Saturday, April 30, 2016

Grace



Evelyn (center back)
I’ve heard this word a thousand times and wondered what it really means until God led me to His words in Psalms 103:10 “He does not treat us our sins deserve”  but giving us what we do not deserve – a  gift from God which we cannot earn and which we cannot lose, for it is God’s unconditional love  - Grace! It seems so unfair sometimes because it costs nothing for the receiver but cost EVERYTHING for the giver. It is selfless. And it is by this grace that we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8) – believing that God indeed gave His Son to pay for our sins; that He did that because He loves us. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that we deserve to give to us, if we believe in Him, the forgiveness of sins, new life and eternal life that we don’t deserve. This is grace – you know it and can easily describe it if you have received his grace, yet still hard to define. 
 G.R.A.C.E. –God’s Reaches At Christ Expense.


Evelyn, 21
Batangas 

pray: 

That I be true to my commitment to live a life that glorifies Him and worthy of the Gospel



Evelyn supervised and assisted Calabarzon NT teams this summer. 

Sunday, April 24, 2016

Persecution

Anjan, Eriz, Talon, Kamal
In fact, anyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted                                                               - 2Timothy3:12

I was really encouraged when Kuya Joel came and spoke to us about persecution. Many think that persecution stops the spread of the Gospel but in reality it’s the fear of persecution that does that. He showed us many things about what the Bible teaches and I’ve listed a few.

1.    We are to expect it. 2Tim.3:12
2.    We will be rewarded. Matt.5:12
3.    We will receive the crown of life. James 1:12


Knowing these things also helps us to prepare and to be ready for when that time comes.

_________________

Pray that I may hear God more, trust Him when He gives me a task,  that I will be obedient without reservation and give all to Christ. 

- Talon, 23
Alabama

Talon travels with Eriz this season to mobilize churches, train young people, supervise a team, set up new areas and for American NT 

Friday, April 22, 2016

Biblical Basis of Suffering

Gate 4: Trials, Growth and Humility

Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds... -James 1:2

When you encounter the word “suffering” what comes to your mind? It talks about misery, pain, and hardship, right?

Left to right: Luigi, Joy, Warry, Sharon, Talon, Dia
In this world, there are many ways or reasons people suffer; maybe through lack of money, broken family relationships, loss of shelter, natural disasters and calamities, disabilities, other people’s decision fallen world system or being disobedient to God. But some sufferings come even or because of our obedience to Christ.

There are many men and women of faith who were chained, stoned, sawn in two, destitute, mistreated, tortured etc. as a result of their faith. Hebrews 11
Jesus, the beloved Son of God was a man of sorrow and acquainted with suffering.  Many who obeyed the Lord did great things and also faced great sufferings for their obedience.

Just because we are obedient in the Lord’s will does not mean there will be no suffering. Suffering is normal. Don’t be surprised. God wants us to be prepared to face suffering as we obey Him, to understand that these sufferings are light and momentary, and that these sufferings can help purify us and make us complete.
As we continue this journey of faith, may we all find inspiration and encouragement from the stories of the many ordinary people like us – known and unknown – who obeyed God and even find pure joy in the midst of suffering.
-        

      - Dia, 26
South Cotabato



Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Yesterday does not define you

Song: Family Tree by Matthew West 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-opi1Qre8Cc

It does not matter  who you were, where you were from, what family or religious background, mistakes that you have done or your parents or grandparents o great grand parents have done that brought you in such an environment. 

Some of us grew up with anger and bitterness towards our parents, family, our situation, wishing we could have been born somewhere else - a different family. While some of us just misunderstood our parents and what they were trying to do, many were caught in the middle of dysfunction  with no one to turn to for a better example to follow. maybe its poor choice that those parents made, or their parents made, or their grand parents' or culture, tradition or a sin of long ago that started all this. Maybe, back then, they have felt just as trapped. 

But you don’t have to have the same life.  We do not have to have the same story. We don’t have to be who they have become. Christ not only forgave us, saved us from our sin, gave us eternal life but He also gave us a new life, a new story – a beautiful story!  Will our past change? No. But God has a beautiful plan, a great dream for us and he can redeem the past and create a beautiful future. And that will be our legacy. That will be our destiny. We have been set free and from you a new generation begins!
Left to right: Sharon, Dia, R-r, Lowella, Sharon

Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18-19

_______________

Pray that I may continue to have burden for the lost, serve God, entrust all my desires to Him, and His will be done in my life. 

- sharon, 17 
South Cotabato

*Sharon's leads a Nehemiah Team in the Waray river areas this summer. 


Friday, April 15, 2016

So, speak up!

Gate2: Soul Winning 

We are just  on the 6th gate in AOT training, but it has been an awesome and life changing experience. From the first week up until now, God had showed me a lot of things. I learned that God is always at work around the world and that revelation is an invitation for me to adjust my life and join Him in His work. His heart is for all nations, tongues and tribes to know Him and worship Him. Understanding these things make me realize how far I am and that I’ve missed this point. But God is so gracious that even though I fail, He still calls me to be a part of His eternal purpose of saving the world through His word.

I must live my life according to the compass. I must live a life worthy of Jesus’ sacrifice. People are dying without knowing the gospel. The call is urgent. The church must stop playing games. God has put us as part of His great story.

