The Goal of a Humble Heart

web-admin October 23, 2016

October 23, 2016 – 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of a Humble Heart”

Jeremiah 14:17-22 – We are to humble ourselves at all times before the Lord especially at times of trials. We need to see that our hope is with Him alone and not in anything or anybody else.

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 – The Lord will cover those who look to Him as their source of strength.

Psalm 84:1-7

Luke 18:9-14

“It is by humility and not just by need that we receive the mercy of God.”

“You can advance spiritually as you submit to God. But as your faith is increased, be careful about others who are still struggling in their faith; let us not be critical about treating others especially when we are in different levels.”

“We are recipients of God’s grace so let us also show that grace to others.”

(v.9-12) We cannot boast of our accomplishments before God. Faith and Humility impresses God.
(v.13-14) Our merciful Lord welcomes all who come to Him with Humility.

Answering The Call of God to Pray

web-admin October 19, 2016

October 19, 2016 | Wednesday Fellowship Service (+Fr Erel Villanueva)

Topic: Answering The Call of God to Pray

“Let us answer the call of God to pray, not only for ourselves but for others and to become a praying church.”

“God has called us to pray and may we answer that calling.”

Ezekiel 22:23-30 – And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, say to her: ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation.’ The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord had not spoken. The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Luke 18:1 – Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – pray without ceasing

Ephesians 6:18 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Mark 1:35 – Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

“Prayer is part of our Christian life. We need to pray to grow spiritually.”

“Our desire to pray should result to our consistency in prayer.”

“Prayer is Work!”

“Do not give way to the enemy in distracting you not to pray! He will do all means to stop you because the enemy trembles when you pray.”

Ephesians 5:14 – Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.

“Awake! Get over the things that hinder you to pray.”

Romans 15:30 – Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me

“To be consistent in prayer, we need both the Word of God and the Holy Spirit working in us.”

The Goal of Being Ever Prayerful

web-admin October 16, 2016

October 16, 2016 – 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Fr. Erel Villanueva)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Being Ever Prayerful”

Genesis 32:22-31 – When we face obstacles in our faith, we are to be steadfast and stand firm in the promises of God.

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 – No matter what difficulty we are facing, we are to continue bearing fruit in the Word that the Lord has given us.

Psalm 121

Luke 18:1-8a

“We are to pray without ceasing. Always find the time to pray.”

“Fight for and protect our prayer life because prayer is essential part of our life.”

“God puts us in the highest position when we pray. It is a commandment of God.”

“If we are prayerful, we have an inner strength to combat anything that comes our way.”

“Prayer only comes when we know who God is.”

“Persistence mixed with faith is what God wants from us. If we believe God, we will not quit.”

“Prayer is a two-way communication. We build a relationship by talking to and listening to God.”

Being Unshaken, In a Shaking World

web-admin October 13, 2016

October 12, 2016 | Wednesday Fellowship Service (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)

Topic: Being Unshaken, In a Shaking World

Psalm 112:1-8 – Praise the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who delights greatly in His commandments.

His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness endures forever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs with discretion.
Surely he will never be shaken;
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is established;
He will not be afraid,
Until he sees his desire upon his enemies.

Matthew 24:4,24 – And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

The Goal of Being Ever Thankful

web-admin October 9, 2016

October 9, 2016 – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Being Ever Thankful”

“Always take time to give the Lord thanks for what He has given to and done for us.”

2 Kings 5:8-15 – We are to be obedient to God especially in following His instructions. When we get our miracles, never forget to thank Him.

2 Timothy 2:8-13 – In Christ, we must remain steadfast, sober-minded, disciplined and diligent.

Psalm 111

Luke 17:11-19

(v.11-14) Merciful and gracious God sees us in our needs.
(v.15-19) Don’t take His blessings for granted but give thanks to Him.

“Faith and obedience always come together.”

“How much do we value what God has done for us?”

“Thanksgiving to God is important! We thank Him with our lives; We serve Him, We worship Him!”

The God-kind of Faith: Necessary or Not?

web-admin October 6, 2016

October 5, 2016 | Wednesday Fellowship Service (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)

Topic: The God-kind of Faith: Is it Necessary or Not?

Mark 11:22-24 – So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

“To Have Faith in God is to have Faith in the Word of God.”

“Walk as mature sons of God and operate like Him.”

Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

The God-Kind of Faith:

Jesus Christ gives us His personal guarantee (“…assuredly I say to you…”)
Jesus gave us the authority. Talk to God about the situation then speak to your situation. (“…whoever says to this mountain…”)
Say what you want to happen. (“…be removed and cast into the sea…”)
Fill your heart with the Word of God by constantly meditating on the Word of God. Then your life will be aligned with the Word that is in you. Doubt cannot live in a faith-filled environment. (“…does not doubt in his heart…”)
Fill your words with faith, hope and love. (“… but believes that those things he says will be done…”)
We get the results! (You will have whatever you say).

The Goal of Doing What We Ought

web-admin October 3, 2016

October 2, 2016 – 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Doing What We Ought”

“To have faith in the Lord is to serve the Lord. Faith also believes in the purposes God has for us.”

Habakkuk 1:12 – 2:4

2 Timothy 1:1-10 – We are to faithfully use what God has given to fulfill His calling in us.

Psalm 37:1-9

Luke 17:5-10

(v.5-6) We just need to use the faith that we have.
(v.7-10) Just like faith, humility agrees with God.

Principles:

The faith that you have is already POWERFUL and can accomplish amazing things.
You need to USE the faith you already have.
You need to SPEAK what God says to the circumstances you are facing.

Mark 11:22-23 – So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Matthew 17:20 – So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 21:21 – So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

2 Corinthians 4:13 – And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,

Romans 10:8-10 – But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Strengthening the Inner Man

web-admin September 29, 2016

September 28, 2016 | Wednesday Fellowship Service (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)

Topic: Strengthening the Inner Man.

Ephesians 3:14-16 – For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.

How to Strengthen the Inner Man

1.) Worship

John 4:24 – God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

Isaiah 40:31 – But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

2 Corinthians 3:18 – But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2.) The Word of God

Matthew 4:4 – But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Acts 20:32 – “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Meditating on what God says.

3.) Prayer

Mark 11:23-24 – For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

1 Corinthians 14:4 – He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Jude 20 – But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit

4.) Fellowship with one another.

Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

The Goal of Sensitivity to the Needy

web-admin September 26, 2016

September 25, 2016 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Sensitivity to the Needy”

“God blesses us that we might be a blessing to others.”

Amos 6:1-7 – We are to care about God and His purposes. (We should avoid falling into the trap that just because we have what we need, we doesn’t need anything else)

1 Timothy 6:17-19 – We are to fight the good fight of faith.

Psalm 146

Luke 16:19-31

(v.19-21) God’s blessings are meant to be shared.
(v.22-26) How we live now shapes our future.
(v.27-31) Consider seriously the Word of God.

Wait Expectantly to the Revealing of Christ

web-admin September 22, 2016

September 21, 2016 | Wednesday Fellowship Service (+Fr. Fernando Ilustre)

Topic: We are to wait expectantly to the revealing of Christ.

Luke 3:15-22 (NASB) – Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison.

Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Lamentations 3:21-23 – This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

“When God reveals Himself to us, they are new every morning.”

“God can use you to reveal Himself to others.”

Psalm 68:19 – Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation.

Psalm 103:2 – Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

1 Corinthians 2:10 – For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

The Goal of Being Faithful

web-admin September 18, 2016

September 18, 2016 – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Being Faithful”

“If the people of the world can be good in the ways of the world, then the people in God’s Kingdom should be wiser in the ways of the Kingdom.”

Amos 8:4-12

Our relationship with God will affect our relationship with others.

1 Timothy 2:1-8

We are to pray always and be diligent especially in praying for others.

Psalm 113:1-9

Luke 16:1-12

(v.1-8) Excel in learning and living out Kingdom principles.
(v.9-12) Recognize and focus on the true riches.

3 Things you can do with your life:

Waste it.
Spend your life (for yourself)
Invest in something greater than you.

The Goal of Seeking the Lost

web-admin September 12, 2016

September 11, 2016 – 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (+Bp. Ricardo Alcaraz)
Sunday Worship Homily
“The Goal of Seeking the Lost”

“As we have received His grace and mercy, so let us minister His grace and mercy to others.”

Exodus 32:7-14

Because of God’s righteousness, we need an intercessor…

1 Timothy 1:12-17

God blesses us, so we can become instruments of blessings to others.

Psalm 51:1-10

Luke 15:1-10

When we help bring people to the Kingdom of God, there is more rejoicing in heaven.

(v.1-3) Be thankful for the Mercy of God.
(v.4-10) All Heaven rejoices whenever someone comes back to Him.

I AM BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING