peaceful and powerful like Jesus.  You will speak and behave like Him.  This is because you cannot be in God’s presence without His beauty, love, peace, power, and glory rubbing off on you.

But how do you practice being conscious of God’s presence?

Start by seeing God with you in whatever you do and wherever you are.  For example, at your office meeting, while deliberating on issues, see the Lord there in your workplace with you, guiding you in your thinking.  And you can be sure that His presence will bring clarity of thought and wisdom to you.  You will find yourself flowing with great and sound ideas.

If you are going for an interview, see the Lord there in the interview room with you, putting answers in your mouth.  You nervousness will melt away as you see His favor on you bringing on smiles and approving nods from the interviewers.

Perhaps you are going for surgery.  Well, see the Lord in the  operating room with you, guiding the hands of the surgeons.  Your worries will dissipate because nothing can go wrong in the Lord’s presence.

If you are in the middle of an argument, see the Lord standing within earshot.  Your words will change and your body language will become more reconciliatory as you see Him right there with you extending His grace to you.  There will be a restraint which is not borne of willpower, but which comes supernaturally when you know that the One who loves you and watches over you is with you.

Beloved, when you become conscious of God’s presence in your life, worries and fears will have no foothold in your mind.  You will see Him maximizing your joy and fun, and prospering you in what you say and do!  so, this Christmas season, rest assured that Jesus Himself is available to you...now and forever!!!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

 

Feed on God's Word Daily!!!

Matthew 4:4
4But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
 
The Bible tells us that God breathed into man and he became a living being.  (Genesis 2:7)  It is also tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed.  (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV)  This means that when you read the Bible or listen to God’s Word preached, you are imbibing the very breath of God which gives you life.

That is why there may have been times you walked into church feeling tired at first, but left at the end of the service feeling refreshed and energized.  God’s Word had breathed life into your body!  Many faithful church members become healthier, stronger and even younger-looking because they spend time in God’s Word.

It is no wonder that Proverbs 4:22 tells us that God’s words are “life to those who find them and health to all their flesh”.  So if you are under the weather or if symptoms are attacking your body, double up on God’s medicine.  Simply feed more on God’s Word, and you will find life and health flowing through your body again.

Jesus said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  If it is important to eat our meals every day, how much more feeding on God’s Word?  Jesus wants us to know that we need God’s Word even more than our daily meals.  He made us, so He knows best what our bodies need daily.

So whatever you do, remember that get your daily feeding of God’s Word.  Read your Bible in the comfort of your home or in the office during your lunch break.  Play sermon CDs while driving to work or doing household chores.  If you prefer something more visual, watch DVDs on the preaching of His Word.  Choose whichever form you prefer and get His Word inside you!

Beloved, you cannot live when you stop breathing.  In the same way, you cannot live without the Word because it is the very breath of God which gives you life and health!  So, bring it up another notch...don’t just feed on the Word...FEAST on the Awesome Word of God!!!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Jesus is Our Restorer and Nourisher!

Ruth 4:15
15And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age... 

Famine impoverished the life of Naomi, an Israelite.  But it was the deaths of her husband and two sons that left her completely destitute.  (Ruth 1:1-5)  Or so she thought, until Boaz, who was a wealthy and close relative, entered her life.

As her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz married Ruth, Naomi’s widowed daughter-in-law.  and through that union, Naomi had a grandson.  The birth of her grandson gave her a new lease of life, causing the womenfolk in her village to declare that the restorer of life and the nourisher of her old age had come into her life.  (Ruth 4:14-16)

Boaz is a picture of Jesus, our kinsman-redeemer.  Jesus became our kinsman when He was born into this world as one like us.  And He became our Redeemer when He paid with His life and blood at the cross to redeem us.

Jesus gave Himself to us as a our restorer of life and nourisher of our old age.  When the restorer of life is in our lives, what we have lost can be restored.  (Joel 2:25-26)  And with the nourisher of our old age in us, our bodies can be gloriously renewed even though we advance in our years.

