HOW TO GET RICH QUICK

Peter Passell and Leonard Ross in their book “The Best” suggest four ways to become rich. If you want to get rich quick, there are many ways of doing it, but here are just four of these:

The first method is simply to inherit it as did the Rockefellers, the Melons, the Fords, and the Hughes families. They have inherited huge sums of money and they became rich due to inheritance. It was easy and quite simple. They must only be born from the rich family. They have nothing to sell; they have nothing to sweat. They only received their inherited wealth with open hands and just know how to spend it. No inward motivation to get rich because they were already rich. They only waited for the right time to acquire it through inheritance.

The second method is to invest your money on something useful, then build upon it yourself with much patience and perseverance. For instance, you buy stocks and hold on to these until you earn a great deal. That is how Chester Carlson of Xerox and Dr. Edwin land of Poloroid made it big. In here, you need to start it with just the right motivation to invest and when it is done, just wait and hopefully if all things work out in your favor, harvest your profit and become wealthy.

The third method is to “monopolize” a certain market or corner a market and hold on to that. To monopolize means to have complete control of an industry or service and prevent other companies or people from participating or competing in it. That is how Microsoft headed by Bill Gates grew into becoming the world’s largest software factory with global annual sales into tens of billions of dollars. Bill Gates himself is considered to be the richest man on earth. Starting with the unpopular PC under IBM, he learned to seize and utilize every opportunity that opens up, get ahead of his competitors through legal or notorious methods and constantly motivate his employees to their peak performance until success came in eventually.

A fourth way is to awaken a sleeping industry, nurture it and market the product it in a new fresh and inviting way that will generate a public response. For instance, Ray Kroc transformed the dismal drive-in stand into what Mc Donalds is now. He was already 52 years old at that time, just an ordinary salesman but with great insight, he recognized that most Americans don’t really dine but would rather eat and run. So, he thought of a new way of giving his customers good quality, fast service, cleanliness and value. He had ingenuity, he had the stamina, he had the vision and with proper motivation, he succeeded where others have failed.

Those who made it big were initially interested in the dollars but the real motive in their success started with a sense of “mission”. They had a “call” to achieve something. They focused themselves to fulfilling that call. They wanted to make a contribution to society. They had great motivation for doing something they thought is significant.

THE MANY FACES OF GRIEF PART 2

There is much pain and distress in the heart of a grieving person. There is much sorrow and anguish. But if you will look at the Bible, there have been different well-known Bible characters that have experienced grief or sorrow in their lives but these are NOT necessary due the loss of a loved one.

DAVID - because of his sin. In Psalms 6:7, King David at one time also felt the intense grief of soul and spirit. In here, he was groaning all night long. He was actually weeping and asking God to deliver him. His eyes grow weak with much tears and sadness. He had been crying all night long. No only that, he was sick physically. He was in so much pain. As he searched his heart, he realized he had sinned against God. God inflicted him with some illness in order for him to come to his senses and ask God for forgiveness. To make matters worst; his enemies are out to get him. His burden seems insurmountable. He was grieving. This kind of grief has been due to a heaviness of heart that he has experienced because of his sin. Sin can bring grief to our hearts.

SOLOMON . Grief due to past mistakes. The wisest man that has ever lived on earth felt grief in his heart as well. This was at the latter part of his life. In Ecclesiastes 1:18, he writes that much wisdom and increase in knowledge also brings about a great deal of grief and sorrow to a person’s heart. That is what he has discovered in his life. Why? He had wealth, wisdom and power, but he was still grieving. He concluded: Life is vanity. He reasoned that the more he knows, the more he sees that there is much more to know. Since he recognizes the need for more knowledge, he begins to think that his work is without end. The task ahead is great. And that is vanity. That gives him much grief. The grief mounts when he remembers all the mistakes and blunders that he had committed in the past due to a life of sin and ignorance.

In the same manner, we experience such grief as we look back to our own blunders, our own mistakes, our misjudgment and wrong decisions of the past. Now that we have gained knowledge and wisdom from those hurtful experiences, our hearts are grieving because such wrong decisions have put a heavy toll in our present life. Grief can also be felt because of the past mistakes.

