Devotional: Rejoicing Amidst Pressures

Rejoicing Amidst Pressures
(Rev.Nelson de Jesus)

Ministry is not always a bed of roses. It is not always a red carpet treatment. Even great servants in the Bible were not spared from pressures in the ministries which God called them to do. Take the apostle Paul for instance; he experienced imprisonment many times, not because he committed a crime but because he was simply doing what God wanted Him to do. In spite of these hard circumstances, we see in one of his epistles that he even exhorted the Philippian believers to, ‘rejoice in the Lord always’, which was a reflection of his own attitude while in prison.

From a mere human perspective , it would be difficult to rejoice when things get rough in our life and ministry but when we strive to look beyond our adversities and see them in the light of who God is, what He does, and what he says in his Word, we will have all the strength and reason to smile.

Remember, from God’s perspective, trials and difficulties are profitable, for they are what God uses in our lives to develop and mold us into the kind of servants He wants us to be.

“I consider our present sufferings insignificant
compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us”
says the apostle Paul, in Romans 8:18(GW)

“Count it all joy, my brothers,
when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
says James, the ‘half-brother’ of Jesus, in James 1:2-3 (ESV)

Devotional: Taking a break in your Personal oasis…

Taking a break in your Personal oasis…
(Rev. Mike Meñez)

The Oxford dictionary defines “Oasis” as “a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found”. It is a resting place in the midst of a rough and rugged journey.

Sometimes, ministry can become a desert for workers. For several different reasons and at different magnitudes, many times we find ourselves feeling exhausted, spent, and with nothing more to give. It is at these times that we need to “take a break” from the severity of things and just begin to find our “personal oasis”.

The Lord God Himself set us an example in the Sabbath. He wired us so that we need rests and breaks. In guilt, a lot of times, we “work our asses off” thinking it’ll make up for our shortcomings. But it never does… does it? Busyness doesn’t equate to spirituality, nor does it result to intimacy.

We all need to establish our own “personal oases”. I used the plural form here because I believe we should have a number of them. It should start with our time away with God… With all the pressures we face, we need to find that “rest” primarily in God’s presence.

Our family should be our next “oasis”. Find meaningful time with your spouse and children.

Your next “oasis” should be a support group of your peers and friends. We all need regular fellowship and “shock absorbers” (as we fondly call them at times).

Another good “oasis” could be productive diversions like a sport or a hobby you like to do that can easily get your mind off some pressures even for just a short time.

Take a break! Establish your own “personal oases” and be refreshed again and invigorated for the work!

“….the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…” Exod. 20:10

“1My soul finds rest in God alone.... 2He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2

TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP COURSES (c)

Our ATS is now TLC. TLC more popularly stands for ‘tender loving care’, which is what our TLC aims to provide our pastors and ministry workers.

The ATS (Advanced Theological Studies) program of IGS has undergone restructuring and expansion. With the TLC or TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP COURSES, pastors and ministry workers can expect an even deeper enrichment program.

With the former, (ADVANCED THEOLOGIAL STUDIES)
CENTERS: FOUR (4)
PROFESSORS: SEVEN (7)
TOPICS: EIGHT (8)

With the current, (TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP COURSES)
CENTERS: SEVEN (7)
PROFESSORS: TWELVE (12+)
TOPICS: RELEVANTLY VARIED
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Areas of Concentration:
I. REFORMATIVE SPIRITUALITY
-Character -Integrity,
-Personal life, -Growth,
-Purity, -and other related topics
-Commitment,

II. RELEVANT SKILLS
-Theology
-Biblical studies
-Ministry Skills
*Handling the Word,
*Management,
*English proficiency,
*Computer literacy

III. RELATIONAL SENSITIVITY
-Marriage ad family relationships,
-Interpersonal relationships,
-Ethics,
-other topics

Invest in God's Service!

A WORTHY INVESTMENT
by Pastor Nelson de Jesus

Because we, in IGS, believe in the value of partnership, we would like to open an avenue by which you can partner with IGS in its desire to help churches and workers fulfil the mandate of the great commission. We call it, “Investing in God’s Service” (IGS).