That is why when Moses died at the age of 120, his eyes were not dim and his natural vigor was not diminished.  (Deuteronomy 34:7)  Caleb, at 85 years old, could still drive out the giants from the land.  god had literally nourished his body and made it strong for war.  (Joshua 14:11)  Sarah was certainly rejuvenated in her old age by God for she was still desirable to a king at the age of 90.  (Genesis 20:1-2)  God even renewed her womb.  She received strength to conceive seed (Hebrews 11:11), giving birth to Isaac in her old age.

Beloved, God is outside of time and your faith in Him brings you into this timeless zone.  There, what the years have stolen will be restored.  And even as  your years increase, you will not grow weak and weary because the restorer of life and nourisher of your old age is in you!  So, keep flexing your faith muscles and claim your inheritance from God!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

God is setting you up for a BLESSING!

Ruth 2:12
12The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.
 
Have you ever wondered why, in some Bible stories, God asked the people to give what little they had to Him?  It may appear cruel, but the truth is that God was setting them up for a blessing!  God’s way is to use whatever we have, and multiply it back to us once we put it in His hands.

The widow of Zarephath had only a handful of flour and a little oil to make one last meal for her son and herself before they faced starvation.  But she trusted God and used a portion of the little that she had to make a cake for the prophet Elijah.  And God rewarded her by making sure that her bin of flour was not used up and her jar of oil did not run dry until the drought ended (1 Kings 17:8-16)

Similarly, the boy who gave his little lunch of five loaves and two small fish to Jesus not only ate well, but he also saw it being used to feed more than 5,000 people with 12 baskets full of leftovers! (John 6:1-13)

Whenever we give what little we have to God, whether it is money, time or energy, it opens up our hearts so that God can fill us up with more.  And when we give our lives to God, we can trust Him to make things right for us and to be the rewarder of our faith.

When Ruth, a childless Moabite widow, left the comfort of her home to follow her mother-in-law Naomi and the God of Israel back to a foreign land (Ruth 1:16), she was given a full reward by the Lord.  God gave Ruth protection and ensured that she was well-provided for through Boaz, a wealthy relative who took on the role of kinsman-redeemer for her and Naomi. (Ruth 2:9, 4:9-10)

Beloved, as you trust God with what you have today, know that He loves you and is setting you up for more blessings.  So expect to see even more of His provision and abundance in the days to come!  We serve a God who is ever faithful...ever loving...So, trust Him for ALL you need!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Have You Claimed Your Restoration?

Acts 3:20-21
20...that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things...
 
As a believer, you have a right to expect restoration of the things that the devil has stolen from you.  It may be your health, marriage, or finances, but payback time is definitely coming!

Acts 3:20-21 tells us that before Jesus comes back for His church, we will experience “the times of restoration of all things”.  What a hope that gives us, knowing that God will restore to us all things before Jesus returns!

Friends, if the devil is attacking you in any area, tell God, “Father, I will not allow the devil to rob me of my health, marriage, children or finances.  These blessings are blood-bough and paid for by Your Son!”  Claim your restoration in Christ and heaven will hear you.

There will be such times of restoration of all things to the body of Christ that His people will only get better, stronger, healthier, and more prosperous and glorious!  When God restores, even under the old covenant, His people always received much more than what they had originally lost, in terms of quality and/or quantity.  How much more will our restoration be under the new covenant because of the shed blood of the Lamb of God!

A divorcee with a teenage son came to church and accepted the Lord a few years ago.  She began to pray for the restoration of her marriage and the reunion of her family.  She know that the chances of this happening were close to zero since she had not met nor spoken with her ex-husband since their divorce 10 years ago.  She did not even know if he had remarried.  But God caused their paths to cross at a wedding, and today, their relationship is healed, and together with their son, they worship as a family in church.

Even though what happened for that sister may not happen for every divorced person (God can give you a better spouse and marriage), I believe that God wants you to know that your times of restoration are here.  Heaven is waiting to hear you stake your claim for restoration!  Simply focus on God...serve Jesus...and watch what happens!!!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Your Sin Cannot Stop God's Grace on Your Life!

Romans 5:20 NKJV
20Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.
 
