Basic Belief

God loves us all. More then any human is capable of loving us. This love is called agape love, which is unconditional, regardless of what we did or do. God IS Love. However, we all have a freedom of choice. Including a choice to turn to God and believe in Him, or not.

To know God is to know Jesus Christ. And knowing Him comes from God’s Word, the Bible. Specifically New Testament. So in order to actually KNOW who Jesus Christ is, one must read and find out. What He said, what He stands for, what was His purpose on earth. By reading you will get understanding of who died for us and why. Old Testament is a first part of the Bible, however by reading New Testament you will learn what Christianity is all about. Word ”Gospel” means “Good News” and it is good news indeed, for everyone who makes a choice to believe in their hearts and minds that God loves us so much, that He sent his only (begotten) Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, so we can get a brand new life, Eternal life. Books (Gospels) of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament are the best way to start learning about Jesus Christ.

Believing in Jesus Christ is not a religion. Once you start reading the Bible, you will find that Jesus was opposed to religious figures who were abusing their positions while they themselves were not following God’s law. He was for love among people, life and everything good. And most importantly, He is our connection to God which, without Him being sacrifice for our sins, is simply not possible to achieve on our own.

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior gives us a brand-new heart and renewal of our mind. This is known as being “born again” or "born from above", of which Jesus spoke of. The way this manifests in the beginning can be different from person to person. Some people experience indescribable peace. Some extreme joy. Some just “know” in their heart that they are saved. Some get instant deliverance from addiction they may have. Some experience healing. Some experience understanding and joy gradually, as they open their hearts and minds to God, while reading the scripture, praying, etc. The fact is, more we turn to God, more of God we have. Choice is ours. Becoming a follower of Christ is not a one-time thing or a prayer - it’s repenting, accepting Eternal life and salvation (forgiveness of sins) through Jesus Christ, believing in Him (John 3:16) and choosing to obey God’s commandments, by "loving one another" and avoiding sin.

God is always ready to accept us just as we are. Basically, what matters is that you:

• Admit that you have sinned (as every human being is and has).
• Believe that Jesus was a sacrifice for your (personal) sins, and accept Him as your Savior.
• Repent and be willing to turn away from sin from now on, as your sins will be forgiven.
• Put your brand new heart and life in God’s hands, as you grow as a believer.

General definition of sin is: Transgression of the law of God. My personal way to explain sin to someone is: Any wrongdoing (by actions or words) toward someone or God, done not in love, that is: due to lack of God's love and understanding of what God's love and "loving one another" means. (Regardless of being aware of it or not at the time is commited).

To be forgiven of sins, receive eternal life and turn to God through Jesus Christ, this is the confession:

Father God, thank you for giving your only Son Jesus Christ to be sacrifice for my sins. I now acknowledge that I have sinned and repent of all my sins and unbelief. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, crucified and ressurected so I can have Eternal life. Through Him I am now forgiven, saved and sanctified, and I accept New life, as a new creation and as your child. Please guide me further in His Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.

If you have said this confession, or prayed in your own words according to the guideline above, thank God and Jesus Christ for your salvation and receiving eternal life. Truly repenting and accepting Jesus as Savior means to be forgiven of previous sins and/or sinful life. That is what Jesus died (was crucified) for. Next step is growing as a new creation in Christ, and that is the work of God manifested through you.

If you deliberately continue sinning and see no change from old attitude toward sin (feel no conviction), true repentance may not have happened. This page is not created to lead people into false,”instant salvation”, but to be a simple guideline about what salvation is. Please read more in New Testament about what is considered to be sin or a sinful act.

You do not have to automatically go to church or agree with every pastor’s preaching, but it’s beneficial to have a fellowship with other Christians one way or another. It could be someone in your family, a friend, a church member.

As you continue your life in Christ, you will understand more and more that God is love and wants only what is best for you. Forget about what you heard before. Forget about your already formed opinion about what Christian is or should be like. 

May your example of being a Christian be Jesus Christ, first and foremost, so get to know him through His Word. Open your mind and heart to Word of God and remember: it is your relationship with God that matters the most, before everything else. 