ISRAEL – Grief due to sin of the nation. People are not the only ones that grieve. Even nation such as Israel has experienced grief in Lamentations 1:5. In here, God had allowed Israel to be conquered by her enemies. Because of this, the city has been made desolate. The people had been brought into captivity and in exile. The Lord had brought about the misery to Israel because of her disobedience and spiritual adultery. The nation of Israel was grieving because of her sin. The people in exile are in deep anguish. Those who were left behind were grieving for their nation. Life was not what it was before. It was the grief of the entire nation so that the people will turn to God again.

Friends, Jesus certainly did not intend for us to bear our grief alone. He taught us how to have lasting joy and peace even in the midst of grief. He died and rose from the dead. Our grief is only temporary. He now intercedes for all of us. He sends us the Holy Spirit to comfort us. We have a church family who encourages and comforts us in times of grief. Surely, this is great blessing. We can overcome grief through faith in Christ alone.

THE MANY FACES OF GRIEF

What is grief? According to the American Heritage dictionary: Grief means a "Deep mental anguish, as that arising from bereavement." A person who is mourning the loss of a loved one is in grief. There is much mental and emotional suffering involved. There is much pain and distress in the heart of a grieving person. There is much sorrow and anguish. Other Synonyms for grief include: sorrow, sadness, mournfulness or gloom.

But if you will look at the Bible, there have been different well-known Bible characters that have experienced grief or sorrow in their lives but these are NOT necessary due the loss of a loved one.

ISAAC AND REBEKKAH - Grief due to a rebellious son. The first mention of grief in the Bible is in Genesis 26:34-35. In here, Esau had just married a Hittite girl named Judith from the land of the Canaanites. He knew that such action was completely against the will of his parents, but he persisted anyway to intentionally hurt their feelings. His parents wanted him to marry from his own country and from among his own relatives. Such selfish action of Esau therefore has brought about much grief and sorrow to both Isaac and Rebekkah. This is an anguish of the heart felt by the parents with deep love and concern for a son’s rebellious action. Sometimes, we parents can feel the same grief and sadness in our hearts when our children are not following our guidance.

JOB – Grief due to suffering. We all know about his suffering. In Job 6:2, we find Job grieving much severely because of what he was experiencing at that time. God knew Job as a man of integrity. Satan challenged such integrity. God then allowed Satan to try him. The hedge of God’s protection was pulled out temporarily. Job suddenly lost his sons and daughters. It was a great disaster. Not only that; he lost his sheep and cattle and then ultimately was afflicted physically with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. Worst of all, his wife and friends all turned against him. Job was grieving emotionally and physically because of his intense suffering.

Friends, Jesus certainly did not intend for us to bear our grief alone. He taught us how to have lasting joy and peace even in the midst of grief. He died and rose from the dead. Our grief is only temporary. He now intercedes for all of us. He sends us the Holy Spirit to comfort us. We have a church family who encourages and comforts us in times of grief. Surely, this is great blessing. We can overcome grief through faith in Christ alone.

THE PRINCIPLE OF TRUSTWORTHINESS

The story is told of a poor carpenter who had the dream to someday become rich. Many times, he would say to himself and even boast to others who would hear him: “If only I were rich, I would have done a lot of things with my wealth. If I have money, I would have given my tithes to the church and also show people how to give with generosity. If only I were rich, I could have done a lot of things with my money.”

Then, one night, he had a dream. He dreamed that he had a pyramid of silver dollars. It was all new, all bright and very beautiful that reaches to the sky. It was all his. A voice then said: “Now, let us see your generosity.”

So, he arose and went to the pile to get some money for charity. But there was a problem. The pyramid was so perfect that he could not bear to break it. He looked at it again. He went around it. He examined it closely. There was no place where he could obtain even a dollar to spoil the heap. So he decided that the pyramid should not be broken. Then he awoke from his dream. He learned a valuable lesson on giving. He now realized that if he was not generous while he was poor, then he could never be generous if he would become rich.

