When God Convicts a Man - Part2

If God initiates an encounter let no man fabricate it. How shock I am to know that they said it was a birthday party and when I got there, there were hymnals, and the pastor showed up and the door was locked and the Gospel was presented. That’s what you call an ambush. That’s not right. Many people will go to hell because of that. Don’t ambush people, respect them. Ambush is not God’s way. If God is doing the ambush, let Him do it and not you. Religion has nothing to do with His works, stop that, God will initiate. I like what father Henry Neuen said “We can only provide a space by which they can meet God”.

When God Convicts a Man - Part1

Sometimes we are tempted to do the convicting part in order to change a man. Sometimes we are deceived that it works because people praise us but in reality the Scripture says only the Holy Spirit convicts. It takes also the Holy Spirit to convict us to stop convicting other people. It is not about my song, my sermon, my faithfulness, or my commitment in discipleship in order to change people but by the Spirit of God that makes people change. If we are after the praise of men, then let’s follow the wisdom that God gave through King Solomon that said “ Let other men praise you instead of yourself”.

Scandalous Grace - Part2

The churches today have a lot of rules being imposed or pushed through the congregation minus the grace of God. The church, instead of a place of comfort and understanding, a place where people can openly confess their sins, seems like a place for persecution. Now, the Republican witnessed the plea of an immoral. Now let us examine this man, a tax collector, who ripped off his fellowmen and worst he worked for the occupied power so the Jews during that time will call him a traitor. But notice, he was standing off in the shadows just wanting to settle his sin to God. This tax collector, standing afar off would not raise his eyes to heaven, beat his breast and said “God be merciful to me for I am a sinner.” Rather than telling God what a great asset he was to be around, this man went to God recognizing his need, recognizing he needs forgiveness.

Scandalous Grace - Part1

Have you ever noticed we quickly judge somebody else’s shortcomings while making all kinds of allowances when we make mistake. We love to judge as we make allowance for our own mistakes. Paul talks about the riches of grace that God lavished, but we strain that grace when we refuse to extend it to others, in order to for us to fully understand the meaning of grace and of mercy. Mercy is the attribute of God that causes Him not to give us what we deserve. We deserve punishment and God withheld it, that’s mercy. Grace is another attribute of God that causes Him to give us what we do not deserve. In reality we do not deserve His love but He gave it anyway that’s grace.

Women Of Grace - Part2

There were many Mary’s in the Bible but whether she was a prostituted woman, demoniac woman, whether she’s a woman of high moral like Mary of Bethany, all of them, in the sight of God needed the grace of God. Mary Magdalene have only one description of her, a woman where Jesus casted out seven demons. We can hardly find out the description of Mary Magdalene as a prostituted woman but the scripture said a woman where there are seven demons that’s all. Maybe implied because that she’s under the control of these demons. She did a lot of crazy things. Maybe she did a lot of physical abuses over her body but the record shows that she’s controlled by these demons.

Women Of Grace - Part1

In those days women are not only second class, when a woman says something, immediately it should not be believed upon. Historically, only in later days even in this most modern democratic country that women’s votes were honored. How many of you saw the post along the highway, “we accept lady taxi drivers” How many of you smiled when you saw that sign? Because it’s in our culture that we know, driving belongs to men and to our prejudice, if someone drives carelessly and recklessly we immediately say it’s a lady driver. Never underestimate a woman driver, it makes you pray. The ministry of women in church is quite controversial especially in the Baptist Church because it follows the leadership of men. When the Lord chose these women not originally members of the twelve disciples, our Lord did not make a big issue out of the twelve because everybody is useful to the Kingdom of God.

Focus on God Rather Than Fear - Part2

When God created the living animals He said “good” but when He finished creating man, He said “very good”, “excellent”. The idea is, we are created in His Image, something in us must follow His excellence by living a righteous life. The Bible said we are created in the likeness of God, we are created having a divine image in us. We are not God but we are created to honor and glorify God. The reason why fear is strong in us is because we are not really following the design of God or we do not have a desire to follow and obey, the reason why there’s fear of uncertainty and fear of consequences.

Focus on God Rather Than Fear - Part1

David’s objective in the Book of Psalm is for us who live today to be encouraged and to direct our confidence to the living God as we face one of the common giant of life, that is fear. These giants many times in our lives so successfully throw us into a corner. Like David, threatened by fear that choked him as he expressed his fear in Psalm 27. The question is what am I going to do? Where will I go? Now if you look at the Bible, the Scripture is full of phrases of encouragement such us “do not be afraid”, “do not worry”, or “trust in the Lord”. These are so easy to read but if you are into this situation face to face with your biggest fear those words seem to be like a manual that is hard to follow.

FROM THE HEART

In light of the recent flashflood that devastated a portion of the city of Davao, I am asking all of you, to first of all, listen to the Lord in prayer. I agree the situation is urgent…so is our ‘listening to the Lord.’ It is important to be sensitive to God’s Spirit so we can help in ways that are guided by God and grace…not by guilt and pressure. When we take time to listen, our response to those in need is more productive. During our prayer meetings last Wednesday and Friday, we all spent time praying and listening to God… and as a result, a team of church members went to help clean the houses of some of the flood victims. As we worship God today and take communion, let us continue to listen to the Lord.

Pastor Bobby Narciso and family were also badly affected by the flood. Thank you for your concern…he is now recovering from the loss. We are in the process of identifying other parishioners who were also affected; so we can extend the necessary assistance. As of the moment, we are appealing to you to help the victims, both from our church community and the community outside our walls, by way of a special offering. We are also thankful that the Baptist Community Response Team vehicle, though in the midst of the flood, was not wrecked. The mission team will be mobilized next week to distribute more relief goods and it is in this regard that we are asking you to share goods…especially bottled water, soap and mats for our team to take to the affected areas.

As we do all these, let us continue to be prayerful and sensitive to the Lord’s leadings, for truly, more than our goods and donations, people will be seeing our attitudes. We pray that they may sense our Christ-like attitude which, in this messy times, will be tested. Again, as we seek God, let us be open to what God is revealing regarding our spiritual state. The relief goods we have collected will all go to the flood victims of Davao City instead of Cotabato City. As you pray, you can also connect with other agencies undertaking the same efforts. What we do as a church is just a fraction of what still needs to be done.

Let us all spend time to listen to God…so we can do what He wants us to do.



Prayerfully,

REV. ARNEL TAN