Romans 9: GOD’S MERCY, NOT OUR EFFORT

GOD’S MERCY, NOT OUR EFFORT

Scripture: Romans 9:16 (NIV)
It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

I.  God's mercy, not  our effort
Sa Romans 9:16, ipinapaalala ni Pablo na ang buhay natin ay hindi lamang nakasalalay sa ating sariling effort, ability, o desire. Sa huli, ang lahat ay nakasalalay sa awa at biyaya ng Diyos. Maaari tayong magsikap, magplano, at gawin ang ating makakaya, pero may mga bagay na hindi natin kayang kontrolin. Kapag hindi nangyayari ang gusto natin, huwag agad isipin na nabigo tayo. Minsan, iba ang sagot ng Diyos sa plano natin dahil mas alam Niya kung ano ang tunay nating kailangan.
Hindi lahat ng hindi nangyayari ayon sa gusto natin ay failure. Minsan, ito ay bahagi ng mas magandang plano ng Diyos.

II. Do your part, trust God with result
Hindi ibig sabihin na wala na tayong gagawin. Tinatawag pa rin tayo ng Diyos na maging faithful, magsikap, manalangin, at gawin ang ating bahagi. Pero pagkatapos nating gawin ang ating makakaya, matuto tayong mag-let go at magtiwala sa Diyos. Hindi mo kailangang kontrolin ang lahat. Hindi mo kailangang pilitin ang lahat. Hindi mo kailangang dalhin ang bigat ng resulta na hindi naman ikaw ang may kontrol. Do your best, then trust God with the rest. Ang responsibility natin ay maging faithful sa ipinagkatiwala ng Diyos. Ang resulta ay nasa Kanyang mga kamay.

III. Rest in God's mercy
May mga pagkakataong pakiramdam natin ay hindi tayo sapat,hindi sapat ang ating galing, lakas, pera, connections, o opportunities.
Pero ang kabutihan ng Diyos ay hindi nakabase sa kung gaano tayo kagaling. God’s mercy is greater than our limitations.vKapag hindi natin alam ang next step, maaari tayong huminto, manalangin, at magtiwala.
Ang Diyos ay hindi limitado sa kung ano lamang ang kaya nating gawin.
Kung kulang ang resources mo, hindi kulang ang Diyos. Kung limitado ang ability mo, hindi limitado ang Diyos. Kung hindi mo nakikita ang daan, nakikita ito ng Diyos. Kaya maaari tayong magpahinga sa Kanyang awa at biyaya.

APPLICATION:
A. Stop comparing
Huwag mong ikumpara ang journey mo sa ibang tao. Iba ang timing, calling, at purpose ng Diyos para sa bawat isa. Ang progress ng ibang tao ay hindi sukatan ng failure mo. May sariling timing ang Diyos para sa iyo.

B. Do your part
Maging faithful sa kung ano ang ipinagkatiwala sa iyo ngayon.
Magtrabaho. Manalangin. Matuto.
Magsikap. Gawin ang iyong makakaya. Hindi natin kontrolado ang lahat, pero kontrolado natin kung paano tayo magiging faithful sa Diyos sa araw na ito.

C. Trust God with the outcome
Kapag hindi naging ayon sa plano mo, huwag mawalan ng pag-asa.
A closed door does not mean a closed future. Minsan, may ibang direksyon ang Diyos dahil may mas magandang alam Siya para sa atin. Hindi natin kailangang maintindihan ang lahat bago tayo magtiwala. Faith means trusting God even when we cannot yet see what He is doing.

REFLECTION:
May bagay ba akong pilit na kinokontrol na kailangan ko nang ipagkatiwala sa Diyos?
Ginagawa ko ba ang aking bahagi habang nagtitiwala sa Diyos sa resulta?
Kaya ko bang magtiwala sa awa ng Diyos kahit hindi ko pa nakikita ang sagot?

PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, through Your Son Jesus Christ, salamat dahil hindi nakasalalay sa aming sariling lakas at kakayahan ang lahat ng bagay. Salamat sa iyong mercy at grace na hindi namin kailanman kayang paghirapan o bayaran. Tulungan mo po kaming gawin ang aming bahagi nang may faithfulness, ngunit turuan Mo rin kaming magtiwala sa Iyo sa mga bagay na hindi namin kayang kontrolin.
Kapag hindi nangyayari ang aming plano, tulungan Mo kaming huwag mawalan ng pag-asa. Kapag may closed door, bigyan mo po kami ng faith na maniwala na may mas magandang direksyon kang inihahanda. Alisin mo po ang aming fear, comparison, anxiety, at desire na kontrolin ang lahat. Turuan mo po kaming magpahinga sa Iyong mercy at magtiwala sa iyong perfect timing.

Lord Jesus, we may not understand everything, but we choose to trust you.Tulungan mo po kaming maging faithful sa aming bahagi at ipaubaya sa iyo ang resulta. Sa lahat ng bagay, turuan mo po kaming maniwala na ang iyong grace ay sapat at ang iyong mercy ay higit kaysa sa aming limitations. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

--------ELDER PANGGA - JCRC RIYADH

ROMANS 8 : CHOOSING CHRIST DAILY

 

Choosing Christ Daily 

Romans 8:5 NIV
"5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

In this verse shows  the battle we face  how we live while we are here on earth, to live in the flesh or to live in Spirit. Our flesh direct us to things that pleases us,sinful desires while to live in Spirit is to live a life that Glorifies God.  To live everyday we must make a choice that is not temporary,our choice of living became our lifestyle.

Worldly things are always inviting. 
They attract our eyes, satisfy our desires, and offer temporary pleasure. 

• Going to mall instead of attending Church 
• scrolling social media instead of reading the bible
• attending party instead of fellowshiping
• sleeping instead of attending devotion
• remaining in sin instead of repenting 

In response to those above,sometimes ang ating nagiging escape route  " my Spirit is willing but my flesh is weak."

And when fall short of living in the Spirit, we are quick to blame someone else our circumstances, our struggles, or the people around us.

• Hindi ako nkasimba kasi, sinama ako ng kaibigan ko mag mall.
• nalimutan ko mag pray kasi busy ako sa work.
• nakapag salita ako ng masakit kasi sya naman nauna.
• nakapagsalita ako ng ganun kasi "expression ko lang yun."
• Hindi ako nakapag devotion kasi, late n ako nakatulog.

Weakness explains our struggle, but it should never become our excuse to stay in sin, to stay in flesh. Matthew 26 41 is reminding us to watch and pray that we may not fall into the desires of our flesh but instead to draw closer to God.

Every moment in our life is a conscious decision we make. God is reminding us to always set our minds on the Spirit is to intentionally choose God’s will, listen to the Holy Spirit, and pursue the things that pleases Christ.

Lets reflect:

Am I experiencing this battle ,often?
Is my thoughts or action ,right now pleases the Lord?
Am I following my flesh or am I walking in Spirit?

Lets all be reminded :
Choosing Christ is a daily decision. Let’s intentionally surrender, intentionally obey, intentionally pray, and intentionally walk in the Spirit. 
*All Glory to God*

Prayer
Heavenly Father,In the name of Your Son Jesus Christ we thank you for Your word that reminds us that what shapes our mind direct our life. Forgive us Lord for we always allow the world to consume our mind.Help us Lord to always live a life that pleases You. To always acknowledge Your will than our self desires. Teach us Lord to choose You daily to choose Your Word over worldly distractions. Amen

--------- ELDER SALLY - JCRC RIYADH

Romans 7: JESUS RESCUED THE WRETCHED ME

 JESUS RESCUED THE WRETCHED ME

📖 Scripture
Romans 7:24–25
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

🔎 Observation
❤️‍🩹 The Cry of a Wretched Heart
Paul’s is not pretending, he is not pretending to be strong. His words were raw, unfiltered and painfully honest. No religious performance, no hiding.

And we admit it or not, this is what every believer eventually discovers:
I cannot save myself. I cannot fix myself. I cannot free myself.

