Latest postswhy-young-people-leaving-the-churchhttps://nycconline.ca/why-young-people-leaving-the-church <p>Why a young one leaved the church is one of the most vexing <b>(frustration/worry)</b> questions facing the church today. As I have said so often that 1,000 churches getting close each year. Meeting some leaders from churches and pastors, saying we don’t have much young people- in other words, they mean without the young one in the church to cater in10 years church might be close. <p>A 2007 LifeWay Christian Resources survey indicated that 70 percent of 18-22 year-olds stop attending church for at least one year.[1] Furthermore, Barna surveys have repeatedly shown that a majority of 20 year-olds leave church, often never to return. <p><b>PARENTS:</b> Let Us Sacrifice Our Today so that our children can have a Better Tomorrow in the church!</p>Sun, 08 Mar 2020 13:57:00 Z2020-03-11T01:11:17Z<p>Pastor Roger Marcos<br>March 8, 2020</p> <p>Why a young one leaved the church is one of the most vexing <b>(frustration/worry)</b> questions facing the church today. As I have said so often that 1,000 churches getting close each year. Meeting some leaders from churches and pastors, saying we don’t have much young people- in other words, they mean without the young one in the church to cater in10 years church might be close. <p>A 2007 LifeWay Christian Resources survey indicated that 70 percent of 18-22 year-olds stop attending church for at least one year.[1] Furthermore, Barna surveys have repeatedly shown that a majority of 20 year-olds leave church, often never to return. <p><b>PARENTS:</b> Let Us Sacrifice Our Today so that our children can have a Better Tomorrow in the church!</p> <p>Whatever we experience when we were young..it’s a time to support and continue to work hard to make our children a real one in the world. <p><b>YOUNG PARENTS:</b> Make it sure your children will be at the Sunday school for the children. <p><b>Not Uncommon For Young People:</b> <ul> <li>Lose Interest... In Spiritual Matters</li> <li>Pull Away - Become “Distant”</li> <li>Start Missing Some - then quit attending</li> <li>Date, Engaged &amp; Marry Non-Christian</li></ul> <p>Ultimately Lose Them To The World! <p><b><u>Train Up a Child</u></b><b> in the Way He Should Go, and <u>When He Is Old,</u> He Will Not Depart From It.</b> Proverbs 22:6 <p>How to raise A Child- What they will be as an adult <p><b>Why?</b> Knowing Why May Help Prevent Losing More! <p><b>I. </b><b>Bad Influence - of their Friends.</b> the Capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.<br><b>Prov. 1:10-19</b> 10 My child, When Sinners Tempt you, Don’t Give in. <p><b>⁶ Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery. 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness. Pro. 31</b> <p><b>Pro. 23:31-35</b> <p>³¹Do not look on the wine when it is red,<br>When it sparkles in the cup,<br>When it [a]swirls around smoothly;<br>³²At the last it bites like a serpent,<br>And stings like a viper.<br>³³Your eyes will see strange things,<br>And your heart will utter perverse things.<br>³⁴Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the [b]midst of the sea,<br>Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:<br>³⁵ “They have struck me, but I was not hurt;<br>They have beaten me, but I did not feel it.<br>When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?” <p><b>PICTURES: .</b> <p><b>¹⁹Do You Not Know that your Bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were Bought at a Price. Therefore Honor God with your Bodies. 1 Cor. 6:19-20</b> <p><b>¹¹Suppose they say, “Come on; let's find someone to kill! Let's attack some innocent people for the fun of it! <br></b><b>¹² They may be alive and well when we find them, but they'll be dead when we're through with them! ¹³We'll find all kinds of riches and fill our houses with loot! ¹⁴Come and join us, and we'll all Share What We Steal.” ¹⁵My Child, Don’t Go with people like that. Stay Away From Them.</b> <p><b>Reason drop out:</b> <p><b>Why: </b><b>The Reason Young People Drop Out of Church</b> <ul> <li>Because their Faith Isn’t Their Own.</li> <li>because They Never Joined it Spiritually</li></ul> <p>¹⁶ They can't wait to do something bad. They're always ready to kill. ¹⁷It does no good to spread a net when the bird you want to catch is watching, ¹⁸but people like that are setting a trap for themselves, a trap in which they will die.<br>¹⁹Robbery always claims the life of the robber-this is what happens to anyone who lives by violence. Pro. 1:16-19 <p><b>CHOOSE YOUR FRIEND:</b> <p>²⁶The righteous Choose their Friends Carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. Pro. 12:26 NIV <p><b>II. </b><b>Poor Example - of their Parents</b>. 2 factor our children grow in faith <p>Our Young One Learn From What They See. <p><b>General Principle.</b> Matt. 5:13-16; 1 Tim. 4:12- Be an example to the believer <p><b>Become Like Parents.</b> <p><b>⁷The righteous lead blameless lives; Blessed Are Their children After Them. Pro. 20:7</b> <p><b>Ezekiel. 16:44 “Like Mother, like Daughter.”</b> <p><b>Parents We Are Not Losing Our Young One At Church?</b> <p><b>Glory to God</b> <p><b>⁷ The Righteous Lead Blameless Lives;</b> <p><b>Blessed Are Their children After Them. Pro. 20:7</b>god-the-key-for-life-successhttps://nycconline.ca/god-the-key-for-life-success <p>Hebrews 11:23-27 <p>Experiencing the promises of God in life makes His provision a reality. The Bible gives answers for every need at the right time, every time He is always there for His own people. <p>“Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him.” Whatever you are facing in your life journey His grace is enough so So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. <p><b>Greetings:</b> Good morning Everyone! <p>Praise team I really appreciated each Sunday being in the altar of the Lord leading the singing in preparation of our heart to the message. <p>Remember Life is Action, It is not a hope, It is a happening, It is not tomorrow, it is TODAY. No matter what you want to achieve in life, your actions must back up your words. If not, you will never achieve anything. <p>Brethren, whatever we say and what we do. It’s called reality. <p>As I looked at Moses life story I consider to be the greatest person in term of service experience in the Lord. No one got permitted to receive the 10 Commandments from God except Moses. <p>He has a potential and gifted leader as He led the children of Israel out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. One thing that I admire is he wrote the first five books of the Bible.</p>Sun, 01 Mar 2020 17:52:00 Z2020-03-04T18:04:27Z<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>March 1, 2020</p> <p>Hebrews 11:23-27 <p>Experiencing the promises of God in life makes His provision a reality. The Bible gives answers for every need at the right time, every time He is always there for His own people. <p>“Spending time with God is the key to our strength and success in all areas of life. Be sure that you never try to work God into your schedule, but always work your schedule around Him.” Whatever you are facing in your life journey His grace is enough so So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. <p><b>Greetings:</b> Good morning Everyone! <p>Praise team I really appreciated each Sunday being in the altar of the Lord leading the singing in preparation of our heart to the message. <p>Remember Life is Action, It is not a hope, It is a happening, It is not tomorrow, it is TODAY. No matter what you want to achieve in life, your actions must back up your words. If not, you will never achieve anything. <p>Brethren, whatever we say and what we do. It’s called reality. <p>As I looked at Moses life story I consider to be the greatest person in term of service experience in the Lord. No one got permitted to receive the 10 Commandments from God except Moses. <p>He has a potential and gifted leader as He led the children of Israel out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt. One thing that I admire is he wrote the first five books of the Bible.</p> <p>STAND UP PLEASE FOR THE READING OF OUR TEXT: <p><b>Hebrews 11:23-27 </b> <p>²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.