Quote of the day

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“Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and… put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” —Ephesians 4:22–24 One of my very favorite stories from the Scriptures is the story of Jesus’ good friend Lazarus. Lazarus was sick. Jesus found out, but waited until four days after he died to come. Upon arriving, Jesus ordered that the stone be removed from the tomb and raised Lazarus from the dead. Something interesting happened next. Lazarus was still bound with the linen strips that were wrapped around a person when he died. And Jesus said, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:44). What I love about that statement is that Jesus isn’t allowing Lazarus to wear the clothes of a dead man. Instead, He intends for Lazarus to shed the garments of death and move forward in life. Much the same way, when we come to Christ and are raised from the death of our sins, Jesus calls us to shed the garments of death that bind us and put on the clothes of grace and glory. Many Christians have stepped out of the tomb, but are still bound by their death clothes of sin. But in Christ, you have the ability to shed the clothes of death and put on new clothes of life. Walk in that new life today by God’s power!   BE RENEWED DAILY IN GOD’S POWER BY TAKING OFF YOUR OLD SELF AND PUTTING ON THE NEW! Tuesday, October 30, 2018 A Needed Reminder by Dr. Paul Chappell “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:17–20 The greatest demonstration of God’s love is without question the gift of His Son to be our Saviour. It seems that such an enormous sacrifice would compel all who have accepted His gracious offer of salvation to daily outpouring of gratitude and praise. Yet in reality that is not the case. Even as He prepared to die, Jesus established with the disciples a pattern we still follow to this day with the observance of the Lord’s Supper in our churches. God commands this practice because we need the reminder of what He has done for us. Acknowledging the truth that our salvation is completely a work of God’s grace, apart from any merit we have in ourselves, strikes at the very roots of our pride. So it is easy for us to listen to Satan’s temptation to think more highly of ourselves than we should, and to diminish our appreciation and remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. There should never be a day that passes without us remembering and rejoicing in our salvation. This should not just take place when we participate in the Lord’s Supper. That special time should not have to serve as a reminder of something we have forgotten, but instead, a special occasion to celebrate and rejoice even more. Never lose sight of the cost of your salvation. Today’s Growth Principle:  The Christian who forgets all that God has done for him is headed toward calamity.

I Quote

God's not done with me yet

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“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” —Romans 12:1–2 There was a 7th grade Sunday school teacher who told me about a time when she was working with boys one Sunday morning. One in particular was really cutting up quite a bit. He wouldn’t stay in his seat, wasn’t listening to the teacher, and was disrupting the whole class. So the teacher took the boy outside and asked him, “Who made you?” to which the boy replied “God did.” The teacher responded, “That’s right. So why aren’t you acting like it?” The boy thought for a second and said, “Well, maybe He’s not done with me yet!” You know, there’s a lot of truth in the words of that little boy. That’s because as long as we’re here on this earth, God is still working on us, conforming us to His image and making our hearts more and more like His! So if you’re struggling today with any hurts or bad habits, keep moving forward. Remember that God isn’t finished with you. He’s taking the old and making it new day by day. Live with hope knowing you’re growing more and more like Christ as you obey Him daily!   SUBMIT YOURSELF TO CHRIST DAILY, AND GOD WILL MAKE YOU MORE AND MORE LIKE HIM!

Monday, October 29, 2018

Fear and Finances

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:”

Matthew 25:24–26

Many churches and ministries struggle financially when giving declines. It is undeniable that economic fluctuations greatly impact financial support. And certainly if someone loses a job, they will not be able to give as they did while they had a steady income. But the problem in giving is not always a lack of resources. Sometimes it is a lack of faith instead. Someone said, “Many Christians are giving less than they could, not because they are making less, but because they are worrying more.”

If our lives are governed by fear for the future, we will tend to hoard rather than give. While the Bible teaches the great value of wise planning for what lies ahead, and good financial management, it also teaches that it is more important for us to lay up treasures in Heaven than here on Earth. Either we believe what God said when He promised to meet and supply our needs, or we do not. And the clearest evidence of that faith (or the lack of it) is found in our attitude toward giving.

Everything we have belongs to God. We only hold it as stewards, and we will be held accountable for what we did with the resources left in our care. Just like the trustee of an estate, we must remember that the funds we have do not belong to us, and are not ours to disperse as we see fit.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Our willingness to give to God’s work is directly related to our willingness to trust His promises.

Sunday, October 28, 2018

The God Who Sees and Provides

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.”

