Ang Diyos hindi magbabago ang pagmamahal nya sa atin. (God’s love for us will never change.)
Last week, Bro. Dennis started his talk with a declaration that when we hear and listen to the Words of God, “tiyak yun” (it’s a sure thing)! We have the assurance that the blessing of the Lord will be given unto us. “Tiyak yun” is the Tagalog (Filipino) phrase that Bro. Mike Villarde, founder and servant leader of El Shaddai, usually says every time he wants to remind everyone of the truthfulness of God’s words.
Bro. Dennis’ talk is biblically rooted on Romans 8:37-39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demon, neither the present nor future, nor powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The verse clearly states that God’s love is so powerful that nothing can separate us from His love. However, as humans, when we are experiencing trials, burdens, challenges, and struggles, most of us would be quick to doubt God’s love. It is during these times that we question if God is in our midst. Our faith waivers, and we easily forget that God loves us.
James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trial of any kind, because you know that the test of your faith is perseverance.” During times of trial and hardship, we have a tendency to give up and spiral into our depression and hopelessness. We stop praying, we stop going to Church, we stop relying on God’s work and love. We try to solve every problem on our own with our limited capacity. We forget and doubt the power of the Spirit– the Spirit who teaches us and guides us. This is not a time for spiritual time out. In these times of trial, we cannot say “Lord, time out.” We must remember that God never abandons us. Every trial that we face is to test our faith and perseverance. In these times, we must remember and proclaim that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Whenever we become weak and face trials, we know that God is molding our character, teaching us to have faith, endurance, determination, and we must remain steadfast with his love. God will help us overcome these trials, and we will come out of these challenging times as better and stronger persons through his love and mercy.
Bro. Dennis shared an anecdote of his suffering and struggles in life and a testimony of God’s love and faithfulness. He remembered when it was difficult for him to earn money for his family. He was alone in Saipan, and his wife and two children were in the Philippines. His wife had also been diagnosed with cancer. He was desperately struggling to provide and supply the needs of his family. There were times where he had barely enough money for food and remittance for his family. He even had to borrow money from his El Shaddai family to help make ends meet. It was an extremely challenging time in Bro. Dennis’ life, but he continued to have faith in God’s love, and he believed that God would help him find a way out of the dark times. He even continued preaching about God’s faithfulness in El Shaddai whilst going through his personal struggles. Bro. Dennis cited Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Bro. Dennis was able to overcome life’s challenges through God’s love and mercy, and his faith in God has become even stronger.
We must remember that God has a purpose. Whatever season we are in our lives, even during difficult times, we must remain strong in our faith in his love for us. “Nothing’s going to change My love for you” simply means that God loves you, and God’s love never ends.
The El Shaddai community is inviting everyone who wants to witness the Joy of walking with God to share our faith with one another at San Antonio Parish from 4:00PM, followed by Eucharistic celebration.
Put God first. To God be the Glory!