<br>²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. <p><b>Childhood years</b> <p>Moses was the son of Amram and Yochebed of the tribe of Levi. Miriam and Aaron were his brother and sister. He was born in Egypt during the period in which the Israelites (Hebrews) had become a threat to the Egyptians simply because of their large population. The Pharaoh had ordered that all newborn male Hebrew children be cast into the Nile to drown. Amram and Yochebed took their newborn son and placed him in a waterproof basket and hid him in the tall grasses of the Nile. Meanwhile, his sister Miriam hid and watched over the baby from a distance. A group of women and servants were bathing nearby. The Pharaoh's daughter, hearing the baby cry, found and rescued him. She named him "<b>Moses," meaning "drawn from the water</b>." Her desire for a son fulfilled, she made certain that he had the best of everything, including education. <p>Moses was brought up in the splendor of the Egyptian court as the Pharaoh's daughter's adopted son. Grown to manhood. <p><b>QUESTION</b>: Why did God choose Moses? Because Moses chose God. <p><b>Moses Settled Four Key Issues:</b> <ol> <li><strong>Identity</strong> - Who am I? v.24 <li><b>Responsibility</b> - What am I going to do with my life? v.25 <li><b>Priority</b> - What is the most important thing in life? v.26 <li><b>Difficulty</b> - How much am I willing to commit to what I'm going to give my life for? v.27</li></ol> <p>These are issues that every one of us has to deal with - Moses made the right choice in each instance and I want us to learn to make the same choices that he did. <p>God is the Right key for everything. how to make an impact with your life. <p>DO YOU HEAR ME CHURCH? <p>Our Personal Success in life, even in life ministry Is God. <b>For this God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death. Ps. 48:14</b> <p><b>1. </b>DISCOVER WHAT GOD <b><u>MADE ME TO BE.- </u></b> <ul> <li><b>What is my purpose?</b> <li><b>Why did God create me?</b> <li><b>What should I do with my life?</b></li></ul> <p>According to Barna research, 60% of practicing Christians say they do not have a clear sense of God's calling on their lives. In a 2012 Barna Group study they found that 84% of Christians 18 to 29-year-olds admit that they have no idea how the Bible applies to their field or professional interests. This means that the great majority of us do not know our purpose. <p><b>Let’s look Moses:</b> Hebrews 11:24 <b>24 By Faith Moses, when he had Grown Up, Refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter</b>. <p>Consider this word<b> "refused" - It means to disown, reject, to leave no door open. </b>- Moses insisted on being what God made him to be and no one could convince him otherwise. <p><b>Moses had an identity crisis</b> - He had to decide: “Am I Jewish or am I Egyptian? Am I a slave or am I royalty?” The <b>major consequences</b> of his decision would affect the rest of his life. <p>If he chooses to say, "I'm Pharaoh's grandson,” he has fame, fortune, a life of luxury, a promising career, and is heir to the throne. <p>If he chooses to say, "I'm Jewish born of Jewish slaves," he'll be rejected, despised, thrown out, humiliated and will live the life of a slave forever. <p>But Moses refused to live a lie - He was a man of integrity, a man of character. <p><b>The Spirit of God has Made Me, and the Breath of the Almighty Gives Me Life. Job 33:4</b> <p><b>Courage RISE when the CAUSE Is Greater than the CIRCUMSTANCES.</b> <p><b>Courage FALLS</b> when the Circumstances are greater than the CAUSE. <p>Now what application does this have for you and me? <p>God made you for a purpose - He wants you to be you. <p>Job 10:8 GNT Your Hands FORMED and Shape Me. <p><b>The first secret of success is to be yourself</b> - Quit trying to be somebody else. <b>Don’t compare yourself to anyone in this world, if you do you are insulting yourself.</b> <p>Be yourself - Discover what God made you to be. <p>2. <b>ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY OWN LIFE. </b>Take responsibility for your thoughts, feelings, words and actions. To take responsibility for your life, is to take responsibility for your powers of thinking, feeling, speaking and acting, because this is the structure of all human experience. <p>What you do today does impact your future. <p><b>Look at yourself Now</b>... <ul> <li><b>Do you eat junk food?</b> I’ll tell you this: In 5 years you’ll be fatter and unhealthier. </li> <li><b>Do you complain?</b> I’ll tell you this: Your life’s situation will be exactly the same in 5 years. </li> <li><b>Do you spend more than you earn</b>? I’ll tell you this: In 5years, you’ll worry about money every single day. </li></ul> <p>God has given you the freedom of choice and the choices that you make will determine your future. <p><b>(Moses) chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.</b> - Hebrews 11:25 <p>If you want to make an impact with your life, it's your choice, not mine. <p>You're as close to God as you want to be - You read your Bible as much as you want to read it - You pray as much as you want to pray - It’s your choice. <p>God chose Moses as a baby but at some point Moses had to choose God. <p>It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up. - Hebrews 11:24a <p><b>A mark of maturity is when you start accepting responsibility for your own life. </b> <p>But when he had grown up he had to make that decision on his own. <p>He had to go God's way because he wanted to go God's way. <p><b>Three facts of life:</b> <p><b>1. I can’t live off of other people's spiritual commitment. </b> <p>- You've heard people say, "My parents were Christians" or "My dad is an elder" or "My husband/wife is a believer." <p>So what? You need a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. <p>- You need to quit living off the spiritual apron strings of your parents and get your own faith - When Moses grew up, he chose. <p><b>2. I can't blame others for the direction of my life.</b> <p>- Society says the exact opposite - It says "It's not your fault, you're a product of your environment. Blame other people for your messed up life." <p>- But you can’t blame other people for the direction of your life - It's your life. <p>- You can't control all the circumstances but you can choose how you'll respond. <p><b>3. No one can ruin my life except me. </b> <p>- I'm free to choose my response. <p>- You might have had the worst upbringing possible, you might have suffered through an abusive situation, there might have been a horrible tragedy that you’ve been through, and I’m very sympathetic to all that. <p>- But as real and tragic as these experiences are, they will not ruin your life. <p>- The only one who can do that is you, but you have a choice to do differently. <p><b>3. ESTABLISH A VALUE SYSTEM FOR MY LIFE</b> <p>- If you're going to make your life count you need to settle the issue of what is really important - Clarify it in your life. <p><b>- Moses clarified his values and priorities:</b> <p>- (Moses) thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. - Hebrews 11:26 <p>Moses thought this thing out and made a decision to do what was right. <p>He evaluated his options, considered them, and weighed them in the balance. <p>- It is the same thing that each of us must do. <p>- We need to establish whether we are going to accept God’s value system or not. <p>- You need to sit down and seriously consider What in the world am I living for? <p><b>- What are you living for today?</b> <p>- They don't know why they are, they don't know what they want to accomplish in life, and they don't know what's really important. <p>- You need to establish values in life, things that you can build your life on, the things that will be important to you. <p>- Why? The fact is that if you don't decide what is important in your life, others will do it for you. <p>- The world is more than happy to pressure you into its mold and to promote its value system on you. <p>- We have a lot of Christians today who have bought into the world's value system. <p>- They're living that system without even thinking about it rationally. <p>- What is ironic is that Moses, by the world's standards, had it made. <p>- He already has everything the world had to offer: <p>- He had power - He was heir to the throne of the most powerful country of the world at that time. <p>He had pleasure - Every whim would be satisfied in the palace of Egypt. <p>He had possessions - The wealth of the world was concentrated in Egypt. <p>- Moses had it all but he walked away from it. <p>- Like Moses, we need to learn to say with conviction, "I'm not going to be sucked up into this world's system, the rat race, the hollow lifestyle that says life consists of pleasure, passions, possessions and prestige. I'm not going to buy into that.” <p>- That's the kind of person Moses was and that's why he made an impact with his life. - He went against the flow. <p><b>Moses’ Value System:</b> <p><b>1. </b><b>God's purpose is more valuable than popularity.