Ladies Fellowship & Prayer Time – June 2

by | May 27, 2020 | Fellowship, Prayer

Previous meetings together over Zoom have been most encouraging, with new friendships being formed.  We invite you to join us on June 2.

 

Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday,  June 2

Time: 9:30 am Eastern Time in U.S.  (1330 GMT)
LINK for using computer for video via Zoom
Meeting ID: 7704619320
Password: fcap1234

By phone, dial into meeting for audio only.
+1 646 876 9923 US
Meeting ID: 7704619320
Password:  358149

God’s Nearness and Wholeness

by | May 27, 2020 | Thought for the Work Week

(Part 4 of “How Would You Describe God?”)

 

Religion and philosophy go in many different directions to describe how near or how far God is from us. Some believe that God cannot be known because He is far away. They say that after He created the world He left it to operate on its own, and for us to figure it out. An opposite view says God is part of everything, and His presence is manifested through both good and evil. However, this makes God’s character rather confusing. Some years ago a pop singer sang a hit song depicting God looking at the world “From a Distance” where men and woman supposedly had a common aspiration for peace and hope but were at war. It depicts God as keeping His distance from us, and not wanting to be bothered with human stupidity and tragedy.

Let’s consider what God says about His presence and nearness to us…

  • God’s presence is said to be everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12) and is fully there and not divided. Meaning, He doesn’t get moody or frustrated and act out of one part of His character, while at other times He shows empathy and acts lovingly. When He deals with our messy lives, His whole character is present. He does not forget His mercy when making judgments and at times His mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13). He shows patience but not at the expense of ignoring our wrong. Instead He resolves this problem, through His justice and holiness (Romans 2:4; 3:24-26).
  • God is not indifferent or aloof from us…He is actually the opposite. He has taken great measures to come to our world and identify with our suffering and our sins (Hebrew 4:15-16).  Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to confront the problem of sin and provide what was needed to offer forgiveness and new life (Romans 5:6-9). Upon receiving His salvation, He sealed us with His presence by giving us His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).
  • God’s handiwork of creation, which is all around us, speaks daily to us and points to our Creator (Psalm 19:1-4).  In conversation with a group of philosophers, the Apostle Paul told them… Seek God, for He is not far from each of us… for in Him we live and move and exist (Acts 17:24-28).  He is our environment as the sea is to the fish and the air to the birds.

If there is no place that we can hide from God’s presence, then we should be learning daily how to live in His presence. We should be trusting Him with our lives…we should be seeking His face daily through prayer and learning His Word… His provisions and leading through His Spirit should be transforming our lives (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).

This thought was written by Paul M. Curtas, General Director of FCAP.

Men’s Fellowship Over Zoom- May 26

by | May 20, 2020 | Uncategorized

                                                                                                                                                     …over Zoom

A time to share and pray for one another…
A time to encourage one another in the things of God…

Join Us!
Tuesday, May 26

Time: 9:30 am Eastern Time in U.S.  (1330 GMT)
LINK for using computer for video
Meeting ID: 7704619320
Password: fcap1234

By phone, dial into meeting for audio only.
+1 646 876 9923 US
Meeting ID: 7704619320
Password:  358149

 

God’s Greatness…His Power and Rule

by | May 20, 2020 | Thought for the Work Week

(Part 3 of “How Would you Describe God?”)

The world tells us that great people are known for getting things done. Supposedly, they know how to exert their will, motivate others to follow, and to make things happen. But think about it… our power is very limited. We can change our thoughts, fix our attention on a particular object, and voluntarily move muscles in our body.  But beyond this, our inherent power cannot go very far without the help of other means or resources. If a person wants to fly from one destination to another, they must employ other resources. They will need a pilot and an airplane, fuel, airports for take-off and landing, and more.  It is not the same with God though. Resources are not necessary for Him to carry out His will and plan because He possesses all power and resources (Psalm 148:5-6; Jeremiah 32:17; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:34-37).

