We immediately brought him to the hospital and I, continued earnestly in prayer. I kept on releasing God’s divine healing. The brethren in church were also praying for my father’s condition at that time. The doctors had my father undergo some lab tests and confined him for further observation as his blood pressure was fluctuating.

I knew that the enemy was challenging my faith. The following day I received a word from my cousin that my mom fell off the bed causing a bump on her head. That stressed me again, but I stood firm in my faith overcoming my worries. I am confident that my God is in control, and satan is powerless. I praise God because my mom was alright when I checked on her.

Later on that day, the doctors discharged Tatang as he recovered. The bill amounted to 9130 pesos. I only had 7000 with me. After presenting some documents to the cashier, I only needed to pay 3509 pesos. Praise God. He did not only heal my father but He also provided for our family. All glory to Him!

Marissa Andress

I work as a Sales Officer in a commercial bank.  My job is to develop the account of existing clients and bring in new deposits.  It may sound simple but I have to meet huge sales budget, make daily client calls, and attend monthly meetings and performance presentations that end until the wee hours of the morning. It is stressful and tough. Not being from this place and unable to speak the dialect fluently makes it even harder for me. Many times I have been tempted to quit just like what most of my colleagues had done as the pressure was getting too great for me.

But what keeps me pressing on is the assurance that God is in control of my life.  In my every trial, challenge, and difficulty, He is behind the scenes working things out for my favor.

Indeed, God is faithful, because last year I met my budget and even more astounding, I got promoted last month!  Glory be to God!

Catherine Antonio

I find it hard to write on this topic because I, myself, love to eat snacks anytime of the day. Nonetheless, reminders such as this could make us realize the hazards this could bring, especially if it gets overboard.

Stop for a moment and think of the foods you snack on. Do you reach for a banana, or do you unwrap a chocolate bar? Do you munch raw vegetables, or tear into a bag of chips? Most people opt for high-sugar, high-fat, high-salt goodies to get them from one meal to the next. If you want to lose weight, you must deal with that snack habit. Here are some hints to help make you change:

- Don’t snack for the wrong reasons. People snack for many reasons besides hunger. Some people use it as a way to release stress. Others feel guilty taking a break. To them, eating something is a way to legitimize a needed  rest. Do you snack only when you’re hungry, or do you use snacks to meet other needs? Think about this, then write down some of your reasons for snacking.

- Start with good breakfast. Beating the snack habit begins with a hearty breakfast. It should provide plenty of complex carbohydrates for lasting energy. Let whole grains, which are high in these carbohydrates, form the core of the meal.

- Watch out for triggers. Many habits, snacking included, are linked to signals from your environment. For example, you might get the urge for a candy bar whenever you pass a convenience store at work. Or there might be a certain television commercial that makes you want to open a bag of chips. What triggers your urge to snack?

- Develop alternate behaviours. How do you fight a snack attack? By doing other things that disrupt the pattern. If you are bogged down in your work and need a boost, go for a quick walk to the corner and back. Drink a glass of water rather than the usual soda. If you must eat something, try a piece of fruit or some raw vegetables.

Dr. Joy Bareng

When God created the first man and woman, He began the family institution. Male and female were created in the image of God and were designed to reflect His nature.   The goal of marriage is two-fold, to reveal the glory of God and to enhance the glory of one’s spouse.  There are important roles that were intended for families in God’s plan – the care and nurture of godly children and all members must learn how to give and receive affection and love.  But when husbands and wives fail to follow God’s plan for the family and marriage, they aid Satan in His war against God.  It is time for God’s people to recognise the battle for what it is and take a stand against the enemy and win the war for our families.

It is sad that many have never known God’s master plan for families. God’s plan for every family is found in his Word.   How can we plan for our families?

-  Take time to learn what God says about families

-  Spend much time in prayer and discuss goals for the family with your spouse

-  Make bible reading a priority in your family life

We praise God for the families of our church, who reflect God’s love as they inspire our community as a complete basic unit in society in serving Jesus. May they continue to be advocates of this mandate with their godly examples.  Always remember that the family was God’s idea.  It has been neglected for so long and allowed to follow any design other than our Lord’s.  But with His help and our part to follow His plan, understanding the enemy’s schemes, and obeying His precepts, we can build wonderful families.

