Wednesday, February 25, 2009

~No Pain...No Gain~ Article written by Dranreb Lucero - JIL Regina WAM Head~

It was such an overwhelming experience of witnessing the mighty move of God in bringing newcomers to Jesus is Lord Church Regina, SK rapidly. I've noticed in a matter of two months, significant number of people were becoming new members of our church. A far better growth compared to the past couple of years. Praise the Lord! Some are new converts and others were long time Christians freshly arrived from the Philippines looking for a Filipino church in Regina. Most of them employed on working visas under contractual basis. And recently, two new nurses participated in our cell group came to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Remarkably that day a total of fifteen people attended our cell group as our highest ever since.The new comers were blessed and comforted in praying for their needs and for the warm fellowship we had together. I am so excited and inspired for this kind of opportunity God is bringing us in reaching the "lost" for Christ. A mandate that every believer must be passionate about. I'm expecting more from God about greater things that has to come not only in our church but also to our families, communities and in our city. At present our city of Regina became the number one strongest economy among large cities in Canada. Inspite of global recession we are least affected by unemployment rate and yet, job opportunities remain strong; more contract workers like Nurses and welders are keep coming from the Philippines and housing markets remains stable.. Intramigration of people from different provinces like Alberta and Ontario are coming to Saskatchewan because of job opportunities. All these were happening because God is bringing a new wave of Revival in our province. Same scenario was happening to our church right now. I sense that God is bringing JIL Regina to a higher level of commitment, an exponential church growth or expansion as a vision God is preparing us for. But the biggest challenge however is a matter of how His people respond to this vision. Our dream of achieving this can only be materialized once we've learned to internalize the true passionate love for the "lost" and commit ourselves to assume greater roles or responsibilities in promoting the Kingdom of God. More prayer, hard work and sacrifices are costs for "Greater Harvest in God's Kingdom, greater harvest in our cell groups. If we are more willing for God he can trust us with more. As the biblical principle says...
"What you Sow is What you Reap" No Pain, no Gain.."
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Dear Lord, help us to be more compassionate in bringing the people to Your Kingdom for them to expereince Your greatness and overflowing - love! Amen...

Thursday, February 19, 2009

The ABC of Salvation

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). ______________________________________________
Jesus died for the sinners:
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates HIS own love for us in this: While we were sitll sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus is the ONLY WAY:
John 14:6 "Jesus answered, "I am the Only Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through ME.

Jesus gave us power to become Children of God:
John 1:12 "Yet to all who received HIM, to those who believed in HIs Name, HE gave the right to become children of God."

What Must I Do To Be Saved?
A
- ccept that you are a sinner.
B - elieve that Jesus died for your sins.
C - onfess HIM as your personal Lord and Saviour.

THEN...

God's presence will go with you as HE promised with Moses (Exodus 33:14). This "presence" is "GOD IN ACTION" - doing things on your behalf. God's wisdom, guidance, strength - the Great I AM is with you!
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Pray this Prayer...In Faith!
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe YOU died and rose from the grave to save me. Come into my life, take full control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and put my trust in YOU for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life and I thank YOU for my name is written in the Book of Life.
In Jesus' Name...Amen!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

~ICARE Activity~

~Who Is My Neighbor... AM I A Good Neighbor?~

Luke 10:29-37
v33 - But a certain Samaritan as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had COMPASSION on him.
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Who is my neighbour?
  • My neighbour is someone who crosses my path and who needs help that I can afford to provide.
  • Serving others with God’s Heart of Compassion.
    —- It takes initiative.
    —- It takes adjustment.
    —- It takes sacrifice

    The GOOD SAMARITAN laid aside his own agenda and laid out his own resources to serve a person in need.

    Being an everyday Samaritan begins with the ability to get a little distance from your own preoccupations and get a little closer to the difficulties faced by another person.

    ...be a good Samaritan everyday...

