We praise God for His faithfulness as we just celebrated our 10^th Anniversary last September 10, 2006. Just as the Christian life is filled with calms and storms, so have we experienced these as a church. Nonetheless, we thank the Lord for His sustaining presence. These ten years have been filled with excitement, challenges, and trials. Perhaps, there has never been such a great challenge and testing for us than this year. As we pass through this year and celebrate our anniversary, it is a fitting time to praise God. We have through a lot and we experienced the opposing work of the enemy. We've seen our numbers go down as some of our worshippers move out to other places for their college education, work or training. We've also seen some setting God aside to indulge in the world. However, this is also a year which the Lord has taught us much. Perhaps the greatest lesson of which to seek Him and Him alone, not His favor, nor His blessings; neither His power nor gifts, but Him alone.

As we went through the books of Philippians and Colossians, we learned some valuable lessons.

1. We should not allow ourselves to be controlled by our circumstances, but rather use the circumstances for our advantage. Despite Paul being chained and imprisoned, He continues to use his circumstances to propagate the gospel and bring glory to God. He was able to do things which he could not have done if he was free.


2. Sacrifice is properly understood in no sacrifice at all because we are simply giving up something of lesser value for something of greater worth. As Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose." Paul considers his life worth nothing except to be used by God. Everything that this world has to offer are but rubbish to Paul compared to knowing Christ is His death and resurrection.


3. The secret of living for Christ is to allow Him to live His life us and through us. The 'mystery' as Paul calls it is 'Christ-in-us." The moment we stop trying to please God and allow Him to do His work in our lives, that's the time we can start glorifying Him.