Eriz, R-r & Evelyn
You have a story to tell. So speak up!! J

But if I say, “I will not mention His word or speak up anymore of His name”, His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.        -Jeremiah 20:9

___________________

Eriz, 22

Butuan


*Eriz travels with Talon this summer mobilizing &  training young people, supervising a team, setting up for American NT areas in the Philippines and for next Filipino NT. 

Seeing someone come to faith


Community Ministry

"...it is such a great joy to see people come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "


During our first hike to the village to share the Good news of salvation to the people of our target community, I was reminded of the long hikes and travels that our Lord Jesus took during the New Testament times.

Ariel (in Black) with Rustom in class during an activity
Ariel with one of the families that his team shares with
‘So this is how it feels,’ I told myself. It was not easy. He sacrificed so much to give us salvation. I also realized that it is not easy to share the gospel to people that you do not know, and even harder when you cannot speak in their language. But each time I share the word of God , I sense the Lord speaking to me and working in me by guiding me and leading me as I share His word. I pray to God that through the Holy Spirit, they will understand and receive the Gospel. I and the team have also experienced God’s provision as we obeyed. It is surprising that after we have shared with them, they would give us food and fruits. It was really beautiful, and again, it is such a great joy to see people come to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

___________________

Pray that my faith would increase and that I will always be ready for ministry

- Ariel, 22
Quirino province


Ariel is currently with a Nehemiah Team in South Luzon area


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Christ is enough

Gate 1: Salvation
Assurance

Being raised and taught that you have to earn your salvation through good deeds , salvation through faith alone in Christ’s work first seemed simple and easy but incomplete because the mind that is so used to “work to please the Supreme Deity” would always ask, “Is that (faith) enough?


great smiles!
From front to top right corner: Talon, Eriz (in red), Anjan,
 Ben (in black), Warry
When we put our faith in Christ, we receive salvation. We are saved from the penalty, rule and the bondage of sin, but  it is essential to know that this assurance of salvation is not because of what you did or what you can do but because of what He has done. As a Christian our assurance is based upon Christ’s finished work on the cross.  In John 19:28-30 when he said “it is finished” He was declaring that now nothing can be added. In his epistle, John  tells us that God has given us eternal life through His Son and writes to us so that we may know that we have that eternal life (1 John 5:11-13) We have assurance from the Divine Word of God. When Jesus was on the cross, a thief crucified on the same day said: “remember me…” and Jesus promised that “Today, you’ll be with me”. We all know that Jesus never lies but keeps what He say, thus we can find assurance in His very words on the cross. Moreover, we were sealed with the Spirit of God, the deposit guaranteeing that He owns us and that we now belong to the family of God.

 So it’s assured and once we’re assured of this, we have hope, power, joy, patience, confidence and determination not only to live or face tomorrow but also to share the same assured salvation that we have to others who are still in search and in confusion.  

___________________________

          
    Pray that I may be consistent in my walk with God and in sharing this Hope to people 
Anjan GR, 24
Nepal 

Thursday, April 7, 2016

AOT





All praise be to God!


From bottom left to top right: Me, Ariel, Anjan, Talon, Eriz, Kamal,
Luigi (facilitator), R-r, Rustom, Warry, Dia, Evelyn, Lowela, Joy and Sharon


11 weeks
13 graduates
7 language    groups!




In God’s faithfulness, Nehemiah Teams has once again seen a new batch of leaders graduate from the NT-Advance Opeartions Training (AOT) and deploy to different places in the Philippines and back to Nepal to prepare for teams, facilitate training, lead, assist, supervise and mobilize this entire summer, and if they would commit to it, to do the same and maybe take other roles in the next months or years essential for advancing God’s Kingdom among the unreached and hard to reach through Nehemiah Teams mission program.  
  
For this batch (AOT5), we had 13 participants representing 7 different language groups complete the 11-week training. They spent the past two months training in basic disciplines necessary for personal spiritual growth and leading others to obey God's will, the 10 gates of Jerusalem, church planting, mobilization and how to run and implement a local Nehemiah Teams franchise. They also went to communities to share the Gospel and train believers, and mobilized at two camps for almost a week. The articles and testimonies about what the Lord did to and through them will be posted here in the coming days so you all could share in their joy, be inspired and also pray for their specific prayer requests.

Pray :
Anjan – That I may be consistent in my walk with God and in sharing this Hope to people
Rustom – As I lead a Nehemiah Team this summer, may have boldnes and courage in relating to people, and long patience
Kamal – That I be a powerful and useful weapon of God in His ministry
Warry – That I may always be ready to obey God’s will
Ariel – That my faith would increase and that I will always be ready for ministry
Joy – That I will not forget that I am Accepeted, Secured and Significant in Chrsit
Dia – That the Lord would direct my life whatever happens & that He will be praise din all I do
R-r – For God’s provision as I join Nehemiah Teams Palwan & a mind set to follow Him, no turning back
Lowela – May I be faithful & continue to run this race, continue to share the Gospel, thirst more for His word and have wisdom
Evelyn – That I be true to my commitment to live a life that glorifies Him and worthy of the Gospel
Eriz – That I may share this Grace to everyone and to my family, and have wisdom in decisions I make
Talon – That I may hear God more, trust Him when He gives me a task,  that I will be obedient without reservation and give all to Christ.
Sharon – May I continue to have burden for the lost, serve God, entrust all my desires to Him, and His will be done in my life. 


The Team with two young people from the community they are reaching (Emma in white, Dexter in pink)


-       cecil