That is the same thing with us. Many of us have a desire to get rich and wealthy; then we will give our tithes. But it will never happen. If you cannot be trusted with what little you have, how can you be trusted with the more that will be made available to you. We must therefore learn to give our tithe first and be faithful with what little we have right now, then, we will be able to handle greater riches ahead as the Lord would prosper us. That is always the principle of trustworthiness.

Luke 16:11 (New Living Translation). "And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?"

CURE TO A TROUBLED HEART

Jesus said: “1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3).
I have some suggestions on how we could conquer our fears:

1. SLAM THE DOOR TO FEAR. Close the door of your heart whenever fear tries to knock wanting to get in. Remember, he can only enter if you allow him to enter. But you must not allow fear to come in your heart. Each time that fear starts to throb in your heart, shut the door. Lock it. Reject it. Don’t’ entertain it. Renounce it. Don’t give him a chance. Pretty soon, he will be gone and will leave you. If you always close the door of your heart for fear, he will never ever bother you again in the future. Think of other important things in your life that you can do when fear is not present.
"Feed your faith, and your fears will starve to death."
"Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there."

2. UNLOCK THE DOOR FOR FAITH TO ENTER. You will know when faith is knocking in your heart. Your strength and confidence grows. Your vigor intensifies. Your goal is achievable. When faith knocks, open your heart right away to receive it. Unlock it. Unbolt it. Untie it. Release it. Let faith come in freely and stay in. When faith is there, fear will no longer have the chance because fear and faith cannot keep at the same house together; when one enters, the other will naturally departs. Therefore, grow your faith. Develop it. Cultivate it further. Breed it strong. Nurture it well. Expand it abundantly. Increase it exponentially. Faith must reside in your heart forever.

3. STAY INSIDE THE HOUSE WITH CHRIST. Lastly, Let Christ resides in you heart forever. Maintain your fellowship with Him. If you have never done that at all, now is the time to do it. Now is the time to fight out fear and let you faith in Christ to grow. The Bible says that whosoever who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. You would be saved by trusting in Christ as your Lord and savior. But if you have already committed your life to Christ but somehow, many things have happened along the way and it seems that you have lost tract of Him. You have lost your connection with Him. You have been basically on your own living the life without Christ. I tell you; you can make a new and fresh recommitment to Him and begin again a walk of fellowship with Christ. Let us walk in faith not in fear.

THE WRONG KIND OF FEAR

These are the fears that are groundless or baseless. They are not based on evidence or reason and not justified or true. Many social and specific phobias fall into this category.

There are also fears that make problems seem greater than they really are. For instance, you have experienced a problem in the office. We have a tendency to aggravate it or enlarge it that it can consume us with fear. Because of such fears, you hate to report for work and ultimate resign from your job. You didn’t realize that it was just a small problem that needed your adjustment to your attitude and work ethics. You have allowed fear to compound the problem.
a. "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." (German proverb)
b. "Fear makes man believe the worst" (unknown).
With exaggerated fears of the problems we face, we think them overwhelming.

Also, there are fears that prevent us from enjoying the blessings we are supposed to have. For instance, there are those who are so consumed with the fear of death and dying that they have not begin to enjoy the blessing of life and good health that God has given them. There is no peace in their hearts.

"He who fears death cannot enjoy life." (Spanish proverb)

"Who lives in fear will never be a free man." (Horace, 65-8 B.C.)
Certainly one who fears cannot be at peace and know true joy.

There are also fears that hinder our ability to be of service to God more effectively. For instance, there are some Christians who fear standing in front of people. They don’t’ want to be exposed to criticism yet they knew that they must teach the people God’s Word. Because of fears, they are not able to do what they are supposed to be doing. These and many more often hinder them in the ministry, in personal evangelism or even going into fulltime ministry.

"When a man is defeated by life, it is always due, ultimately, to the fact that he is suffering from a spirit of fear. The spirit of fear si the real, the ultimate cause of all failure in life, and of all unhappiness.” - Dr. Martyn Lloyd -Jones.

There are also fears that motivate us to disobey God. These are certain fears that often prompt us to do things that are displeasing to God.