</b> <p>“God has a plan for my life. I'm going to lead these people to freedom.” He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He said, “I'm going to give up the prestige, the power, the popularity because it doesn’t last.” <p>- Moses said, “I'd rather fulfill God's purpose and do what He's told me to do than be in this place of power and prestige.” He wasn't impressed by popularity. <p><b>2. People are more valuable than pleasures. </b> <p>(Moses) chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. - Hebrews 11:25 <p>I like this verse - The Bible always tells the truth. <p>It says there is pleasure in sin - The Bible says sin is fun. <p>Of course it's fun; if it were a bummer nobody would do it! <p>But it's only fun for a season, for a short time - It doesn't last. <p>Moses could have temporary pleasure being the next Pharaoh of Egypt or he could go do what God had called him to do and help the people who were in pain, who needed to be set free. <p>- He could have stayed there in pleasure and today no one would even have known Moses' name - He'd be some mummy in some tomb in Egypt. <p>- But he chose the right thing, and we are called to choose the right thing to. <p><b>3. God's peace is more valuable than possessions. </b> <p>(Moses) thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. - Hebrews 11:26 <p>- A couple verses back he rejects the world's measure of success. <p>- Then he rejects the world's pleasure - Now, he rejects the world's treasure. <p>- He does what is right because God's peace is more important than possessions. <p>- He could have stayed in the palace of Egypt and had every possession he ever wanted - wine, women, and song. <p>- But he knew that no possession could give him inner peace. <p>He would have been miserable not doing what God wanted him to do. <p>- Peace comes not from the things you own; peace comes from being in the center of God's will, being what God made you to be, and doing what God made you to do. - That's where peace comes from. <p>- What motivated this guy? What made him live this way? <p>- (Moses) was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. - Hebrews 11:26b <p>- Moses had perspective - he had the willingness to look at life through the perspective of eternity - he was not just living for the moment. <p>-What motivates you to reject the world's value system and accept God's value system for your life? It's your perspective. <p>- Are you looking at the here and now or at eternity? <p>- Your values are determined by your vision - Whatever you're looking at is what becomes most important in your life. <p>- What are you focusing on? What are you looking at? What is most important? <p>- Are you focusing on things that are going to last, or things that won't last even 10 years much less for eternity? <p>- Moses was a man of vision - He had eyes of faith. <p><b>4. NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE GOAL</b> <p>- Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. - Hebrews 11:27 <p>- You must visualize your goal, and focus on it - You constantly keep it before you. - Why is vision so important? Because the secret of success is persistence. <p>- And the secret of persistence is vision. <p>Vision draws you on so that when you want to give up, you don't. <p>You have your eyes on the ultimate reward. <p>You know that Moses spent most of his life waiting? <p>- From the time that God gave Moses the vision, the dream of setting free an entire nation after 400 years of slavery to the time it was fulfilled and they were ready to go into the Promised Land was 80 years. <p>- Could you wait that long and not give up? <p>- Moses spent 40 years in Midian just waiting for God to say "Start!" <p>- Do you ever get tired of waiting on God? Do delays ever tempt you to give up? <p>- Have you learned the difference between "No" and "Not yet"? <p>- Have you learned that God's delays are not God's denials? <p>- One of the tests of faith is "How long can you wait?" <p>- You must keep your eye on the vision, the goal, on what counts in life so you don't get discouraged. <p>- I saw a poster with a picture of the sun shining through a rock that has a hole in it. - It says "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the goal." <p>- What are you looking at - the obstacles or the opportunities? The problems or the One who overcomes the problems? <p>- It's all a matter of vision, what you focus on with your life. <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> <p>What I’ve given you this morning are the key for life success: <ol> <li>DISCOVER WHAT GOD MADE ME TO BE <li>ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY OWN LIFE <li>ESTABLISH A VALUE SYSTEM FOR MY LIFE <li>NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE GOAL</li></ol> <p>Now I don’t give you these this morning just so you can have a neat outline to take home - I give you these because I want you to be successful in your life and I know that if you implement these key into your life then you will be a success. <p>- Please take this home and consider what we’ve talked about this morning. <p>- See if there is some area where you need to grow, and then seek God’s help. <p>GOAL 2022 = 350 Faithful Members <p><strong>YOU NEED TO BE BORN AGAIN!</strong></p>overcoming-spiritual-stagnationhttps://nycconline.ca/overcoming-spiritual-stagnation <p><b>Introduction:</b> <p>Our journey starts from Birth to eternity. Have you ever pondered how long eternity is or how important salvation is? <p>Life is dynamic. It is not static. All living things are either growing and increasing toward maturity or deteriorating toward decay and death. So how about you - <b>Are You Growing Spiritually?</b> <p>I mean Are you growing toward maturity in your relationship with God, with people, and with your family? <p>Personal growth is normal and exciting, but it can also be difficult. It doesn’t happen without any effort. At the same time, growth can also be stymied <b>(PREVENT OR HINDER THE PROGRESS) </b>and stagnated. <p><b>Stagnant</b> means Motionless and Inactive. This might be an accurate description of some people’s Christian walk. “I just want to live mindlessly from day to day.” <p>Failing to pursue this spiritual relationship causes stagnation and hence no progress to the next level of knowing God intimately. <p><b>Hebrews 10:25 ESV</b> Not neglecting to meet-together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. <p>Personal stagnation leads to boredom, a <b>lack of purpose</b>, and for those of us who are Christ Followers, it can make Christianity itself seem downright dull, no excitement, and no meaning at all. <p>Today I want us to look at some solutions to this problem, because I know that if you’ve been a Christian for long, you are either suffering from this now, have in the past, or are going to in the future - To overcome, let’s adapt.Sun, 23 Feb 2020 13:25:00 Z2020-02-29T02:57:27Z<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>February 23, 2020</p> <p><b>Introduction:</b> <p>Our journey starts from Birth to eternity. Have you ever pondered how long eternity is or how important salvation is? <p>Life is dynamic. It is not static. All living things are either growing and increasing toward maturity or deteriorating toward decay and death. So how about you - <b>Are You Growing Spiritually?</b> <p>I mean Are you growing toward maturity in your relationship with God, with people, and with your family? <p>Personal growth is normal and exciting, but it can also be difficult. It doesn’t happen without any effort. At the same time, growth can also be stymied <b>(PREVENT OR HINDER THE PROGRESS) </b>and stagnated. <p><b>Stagnant</b> means Motionless and Inactive. This might be an accurate description of some people’s Christian walk. “I just want to live mindlessly from day to day.” <p>Failing to pursue this spiritual relationship causes stagnation and hence no progress to the next level of knowing God intimately. <p><b>Hebrews 10:25 ESV</b> Not neglecting to meet-together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. <p>Personal stagnation leads to boredom, a <b>lack of purpose</b>, and for those of us who are Christ Followers, it can make Christianity itself seem downright dull, no excitement, and no meaning at all. <p>Today I want us to look at some solutions to this problem, because I know that if you’ve been a Christian for long, you are either suffering from this now, have in the past, or are going to in the future - To overcome, let’s adapt. <p><b><u>KEYS TO GROWTH. </u></b><b>TO GROW- </b>We Will Never Grow Unless We Want to Grow. It’s just like when you want something in your life. <b>HOW TO GET WHAT YOU WANT?