And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment -Hebrews 9:27

Everything in life will have an end.  There’s a beginning and there’s an end. In any game – basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball – there is always an end. When the announcer says “last two minutes,” what does that mean? It means that time is almost up, and there will be no extension unless there is need for overtime. But the point is to be ready because play is not indefinite. There will come that point when time is up.

The same thing can be said of life.  Whether we like it or not, there is going to be an end. We die once. There is no reincarnation. There are only two possibilities at the end of your life: either you are ready or you are not ready.

God does not want us to be foolish. That is why He gave us the Bible to teach us His truth, His wisdom. Don’t be a fool, God warns us. “This very night your soul is required of you” (Luke 12:20). We may not know when our time is up, but that time will most certainly come.

Let our prayer be that we remain faithful to the end. And when Jesus comes, we will welcome Him and say, “Lord, thank You. It has been good serving You.”

I want to be ready
To cry out His name
To lay up in His arms
Delight in His fame
I want to be ready
To be embraced by His love
Before Thee Almighty
To take me up above

-Shawn Mcdonald

When my life will be done, only You can know. But this I ask, that You keep me faithful through both the rough spots and the times of light. For I know that all of this is for my testing, for an everlasting life with Thee.

*This Devotional was taken from Ptr. Peter Tan-chi’s message delivered at CCF Ortigas last June 26, 2005

To help people understand the current studies on the end times, we are posting here a list of FAQs with their corresponding answers as we in CCF generally interpret them. These were culled from the web and from other contributors. We hope this helps clarify the common causes of confusion on the subject.

1.) What is meant by the “Times of the Gentiles”?

The period during which God carried out a program with those who are not Israelites is known as the “Times of the Gentiles.”  Christ described its starting and ending point: LUKE 21:24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

When were the Jews led captive into all nations?  The latest date was A.D.70 by the Romans. However, the earliest date might be Babylon’s Nebuchadnezzar who captured Jerusalem about 600 B.C.  And ever since, Jerusalem had been under Gentile dominion…until 1967.

In 1967, Jerusalem reverted back into Jewish hands.  However, we know from Daniel 9:27 that Jerusalem would fall back into Antichrist’ hands at the middle of the Tribulation, thus under Gentile control again.  And Christ would finally end gentile control with the institution of the Millennial Kingdom.

Thus, it was necessary that the Jews have temporary control before Antichrist takes it away from them.  Jerusalem is now in Jewish hands!

2.) Why is Heaven Called the “3rd Heaven”?

This description is from 2 Cor. 12:2 “an one caught up to the third heaven. “

The three levels of heaven are–

(A) 1st Heaven = The atmosphere, the miles of air above us, where airplanes and balloons find their limits.

(B) 2nd Heaven = Space, where exists the sun, moon, and stars.  It is so vast that no actual scale model of the universe is possible.  No one knows where the last star is.

(C) 3rd Heaven = God’s throne, before which are the Triune God, angels, the saints of all ages.  It is a limitless place.

3.) What is the Rapture?

The word “rapture” is from the Latin word which means “caught up.”  Actually, it was used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for this event (“we shall be caught up with them in the clouds”).

It is separate from the Second Coming of Christ. That event is stated clearly in scripture as being an event that all can see and that it will be at the end of the tribulation.

The Rapture is in constant debate – it is an event that is brought forth from arguments drawn from various scriptures – it has no signs as the second coming does. In the early church they considered it imminent and even greeted each other with “maranatha = The Lord is coming soon.

There are three thoughts on the Rapture and each involves the “when” it happens.

Pre-tribulation Rapture, Mid-tribulation Rapture, Post-tribulation Rapture.

Pre-tribulation Rapture – Jesus will Rapture the Church to heaven before the Tribulation begins

Mid-tribulation Rapture – Jesus will Rapture the Church to heaven in the middle of the Tribulation

Post-tribulation Rapture – Jesus will Rapture the Church to Himself at the end of the Tribulation and then bring it to earth with Him.

4.)  Why is the Rapture Described as “Mystery”?

I Corinthians 15:51 says “Behold, I show you a mystery”.

The word mystery is from the Greek word “musterion” used 27 times in the New Testament.  The NT usages does not give the idea of something mysterious or baffling, but something unheard of and unrevealed. The rapture is a brand-new New Testament truth!

Moreover, during Old Testament times, people thought there was no way out of life except through death.  Everyone expected ultimately to die. But now Paul calls all Christians to wait for something other than death: the Rapture.

5.) What is “In The Twinkle Of An Eye”?

It takes 1/50th of a second to blink an eye and a person blinks 25 times a minute.  And a “twinkle” is even shorter than a blink or wink.  In a twinkle, and all Christians would be gone. Thus, in the smallest possible length of time, the Lord will come and all Christians will be changed. When heaven’s last trumpet sounds, Christian will start going up.

6.) What About Christians Who Had Died?

Pagan funerals during Paul’s time were terrifying sights. The bereaved would refuse all comfort, crying their hearts out.  Conversely, the catacombs under the city of Rome buried an estimated 3,000,000 Christians during the Roman persecution. Inscriptions found there read: “In peace,”"In sleep,”"Thou livest in God.”  There is HOPE for Christians.

I Thess. 4:14 says that Jesus will bring back with Him the souls of dead Christians. At the same instance, their bodies buried on the earth will be resurrected (v.16). And the souls would be re-united with the bodies to become resurrected, glorified bodies.

7.) How About Living Christians?

In that split second, two events would occur: the resurrection of dead saints and the transformation of living saints. If Jesus were to come today and we are alive, we would be changed with immortal, glorified bodies, and we would go up to the meet the Lord in the air.