  1. By the sheer exercise of His will, God spoke and created things (Psalm 33:6‑9). He accomplishes His will, without effort or loss of power (Isaiah 40:26,28; 42:5; 48:12-13).
  2. He is free to exercise His will and does so according to “His good pleasure and kindness” (Ephesians 1:5,9; Philippians 2:13). He never feels limited, nor is He inactive.  He does not need help or someone to coerce Him in order to act and accomplish things.
  3. There is no absolute power in God that would disconnect Him from His character and perfection. He cannot lie, tempt us with sin, deny Himself, and change His character (Numbers 23:19; 2 Timothy 2:13; James 1:13,17).
  4. His supreme rule over all things is accomplished by His great power to act at will without the help of any second cause or means (Daniel 4:34-35). He also rules by making governing decrees or powers, both natural and spiritual, that provide for us sun, rain, food (Genesis 1:16,18). He provides for us what is needed for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:2-4) through His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

 It is the power of God that has saved us through the Gospel (Roman 1:16). It is the power of God that will sustain us through life’s circumstances (2 Corinthians 4:6-10; Ephesians 1:18-19). Powerful people do not push God on others, rather they give convincing proof by how the power of God has changed their life.

This thought was written by Paul M. Curtas, General Director of FCAP.

Remembering a Life Well Lived…

by | May 18, 2020 | Human Interest, Memorials

Teresita (Tess) Tacadena loved the Lord Jesus with her whole heart…and she loved people.  She did both well.  Tess transitioned to her eternal home last week where we know beyond even a shadow of doubt she was welcomed with the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  Tess worked as a Quality Assurance Specialist at Philippine Airlines.  Prior to that she worked as a Quality Auditor at Lufthansa Technik Philippines and also worked at Lufthansa Group.  Her excellent work ethic was a constant testimony to what was of utmost importance in Tess’s life … that being a personal relationship with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Her passion for sharing Him with others and for encouraging the body of Christ in the airline/aviation industry and beyond was evident  through the Bible studies and prayer times she led, through her service for many years on the leadership team of FCAP-Philippines, through her emails, and in her Facebook posts.

All who knew Tess will miss her very much, and we thank the Lord for her life which impacted many for God’s glory.  Our prayers will continue for the Tacadena family, our FCAP family in the Philippines, her co-workers, and all who are grieving in this tremendous loss.

“On the Job…God’s Way” Seminar Coming Soon!

by | May 14, 2020 | Workplace Seminar

Our “On the Job…God’s Way” training is generally presented in four sessions.  As noted above, this is session 1 only.  In the weeks to follow we will make available sessions 2, 3 and 4.  Because each session builds upon the previous one, we do encourage you to participate in all four sessions.  There is no registration fee for this training on Zoom.

God Knows and Understands

by | May 13, 2020 | Thought for the Work Week

(This is Part 2 … in followup to “How Would You Describe God?”)

Question, “How well do you know yourself?” Sometimes I think I understand myself well, until something surprisingly happens and I find myself reacting in a way that I think is unlike me. Next question,  “How would you feel if you knew someone was aware of every detail of your life … the physical marks on your body, the emotional scars of your soul, your mental strengths and weaknesses, the situations that you find yourself in every day, and all the decisions you have made and will make?” WOW, that is mind boggling! There is a good summary, in Psalm 139:1-9, of what God says about His knowledge and understanding of you. God does not need to find facts to make His conclusion. He knows all things equally well, and not one thing does He know better than another.  You will never hear God say, “If I really knew him or her, I might have a different opinion about them.” Why?

  • First, God knows us inside and out. We humans look on the outward things to evaluate a person’s life. But God’s knowledge penetrates to the depth of the human heart (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 44:20-21; Hebrews 4:12; “Integrity”). “No action is lost or thought overlooked!” Actually, God is nearer to you and me than our own thoughts are.
  • Next, God knows the progress of all events in our lives, the timing and when they actually come to pass. With exactness, God knows their real relation one to the other. No surprise or Plan B with God (Job 28:23-24; Romans 11:33-36).
  • Also, God knows the hidden meaning of things. It’s often hard for us to understand why bad things happen, or to acknowledge that we have messed things up by our own bad choices. We wonder if God’s overall purposes can stilled be worked out in our lives. The story of Joseph shows us that that he faced great difficulties through the bad choices his brothers made against him.  Yet when things turn in his favor years later, Joseph saw God’s providence (Genesis 50:20).

The truth is… we really don’t know ourselves as well as God know us. And though we may think knowing about things can make us free, it cannot. God places greater value on our response to Him than on our comprehension of things in life. He asks us to draw near to Him and promises that He will draw near to us (Isaiah 55:6-9; Hebrews 4:16; 11:6). PMC  Consider:  “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (James 4:8).

This thought was written by Paul M.Curtas, General Director of FCAP.