GOD'S UNSUNG HEROES

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" Hebrews 12:1,2

The scripture verses above remind us of a "cloud of witnesses" urging us to finish our "race". This cloud of witnesses is composed of those believers mentioned in chapter 11 _ commonly referred to as the "hall of faith". Their faith in God's ability and power gave them the privilege of seeing impossible things happen. They are true heroes of faith. In our own lifetime, there are also a number of people that God would have used or perhaps is still using to help shape our lives into the form that God has purposed. They may not know it, but their life, dedication and example inspire us to achieve noble feats and to dream for great accomplishments. These people are what I call God's unsung heroes.

May we take time to reflect on those people that God has blessed our lives with, and thank them. They have impacted our lives, and left lifetime impressions in our hearts. Let us praise the Lord for such blessing.

Your friend
Pastor Sherwin D Ramos

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Ministries Updates and Announcements

• LBC welcomes our guest preachers, Bro. Ed Brown, outgoing pastor of Sherwood Hills Baptist Church and Bro RJ Lizarondo of Bible Baptist Church, Pasig City, Philippines. Pastor Brown will preach in our morning service while Pastor Lizarondo will preach in our evening service.

• 

Congratulations to Edison and Juliet Teodoro for the arrival of baby Julienne, born on 27 September. Both mum and bub are doing well. Praise the Lord!

• Today is Heroes' Day in LBC. Check out our church's celebration.
  

THE BIGGEST ROOM

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory, now and forever." (2 Peter 3:18)

The biggest room, they say, is the room for improvement. Growth is a never-ending process _ at least it should be. When all growth stops, everything begins to deteriorate.

In the second book of Peter, we are commanded keep growing in grace and knowledge. This means not only are we to keep growing in christian character or "Christ-likeness" but also in understanding and knowledge. We must endevour to know more and more. Our previously held ideas and beliefs need to be challenged by the word of God continually. May we never come to the place in our lives where pride prevents us from learning _ where we say "I know it already." God cannot use whom He cannot teach. Learning the truth produces right knowledge, and right knowledge produces right character.

Let us keep on growing in the Lord and continually desire to go deeper in the Word of God by diligently studying. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Your friend,

Pastor Sherwin D Ramos
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Ministries Updates and Announcements

• Praise God for Pastor Chito Mendoza!

We praise and thank the Lord for Pastor Chito Mendoza. He has been a tremendous blessing to us. He has helped us gain greater understanding in the word of God, especially on those areas that have become devisive issues among Baptists. Pray for him as he travels back to the Philippines tomorrow.

• Guest Preachers for next Sunday, Sept 28

Brother Ed Brown will be guest speaker in our morning service. He is the outgoing pastor of Sherwood Hills. He has been invited in our church to preach before he goes back to the United States.

Brother RJ Lizarondo of Bible Baptist Church in Pasig City, Philippines, will be our guest speaker in our evening service. His church has a ministry of giving, not only used clothes and food, but also sharing the Word of God, to street children.

• Events for the week:

Sept 26th, Friday at 8:30 pm - special prayer meeting.




Sept 27th, Saturday, from 8:00 am onwards - work day, all-church clean up day




Sept 28th, Sunday, 12:00 noontime - monthly lunch fellowship

BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" I Corinthians 11:1

In keeping with our monthly emphasis, i.e. leadership for the month of September, let us observe the call that the apostle Paul gave to the church of Corinth when he said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

This reminds us that effective leadership is not one where our personal agenda and program take precedence or preeminence but rather, the life and example of Christ. It matters not whether we become popular or powerful in our own eyes and the eyes of others. What matters is that we are able to lead the way, pave a path or direct others to the love of God. It is our duty to make sure that our lives simply become guideposts to the Saviour _ not just for salvation, but also for living.

Anyone can be a leader, but only those who make Christ and Christ-likeness their passionate goal shall truly cast a shadow of influence that adds spiritual value i the lives of those who come close to them.

May we endevour to have God's leadership exemplified in our lives both privately and publicly. We do not have to invent new ideas and unique methods, we just have to keep following the Lord and encourage others to do the same.

God bless you and have a great Sunday!

Your friend,
Pastor Sherwin D Ramos

OUR PERFECT FATHER

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of light, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17

Today, as we give honour to our father, may we never forget the perfect father of us all _ our Heavenly Father. We must give Him our sincerest praise and thanks for all His benefits toward us. Without Him and His grace, we will not enjoy one single day of joy, peace and happiness anywhere_ here in this life or the next. Let us thank the Lord for his providence, guidance, care, love and grace. As His children, let us learn to lean wholly on Him.