When a top executive is charged for corruption or a church minister is caught win the very act of adultery, you will probably hear the phrase caught in the very act of adultery, you will probably hear the phrase “fallen from grace” being used of them.  We have come to believe that when someone falls into sin, he falls from grace.  But God wants us to know that when someone falls into sin, he does not fall from grace - he actually falls into grace!  Thank God His grace is there to put the person back on his feet.

The Bible tells of prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors - sinners - who fell into God’s grace and got back on their feet.  If the sin in their lives could stop God’s grace, they would never have been able to receive His grace of healing, help and power to live right.

Now, it is important you understand that God hates sin because it destroys our lives, relationships and bodies.  Sin is evil!  But sin is not overcome by us talking about it and relying on our willpower to overcome it.  It takes God’s grace to destroy sin.  In fact, it is when you are under His grace that sin has no dominion over you. (Romans 6:14)  It is when you see His grace in providing His Son to put away your sins and make you eternally righteous that sin will not dominate you.

The devil will say to you, “You think that you can still expect God’s blessings after what you did this morning?”  That is when you must remind yourself that Christ alone is your perfection and righteousness.  All of us have faults.  None of us deserve God’s blessings.  That is why we plead the grace of God, which is His unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor toward us.

Sin does not and cannot stop God’s grace.  If His grace can be cut off by sin, Jesus would never have come to save us because we were all terrible sinners.  But praise God, “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”!

Friends, God’s grace is bigger, deeper, wider and more powerful than all the world’s sins put together.  Receive His grace right now to walk in total victory over that weakness or evil habit in your life!  Remember that you are no longer under the LAW, but under the GRACE OF GOD!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

 

You are Blessed...More Ways Than One!

Romans 5:1

1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have  peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We are not trying to get peace with God.  We already have peace with God, having been justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ.  This peace with God brings us the peace of God, which guards our hearts and minds.  (Philippians 4:7)  Then, the peace of God inside us will also translate into the peace of God outside us - in all our outward circumstances.

 

Firstly,we will find that what would normally cause us much care and anxiety will no longer be the case.  Secondly, not only will everything turn out well, but we will also be blessed in  more ways than one.  This is what happens when Jesus, the Prince of Peace, is our peace.

 

A church member, though stricken with cancer, enjoyed the peace of God, knowing the He was her healer.  She later received confirmation from two different doctors that she had been completely healed of cancer.  In addition to receiving her blessing of complete healing, she also received from her insurance company a critical illness claim of $50,000!

 

Another church member, upon hearing news that her hours at work were being cut then shortly after, she was laid off, committed the matter to God, believing that He would work all things out for her, especially her loss of a regular income.  Within days, she received calls from her contacts in the industry, offering her jobs, two of which were jobs in well-known multinational corporations.

 

At that time, she had not yet started looking for a job, so the calls were unexpected but welcomed.  She finally opted to work for one of the corporations - a dream come true for her - at a salary that was 30 percent more than her previous one!  When she simply prayed, “Abba Father, I trust You to look after me,” and rested in His love and peace, she was abundantly blessed.

 

Because Jesus is your peace, you are blessed in more ways  than one.  Your soul will prosper.  Your health will prosper.  Your finances will prosper.  Your loved ones will be taken care of.  Your relationships will flourish.  You will enjoy the favor of God.  All because you have the Prince of Peace!  Your trials and challenges are testimonies of God’s blessings upon your life!  Go ahead...Tell on God’s Goodness!

 

God Loves You and I Love You!  Pastor Erwin

Forgive...Let God Do The Rest!

Ephesians 4:32
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
 
People like to say, “I can forgive, but I cannot forget.”  Have you heard that before?  Now, in the first place, nowhere in the Bible does God tell you to forgive and then forget.  It is not in the Bible!  The devil is adding something here to make the whole thing burdensome.  God only tells us to forgive because God in Christ has forgiven us in debt we cannot pay.  When we do this, we do ourselves a favor because harboring bitterness and unforgiveness can sometimes affect...even destroy our health!

so just forgive and let God take care of the rest.  When you really forgive, sometimes, He makes you forget.  But sometimes, you still remember the incident because it was a major thing in your life.  Yet, when you look back at it, the pain is no  longer there.  The sting is gone and you are not bitter...and holding that grudge.