Such fears have often led young people to cheat, get in with the wrong crowd; give in to improper sexual advances. Similar fears have prompted many adults to lie, cheat on the job, commit adultery, enter unscriptural marriages, etc. Fear of rejection, fear of persecution, etc., has led some Christians to denounce their faith in God.

That is the same thing with us. Unless we can overcome this wrong kind of fear, the devil will have many weapons in his arsenal to use against us. Fear will put us out of action. It will stop our progress. All our ministry work will be halted. Our spiritual growth and progress will be blocked. Our witness will be undermined and becomes ineffective. Surely, we must defeat and conquer our wrong kinds of fears if we want to live a victorious Christian life.

THE RIGHT KIND OF FEAR

According to the American Heritage dictionary: Fear is “A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence of imminent of danger”. But, another meaning of fear: “An extreme reverence or awe toward a supreme power or God.”

These definitions suggest, that there are actually two different kinds of fear. One is the wrong kind of fear that is baseless and groundless that will make us immobilized.

The other is the necessary or the essential fear that aims to maintain our relationship with God. Such fear must be cultivated and developed in our lives. We must also learn to channel our wrong kind of fear so that it would become the right kind of fear that honors God.

These right kind of fear are stressed mostly in the Book of Proverbs
1) The "fear of the Lord" is the beginning of knowledge - Pr 1:7
2) The "fear of the Lord" will cause one to hate evil - Pr 8:13
3) The "fear of the Lord" will prolong life - Pr 10:27
4) The "fear of the Lord" provides strong confidence and is
a fountain of life - Pr 14:26-27
5) The "fear of the Lord" prompts one to depart from evil - Pr 16:6
6) The "fear of the Lord" leads to a satisfying life, and spares one from much evil - Pr 19:23
7) The "fear of the Lord" is the way to riches, honor, and life! - Pr 22:4

There is great value when we learn to express our fear of God. Such fear will give you great courage and confidence in life.

"The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." (Oswald Chambers).

Let us therefore fear God and no one else.

HOW TO OVERCOME OUR FEARS

JOSHUA 1:9 (NASB) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

The Scripture is reminding us to face our fears squarely. We often face fears in our every day lives including the fear of death. And how are we going to face them? The text tells us plainly that we must be strong. We must be courageous. We must not tremble. The Word of God tells us that we must not be dismayed because of the fact that God is with us.

The word “strong” means; “to prevail, to harden, to be firm or be resolute”. In this text, God is reminding Joshua to be strong because great power is actually lodged in his hand. He has great responsibility ahead with the passing of Moses, but he has equal power to fulfill all these responsibilities. Therefore he must be strong. Since the task ahead is great; yet, he could accomplish it if he will reject fears in his heart. The same God who spoke to Moses in the past is present in Joshua also. Hence, he need not have to fear.

We find our selves in the same situation like Joshua. We are in a very difficult situation. We probably could sense the danger ahead. We could feel the agitation or anxiety from within. We are then alarmed. We begin to panic. Then, we are horrified. We are now frightened. Our facial expression and full countenance have completely changed. But God is assuring us that all is well. He is there wherever we go. He tells us to be strong. He tells us to be courageous. He tells us to overcome our fears.

LEARNING CONTENTMENT

Text: Phil. 4:11 (NIV); “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

We can LEARN Contentment. It is not something that comes naturally in us. It is not something that is instantaneous. It is not gain by merely meeting the right people or having the right connection. It does not come with your own position even if you reached the top of the corporate ladder. It is not found in having a good paying job or having a fancy car or a nice house. It does not come with having plenty of money in the Bank. Many people have these but they are not content. They want more. Contentment therefore must be learned. We must educate ourselves about it. It must be cultured and developed in us.

The word “learned” in the original Greek actually mean “to increase in knowledge; to be informed or to learn by use and constant practice.” The apostle Paul therefore is saying that in order to learn contentment, we must constantly put it into practice. It is like a new habit that we must learn if we are to succeed in life. Since we can learn contentment, we must therefore UNLEARN discontent. Reject the idea of being discontent. Reject any form of dissatisfaction in your life. Be happy with what you’ve got. Be grateful with what God has given you. True contentment is found in our relationship with God not in things money can buy. Let us learn the virtue of contentment in whatever state or circumstances that we are in.

