The Rock Church wishes to announce that it will no longer continue its mid week service known as RCW or Rock Church Wednesday beginning this Wednesday, May 22, 2013.

We would like to thank our friends and volunteers who have come to join us in worship in these past months. Further announcements will be made very soon about RC's next exciting project.

Instead, we encourage everyone to join us on Sundays at the 10am or 2pm worship services; St. Giles Hotel, Makati Avenue, Makati City.

For more information, visit www.TheRockChurchPH.com.

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“The nights of crying your eyes out give way to days of laughter!” – Psalm 30:5 (MSG)

Life is not particularly good ALL THE TIME.

I get that sometimes our prayers are not answered the way we want them to be answered and there are days when life just doesn’t turn out the way we want it to no matter how much effort and prayers we’ve invested in it.

I GET IT.

I also get that there are times when we just want to give up and when we feel that our days are behind us and not ahead of us. We feel that the best moments and the best relationships are behind us and nothing in the future seems to entice us to think otherwise.

I know that, when we’re in the pit, it’s easier to stay there than to climb our way up. But you know what? Our God doesn’t want us to be like that. He isn’t the God of our yesterdays, but He is the God of our TODAY and TOMORROW!

Our God has our best days ahead of us, there is so much to look forward to, and He wishes to outdo what He did for you yesterday. So if you find yourself crying over something or someone you’ve lost, go ahead and cry, go ahead and embrace your sadness, but please DON’T GIVE UP!

There are so many beautiful things that are in store for you – KEEP PRESSING ON! KEEP MOVING FORWARD, NO MATTER HOW PAINFUL EACH STEP IS!

Because the truth is YOU CAN DO IT! I maybe your personal cheerleader today but I wish for nothing but for you to WIN - no matter what your definition of winning is.

God is up to something and that something is GREAT, SPECTACULAR, AMAZING AND MAGNIFICENT!

He is preparing all these things for you so don’t get stuck in the past, as Dory sang in Finding Nemo, “Swimming! Swimming! Keep on Swimming!”

May the dark cloud hovering above you disappear and may it be filled with sunshine and rainbows!

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Proverbs 19:2
“Desire without knowledge is not good—how much more will hasty feet miss the way!”

The gift of exhortation is given to many people in the body of Christ, far more than just those who preach and teach. Exhortation encompasses advising, pleading, warning, encouraging, strengthening, and comforting. The gift of exhortation can be used whether you encourage or admonish a person or a whole congregation.

At times, the gift of exhortation can be used by God to encourage and to undergird a weak believer who’s facing a difficult trial or a persistent temptation in his or her life. Other times, the gift of exhortation is used to walk alongside someone who is grieving, someone who is discouraged, frustrated or depressed.

Exhortation without biblical knowledge and understanding is a blind zeal. Zeal must be guided by knowledge of the Word of God. Zeal that is not guided by knowledge of the Word of God is a blind zeal.

You cannot exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit without the power of the Holy Spirit within you, especially the gift of exhortation. If it is exercised in the flesh, it is going to come across as harsh and critical and careless.

The ability to exhort is a gracious ability. It uses healing words rather than a sharp rebuke. It works with compassion, without the slightest condoning of the wrong-doing, the exhorter will help the wrong-doer to become an over comer in Christ. That is the ultimate purpose of exhortation.

Prayer: God, thank You for the gift of exhortation. Thank You for those who have exhorted me in my walk with You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Those to whom the gift of discernment is given must exercise it diligently and urgently. Today, more than any other time in our lifetime, discernment is needed.

The Bible, particularly in the New Testament, warns us repeatedly against false teaching and false teachers. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and his servants will disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.

If Satan cannot stop people from believing, he will send his deceivers to keep them from becoming growing believers in Jesus Christ.

Discernment is a quality that all believers must cultivate, but the Word of God tell us that the Holy Spirit gives some in the body an extra measure of discernment.