Joseph had forgiven his brothers before they came and bowed before him.  He remembered what they did to him, but he did not remember it with bitterness.  (Genesis 50:15-21)  so you may remember the incident, but the bitterness is gone because you have put the cross in the picture--”God in Christ forgave me.  Daddy, I forgive you.  Mom, I forgive you.  My cousin, I forgive you.”

Forgive by faith, not by your feelings.  We walk by faith, not feelings. (2 Corinthians 5:7)  Some people are waiting for feelings-- “I am waiting, Father, for the right emotion to come on me to forgive that person.”  That “right emotion” my never come!  forgive by faith, and do it once and for all.  Spend time in prayer.  Take out your diary and write it down: “Father, I bring this person before you.  You know what he did to me.  Father, as You forgave me through Jesus’ cross, even though I did not deserve it, by faith, I now forgive this person and I let my anger against him go in Jesus’ name.  Amen!”

Once you forgive by faith, you will see the sting of bitterness removed from your heart.  You will experience the peace and joy of God filling your mind, and see a greater measure of wholeness in your body!  Is there someone that you need to forgive...fully and freely?  LET THEM GO...LET GOD DO WHAT ONLY GOD CAN DO!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

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Jesus is Your Qualification for God's Blessings

Deuteronomy 28:2
2And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you... 

God loves to bless you.  He has even declared that “blessings shall come upon you and overtake you.”  This means that you can’t run fast enough to escape them!  When you turn one corner, there is a blessing waiting for you.  When you turn another corner, you run smack into another blessing!

Now, you may think that you don’t qualify for God’s blessings because of the preceding verse which says that these blessings will come to pass only if you diligently obey God’s voice and keep all of His commandments.  You know that no matter how hard you try, you just cannot keep all of God’s commandments.  In fact, the Bible says that if you fail to keep just one commandment, you fail to keep all.  (James 2:10)

Friends, I have good news for you: Jesus is the one who qualifies us for every single blessing because He is the One who kept all of God’s commandments.  When He died for us on the cross, He not only fulfilled all of God’s commandments, He also redeemed us from the curse of the law.  (Galatians 3:13)  Note that He did not redeem us from the blessings of the law, so the blessings are still ours today!

As you read the list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28, starting with “Blessed shall you be in the city...in the country...the fruit of your body...your basket...when you come in...when you go out...”  (Deuteronomy 28:3-13), I believe that Jesus is saying to you, “Like the blessings?  Then take them by faith!”

You may say, “But I don’t deserve them.”  Yes, you don’t deserve them, but you still get them because of Jesus.  That is God’s grace!  The law says, “You must deserve the blessings.”  But the law is no longer here.  Grace is here.  So take the blessings by grace through faith.  Believe God for the blessings.

Today, it is no longer a question of how much or how well you have kept God’s commandments.  It is a question of how much you can believe God for His blessings.  All the promises of God in Christ are “Yes”, and because you are in Christ, you can say “Amen!” to His blessings!  (2 Corinthians 1:20)  No ands, ifs or buts...JUST BELIEVE and you’ll RECEIVE!  Amen!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Jesus Christ Is Able and Always Willing!

Matthew 8:3
3Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
 
When you see someone receiving a miraculous healing or financial breakthrough, do you ask, “What about me, Lord?”  I believe that the leper who came to Jesus must have asked the same question.

He must have heard or seen from a distance, since he was not permitted to be in public places by the law, how Jesus had healed the sick.  So he had no doubt that Jesus could heal him, but he was not sure if Jesus would.  He said to Jesus, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  (Matthew 8:2)  He was confident of the power of God, but not the love of God for him.

Like the leper, maybe you don’t have a problem believing that God can give you your miracle, since He is Almighty God.  but you are wondering if He will do it for you.  Friends, let Jesus’ actions and answer to the leper settle this question once and for all.  He stretched forth His hand, touched the leper and said, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  And immediately, the leper was healed.

I want you to notice that Jesus touched the leper.  He could have healed him from a distance with just a spoken word.  He had healed others this was as in the case of the centurion’s servant and the Syro-Phoenician woman’s daughter.  So why did He touch the leper?