8.) What is the Tribulation?

The Great Tribulation is a seven-year period before the second advent of Christ when divine judgment is poured on the earth in an unprecedented manner, and when sin comes to a head under the leadership of the antichrist.

Some of its terrifying features are:

(1) Trouble — Dan. 12:1; Jer. 30:7

(2) Judgment — Rev. 14:7; 19:2

(3) Wrath — Zeph. 1:15,18; Rev. 16:1

(4) Destruction — 1 Thess 5:3; Joel 1:15

(5) Darkness — Amos 5:18

(6) Punishment — Isa. 24:20-21

(7) God’s Anger — Isa. 26:20-21; Zech. 1:18

(8) Desolation — Dan. 9:27; Zeph. 1:14-15

9.) Does the Bible Call It “Great Tribulation”?

Yes. One of the most significant and dramatic themes of Bible prophecy is that of the Tribulation. There is more prophecy on this period than any other period in Bible prophecy.

Let us just cite the very words of Christ: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt. 24:21). This term is especially speaking about the last 3 ½ years of the tribulation because how terrible everything will be.

10.) What Other Terms Describe It?

Other important break-points are:

* The Day of the Lord

* The Last Days

* That Day

* The End

* The Time of the End

* The End of the World

* The End of the Age

* That Time

11.) How Long Will the Tribulation Last?

The length of the tribulation period is not difficult to calculate. Use Daniel’s prophecy of the “70 weeks” as the starting point.  Its first “69 weeks” may be calculated as exactly 483 years (from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem in 445 B.C. to Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem).  If “weeks” means 7 years for the first “69 weeks”, it would also means 7 years for the 70th week.

Thus the Great Tribulation will extend over 7 years.  Revelation 17:10 called it “a short space,” and Jesus described it as shortened time (Matt. 24:22)

The mid-point of the tribulation is revealed to us even in days and in months: “42 months” (Rev. 11:2; 13:5), “1260 days” (Rev. 11:3; 12:6), “time, times and an half” (Dan. 12:7).

12.) Describe Events at the Tribulation.

The world will be battered under: (1) God’s divine judgments of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls; (2) Antichrist will issue absolute economic and political decrees which bring further woes; and (3) Satan and his emissaries will concentrate activities on earth (Rev. 12:12).

As the world begins to come apart, supernatural events will transpire worse than any ecologist’s nightmare.  Combined acts of man and judgments of God will cause-

* stars to fall, planets run off course

* unnatural climage changes

* food production largely wiped out

* strange new epidemics spread worldwide

* gigantic earthquakes level every city

And in other areas of human life-

* economic and money system collapsed

* all moral and social structure break down

* a super religion absorbs all other religions

* Satanism, occultism, witchcraft in full sway

* Terrorism, fear, destruction abound

* an unprecedented World War (Armageddon)

13.) Why Must There be a “Great Tribulation”?

Three major reasons exist for the Great Tribulation:

A. To Judge The World

1. For their sins (Isa. 26:21)

2. For its worship of antichrist (Rev. 13:11-18)

3. To cleanse it for Christ’s reign (Rev. 20)

B. To Prepare Jews for Messiah Jesus

1. Jews are now “blinded” to the Gospel
(Isa. 6:9-10; Rom. 11:17-27)

2. Gospel of the Kingdom to be preached

-by 144,000 Jewish evangelists (Rev. 7)

-by Elijah (Mal. 4:5-6)

-by Two Witnesses (Rev. 11)

3. Israel to be persecuted by Satan, but preserved by God
(Jer. 30:7; Rev. 12; Zech. 13:9 says only 1/3
of Jews would survive)

4. Multitudes of Jews to turn to Christ (Rev. 7:1-8)

C. To Populate the Millennium

1. Many Gentiles (non-Jews) are saved (Rev. 7:9)

2. They will be Millennium’s inhabitants (Matt. 25:31-46;
Rev. 20:4)

14.) Have all the prophecies concerning Christ been fulfilled?

No – just the prophecies that concerned His first coming – which were mostly about His suffering and sacrifice. All the prophecies concerning His second coming and entering into His glory are being fulfilled and will continue until He sets up His kingdom.

15.) Is Jesus coming back to reign on this earth?

Yes – Read Isaiah 24:21-23; Daniel 7:13-14, 18, & 27; Zechariah 14:1-9, 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:26-27; 5:9-10; and 20:6.

16.) Are we seeing signs that we are getting close to the Lord’s return?

Yes – many things but two very big ones are the rebirth of the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem under Jewish control.

17.) Matthew 24:14 say that the Gospel must be preached to all the world before the Lord can return?

Yes it does say that – remember though that concerns His second coming – not Rapture. There are no signs concerning the Rapture so this passage in Matthew has to do with before the Lord returns for His Kingdom.

18.) Who is the Anti-Christ and where will he come from?

The Bible makes it clear that this person will be empowered by Satan during the Tribulation. He will be an incredible gifted leader, very dynamic and charismatic personality. He will lead the world to make peace with Israel and will negotiate a peace treaty with Israel and then proceed to build a worldwide empire. In the middle of the tribulation, 3½ years into the 7 year treaty he will declare himself to be god, and he will launch the greatest persecution of the Jews in history. He will remain in power until Christ returns and will be defeated at the battle of Armageddon. There is only one reference of where the Anti-Christ will come from – The prophet Daniel says the Anti-Christ will come from the same people who destroyed Jerusalem. See Daniel 9:24-27.

19.) What is the Millennium?

