“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen!” (Ephesians 3:20)
Last month, we reconciled our accounting books for year ending 2019. I am amazed and truly humbled by God’s faithfulness and favor upon us again! As many of you know, we approached the last half of the year with a very significant deficit. But yet, we ended the year with a slight surplus! GOD IS INDEED FAITHFUL! God has always provided for us in the past 32 years, He provides for us in the present time, and He will continue to provide for us if we follow His leading and guidance. And because He is Jehovah-Jireh, we can rely and depend on Him in every circumstance. His provision was in place long before we prayed and asked for it! Words of Hudson Taylor continue to ring true today: “God’s works done in God’s ways will never lack God’s supplies”. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank all the faithful brothers and sisters who have cheerfully, sacrificially, and generously given to the work of the Lord through the years at FECC. It warms my heart to hear of the many ways you have helped to defray our deficit. Some even took out their own retirement savings and gave it sacrificially to further God’s kingdom work. I pray that the Lord will bless you more than you can ever imagine. And let us be reminded that because God has been faithful to us, we MUST indeed remain faithful to Him. 2020 will be a tougher year for us, but we continue to trust God for His gracious provision and look to your continued faithfulness and generosity towards contributing to further the work of His kingdom. We pledge to be good stewards of all the resources that God has entrusted to us. I also believe God wants more for His church than just meeting our “needs”. In Matthew 25:14-15, Jesus told a parable to teach us that God gives each of us kingdom responsibilities. As with the servants, He only asks what we can handle. Are we satisfied with status quo? Do we pass up opportunities following His will because of fear or intimidation? Do we cast doubts on people’s minds to discourage, intimidate, and detract them from doing God’s will regardless of how daunting the task ahead may be? Dear brothers and sisters, if we believe God has commanded us to follow the Great Commission, if we believe God has gifted us to serve others, if we believe God has prospered us to share our resources with the less fortunate, then we ought to follow Him in obedience and humility. The path that honors God and follows His will is often not pleasant. At times, it even involves severe opposition from so-called friends and people with “good” intentions, and requires courage and self-discipline on our part, for the end may be uncertain. We don’t know what the future holds; but we know who holds our future. And no matter what we face, we know that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us on the hard path alone (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands.” (Deut. 7:9) God testifies in Malachi 3:6a, “I the Lord do not change.” His name expresses His eternality. God is always faithful. And Hebrews13:8 reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Christ has been and will be the same forever, even in this ever-changing world. How will you choose to serve God today? What talents, gifts, or resources is He calling you to use for His glory? Do your personal financial goals and possessions hinder you from giving generously, loving others, or serving God? Laying up treasures in heaven is not limited to tithing, but is accomplished by all acts of obedience to God. How can you reflect kingdom values most accurately with your lifestyle? Brothers and sisters, let us strive to live in this world without letting the world control us. God has given us one life to live for Him. Make yours count! Comments are closed.
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