This is from one of Aesop’s fables. “A Peacock once prayed to God, asking to be given the voice of a nightingale in addition to his other attractions; but God refused his request. When the peacock persisted, and pointed out that he was God's favorite bird, God said: "Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything."

In the same manner, don’t grumble if you are not able to receive your request. Never complain if you are not served first. Don’t find fault when you are no one notices you. Don’t moan when people pass you by. Don’t whine when you don’t have what they’ve got. We must learn the good quality of contentment.

Contentment is learned by being yourself truthfully. Contentment is learned by accepting what you’ve got gratefully. Contentment is learned by valuing your dignity joyfully. Contentment is learned by expressing your own personality radiantly.

Heb. 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Just the thought that God is with you is enough for us to be grateful with our present circumstance of life.

KNOWING TO ABOUND

Phil. 4:12 (NIV); “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”

We can KNOW what it is to have plenty. Everybody wants abundance in life. We want to be prosperous in our business. We want to be able to achieve our dreams. We want to have plenty of money so that we can buy things we want and pay our bills. That is human nature. We don’t want to be poor. There is nothing wrong with that as long as you do it the right way and with much hard work. Whatever your dream in life can be achieved with much perseverance. This is the American Dream. We all have the opportunity to attain it. We can strive for the very best of what life can offer. We can attain financial security. But we must be careful against greed. We must overcome covetousness. We must resist this spirit of insatiability. We must overcome discontent.

That is exactly what the apostle Paul is talking about here in our verse. We can know how to live without it, because He said that he KNEW what it is to live in prosperity. He experienced it himself. He has been there before. He had already tasted the good life of plenty. In fact, he was still overflowing in abundance. He did not lack anything. He had enough of everything. He was content even if he was in prison. He was content even if he was in a humble circumstance. He was content even if he had no more money. In fact, he was overflowing with great joy. He was poor but yet wealthy in his spirit. He was in bondage but his spirit was not quenched.

This is the spirit of true contentment. Even if you take all the material things away, the joy of the Lord was still there. Even if you take all his possessions, it still remained. It continued on. It was non-stop. It was sustained. It was unrelenting. Contentment therefore does not depend on material things. It depended on his strong relationship with his God. It depended on his right frame of mind. It depended on his own attitude to people and things. For after all, earthly things will pass away, but God is eternal. All that we see will someday perish but God’s Word will live on.

SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

Ps 112:8 – (NLT) “They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.”

Our text says that those that are confident and fearless can face their foes triumphantly. We can only be confident when our hearts are established in God. Then, when we are fully established, we shall overcome all fears in spite of the situation. Those difficulties will in fact become stepping-stones to victory. We must be ready to face any adversity for in God, success will always be the final outcome.

The parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!”

He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought “panic” and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!

The old mule was able to face his foes triumphantly. What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. That is the same thing with LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE VERY REAL POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT US! Indeed, those who are confident and fearless will face their foes triumphantly.

MEMBERS OF GOD’S HOUSEHOLD

Phil. 2:19 (NAS) “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household.”

It is important to belong to God’s household or God’s family. To belong means to fit in the right place or right situation. Christians belong to God’s special household because of our relationship with Christ. Before, we have been in a state of enmity but now have been reconciled to God. This is what being a member of the church is all about. We are now in the household of God.

At New Hope, we emphasize the necessity of church membership. There have been many Christians who are merely church hoppers with no real commitment or involvement in service to God. That is why we have set up the Discover Membership Class (Class 100) that establishes our basic foundation of belongingness in God’s household.

In this class, we talked about the history of new Hope, the vision or purpose and the basic statement of belief that we adhere to. The church has been established because of the vision to share God’s love and to grow God’s people. We also discussed about the personal commitment of a believer in supporting the church and lastly, the privileges and responsibilities of a church member.