It is a period of 1000 years where Jesus will reign over the earth from Jerusalem with a “rod of iron,” resulting in worldwide peace, righteousness, and justice.

20.) Does Russia play any role in end time prophecy?

It is clear that the scriptures talks about the Kingdom that is the utter most north of Israel. This Kingdom invades Israel through the Persian Gulf. These countries today are Russia, Iraq & Iran. The issue is not the name of a particular country – because that may change – the issue is the Bible makes it clear that these areas of the world are involved in a battle near the end of the age. This battle is not Armageddon, but it is a battle with great loss of life. The Kingdom from the north that invades Israel will lose 5/6 of it’s Armies. This prophecy is in Ezekiel 38 & 39.

21.) Are the Jews still the Chosen People of God?

No where in scripture does God ever state that His covenant with Israel is over. Through out scripture God makes it clear that He never goes back on His promises. God promised Israel that they would always be His chosen people. He did tell Israel that He would discipline them for disobedience, but that never voided His covenant with His people. In Romans 11:1-2 Paul says that “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” And in Romans 9:4 Paul says that God still has covenants (the Abrahamic and Davidic) and promises to fulfill with the Jewish people. Also Romans 3:1-4. In fact in Daniel God states to Daniel how many more years He will work with His people. That number is 490 years. 483 years took place from the time the Temple was rebuilt under Nehemiah until Christ was put to death. That means there are 7 years left in God’s timetable with Israel. After the death of Christ God began the “Church Age” and Israel was taken off the center stage of God’s dealing with the earth. The scripture also makes it clear that at the end of the age Israel will be placed back on center stage and the clock with begin to tick – this is the last 7 years which is called the Tribulation.

22.) When will the Judgment take place?

For the Saved, their judgment for sin took place at the Cross when Jesus became their sin-bearer and took the wrath they deserved (2 Corinthians 5:21). The only future judgment the Redeemed will experience will take place after the Rapture, at the judgment seat of Jesus in Heaven. At this judgment, they will be judged of their works to determine their degrees of reward. Read 2 Corinthians  5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. For the Unsaved, their judgment will occur at the end of the Millennium at the Great White Throne. They will be judged of their works to determine their degrees of punishment. Read Revelation 20:11-15.

23.) Hasn’t the disobedience of the Jews invalidated all of God’s promises to them?

Absolutely not. Paul specifically addresses this question in Romans 3:1-4. He asks, “Has their [the Jews] unbelief nullified the faithfulness of God?” He answers, “May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.” Their disobedience has delayed God’s fulfillment of His promises, but His promises are still valid. The promises will be fulfilled to a believing remnant. See Romans 9:27. God’s incredible patience with Israel and His persistent pursuit of their hearts is a demonstration of His incomparable grace.

24.) What are Apocalyptic Writings?

Scripture that reveals truth that had been concealed
The word apocalypse means “to unveil,” to “reveal.” In verse 30 Jesus spoke about the day in which “the Son of Man will be revealed.” That word “revealed” is the word apocalupsis from which we get apocalypse. The last book of the Bible is named Revelation, because the first word in Revelation 1 actually says, “The apocalupsis of Jesus Christ.” There are apocalyptic passages in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah, and Revelation.
25.) What is Eschatology?

The study of the last days. The Greek word for “end times” is eschaton. Thus, any study of the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world is called eschatology.
26.) What is “The Day of the Lord” ?

All the events associated with the return of Christ – “The Day of the Lord” is not a 24 hour period; it is a term used throughout Bible Prophecy to describe multiple events taking place over a long period. When someone says, “We live in the day of cell phones,” they aren’t talking about one single day, but a period of time. In Luke 17, Jesus used “day” and “days of the Lord” interchangeably. The Day of the Lord encompasses the rapture, the tribulation, and the return of Christ at the battle of Armageddon. In case you’re confused about those events, here’s a brief description about the events included in the Day of the Lord.

THIS IS GOD’S PROPHETIC AGENDA:

(1) Rapture: The moment in which Christians will be caught up to be with the Lord
The rapture is next big event on God’s prophetic calendar. We read in I Thessalonians 4 when Christ returns the living Christians will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The Latin word for the Greek verb “caught up” is raptio, that’s where we get the word rapture. People who do not know Jesus personally will be left behind when the rapture occurs.

(2) The Great Tribulation: Seven years of chaos and trauma in which a leader (Antichrist) will direct a worldwide government and economy
We know from both Daniel 9 and Revelation 6-18 this will be seven years of incredible disasters and difficulties as God pours out His judgement on sinful mankind. In the midst of all this chaos, a single world ruler will be in charge, the Bible calls him Antichrist.

(3) The Battle of Armageddon: When Christ will return to conquer Antichrist and his armies, afterwards He will enter Jerusalem to establish His earthly kingdom (millennium)
At the end of the seven year tribulation, Antichrist and his armies will gather to attack Israel. Revelation 19 predicts Jesus will return and easily conquer Antichrist and his armies. Then according to Zechariah 14, Jesus will enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate and set up His Kingdom on earth.

