"The All-Sufficiency of Christ" by Dr. Charles Hand

Tonight was a blessed night after listening to an old and wise saint of God, Dr. Charles Hand during the Annual Revival Meeting at the International Bible Baptist Church main facility in San Leandro, CA. He has been a friend of IBBC for the last 30 years since the first time I met him when I was a Music Director of the Bible Baptist Church of Marysville, CA. His dedication to the work of the Lord has not wavered. As an 84 yr. old man of God, he represents a person whose love is solely for the Lord and would not allow anything in this life to get his mind and heart away from God. Instead of spending his remaining years for himself, he continues to live for God. He could have stayed in a Church and served His God. He does not have to travel far distances to preach through the snow and harsh elements of nature. He continues to be minister and encourage a preacher like to keep on loving God. He does what he is doing because He believes that is his calling until the Lord takes him away. His dedication has taught me to depend on the Lord and not worry about anything in this world. His sufficiency is the Lord.

The beloved and popular passage Psalm 23 was the focus of his message. he entitled it, "The Lord is" - quoting the first 3 words of Psalm 23. Dr. Hand shares that God is all we need because of 3 reasons:

1. He is the great and sovereign God who has created all things . He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He is and He remains here all the time. Colosians Chapter 1.
2. What He has done before, He could do again. The God of Abraham, Moses, and Jacob is also our God today.
3. We do not need to covet and ask for anything more, God is our satisfaction. Hebrews 13: 5

We need to simply trust and totally depend on Him. Our friends, riches, fame, and things in this world can go and leave us. The people we love can and will abandon us. But not God. He remains for He is the great I am. Praise His holy name!

The Power of Love

Love is so precious that without it chaos prevails. It is so demanded and needed that people will always try to love and get love. Consequently, self love results, which is not love at all. Self love is the love that is widely expressed in this world today. The song, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love" speaks of this love. No wonder, nothing is accomplished in the name of love. People remain selfish, angry, proud, and covetous.

Many still search for the true love. They can not find it because they go to the wrong source. The world has shut their eyes at God that His love seems absent. How can they see God's love if they do not listen to Him? How can they feel His love if they continue to think selfishly and act ungodly?

God's love is always here present, so clearly shown and evident among those who posses His love. They are present in the missionaries who have abandoned their ambition and personal desires to serve the Lord in a place so hostile towards God and His Word. Yet, they are there willing to give all, even their lives. They are in the hearts of men who sacrifice comfort and fame to serve the Lord by serving the people, unconditionally. They are present in some who care not about being known. They do not long for commendation, special mention,or a place in the paper or media interview. They only long to have the opportunity to give and to bless.

The love of God is present in individuals whose desire is to be where there is hurt, anger, and presence of evil. So that even when they are oppressed, insulted, persecuted, and tried; they remain faithful, steadfast, and confident. They do this not only to show that they love but to share the love of God - to tell people that this love is available to those who come to Christ.

There is only one love and that is God's love, the agape love, Jesus Christ manifested and made available through the cross, the greatest symbol of Love. This love has the power to forgive even the greatest sinner. It has the power to reconcile a sinful man with the Holy God. To receive this love, one has to only confess and repent of his sins before God. Romans 5:8 Do you want to receive God's love?

This love is beautifully describe in this song:

1. "The Love of God" by Frederick Lehmen
2. 
   
3. The love of God is greater far
   Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
   It goes beyond the highest star,
   And reaches to the lowest hell;
   The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
   God gave His Son to win;
   His erring child He reconciled,
   And pardoned from his sin.
   • Refrain:
     Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
     How measureless and strong!
     It shall forevermore endure—
     The saints’ and angels’ song.
4. When hoary time shall pass away,
   And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
   When men who here refuse to pray,
   On rocks and hills and mountains call,
   God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
   All measureless and strong;
   Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
   The saints’ and angels’ song.
5. Could we with ink the ocean fill,
   And were the skies of parchment made,
   Were every stalk on earth a quill,
   And every man a scribe by trade;
   To write the love of God above
   Would drain the ocean dry;
   Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
   Though stretched from sky to sky.
6. God bless you! Remember that Jesus loves you!!

A Spiritual Church is what we need in this generation!

While Churches are deemed spiritual organizations yet they are far removed from what they should be. Churches have become merely a place to gather, a support organization, a theater where human abilities are weekly highlighted, and a kingdom where a human king resides to build the ministry around his personality. A Church is no longer a congregation of people in worship and humble service, ready and committed to give all the glory to a Great God. It is no longer a place where God is glorified but a place where man is deified.

Let us return our Churches to God. So He can again think, love, and serve among men and through men. This is the goal of the International Bible Baptist Church, the Church with the Great heart for souls! A place where the heart of God beats and where His blood flows to redeem men from sin and life of corruption.

Let us not be weary in well doing!

Weariness has affected so many Christians in this world, which has allowed the unbelievers to become strong affecting the very fibers of society to be anti-god and amoral. Our moral and social foundation has lost the biblical virtue of godly fear and responsible behavior. It is about time for the believers to turn the tide back to decency and moral ascendency, to lead the coming generation back to godliness and spiritual uprightness.

The beloved Apostle Paul advises us in Galatians 6:9 - "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

It is never too late to do good and to be good. The affect of good and responsible behavior is greater because we have the Lord to help us. This honorable behavior must not only be true in Churches but must be shown and felt in every hallways and establishments in this world. It has to begin at home: teaching our children about God and His grace. This includes controlling the flow of information coming from the secular media into the minds of our children.

In other words, we, who claim to know God and His will must be a positive witness in this world. We need to shine as lights and be the salt of the earth, not only for taste but to preserve godly values and honorable virtues for the glory of God.

Mid-week Services is necessary!

Thank God it's Wednesday! (TGIW) As in any travel or journey, we need to stop and rest. There is a need to relax and regain the energy lost in life's travel. This is the purpose of Wednesday mid-week services. It is a spiritual rest, a respite - a time to re-organize thoughts, priorities, and look to the Lord for strength, power and wisdom.

Wednesday is a refreshing time to pray and fulfill a spiritual obligation - to pause and be in a moment of silence to listen to God. I appreciate Churches that maintain their mid-week services schedule. It is unfortunate that the trend has moved most Churches away from mid-week services and even Sunday night services. Churches have become empty halls during these times, reminiscent of Churches in Eastern Europe that turned into Museums.

When you begin to take away the time to pray to God as a Church body, that is the beginning of the demise of the Church. Let us continue to promote the mid-week services and Wednesday Prayer Meeting. Let's all say the new cheer: TGIW!!

The Bride of Christ

Refers to the True Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, He established during His personal ministry, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who remains faithful and abiding in the Apostle's doctrines, evident in faith and practice, and can trace her historical lineage back to the empowered Church in Jerusalem.