Yesterday, I was doubly blessed and honored. First, one of the
children in our IBBC-Riverside fellowship, a young boy named Prince,
came to me and gave me a drawing he had done in Children's Sunday
School. I admired his work and told him, "That is really nice. I like your drawing." Then, when I started to hand it back to him, he told me, "No, that is for you." Wow, what an honor to have this young boy like me enough to do a special drawing for me.
My second honor came when our pastor, Pastor Sergio Nolasco, who has just returned from an extended mission trip to the Philippines, publicly recognized our two Friends who ride to church with us, Helen Bernardo and Helen Powell, and Dory and me as full members of the International Bible Baptist Church (IBBC-Riverside). Now, we truly do have a church fellowship home. Praise the Lord who led us to this warm, loving Pinoy Christian fellowship.
Dory and I came to IBBC-Riverside several months ago and immediately felt the love which permeates this Christian church fellowship. Within minutes, Dory and I were an integral part of their Christian family. We have been so blessed at our Sunday worship services and our Friday Night Bible Study/Prayer Meetings. And, now that Pastor Sergio has returned, he has bestowed full membership upon us. Thank you, Lord.
Pastor Sergio has been in the Philippines and several other Asian countries for four months. He spent that time sharing the Word of God with many different fellowships, helping them resolve any organizational problems, encouraging the pastors and fellowships, and establishing a Bible College to prepare new pastors for the ministry.
Dory and I were blessed to meet him face-to-face Friday evening for the first time. And, this Sunday was our first time to be able to enjoy his sermon and teaching. During his sermon, I looked at Dory and said, "Pastor Sam, right?" And she smiled her agreement.
Let me digress a wee bit. In 1987, 29 years ago, God led us to the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, California (FACI) which was led by a very Godly and loving man, Pastor Sam Lacanienta - and where the love of God was so evident throughout the whole congregation. I was not a believer then, but the love I felt through that pastor and that fellowship, and at their Friday Evening Bible Studies - kept me coming back and six months later I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
In other words, at the age of 50 and after walking in the secular world all those years, through Godly love I was led to the cross where I was born again as a new man and a follower of Jesus Christ. I attribute this fully to the love I felt through Pastor Sam Lacanienta and the FACI fellowship which made me want to keep attending worship services and Bible studies, as the Holy Spirit worked within me to give me eternal life.
Dory and I both love Pastor Sam as a man of God, as a teacher of His Word, as a mentor, and as a dear Friend. When Pastor Sergio was teaching us in his sermon Sunday - physically he reminds us of Pastor Sam, and his mannerisms as he teaches and his strong desire to correctly and fervently teach the Word of God remind us so much of Pastor Sam. That is why I looked at Dory and said, "Pastor Sam, right?" and that is why she smiled her agreement.
Pastor Sergio, when we compare you to Pastor Sam - it is not that we are trying to hold you to another pastor's standards. It is just that, in the past 29 years, we have met only one, maybe two, other pastors to whom we could say, "We are so blessed to be in the flock you are tending." And, Pastor Sergio, for Dory and me you stand tall alongside our long time mentor and very dear Friend, Pastor Sam Lacanienta. Thank you for being a man of God, a teacher, and a man who, through the Holy Spirit, has the desire, knowledge, and wisdom to bring together church fellowships - and then motivate them to divide and grow into many other sister fellowships. You have a very special calling and blessing from God.
God truly blessed Dory and me when He led us to the International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
My second honor came when our pastor, Pastor Sergio Nolasco, who has just returned from an extended mission trip to the Philippines, publicly recognized our two Friends who ride to church with us, Helen Bernardo and Helen Powell, and Dory and me as full members of the International Bible Baptist Church (IBBC-Riverside). Now, we truly do have a church fellowship home. Praise the Lord who led us to this warm, loving Pinoy Christian fellowship.
Dory and I came to IBBC-Riverside several months ago and immediately felt the love which permeates this Christian church fellowship. Within minutes, Dory and I were an integral part of their Christian family. We have been so blessed at our Sunday worship services and our Friday Night Bible Study/Prayer Meetings. And, now that Pastor Sergio has returned, he has bestowed full membership upon us. Thank you, Lord.
Pastor Sergio has been in the Philippines and several other Asian countries for four months. He spent that time sharing the Word of God with many different fellowships, helping them resolve any organizational problems, encouraging the pastors and fellowships, and establishing a Bible College to prepare new pastors for the ministry.
Dory and I were blessed to meet him face-to-face Friday evening for the first time. And, this Sunday was our first time to be able to enjoy his sermon and teaching. During his sermon, I looked at Dory and said, "Pastor Sam, right?" And she smiled her agreement.
Let me digress a wee bit. In 1987, 29 years ago, God led us to the Fil-Am Church of Irvine, California (FACI) which was led by a very Godly and loving man, Pastor Sam Lacanienta - and where the love of God was so evident throughout the whole congregation. I was not a believer then, but the love I felt through that pastor and that fellowship, and at their Friday Evening Bible Studies - kept me coming back and six months later I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
In other words, at the age of 50 and after walking in the secular world all those years, through Godly love I was led to the cross where I was born again as a new man and a follower of Jesus Christ. I attribute this fully to the love I felt through Pastor Sam Lacanienta and the FACI fellowship which made me want to keep attending worship services and Bible studies, as the Holy Spirit worked within me to give me eternal life.
Dory and I both love Pastor Sam as a man of God, as a teacher of His Word, as a mentor, and as a dear Friend. When Pastor Sergio was teaching us in his sermon Sunday - physically he reminds us of Pastor Sam, and his mannerisms as he teaches and his strong desire to correctly and fervently teach the Word of God remind us so much of Pastor Sam. That is why I looked at Dory and said, "Pastor Sam, right?" and that is why she smiled her agreement.
Pastor Sergio, when we compare you to Pastor Sam - it is not that we are trying to hold you to another pastor's standards. It is just that, in the past 29 years, we have met only one, maybe two, other pastors to whom we could say, "We are so blessed to be in the flock you are tending." And, Pastor Sergio, for Dory and me you stand tall alongside our long time mentor and very dear Friend, Pastor Sam Lacanienta. Thank you for being a man of God, a teacher, and a man who, through the Holy Spirit, has the desire, knowledge, and wisdom to bring together church fellowships - and then motivate them to divide and grow into many other sister fellowships. You have a very special calling and blessing from God.
God truly blessed Dory and me when He led us to the International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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