Millennial Views Comparison Chart*

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	Dispensational Premillennialism	Historic Premillennialism	Postmillennialism	Amillennialism
Favored hermeneutic	Strict literal	Grammatico-historical	Covenant-historical	Redemptive-historical
Israel and the church	Views church and Israel as two distinct peoples of God with two individual redemptive plans.	The church is the fulfillment of Israel.	The church is the fulfillment of Israel.	The church is the eschatological fulfillment of Israel.
The rapture	The church is raptured before a seven-year tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel – Daniel 9:24-27). This tribulational period contains the reign of the AntiChrist.	The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the clouds as he comes to earth to commence the millennial reign.	The rapture is temporily coincident with the Second Coming, both of which occur at the end of the church age	The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the clouds and immediately proceed to judge the nations with Christ and then follow Him into their eternal state.
Kingdom of God	The literal physical kingdom reign, anticipated by the OT prophets, during which God will fulfill all the OT promises to ethnic Israel.	The literal physical kingdom reign anticipated by the OT and NT prophets.	A spiritual entity experienced on earth through the Christianizing effect of the Gospel.	A spiritual reality in which all Christians partake presently by faith, but by sight at the consummation.
Millennium	Christ will return at the end of the great tribulation to institute a thousand-year rule from a the New Jerusalem. Those believing in Christ during the “seventieth week of Daniel” who survive will go on to populate the earth during this time. Those raptured or raised prior to the tribulational will reign with Christ over the millennial population. This view sees the re-establishment of temple worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice.	Christ will return to institute a thousand-year reign on earth after the tribulation period. Others like J. Barton Payne argure for an imminent Second Coming.	A “golden age” leading up to Christ’s second advent during which Christ will virtually rule over the whole earth through an unprecedented spread of the Gospel; the large majority of people will become Christian.	Inaugurated with Christ’s resurrection. In an “already/not yet” sense, Christ already reigns over all and is already victorious over Satan.
Major proponents	C. I. Scofield, John Walvoord, Charles Ryrie, Lewis S. Chafer, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie, Tim Lahaye, Hal Lindsay	W.J. Erdman, George Eldon Ladd, Robert Gundry, Robert Culver, Walter Martin, J. Barton Payne, John Warwick Montgomery, Wayne Grudem.	Lorraine Boettner, Rousas J. Rushdoony, Greg L. Bahnson, Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., David Chilton, R.C. Sproul , Gary North.	Charles Hodge, Meredith Kline,  Kim Riddlerbarger, Robert B. Strimple, Gregory Beale, Anthony Hoekema, Vern Poythress, John Murray, Louis Berkhof.

* chart adapted from Wikipedia article on “Millennial Kingdom”

Definitions of Millennial Positions

Agreements and differences

Bible-believing people all agree that at some future time Jesus Christ will appear openly and bodily to the world in the Second Coming and will begin visibly to reign. But they do not all agree on the exact character of all the events preceding and following the Second Coming, nor do they all agree on the order of events. People have held three main positions over the course of church history, namely premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.The differences among these positions are complex, involving questions concerning the interpretation of a considerable body of OT prophecy as well as various NT passages. Rev 20:1-10 is only one of the passages involved in the discussion. It just happens to be the case that the names of the positions have been derived from the Latin word millennium meaning 1000 years, because of the mention of a period of 1000 years in Rev 20:2-7.

Definitions of Millennial Positions Cont.

Premillennialism argues for the following series of events. (1) The present age continues to be a mixture of good and evil, believers and unbelievers. (2) Christ returns (the Second Coming). Christians living and dead receive resurrection bodies. There is a judgment on the unbelievers who are alive. (3) Christ inaugurates a visible reign over the nations, a time of great peace and prosperity lasting for 1000 years (some think longer). (4) Shortly before the end of this period, Satan instigates a great rebellion (described in Rev 20:7-10). (5) God puts down the rebellion, and there is a final judgment of those alive and of the wicked dead. (6) The eternal reign of God begins (the consummation).

Dispensationalist premillennialism

A variation of premillennialism arising the 19th century has the following series of events. (1) The present age continues with a mixture of good and evil. (2) Christ comes to rapture the church. All believers are caught up to heaven and receive resurrection bodies. Unbelievers are left on earth and do not see Christ. (3) Seven years of tribulation begin, during which God’s wrath is poured out on unbelievers and a Jewish remnant converted to faith in Christ bears witness to the truth. (4) At the end of the tribulation Christ appears visibly, unbelievers are cast into hell, and believers living on earth enter a period of 1000 years during which Christ rules over the nations visibly. (5) Satan instigates a rebellion near the end of the period (Rev 20:7-10). (6) God puts down the rebellion and judges all the dead and all the people who lived in the 1000 year period. (7) The eternal reign of God begins (the consummation).

Amillennialism has the following sequence of events. (1) The present age continues with a mixture of good and evil. (2) Satan instigates a final rebellion near the end of the age. (3) Christ returns (the Second Coming). Christ judges all people, living and dead. Believers receive resurrection bodies, and unbelievers are cast into hell. (4) The eternal reign of God begins (the consummation).

Postmillennialism has the following sequence of events. (1) The present age becomes better and better as more people become Christians and the blessing of God is poured out on them. There will come a future age of spiritual prosperity when Christian faith will dominate in this world. (2) Christ returns (the Second Coming). Christ judges all people, living and dead. Believers receive resurrection bodies, and unbelievers are cast into hell. (3) The eternal reign of God begins (the consummation).

27.) What Happens Right After the Rapture?

II Corinthians 5:10 describes a “judgment seat” (Greek, Bema) to be set up to examine each believers’ work while on earth. The Bema in Paul’s day was a “reviewing stand” where important persons would be seated to watch and reward the contestants below.  Winners were led by the referee before the Bema, where high officials would place garlands over them.  During that heavenly reviewing day, Christ would have only two standards: “Good or bad.”  These standards would examine motives, attitudes, and the heart.  When “done for Christ” (Col. 3:23), it is good, otherwise it is bad.

28.) Who are the “Remnant” in Tribulation Passages?