The person with the gift of discernment is able to quickly and speedily distinguish between truth and error. Even if the error has a veneer of truth around it, those with the gift of discernment are able to immediately unmask Satan and his trickeries. In a time when churches are being led away from Biblical Truth, those with discernment are needed to discern who is at work in a situation and firmly and lovingly address deceivers.

Those with the gift of discernment understand, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12) They are able to discern the spirits at work in a particular situation.

Prayer: Father, help us to be mindful of the importance of discernment. May we not be deceived by false teaching. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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2 Timothy 4:5
“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

Evangelism is the lifeblood of the church. It should be in every area of life. Any activity in the church that does not have that in it is a dead, self-serving activity.

Those who have the gift of evangelism are effective in communicating the Good News of Jesus Christ. In fact, one of the evidences of the gift of evangelism is the effectiveness or fruit of the evangelism. All believers are called to be witnesses. However, the one with the gift of evangelism is always leading people to Christ.

Those who have the gift of evangelism never miss an opportunity to speak the Good News. It is second nature to them.

Evangelism is not exclusive to those who are full-time evangelists. It is a gift that is given to people in the body.

Those who have the gift of evangelism sense in their spirit that their message is an urgent life-and-death message. Evangelists are about the urgent rescue of the perishing from an eternity in torment.

The Bible tells us that these warnings are going to come, but sadly and unfortunately, some people’s hearts are going to be hardened. Still, those with the gift of evangelism continue to gently, lovingly warning people.

Those with the gift of evangelism must never be discouraged to give up or be surprised when they are attacked, because they are doing what the devil hates, and he will go after them.

If you have the gift of evangelism, keep on praying and keep on producing spiritual children. Keep on believing that your greatest reward is in heaven.

Prayer: Father, thank You for the reminder of the importance of evangelism. Help me to remember that the message is a life-and-death message and to be faithful to share it in a loving way. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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1 Corinthians 1:20
“Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

Knowledge and wisdom are closely related, but there is a difference. Knowledge is the storing up of information, and wisdom is the ability to apply the right information in a given situation. From a worldly perspective, knowledge helps you make a living, but wisdom makes a life. Our world is overflowing with knowledge, but we are bankrupt of wisdom. The need for wisdom today makes this gift valuable to the body of Christ.

In Colossians 1:9, Paul prays, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Clearly, this desirable gift is an area where all believers should be filled and continue to grow.

To fully understand this spiritual gift, Christians need to understand the differences among natural wisdom, worldly wisdom, and God’s wisdom. Natural wisdom is comprised of our intellectual capacity and experience and is the fruit of earthly reasoning. It is technical in nature. Natural wisdom offers man’s best answer to a question or problem.

Worldly wisdom is what deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden. This type of wisdom rationalizes sin and separates us from God. It can even make people feel they are godlike themselves. When a person is so convinced of the superiority of his own wisdom and knowledge, he may deny God and be kept from salvation. God has declared war on this type of wisdom.

1 Corinthians 1:19 states, “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” God has been removed from public life in our nation due to this prideful, worldly form of wisdom.

Prayer: God, help me to recognize the different types of wisdom. Forgive me for the times I have pursued prideful, worldly wisdom. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Psalm 119:105
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

How, then, do we exercise the gift of prophecy? We prophesy by applying the Word of God to every situation in our lives. The Bible has a word for you about everything from national politics to family situations. Through the Scriptures, the prophets and apostles biblically instruct us, warn us and exhort us as they promote righteousness and condemn the practice of dead religion. They extend God’s gracious invitation for people to repent, and they tell of God’s promise of blessing on those who obey Him. There is a word for every situation in our lives in God’s Holy Bible.

John Stott says that when we exercise the gift of prophecy, the disturbed are going to be comforted and the comfortable are going to get disturbed. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul paints a picture of the gift of prophecy. It is a gift for the strengthening, encouraging, and comforting of the church. It is to be eagerly desired as a gift that builds up the body of Christ.