~JIL Regina welcomed the New Filipino Immigrants in the city... some of them just moved from another city to find employment in Regina...this is part of the ICARE Program! Brought food, prayed for them and had fellowship~




~To the Church Management Team Members (CMT) and family keep up the good work...there would be more people that needs our care - let us continue to be a good neighbor to them~

....to our kababayan ... welcome to the city that Reigns - in the Land of Living Skies! We are a Family to all of you and you are all in our Prayers!...~

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Thank you LORD for blessing us abundantly - it overflows! I pray that we will be always generous to other people - becoming a blessing to them. Not to forget that - what we have came from YOU, our Provider! Amen...

Friday, February 13, 2009

~ Teamwork Works~
Psalm 133:1-3

A Chinese Proverbs states, “Behind an able man there are always other able men!”

When you include everyone on your team, everyone always wins... It's always easier to work with people instead of against them. When you see the world as one team and invest your time looking for ways where you can each be beneficial to the other, progress and co-operation can be made with a mutual benefit for everyone. These benefits spread out like ripples on a pond each time you add a member to your team who makes a new contribution. This is true whether you're an employee, supervisor, owner, subcontractor or the president and cleanup crew of a one-person company.

Tips on How to Strengthen / Improve Your Leadership: (TQ Training)
  • A team sport where each player can make a valuable contribution to the whole."No one can do it all. No one knows it all.
  • Lead by example and inspire others. “To be an inspirational leader, you must first be inspired by and absolutely committed "
  • Enthusiastically look for other people to help complete the project(s). There are many talented people who are ready, willing and able to contribute to your goals and projects!”
  • Delegate as much as possible and communicate your expectations clearly."Delegation done poorly is worse than doing everything yourself.
  • Prepare for and participate in meetings to ensure they produce maximum results. A meeting can either be valuable and highly productive or a complete waste of time
  • Do whatever you can to make it easier for others to help you."It's your responsibility to make it as easy -- and as fun as possible -- for others to help you!

President Lyndon Johnson said, “There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves!”

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Inspirational Reading from the Book of Esther 4

~...such a time as this...~ Esther 4:4
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Every Thursday 6 pm to Friday 6 pm (sundown to sundown) JIL Canada Pastors and for those who can make it can join us to pray and fast for 24 hours. JILC is a Praying Church and Warrior-Intercessors Network is one of the Strategies of JIL Canada. Prayer should be the first in priority with fasting ... present our special requests to God ... to clear our minds / bodies of all hungers ... except our "HUNGER for GOD!" In a very difficult situation Esther, asked Mordecai and the Jews in Shushan to pray and fast for three (3) days and nights and even her maids to join them. To intercede for Esther's interview with the King. We need spiritual discipline that will deepen our "COMMUNION with GOD!" ...to plug in to the SOURCE... WHO can supply everything that we need!
Esther received a news from her uncle Mordecai about the plot to destroy all the Jews in Persia. As queen of Persia, Esther had many privileges but running to the King wasn't a good idea. If the King wasn't pleased to see her ... her life would be in danger. In moment like this - the decision has to be made. She is going to take a risk to see the King with / without an invitation. To reveal to the King the news she received and her identify a - JEW!

God uses people to bring about HIS purposes and Queen Esther was one of them - to save HIS people from annihilation (Esther 4:4 "...for such a time like this...!"

Each one of us has a special place / position in the Kingdom of the Living God and tasks that needs to be fulfilled to HIM in HIS plan. You are that special - where you are and who you are - for just "such a time as this..."

God chose you...You are the one God wants to use:
You are the best person for the job in your workplace;
You are the best parents for your children;
You are the best leader / worker for the church;
Simply ... you are the one ... God put you there!

God's best are yet to come ... lets give the best to God...~
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Lord, thank you for the privilege of coming to You as Your child. To draw nigh to you - to pour my heart before You ... my Father in Heaven - who knows everything that concerns me. In You I offer my life - be unto You the glory forevermore! Help me to remember my vow befroe YOU my LORD - that this life of mine is YOURS forever! Amen...