These are not church saints but believing Jews. They would be regathered to the Land of Israel in unbelief (Rom 11), the tribulation will bring them to faith in Jesus as Messiah (Rev. 12:17), and finally the nation Israel turns to Christ at His second advent (Rom. 11:26).

29.) Can People be Saved at the Tribulation?

Yes. Even though the Holy Spirit is removed with the Church at the Rapture, He is still the omnipresent God.  He will still be operating on earth in regeneration people.  Only His indwelling on earth is removed. (Cf. Rev. 7, 14)  The Bible says there will be a great harvest of souls during the Tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14). But the Bible indicates that there will be a “lie” that many believe. It also states that many will become even harder during the Tribulation and curse God.

30.) Will we know each other in Heaven?

Yes, definitely. We are told that we will have glorified bodies like the one that Jesus had after His resurrection (Philippians 3:21). Once the disciples got over the shock of His resurrection, they easily recognized Him whenever He appeared to them (John 21:1-7). In like manner, the disciples recognized Moses and Elijah when they appeared at the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-5). We do not become non-entities at death. We retain our individuality and personality. God constantly refers to Himself as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” long after their deaths. His fellowship with them is obviously continuing in Heaven. See Luke 20:37-38.

Compiled by: Nathan Leigh

After a well-attended first concrete pouring last January 26, Phase 1 of the construction on the C5 Worship and Training Center has proceeded at a fast pace. Monolith Construction and Development Corp, the general contractor, has promised to finish the shell structure, including the windows and roof, by December 2010. In fact, Monolith will complete the 3 basements by April. As you can see from the pictures, as of February 9, 2010 the column footings are being excavated, rebars are being erected and concrete pouring of the footings are on-going. One out of 4 tower cranes is already up.

Bidding for the mechanical and electrical works are scheduled for this summer. The building funds are enough to finish Phase 1, which is the shell structure. Pastor Peter has challenged CCF members to continue to pray that funds for the finishing, the mechanical, electrical and other essential work for the building will be completed. Project chairman, Ramon Mazana, has also encouraged the businessmen who are in the construction supplies industry to pledge in kind through outright donations of construction materials, or by selling the materials at a substantially discounted cost to the church.

Watch out for more updates.

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” -Luke 19:8-10

Why was Jesus going to Jericho? He was going for the purpose of preaching the gospel of salvation to Zaccheus, “to seek and to save that which was lost.” When Zaccheus espied Jesus, he climbed up a tree to get a better view. He also let go of his pride. The principle here is Jesus knows exactly where we are today. And He takes us just as we are and transforms us into what He wants us to be.

Have you had a personal encounter with Jesus? Jesus loves you, and He is out there looking for you. He will reach out and go wherever you are because He knows your hurt, your needs, and your pain.

You may be hiding or running away from Jesus because of guilt, shame, failure. You may even be ashamed of being with God. You cannot hide from Jesus because He knows exactly where you are especially when it comes to your relationship with Him. He is not out to condemn you but to console and embrace you and bring joy into your life.

We all fall short of God’s perfect holiness, and we can never measure up to His standards regardless of good works, religion, or philosophy. That is why “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

- John Newton

*This Devotional was taken from Ptr. Joby Soriano’s message delivered at CCF Ortigas last July 10, 2005

It happened last November 17, 2009 in what was supposed to be a special Tuesday night with my D group. After a short devotion we decided to watch the apocalyptic film “2012.” Little did we know of what was about to take place late that night.

Peculiar things happened. Before proceeding to the movie house I took Tylenol twice to ease my migraine. Then sometime in the middle of the movie I got an overseas call from my mom and right after, I immediately excused myself and said goodbye due to extreme headache. And that would have been my last goodbye.

I didn’t realize that I was already experiencing a stroke and I seem to have “sleepwalked” from Megamall to Camp Crame. At around 2 O’clock in the morning of November 18, I was found by a mobile patrol slumped and slightly unconscious lying on the side walk in front of Camp Crame. The police said that half of my body was on the highway expose dangerously to any wayward vehicle that might run me over. If God had not protected me, that would have been my last.

The police brought me my apartment unit to the surprise of the building security. Knowing that I live alone and all my family resides in Toronto, Canada; they started calling people in the address list of my cell phone. A brother-in-Christ who is my officemate responded immediately and brought me to Medical City.

The hospital personnel quickly ran several tests. My CT Scan images revealed that I had a heavy collection of blood at the right side of my brain. I was experiencing internal bleeding with hydrocephalus or so much water which increased the pressure around my brain. If my diagnosis had not improved I would have needed to immediately undergo an open brain surgery.

Just like what is written in James 5 :14 -15 “ Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. “

The Lord directed my CCF family to take care of me in the hospital while my mother and sister were still on their way back from Toronto, Canada. Pastors and friends from CCF came to visit me in the hospital and they blessed me with their heartfelt prayers.

Pastor Ito de Jesus made sure that I get the best medical attention and care possible. He requested for his personal neurologist and brain specialist to oversee my condition. Pastor Jess Lantin was so fatherly looking at my tests and talking to my attending physicians. Pastor JP Masakayan started raising funds to pay my hospital bills. My friends described every visit was like having a prayer vigil in the hospital.

Text messages circulated among my brethren in CCF updating about my condition and calling for everyone to pray for my healing. Matthew 18 : 20 “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” God was indeed present at that most critical time and he answered your prayers.

On November 19 an MRI was conducted to scan my head and the examination results showed that “the previously seen blood in the previous CT study is no longer seen.”