</b> <p>Depend in you and how to get it- Example If you want RESPECT- then live godly; If you want a friend=then be friendly; if you want forgiveness-then forgive; If you want salvation-then obey the Lord; if you want Bible knowledge-then Study.. so then if you want to Overcome Spiritual stagnation you need to have a passion and motivation on heavenly things. <p><b>Are you excited when Sunday comes? </b> <p><b>1 - KEY TO MOTIVATION. </b>Willingness to Expend Energy to Achieve a Goal.<b></b> <p><b>Motivation</b> is an important study because it reaches to the core of Christian spirituality. <p>The biggest problem that most of us have is not that we’ve quit believing, not that we’re caught up in some terrible sin, but we’re just not motivated anymore. <p><b>LIVE DAILY WITH THE END IN VIEW.</b> <p>- And so many of us have no target to aim for, we’re just stumbling along through life, hoping that by chance we’ll get it right. <p>- “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” - Matt.5:48 <p>- Now, how does perfection sound as something to aim for? It sounds unreachable. <p>- But the word translated “perfect” literally means “fully grown” or “ripe.” <p>- Jesus is speaking of a process here, of aiming for something, of having a goal and taking the steps necessary to reach it. <p>He uses the Heavenly Father as the example - God is the bull’s eye we need to aim for, and we do that by living a life in imitation of Jesus Christ. <p>- Now I know that in this life I am never going to be as fully grown, or perfect, as God is, but I do know that if I have this as my goal I will continue to grow closer to it with each passing day. <p><b>What The Bible Say About The Importance Of Spiritual Growth?</b> <p><b>Aiming - Goal</b> <p>Eph. 4:15 Instead, by speaking the Truth in a Spirit of love, We Must Grow Up in Every Way to Christ, who is the head. <p>II Thes. 1:3 “Your Faith is Greatly Enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another Grows Even Greater.” <p>- It causes me to live each day with the end in view - to be focused, not just on the moment, but on the big picture of our life, and it motivates us to grow. <p><b>2 - KEY TO OVERCOMING APATHY.</b> lack of Interest or Concern. <p>Apathy (I don’t care to do it). When I’m lazy I can care about something but not put forth the effort to get it done; it’s not a priority. When I’m apathetic, I could care less whether something gets done or not; it’s not important. Nothing inspires me; I’m not enthusiastic about the things of the Spirit. There’s no excitement, there’s no passion. I’m not affected by my lack of motivation to get up and do something. I’m indifferent, complacent; I’m slothful. Apathy causes stagnation.<b></b> <p>What Causes Stagnation? <ul> <li>Laziness</li> <li>Doubt </li> <li>Sin</li></ul> <p><b>MAKE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO GROW- </b>The most important thing in the life of a Christian is to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.<b></b> <p>- There is a decision involved here - one that doesn’t just talk, but acts. <p>- And it’s a decision that will lead us away from apathy, into victory. <p><b>Luke 9:23-25 </b><b>²³. “If Anyone Desires to Come After Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross Daily, and follow Me. ²⁴For Whoever Desires to Save his Life will Lose it, but Whoever Loses His Life for My Sake Will Save It. </b> <p><b>²⁵What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?</b> <p>Jesus is asking for a personal commitment here, and it’s a big one - “put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.” <p>- And he gives us the consequences of that commitment - keep your life and lose it, or give up your life for Him and find true life. <p>- The negative here is this - if you want to live for yourself and be committed only to yourself, you will live a life of personal stagnation. <p>- The positive is - live for Jesus and live a life filled with meaning, purpose, celebration, victory, security, and assurance. <p>- Following Jesus isn’t “Let’s make a deal.” Jesus says if you choose me you will experience true life, but if you choose yourself, your life will be lost. <p>- There is a decision to be made here - a commitment to go into training for growth <p>- Have you driven a stake in the ground and said, “I am going to grow, I am going to commit myself to this process.” Until you do, growth will not occur. <p><b>3 - KEY TO PROGRESS</b> <p>- So many of us think that we would leave personal stagnation behind if we could just find the right seminar, the right book, or the right event. <p>- And so we go to BIBLE STUDY, SEMINAR, CONVENTION <p><b>II Peter 3:18 “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ</b> <p>- While many of these events and books are helpful, they really aren’t the key. <p>- Here’s what we need to do - <b>VALUE PROCESS MORE THAN EVENT</b> <p>- It isn’t a one time fix that is going to solve the problem, it is a series of things that we purposely do and get involved in that eventually leads to growth. <p>- It is the process of growth that needs to be experienced and honored, rather than each individual event that is a part of the process. <p>- The writer to the Hebrews was talking about the need for spiritual maturity and he makes this analogy: <b>A person who is living on milk isn't very far along in the Christian life and doesn't know much about doing what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right</b>. - Hebrews 5:13-14 <p><b>“Growing Into Maturity” For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe”<br>Hebrews 5:13</b> <p><b>Solid food is for those who are mature, who have trained themselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong and then do what is right. - Heb. 5:14</b> <p>- Notice this phrase - “Who have trained themselves.” He is speaking of a process of training for growth that is initiated by the one being trained. <p>- The process is not a seminar, or a quiet time, or reading a book, it is the cumulative value of those things over a period of time. <p>- The secret to your future is not found in the events you attend, but in what you do in your daily routine. <p>- Day by day, if you are in God’s Word, if you are praying, if you are being stretched by others, and if you are in fellowship, over time those things add up to a great amount of progress in the Christian life. <p>- Too many of us ignore the daily routine, and look instead for the one shot spiritual wonders or events to propel our lives into spiritual success. <p>- But true success comes in the way we fill our daily lives. <p>How Will it Happen? What Can I Do? STUDY THE BIBLE <ul> <li>to know the Truth</li> <li>to increase Faith</li> <li>to please God</li> <li>to experience the joy of GIVING</li> <li>to change behavior</li> <li>to teach others</li> <li>to live forever In Christ</li></ul> <p><strong>CONCLUSION</strong> <p>As usual, there is a choice that we have to make today - we can either keep living the way that we always have, and if we’re not there already, eventually we’ll end up living a life of personal stagnation. <p>- Or, we can decide that today is the day that we’re going to begin living life to its fullest, and with God’s help we will overcome whatever it is that has been holding us back.</p>familys-save-to-served-https://nycconline.ca/familys-save-to-served- <p><b>Text </b>Joshua 24:15 NIV <p>When family got started God has a higher purpose for family. God’s heart longing to see that design in the family which I believe His glory. <p><b>REMEMBER:</b> We do not Live to glorify, Our Families Our families LIVE to glorify God. <b>Erika Dawsen</b> <p>God’s desire for every saved family is to Serve Him. This is the ultimate reason for getting married forming a family. ..<b>“Save to Served ”</b> thru holiness perspective. <p>The family of God is not here to serve the interests of our family Rather, our families are here to serve the family of God. <b><font color="#ff0000">For In Him We Live In Move and Have Our Being!</font> </b><b>Acts 17:28</b> <p>What's More Important -- Your Work, Or Your Life?