State of the Harvest Field Address (SOHFA)

                        “Look on the fields for they are ready for harvest.” 

                                                                                                           John 4:35

         When our very own Pastor Abet Falcunit gave a sermon about SOHFA or  “state of the harvest field address”  in  our church, he strongly urged the congregation to “look on the fields to labor for the fruits are ready for harvest” (John 4:35). God is seeking for laborers. Meaning,  God’s purpose for all of us is to serve Him. To serve God to save the souls of those who have not yet accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and savior.  So many works to be done  in the field but the laborers are few to do the harvesting. Pastor Abet also stressed in his sermon that God is compassionate to all of us. If God is compassionate, we must also be compassionate with others. God sees us all precious in His eyes.

          There are more loiterers than laborers. The ADDRESSOR is the Lord while the ADDRESSEE are the disciples or the saved ones in the church.  God did not allow us to die because He has the purpose for all of us…to send us to work in His vineyard…to evangelize and to win souls. 

          In  Isaiah 6:8,  God commissioned Isaiah to labor in the fields. Isaiah heard the voice of the  Lord saying  “whom shall I send”?  Isaiah said, “here am I send me.”God commissioned us all to work in the field. 

The Sweetest, The Simplest And The Profoundest Verse In The Bible

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”    

Romans 10:13

This verse is the sweetest, the simplest and the profoundest verse in the Bible.  This verse has the widest scope,  the grandest personality, and the greatest reality.

I – THE WIDEST SCOPE OF HUMANITY -   “Whosoever.” God covers all humanity to be saved as stated in the Bible verse thru the word “whosoever.” Whosoever means all, you  and any.  No matter what your background is, no matter what you have done, no matter where you came from, no matter what color you are, no matter what you did to yourself. It does’nt matter.  God will save you! Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, God loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass,  God’s love encompasses us completely!

II – THE SIMPLEST ACTIVITY -  “Call!”  This is very simple activity. Just “call” God.   “Call unto me and I will answer thee!”  Jeremiah 33:3. In calling God, we should have genuine humility,  unconditional surrendering,  personal helplessness,  and faith in God’s power and resources. Without calling God we can do nothing.

III -  THE GRANDEST PERSONALITY – “The name of the Lord!”   “That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of  things in heaven, of things under the earth… and every tongue confess that  Jesus Christ is Lord!” Philippians 2:10.  In the name of Jesus means authority,  ability, and adequacy.  “A transformed life is the greatest of all miracles.  Every time a person is “born again” by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, the miracle of regeneration is performed.”  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12.

IV -  THE GREATEST REALITY – “Shall be saved.”  “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man shall pluck them out of my hand,”  John 10:28. Our security is not in a place but in person, a person who did not, cannot and will not lie.”

(From the sermons of Rev. Teofilito A. Rufon of Odiongan Baptist Church Inc. odiongan, Romblon, Philippines)

God's Daily Prescription

“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep thy commandments.”  Proverbs 3:1

God, being the supreme physician, has daily prescription to us:

I -  DAILY PRIORITY – Matthew 6:33 says  “seek ye first!”  Put God first and we will never be last and all things fall into proper place.  When couples love God first,  they love each other.  Put God first in finances, tithes, interest, hobbies, work, relationship, marriage, friendship, schedule and even in times of trouble.   When we have problems, prayer should be the first choice, not last resort.

II – DAILY POWER – In Christ we are strong.  Outside Christ we are weak. Philippian 4:13 says “We can do all things through Christ which strenghteneth us”.  Romans 8:37 positively reminds us that “Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.”

III -  DAILY PRECEPTS -  We cannot live without God’s word. It is our bread of life.  Take this word at least once a day or more.  There is no overdose.   Regular Bible reading can cure many illnesses like anxiety, fear, worry and stress.   Reading Bible will make us happy and gain positive outlook in life.

IV – DAILY  PRAISE -  Rejoice always in the Lord.  We should rejoice because we are sons of God, God is sufficient, God has special place for us  in heaven. Jesus said in John 14:1-2 “Let not your heart be troubled….in my fathers house are many mansions…..I go to prepare a place for you.” 

V – DAILY PRAYER – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing.  God doesn’t move in your life when you stop praying.  He moves when you pray. James 5:16 says “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

(From the sermons of Pastor Teofilito A. Rufon of Odiongan Baptist Church)

Faith Under Attack

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

1 Timothy 6:12

Satan will attack our faith through our  faith, funds, family and flesh. Consider how Job resisted devil’s attack to his faith. 

I – Faith – Job’s faith was real. Job is classic example of a man whom faith was tested by the devil. But Job’s faith was not shaken even under attack. His adversity strengthens his life because his faith is real.  Not real faith or artificial faith can be destroyed by  adversity.  Adversity destroys the superficial faith, but adversity strengthens real faith. Don't let your trials blow you down. Let them lift you up. " that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” – Job 1:8

II – Funds – Our funds can be an instrument of devil too. Job knew that everything he has were gifts from God therefore it should be returned and used for the glory of God. "Most people fail to realize that money is both a TEST and a TRUST from God. We can either use our money to serve God or our God will be our money."   “And said, Naked came I out if my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor changed God foolishly.” Job 1:21-22

III – Family – When Job’s family died due to disaster, he did not blame God.  Some people blame God for the natural disasters that killed their family and they turned down their faith away from God.  But Job even under the shadow of death did not gave up his faith, instead he loved more our God.   .” And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  Job 1:18-19.

