The Chronicles of Northside

Today’s Message in a Nutshell–“From Theocracy to Monarchy”, a study of 1 Samuel The book of 1 Samuel takes us from the birth of Samuel, the last and greatest judge of Israel, to the anointing of Israel’s most beloved king, David. We find in this book a transition from “theocracy to monarchy” as God’s people chose to be “like all the nations” by demanding that a human king rule over them (1 Samuel 8:5), an outright rejection of the King of kings who had led them from Egypt to the Promised Land. Sadly, a number of believers today follow the error of God’s people in Samuel’s time. We reject God’s rule over us.  Rather than following God’s way, we instead embrace the ways of the world. The Scriptures, therefore, remind us to not love this world (1 John 2:15-17) or be conformed to it (Romans 12:1-2).  Rather, we should “set our affections on things above” (See Colossians 3). We also find in 1 Samuel repeated portraits of individuals who had a good beginning but a sad ending.  Eli...

Sunday Worship Message in a Nutshell: “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence” (Ruth 3:11, NASB). This outstanding commendation was given to Ruth the Moabite. This attention given to her character, her “inner beauty,” stands in stark contrast to the world’s focus on physical beauty, evidenced by Hollywood celebrities and today’s multi-billion dollar cosmetic business. Though it is not wrong to be physically handsome or beautiful, as Scriptures speak of such beauties as Sarah and Queen Esther, the problem begins when outward appearance becomes our pursuit. May we not be swayed by the world’s perspective; instead, may our pursuit be Christ—to be more like him (Romans 8:29). Through her character, Ruth demonstrates to us the importance of inner beauty—that which comes from a heart transformed by and in submission to God. Praises: What a blessing to celebrate the 15th birthday of on...

“…. and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). The book of Judges paints a sad picture of what happened to Israel after Joshua died. The generation that followed him and the elders who witnessed God’s great act of redemption did not know the Lord.  “[E]very man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25). Israel’s moral decline and sin of spiritual adultery proves more than just a repeating cycle; it was a cycle that spiraled downward. In fact, even the majority of the judges (“deliverers”) lived questionable lives ( An Introduction to the Old Testament, Dillard and Longman, 125). Still, we see God’s gracious act of deliverance in response to the people’s cry for mercy. Note: It only took one generation for Israel to forget the true God.  Let us learn from the book of Judges.  Let us not forsake the study of the Word of God and the fellowship with believers. Let us be intent...

After giving an overview of the book of Joshua, Pastor Sidney focused on chapter one. Two questions he posed remain in my mind: (1) “What is ‘success?'” and (2) “Who is your ‘God?'” Think about it: your definition of “success” can actually reveal who your “God” is.  For example, if “success” to you means being wealthy, then your pursuit of riches reveals that money is your “god.” In Joshua 1, we are reminded that true success is in knowing and obeying the Word of God (Joshua 1:8).  Joshua himself challenged the Israelites to choose whom they will serve (Joshua 24:15).  Just remember: “Our woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and things were allowed to enter. Within the human heart things have taken over.  Men have now by nature no peace within their hearts, for God is crowned there no longer, but there in the moral dusk, stubborn and aggressive usurpers fight among themselves fo...

In answer to a lawyer’s question concerning the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus said,  “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’  This is the great and   foremost commandment.   The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’  On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). These words by our Lord Jesus remind us of what we should truly value– our relationship with God and the relationships we have with others.  This Thanksgiving, why not set aside some special time to give God thanks for who He is, what He has done and what He continues to do in your life? After time with the Lord, go and express your gratitude to others. Let us not take each other for granted. Do take time to say, “Thank you.” On that note, we thank the LORD for He is good, faithful and longsuffering. We thank Him for His grace in having saved and called us ...

“What if you only had a few weeks to live? What would you do?” This was my opening question today, a question that created a moment of deep thought among the people. In the book of Deuteronomy, we find Moses, God’s great prophet, who knows of his impending death. After decades of wandering in the wilderness, the people he had led under God is finally ready to enter the promised land, the land that he himself will not be allowed to enter.  What did Moses do in his last days? Scripture says that “Moses undertook to expound this law” (emphasis mine, meaning “all that the LORD had commanded him to give to them” (Deut. 1:3b)) Deut. 1:5. What Moses did during his last days demonstrates what was important in his life– God, His Word, and His people.  How about you? What is important to you? I pray that we will daily search the Word so that we will know, indeed, the true treasures of life.  Life is short. There is eternity to think about. Death i...