Grace By Which I Stand-Steve Green

Steve Green - Father hear your children

EPAPHRAS – A MAN OF PRAYER

By: Rev. Arnel Tan

“Epaphras, from your city, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident of the whole will of God. “ Colossians 4:12 NLT

While most servants of God race and rush to the lime light, this man Epaphras stayed in communion with the Light of the world. Yes he preachers, but more than anything else he prays. He really prays! He never called himself a man of prayer, he simply prayed. Like the Master his prayer life did not go unnoticed from the eyes and admiration of his colleagues. Paul, testifies of him as a man who agonizes in prayer.

Anyone who desires the ministry of prayer must fast from the praise of men and to be totally confident only in the approval of God. Prayer in the life of Epaphras is so modeled in grace that he need not pressure people to be like him. By his testimony and commitment to pray God stirred hearts to desire to be men and women of prayer. Oh how we need more men and women of prayer in the church today, who like Epaphras will not pressure or make people guilty but would wholly pour out his heart in prayer.

Compare to our long litany of spiritual insights and our subtle ways attempting to “change” other people praying for them proves to be a million times better and a million times God honoring. In prayer all attempts to transform others stops, to give way for God to do the reviving, changing and awakening. One salient point to remember is Epaphras modeled prayer in grace not using prayer as a pressure for others to tow the line. It is God who stirs hunger for prayer in the hearts of His people not our long sermon on prayer.

Finally, to desire to be a man or woman of prayer is to relinquish tendencies to subject others to our dictates. Prayer is rest and release when everything is truly surrendered in the Sovereign hands of God. Actually in prayer the Lord makes us realize that we are not in control, and the real blessing of all is that the Lord takes away the desire to be in control! May the Lord stir in us deep hunger for prayer!

Working for God's glory!

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” Colossians 3:23 KJV

This is a very strong and a timely reminder to all of us children of God especially to those who are in the Ministry like me. We need to pray and ask the Lord to help us apply these words of the apostle in the realm of our work today. When you commit yourself to work for somebody you are, in a sense, selling yourself as a slave for the hours involved.

Employers cannot control the rest of your life, but they do have a right to control your life during your working hours. These words therefore have direct reference to us. We are not to work only while the boss is watching. As the apostle says, whatever we do, we are to work at it "with all our heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism."

His appeal, of course, is very clear. We are to work "as unto the Lord." That is to be our motivation. It is the Lord Christ we are serving. Every employee ought to write that down and put it somewhere where he can see it during working hours. "It is the Lord Christ I am serving." Do not ever work for anyone else, as a believer. Work only for the Lord. Your employer may pay your salary, but it is the Lord for whom you are working. If you do that both the quality and the quantity of your work will improve, because you are working out of gratitude and love to the Lord. Love, of course, is the greatest driving force in life. What a change this will make in your job! Thank God for His reminder today! Amen!

YOUR WORK MATTERS TO GOD

By: Rev. Arnel Tan

“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men”

Colossians 3:23 KJV

Unemployment is not just an economic issue it is also about character issue. God is so involved in your work. In the strictest sense of the word He is the real One who hires and fires. If you are employed today consider this instruction of Paul. By the way this instruction is addressed not to the general crowd but only to those who have found their new life in Christ. If you are unemployed today consider this as a spiritual preparation now so when the Lord grants you your work, you will excel for God’s glory!

The word “whatever” suggest that all kinds of work that does not violate the standards of God is acceptable to the Lord. Whether you are a plumber, a CEO, an inventor or etc, God desires to walk with you in your routine. Believe it with all of your heart it does make a difference when you dedicate your work to God. Living the new life in the work place is our worship to God too. It means do it heartily! Christ like excellence is not being the best but doing your very best availing of God’s strength. Remember that the reward of man is second it is God’s reward that is lasting. Man’s reward is short live and will soon be caught in the cob webs of boredom and performance. God’s reward is lasting it makes you depend more to the Lord than your self.