The gift of prophecy manifests itself when a believer is able to give insight into the Word of God and accurately apply it to a given situation. Prophecy is operating when you have the right word to witness to someone or to instruct your children. Prophecy may take the form of teaching and preaching, or it may be as simple as having the right verse for a person in a time of need.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of prophecy. I pray that You would give me daily insight into Your Word. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew 24:11
“..and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

It seems like every time we turn on the news, we hear about global disasters, terrorism, and political unrest. The frequency of these events seems to be increasing at an unprecedented rate and that has led to a greater interest in the gift of prophecy.

Unfortunately, even some religious leaders are creating confusion by predicting the date of the end of the world. Never before have we needed to understand what the true gift of prophecy is and what it is not.

In Matthew 24, Jesus clearly states that no one can predict the hour or the day of His return and the end of the age. Only the Father knows the time. Therefore, anyone who says he knows the exact date of the end of the age is speaking contrary to God’s Word.

Although speaking about events in the future is related to the gift of prophecy, Christians must make sure that what they believe about prophecy lines up with God’s Word. The word prophecy is composed of two words that mean “forth” and “telling.” “Forth telling” is very different from foretelling or predicting the future.

Any Christian can speak forth what he knows to be true about the past, present, or future when his foundation for Truth is the Word of God—God’s revelation of Himself. In writing the Scriptures, God gave authority and inspiration through the Holy Spirit to a group of prophets and apostles to record His Truth as the Holy Word, and then He closed the book. No one can add or subtract from what God has included in His Word. The source of prophecy today is the Bible. Anyone who speaks anything that is inconsistent with the Truth expressed in His Word is not speaking for God.

Prayer: God, thank You for giving us Your Word as our source of guidance. Help me know Your Word well so that I will know when someone is speaking something that is not consistent with what You have said in Your Word. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 9:7
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Believers with the Holy Spirit gift of giving have learned that money is meant to be a servant and not a master. Gifted givers look at their money and seek ways to put that money to work to advance God’s Kingdom. They recognize that all of their assets are God’s, and not just the 10 percent given as the tithe. They understand that God is concerned with how we manage 100 percent of our resources.

In contrast, there are those who only want to give of their time or of themselves but want to hold onto their money. But it is by tangibly giving that we acknowledge that God owns everything and is the source of all provision. Givers know that gifts given to God are statements of praise for how God has provided in the past and a demonstration of unwavering faith that God will provide in the future. The psalmist declares, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25).

Givers also give in gratitude and thanksgiving that Christ died for us and redeemed us, providing us with eternal life and the Holy Spirit. Givers desire to bless God just as they have been blessed by Him.

If you have been gifted with giving by the Holy Spirit, give cheerfully knowing that the Lord is blessed by your use of this gift. Trust in Him and seek Him when making giving decisions. Remember, all Christians are called to be givers.

Prayer: Father, I pray that I would always be a cheerful giver. I know that You own everything and are the source of all that I need. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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Romans 12:6
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;

Romans 12:8
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Just as all believers exercise the gift of faith, we should all exercise the gift of giving—giving our time, talent, and treasures for the glory of God. There are some believers who are especially gifted by the Holy Spirit in the area of giving. These Christians are to give even more liberally. In fact, Romans 12.8 encourages those with the gift of giving to give generously.

Gifted givers should give freely and with no ulterior motives. Rather, they are compelled by the love of God to give. The Lord is blessed by their giving hearts and He knows that His work on earth will be blessed as He blesses these extraordinary givers.

A famous fundraiser once said that people give prompted by one of two motivations. guilt or public recognition. These motivations do not apply to Christian givers. Our guilt was removed permanently through Jesus’ blood on the Cross—never to dominate our lives again. Neither would truly gifted givers be motivated by public recognition. Christians would far rather give quietly knowing that their true reward and treasure is in heaven with Christ.

Prayer. God, thank You for changing my heart so that when I give it is not out of guilt or a desire to be noticed. Thank You that I am freed up to give because my desire is to lay up treasures in heaven, not here on earth. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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