Jesus knew that for so many years, the leper had been cut off from his family and society, so he must have been feeling dehumanized.  I believe that Jesus touched him to make him feel human again, to make him feel loved and accepted again.  His touch was His love language to the leper.  

Can you see God’s heart of love here?  Can you see how much He loved the leper?  That is how much He loves you!  The day that you come to know God’s heart of love and believe that He wants you blessed more than you want to be blessed is the day that you receive your miracle!

Beloved, take a hold of God’s love, and you will believe that He is not only able, but also willing to make you whole!  So, don’t give up on yourself...Remember that God does not see you in judgement, because He sees you through His Holy Son, Jesus Christ...Hallelujah!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Our Only Help In Time of Need!

Hebrews 4:16  
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need”

If you are facing a challenge right now, I want you to know that you have a standing invittion from your heavenly Father to come boldly to the throne of grace to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The phrase “help in the time of need” means that you get healing when you are sick, provisions when you are in lack, restoration when your relationship with a loved one breaks down, and favor when news of job cuts or bad prospects are rife.

Pastor, how can I come boldly when I have been a lousy Christian?

Answer...Jesus Christ...and not by how you have lived your life.  So whenever you come into God’s presence, you don’t have to be afraid that your sins will be exposed because the blood of Jesus has removed every one of them.  God does not see even one speck of sin in you because He sees only the blood of His Son, which has been shed for your total forgiveness and acceptance.

You can come boldly because you come to God by the blood of Jesus!

Friends, when you have failed and need mercy, God’s Word assures you that you will find mercy when you come boldly to God.  Mercy means that you don’t get the bad things you deserve, such as condemnation, poverty, failure, loss and even death.

And mercy is not the only thing that you will obtain when you come boldly to God.  You will also find grace.  Grace means that you get the good things that you don’t deserve, such as health, protection, anointing, favor, good success and life more abundant and prosperous.

So come boldly to the One who loves you passionately, unconditionally and with an undying love.  Come boldly to Him who knows everything about your situation and has the solution.  He has wisdom far beyond that doctor you highly respect, that lawyer you greatly honor and the best experts you can consult.  Beloved, come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace to help in your time of need!  So defy worldly logic and do the opposite of what your brain tells you...Go to God and be pleasantly surprised!!!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Watch What You Say...

Psalm 91:2
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.”
 
When a great storm arose as Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, He did not say to His disciples, “The storm is here to teach us courage.”  Instead, he took authority over the storm and said, “Please, be still!”  And there was a perfect calm (Mark 4:39)

When He met the widow of Nain whose only son had died, and on another occasion, the two sisters whose brother Lazarus had died, He didn’t tell them, “God wanted to take him home.”  No, He spoke to the dead son: “Young man, I say to you, arise.”  (Luke 7:14)  And standing outside Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Lazarus, come forth!”  (John 11:43)  And both men came back to life.

What have you been saying about your situation?

When you feel the pain in your body, don’t say of the Lord, “God wants me sick to teach me to trust Him more.”  Instead, say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that by Your stripes I am healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

While trying to make ends meet, don’t say of the Lord, “The Lord keeps me poor to keep me humble.”  Instead say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

And if you have an intimidating boss at work, don’t say, “The Lord is my patience, I will endure.”  Instead say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can mad do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

We are living in the last days when there are terrorist attacks and deadly viruses lurking around, and the world is afraid.  But we will not speak negative words and be fearful like the people of the world.  Instead, we will speak God’s Word and reign over these things.  Like the psalmist, we will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my god, in Him I will trust.”

So find out what God’s Word says about your situation, believe it and declare it.  And because God’s Word cannot return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11), you will see what you believe!  So, confess (say) the Word of God and SEE it come to pass!  Hallelujah!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Turn Your Worries Into Prayers

Philippians 4:6
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

God doesn’t want you to fret, fear or be anxious.  Instead, He wants you to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

So when you have a care or worry, straightaway, turn that care or worry into prayer.  That is supplication.  And when you are troubled by a care or worry that you don’t know how to pray for, pray in the Spirit or tongues.  And in the midst of that prayer, thank God that He has already healed you, and has given you victory...that’s thanksgiving!