My MRI showed that my stroke was due to a ruptured arterio-venous malformation or AVM. It was a congenital condition near my brain in which several veins intertwined with each other or “nagkabuhol-buhol na mga ugat” as my brain specialist described it.

But God made it so that a wall of water (the hydrocephalus) protected my brain and in the process washed away the blood coming from the ruptured vein. For this reason I was spared from any permanent damage or any fatal consequence. I was spared from a high-risk operation and was eventually released from the hospital the next Monday.

God is good!

In our visit to my brain specialist, he recommended me to undergo angiogram with embolization to disable the risk of my AVM (arterio-venous malformation). Last December 15, 2009 I underwent the necessary angiogram-embolization at the Philippine General Hospital. Surprisingly the procedure took less than an hour. Right after my brain surgeon met up with us seemingly baffled and all he can say about the procedure was, “It’s a mystery.”
To me it was a miracle.

My angiogram showed that I was negative of AVM or even aneurism. My neurologist was so happy about the result and said , ”Nakuha sa dasal !” I will be scheduled for an MRA this January to doubly make sure that the risk is no longer present and find out more what really happened last November 17, 2009.
God did not only manifest His presence by being my “Jehovah Rapha” or My Healer but also as my “Jehovah Jireh” in providing for my financial needs by using friends and other brethren from CCF who in the generosity of their hearts donated money. My mother was deeply moved by this show of love from CCF and is now encouraged to attend worship with me every Sunday.

Please join me again in praying that my MRA will bring good results. I pray that the remaining days of my life will be worthy of this miracle God made me go through. My desire is to live in the pleasure of our Almighty Father.

Just as it is written in 1 John 4 : 12”…if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” This scripture was made so real through your prayers, time and other acts of love shown to me and my family. The love of God is indeed being perfected in and through CCF. I praise God for you.

This miracle is not about me. It is about the Almighty, the one true Miracle Worker. I am Roli Sabado, a servant of the Backstreet Kids Ministry, testifying that miracles still do happen today when people pray in the name of Jesus.

At the crack of dawn last Tuesday, January 26, 2010, a large crowd of people assembled at the construction site of the CCF Worship and Training Center at Frontera Verde, along C-5. It was the day set for the first concrete pouring for the Building Project, but it became clear early on that the gathering was about something much bigger than that. For as daylight broke forth in the horizon, so did the gathered people, led by Pastor Insong Nolan and the CCF worship team, break forth in song to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“We are standing on holy ground,” they sang fervently, “and I know that there are angels all around.” Indeed, at that moment God’s presence was more real to this worshipping community than what physically surrounded them – whether it be the clouds overhead, or the soil on which they stood.

A short prayer was thereafter led by CCF Elder, Ramon Manzana, after which CCF Senior Pastor Peter Tan-chi gave a message to the congregation made up of CCF members, guests, and co-workers in the Building Project.

The pastor’s message was on 1 Chronicles 29, where King David, in the midst of a great assembly, uttered one of his most memorable prayers to Yahweh, thanking Him for the abundant gifts which he and the people were able to pool together in preparation for building the Temple. In that prayer, David’s passion for God’s glory shone through very clearly. Although he knew that God did not dwell in earthly temples, he endeavored to build something magnificent for the glory of God.

Pastor Peter pointed out that we, too, should have the same perspective as we build the Worship Center. We should always remember for whose glory we are building it, and be thankful that we are part of this work which, through God’s grace, will be instrumental in bringing multitudes to Christ. Nonetheless, he warned the congregation not to be deceived into thinking that participating in activities such as this project is, by itself, a guarantee of a heart devoted to God. He cited what happened to Solomon, who died with a heart far from God despite being the one who actually oversaw the building of the Temple. Ultimately, our hearts are the most important thing to God.

The congregation then proceeded to a time of prayer. Many prayed standing, others were seated, some were on their knees, but all were united in asking God for His blessing – for the project, for the country, and for themselves, petitioning God that the hearts of each one be always firmly fixed on Jesus.
The moment then came for the pouring in of the first concrete. With gold-painted shovels in hand, special guest Mayor Robert Eusebio of Pasig City, Pastor Peter, members of the CCF Building Committee, Mr. Rex Drilon of Ortigas & Company, which sold the property to CCF, Mr. Manny Mendoza of Monolith Construction & Development Corporation, the general contractor for the project, and other honored guests pitched freshly mixed cement into one of the nearby holes on which stood a metal post for the upcoming building. Other CCF pastors followed. Then everyone was given the opportunity to do the same. Pure joy and excitement were on the faces of these people of faith, even to the end of the event. And how can it be otherwise, when their Lord was answering their prayers before their very eyes?

The whole event would have been an ordinary kickoff for the foundation-laying of an upcoming edifice, had it not been, from start to finish, such a resounding tribute to that one Foundation, of whom it was said: “no other foundation can anyone lay than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ”.

To Him be the glory forever and ever.

by Macky Ong

As a congregation, CCF was encouraged to heed a prayer battle cry at the start of the year: “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” (1 Chronicles 4:10, NASB)

After the annual weeklong prayer and fasting week, an “expansion of borders” took place indeed as the church welcomed New York Times’ best-selling author, Joel Rosenberg, and his team for a full week of activities – the first ever Epicenter (Asian) Conference.

Upon his arrival, Joel wrote in his blog how devastated he felt for the major quake in Haiti, while recognizing, at the same time that we, Filipinos, have recently been shaken by similar catastrophes (typhoons, impending Mayon eruption) – and then segued into, what all these meant in light of what the Bible says about the end of days. This was, in fact, the general theme of the entire conference itself.

