Coffee Time with God

Crisanta M. Santos Diversity is vital in public administration because it brings together people from different backgrounds and perspectives, which stimulates creativity and better decision-making. According to research, diverse teams in government can develop policies that truly reflect and serve diverse communities (Naff & Kellough, 2003; Pitts, 2009). Beyond that, having a diverse workforce builds trust in government by making sure everyone feels represented and included, which encourages more people to get involved in civic life (Shin & Rainey, 2010). In an economic respect, diversity is highly useful for the managing of scarcity and talent by governments to entice talented human capital development to adapt and come up with solutions that address new needs and problems. This in a way leads to sustainable economic development and good steerage or management (OECD, 2008). Diversity is not simply a matter of equal treatment, it is about making the state’s services accessible,...

Coffee Time With God Day 3 Devotion                                       Worship Central Mission Team in Tubao La Union Marcos 6:1-6 Umalis doon si Jesus at umuwi siya sa sariling bayan kasama ang kanyang mga alagad. 2 Pagdating ng Araw ng Pamamahinga, si Jesus ay nagturo sa sinagoga. Maraming tao ang nakarinig sa kanya at sa kanilang pagkamangha'y nagtanungan sila, “Saan niya natutunan ang lahat ng iyan? Anong karunungan itong ipinagkaloob sa kanya? Paano siya nakakagawa ng mga himala? 3 Hindi ba ito ang karpinterong anak ni Maria, at kapatid nina Santiago, Jose, Judas, at Simon? Tagarito rin ang kanyang mga kapatid na babae, hindi ba?” Kaya hindi sila naniwala sa kanya. 4 Dahil dito, sinabi ni Jesus sa kanila, “Ang isang propeta'y iginagalang ng lahat, maliban ng kanyang mga kababayan, mga kamag-anak, at ng kanyang pamilya.” 5 Hindi siya nakagawa ng himala roon, m...

 BIBLE JOURNEY: 1 SAMUEL 8:6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord.” Did you experience disappointments in the ministry? What were those? And what did you do? Samuel was displeased when the people ask him to appoint a king to lead them. For long years of serving the nation of Israel as a judge, the people still didn’t understand that throughout their journey from Egypt to Canaan, God has been protecting them from their enemy just like a King protecting his people. What displeased him was the fact that the people of Israel would like to turn from a theocracy to a monarchial system of government. It’s an obvious display of transferring their trust to human leadership for the wrong motive.   Being a minister for sixteen years, I have also experienced so many disappointments. Hindi lang sa fellow-leaders maging sa mga members. You know the feeling that you preach and teach the Word of God but some members keep on do...

  Preaching Manuscript 01:  January 1, 2023 TEXT:     Matthew 7:21-23 Happy New Year! “Bagong taon ay magbagong buhay, nang lumigaya ang ating bayan. Tayo’y magsikap upang makamtan natin ang kasaganaan…” Madalas itong kinakanta sa pasko pero alam ba natin o nauunawaan ba natin ang ibig sabihin ng bawat talata ng kantang ito? Napakagandang challenge sa bawat isa sa atin bilang mga Kristiyano na itong taong 2023 ay mabago ang ating mindset O LIFESTYLE sa pagiging Kristiyano. Marami sa atin ang Nominal Christian. They are Christians by name only. Marami rin ang Seasonal Christian. They are the Christians na lulubog lilitaw. Marami ring Busy Christians. They are very active in the ministry o hataw sa ministry. Pero nakakatakot na sa pagdating ng ating Panginoon ay sasabihin Niya sa kanila, “Hindi ka puwedeng makapasok sa aking Kaharian o SINO KA? HINDI KITA KILALA.” Mababasa natin ito sa Matthew 7:21-23 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ wi...