If I am worried about something, how long should I pray?  Keep on praying.  Pray in the Spirit until the worry lifts or dissipates, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

The one who prays in unimportant...that’s you!  But to whom prayer is made unto...that’s God!  True prayer is focused only on God, not on the one praying...again, that’s you!   Our prayer must be focused on God alone.  Prayer is God responding to us...not us responding, complaining and murmuring back to God!

If you focus on your needs and cares when you pray...and you do not focus on God...what is magnified are your needs and cares...not God!

Friends, our prayers must be based on the Living Word of God...and not on our words...if we pray with our own words, we are not praying...we’re just complaining to God.  remember Daniel who prayed to God and as he waited and fasted for 21 days...and angel appeared on the 21st day and told Daniel that when he prayed to God on the first day, God heard  his prayer and dispatched the angel right then and then...but the angel was “delayed” because he had to complete another assignment (from God) to fight the “enemy” (Daniel, chapters 9 and 10).  Trust that God heard your prayer (as long as you focus on God) the first time and you must wait for His answer...Remember that God’s delays are not His denials.  So, turn your worries into PRAYER with Purpose, Power, and Passion!

We Need But One Thing...

Proverbs 4:20-21
20My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  21Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
 
George Muller, who lived in the 1800s, cared more than 2,000 orphans in his five large orphanages.  But he  never allowed his huge responsibility to take him away from the Word of God.  he said that every day, he would set aside time to study the scriptures until his inner man was happy in the Lord.

Once, Muller met a man who worked between 14 and 16 hours every day.  He told the man, “You are destroying your health.  you don’t have time for  your family and most importantly, you don’t have time to nourish your inner man with the Word of God.”

The man replied, “I hear you, but I can’t see how I can cut down my working hours and spend time win the Word because even with the 14 to 16 hours I put in each day, I still can’t pull enough bread on the table for my family.”

As the man walked away, Muller said, “He doesn’t believe that if he gives time to God’s Word first, God will take care of all his needs.”

Likewise, do you really believe that every day, we need but one thing?  Even if the bills don’t get paid, the children are not making any headway in their studies and the office work is not completed, all these things can wait.  We Need But One Thing - that we spend time in the Word of God.

When Martha complained to Jesus that her sister Mary had left her to serve alone (Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing His Word), Jesus defended Mary by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42)

Friends, you will not lose out when you take time to sit down and listen to God’s Word.  Even your health and well-being will be blessed.  (Proverbs 4:22)  So take time today to meditate on His Word.  It will make your way prosperous (Joshua 1:8-9), and give you divine health and good success!  So, be diligent in ONE THING...the Word of God!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Save the Date: August 20, 2011

Have You Taken Your Love Break Today?

John 15:9
As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 

In your workplace, you probably take coffee breaks, lunch breaks, tea breaks and definitely toilet breaks.  Why not do the same in your spiritual life - take time for breaks, especially love breaks?

What is a love break?  It is the time you take to enjoy and feed on the love of Jesus for you.  At any time during the day, wherever you are, find a quite spot and feed on the love of Jesus.  Just sit down and talk to Him.  Say to Him, “Thank You, Jesus, for loving me.  nothing is going to happen to me that You don’t already know about.  Jesus, when I could not save myself, You died for me.  You gave up Your life for me.  What else will you not do for me!”

Such love breaks are typified in the Old Testament by Aaron the high priest and his sons eating the breast of the animal sacrificed.  (Leviticus 7:31)  The breast of the animal speaks of the love of Jesus.  Today, you are a priest to God. (Revelation 1:6)  So spend time feeding on the love of Jesus for  you, and see yourself nourished, strengthened and sustained by His love.  Jesus is our High Priest today.  This means His food is in loving us.  He enjoys loving and is also “nourished” by His love for us.

But do not forget that the breast was roasted by fire (Leviticus 7:35), which speaks of God’s judgment on Jesus as H hung on the cross because He was carrying our sins.  So as you feed on Jesus’ love for you, see Him loving you at the cross.  When things around you are not going well, do not allow the devil to say to  you, “If god loves you, how come these things are happening to you?”  My friend, interpret God’s love for you based on the cross, not on your present circumstances.

