Month: November 2010

What’s Up John Bell News Update #5

Hello everyone!

I purposely postponed posting this month’s newsletter to after Thanksgiving for I know there will be also good events share with you from that event.

Thanksgiving week is a special time here on campus. Many families come to visit and also many students come to check out the college. It was a blessing that a lot of the student visitors I ran into were my very campers from summer camp!

I had the privilege of welcoming many of them (back) here on campus. I also took some of them to Spanish class with me. The funny story with that was they as high schoolers knew far more Spanish than I did and even helped me with my class work. Talk about a humbling experience!

For Thanksgiving, I enjoyed a good meal with some of my closest friends here. The weekend we were able to get off to do some Black Friday shopping! Black Friday is a special time of the year where all the major stores offer massive discounts!

For up until now, I have been missing the Logos Hope a lot. I am grateful that God has been healing my heart in one way by surrounding with great, godly friends. I am still being blind from where God wants me to serve after finishing college, but the name “I Am” assures me that He as the first and the last will guide me in His purposeful plan.

Since the last newsletter I posted during exam week, I’m happy to let you know I have had received fairly good results on my exam grades; however, no sooner than I am done, there is coming up another week of exams. In about 3 weeks, we will have two more weeks of classes following a final exam week for this semester. Almost everyone here is counting down days to Christmas break.

> As this semester draws to a close, could you please continue to pray that I do well in my studies as well as my upcoming exams.

> Also continue to pray for my best friend, Chris, whose dad passed away a couple of weeks ago.

> Lastly, pray for I Am to open opportunities for me to learn more about Him and grow during the Christmas break.

The next update should hopefully be posted before I leave for home. I pray that God grants you safety during this time of year as well as joyful memories for the holiday season. Lord bless!

In His name,

John Bell

Influencing this Generation by Living for Christ.

Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy

With the thoughts of thanksgiving still roaming around, I thought I’d share a special chapter from Psalms that gives thanks to the Lord for his ever enduring mercy.

Psalm 136

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
         For His mercy endures forever.
 2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
         For His mercy endures forever.
 3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
         For His mercy endures forever:
         
 4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 7 To Him who made great lights,
         For His mercy endures forever—
 8 The sun to rule by day,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
         For His mercy endures forever.
         
 10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 11 And brought out Israel from among them,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 15 But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 16 To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 17 To Him who struck down great kings,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 18 And slew famous kings,
         For His mercy endures forever—
 19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 20 And Og king of Bashan,
         For His mercy endures forever—
 21 And gave their land as a heritage,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
         For His mercy endures forever.
         
 23 Who remembered us in our lowly state,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 24 And rescued us from our enemies,
         For His mercy endures forever;
 25 Who gives food to all flesh,
         For His mercy endures forever.
         
 26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
         For His mercy endures forever.

Haiti & God’s Daily Bread

You know I’m thankful for God’s daily provision of food. My heart breaks whenever I look at the people in Haiti suffer from the cholera outbreak. Over 300 people have died so far and the cause of this disease is just contaminated water! The sad thing is a resource like water is something we constantly take for granted.

“Who (God) gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:25). Your “daily bread” is a precious gift from God. He sends the rain and made the seas that supplies your tap every single day. Be thankful to Him and bless His name.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is that time of year where we are thankful for the things we usually take for granted. On this eve of Thanksgiving, I have been mediating on Job 1.

Job has reached the ultimate pitfall in his life. He has experienced the loss of all his wealth (which was in cattle in those days), loss of many of his workers and the loss of all his children all in one day!!

But listen to Job’s response, “And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Did you hear what I hear? At a time of great loss, Job blessed God. My common repulse in trial is to stress and then whine and complain to God. Instead of Job “cursing God and die” like his wife suggested, he thanked the Lord in his trial.

Do you think you and I can come to the place being grateful to God not just in the good times but also in the stormy, difficult circumstances where we are just overwhelmed by everything around going wrong?

Job’s attitude was an expression of trust. He knew that he was not being judged of sin for Job 1:1 says he was a man who feared God and shunned evil. I believe he thanked God because he knew God sincerely loved him and what he was facing he knew the God who saw the over the good in his life, was also there in his deep distress.

This Thanksgiving, can we look at our life and see a difficulty where we can praise God? Not thanking God for the trial, but thanking Him in it knowing He’s watching and that He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Heb 13:5).

Test What You Hear

I have been really provoked and challenged by what was spoken by our pastor in chapel today here on campus. I wish to immediately share it with you but I feel earnestly to refrain right now and take the proper time to personally test what he said by aligning his message with Scripture.

Do you test anything that is spoken to you? Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.” I know I am a very gullible person. I give every person a shadow of doubt and take them at their word, but in this age where false doctrine and philosophy is rampant we got to very careful what we believe.

It’s a blessing to know that we can trust the Bible for its inspired by God and it guides, teaches, corrects and instructs us how to completely live for God.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16)

“Guidance is first of all a relationship with the Guide.” -Loren Cunningham, founder and president of YWAM.

The need for every believer is a healthy, growing relationship with Jesus. Anything minus that will only lead to short-lived victories and potential danger of subverting from God’s lead.

Reading Cunningham’s mind pioneering book, “Is That Really You God?” reminded me of the importance of always being led by Christ. Every move made must be in steps with His. Success in ministry out of this alignment is not glorifying to God. It creates the danger of praising the work and not the Lord himself.

That’s why its so risky when God leads us to different ministry opportunities such as a TV broadcast, -or in Loren’s case- a ship and university.

When we focus on ministry, we lose our attention on Christ and stray away. The things we use for God are for the only purpose to help proclaim His kingdom and glorify Him.

Merriness!

“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance…” -Proverbs 25:13a

Merriness is good like medicine. I tell you nothing more cheers my heart than to talk with my neice and nephew! My ADORABLE neice is four years old today! Listening to her over the phone earlier today made want to get her anything she wanted. I could care less about staying in school right now! I love her so much. She has made my day!

Our demeanor can definitely change if with some joy in our lives. Let’s always remember where are source of joy is from because its God who knows how to bless us!

Happy Week! I don’t know about you but I’m ready for Christmas!

As I enjoy this rainstorm we are having here, I just wanted to share with you some of the “showers of blessings” in my life.

For over a month I have been involved in a volunteer student choir. Yesterday was our first performance and we sang in Sunday school class here at the Campus Church. i really enjoyed the opportunity to go and “make a joyful noise”!

After the morning service, I was blessed to go off campus with my close friends and eat at a most delicious restaurant called Steak ‘N’ Shake where they serve the best milk shakes and steak burgers around in this part of town.

“Now therefore, our God, We thank You and praise Your glorious name.” (1Chr 29:13). Do you have something to praise God for? Take some time and thank Him.

Happy Veterans Day!

Happy Veterans Day everyone! On this is special day here in America we remember all the men and women who died to gave this country its freedom we now enjoy.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”And these men offered their very lives so that our country can continue to live and prosper. I’m very grateful for their sacrifice.

But let’s always remember the greatest sacrifice: Jesus coming from Heaven to earth to die on the cross to give us freedom from our sins.

“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:14)