Genesis 22:12–14

When God commanded Abraham to travel to Mt. Moriah and offer Isaac as a sacrifice, it was an ultimate test of faith. Isaac was the son of promise—a promise which Abraham waited decades to see fulfilled—and the hope that Abraham had for the future. Yet without hesitation or argument, he took his beloved son and made the trip to the place God told him to go. There he prepared the altar and was ready to take Isaac’s life when in a beautiful picture of Jesus and our salvation, God provided a ram to be the sacrifice in his place, and Isaac’s life was spared.

There the joyous Abraham used a new name for God, Jehovah-jireh. This compound word means not only that God sees our needs, but that He also provides for them. It would be little comfort to only have a God who was aware of our problems but either lacked the ability or the compassion to do something about them. Instead, we are blessed to have an all-powerful Father who loves us beyond our comprehension. That is why we can confidently expect God’s help when we face difficulties. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

God invites us to come to Him in faith and ask for help with our needs and burdens.

It shall be well =)

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Trusting God in Dark Days

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out. And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again. And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.”

2 Kings 4:21–23

Elisha’s work and ministry was greatly helped by a godly couple who lived in Shunem. They prepared a special room in their home for the prophet to use as he traveled, and cared for him. In return, Elisha prayed, and God gave them a child, even though the husband was very old. But when the boy began to grow, he went out to the harvest fields with his father and suffered something like a sunstroke and died. The woman’s heart was broken, but she still believed that if she presented her case to Elisha, God would work through him. Thus she said to her husband, “It shall be well.”

This was a declaration of faith. Elisha’s predecessor, Elijah, had raised the son of the widow who fed him during the famine back to life, but we are not told whether she knew of that miracle or not. In either case, she believed God even on the worst day of her life. Her faith was not shaken by difficulty and trials. Charles Spurgeon said, “The richest blessing falls to the share of those simple minds who believe the word of God, even when surrounded with difficulty and unsupported by signs and evidences. The more childlike the faith the happier the heart.” Our faith in God is not built on circumstances but on His unchanging and unfailing Word.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

God is just as good and loving to us when things go badly as when they go well, and we can always trust Him.

I Quote

“Once in my life I wanted to become a lawyer. Dealing with the one I currently watching, it seems to be uneasy and tough job. I also wonder how many lawyers will go to heaven defending those real suspects cleaning-up their mess in order to be found NOT guilty”.

-        Meg

Photo of the day =)

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"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." —Ephesians 2:10 There was a president at a very prominent U.S. university several years ago who spoke about his personal faith at a graduation ceremony. He said, “Ever since the day I received Christ, the rest of my life has been a P.S. to say, ‘Thank you Lord, for saving me.’ ” As we think about the role of works in our lives, I see many who fall into the wrong thinking that to be saved, they have to do their part, and God has to do His. The problem with this line of thinking is that the Bible tells us there are no good works we can do that will earn us salvation (Eph. 2:8). So what is the role of works in our lives? Are we allowed to simply live however we want and abuse the grace of God? Certainly not! We’re told by the apostle Paul in today’s verse that good works are a product of our salvation. Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone! Because of our salvation, God has given us the amazing title of His workmanship… those who are created to do good works. So as you live a life of faith, let your works be evidence of the new life within you!   IN CHRIST, YOU ARE GOD’S WORKMANSHIP. LIVE A LIFE OF GOOD WORKS BECAUSE OF THE FAITH THAT’S SAVED YOU! Friday, October 26, 2018 Use Your Life Wisely by Dr. Paul Chappell “And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.” Joshua 14:10–11 When Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb brought back a good report. The other ten discouraged the people so much that they refused to obey God and claim the victory He promised to provide. When the Israelites finally entered the land, Caleb was not only still part of the army fighting the enemies, but he was a leader. He came to Joshua and requested that he be allowed to take the mountain he had claimed more than four decades earlier. Even in his later years, Caleb wanted to do great things for God. Our culture has a “coasting” mindset—that we work for a while and then relax. While retirement from employment is not wrong, retirement from God’s service is not an option for the committed Christian. Instead, we need to view our life and our resources as His to use as He sees fit. We also need to realize that time is short. None of us knows how long we have to serve God, but what we do for Him must be done while there is still time. The great missionary pioneer Robert Moffatt said, “We’ll have all eternity to celebrate the victories won for Christ, but only one short hour before sunset to win them.” Life is given to us not to be wasted on coasting but to be invested in eternal things. Today’s Growth Principle:  Use today wisely for the Lord’s work—it is the only day you know for sure you have to do His will.

Congratulations =)

Congratulations!!!

to the Team for No NC (Non-Compliance) this year’s QMS audit.

Keep up the good work!