Ptr. May Shah

We will soon be launching a campaign on “I Love my Church” and it will run from September to December.  We had been running campaigns quite successfully in the past.

Why have we been successful in our campaigns? Several reasons:

• We saw the need – (if no need, then no reason!)
• We devised a plan – (planned our work and worked our plan)
• We set necessary, reasonable, and reachable goals;
• We involved a lot of like-minded people;
• We under girded everything with prayer;
• We have the ultimate goal of honoring our Lord Jesus Christ.

Why can we say with such certainty that the Church will always succeed? There are four obvious reasons:

1. The church will succeed because it has been programmed to succeed!
2. The church will succeed because it has the Lord’s promise to succeed.
3. The church will succeed because the Lord gives it the power to succeed.
4. The church will succeed because we are part of God’s plan for it to succeed.

So the Church will not, shall not, cannot fail! It can succeed. It will succeed. It shall succeed!

The idea behind this “I love my church” campaign is to get all our members to really love our church with all our heart  and be totally committed to the church. In Ephesians 5:25 the Bible tells us that “Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it!” Each of us who call ourselves Christians ought also to faithfully love and support our local church.

There are many reasons why people love their church, below are my personal 10 reasons:

#1 – We have leaders that lead!

Be it our pastors, elders or homecell leaders, we do have people who leads the church well and I am very proud of each and every one of them.

#2 – We have desperation for God’s power!

Our congregation are legitimately desperate for the power of God.  We had a powerful visitation of God last week at the second service  and we look forward to more of His visits.

#3 – We believe that greater things are in store.

We  don’t just pray big prayers…but they have a sense of anticipation that is contagious!  We don’t read Acts 2 and think “those were the good ‘ole days” but rather we think, “that’s where God STARTED this thing…we should be WAY ahead of this!!!”

#4 – They are full of ordinary people.

God always uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  Jesus didn’t choose one scribe or Pharisee when He launched the church…and Acts 4:13 talks about how He used ordinary people to absolutely turn the world upside down.  The staff LOVE the church…so much so that they would actually attend there even if they were not on staff!

#5 – We leverage technology.

We don’t view technology as of the devil but rather as a tool given by God to reach as many people as possible for Jesus.

#6 – The church is full of passion.

People in the church actually LOVE the church and do not attend because they feel like they have to!

#7 – We take ownership of the great commission.

We refuse to be “keepers of the aquarium” and instead embrace the COMMAND of Jesus to reach the world for HIM!  This is evidenced in our weekly services especially in the second service where we seen remarkable  growth.

#8 – There is a willingness to change and adapt, even when it means we have to go against the very “innovative” ideas that we ourselves once established!

Anyone can change the traditions of the past…but true innovation occurs when we’re willing to change the ideas that we once thought were innovative and ground breaking!

#9 – Generosity is embraced.

The world has never been impacted in a positive way by people that were greedy.

#10 – The people in the church are OWNERS, not merely “members.”

Members have rights, owners have responsibilities.  It is my hope that the people in our church understand that it is not the pastors job to minister to the people but rather the bodies job to minister to the body!  And as a result people serve Jesus by serving others.

God has been so good to each of us! Let each of us show our love for our Lord and His church by not forsaking her “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Hebrews 10:25

Let me also encourage you to bring an unsaved or unchurched friend with you this week! It could change their life and their eternity! The psalmist said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122:1

God bless you!

Ptr. Brian Shah

On the other hand, the elementary department held their induction program last July 30. In his speech, Atty. Sandro Marie Obra, the president of PTA took the challenge of Pastor Brian to use the PTA to establish the finest link of the school, home and church.

The elementary and high school departments held their separate culminating activities to end the nutrition month celebration. With the theme “Sa pagkaing tama at sapat, wastong timbang ni baby ang katapat,” the importance of complementary feeding was focused to prevent malnutrition among the children.

The pupils presented songs, dances and poems advocating the practice of healthy lifestyle. In her message during the program Pastor May Shah stressed the importance of eating the right kind and amount of diet for quality living.