In spite of its humble beginning in 2002, the Lord has enabled IGS to enlarge its territory over the past 6 years. What God has allowed IGS to accomplish so far is a by product of partnerships with individuals and churches who have allowed themselves to be God’s channel of blessing, making financial investments for the ministry that we do. We are truly grateful to God for them.
The work and ministry continues and we need more partners who are willing to make the same investment.

It may be that God has given you a desire to become part of “Investing in God’s Service”. Join us today! Let’s make a lasting impact! Let’s be involved in something that will greatly count for eternity!

You can partner with us by any of the following ways:

1. Give a one-time love gift, individually, as a group, or church.

2. Give a regular support as a group, or church:
*anually
*semi-annually
*quarterly
*monthly

3. Introduce and promote our ministry to friends, relatives, and co-church members who may be moved to help financially. Also, send us ministry contacts as well.

----------------
Funds sourced and gathered from this partnership will go to the working or operational fund of IGS and will not be given for personal support of its ministry workers/staff.

We hope and pray for your favourable response to this worthy investment. May God bless you!

June 19: THANKSGIVING DINNER at AFBC, Antipolo

Last night, pastors and family members gathered together at Antipolo Faith for a thanksgiving dinner. We thanked God for His faithfulness in supplying our needs and we thanked Him for using so many brethren as channels of His bountiful blessings. We thank FFBC, NJ for being instruments of God's grace and provision. We thank the brethren there for their partnership in the ministry.

 

God is faithful! May His blessings flow abundantly in the churches, lives,  and families of our ministry partners.

 

in prayers,

10 Tips for New Pastors

by Rev. Bob De Moor

source: http://www.thebanner.org

 

It's an irritating habit of the aging to give unsolicited advice to younger colleagues. But I just can't help myself. So here's my top-10 list of tips for our candidates as they plunge into ministry:

 

1.    Love God's people. You can't show them Christ's love if you don't visit them; preaching, discipling, and pastoral care mutually reinforce the effectiveness of each.

 

2.    Learn to lose a few. If you don't always get your way, the kingdom will still come, others will be encouraged by being allowed to show some leadership too, and your blood-pressure readings will look much better.

 

3.    Weep with those who weep. Dignify grief by listening, praying, and grieving alongside instead of trying to "fix it." When Job stormed heaven's gates with his laments, his visitors were true friends only as long as they kept quiet.

 

4.    Take advice. A colleague just offered a gem that would have made me much more effective in church meetings: "Never pass up a chance to remain silent." Sigh. If I only could . . .

 

5.    Let criticism hurt but not too much. Your congregants never took that course directing you to give 10 compliments to earn the right to offer a single criticism. So take yer medicine because you'll be swallowing lots of it. Accept criticism kindly, learn from it, and, if it's unfounded, remind yourself that what really matters is what Jesus thinks. But don't become calloused. If criticism no longer stings, find another line of kingdom work.

 

6.    Get a life besides ministry. If you don't shelter family, personal, and down time, you won't have any. And if you never interact with family, you'll have to settle for those lame generic sermon illustrations on Google.

 

7.    Be a shock absorber. Take those bruising shots to the ego without passing them on. Release them regularly at the foot of the cross.

 

8.    Don't bore people. To bring good news, you have to be good news. You can't help folks experience the joy of God's kingdom by being odious. Be like Jesus; help people laugh a lot (Matt. 11:19).

 

9.    Search out people who will level with you about how you're really doing. Your supervising elders—and God bless them for it—want to support you. So they might sugarcoat the bitter pill. Enlist your spouse, some close friends, and your colleagues in ministry.

 

10.    Enjoy! It's a HUGE privilege to be invited into people's lives at their best and worst moments. You'll run into Christ so often, you'll find yourself blessed immeasurably more than you'll bless them. You've made a smart career choice. Go with God!  ¦

 

Author: Rev. Bob De Moor
Rev. Bob De Moor is editor of The Banner and pastor of preaching and administration at West End CRC, Edmonton, Alberta.