To the fathers, the challenge for us is to model through our lives the fatherhood of God as we raise and care for our own children. As children, may we love and cherish our dads, commend them to the Lord in prayer and seek to honour our greatest father of all _ our Lord.

Your friend,
Pastor Sherwin D Ramos
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Ministry Updates and Announcements

• Welcome Pastor Chito Mendoza of Park Baptist Church, Quezon City, Philippines

Pastor Mendoza will be our guest speaker during our four-night revival meeting starting on Tuesday, 9 Sept, and he will also be our preacher today. I know that he will e a tremendous blessing to us all as he has been to me personally. Let us allow God to bless and refresh our hearts this week.

• Fathers' Day BBQ

Today, we celebrate Fathers' Day with BBQ. Everyone is welcome to enjoy good food and fellowship in Leumeah Baptist Church.

• Spring Revival - A Time of Spiritual Refreshing

Join us, as Pastor Mendoza discuss about the end times. Will run from 9th September to 12th at 7:30 pm.

• Welcome Bro. Jeremy Pinero and family

We welcome Bro. Jeremy Pinero and his wife, Liz, and their children. He is missionary to Vanuatu and will talk about "Reach Vanuatu", a missions program in reaching the lost in Vanuatu. He shall also be our guest speaker on the 14th.

COMMUNICATION

Welcome to Family Sunday!

It is a great blessing to belong to a family _ actually three families. My own physical family, God's family and my church family. There is no other place I would rather be in those three places. But the key to having a great family life is good communication. Let us all endeavor to speak words that edify, listen to and empathize well with one another.

May we always let Christ rule in our spirits and in our relationships so that we will enjoy our lives together by His grace.


Your friend,
Pastor Sherwin D Ramos
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Ministry Updates and Announcements

• Welcome Bro. John Ramm and his wife Mary, to our morning service today.
  

Bro. John is the founder and director of The Pikininis Project Australia, a children's project., which is a ministry of his home church, the Highlands Baptist Church in Mittagong. He'll be presenting more about the ministry to us as well as the word of God. You'll find details about the ministry on www.pikininisproject.org

• Packages Sent!

We were able to send 3 boxes to Scavenger Ministry, a ministry of Bible Baptist Church, Pasig, Rizal,in the Philippines. The boxes contained old clothes and canned food. This is a ministry to the homeless families and destitute people who, not only received material blessings, but most importantly, the Gospel. Thanks to the hard work of Bro. RJ Lizarondo, the director of this ministry.

• Birthday Greetings

Happy birthday to all September celebrants:

• Sept 2 - Jing Banghal
• Sept 9 - Geraldine Aguilan
• Sept 20 - Abel Aguilan
• Sept 29 - Pastor Sherwin Ramos and Hannah Sampang.

FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS

What's our problem? We are all sinful and separated from God.

• For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)

God originally created us to have fellowship with Him and live with Him forever. But since Adam and Eve committed sin (disobedience) in the garden of Eden, we became spiritually separated with God. That act of disobedience resulted to "spiritual death" or eternal separation from God.

• For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23)

Mankind has been trying to reach Holy God by a variety of means _ through morality or doing good deeds, joining religious groups or denomination, and philosophy _ but all without success.

• But we are all as an unclean thing; and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
  

But God provided an answer to our problem _ by sending His Son, Jesus Christ.

• For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)

What mankind cannot do, God did, by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for all mankind. He laid down His life to become the bridge between God and us.

• For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; its is a gift from God: not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Now, what must YOU do? You cannot bridge the gap but YOU CAN CHOOSE to trust Jesus Christ to bridge the gap for you.

1. First, acknowledge that you have sinned against God.
2. Second, repent and turn away from any sin.
3. Third, believe that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)
4. Fourth, invite Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Lord and Saviour from sin.

• Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. (Acts 3:19)

• But as many as received Him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. (John 1:12)

The following short prayer may help you to make a definite act of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ:

"Lord Jesus, it is true that I am a sinner and that I need your forgiveness. I believe that you died on the cross, in my place to pay the penalty for my sins, and that You rose from the dead. By faith, I turn from my sin and ask you to live in my life as my Saviour and Lord, Amen."

Gospel Tracts

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