</p>Sun, 09 Feb 2020 14:47:00 Z2020-02-13T02:54:59Z<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>February 9, 2020</p> <p><b>Text </b>Joshua 24:15 NIV <p>When family got started God has a higher purpose for family. God’s heart longing to see that design in the family which I believe His glory. <p><b>REMEMBER:</b> We do not Live to glorify, Our Families Our families LIVE to glorify God. <b>Erika Dawsen</b> <p>God’s desire for every saved family is to Serve Him. This is the ultimate reason for getting married forming a family. ..<b>“Save to Served ”</b> thru holiness perspective. <p>The family of God is not here to serve the interests of our family Rather, our families are here to serve the family of God. <b><font color="#ff0000">For In Him We Live In Move and Have Our Being!</font> </b><b>Acts 17:28</b> <p>What's More Important -- Your Work, Or Your Life?</p> <p><b>Getting Our Priorities Straight</b> <p><b>Most of us would rank our relationship priorities like this:</b> <ul> <li><b>God</b></li> <li><b>My family</b></li> <li><b>God’s family (church)</b></li> <li><b>Others</b></li></ul> <p><b>A Godly Family:</b> <p><b>A family that is well devoted &amp; pleasing to God.</b> <p><b>¹⁵But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve</b>, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. <b>But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” </b><b><font color="#ff0000">Joshua 24:15</font></b> <p><b>What a faith of Joshua </b>made a resolution to serve God together with his whole family. <p>It is the dream of Every Christian Parents to Have that kind of leadership like (JOSHUA) to bring YOUR entire family during Sunday’s worship. As parents, we have the responsibility to prepare our children to be worthy and to have a desire to serve God. We are stewards of those children. God has entrusted them to us, and we will be held accountable for them. One of the blessings of that stewardship will be preparing them to serve God and live life holiness in these perverse generation. <p>The Church also has a great role to play in ensuring that whole family serve God, not just as individuals but together as a unit. <p><b>I. </b><b>NYCC FAMILY <u>MUST </u>SERVE GOD.</b><b> </b><font color="#ff0000">But as for me and my <b>household,</b> we will serve the Lord.” </font><b>Joshua 24:15. </b>Joshua taking the leadership---Both “should” and “must” are similar in meaning except that “must” is a much stronger word as compared to “should.” “Should” is the past tense of “shall.” <p>To lead the people of Israel after Moses death. AS they travelled long to the Promised Land, family’s died in the wilderness. God’s longing was for family to reached the Promised Land. <b>DREAM BECOME A NIGHTMARE</b> <p><b>WHAT DOES IT MEAN AS FOR ME &amp; MY HOUSEHOLD WE WILL SERVE THE LORD?</b> <p>It is an <b>affirmation</b> of the family’s <b>commitment to serve the Lord</b>. Such a family’s allegiance and loyalty to the Lord in the midst of the stubbornness of the people remained faith to God. <p>The final chapter in the book of Joshua speaks about covenant-keeping families. Modern culture has become completely destructive of families. The courts, facing each other-arguing each other. <p>the government, the educational system, and even some churches undermine family structure, authority, and values. But God is for families, for he is interested in saving not only individuals, but also entire households: <p><b>Acts 2:39</b> For God's promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away-all whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” <p><b>Acts 16:31They</b> replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." <b><i>Bring your children to church learn about Godly thing- </i></b> <p><b>Why is it important to be a covenant-keeping family?</b> Because the Lord deals with his people based on covenant. Covenant relationship is basic to Christianity, as we see throughout the Scriptures. There is one Lord, one people of God, one way of salvation, and one covenant between God and his people <p><b>Gen. 18:19</b> For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” <p><b><i></i></b> <p><b>SAYING:</b> Children are today's investment and tomorrow's dividend. <p>A judge who has been involved in a great many family cases said: "We adults spend far too much time preparing the path for our youth and Far Too Little Time Preparing Our Youth For the Path." <p><b>How Can We As Family Be Involved In Church?</b> <ol> <li>Active Participation NYCC Ministry:</li> <ul> <li>Pick-Up People. Sunday Service</li> <li>Lord Supper preparation</li> <li>Visitation the healthy and the Sick</li> <li>Greeters</li><!--EndFragment--></ul> <li>Witnessing to Others.</li> <li>Faithful Attendance at Church Services- Heb/ 10:25; Mat. 6:33 </li> <li>Supporting Church projects Financially. </li> <li>Opening our homes for Bible Study.</li> <li>Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people Eph. 6:7</li></ol> <p>We are called to love God, so let us make time for Him. Start today in experiencing God's goodness and blessings as you seek to serve him daily. <p><strong>II. NYCC, FAMILY PROFITS IN SERVING GOD.</strong> <p>²⁵ “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. Ex. 23:25 <p><b>God Promises to Bless those that Serve Him.</b> So how does your family benefit from serving God together? <ul> <li>Your whole family will be bonded together.</li> <li>God will work through your lives</li> <li>He will make every member of your family become fruitful Christians</li> <li>You will receive answers to your prayers</li> <li>He will provide the needs of the whole family</li></ul> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> <p>God knew Abraham would influence his whole family to serve Him, and He blessed him. <p>By influencing and training your whole family to serve God earnestly, you too will receive God’s blessing. <p><b>CHALLENGE:</b> Can You Do Like Joshua AFFIRMATION?</p>gods-message-for-a-perilous-timehttps://nycconline.ca/gods-message-for-a-perilous-time <p><b>For In Him We Live and Move and Have Our Being!</b> I just want to thank the Lord, for His amazing presence in our worship. Worship is not a Task WORSHIP Is A Joy. <b>AMEN!</b> <p>When I was in high school at SIA there was an emphasis week- pastors from the ABS will stayed for a week for evangelistic Crusade. The year 1978 the month of October I’ve heard about how we are living <b>IN THE LAST DAYS</b>. I don’t really understand so the belief is that we are living in the “last days” just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. <p>When the New Testament writers used the terms “last days” and “last times” were they referring to the end of the world. WHAT DO YOU THINK?</p>Sun, 02 Feb 2020 14:36:00 Z2020-02-13T02:46:52Z<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>February 2, 2020</p> <p><b>For In Him We Live and Move and Have Our Being!</b> I just want to thank the Lord, for His amazing presence in our worship. Worship is not a Task WORSHIP Is A Joy. <b>AMEN!</b> <p>When I was in high school at SIA there was an emphasis week- pastors from the ABS will stayed for a week for evangelistic Crusade. The year 1978 the month of October I’ve heard about how we are living <b>IN THE LAST DAYS</b>. I don’t really understand so the belief is that we are living in the “last days” just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. <p>When the New Testament writers used the terms “last days” and “last times” were they referring to the end of the world. WHAT DO YOU THINK?</p> <p><b>God’s message</b> for A Perilous time- In order to fully understand the point of the message today trying to go back the <b><i>Centuries as Follows:</i></b> <p>The <b>17^th Century</b> has been referred to as “<b>The Age of Enlightenment.”</b> <p>The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 17th <p>These rulers are called "enlightened despots" by historians. ... for religious controversy to spill over into politics and warfare while still maintaining a true faith in God. <p><b>The 18^th Century has been called</b> “<b>The Age of Reason.”</b> <p>That emphasized reason over superstition and science over blind faith. The 18th century is commonly called the Age of Reason because the philosophical trends at that time stressed the superiority of reason over... <p>The 19^th Century, <b>“The Age of Progress.”</b> <p>European politics, philosophy, science and communications were radically reoriented during the course of the “long 18th century” (1685-1815) as part of a movement referred to by its participants as the Age of Reason, or simply the Enlightenment. <p>The 20^th Century has been referred to as <b>“The Age of Anxiety and Fear.”