"In your situation, Cling on to God" /guest blogger

Perseverance and Patience

by John Daniell San Pedro on Thursday, October 13, 2011 at 9:37am

"Take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as people of both perseverance and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance and patience of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord- that the lord is very compassionate and merciful" James 5:10-11

We want to posses the virtue; patience, but we don't want to go through the curriculum to learn it! We only want to have a life of Christ effortlessly poured into us like a transfusion, but spiritual life doesn't work that way. More often, faith is built in the crucible of doubts, hope develops when we face despair, and genuine love blooms in relationship with most difficult people. In the same way, patience becomes a reality in us because we cling to God during times when we long for quick, complete solution to our problems. In the verse James let us look at the prophets, as examples of people who God gradually built character quality of patience. As i know prophets endure great pain, experienced great calamity, accusation, and misunderstandings of friends. In spite of long confusion, suffering, spiritual darkness, they continued to cling on God. In the end, God showed up and never ever failed them.

For sure by this time you are thinking of a solution to YOUR problem, just wait upon the Lord and surely He will rescue you. God's timing is the most perfect time of all. He never fails. He will never leave us or even forsake us. God's love is so indescribable, His thoughts are unfathomable. Maybe we can't understand God's plan for us, even the very reason why we are suffering or we might be complaining about problems.

God has a plan, but first we must have PATIENCE and wait upon the Lord.               johndaniellsanpedro

What happens when we put our hands together?

Our hands filed up!!! This represents how Jesus is always among us... when we gather in his name.

In our recent meeting we discussed some of the current issues and observations that affect the growth of the team in terms of our relationship towards each other and towards God. We also talked boldly about how we feel and what we have in mind towards one another, we believe that the open-communication culture we practice strengthens and builds us up into a committed and accountable team.    

It was fun and at the same time, empowering!     I believe, the minutes of the meeting could be summarized with this context; Mat 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to OBSERVE all that I have commanded you. AND behold, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the end of the age."(ESV emphasis mine).  It has reminded all of us of a better perspective, the original one; It is to serve the Lord in his great commission... "what Jesus has really died for!"...

Due to its noticeable results; we will continue our regular month-ender meeting. It would not just be an evaluation but also a time to pray as a team just as we work as a team.

All praises to God, we know that he helped us to realize a lot of things by giving us open minds and resilient hearts toward His will. And, Hallelujah! The vision of a mega church is really at hand but we have to have a mega step of faith backing up that vision.

For Kwerdas it's been always a good news when something happens in the church; whether it seemed good or bad since we love the Lord; who works on all these for our good, we're assured... he made all things beautiful in his time.

We believe that we are not a stand alone band neither somebody who could ever be able to work things on our own. We don't carry out our own vision but we carry out the vision given us as disciples. The band; Kwerdas, the youth; Soya, the church; JCWC these are all names for the purpose of identification but without being connected to the true vine who is Jesus? "I don't think we can do anything."

 " I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. " John 15:5










                                                                                                                                                 -robert