From the message delivered in today’s worship service.
In the span of a week, I’ve made calls to almost 500 clients, and God-willing, I’m closing on a couple of folks tomorrow.
Within this week, we’ve had encounters with restaurants and apartment businesses all over Baguio, and we’ll be sending emails and brochures to them, also tomorrow.
We’re coming closer and closer to the finalization of our GNWMI Manual of Procedures, and we’re getting that close to having solid operations and relationships in and around what we’re calling Good News Worldwide Missions, Inc.
So much is going on this week, and it isn’t helping that we’re experiencing this wonderful weather! I could imagine all our parents waiting until the latest hours of the evening to see if anyone posted regarding cancellation of classes.
All this is going on in the middle of what they’re calling this year’s ‘Ghost month’, where according to Chinese mythology, the gates of hell are opened, and spirits may interfere with our transactions.
We may acknowledge this, but we stand upon what the Word says:
35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”Mark 4:35-41
17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.Matthew 16:17-18
We have the sayings of the world, but we stand by the living Word.
Let me declare:
The winds and the waves obey Jesus.
His perfect love casts out all fear.
He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.
He is the Prince of peace.
The gates of hell shall not prevail against Him.
His Word is Spirit and Life.
I declare that all our clothes will not smell like mold.
I declare good internet connections, and consistent electricity upon our homes.
I declare safe travels. I declare firm foundations.
We acknowledge the Lord in all our transactions.
No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No curses, no ghost months shall impact us.
We acknowledge the Lord in all our transactions. He directs our steps. He establishes our thoughts.
Let us all declare:
My soul magnifies the Lord!
It’s all about Him!
He moves the mountains!
He conquered the grave!
He is mighty to save!
All things are possible!
In Jesus name, amen!
Here’s where I spoke on things I learned while making outbound sales calls.
First, we need to demonstrate genuine curiosity. We need to be interested in their situation and ask question after question, with the intention of the issue coming from their mouths, instead of from our words driven down their ear canals.
Second, once curiosity is demonstrated, we zero in on assertive confidence – engaging in deeper conversations endorsing the potential of our company and our product… but, again, not selling the product to them, but driving the conversation and framing it so that they would be the ones to want to buy it.
I’m not sure if I was driving the point here, but as I was speaking I was also linking it to evangelism – how we want to be genuinely interested in whoever we are sharing to, and not making haste to shove the Gospel down their throat.
We testify with confidence, knowing that what we have is the absolute best thing to be had in this reality.
You know, now that I’m writing about it, this is where it’s actually making more sense.
At around this time I shared this verse with the congregation:
1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.
3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.Isaiah 26:1-4
I sort of lost my way here, and just went ahead and said that it’s the Holy Spirit alive in us that gives us the genuine curiosity to demonstrate compassion, and the assertive confidence to testify about the product God’s goodness. It’s the Holy Spirit that gives us peace, and the Holy Spirit who gives us strength.
At around this time I went along with what was written on Evernote… and it led me to share about what was discussed by Ptr Joedy last Sunday.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.Galatians 3:13-14
Pastor Joedy was gracious to share what he called the first part of his overall message derived from this part of Scripture, in our afternoon service: That is, that we are redeemed from the curse.
I shared, reminded the congregation of the 3 categories of curses, according to Deuteronomy 28:
- Spiritual Death
- Poverty
- Sickness and Plague
Around this time I clarified with our congregation, and told them that while we definitely are free from spiritual death (as Christ has made us righteous unto eternal life), it’s still possible for us to be impacted by poverty and sickness in this fallen world.
To this, I told them that the poverty we were experiencing, and the plagues and persecution we may be suffering from – (1) we’ve been set free from them, so (2) they shall have an end, but Christ paid the price for our blessings to last forever.
And speaking of blessings, I went ahead and shared the second part to Pastor Joedy’s message, which he shared that same day, in the evening:
5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.Galatians 3:5-9
3 things Christ did for us: (1) We’re set free from the curse of the law, (2) we’re blessed with the blessings of Abraham, and (3) we’ve received the Spirit through faith.
Again, we have the Holy Spirit who is our Compassion and our Confidence, our Peace and our Strength… and it’s the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our freedom from the curse of the law, and, here, reminds us of how we are blessed, as Abraham was blessed:
- Sonship and Adoption
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.Romans 8:4-7
We are no longer servants, but sons and daughters of the Most High, because of the finished work of Christ, who Himself is the Firstborn of the New Creation.
- Friendship
8 “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. Isaiah 41:8
We have God, not only as our loving Father, but also our trustworthy Friend, to whom we can cast our burdens, and receive His rest.
- Leadership, guidance, protection, provisions, long life, physical strength, families and descendants, transfer of wealth from the wicked.
1 Now the LORD had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3
2 Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. Genesis 13:2
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. 8 Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”Genesis 17:1-8
40 But he said to me, ‘The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. Genesis 24:40
At this time I encouraged all of us to declare, as Pastor Joedy had us declare last week:
It is finished!
Christ has won the victory!
I am blessed!
Angels, go to work!
I rest in Christ’s finished work!
From here I closed with how we discussed the Christ’s parable of the Prodigal Son last Friday, in an impromptu Men’s fellowship.
I reminded the congregation of the story, and I gave commentary off of what I shared when we reflected… I shared on how it was God who was a Father to us, who saw us from the distance, looking slovenly, wretched, and pathetic at the very least, even rehearsing words to tell Him only to save our own skin.
I shared on how God loves us that much to restore our wealth, our honor, and our comfort, clothing us as the Father clothed his son with a robe, adorned him with a ring, and put sandals for his feet.
But on top of this I shared about how it’s not that we need to know the love of our earthly Dads to understand the love of God; No, it’s actually when we know the love of God that we’re able to realize how our own Fathers loved us – not necessarily according to how we wanted them to love us, but loving us with their utmost, their best.
Someone in that fellowship needed to hear that, and he made himself known immediately after I shared. I encouraged him – while his dad was still alive, I told him to cherish every moment with him.
From this I just wrapped everything up, and I told the congregation that we have such an opportunity to live with compassion and confidence in this wretched world. I told them that it was my sincere prayer for all of us (myself included) to experience the everlasting love of our Father, that we are able to testify of His goodness, to be ready with our testimony in and out of season.
According to the words of Colossians 2:6-7, I declared:
As we have received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so we walk in Him.
We are rooted and built up in Him.
We are established in the faith.
We are constantly being taught,
And we abound in it with thanksgiving through it all.
Looking back at all of it, I was all over the place… But I just pray that this takes root in our hearts, the best way it could, that we are able to truly thrive – not only surviving this world, but thriving in this side of eternity.
All for the glory of His name.
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