Humbly, this is the moment when our soul stops negotiating with sin and finally confesses its misery. The moment when our pride collapses and the truth rises.

And yes, this is the moment when Jesus draws to us closest.

🌅 The Rescue Only Christ Can Give
Paul asked this genuinely honest question that echoes through every struggling believer:

“Who will deliver me?”

And this is not what—not a method, not a discipline, not a new rule. It is not when—not someday, not eventually. It is not how—not through effort, not through our willpower.

Who. Because deliverance is personal. Rescue comes from a Person.

And Paul answered his own cry:
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Jesus enters the wretched man.
Jesus reaches out into the darkness.
Jesus steps in and pull us out.
Jesus rescues us.

He does not wait for us to improve.
He rescues us just as we are—wretched, weary, defeated, exhausted us…

❇️ Application
What This Means for Our Daily Life
🔥 Our weakness is not a barrier to Jesus—it is the doorway.
He rescues the wretched, not the impressive.
🔥 Our struggle does not disqualify us—it proves our need.
The battle inside us is evidence of the Holy Spirit working in us.
🔥 Our deliverance is not our achievement—it is His gift.
We do not climb out; He pulls us out.
🔥 Our victory is not in trying harder—it is in trusting deeper.
Jesus is not our life coach. He is our Rescuer.

The rescue begins not with effort, but with surrender.

Only when we stop fighting and cries out, “Help me!” does the lifeguard dives in, does Jesus comes in.

💛 Personal Reflection for Today
Let us take a moment and let our heart speak honestly before God.

Where do we feel wretched?
Where do we feel trapped?
Where do we feel powerless?
Whisper it to Jesus.
Jesus does not recoil from our weakness—He runs towards it. He runs towards us.

Let our confession today become our freedom:
“Jesus, rescue me again today.”

And let our gratitude rise:
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ my Lord.”
 
🙏 Prayer
Almighty Father, we come to You just as we are—weak, weary, and aware of our own wretchedness. Thank You for not turning away from our struggles. Thank You Jesus our Lord for stepping into our darkness and rescuing us. Deliver us today from every sin that clings, every weight that pulls us down, and let Your grace be our strength. Our hope, our help, our freedom is found in You alone. In Jesus name, amen.

--------PASTORA RIVA - JCRC RIYADH

ROMANS 6: DEAD TO SIN, ALIVE IN CHRIST

 

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,”

Romans 6 : 8 NKJV

Romans chapter 6, Paul emphasizes in embracing our new identity in Christ.
In verse 4, through baptism, we are publicly declaring our oneness with Christ, our rebirth with Christ. As we submerge in water, spiritually our old self dies, together with our sins—and as we come up from water, new life is birthed in Christ.

Everyday is a struggle to embrace our new identity in Christ; to turn away from sins, to keep our eyes from temptation—but the Lord promise of His presence, companionship, and His grace that truly abounds. It’s difficult but never impossible to live in obedience, as long as we anchor to Christ and we surrender it all to Christ. Sins no longer have dominion over us, for we are under Christ grace (V14).

May this Chapter lead us in true submission to Christ—to His will, to His plan, to His vision.

🙏
Father, we thank you for reminding us that from the day we received you as our Lord and our savior, our past does not have any dominion over us, you have given us new identity in you, that gives us strength to move away from sinning. May your words continually remain in our hearts, in our minds and in our actions; that in times we struggle, we are tempted, we can only anchor on your promises.
Amen.

--------- ELDER KHEN - JCRC RIYADH

Romans 5: “Remember What Jeus Did”

 “Remember What Jeus Did”

Romans 5:8“
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
When someone hurts us o sins against us ,sometimes its hard to forgive,especially when they haven’t even said  sorry,But then when we look at Jesus,while we are still sinners,Christ died for us,before we changed ,before we  repented ,before we even understood how much we needed Him ,He already choose to love us ,He took  the punishment we deserved and gave His life so that we can be for given.
This should always remind us of the cross.Jesus died for us,hindi dapat nawawala sa isip natin kung gano kalaki ang ginawa  niya  para sa atin ,He gave His  life ,suffered for us and loved us when we had nothing to offer Him.

