JANUARY 2018 | Know God, Know Hope
“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.” (Jeremiah 29:11) With every new year comes new experiences. But will these experiences bring us laughter or tears? Blessings or pains? Regardless of which, our hope lies in this truth: God, in His perfect wisdom, has already planned what is best for us. He may use different tools to bring that best plan about, but we can be sure that in the same way that He uses sunshine and rain to grow a plant, God uses both blessing and pain to grow our faith, to grow us. This 2018, then, let us be ready to go through both the low valleys and the high hills, knowing that at the end of it all is the grand unfolding of God’s best plan. |
FEBRUARY 2018 | Know God, Know Love
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16) What is love? We need only to look at the Cross. We need only to look at Him whose face became unrecognizable because of too much laceration, whose body became too bloodied because of countless whips and lashes, and whose hands and feet became punctured because of the hammering of nails. How will people know that this kind of love is available for them? They need only to look at us. They need only to look at us who have received and experienced this unconditional love. They need only to look at us and see that love—see Jesus Christ Himself—reflected in us. But will they see love? Will they see Jesus? |
MARCH 2018 | Know God, Know Mercy
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:5a) Punishment. Condemnation. Death. These should be our judgment, stained by sin as we all are. But instead of throwing us into the dump, God threw Himself at us: He discarded His robe of glory, left heaven, and made His way among us. He even took our likeness and became man! So never should we think that we are beyond rescue. We may have fallen into sin—we may even be drowning in sin—but we must know that ours is a God whose mercy endures forever. Yes, we will have to face the consequences of our sins, but we will never have to face rejection from God. He always accepts those whose hearts are repentant and whose spirits are contrite. So don’t hesitate. Just come. |
APRIL 2018 | Know God, Know Courage
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:14) There is courage in the defiant shouts of simple men decrying the invasion of foreign colonizers. There is courage in their engagement in combats and battles, with only their tabaks. There is courage in their deaths, willingly faced for the freedom of our land. That is why we remember these heroes this month. But we also acknowledge those unlikely heroes we meet every day, for there also is courage in the stillness. Courageous is he who is being battered and pounded by the storms of life, but still keeps his ground, still stands up. Courageous is he who does not know how to face tomorrow, but nevertheless smiles and inspires others. Courageous is he who comes at the end of himself and realizes things are no longer in his hands and there, there surrenders everything to God. Some circumstances in life would require a courage that dares. In others, a courage that persists. In either case, we know that God is with us. This is our ultimate courage. |
MAY 2018 | Know God, Know Light
I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12) Light was first of God's creations, showing that from the very beginning, He never meant for us to live in darkness. So when we succumbed into the dark pit of sin, God again came into action. But this time, He did not just speak it. He sent it. He sent His one and only Son to be the light of the world. To be the light of our worlds. So if you feel that all there is in your life is darkness--sins, failures, disappointments, hurts, or anger that may be blinding you--turn to Jesus, who said: "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." (John 8:12) |
JUNE 2018 | Know God, Know Strength
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31) The human body was created to sleep, even craves for it, especially after a long, action-filled day. Why? Because sleep is the body’s way of restoring our muscles, tissues, and cells. Deprived of it, our mood fluctuates, our memory falters, and our energy fails. But what if what we need is more than just sleep? What if the many concerns of life have left us exhausted—not just physically but, more so, mentally and emotionally? What if we have gotten tired with life? Tired to live? The answer is found in Jesus. He has promised not just to sustain us but, also, to refresh and renew us. What is more, He has promised not just to strengthen us but, also, to be our Strength. |
JUNE 2018 | Know God, Know Joy
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. (Habakkuk 3:17-18) Heart-wrenching, soul-crushing circumstances come to us--all of us. Failing grade, failing career, failing business, failing health, failing relationship, failing hope, failing life--all of which cause us to feel downhearted and sorrowful. The answer? God. God whose power never fails, whose peace never fails, whose wisdom never fails, whose mercy never fails, whose love never fails. HE never fails. So, like Habakkuk, despite the many reasons to be dejected, let us rejoice... IN the Lord. In His power, in His wisdom, in His mercy, in His love. In who He is. |
