Like YOURS

April 2017

                                                                     Like YOURS

                                                                       #365foodforthesoul

Like countless drops of rain,

Are Your favors time and again.

Like sundry sounds they bring,

Are Your promises unending.

Like frequent ripples by a gentle wind,

Are Your comforts to my need.

Like rings of them spread out,

Are Your Words carrying me throughout. 

Like relentless roars of waves,

Are Your strengths in my distress.

Like arches they form,

Are Your shields in times of trouble.

#reflection

by: aide

Your Love Is Better Than Life

March 2017

by: Aide

                                           Your Love Is Better Than Life                                Psalm 63:3

#365food for the soul

Your love is better than life,

        for it formed me into a being.

It clothed me from shame,

          when all of me were crashed.

Your love is better than life,

for it ushered me into
Your dwelling.
It promised me rainbow,
After the storm I passed through.

Your love is greater than life,
for it led me to Your abundant land,
It satisfied my soul,
when everything was scorched.

Your love is better than life,
for it redeemed me from nothingness.
It positioned me onto a higher ground,
Where all the foes cannot demand.

Your love is better than life,
for it took me out from the darkness.
It led me to a place of eternity,
Where light forever resides.

Your Light

March 2017
by: Aide Rose

Your Light 

Psalm 36:9b

#365foodforthesoul

Your light brings comfort,

to my weary soul.

Your light leads me to trust

the sole Source.

Your light guides me to the straight path,

where righteousness celebrates.

Your light compels me to seek the truth,

where justice resides.

Your light utters hope,

to my helpless soul.

Your light assures I am Yours,

And that is wonderful. 

Bud and Flourish

Bud And Flourish

August 2018

Read

Proverbs 4: 23 (NIV/ESV)

Reflect

The worlds says, "follow your heart."  God's Word says, "guard your heart..."(NIV)

I had my share of failures in the past.  I'm sure exactly what went wrong, I failed to guard my heart.  I followed my heart instead, which led to ill feelings towards my self. It took me two years to forgive my self.   However, God is so gracious; He was ever present then as He is ever present today.

How do I guard my heart?
True enough, apart from God I have no good thing; and I am nothing.  It is when I spend deeper and more intimate time with His Word.  So the more I listen to Him the louder His words rings in my heart.

Why I should guard my heart?
Emotions are deceitful.  Our hearts our laid open when we are alone and when we are with others.  It tunes in to different rhythm everyday when we are with different people and situation. 

From where I should guard my heart?
I guard my heart from deceitful circumstance.

When pride eclipses our hearts instead of forgiveness. It is when selfishness presents itself instead of selflessness.

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." 

Guard your heart.

                             #foodforthesoul

                             #soulkeeping

The Timeless TRUTH In Changing And Limited World

February 2017

Read

John 6: 1-14, 26, 35

Reflect

     The Timeless TRUTH in Changing and Limited – Crowd (vs.1—4)

     The disciples saw the miraculous signs.  Their curiosity  drew them to see what Jesus would do next.  Many were interested in what He did (healed the sick, drove out demons etc.).

     The crowd followed Jesus because of the outward fulfillment and satisfaction; not so because the crowd were curios who Jesus truly was.  Later, Jesus rebuked the crowd because of their wrong intentions (v.26)

     I’m not trying to say that following Jesus because of what He has done is sin or wrong. But I should say it is not whole.  We should follow Jesus because of Who He is in our lives. Then, we let praises and adoration overflows from our hearts because of what Jesus has done and what He can do in us and through us.  Sadly, there’s still that kind of crowds nowadays.   The crowds who are only after the outward satisfaction and waiting what will happen to their outward welfare.

The Timeless TRUTH in Changing and Limited – Disciples (vs. 5-12)

Philip was chosen to be tested and deepen his faith.  What did Philip see? Philip saw overwhelming concern – a great crowd coming and his faith was crowded by worry and problem.  And because of the problem he saw, he forgot Who was with him at that moment.  We are all like Philip sometimes.  We see problems and they overwhelm us.  We see worry and they weaken us and our faith.  We are struggling in many ways and they are slowly stealing our joy.  We see negativity, so often times we fail to recognize the ONE WHO is in us.  These concerns fog our vision of Jesus, Who allows all these to deepen our faith in Him and what He can do in us and through us.  We miss His presence because of the great crowd we are in. Thus, it’s a matter of perspective.  How differently Jesus and the disciples viewed the situation.  Philip only saw a large problem, but Jesus looked at the exact same situation and saw opportunity. Us – crowd: overwhelmed, worried, pessimistic.  Jesus –crowd: opportunity, compassion, solution.  Jesus did not fall into the pessimistic view of the disciples by being overwhelmed by the size of the problem.