During the day, when you are hard at work, when busyness sets in, when problems pile up or when discouragement comes, just stop everything and take a love break with Jesus!  Let Jesus love you.  Let yourself enjoy being loved by Him.  Lean on His bosom, abide in His love and be nourished by His love for you!  So, go ahead and lift up the Mighty Name of JeSus...and just ENJOY!

God Loves You and I Love You! Pastor Erwin

Pinoy Sportsfest 2011

God Wants You Free From Worries

Matthew 6:25"

"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what will you put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"

Is you heart full of worries about your health, finances, family or future?  Even when all is well, some people still worry because they have heard others say, "You should worry when everything is peaceful because something is wrong when the devil leaves you alone."  So they worry even when there is nothing to worry about!

But Jesus does not want you to worry about what you will eat or drink, or about your body and what you will put on your back.  He tells you not to worry about your daily provisions because God, who is your heavenly Father, knows that you need all these things and He wants to add these thing to you. (Matthew 6:32-33)

God is the same God who took care of the children of Israel in the wilderness, feeding them with manna every day for 40 years! (Exodus 16)  Under His care, His people had no lack.  When the people wanted meat for dinner, He simply rained quails on them (Numbers 11:31-32)  The children of Israel only had to pick them up.  If they had gone to  look for meat themselves, they probably would not have found any in the desert.

The problem with us today is that we think that we must do something to help ourselves.  Some of us may even think that it is easy for Jesus to say, "Don't worry.  Take no thought for your life," because He does not understand the problems we face in life.

But the truth is that Jesus understands the problems we face in life.  In fact, He faced what I would call the "final problem" - death.  Death is the "final problem" because it puts an end to all our other problems.  Jesus faced death at the cross, conquered it and rose from the dead.  And because He conquered the problems of problems, we can trust him when He tells us not to worry!

You don't even have to worry about your salvation...Jesus took care of that...JUST BELIEVE!!!

God Loves You and I Love You!  Pastor Erwin

 

Bay Camp Encounter 2011: Kingdom Come Pics pt.3

Bay Camp Encounter 2011: Kingdom Come Pics pt.2

Bay Camp Encounter 2011: Kingdom Come Pics pt.1

Down But Not Out

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

"We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..."

Before you were a Christian, when something sad or bad happened to you, you cried until you had no more tears left.  Your heart simply broke into pieces, and you felt trapped, depressed and totally defeated.

But after having become a Christian, when something bad happens to you, you may still cry, but you feel comforted inside.  You are sad outwardly, but your heart isn't heavy.  You don't understand why, but deep down inside you, there is something lifting you up.  That something buoyant, which is rising from the inside of you, is the life Christ in you!

You cannot be completely distressed because Christ in you is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) who says to you, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27)

Yes, it may be a bad situation and you are in a tight spot, but Christ in you is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6), and He says to you, "it will all be all right.  I will provide a way out for you."

You know you are not defeated because Christ in you is your victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) and He says to you, "You are not fighting for victory, but fighting from  victory because you already have the victory in Me."

Before you knew Christ, when you were down, you were out.  But now, when you are down, you are not out because Christ in you is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) "Hope" in the Bible means a definite, positive expectation of good.

So Christ in you is the definite, positive expectation of a glorious marriage!  Christ in you is the definite postive expectation of glorious health!  Christ in you is the definite positive expcetiation of a glorious life!

Beloved, Christ in you is the definite, positive expectation of all the glories of God revealed to you.  No bad circumstance that you are in can or will ever cause you to be destroyed or forsaken by God!  So, look forward to being DOWN, because you're never OUT...You are in Christ!  Hallelujah!

God Loves You and I Love You!  Pastor Erwin

 

Rest and Find the Grace of God

Luke 2:40

And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him.

The verse says that the grace of God was upon Jesus.  The Bible also says that where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.  (Romans 5:20)  And when you put the two together, you may find yourself asking, "If the grace of God was upon Jesus, does it mean that He sinned?"

No, Jesus did not sin.  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  So there must be another explanation as to why God's grace was upon Jesus.  There must be another explanation as to why someone can abound in God's grace even when he has not sinned.