Last October 8, we had about eighteen people who attended our membership class. Theo who have gone through this class were: Pam and Jojo Burgos, Ritchell and Gigi Gabumpa, Julius and Hayddie Obregom, Consolacion Lopez, Vic Pasamonte, Vicky Pacoy, Elaine and Arvi Pacoy, Katrina Paredes and lastly, Jan Jordy Juat.

Since the church is considered to be a body of believers and not an organized business, therefore, we function as an organism not an organization. Are you also a member of a local church?

ANDREW DINNER

John 1:41-42 (NIV) “ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah.” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter.)

The Bible says that Andrew brought his brother Simon to introduce him to Jesus. This is an interesting story of a person’s desire for the good of his brother. There was no selfishness in it. He had discovered something and he wanted to share this to his brother. He was persuaded that knowing JESUS was more important than anything else. That is why he would do everything to bring his brother to Jesus.

The word “BROUGHT” was from the original Greek which was a verb that means, “to lead by accompanying to a place…” – it means “to move” “to impel” “to influence…” When Andrew brought his brother Simon to Jesus, it was not an easy matter to do. In order for him to do so, he had to overcome some form of resistance on Simon’s part.

Simon was at first resisting the invitation of Andrew to introduce him to Jesus. But ultimately, with a little persuasion and much patience, Andrew won him over. Simon finally came with him to see Jesus. And we know from history that Simon became one of the pillars of Christianity. Thanks to Andrews help.

In the same manner, we have come up with an Andrew Dinner last October 2 for the same purpose. We wanted to bring people to Christ. We then invited our friends, relatives, office mates and acquaintances to attend our Sunday fellowship and give them free dinner. There was nothing more important than to see them come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior also.

Our program included the choir who sung “In the Fullness of Time” then special songs from Jun Tuazon (He will Carry You), George Migala and Jason Co (Amazing Grace). In addition, the New Hope tambourine dancers performed their best piece. The birthday celebrants were then prayed for. Then, Cherry Wee shared her testimony of transformation. When the challenge to receive the way of salvation was given, it was such a sight to see the people who came forward to receive Christ in their lives and some to rededicate their lives to Jesus.

Truly, Christ is the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Christ.

Like Andrew, we must continue to bring our friends and introduce them to Christ. Have you? I hope you do.

FAITHFUL MEN

2 Tim. 2:2 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

The apostle Paul is commanding Timothy in this passage that in training future leaders, he must look for people who can be relied upon or trustworthy in the advancement of the kingdom. Number is not important. Even if few in number, these “faithful men” should be trained to be competent and qualified in their ministerial functions.

That is the over-all reason why we have set up here in new Hope the special class in training Bible teachers. Training is essential in building future “home-grown” competent and qualified leader. This need not be an expensive endeavor of the church. The only thing that matters is that we know how to give them enough practicum in the basics of developing their skills in teachings so that they will be ready to be deployed with confidence.

Last Saturday (October 1), we had our first Teacher’s training Seminar and workshop done at the new hope center. There were about six of them that showed up. I first taught them from the pamphlet “Keys to effective teachings.” I emphasized the truth that effective teaching comes with good preparation through prayer and proper research of the materials. Then, we talked about the things to remember during the teaching proper. Lastly, we discussed the lessons learned after the teaching has been done.

In addition, we made sure that there were three students who were asked to teach their assigned topics and were properly evaluated by those who listened. Julie taught on “Honoring God with my Giving”; Charles on “How to Study God’s Word” and Jet on “Four Habits of a Disciple”.

They were each evaluated on the basis of six skills to be developed: their eye contact, voice projection, gestures and postures, presentation of the topic, knowledge of the topic and the over-all impact of their teaching to the hearers. To evaluate, they were to select from numbers 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

Here are some testimonies from the students: “I have learned that we don’t acquire the qualities of an effective teacher automatically. It is a process to learn. Over time, I am convinced that my skills will improve as long as I continue to humble myself to the will of God. Also, I have learned that preparing to teach has taught me more lessons than when I was just a listener.”

It makes sense, isn’t it? It is an exciting adventure to teach the Scripture. Have you discovered this adventure yourself? I hope you had.