     We’ll pray that each day as God allows us to live – we have the eyes to see the crowd, our own crowd like Jesus sees them.  The eyes to see like Jesus.  The heart to understand our situation, so we can turn our crowd into opportunity – opportunity to become like Christ.  Opportunity to walk like Jesus did in this crowded world.  

Respond

1. What are your reason/s of following Jesus?

2. Are you one of the crowds? 

3. What is a great crowd coming towards you at the moment?  

4.How did you respond to your crowd lately?

It Is He Who Owns EVERYTHING

It Is He Who Owns EVERYTHING 

December 15, 2016

READ

Psalm 50: 8-12; Isaiah 28: 26-29

REFLECT

It's not about us.  I heard these words countless times when I was in the seminary. Until I landed in the mission field, I humbly understand the truest sense of them.   

It's not because who I am, what I have become and what I have.  However,  it's all because of God and who He is.  There's no amount of pride should be carried on my shoulders.

We are living in a world where one must attain something plausible to be recognized by many.  Even though in a Christian circle, nowadays, titles become tangible.

Psalm 50:9-11 says, "I have no need of a bull from your stall, or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and a cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine."

Very clear, everything is His.  What knowledge you possess, it's from God.  What talents you have, they are from Him.  What you have on this earth, big or small, they are from Him.  God just entrust us with resources and capabilities.  It means that we don't rightfully own everything - it is God's.  Thus, we are not free to use it as we please.  God, the sole owner, expects us to use it for His purposes and for His glory.  He desires to invest all that we are and all that we have eternally.

Similarly, as Isaiah son of Amoz saw a vision.  The pride of Ephraim was rebuked. Isaiah 28: 26-29, "His God instructs him and teaches him the right way. Caraway is not threshed with a sledge, nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin; caraway is beaten out with a rod, and cumin with a stick. Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever.

The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain.All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent." 

It is important to note here that God is our Great Shepherd.  He does not resent us the things He gives us.  The truth of the matter is, He wants us to seize a kingdom view of who we are and what we have, acknowledging that everything comes from Him.  

RESPOND

1.  Is there any aspect of your life you are struggling to give to God?

2.  If your answer is yes, what holds you back?

3.  Read again Psalm 50: 8-12 and Isaiah 28: 26-29.  What does this passage tell you about God and His Words.  What are the things you possess right now and how do you think and feel about them?

365CambodiaMissions: Another Peaks

365CambodiaMissions

Matthew 28:19-20(NLT)

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Bethlehem Church youth - ready to serve, teach the Word and walk the faith.

#RDKmissions - Day 1 

Youth is all ready for the RDK 3-day missions

we started with an afternoon prayer walk

taking a group picture before our supper preparation

youth do the planning, buying and budgeting for each meal

our first lunch at the host family

#RDKmissions - Day 2

Morning orientation with Neakro Sophea

arts and crafts with Neakro Vanny 

reading with Lukro John

games blocks with Neakro Srie Loung

drawing and coloring with Neakro Sophea 

Afternoon- fun filled games

all set for the next game

Afternoon a day of learning and fun with the children, youth is all ready to get dirty and wet just to catch crabs and shells for their dinner later 

Us catching crabs in the newly harvested paddies 

it surely needs patience or else we don't have a meal later

our efforts paid-off, one of the country's local cuisine - crab soup with lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and different mint leaves to add flavor to the dish

#RDKmissions - Day 3

fellowship meal - porridge with fresh green veggies from the villagers own yard

everyone is set to eat this healthy meal

closing session with singing and dancing

all the children is not ready to go home yet even us

Praise God for the answered prayers. 

- fair weather

- unity, guidance, patience, wisdom as we prepare

- provision for everything we need

- good health

- relevant materials

- solid outcome for this exposure

- parents of some of this children are attending the adult house worship/church

Thank you for praying with us and for us.  Indeed, we are together for the Gospel.  To God be all the glory.   

Press On,

Aide Rose Fernandez 

aide_711@yahoo.com

aide711@gmail.com

+855 77547851 (Cambodia) / +63 9192920955 (Philippines)  

P.O box 369 Battambang City, Cambodia 

https://www.converge.org/give/699301-d (Converge Worldwide)