  BIBLE JOURNEY: 1 SAMUEL 13:13-14 Hindi lahat ng Church Leaders ay tama? Someone must rebuke them if they are heading on the wrong path. Maraming church leaders ngayon ang akala nila ay kalooban pa rin ng Diyos ang kanilang ginagawa. They need someone to correct them if their plans put a heavy load on other people, if they urge people to pursue temporal glory at the expense of everlasting glory, or if they lead people to their own personal glory. As Samuel grew older, he served as a messenger for the Lord and gained a reputation as a prophet of integrity. Samuel exhibits a number of traits, including directness. When he was speaking about God, he did not mince words. This is demonstrated in 1 Samuel 13 when Samuel rebukes Saul for disobeying the Lord's commands. 1 Samuel 13:13-14 “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said, “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom wil...

BIBLE JOURNEY: 1 SAMUEL 3: 9 "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." What would be your response when GOD called you into the ministry? When Samuel was just a boy, he received his first calling from God in 1 Samuel chapter 3. Samuel was lying down one night when he heard a loud voice calling out his name. Thinking the voice belonged to Eli, Samuel ran to him and said, “Here I am, you called me” (3:5). Eli answered that it was not him who called Samuel’s name. This same order of events happened two more times before Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. Eli told Samuel the next time he heard his name called, he should answer, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (3:9). Samuel did as he was told, and the Lord revealed his first of many prophesies to Samuel. And what about us? What would be our response when God called us into the ministry? Would we voluntarily say, "Here I am, Lord, use me powerfully"? or "Wait, Lord; I am not prepare...

First Vacation Bible School "Building Christ's community churches that glorify God" It's been a year! Praise God for his divine faithfulness to our church planting ministry at West Francia Tubao, La Union. With our humble beginning, the Mission Team started with door-to-door knocking, bible studies, Vacation Bible School, and now building  Christ's community church that glorifies. By God's grace, many people will be led to the right relationship with God and be transformed into Christ-likeness.                                                        Before As local missionaries, we WALK BY FAITH not by sight. In fact, we have seen God's providence in both blessing and suffering. He uses people to provide for the needs of His church. After. Ptr. Noel preaching the Word Our goal is to establish a local church in this barangay t...

God alone deserves all the glory and honor for His 18 years of faithfulness. On December 18, 2022, Jesus is Lord Global Ministry celebrated its 18th anniversary with the theme: Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5). JILGM Aguioas Family JILGM Worship Central Bariquir (Daughter Church) JILGM Tubao Outreach (New Daughter Church) Sis. Jepryll Santos Torremoro preached on Trusting in the Lord JILGM Aguioas started with a humble beginning and was full of trust in the Lord. As Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, " I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.   So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.   The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.   For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building." JILGM Aguioas was the daughter church of JILGM San Luis under the leadershi...

Before your ministry, be a parent first! "Show me your kids, and I'll tell you what type of leader you are..." Many church leaders and pastors failed to put their children first. They minister to other young people while ignoring their responsibilities to their own children. This was the case with Eli. He was a devoted Jewish priest living in the days of the judges and serving God at the tabernacle in Shiloh. He was able to raise Samuel to be a good prophet and priest but failed to discipline his own children. As we continue our Bible Journey in 1 Samuel 3, we can learn that responsible parenting is a serious matter. 1 Samuel 3:13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Eli had two sons and t hey also served in the tabernacle but did not know God (1 Samuel 2:12). They violated the Law by keeping and eating meat from the sacrifices that were not allocated to ...

  No one knows kung kailan darating si kamatayan except the Giver of life. Kaya mahalaga that we LIVE OUR LIVES TO THE FULLEST with God. Habang bata pa tayo, we should be useful and productive. Hindi yung we spend most of our time in the social media, playing mobile games, lazy activities such as sleeping, eating, lakwatsa dito at doon. O kaya maraming nagiging workaholic na wala na ring time for God. As we continue our Bible journey in 2 Samuel 2:6, Hannah’s prayer reminds us that God is the source of life and death. 1 Samuel 2:6 The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. This passage reminds us that ANYTIME God can take our lives. Ang tanong ay, “WHAT IF WALA KA PANG RELASYON SA KANYA, then binawi na NIYA ang buhay mo?” Marami sa atin ang “SAKA NA LANG”…”MAY BUKAS PA…” “MAGCOCOMMIT AKO PAG…” PAANO KUNG HULI NA ANG LAHAT? God has also prepared a place for those who don’t believe in Him. But for those who believe in Him, He provided th...