</b> <p>Should ENLIGHTMENT plus REASON plus <b>PROGRESS equal ANXIETY </b><b>and FEAR?</b> <p><b>Let’s look in the book of the apostle Paul- Can you stand up please.</b> <p><b>2 Timothy 3:1-7</b> - “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ²For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” <p><b>PRAY:</b> <p><b>Background:</b> So are we living in perilous times today? Of course, we are! And so were those who were alive during the days of WWI and WWII! But that’s not the question here. The problem is this: Does 2 Timothy chapter 3 refer to our day or Timothy’s day? Keep in mind that 2nd Timothy is believed to have been written approximately 67 A.D. before the destruction of the Temple. The “perilous times” that Timothy was referring to came to an end in 70 A.D. with the destruction of the Temple and city of Jerusalem. <p>While the words in 2nd Timothy were future to a first-century audience, it’s NOT future to us. Their future but our past! And what about all of the other “signs” of the last days mentioned in 2nd Timothy? Where men would be ” lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy”? <p>Well, men were guilty of those sins in the first century just as they are today. All the conditions listed in 2 Timothy chapter 3 were fulfilled in the first century. Perilous times would occur during the lifetimes of these first century Christians. The “last days” had arrived for them. God was getting ready to shut the door on the Old Covenant - a new day had arrived! <p><b>Some conditions that now exist.</b> <ol> <li>Over 6 million sleeping tablets are consumed daily in the United States.</li> <li>Over 7 billion sleeping pills are consumed each year.</li> <li>It is estimated that there are some 7- billion headaches suffered by Americans annually. An average of some fifty per person.</li> <li>Over 11 million pounds of aspirin are sold annually.</li></ol> <p><b>GOD’S MESSAGE FOR A PERILOUS TIME</b>.<b></b> <p>January 8 Iran plane crash - <p>Ukrainian Boeing plane crashes in Iran, 176 people dead ... 10:02 p.m. ET, January 8, 2020 <p><b>God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness</b> <p>¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who [a]suppress the truth in unrighteousness. <p>When the Lord, give a message to the people in the time of Noah, that flood comes they ridiculed the man of God. <p>GENESIS 6:<b>9 <font color="#ff0000">Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God</font></b><font color="#ff0000">.</font> <p>¹¹ Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. ¹³ So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. - 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. <p>Gen. 7:1 The Lord then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. <p>^{4 S}even days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” <p><b>Gen. 6:5</b> The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. ⁷So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created-and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground-for I regret that I have made them.” ⁸But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. <p><b>A. </b><b>A MESSAGE OF LOVE . . . FOR AN AGE OF HATE</b>. <p>²For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.--- <p>When He came to the World they hostile him, Herod, the high priest- Jesus Rejected at Nazareth. <p>Love is action. No one showed the depths of true love more than our Lord Jesus Christ. He set the example for believers to show love to each other and to the world by what He did. <p><b>1. </b><b>Jesus Healed The Sick in Love.</b> When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick” -Matthew 14:14 <p>Jesus is still healing today except He isn’t limited by being in one place at one particular time. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Jesus shows His compassion to all those who are not only sick physically-but emotionally and spiritually as well. <p><b>2. </b><b>Jesus Fed The Hungry in Love</b> <p>“Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” (Matthew 15:32). <p>In one of the greatest miracles ever, Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand people. These people weren’t mildly hungry-they’ve gone 3 days without food listening and taking in the precious words of Christ. <p>He still feeding the world in love-through the teachings of the Word of God. Many of us were emaciated spiritually and anemic in our thinking until the truth of the Bible penetrated our hearts to fill our souls. <p>In an age filled with so much hate, isn’t it comforting to know that God, Christ, and Christians love you . . . are concerned about you . . . and desire to see saved eternally? Let us deliver this “Wonderful Story of Love” to the ends of the earth. <p><b>Conclusion:</b> <p>Romans 5:8 - “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” <p><b>Let’s Remove this MESSY Last Age, and let’s do it together with the Message of Christ.</b> <p><b>REMEMBER: </b>Begin With Yourself -TODAY! A Better World Begins With You.u-turnhttps://nycconline.ca/u-turn<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>January 26, 2020</p> <p>Worship is an act of love. It is a demonstration of love. We serve God and we worship God each Sunday when we gather together to sing his praises and listen to his word, but there is so much more to worship than that. WORSHIP IS A JOY NOT A TASK. <p><b></b> <p><b>²⁴I told you that you would Die in your Sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”</b> John 8:24 NIV <p>Now when we talk about making a U-Turn we’re talking about the biblical concept of repentance.</p>Sun, 26 Jan 2020 13:54:00 Z2020-01-29T00:07:21Z<p>Pastor Roger C. Marcos<br>January 26, 2020</p> <p>Worship is an act of love. It is a demonstration of love. We serve God and we worship God each Sunday when we gather together to sing his praises and listen to his word, but there is so much more to worship than that. WORSHIP IS A JOY NOT A TASK. <p><b></b> <p><b>²⁴I told you that you would Die in your Sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”</b> John 8:24 NIV <p>Now when we talk about making a U-Turn we’re talking about the biblical concept of repentance.</p> <p><b>REPENTANCE</b> = TO <b><u>CHANGE</u></b> THE <b><u>MIND</u>.</b> Is necessary and valuable because it brings about change of mind being a person to hate sin and Love God. <p><b>Two Words For Repent</b> <ol> <li>Metamelomai- “After Care” Remorse or Regret.</li> <li>Metanoeo-“After Knowledge” A <b><font color="#ff0000">Change of mind</font></b> that Include</li></ol> <p><b>REGRET- RESOLVE- REFORM- RESTORE</b> <p>8 For even if that letter of mine made you sad, I am not sorry I wrote it. I could have been sorry when I saw that it made you sad for a while. 9 But now I am happy-not because I made you sad, but because your sadness made you change your ways. That sadness was used by God, and so we caused you no harm. 10 For the sadness that is used by God brings a change of heart that leads to salvation-and there is no regret in that! But sadness that is merely human causes death. <b>2 Cor. 7:8-10</b> <p><u></u> <p><strong>1. FROM <u>UNBELIEF</u> TO <u>FAITH</u>.</strong> No one is going to make a U-Turn with their life until they see the need for it. When I’m driving my car down the road, I’m not going to make a U-Turn until I recognize that I’ve been driving the wrong way. <p>If you need a move of God in your life today, and it hasn’t come to pass, one thing could be stopping it. Maybe you’ve been needing healing in your body for a long time, or you’re facing a financial challenge so big, you don’t know how you’ll overcome it. You’ve likely prayed about your situation again and again, but the passage of time may have left you wondering-Why hasn’t it come to pass? <p><b>Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon</b>: ¹⁴When they returned to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him, ¹⁵and said, “Sir, have mercy on my son! He is an epileptic and has such terrible attacks that he often falls in the fire or into water. ¹⁶I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” <p>¹⁷ Jesus answered, “How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!” ¹⁸Jesus gave a command to the demon, and it went out of the boy, and at that very moment he was healed. <p>¹⁹Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, “Why couldn't we drive the demon out?” <p><u></u> <p>Whenever we ask why we aren’t seeing His miracle-working power, <b>Jesus answers back, “Because of Your Unbelief”</b> Mat. 17:20, KJV <p>²⁰And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. <p>It can be tough to hear, but it is unbelief, not the will of God, that is the cause of so much defeat in the lives of believers. It’s not that we don’t want to believe, for the most part; it’s that we haven’t learned how to overcome the tiniest bit of unbelief that resides in our hearts. Often, we don’t even know it’s there until we take a closer look. <p><b></b> <p><font color="#ff0000"><b>That was likely the case in Jesus’ own hometown where “he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief”</b> Mat. 13:54-58, KJV</font> <p>What is unbelief? <p>Unbelief is believing something other than what God has said about a situation. You can believe Jesus was raised from the dead, you can believe He is your Lord, you can believe He is coming soon, but if you don’t believe and do what He says, you are operating in unbelief. You can believe in Him, but still not believe what He says. The Bible calls this an evil heart-a hardened heart (<b>Hebrews 3:12).