Work is an extension of worship but be warned not to worship your work! God rested on the seventh day, shouldn’t we rest too? To become workaholics makes us people who depends on our work instead of God. This is also another form of PRIDE. Ministers are not exempted for there is not difference between secular work and ministry work when it comes to making it acceptable to God. It is not accident that you are in the work God gave you especially if you sought God in fervent prayer. It is also a wise advise that you consistently seek God and listen to His voice as you pray and study His words, diligently discerning if God still want you to stay in your work now. If He says God adjust your sail to the direction He leads you. Remember it is impossible to please God without faith.

Lastly don’t forget the Paul’s words that work is done excellently not unto men but unto the Lord. So wherever your company assigns you don’t look at the position or the power along with it rather look to Jesus the One who walks with you in your work place. Start your day with a quiet prayer that you may learn to be wise as you seek God. Leave your work with a thankful heart and again in prayer commit yourself to God that you may not come home an angry person. Enjoy your work today for your security is in the Lord of the work!

Tanging Yaman by Christine Joy (CJ) M. Ambingan

The purpose of the Music Ministry

The purpose of the Music Ministry is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through song, encourage believers in their walk with Christ, lead the congregation in worship and provide an avenue through which individuals may share their gift and be an integral part of the worship. The Music Ministry spreads the Word of God through music experiences.

Sacrifice-Bob Fitts- With lyrics.

Living In An Attitude Of Prayer

The Lord spoke to my heart today through the testimony of Dr. Thomas Browne the author of a very remarkable book of wide circulation, "Religio Medice." He is a physician by profession, and the Lord empress my heart to share this to my friends and I'm praying that the Lord will also use his testimony to remind ourselves that we need to be in tune with Him. Please be reminded, that the source of our strength is not on the basis of the testimony of others but on how the Lord is working when we call upon His name. This is just for meditation and be sensitive, listen to what God wants us to be. Amen!

According to Dr. Thomas Browne; "I purpose to take occasion of praying upon the sight of any church that I may pass, that God may be worshipped there in spirit, and that souls may be saved there. I purpose to pray daily for my sick patients and for the patients of other physicians; to say at my entrance into any home, "May the peace of God abide here"; to pray, after hearing a sermon, for a blessing on God's truth and upon the messenger; to bless God, upon the sight of a beautiful person, for His creatures, and to pray for the beauty of such a soul, that God may enrich her with inward graces, and that the outward and inward may correspond; to pray God, upon the sight of a deformed person, to give them wholeness of soul, and by and by give them the beauty of the resurrection."

E. M. Bounds - what an illustration of the praying spirit! Such an attitude represents prayer without ceasing; it reveals the habit of prayer in its unceasing supplication, in its uninterrupted communion, in its constant intercession. What an illustration, too, of purpose in prayer! Of how many of us can it be said that as we pass people in the street we pray for them, or that as we enter a home or a church we remember the residents or the congregation in prayer to God?

The explanation of our thoughtlessness or forgetfulness lies in the fact that prayer, with so many of us, is simply a form of selfishness; it means asking for something for ourselves-that and nothing more. And from such an attitude we need to pray to be delivered. E. M. Bounds

Wow! God is really breaking my heart and i really really need this..Thank God for reminding myself pertaining to our attitude in prayer. Amen! God be praised!

Sing Unto The Lord

Sing unto the Lord, sing unto the Lord and praise His Holy name! Proclaim His Salvation and declare His glory every time you sing. Sing to the Lord's marvelous deeds, for He is great and worthy of praise. When you sing, remember that splendor and majesty are before Him, and strength and glory fill His sanctuary. Lead God's people, to kneel before the Lord our Maker, to Him be the glory and honor! AmenSing unto the Lord, sing unto the Lord and praise His Holy name! Proclaim His Salvation and declare His glory every time you sing. Sing to the Lord's marvelous deeds, for He is great and worthy of praise. When you sing, remember that splendor and majesty are before Him, and strength and glory fill His sanctuary. Lead God's people, to kneel before the Lord our Maker, to Him be the glory and honor! Amen..