Gift Giving and Medical Mission 2016 - CSF Anniversary Rally

This year as Christ Stewards Fellowship is about to celebrate its 11th anniversary, we're blessed to meet partners in Christ to bless our church members, co-laborers in Christ and also the community surrounding us.

It is our opportunity to serve and bless others as ministers of Christ.  Everyone has the capability to help and reach people to build them up and start their lives again.  Our capacity to help is not measured on the amount of your pocket but the greatness of your heart in reaching people who are need in any way you can.

Last February 1, our church accommodated the Elder's of the City Meeting.  We had more than 50 guests who are pastors and workers of the churches here in Batangas City.  It was our privilege to be the host of this meeting and sponsor snacks and lunch as the meeting happens.

We know friend churches in Mindoro who are more than needy than us so in our own little way we try to offer our helping hands as a brother and sister in Christ.  Pastor Celso joined Bro, Paul and Sis. Rose Tuma in Puerto Galera to be of help in sharing the love of God there. (February 4, 2016)

We heard a news about Ptr. Jun Falla how he needed help. His wife was sick and they were greatly affected by the thyphoon that caused destruction in the church building.  After that typhoon, while staying in an evacuation center all the left possessions in their house was stolen then was burned down by the thief to cover up the crime.  Who could not be sad in hearing such news?  Our church and even our members were not rich people.  But because our desire is to give help, God blessed us in different ways to channel it in Bagong Buhay Christian Church.

Claiming The Promised Land

Joshua 14:10-16

Intro. Caleb, one of the 2 spies that Moses sent with a positive report. The remaining 10 did not make it to promise land. The point is that ten of the spies saw only the danger, two (Caleb and Joshua) saw the opportunity. The majority measured the giants against themselves, Caleb and Joshua measured the giants against God. Caleb had faith in the power of God. To Caleb, God was greater than the biggest giant. Caleb was not naïve about what they faced, giants and fortified cities, he did not minimize the problems, but rather he magnified God.

Notice his traits:

 1. He followed the Lord fully. vs 8 (God honors obedience).

2. He has a brave heart. vs. 7 3. He is consistent. vs. 10-11 (God honors faithfulness). The first obstacle of claiming his mountain was the obstacle of Friends. You remember way back in Caleb’s experience he had to stand alone, not only outvoted by his peers, but ridiculed by the masses. Second, is the Obstacle of Racial Prejudice. It may surprise you to find out that Caleb was not a Jew, he was according verse one he was a Kenizzite (ke’-niz-ites). That means he was a Gentile. Perhaps there were those who looked down on him because of his race, and I suspect there were. But Caleb did not let this deter him from following the Lord fully. Born a Gentile and an outcast he became a child of the promises of God. According to Hebrew customs if you joined Israel you were adopted into one of it’s tribes and your name was added to the genealogy. We too were born outside the family of God, when we accepted Christ we too are adopted into the family of God. Paul says in Romans 8:15-16, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father..."