The high school students also exhibited their cooking prowess in a cook fest. Healthy foods for lunch were prepared wherein culinary skills were demonstrated in the preparation of special cuisine. Everyone had an enjoyable day of taste feasting.

Prof. Cristeta Pedro

People of this age group would not usually stay out late but they hang around for fellowship until past nine. They are always excited to share their testimonies of God’s love and faithfulness. The neighboring Christians would also join them every Friday as they are delighted by their camaraderie. Aside from fellowship, there is also feasting as the members bring food for potluck.

I believe that intercession is their ministry. Although they may not be involved in the preaching , teaching or worship  ministry, they do have the burden to pray for the needs and leaders of the church.  This is the most essential ministry of the church but only a few would make themselves available to pray. May God bless the primetimers with good health and strength as they continue to serve the Lord with enthusiastic  faithfulness.

Ptr. Beth Lafrades

Most people don’t realize that common, over the counter drugs can have unpleasant or even dangerous side effects. In the medical world, new and more effective wonder drugs are being discovered and introduced almost daily, while older ones improved and refined. Yet the perfect drug still eludes us the one that will do its job with absolutely no deleterious side effects. People who need these drugs often must test several different kinds before they can find one they can tolerate. The point is, no drug is safe. Even life saving antibiotics carry potential problems such as nausea,vomiting,diarrhea and allergic reactions .

While most of today’s diseases respond to lifestyle measures (such as a better diet and regular exercise),doctors who advocate these principles often find themselves rowing upstream. People are impatient; they want quick fixes rather than real solutions. If one doctor doesn’t produce desired prescription, they often seek another who will. Simply put, people today too often want to believe there is a magic potion for their particular problem. Anyone taking drugs must always balance risk against need. If you have a serious bacterial infection, for instance, the risk you run by taking an antibiotic is outweighed by the risk you run if you do not take it. If you have a tension headache, on the other hand, you would be probably better off taking a brisk walk or a nap.

A good rule of thumb is to reserve drugs for specific, identifiable needs that cannot be met by lesser measures. Don’t use a big-gun medicine like antibiotics for instance, for a fly-swatter problem like headache or cold. Likewise a warm bath or a cup of herbal tea is better than a sleeping pill if you can’t go to sleep. And if you don’t want to go to sleep, a cold shower or a brisk walk is better than a wake-up pill. When you do take a drug, be sure you know exactly what it’s supposed to do. Understand its risks and side effects, and how and when, and the signs of dosage. Don’t mix medicines, and do not risk psychological dependence or physical addiction by taking any drug longer than needed. If you have more than one doctor, make sure your main doctor knows all the medications you are taking. In short give drugs the respect they deserve. Save them for times when they are truly needed.

Author: Dr. Joy Bareng

My wife Jaja and I have always dreamt of having our own home in a peaceful and quiet place. Whenever we visit Jaja’s grandmother, we would always say, “I hope that someday, we’ll be owning a peaceful house like this”.  That dream never went away!

One day, my wife and I had an argument. She left and went home to her mom’s house. When I went to fetch her home to Laoag, her grandmother talked to us. She said, “Stop acting like a child. Be tough when trials come.” We kept quiet and realized that we have to be matured and start acting like parents.

Out of the blue, the grandmother said and I quote “Lallakay ken babbaket kamin… Ket awan to sabali nga pangtedan mi detoy balay ken lote no han nga dakayo, ket dakay to ti bahala nga mangpapintasen.” (“We’re getting old, you can have this house and lot, and it’s up to you to improve it”) and she smiled. We were shocked! We hugged each other and almost cried. We were very happy to hear what grandma and grandpa said. Without second thoughts, we accepted the offer and immediately started transferring some of our things. Because the house is quite a distance away from my work place, God also blessed me with a motorbike through the kindness of my mom.

After one month of living in a place, we can call our own, we are now in the process of planning house renovations. We know that God will provide for all the things we need.

Truly God is Amazing! You’ll never know when His blessings will pour unto you. He fulfills our dreams in times we least expect. Start dreaming Big and cast it all to God and He will do the rest. To God Be the Glory!!!

Mathew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” KJV

Author : Jonathan Lafrades