August 2018 | Know God, Know Sacrifice
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) What is the most fitting response to the God who forsook the glory and majesty of heaven for the filth and grime of earth? What do we give to the God who, despite His being the Eternal, Uncontainable One, chose to be confined inhuman flesh, in the form of a helpless baby? What can we do for the God who allowed Himself to be beaten, bruised, whipped, even crucified, just so we could be pardoned from our sins and saved from eternal punishment? We forsake everything for Him; we give up our lives to Him; we allow our lives to be ruled by Him. Now and forever, until our very last breath. This is the only way. |
September 2018 | Know God, Know Compassion
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. Matthew 8:3a NIV When the man with leprosy came to Jesus and asked for healing, Jesus did not just heal him; He touched him. A man considered an outcast, considered unclean, considered untouchable by society, touched by Jesus. This same Jesus talked to a Samaritan woman, invited Himself into the house of a tax collector, and received the offering of a prostitute. Why? Because that was the very reason why He came. For the sick, the weak, the lost. For you and me. For all of humanity. So, as Jesus did, let us show love to everyone, especially to those who feel that they are outcasts: sick people, old people, persons with disability, persons of color, out-of-school youths, repeaters, nerds, illegitimate children, teenage parents, sex slaves, addicts, ex-convicts, convicts, and many other labels. Let us refuse to use any and all labels and consider all people our equals… fellow human beings… brothers and sisters. |
October 2018 | Know God, Know Faithfulness
Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV For every opportunity that came our way, every sickness we were cured from, every catastrophe we evaded, and every struggle we overcame, we know for sure that God has been faithful -- having been our Provider, Healer, Fortress, and Miracle Worker. But what about those wasted opportunities, aggravating sicknesses, destructive catastrophes, overwhelming struggles, and insuperable impossibilities? We also know that God IS faithful because: - every wasted opportunity highlights that ours is a God who gives countless of chances - every aggravating sickness highlights that ours is a God who Himself was beaten and hammered and crucified just so we could be healed of our deepest malady: spiritual destitution - every destructive catastrophe highlights that ours is a God who, despite our irresponsible stewardship of His creation, has still allowed us to live in and enjoy this world - every overwhelming struggle highlights that ours is a God who not only rescues us, but, more so, remains on our side. So, for all the things that were, and also for all the things that will be, we say "God has been and will always be faithful." |
November 2018 | Know God, Know Peace
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) Through all of the chaos and calamities and disasters and crimes and wars, the prevailing message is: "It's a scary world." But if we would listen more closely, there is one voice that pierces through the noise, saying, "Fear not." Fear not, because He is sovereign enough to calm the storms and quell the waves. Fear not, because He is powerful enough to protect and deliver us from evil. Fear not, because He is loving enough to hold our hand and stand beside us through it all. Fear not, because God is. Sovereign. Powerful. Loving. He is peace. |
December 2018 | Know God, Know Life
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17) When God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world, He sent more than a baby. He sent us forgiveness, grace, and love. He sent us salvation for our souls, from the damnations of hell. He sent us the Way by which we can be reconciled to Him and the Door through which we could enter heaven. He sent us life. Life that is free and life that is full. So this Christmas season, if you know God and have received His Son into your heart, you have received life. Is there a better gift? |
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Jesus Is Lord Church is a Philippine-based, Christ-centred Full-Gospel Christian Church that is doing ministry work since 1978. It is currently present in 70 countries around the world. In 1987 Jesus Is Lord Church started its ministry work in Canada and found a home in 10 of its provinces and territories today - British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Northwest Territories.
Jesus Is Lord Church is a Philippine-based, Christ-centred Full-Gospel Christian Church that is doing ministry work since 1978. It is currently present in 70 countries around the world. In 1987 Jesus Is Lord Church started its ministry work in Canada and found a home in 10 of its provinces and territories today - British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Northwest Territories.