  Do you know someone who speaks arrogantly? Someone who takes all of the credit for him/herself? Or perhaps sometimes we unconsciously become arrogant in our speech or way of life. As we continue our Bible Journey in 1 Samuel 2:3, the prayer of Hannah is a good reminder for all of us not to be proud or arrogant in our speech but rather always be humble. 1 Samuel 2:3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord is a God who knows, and by Him, deeds are weighed.” One of the attributes of God that Hannah mentioned in her prayer is God is omniscient or all-knowing. It means that we cannot hide our evil thoughts and deeds from God because He knows our inner being.   We can hide from people but not from God. So we should stop being proud and arrogant because God ruins the knowledge of the world and destroys the proud and arrogant, but in His grace, He lifts up the humble and provides mercy to the meek and low. So, how...

How is our Christian life going? Are we separate from the world or a part of it? As we continue our Bible journey in 1 Samuel 2, we will be reminded of who God is and what is expected from us as His children.   1 Samuel 2:2 There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Hannah praises God for who He is. In her prayer, she mentions some of God’s attributes. First, God is holy. He is set apart from all that is unclean or unworthy. He is majestic and powerful and active in His perfect holiness. No other being in the universe is holy as He is. Second, there is no God besides him; no being but what is of him, and none is holy but by him; the holiness of angels is from him; the holiness of Adam in innocence was of him; and all the holiness of his chosen ones come from Him, to which they are chosen by him, and which is secured in that choice unto them, and are sanctified by God the Father, in Christ, and through the Spirit: Go...

Have you ever wondered why certain Christians can rejoice in the Lord despite their sorrow and pain? Have you ever wondered why certain Christians, despite their brokenness, remain strong? Have you ever wondered why some Christians persevere in the face of adversity? What’s their secret? We can learn this in the prayer life of Hannah. After surrendering her life to God (1 Samuel 1), Chapter 2 shows us a transformed woman after her encounter with God.   1 Samuel 2:1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; In the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.” Hannah’s prayer is an example of a woman who knows God intimately. She acknowledges that God is in control of her life. Her joy, strength, and salvation from her enemies are all from the Lord. Prayer is not just something that we do daily. Prayer is a daily encounter with God. It is more than just expressing our petition; it is about worshipi...

ADULTS MINISTRY It's been a while since my last update, but this is now our ongoing church construction at West Francia, Tubao La Union. Thanks to all those who sent their financial support.  This Sunday, we were able to use the cemented half of the church. Praise God for the pleasant weather that afternoon. 14 adults attended the service and expected more attendance once the church is finished. I shared a passage from Luke 2:52 about how Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and men. The theme of my message is "We Are Called to Grow." KIDS MINISTRY So heartwarming that 15 kids attended Sunday school. It was headed by sis. Em, our brethren from Saudi Arabia, decided to stay for good in Tubao with his husband bro. Jao. Regards to sis. Luz for accommodating our kids to their house. We expect more kids on the following Sundays.  BE OUR PARTNERS IN BUILDING GOD'S KINGDOM Coming to this place is not an accident. God brought the La Union Mission Team to be Go...

Hebrews 10:25 “not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”             One of the things that challenge our faith is whether we have mass gathering or not. This has become a struggle to many church leaders today including me but praise God for the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment.             Just like a “pinikpikan” (an Igorot way of cooking a chicken by slowly killing the chicken before cooking), this pandemic is not only killing our economics but also killing many of us mentally, socially, and spiritually. Mentally, many are experiencing anxiety, fear, and depression whether you are a believer or not. Socially, we are strictly mandated to keep distance for our safety and to prevent the spread of this virus. Some may not use to it because we are relationship-centered people. Sp...