Let's look at the word "grace" when it is first mentioned in the Bible.  Genesis 6:8 says that "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD."  Noah's name means "rest".  So the verse is telling us that rest found grace.  In other words, when you rest,  you find grace!

So grace was upon Jesus because His life was the life of rest and trust in His Father.  He said, "The Son can do nothing of Himself.  he can do only what He sees His Father doing." (John 5:19)

Likewise, grace comes upon you when you rest and trust God.  If you have a wayward child, stop nagging at him/her and trust God to handle the problem.  Say, "Jesus, I commit this boy/girl into Your hands.  I cannot control him/her.  You can."  If you have a persistent pain in your body, bring it to the Lord.  Say, "Jesus, I hand all my worries about this pain to You.  You work on the pain."

What if nothing happens?

Honestly, if after you have given the matter to Jesus and nothing happens, what can you do?  If Jesus Himself can't do anything about it, do you think you can?  But praise God, once the problem is handed over to Jesus, He can and will do a perfect work of taking care of it for you!

So live a life of rest.  Have this attitude and tell the Lord, "I can do nothing of myself.  I just rest in You Lord and I trust You."  Beloved, what you will see is the grace of God upon you in every situation of your life!  Remember that we are no longer under the law...but we have the covering of grace...divine grace from God the Father!

God Loves You and I Love You!  Pastor Erwin

Bay Camp Encounter 2011 Highlights Reel

Bay Camp Encounter 2011 Highlights Reel from Creative Motion Studios on Vimeo.

Catch Bay Camp Encounter 2011: Kingdom Come LIVE!!! on Ustream.tv

Hello everyone:

Catch us Live on Ustream.tv on location in Mission Springs, the Bay Camp Encounter 2011: Kingdom Come by following the link here:

http://bit.ly/kingdomlive

Thank you for being a part of the movement of God in the youth of the Bay Area.

- Bay Camp Encounter

Worshiping You by Deluge

Read

Worshiping You Lyrics

here.

New Episodes on Kairos - The Appointed Time

Hello everyone:

Kairos - The Appointed Time episodes 7 & 8 is now up for download.  Follow the URL --> http://j.mp/lapa2U  

Plus, Bay Camp Encounter 2011 is in 11 days from today.  Online registration is open for your convienience.  You can find the link "2011 Camp Registration" on our web page.  Don't miss out on this amazing Spirit filled event.

God bless.

-B.E.

Look to the Word...Not natural facts

"So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived."-- Numbers 21:9

"Pastor, I know that God is my healer.  But why is this sickness and pain still in my body?"  If you have been looking at your sickness and pain all this while, stop looking at yourself and start looking at Jesus.  Did He or did He not take upon Himself your sickness and pain?

God's Word declares, "Surely our sicknesses he has borne, and our pains -- he has carried them..." (Isaiah 53:4)  Since Jesus has already taken your sickness and pain at the cross, then He cannot "untake" them.  Even if you find it hard to believe that Jesus has paid for your healing, especially when the pain is unbearable, the truth is that it is still paid for.  It is finished work!

God is not saying that your sickness does not exist, nor is He asking you to pretend that it is not there.  He is asking you to look away from the sickness, painful as it may be, and look to the truth that it has already been judged at the cross in the body of His Son.

Once, while still in the wilderness, the children of Israel were bitten by deadly desert serpents.  The serpents were real.  The bites were painful and deadly.  So God told Moses to point the people to the bronze serpent put on a pole -- a picture of the cross.  (John 3:14)  Bronze signifies judgment.  In other words, the serpent -- their problem -- was already judged at the cross.

Those who kept their eyes on the bronze serpent lived.  Those who focused on their wounds died.  So stop looking at your sickness.  Instead, look to the cross and see your sickness already judged in the body of Jesus.  Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains!  That is the truth of God's Word...And His Word supersedes natrual facts.

My friend, you let natural facts rule or establish God's truths over your problem by what you choose to focus on.  So decide today not to fucus on the facts concerning your problem.  Instead, establish the truth of God's Word and Christ's finished work over your problem -- and live!

God Loves You and I Love You!

Pastor Erwin