What Can I Give You?

HOLY SPIRIT BLESS US

October 6, 2002

John 15: 12-14 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

WHAT CAN I GIVE YOU?

Good morning my dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

I am delighted and thankful to the Lord and for Rev. J Wayne Vaughan for giving me this opportunity to preach the Gospel about the love of Jesus Christ.

For the past two years, I had joined the Rev. Brice Harris of the First United Methodist Church of Melbourne during the celebration of the World Wide Communion Service.

Praise the Lord! Rev. Wayne expressed his interest to lend me his pulpit, that is why I am here this morning ( and some of the members and supporters of the Filipino Mission Fellowship) all for the glory Jesus Christ.

I believe that Jesus Christ must always be the central focus of every Christian message.

If we try to analyze the situation nowadays, the name Jesus Christ is creating controversy among the people especially the so called non-Christian.

This past week on the episode at Bill O’Reilly show, he interviewed the student president of the San Mateo High School who gave permission to the organization of a group or a club… and believe me or not this group is Satan’s Club.

I could not comprehend why there are people who can allow Satanism as an organized group to exist within their premises.

But, what is sad to say is that if you use the word Jesus Christ…too many people will react… too many people will disagree because according to them it is a violation of their religious right. Some say it creates division.

I just received this paper and I was really saddened by their stand… Let me read a portion of this report…. (Read ACLU Report)

As Christians, how are we going to react on issues like this?

I will not wake you up my dear brothers and sisters. We are awake!

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It’s really happening in our present world. There’s a lot of shameful and shocking realities that is creeping in our society today.

We need to do something my dear friends.

We cannot afford to keep our mouth shut. We can’t just sit and let go of, the issues confronting our faith. We need to do something in our own little way.

Let’s pray to God to unzip our mouth so that we could share to the World that there is only one solution to all the troubles and dilemmas that is happening nowadays.

Do you know Him? His name is Jesus Christ- our forever Faithful Friend.

When I was still a child, our elders impressed, in our mind that American people are the most generous and helpful people living in this planet.

As a boy, not too long ago…because our house is situated less than a mile away from the Clark Airforce Base, everytime we saw Americans or White Guy, we shouted, hi Joe! or Hi Kano! Short term for Americano.

The Filipino people really admired the Americans, and we will never forget this brave gentleman who liberated us from the Japanese occupation and his famous statement; “I shall return.” by Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur.

That is why in the Philippines, our National Highway from North to South was named Mc Arthur Highway.

The Americans were the once who introduced the real meaning of faith and Christianity. We are forever grateful to the missionaries who unselfishly gave their life to introduce Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

I know some missionaries like Miss Walker and Miss Bergstain who preferred to stay in the Philippines to their last breath.

These American missionaries imitated and followed what Jesus Christ has done. They left the comforts of their native land and dwelt among us and accepted the way we are.

There were so many American missionaries that really laid down their lives for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I also believed that it’s worth mentioning to you that my fellow volunteers at the Seafarer’s Ministry at Port Canaveral- Mr & Mrs. Wally & Betty Poor who are with us today. They spent more than two decades as missionaries in Uruguay.

Obviously, these people (the American Missionaries) showed us the real meaning of love and suffering.

I tell you, they love and they suffered for the sake of the Gospel …because… they themselves have experienced the true meaning of love and the salvation from our True and Real Friend Jesus Christ.

This is a challenge to all of us!

Romans 5:5 says; “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”