First off, Joel Rosenberg with his team and CCF’s went to Malacañang for a luncheon with Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the palace officials. Pastor Ray Bentley from the Maranatha Chapel in San Diego, California, thanked the president for the Philippines’ ties with the US and its battle against radical Islam. Israeli Pastor David Ortiz thanked the president for the historic friendship between the Philippines, the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Joel, during the meeting, explained that the Philippines helped fulfill Bible prophecy after voting for the creation of the modern state of Israel during the Partition Plan in the United Nations in November 29, 1947. The team had an opportunity to share the gospel to the President and the people in Malacañang, and furthermore, prayed for the president and her family and her final days in office.

The following day, the team had a courtesy meeting with Israeli Ambassador Zvi Vapni. The ambassador, as Joel described, is very intrigued and supportive of building strong ties between Israel and evangelical Christians; and is thankful for the mobilization of Christians in supporting Israel. Later during the day, Joel and his team were interviewed by CBN Asia about their personal faith journey, the end times prophecies and how the church in Asia can and should live these days. These interviews will soon be broadcasted throughout the Philippines, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Another luncheon took place the following day, this time, with the American Chamber of Commerce. The event was attended by several hundred business leaders, which also included presidents of several major U.S. and Filipino companies. Here, Joel spoke about

“Israel, the Iranian Nuclear Threat, and the Next War in the Middle East,” and presented it in the context of Bible prophecy.

The Epicenter Conference officially began with the Leadership Dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel last January 21, 2010. The event was attended by at least a thousand business, government and military leaders, which included some of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Here, Joel had the opportunity to explain the “signs of the times,” the Biblical mandate we have to love and bless Israel, and most importantly, he had the opportunity to share the Gospel to the attendees.

The whole day Christian Conference happened on Friday, January 22, 2010, which had an overwhelming attendance of 4,500 people within CCF St. Francis itself, plus probably thousands more, who watched the live streaming via satellite TV and the Internet. Joel presented his message, “Are We Living In the Last Days”, as described in Matthew 24 and Luke 21; and, “What Is the Future of Russia, Iran and Israel?”, as described in Ezekiel 38-39. Israeli Pastor David Ortiz shared about God’s extending love for the Jewish people and explained that the persecution of the believers will intensify in the last days. Iranian Pastor Hormoz Shariat described his journey from being a radical Shia Muslim to becoming the “Billy Graham of Iran” and how God has been touching the lives of Iranians. Pastor Rey Bentley shared a message from Joel 2.

Saturday, January 23, 2010, was another packed day, this time, with at least 3,000 young people for the Youth Conference. Here, Joel had the opportunity to share the Gospel, taught about end times prophecies as based in the Word, and his love story with wife Lynn – which became a good connector with the young people.

The conference ended on a high note having Joel in all five services at CCF St. Francis last Sunday, January 24, 2010. The auditorium and overflow rooms were packed with a total of between 20,000 to 25,000 attendees plus thousands more watched via satellite TV and the Internet. It was an opportunity once again for Joel to share the end times prophecies as presented in the Bible and most importantly, to share the Gospel to the people.

In light of everything that happened, the real question boils down to, “are we really ready?” Are we really ready to face our Master? Are we really ready to live holy lives and to make an impact to the people around us? Many lives were touched by God’s love during the conference proper – either as a new believer or as a recommitted follower standing for God’s glory. The next step is to take action. Following all these will be a six-week Bible study series on the End Times, designed to be evangelical nature. It is through this that each person’s borders will be expanded; and most importantly, God’s kingdom will be expanded.

by Sherry Magno

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.-1 Peter 4:7

We need to be aware of the second coming and live lives of “sound judgment and sober spirit?” because the second coming of Christ is the single most powerful motivation for Christian living. But why does God not tell us when He is coming? God wants us to live expectantly always ready for Christ’s return.

Everyone will die but nobody knows when. If we believe we will be in the presence of God within six months, how will that thought impact our lives? When we face the reality of meeting the Lord, will we not begin to see things differently? If we expect to see God very soon, doing nothing about it is tantamount to not believing at all.

God is telling us that the end of all things is at hand. Examine your relationship with the Lord, with one another, and your service to one another. Do you have a right relationship with God? Is your prayer life a declaration of dependence and trust in the Lord? What about your relationship with other people? Have you chosen to love and forgive especially those who are imperfect and unlovable? Are you living a life in service to God and to others? Are you using your special God-given gifts to help one another?

It is not too late to appreciate the reality that sooner or later we will see God. Therefore it is important to reconcile the reality of Christ’s second coming with the certainty that we will have to give Him an accounting of our lives. In prepping for the end, it would be wise and prudent to always be ready.

Behold he comes, riding on the clouds
Shining like the sun, at the trumpet’s call
So lift your voice, It’s the year of Jubilee
And out of Zion’s hill, salvation comes.

-Robin Mark

*This Devotional was taken from Ptr. Peter Tan-chi’s message delivered at CCF Ortigas last August 29, 2004

Click picture to know how.

Also available via LIVESTREAM at http://www.livestream.com/ccf_livestream

Speech is that which distinguishes men from animals, but prayer distinguishes the children of God from the children of this world. Speech is what we use to communicate our thoughts to each other, but prayer is the speech used by the believer to commune with God.

Allow me to share with you one of the hundreds of my miraculous experiences with God who deserves all the honor and the glory now and forevermore.

When I came to know Jesus personally, prayer and fasting became part of my lifestyle. In fact, praying every 4 am for 45 minutes was my personal spiritual discipline. This changed when I entered into full time ministry where the demand for prayer increased.