</b> And a heart of unbelief grieves God. <p><font color="#ff0000">¹²Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.</font> <p>Why is belief so important? Because “If you can believe, all things are possible” (Mark 9:23, NKJV). <p>And that’s where God wants us to live-in the realm of what is possible through Him, and Him alone. That’s what sets believers apart from a lost and dying world. <p><b>Today, you may feel like the man with the demon-possessed child who had cried out to the Lord for help when he said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”</b> Mark 9:24, NKJV <p><font color="#ff0000">²⁴And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.</font> <p>If you desire to be a man or woman who believes in the promises of God without wavering, you can keep the weeds of doubt out of your garden by putting into action these <p><b>way to overcome unbelief.</b> <p><b></b> <ul> <li><b>Knowing God’s Will.</b> Ignorance is the devil’s playground. He knows if he can keep you from knowing all that belongs to you, he has you. A lack of knowledge results in unbelief-and the devil is right there to take advantage-telling you you’re sick, broke, depressed and a failure.</li></ul> <p>Let’s look at it this way - pretend that the non-Christian’s life is like a person traveling with no roadmap that thinks they are headed in the right direction. But somewhere along the line things aren’t looking like they should - they thought they were headed out to the country, but the further they drive the more tall buildings they see. They pull into a convenience store, buy a map, and realize they’ve been headed the wrong direction, so they turn around and start driving the right way. <p><b>Now let’s apply that to our spiritual lives</b> - I can be going down the road of life, living in complete disobedience to God, but until I see a spiritual road map and begin to believe in Christ, I’m going to keep going in the wrong direction. Jesus tells us we have two options: <p>“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” - Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV) <p>I will choose the narrow gate when I’ve been convinced that my life is headed the wrong direction, and I will be convinced I’m headed in the wrong direction when I begin to place my faith in Jesus Christ. <p><b>²⁴I told you that you would Die in your Sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” </b>John 8:24 NIV <p><strong>2. FROM <u>LIVING FOR SELF</u> TO <u>LIVING FOR GOD.</u></strong> <p>Now let’s get back in our car for a minute and pretend that we’ve realized we are headed the wrong direction, stopped and bought a map that tells us the right way to go, but when we get out on the road we start heading the wrong direction again. <p>We know the right way, but we’ve decided to go the wrong way anyway. This is a real problem that many of us face - we’ve had an initial act of repentance, but quickly begun to live a life of sin all over again. And while we need to recognize we are not saved by doing good works, we are expected to live in obedience to God, and obedience to God is demonstrated when we continue following His directives for our lives. <p>So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. - Romans 6:11 (ESV) <p>When I repent I am saying to God, “I am not just turning from my old way of life, I am killing it off and burying it; the old man is out the door.” Because until I do that I’m not going to be empowered to live for God’s glory. <p>“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” - Matthew 3:8 (NLT) <p>In other words, there is going to be some evidence of change in my life that will stand as proof positive that I am a child of God. Are there going to be times of weakness when I give in and need to repent again? Sure! But if I’m serious about this those times will become less and less frequent. When I make a U-Turn with my life I am turning away from dishonesty, from lust, from jealousy, from greed, and from all the things that were taking me away from God. Because until I allow God to help me remove those things from my life, I will not be able to live in obedience to Him. <p><b>3. </b><b>FROM <u>SEPARATION</u> TO <u>SALVATION.</u></b> <p>Now back to my car trip again - I can choose to keep going the direction I’m going and not make the U-Turn that God requires. God gives me the ability and the choice to turn toward Him or away from Him. But I need to understand that He will not only honor that choice in the here and now, but that He will honor it for all of eternity. If I never repent and turn to God, I will never be in a relationship with Him; in fact, He promises me that I will go down the road of eternal destruction. <p>“I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” - Luke 13:5 (ESV) <p>There it is, in black and white - no fluff, no brushing past it, no looking the other way. Jesus says plain and simple that I can choose for him and receive salvation, or choose against Him and continue down the path of separation forever. “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” - Acts 17:30-31 (ESV) <p>There is a judgment coming, and those who have repented and turned their lives over to God will be with Him for eternity, and those who do not will be judged unfit for the kingdom of God. Now look at what God is offering - none of it is something that you wouldn’t want to have. He offers us a clean slate, all sin removed from our lives, all guilt taken away, joy, peace, security, eternal life, hope, and blessings a thousand fold. There is nothing He wants to give us that is unpleasant or that will harm us in any way. He just asks that we acknowledge that His way is the best way, and that we place our trust in Him instead of in ourselves. <p>“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” - Acts 3:19-20a (ESV) <p>I don’t know about you, but those “times of refreshing” are something that I sorely need in this world, and I can’t find it anywhere else. I need, and you need, to turn our lives over to God and let Him be in control. <p><b>Conclusion:</b> <p>“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19-20a (ESV) <p>Belief-&nbsp;&nbsp; A Change of Mind<br>Repentance- A Change of Lifestyle<br>Confession- A Change of Allegiance<br>Baptism- A Change of Relationship</p>we-stand-unitedhttps://nycconline.ca/we-stand-united<p>Kenneth Gerel A Marcos<br>January 19, 2020</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide1.jpg"></p>Sun, 19 Jan 2020 13:06:00 Z2020-01-26T03:07:48Z<p>Kenneth Gerel A Marcos<br>January 19, 2020</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide1.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide2.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide3.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide4.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide5.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide6.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide7.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide8.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide9.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide10.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide11.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/westandunited/slide12.jpg"></p>the-recipe-of-2020https://nycconline.ca/the-recipe-of-2020<p>Bro. Ritchie Barrera<br>January 12, 2020 <p>Paul had reason to forget what was behind - he had held the coats of those who had stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr.<br>**(Acts 7:57-58) Paul is called Saul here. <p>We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our Hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Do not dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your Hope in Christ.Sun, 12 Jan 2020 13:55:00 Z2020-01-28T23:51:22Z<p>Bro. Ritchie Barrera<br>January 12, 2020 <p>Paul had reason to forget what was behind - he had held the coats of those who had stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr.<br>**(Acts 7:57-58) Paul is called Saul here. <p>We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our Hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Do not dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your Hope in Christ. <p><strong>Let’s look at Luke 9:61-62</strong> <p><strong>What does Jesus want from us?</strong> <p>**Total dedication, complete commitment (not half-hearted) <p>We cannot pick and choose among Jesus ideas and follow him selectively, <p>**we have to accept the cross along with the crown. <p>We must count the cost and be willing to abandon everything else that has given us security-without looking back. With our focus on Jesus, We should allow nothing to distract us from following him. <p><strong>What are the things that can distract us?</strong> <p>**Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride <p>But there is a power of God given to us to not get distracted in this world. Which is God's offer the fruit of the Holy Spirit. <p>**Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. <p>In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit's guidance, <p>**We must deal with them decisively (crucify them. Galatians 5:24) <p>These desires include those 7 deadly sins that I showed before. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them reveal that they have not received the gift of the spirit that leads to a transformed life. <p>The fruit of the spirit is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in us. The spirit produces these character traits that are found in the nature of Christ. They are the by-products of Christ's control. We cannot obtain them by trying to get them without his help.(GOD) if we want the fruit of the spirit to grow in us, we must join our lives to his. <p>John 15:4-5 We must know him, we must love him, we must remember him and we must imitate him.(to follow as a model). As a result, we will fulfill the intended purpose of the law-to love God and to love our neighbors. <p><strong>Which of these qualities do you want the spirit to produce in you?</strong> <p>Because the God who sent the law also sent the spirit. The by-products of the spirit filled life are in perfect harmony with the intent of God's law. <p>In order to accept Christ as Savior, we need to turn from our sins and willingly nail our sinful nature to the cross. This does not mean, however, that we will never see traces of its evil desires again. <p>As Christians we still have the capacity to sin, but we have been set free from sin's power over us and no longer have to give in to it. We must daily commit our sinful tendencies to God's control, daily crucify them, and moment by moment draw on the spirit's power to overcome them. <p>**Galatians 2:20, 6:14 <p>The only way to escape these destructive influences is to ask God to help crucify our interest in them, just as Paul did. <p>V14 God work according to his purpose** <p>we should not let anything take our eyes off our goal-knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christian. <p><strong>What is holding you back for not receiving God as your savior?</strong> <p>There are two kinds of people in this world.</p> <ul> <li>First group of people</li> <li>Second group of people</li></ul> <p>What is the different of this two people?<br>it is no other than **Receiving or Rejecting + the cross of Jesus Christ and the cross of Christ alone. <p>**whether you belong to the first group<br>**whether you belong to the second group <p>These storms are allowed and permitted by God to come upon us. So that he can reveal more of himself **to you and **to me <p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: <p>If we failed last year! We need to keep moving on this year and so on. Do not quit cause if you quit you are belong to the first group of people. <p>2 Corinthians 4:18 <p>We set our mind above not in this world, cause in this world it is temporary living, but above (heaven) it is eternal life and that is the promise of our God. But in order to go there in heaven we need to do some work here in earth to believe, obey, have faith, love one another, forgive one another, forget what is behind, and most of all share his word(gospel)to the people who rejected Christ. We need to save them cause God did not want to punish us or condemn us for his second coming he want us to be save and be with him in eternal heaven. <p>Happy New Year! Thank you and God bless us all!</p>christ-is-supremehttps://nycconline.ca/christ-is-supreme<p>Bro. Albert Pacanas<br>January 5, 2020</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide1.jpg"></p>Sun, 05 Jan 2020 13:25:00 Z2020-01-26T03:27:44Z<p>Bro. Albert Pacanas<br>January 5, 2020</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide1.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide2.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide3.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide4.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide5.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide6.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide7.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide8.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide9.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide10.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide11.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide12.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide13.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide14.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide15.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide16.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide17.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide18.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide19.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide20.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide21.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/christissupreme/slide22.jpg"></p>the-believer-and-the-threat-of-timehttps://nycconline.ca/the-believer-and-the-threat-of-time<p>Bro. Leopoldo Bernardez<br>December 29, 2019</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide1.jpg"></p>Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:03:00 Z2019-12-31T18:03:49Z<p>Bro. Leopoldo Bernardez<br>December 29, 2019</p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide1.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide2.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide3.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide4.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide5.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide6.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide7.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide8.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide9.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide10.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide11.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide12.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide13.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide14.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide15.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide16.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide17.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide18.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide19.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide20.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide21.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide22.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide23.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide24.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide25.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide26.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide27.jpg"></p> <p><img class="full-width" src="/images/threatoftime/slide28.jpg"></p>