Encouraging Words

by Charles H. Spurgeon

           "Encourage Him" (Deut. 1:38)

           God employs his people to encourage one another. He did not say to an angel, "Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan--go encourage him." God never works needless miracles; if His purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, he will not use miraculous agency. Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as moses.
           A brother's sympathy is more precious than an angel's embassy. The angel, swift of wing, had better known the Master's bidding than the people's temper. An angel had never experienced the hardness of the road, nor seen the fiery serpents, nor had he led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as moses had done. We should be glad that God works for man by man. I t forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family.
           Brethren, take the text as God's message to you. Labor to help others and especially strive to encourage them. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer; lovingly remove the stumbling blocks out of his way. When you find a spark of grace in the heart, knell down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees, but tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, and of the charms of communion with Christ. Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding. Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful.
           Imitate divine wisdom, and encourage others

Taken from Power For Living, November 19, 2006 issue, p. 7

A letter from the pastor

by Pastor Felizardo Abanto

           And after many prayers, fasting, expenditures, and blessings I'm now her in America. Not to stay here for good but to ask for additional blessings from the Lord for the work and family.
           Again, I'm on a grand vacation because I do nothing here but sleep, eat and tour around. Sometimes I could preach and witness. I already led one to accept Christ, he is Rudolph Gloria, bro. Tony's friend. I f he is really saved, imagine, I even need to go here to America for him to be saved by the Lord. Amen! That alone is enough blessing, right? There are three of them whom I have already witnessed to: pastor Charlie's mother-in-law, ang a friend of Ghia, bro. Tony's daughter.That's why even a child of God is in another country or anywhere, the Lord can still use him!
           That's why I told Sis. Gemma, bro. Tony's wife, that I thank them because of their true kindness and that she must go soul-winning with bro. Tony every Saturday. The problem is no one took care of Gem to disciple her since she came here to U.S. more than ten years  ago. The same with Sis. Tess [Garcia], our former member in project 7, and bro. Rey Garia.They attend and are members at First Baptist Church which was enlarged by pastor Jack Hyles, he's now in heaven. Now the pastor is Jack Schaap, Dr. Hyles son-in-law. I attended there whole Sunday. In the morning, the attendance is 6000 in the auditorium and in the evening is more than 3000. The church is very active in soul-winning , but sadly sis. Tess is not going with the weekly soul-winning. I t seems that their concentration switched to the pursuit of the American dream. That's why I said that they should involve every week so that the time will not be wasted. Redeeming the time because the time because the days are evil.
            That's why brethren, if we we're to think well enough, we are better in the Philippines because we have more time to serve. We are not pressued to own a house like the others, but is credit-bought, own a car, but is credit-bought, home appliances, but is credit-bought.And in order to pay all debts, it is necessary to work a true work. But even though in that situation, serving God is still possible. But the problem is that many chueches are having shortcomings in training christians because of material needs.
             And another great thing that I have seen both on Northwest Bible Baptist Church, whose attendance is 600+ every morning service, and in First Baptist Church, whose attendance, like what I've said, is 6000+, they include the children in Sunday morning and Sunday Evening services. They sat beside their parents. In my estimation, their age ranges from 4-5 years old. THAT'S WHY BRETHREN, OUR PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE ABOUT TRAINING OUR CHILDREN IN THE LORD'S WORK IS RIGHT. IT'S NOT ON WHETHER THE CHILDREN ARE MANY OR FEW, BUT IF THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS ARE THERE TO TRAIN THEM. The same with training all our members in soul-winning. AGAIN, BRETHREN, OUR PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE ARE RIGHT ABOUT SERVING THE LORD.
            Another thing I saw to be a big thing is having vehicles to fetch people. The priority only in these two churches are the children. The Northwest have more than 20 buses while the First Baptist Have 200 buses to fetch everyweek.