SEARCH ME FOR I AM IN THE DEPTHS OF YOUR HEART

And the Lord says,  “You have tested Me, You have tried Me, and I have been faithful.  You have walked in darkness and I gave you light.  You have been in scarcity and I have sustained you.  You have questioned Me and I have answered.  You have wept and I have dried your tears.  When you were alone, I walked with you”, says the Lord your God.  “For I am a faithful God.  I am a God that is trustworthy.  I am a covenant God.” 

And the Lord says, “Search your heart.  Search your heart”, says the Lord.  “Listen to My voice, deep in your heart.  Find Me there.  Search for Me”, says the Lord our God.  “Search for Me for I live in the depths of your heart.  Come to Me and I ask you, ‘Why, why are you here My people?  Why are you here today?’ Search your hearts”, says the Lord your God.  “Hear My voice in the temple of your heart”, says the Lord.

I CALL YOU TO BE HOLY

“My sons and My daughters, each of you is here because I have called you.  ……Each of you is here because I have called you……  And I tell you now on your 36^th anniversary, that My call to you is not a call to be perfect.  My call to you is a call to be holy…. My call to you is a call to be holy…. 

And I ask you to be holy in your relationships…..  I ask you to be holy in your relationships…..  I want you to have hearts of compassion, mercy and forgiveness for each other.  I ask you be holy in your relationships. 

I further ask you to be holy in your use of the material goods I have given you.  These are all Mine and I ask you now to be holy stewards of all the material resources I have given you.  These were not given just for your enjoyment and for your families before you.  These resources I have given you to share and be My instrument of love.  I ask you to be holy stewards of your resources. 

I ask you to be holy in your use of time.  Carve out more time for Me.  Carve out more time for  your community.  Carve out more time for our service of love.  I ask you to be holy in your use of time and remove all distractions that are binding you from serving Me.  And as you strive to be holy, I will perfect you with My perfect love. I will allow you to love unconditionally. 

This, My sons and My daughters  is My call to you today.  Rise up and be holy.  I will be the one in charge of making you able to love perfectly.”

PROTECT OUR COVENANT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE

Brothers and sisters the Lord says, “My people, maybe you think that you have worked so hard to protect the covenant that you have with Me, but this I tell you today, if you have worked hard to protect your covenant with Me, I have worked harder.  I have worked harder to make sure that I have protected My covenant with you.  That is how much I love you.  My love for you is so great that I am willing to do anything, go to any extent, go as far as I can just to protect My relationship – My covenant with you.

And I challenge you today, to protect your covenant with Me.  Do not allow your work, your other commitments and the many things that the world offers you today – do not allow these things to rob you of these precious treasure that I have with you – My covenant with you.

And only then when you have protected your covenant, when you have valued your covenant so much, that you can boldly share this covenant with others. You have something good to offer other people – My covenant with you.  Protect it with everything you have,” says the Lord.

I LOVE YOU AND YOU ARE PRECIOUS TO ME

“My people, I called you by name because you are precious to Me and I love you.  My people, through all the times –  your sufferings, your afflictions – I was there with you.  Your days of abundance and plenty, I was there with you.  My Ligaya, I know I have been with you because I love you and you are precious to Me. 

And I love you My Ligaya because you have the ability to love Me in return.  I tell you, I ask you, believe Me, believe in the love that I have for you, and return this love to Me because you, My Ligaya, you have the capacity to love Me, your God.”

THE CHURCH WILL ASK FOR YOUR HELP AND FOR YOUR ADVICE.  BE READY.

Brothers and sisters, the Lord says, “I have promised much blessings to those who respond.  And indeed, My word is fulfilled.  

But I say to you, this is just a start, because now the momentum of My work is to be experienced not only by you, but the whole church in Asia.  The church will ask for your help and for your advice.  Be ready.  Do not hesitate.  Do not relent, but be glad that you received much blessings.  And be glad that many will come to experience Jesus. 

Be ready by doubling your time of prayers, being generous to the poor, dying to your own selfish wants.  Now is the time to embrace the unloved, the wounded. 

My word will not come back to Me empty.  It will come to pass.  But who among you will be there to reap the bounty?  Whom among you will I use to the field?  Those who listen and those who respond will be the happiest.”

RENEW YOUR COVENANT WITH ME

I, your only King, stand before you.  I am here with you and I renew My covenant with each one of you.

I now invite you, as well, to renew your covenant with Me.  And as you do that, in your heart say to Me, “Here I am Lord. You can count Me.”

