The Force: Finish Strong

Last week's Feast began with a Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Fr. Charles Louis "Cha" Jayme.

"God's grace is received by the lowly and the truthful. The humble sees God and His mercy but the hypocrite see themselves", were the words of Fr. Cha on his homily. The Gospel was taken from Mathew 23: 23-26 which talks about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Fr. Cha said that we have to focus more on the purity and cleanliness of heart and not just with the exteriors. As what Jesus said in the Bible, "Blessed are the pure of heart, they will see God."

After the mass was a lively worship led by our worship leaders, Bro. Oscar Alino and Bro. Stephen Nellas. During the ministry time, the congregation was given special cards. Bro. Buddy Tan, our most beloved Feast Builder, ministered and exhorted them to write on the card the mountains that they want to move, the territories they wanted to expand and the harvest they wanted to increase.

God's holy presence was deeply felt by everyone especially when the congregation was led to surrender their mountains singing the song "Through Christ" which the lyrics puts it so well: "I can do all things through Christ, I can move a mountain if you are the strength of my life." Bro. Buddy encouraged everyone to hug each other. Truly, God's love, healing, and restoration were seen.

To end the service, the LOJF music ministry sung a part of the beautiful and inspiring lyrics as follows:

We'll be faithful to our calling,

For You are able to keep us from falling

And in Your Presence we will trust

We'll be faithful to finish the work You Began in us.

Brothers and sisters. God will finish the work he has begun in us. We are all God's work in progress. Let us finish strong because,

WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS US!

The Force: Increase Harvest

Just last week, The Feast Cebu was pruned. It was quite different from what we were accustomed to. It was and will continue to be held at Sacred Heart Center in Jakosalem St., Cebu City, a timely change in accordance with last week's talk.

We started with a mass, followed by a blessing of the venue and the congregation, presided by Rev. Fr. Brian Brigoli. The gospel was from Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." From the homily of Fr. Brian, "Humility is realizing the greatness in you and that greatness is Jesus."

All these changes, as explained by Bro. Buddy's talk - "Increase Harvests", were God's pruning. In John 15

:1-2, it says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." God is our gardener. Because Jesus said, "I have come that you might have an abundant life," not simply an adequate one. But abundance comes with a price - pruning.

If you want all that God wants for you - to reap abundant harvests and to fulfill God-sized dreams, then submit yourself to God's pruning.

However, some things in your life must be sacrificed. God prunes what destroys you and what distracts you because good things can steal away your attention from the great things. There will be times when you will experience failure, sickness, retrenchment, separation; but look on the bright side, there'll be more space in your life for newer and better things. Just remember that God's focus isn't on removing but on adding because after pruning comes abundance.

Yes, pruning is painful but pruning doesn't kill you. Growth

usually happens through pain. From the letter of St. Paul to the Romans, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Brothers and sisters, while we are going through pruning, let us not focus on the pain, let us focus on the prize!