“THE GOD WHO SEARCHES & LEADS ME”
November 23, 2003 Speaker: Ptr. Beng Arriola 

Text - Psalm 139: 19-24
God wants us to be personal with Him. He is the One who knows us. He wants us to know Him. God made us. He wants us to make Him our God, our Savior, our Lord. God is the One with who is always us. He wants us to be always with Him (not just during Sundays). The problem sometimes with us is that we want God to know us but we are not so interested in knowing Him. We want God to make us beautiful but we refuse to make Him our Lord, our God. We want Him to be always on our side but we run away from being always by His side.

David desires that evil men be searched by God and judged.
- Cursing Verses… Psalm 137: 7-9,  and Psalm 109: 7-10 ... 

Zeal for God
-  v. 20-22 ...   Jer. 17:9,  Isa. 29:13 

David wants God to search him.
- “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” 

Conclusion
- Copper Nails… 
Are there things you need to put right? a wrong relationship, an offense you need forgiveness for, a bad habit you need to give up? It is useless to hide what Jesus sees anyway. If there is anything wrong in your life, we need to make it right. 

“Search us, O God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts. See if there are offensive ways in us, and lead us in the way everlasting”Where is God when things are not right? Where is He when I feel lonely? When I am depressed? Where is the Lord when I have done bad things? Where is He?

"When God Delays His Answer"
November 30, 2003  Speaker: Ptr. Beng Arriola 

Text - Luke 1:5-25
What do you do when God seems to be doing nothing about your situation though you faithfully serve Him and do your best to live uprightly?
Christmas is just less than a month away. Zechariah with his wife Elizabeth somehow felt Christmas would never come for them. But when they felt it was already too late, God came to them with a surprise.      Text- Luke 1: 5-25 
1. It is possible to be godly whatever the situation.   (v. 5-7) 
-  " I believe that when life has whittled us down, when joints have failed and skin has wrinkled… what is left of us will be what we were all along, in our essence." (Ben Patterson in "The Grand Essentials"). 
-  2. Cor. 2: 15-16… If you are belong to Christ, your essence is good.  Christ is in you and you are in your essence a disciple of Christ, a child of God. Let us not forget that.  Zechariah and Elizabeth did not. 
2. When it is clear that God has spoken to us, He expects that we believe. (v. 13 & 19-21 )
- Even though Zechariah doubted, God did not retract His blessing. Zechariah though missed the excitement.
- Believers who doubted  -  Thomas, John the Baptist. 
3.  God reserves the best for the last. (v. 14 and 25)
- Psa.71:9… Even in old age, even when we think it is too late…
- God does not do things in a rush. He makes preparations.  He is not in a hurry but He is never late. He saves the best for the last.                                                                                                                        Conclusion:     What do you do when God seems to be doing nothing about your situation though you faithfully serve Him and do your best to live uprightly?  You just continue. Keep on keeping on.
 

"What It Means to Be Favored by God"
December 7, 2003  Speaker: Ptr. Beng Arriola 

Who are the favored in the world? Are you one of them? 
Text  -  Luke 1: 26-38
1. God has a special purpose for those He has favored. (v. 26 - 28)
- Ephesians 1:6, Romans 8: 28-34, Luke 2: 14… 
2. There are difficulties in being favored and used by God. (v. 29-33)
- Luke 2: 34,  Mark 3:20, Acts 1:14, John  16: 33
3. Those favored by God surrender to God  (v. 34-38).
- “Be it unto me according to your word” 
- 1 Samuel 3: 10, Isaiah 6: 8, Luke 22: 41, Romans 1: 1
Conclusion
 God spoke to Mary through His angel. God speaks to you through the Spirt and by His Word. It may not be as dramatic as Mary’s. But He does communicate to you and me. Mary was favored but so is everyone who belong to Christ. You are a person favored by God if His Son is in you.
God has a special purpose for those He has favored. Mary was a vessel. You could be a vessel.  Just as Mary was the instrument to bring Christ into this world, you could also be God’s instrument so that Christ will be introduced to someone else in this world. As it is written; “Happy are the feet of those who bring the good news of Jesus Christ.”

"Do You Have Room for Jesus?"
December 21, 2003  Speaker: Ptr. Beng Arriola 

Belongingness. That is a very personal word to all of us.  We all would like to know that we belong in a place. And somehow, though words may not be spoken, we feelit when we are no longer welcome or wanted around.

 “No room for you.” Such sentiment is familiar to the One who came down from heaven to seek and save the lost. From the time of His birth  to the day He died, He was not welcome to the very people He came for.

Text -  Luke 2: 6- 7 and John 14: 1- 3

1. The Pain of Rejection. Christ was knew how it felt.
- Luke 2: 6-7,  Matt. 2: 13, Luke 4: 28-29, John 7: 3-5, John 1: 10-11_
2. The Joys of a Welcome. There is room in His Father’s house.
- John 14: 1-2, John 1: 12, Gal. 3: 26-29  _  He who was denied room has room for everyone who so desires.
3. The Hope of Glory. Christ will come back for us. 
- John 14: 3, 1 John 1: 28 and 2 John 3: 2-3_  “I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”

Yet, to everyone who so desires, Jesus’ arms are wide open to welcome. He who was denied a room has room for whosoever wills. There is room for you in His Father’s house. There is room for you in His heart. 
Do you have room for Him?

"ANOTHER YEAR"
December 28, 2003  Speaker: Ptr. Beng Arriola 
Have you ever asked or wondered why do we celebrate New Year ? One year has passed. Another has come. So what? Except for the year, what has changed when calendars change. You still have your problems. You still look the same even as the clock strikes twelve. 

Text   -  Lamentations 3: 22-24

1. Because of the Lord’s mercies, we can move on.
- Phil. 3: 13-14

2. Because of the Lord’s faithfulness, there is regular renewal.
- 2 Cor. 4: 16, 2 Cor. 3: 18, Psa. 92: 12 and 14, Jer. 17: 7-8

3. Because the Lord is our portion, we have hope. 
- 2 Thess. 2: 16-17

 Life goes on whether we are ready or not. It does not wait for us. The years pass by. But we could face another year… and find meaning in life... and be renewed… and be full of hope. The Lord is not only merciful. He is faithfully merciful.

 Another year is dawning. If the Lord is our portion, it would be another year of training. Another year of trusting and waiting. Another year of gladness.  Another year of praise. Another year of service. Another year of blessing. 

Another year for the Lord.

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