So every  time  we serve Him let us  remember why we serve,hindi lang  dapat  my ministry  tayo,may assignement or my  responsibility,we served because we loved the one who first loved us and  gave  everything  for us

Kapag pagod na tayo ,discouraged or  sometimes wala ng gana let us look back at the cross,
Remember what Jesus did for us,remember how much He loved us .
And as we remember His love ,may our hearts  also learn to love and help those who fall,because  the  same Jesus  who died  for us  also died for them .

Jesus gave  everything for  us  ,may our  service  to Him always  comes from a heart that  remembers a heart that loves and a heart that is grateful

PRAYER:
Lord Jesus,thankyou  for dying for  us, help us never forget  your  love ad sacrifice ,may we serve you  with a grateful hearts …Amen

------------ ELDER JOAN - JCRC RIYADH

Romans 4: FAITH THAT GIVES LIFE

 

FAITH THAT GIVES LIFE

Romans 4:16–17 (NKJV) "Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, 'I have made you a father of many nations') in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did."

OBSERVATION:

Paul reminds us that God’s promises are not earned by works or law but received by faith. Abraham believed God even when circumstances seemed impossible—his body was old, Sarah’s womb barren—yet he trusted in the God who “gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” This shows us that faith is not passive; it is active trust in God’s creative power and grace.

APPLICATION:

Faith is the key that unlocks God’s promises. Just as Abraham believed against hope, we too must hold on to God’s Word even when situations look lifeless or impossible.

• Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
• Mark 11:24 – “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
• 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
• James 2:23 – Abraham’s faith made him a “friend of God.”

When we face challenges—whether in health, finances, or ministry—we must remember that God specializes in bringing life out of dead situations. Faith is not about what we see, but about trusting the One who sees beyond.

For the JCRC family, this means living as examples of unwavering faith. Just as Abraham became a father of many nations, we are called to be spiritual fathers and mothers, nurturing others in faith and pointing them to the God who fulfills His promises.

PRAYER:

Hallellujah! Heavenly Father, thank You that Your promises are sure because they rest on Your grace, not our works. Teach us to walk in the faith of Abraham, trusting You even when circumstances seem impossible. May the JCRC family be a living testimony of perseverance and great faith, showing others that You are the GOD WHO GIVES LIFE TO THE DEAD and calls things that are not as though they were. Strengthen our hearts to believe, and let our lives bring glory to Your name, in Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

------- PASTORA JEANNIE -  JCRC SORSOGON

ROMANS 2 - REPENTANCE OVER PRIDE

 

Romans 2:5

“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.” God is good, and because of His goodness, He desires everyone who has sinned to turn away from sin and genuinely repent. As Christians, we know how difficult it can be when we are fully aware that something is wrong, yet we still choose to do it because of our own desires. Every time we do, we put ourselves in greater spiritual danger. That is why God continually reminds us to "sin no more," because deliberately continuing in sin has serious consequences. This week, as I reflected on my life, I felt a deep conviction. There were things I knew were wrong, yet I still chose to do them. Because of that, I was filled with shame. It was painful to realize that the very things I kept asking God to forgive me for were the same things I continued doing. It made me feel like I was taking God's goodness and grace for granted. Through this experience, I finally understood the rhema shared by Pastora Agnes: "The greatest danger is not committing a mistake—it is refusing to repent." That truth reminded me that God's desire is not for us to remain in guilt, but to have hearts that are willing to repent and return to Him. The lesson I learned is that sometimes our motives may seem valid to us, but that does not mean they are according to Scripture. Our feelings and reasons should never become greater than the truth of God's Word. That is why we must always go back to our foundation—the Word of God—because sometimes we unknowingly believe lies that slowly damage our relationship with Him. May we always choose repentance over pride, truth over our own reasoning, and obedience over our own desires.

-------------- DEAC DANICA JCRC SORSOGON -Deaconess Danica -JCRC SORSOGON