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Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. —1 Peter 4:16 It seems like many churchgoers today love to cry “persecution” at the first sign of resistance to their faith. But the truth is that throughout this history of the church, believers have actually taken pride in being persecuted for what they believe. Take the very first church outside Jerusalem in the city of Antioch. The unbelievers around them mockingly called them Christians, which means “little Christs.” Now, you didn’t have Christian activists argue against such a title. No, the church embraced the title and considered it an honor to bear such a name. Real persecution can be harsh and cruel. Yet it really is an honor to suffer for the sake of Christ. And while most of us will never have our lives threatened for our faith, you can be sure millions around the world today who worship not knowing if this is the last day they’ll live understand the honor of persecution. So pray for our brothers and sisters around the world today who face serious persecution for their faith. And when persecution comes your way, consider it an honor to suffer for Christ’s sake because He first suffered for you. There’s no greater encouragement in times of persecution than to know your suffering is for the greatest cause on earth!   BE ENCOURAGED WHEN YOU FACE PERSECUTION, CONSIDERING IT AN HONOR TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST BECAUSE HE SUFFERED FOR YOU. Thursday, October 25, 2018 A Longing for Heaven by Dr. Paul Chappell “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” Philippians 1:21–24 The story is told that during the early days of the establishment of the British colony in Australia, a herd of sheep was sent from Scotland to provide the basis for feeding and clothing the residents. A large quantity of hay was loaded on board to feed the sheep during the long sailing voyage. After many weeks passed, the ship was trapped in dense fog and forced to anchor to avoid being driven aground against hidden rocks. While the ship was anchored, the sheep began refusing to eat their hay. The owners weren’t sure what the problem was, but they feared the sheep would die. When the fog lifted after two days, the reason became clear. The green coast of Australia was in sight. Smelling the sweet grass that lay before them, even though they could not see it, the sheep lost all interest in the dry hay. The reason the things of Earth are so appealing to us is that too often we have lost sight of what is waiting for us. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). The best that this world has to offer is empty and meaningless compared to the true and lasting riches of glory that await us. It is our duty to keep our affections fixed on what is in Heaven, rather than seeking the things of this world. The more we focus on what waits for us beyond the fog, the less power temptation will have. Today’s Growth Principle:  Recognizing the glories of Heaven helps protect us from the temptations of Earth

Quote of the day

I Quote

Yes. I am a certified single and happy woman with a lot of dreams in my life. I like people but to love a single person deeply, I realized that K2 personality as a guy fits me well. I may not know how exactly what made me drawn to this person by character but by heart, I want someone like him. =)

- Meg

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But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it – the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction. —Romans 3:21–22 I’m an American. Growing up, I was taught that I could do anything I wanted in life as long as I was willing to work for it. That’s how many people in our country are raised… to never give up on their dreams, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and make something of themselves no matter their background. That way of thinking works great for reaching a better life. But it doesn’t work at all when it comes to reaching eternal life. That’s because on our own, heaven is completely unattainable. You’d have more success in jumping to the moon than you would in getting to heaven by your own works. Left to ourselves, we’re stubborn, prideful, sinful, and utterly hopeless. I’ve often said that I wouldn’t trust the best 15 minutes I’ve ever lived to get me into heaven. But praise God that Jesus Christ has done the work I couldn’t, taken away my sins, and given me eternal life when I certainly didn’t deserve it! Any chance you had of getting to heaven on your own was destroyed by sin. But Christ destroyed the power of sin on the cross to give you eternal life if you’ll only trust in Him. Put your faith in Christ, not yourself, for eternal life. It’s His work alone that can save you!   DON’T TRUST IN YOUR OWN WORKS TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN. TRUST IN CHRIST’S WORK ALONE FOR ETERNAL LIFE! Wednesday, October 24, 2018 The Ultimate Motive for Serving God by Dr. Paul Chappell “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:13–15 When we read the story of the life of the Apostle Paul in the Bible, it is a nearly constant record of persecution, opposition, distress, and suffering. He was beaten, stoned, imprisoned, and, according to church history, eventually executed for his fearless gospel witness. This man who had once been a bitter enemy of the church, doing everything in his power to persecute and even kill Christians for their faith, was now willing to endure any hardship for the cause of the gospel. What changed? Paul had an encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and he never got over it. There are many motives for serving God. Some people serve out of a desire for rewards. Some serve for fear of disappointing or failing Him or others. But the greatest motive for serving God is a recognition of His love for us and our corresponding love for Him. Vance Havener said, “The primary qualification for a missionary is not love for souls, as we so often hear, but love for Christ.” The same is true for any work that we do for the Lord. There is nothing more important we can do than to love God above all else. “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38). We cannot love God as we should without an understanding and appreciation of His amazing love for us. Today’s Growth Principle:  The love and mercy God extended to us should stay with us every day of our lives.