(Henry Fernandez)

THE FIGHT IS NOT YET OVER

2 Timothy 2:1-3 — “You, therefore (My sons and My daughters), be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. With the things that you have heard from Me through many witnesses, commit the same to faithful men  who will be able to teach others also. You, therefore, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

• And the Lord further says, ‘You, My young people, if you will not stand up and lead, who will follow?  You, My single men and women,  if you will not endure sacrifices, who will learn how to endure hardships? If you, My  old people, if you will stop teaching the young, how will they learn faithfulness?’
• The fight is not yet over.  In fact, the fight is still  intensifying.  But the grace of God, in Christ Jesus, will be enough for us.

(Myya Rosales)

RECALL THE PROMISE I GAVE YOU MANY YEARS AGO

Recall the promise I gave you many years ago – that you will be a light to Asia.  See now, have I not  fulfilled My promise? See, before you, the fruit that you have borne.  Rejoice! for there is more.

I tell you: as the darkness increases,  I want you to give more of yourself, selflessly.  I tell you, do not be satisfied with just 30(?) percent.  I tell you, you can give Me more. 

I tell you, I have given more of My promise, My people, My beloved Ligaya -   Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon community. 

(Romeo Fernando)

I HAVE CLEANSED YOU.  ARE YOU WILLING TO GO FORTH?

Isaiah 6:1-8 — In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon the throne, high and lifted up, with the train of His garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered His  face, with two they covered His feet, and with two they hovered aloft. One called to another and said, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!  The whole earth is full of His glory!” The foundations of the threshold  shook at the sound of that cry and the house was filled with smoke. And I said, “Woe is me, for I am lost! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I  dwell in the midst of a people with  unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, holding an ember which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth and he said, “Behold, this has touched your lips, your guilt is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go forth?” Then I said, “Here I am, send me!”   

He is the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings! –   holy and worthy of all our praises, holy and worthy of all our service.  Holy and yet, we hesitate serving the Lord for we say we have sinned against Him.  We are a people of unclean lips.  We are a people who live among those of unclean lips. 

But, the  Lord says to us today, ‘Come to Me and ask forgiveness.’  He says, ‘Do not dwell on them, for I have come and forgiven you your sins.  I have cleansed you, My people.  You are  able to serve Me, My people.’ 

The Lord says today, ‘I have cleansed you.  I have given you My own spirit.  I have given you My grace.  Will you go forth?  I have asked you this question time and again.  And I ask you again, “Who will go for Me? Whom shall I send?” Who is willing to lay down his life for Me?, says the Lord.

‘I address the young people – I am calling you forth.  And I address those who are just newly married, “Are you going to go forth?”

 I ask those who are saying that they have  come to the end of their service to the  Lord, I ask you, “Are you willing to go forth?”

 The Lord says to us, ‘Who will go forth?   Whom shall I send?’

(Mae Legaspi)

I WANT TO FILL YOU.  SHARE WHATEVER IT IS I HAVE GIVEN YOU.

1 Corinthians 2:7-10 — But, we speak the wisdom of God wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom of God predetermined before the ages for our glory, and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor  has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love him,” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

The Lord further says, ‘Are you full – with what? Are you full of Me? I want to fill you.  Do you realize what it means to be  full?  It means I have given you something so much more than  what your hands can hold on to.  And even if you bring out all your empty jars, they would still  not be enough…..

What you really need to do is to share whatever it is I have given you with others.  Realize in your own  life what it truly means  to give fully, abundantly. 

The  Lord says, He wants to fill us.  The Lord says, He wants to reveal so much more to us, through the power of His Holy Spirit.

(Judith Alpay)

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Chelsea, Michigan- 1^st  September 2010

Today the Servants of the Word elected Ken Noecker as their new presiding elder. His four year term of office will begin August, 2011 until which time John Keating will continue to lead the brotherhood as the Presiding Elder.

Ken was born in Yankton, South Dakota in 1953 and raised in Nebraska. He made his lifelong commitment to the Servants of the Word in 1983. He has lived in Manila since 1986 as Regional Elder of the Servants of the Word and coordinator supervising various of our mission organizations. He currently serves as regional president of the Asian Region and head of the Community Building Team. In his new role as presiding elder Ken will be based in Michigan, but travel widely to  all the regions of the Sword of the Spirit.

Your prayers for Ken and your words of encouragement are most welcome!  You may use the comment box below.