Yes it is true to take good care of our family to give food, clothing and shelter but too much of it  and putting God as a second option  to the point of ignoring God’s commandment to serve Him is a big mistake.  Sometimes if the one we loved more will cause us to ignore God, he will send instruments or  ways or even  punishment  or  taking our loved ones away from us for us to return . Matthew 10:37  is very clear and warns us that “he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.

IV – Flesh  - Did God allow men to suffer?  According to Helen Keller a blind and deaf woman, "there is a purpose to suffering and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine." "Trials and sufferings are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible and to drive us to our knees."

Like Job when satan smote him with boils, Job remained steadfast and faithful to God even his wife told him to curse God. “So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job 2:7-10

According to Joni Earekson Tada a mouth painter, writer who wrote a book entitled “When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the  Almighty” and quadriphlegic Christian,  "God has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.”

(From the sermons of Pastor Teofilito A. Rufon of Odiongan Baptist Church, Inc. Odiongan, Romblon).

Blessed Are The Meek: For They Shall Inherit The Earth

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”  (Matthew  5:5)

The meaning of meek in Hebrew is “to be molded” and “to be controlled.”  Being meek is to submit to God’s will.  Not man’s will. His hand is our molder because he is our potter and we are the clay.  “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”  (Luke 22:42). Man has his will.  God also has his will. But it’s God’s will that prevail.  When we desire, we must first seek God.  “Delight thyself in the Lord;  and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”  (Psalm 37:4).  “In all thy ways acknowledge him,  and he shall direct thy paths.”  (Proverbs 3:6).   In God’s will we  have peace.  In his will is our peace.   We must accept  all things  that work within us to have inner peace.  It is all God’s plan .  There is always a reason and good things that will happen to us if we always submit to God’s purpose.  There is  no such  thing  as chance or luck. “All things work together for good to them that love God.  To them who are called according to his purpose.”  ( Romans 8:28).  

Even  in pain and suffering.  God did not promise us a trouble-free life.  He said that “in this world we shall have tribulation.” Meekness is not so much of questioning and asking or cursing or challenging or blaming  God.  Meekness is more of loving, suffering, acceptance, and contentment.  There is a saying that “God will not bear us a problem we cannot bear.”  A turtle once said:  “no matter how heavy my bearings are, it’s God’s choice to make me carry my shell for it’s the only way I will be protected.”    After we have surpassed the sickness and problems  in our lives, we become an inspiration, to others by telling them not  to fear and not to loss  faith and hope  because we have been through that kind of illness.  Job said “I know that thou canst do everything.” ( Job 42:2). So there is always a reason for every thing that God did for us.  “ Many are the plans in the mind of a man,  but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.”  (Proverbs 19:21).  “In every thing give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  (I Thessalonians  5:18). 

According to Millard Erickson: “ If we have fully understood who and what God is, we will see him as the supreme being.   We will see him the Lord, the one who is to be pleased and whose will is to be done.   This reminder is needed in our day,  for we have a tendency to slip from a “theocentric” to an “anthropocentric”  ordering of our religious lives.   This leads to what be called “inverted theology.”  Instead of regarding God as our Lord, whose glory is the supreme value and whose will is to be done, we regard him as our servant.  He is expected to meet all of our perceived needs and to answer to our standards of what is right and wrong.   We need to learn from Samuel,  whose response when the Lord called him was,  “Speak, Lord, your servant hears.”   He did not see this as an opportunity to pour  out his concerns to the Lord,  saying “Listen, Lord, your servant speaks.”  When we adopt the latter stance,  we in effect make ourselves God.  We presume to know what is right and what is best.   In so doing,  we take upon ourselves a great responsibility:  to guide our own  lives.   But it is God who knows what is best in the long run.   He is the Almighty and loving Lord.   He has created us, not we him,  and we exist for his Glory,  not he for ours.   We will stand for him in the last judgment,  not he before us.   If we have truly understood God’s nature,  then with Jesus our first concern in prayer will not be for the granting of our desires.  It will rather be “Hallowed be thy name,  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,  on earth as it is in heaven.”

(From Andrew M. Famero’s Exhortation at the Harry Fetalsana’s residence during the Joint Fellowship of Men, Women and Youth)

Take My Life, and Let It Be (Living The Surrendered Life)

“Anyone who does not  give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14:33)

 

What does a surrendered life look like?  The answer is TOTAL SURRENDER.  Jesus said that  “anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. And  if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters, even his own life cannot be my disciple.”  (Luke 14:26-27).

