Dear Fellow Pilgrims:

Consider God’s Words in the following Scriptures:
1Peter 2:11
Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Matthew 22:36-40;
John 14:15-17, 21, 23-24; John 15:7-17;
1 John 2:15-17; 1 John 3:18, 21-23;
1 John 4:7-8, 15-19; 1 John 5:1-3.

I was invited to speak at a house church last October 28th by Brother Butch Eguico, the National Central District Cashier. He relayed this invitation to his father-in-law, Pastor Jun Cordovilla. The name of the church is Carissa Christian Fellowship located at Carissa Northwinds in San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan. The church meets at one of the townhouse unit owned by Lay Pastor Jun Cordovilla. Pastor Jun is a 68 year old man who recently resigned his job to take the full responsibility of pastoring this growing house church. When the worship started, led in worship by Sister Jocelyn, (wife of Brother Butch & daughter of Pastor Jun) and in the organ played by Jo’s sister, these people though they were meeting only in such a place, sung & worshipped our God & Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts, minds & soul. The morning I spoke, the very limited space was cramped with people. Before the message, a group of 28 kids came to the front to render a number of songs. One of the girls recited by memory a number of scriptures. What a blessing to see small children brought before the Master.

After ministering God’s Words to this house church, had a wonderful time of fellowship with God’s people over lunch. Talked & ministered to eight children after lunch. Gave them assignments to memorize scriptures with the promise of a cash incentive for every verse memorized. When it was time to leave at about 3:30 pm, I was handed a gift bag containing an envelope & two books. One of these was a book on the life of a chinese christian brother and the house churches in China.

The book “The Heavenly Man” is the remarkable true story of Chinese Christian Brother Yun with Paul Hattaway.

I begun to read this book and seem not to want to put it down. It is a fast paced story chronicling the life experiences of this precious brother. I find myself mesmerized as I read the persecutions & tortures that this brother has experienced because of his faith in Christ. Truly what a remarkable story of how faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob triumphs over adversities beyond human comprehension. One cannot but be touched & his emotions triggered that produces tears in ones eyes.

Rev. Dr. Mark Stibbe, author of Thinking Clearly about Revival writes about this amazing story and I quote: “An inspirational and heroic story of a radical Christian in the house churches of China. This book is like reading a modern-day version of the Book of Acts. Prepare to be deeply encouraged as well as rudely awakened. An absolute must for the sleeping churches of the West.” Unquote.

One cannot read such an amazing, marvelous story of God’s grace and mercy at work in the life of a fully committed, consecrated & totally surrendered individual and not be stirred, touched in the deep recesses of one’s heart and soul.

To be untouched is to be apathetic, callous, hardened and insensible. It shows possibly a heart that has long been cold, lukewarm, indifferent and unperturb and therefore hardened to the cries of souls dying without hope because Jesus Christ is not Lord of their lives.

I pray that Brother Yun’s song on page 74 of his book entitled “I Will Only Love My Lord” will challenge, demand, stir & warm our hearts. The words of the poem/song follows:

“I WILL ONLY LOVE MY LORD”

As long as I live, I will only love my Lord
With all my heart, strength and mind, I will only love my Lord
Regardless of what happens, I will only love my Lord
In all my actions and words, I will only love my Lord.

In times of humility and learning, I will only love my Lord
In times of joy and gladness, I will only love my Lord
Whether I face hunger or if I’m full, I will only love my Lord
I am his in life or death, I will only love my Lord.

The Lord has sacrificed his life for me
My deep sin has been pardoned
I have dedicated all my life to him
I will only love my Lord!

Let us ask God’s Blessed Holy Spirit to do a mighty transforming work in our hearts and lives today. Let us resolve in our hearts to live a life Fully, Totally, Consecrated, & Surrendered to the LORDSHIP of Jesus Christ!


SCRIPTURES USED:
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

1 John 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.