To confirm my calling from God, I asked him to bring me to Korea for a prayer study tour because I had been hearing and reading about the prayer life of the Korean Christians. At that time, Korea prayer study tour was not yet offered in the ministry where I was involved with. However, within a matter of days, our senior pastor in the said ministry, all of a sudden, announced during our ministerial meeting that there would be a mission seminar to be held in Korea. The seminar and the accommodation were free and we would just need to raise the airfare and pocket money to Korea. I brought the matter to God in prayer for I felt that this might be his answer to my plea. As I was praying during my usual early morning quiet time, God confirmed that I would go to the seminar. My prayer was simple. I just told the Lord that since He was calling me to work with Him full time, I needed to learn about prayer. Besides, I also wanted to experience to fly on a plane. After receiving confirmation from the Lord, I started thinking of potential people from whom I could possibly borrow the money for the airfare. I listed all the names of the people I would talk to. But as I was reading a Christian magazine, I came across a verse from the scripture which says, “Owe to one but love”. I felt a thug in my heart that I should not borrow from anybody nor ask from anyone regarding this trip.

During the ministerial training, our pastor once again reminded us of the trip and I told him that I would go. He told me to be serious about it. I said that I would go. He reiterated to me that I could not back out once I registered for the trip, so he asked me if I had the money. So, I said again that I would go. I could not say yes to his question about the money but I only had the assurance that God was telling me to go.
One day before the deadline of payment, I still did not have the money. During the service, our pastor challenged the congregation to raise their hands if they had a special need. I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to raise my hand but my pride as a “full time minister” was stopping me to acknowledge my need until the Lord rebuked me to humble myself. I wept as I prayed. When I sat down after praying, a lady seated 3 seats away from me, approached me and gave me an envelope with an inscription, “for your Korea trip.” As far as I knew, that lady had no idea about the trip. The envelope had enough money for half of my airfare. I prayed and told God, don’t you want me to come back to the Philippines? But God assured me that everything would be provided. When I got home from the service, while my eldest brother and I were having lunch, he said that my mom told him that I would be going to Korea. He asked me where I would get the money to get there. I told him that everything was fine but he said he would pay half of my fare. To make the story longer…I am just kidding. The full amount for the fare was already complete.

The only problem left that I needed to deal with was my pocket money. The day before the departure, somebody approached me before the service and said he had been looking for me for the Lord prompted him. He handed me an envelope which had $14 in it. I complained to God and said, Lord, how can I survive in Korea with this pocket money? Then I felt an impression that I should put the money in the tithe and offering box. I prayed struggling whether or not I correctly heard the Lord. After a few minutes in front of the box, I finally surrendered to god and received peace that I knew only God could give.

At the NAIA airport the following day, the deacons of the ministry said that some gave love gifts to me when they counted the tithes and offering so she decided to pay the airport tax and terminal fee from my love gifts. I did not know that there were still other expenses to be paid. But praise God He knows everything. She then said that she exchanged all the remaining love gifts to dollars, which totaled to $17, $3 more than the money I gave up. But I still felt embarrassed with such a “big” pocket money. When we arrived in Korea, I saw the other delegates exchanging hundreds of dollars to Korean won. They told me to also change mine. I just told them that I would have it changed at the hotel. I could not tell them that I only had $17. At the hostel, a lady stranger came to me and gave me $50 and said the Lord told her to give it to me. I praised God for such generosity. I changed it to won right away.

During the seminar, the Lord prompted me to give 10k won to mission. I almost complained and said, Lord, my pocket money is too small to give such a big amount of money to mission. The prompting was so strong that I submitted and again felt the peace of God.

On the bus after the seminar, another lady came to me and gave 20k won. Again, in shame, I wept before God because of my previous struggle. Because He gave more every time I gave, I jokingly said to God, “Lord, do you want me to give to your work again? “

The journey did not stop there. The seminar ended after five days but we were to stay for another 5 days. There was a miscommunication. The free accommodation was only for 5 days and not for 10 days. So on the sixth day, I forcefully fasted. I did not tell anybody that I had nothing to spend for food. However, the Lord did not allow that on the following days. One of the delegates offered me money to watch the Olympics and thought that this was it. But God impressed on me not to accept it. He wanted me to spend a little more time in prayer and fasting and to wait for his further instruction. While the others were watching the Olympics live, I stayed in my room. After lunch, a Korean brother came and asked if I had lunch already. I said I didn’t know how to get around. He told me that he would bring me around. I got nervous for I had nothing to pay if we had to eat. I could not tell him my predicament so I just followed him. I thought that God would just make a miracle that when I pulled my wallet out, I would just see bills inside. The Korean brother ordered a lot of food. When the bill came, I pulled out my wallet, but he said, “No I will pay. I am your host.” I said no, I will pay. But the Lord reminded me of peter when he refused to let the Lord wash his feet. So I humbled myself and let him pay.

On our last day, our assistant team leader told us that we had to pay first before we could check out. He called the names of the delegates one by one. I was really in prayer for I had no money to give him. When my name was not mentioned, I asked him how come my name was not called. He looked at the list again and said, well, somebody paid for you. I asked him who it was that paid for me and he said he did not know for they already left for HongKong. The lady even left an envelope for me with a traveler’s check amounting to $200.

God is truly amazing. That journey was really a journey of praying without ceasing. Up to today the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Daniel, David, Peter, Paul, John and the disciples of Jesus is taking care of me and my family. I know he is taking care of you. Always commune with him in prayer, even with fasting for his honor and glory.

God bless you.