In 1874, Frances Ridley Havergal  who was just thirty-eight years old,  penned a hymn that has become a beloved treasure of the church.   Written as a prayer,  each line focuses on one dimension of  what it means to be fully surrendered to Christ:

Take My Life,  and Let It Be

Take  my life, and let it be. 

Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;

Take my hands, and let them move.

At the impulse of Thy love,

At the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be.

Swift and beautiful for Thee;

Take my voice, and let them sing,

Always, only, for my King,

Always only,  for my King.

Take my silver and my gold.

Not a mite would I withhold;

Take my moments and my days,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my will, and make it Thine. 

It shall be no longer mine;

Take my heart, it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne,

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Here are some questions for  us to answer: 

Have I consciously acknowledged Christ’s ownership of my life? 

Do I live with the conscious realization that all my time belongs to God?

Am I yielding the members (parts) of my body to God as instruments of righteousness?

Do the words that come out of my mouth reveal that my lips and tongue are fully surrendered to God?

Do I give generously,  sacrificially, and gladly to the Lord’s work and to others in need?

Am I wasting my mind on worldly knowledge or pursuits that do not have eternal spiritual value?

Do I consistently seek to know and to do the will of God in practical and daily matters of life?

Am I moody? Temperamental? Hard to please?

Do I enjoy and seek out the friendship of God as much as I do human friendships?

Have I surrenderd all that I am and all that I have to God?

God is asking us every part of our being.  He wants us to consecrate our life to Him:  our body...our tongue...our possessions...our mind...our will...our  affections....our relations and.... ourselves.

(From the book  “Living the Surrendered Life” preached by Mrs. Xenia Solidum  Foja during Joint Fellowship of Men, Women and Youth of Odiongan Baptist Church).

Functions of the Church

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Timothy 2:2)

The  main functions of the church are:

Evangelism

Edification

Worship

Social Concern

I -  Evangelism –“Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.”  (Matthew 28:19).  Jesus’ last words to his disciples is evangelism.   The call to evangelize is a command “go.” Jesus said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15).  “You are my friends if you do what I command you.”  (John 15:14).  If the church is to be faithful to its Lord and bring joy to his heart, it must be engaged in bringing the gospel to all people whom we like and dislike.  We have to take the gospel everywhere.  “But you shall receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you; and you will be by witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8).

II – Edification –meaning,  building up or  strong fellowship with each member of the church.  “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”  (Ephesians 4:12).  “From whom the whole body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”  (Ephesians 4:16). Like the human body parts with its own function, each member has its own role in the church to do. It is not merely the minister or pastor who is to build up other members. Ways by which members of the church are edified are through fellowship, instruction or teaching and preaching. 

In fellowship, Paul speaks  of sharing one another’s experiences like suffering, success, burden, honouring, and rejoicing.  “And whether one member suffer, all members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”  (1 Corinthians 12:26).   Meaning, we are to encourage and sympathize with each other.  Believers are to bear one another’s burden.  “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:2). In fellowship also, this may entail correction or rebuke which should be administered lovingly.  Jesus laid the pattern of discipline in Matthew 18:15-17. “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go tell him his fault between thee and him alone.”  In severe cases, there may even be excommunication from the group , as in the case of immoral man mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5:1-2.  The primary reason is to restore such person to righteous living.

In instruction or teaching,  the church also edifies its members through education which is part of discipling. Education may take many forms and occur on many levels like Sunday school, theological seminaries, and divinity schools.  Since the truth of God is found in the Bible, it is a must for a church to send Bible students to Bible schools or mission schools.

In preaching, the church also is edified. Paul speaks of prophesying and referred to this as preaching and exhortation.  “But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation and comfort.”  (1 Corinthians 14:3-4).  To the end of mutual edification, God has equipped the church with various gifts apportioned and bestowed by the Holy Spirit.  “But all these worketh that one and the self same spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”  (1 Corinthians 12:11) (Romans 12:6-8,  1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Peter 4:11).

III – Worship – Another function of the church is worship.  If edification focuses on the belivers, worship focuses on God.  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;  but exhorting one another:  and so much the more,  as ye see the day approaching.”  (Hebrews 10:25).  We declare God’s greatness in worship.  We glorify God and praise him.  Who is God and what God is.

The right pattern in the book of Acts is, worship God, be edified and evangelize.  Worship of God will suffer if oriented only in edification or if service is aimed exclusively at evangelizing unbelievers.

IV -  Social Concern  -  If the church is to carry on his ministry, it will be engaged in some form of ministry to the needy and suffering. “Concern for  the widow, the sojourner is appropriate.”  (Deuteronmy 10:17-19).  “To visit the orphans and widows in their affliction.”  (James 1:27).  God also stressed that faith without action or social concern is dead .  “Even so faith, if it hath no works, is dead,  being alone.  “ (James 2:15-17).  “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth.”  ( 1 John 3:18).  Social concern includes the condemning of unrighteousness as well.   John the Baptist likewise condemned the sin of Herod even though he was imprisoned and lost his liberty and lost his life. (Mark 6:17-29).

(From the Sunday School Preaching of Mr. A. Famero taken from the Book Christian Theology by Millard Erickson).