Trusting Jesus

 

With The Church Renovations

 

 

 

     “Therefore I say unto you, What Things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”  Mark 11:24

     One year ago, our church sent a letter to brethren everywhere requesting help to renovate our church that we might bring more glory to God.  Many responded and said that they wished that they could help, but unfortunately could not.  Each Sabbath, my brother Bruce and I encouraged the church members to gather together in bands of two or three to plead with the Lord to send means for the church construction.  Several months passed in this manner.  But then the Lord started pouring out His blessing on Bruce’s business, and Bruce was able to start putting money into the Remodeling of our church, until at this point the, the church is nearly complete.  The church is a concrete structure, since it stands in the seawater and wood would not last in such an environment for a long period of time.

                         Trusting Jesus

 

              With My Daughter’s Education.

     This past June, my daughter, who was eight years old, needed to begin school.  I debated for a long time as to where I should send my daughter.  I was wondering if there was any school that promoted the standards of Adventism.  I could not find one, so I decided to home school.  I did find one home school program, but it cost 18 thousand pesos($413 US dollars), which is very expensive for us.  When June arrived.  I did not have any of the money for the enrollment.  This was a test of my faith.  Most of my church family told me to send my daughter to public school since it was very cheap.  When I was away from home, my loved ones were trying to convince my daughter against my convictions regarding education.  When I would return home, my daughter would be sad and gloomy, which made me almost collapse.

     As children passed by our house running and laughing, my daughter was sitting beside  our door watching them with envy.  My wife cried and told me that her father had threatened to take away my daughter to their home and send her to public school.  One day my wife told me she could not bear the situation anymore and tried to persuade me to send my daughter to public school.  My heart was pierced with anguish.  I knew that my daughter could not stand against the worldliness.

     I found myself repenting of and confessing past sins and neglect to study and follow the counsel of God. I knew that some of these past sins and neglect were contributing to the current situation.  There was nothing else I could do but to bring myself before our Almighty God, humbling my soul, kneeling down and praying for forgiveness and repentance and grace.  Daily, I kept on pleading and searching my heart to see if there was any sin that needed to be forsaken.

     One day my wife was desperate again when suddenly a light came to my mind to tell her in a humble tone, “Next week I will enroll our daughter for home schooling.”  She was struck with amazement and asked, “Why? do you now have money?”  The Lord will provide,” was my answer as I sought God for mercy.  As he promised, indeed, the Lord helped me.  The following day came, and the Lord blessed me in such a way that patient after patient came to my natural health clinic seeking for consultation   and buying medicine and health items.  The following day, as we checked our sales, I was surprised that we now had the money we need for the enrollment.  Praise God!    “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God: that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6,7

     “We do not ask for enough of the good things God has promised. If we would reach up higher and expect more, our petitions would reveal the quickening influence that comes to every soul who asks with the full expectation of being heard and answered. The Lord is not glorified by the tame supplications which show that nothing is expected. He desires every one who believes, to approach the throne of grace with earnestness and assurance. Do we realize the magnitude of the work in which we are engaged? If we did, there would be more fervency in our prayers. Our entreaties would rise before God with convincing earnestness. We would plead for power as a hungry child pleads for bread. If we realized the greatness of the gift, if we desired the attainment of the blessing, our petitions would ascend with earnestness, importunity, urgency. It would be as if we were at the gate of heaven, soliciting entrance.” 

ST, August 7, 1901

     Trusting Jesus To Save Perishing Souls 

     One night, I was passing through our village when suddenly a drunk man approached me and said “Brother, I wished to be set free from my vice, for I am very tired of this.”  I stopped and chatted with him, sharing the love of God.  “How can I live righteously?” asked the man.  “Simply call upon God for help, and He will help you as He helps me.”  I shared with him about faith and how to overcome by God’s promises, how to gain victory and newness of life,

     I notice that he was carrying big bags with him.  The following day I found out that he had left his wife and two children.  I left him with this thought before we separated: “Remember, brother, someone is praying for you, and God loves you and is ready to help you.“ One month later, he returned to his family and never drank alcohol again.  Praise God!

     “Every one has talents of value to be used in winning souls to Christ. But many who claim to be disciples of Christ have no real connection with God. They do not go forth in service. They possess no Christlike attributes. The salt has lost its savor. Men who have never experienced the tender, winning love of Christ in the soul can not lead others to the fountain of life. But if the love of Christ is abiding in the heart, it will prove a powerful, working agency. It will be revealed in the conversation, in the tender, pitiful spirit, in the efforts made to uplift the souls with whom we are brought in contact.” 

RH, August 22, 1899  

Joseph Brian Palange