Have you ever prayed, “Thank you, Lord, for this food,” and then later complain about it? Have you ever praised God one day and then doubt Him the next? In the book of Numbers, we find the Israelites complain time and time again, doubting God and His promises, even though they had repeatedly witnessed His miracles, provision and faithfulness.  We say to ourselves, “What rebellious hearts!” But aren’t we guilty, too? How often have we found ourselves complaining about our situation? How often have we found ourselves doubting God? When was the last time you ate your food, after giving thanks, without complaining about it? This morning at Northside Harvest, God’s Word reminded us of the need to be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus (I Thessalonians 5:18).  What a faithful God we serve; and, we thank Him today for those who, from Sunday to Sunday, have been faithfully coming… Till next time, please be ...

November 1st is a special day, and here’s Kathleen who will “tell” you all about it through song! During our worship today, Kathleen sat quietly (for a few minutes) on the first row, which was quite a feat for a toddler.  Three of the four families who regularly attend were present (not counting ourselves and my parents-in-law), and we praise the Lord! Please pray that these families will commit themselves to the Lord and decide to become members.  One of these regular attendees actually asked for a pew Bible to read during the week! The message today focused on the Holiness of God and His call to holy living. We went through the different sacrifices and offerings, making clear that man cannot approach God on man’s terms.  Man must approach God according to God’s way– and that one exclusive way is through “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Please continue to pray for us as we seek the Lord’s wisdom and...

Before I begin “Once upon a Box,” let me first give a brief glimpse into this morning’s message.  In a world that would have us believe that truth is a matter of opinion, the Word of God makes clear that absolute truth exists. In Exodus 20, God Himself spoke saying, “I am the LORD” (and over and over in Scripture, we read, “there is no other”!); then, God gives His commandments. These laws actually show man’s sinfulness. Paul explains this fact to Timothy–“that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are…sinners” (I Tim.1:9ff). Paul himself testified of God’s mercy, saying “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life” (I Tim. 1:15-16).  Read Exodus 20 again and...

We were eating supper when our hearts were uplifted with our toddler’s rendition of “God can do anything.” Our little Kathleen has apparently learned the song from our worship service on Sundays!  Yesterday, we were 11 all in all. Before the service began, we passed out invitations to coffee drinkers at Peet’s and grocery shoppers at Safeway. We are still working on remaining documents we need but with liability insurance, we are now permitted under our Use Permit from the City of Milpitas to “go public.”  We are now planning ways on how to reach out to the community to bring worshippers to our Lord. On our own, we know we are sure to fail; but with God, we know nothing is impossible.  Saturday night, I received a call from Chaplain Dr. John Murdoch, who not only provided me with needed counsel for my Chaplaincy training but interceded for me and my family and the church work the Lord has entrusted to us. How truly encouraged I was and challenged by t...

“Going Public?” What does this mean? You’ll just have to check back when this event finally takes place (very soon, Lord willing). In the Lord, despite the trials of life, we always have cause for rejoicing. Indeed, it is through the hardships that we have the awesome opportunity to see the mighty hand of God at work! We were 11 in attendance this Sunday, with Kathleen being the only child– but that didn’t stop her from celebrating the day (She was thrilled over the “happy face” cookie she was given and she “worked” on it the whole time her Daddy was preaching)! The preaching continued on Genesis, generally on the Patriachs; and, particularly on the life of Abraham. I can best sum it up by quoting A.W. Tozer: “that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man….(John 6:44), and it is by this prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming” (The Pursuit of God, ...

An article posted by GARBC and the Baptist Bulletin . Click on “Best Way to Lose Church Members.” You will then be able to click on the photograph, which will take you to the article.

This first Sunday of October, we were blessed with the presence of dear friends we have not seen for some time, a Christian couple who continue to be an encouragement to us. We praise the Lord for a total attendance of 14 this morning, with families who have repeatedly blessed us with their continued attendance… We were blessed even more when we heard news from Pastor Shaw of the number of visitors who came to Sunrise Valley’s worship today; and also, for 12 new NASB Bibles being given by our Sending Church family for Northside Harvest’s use! Here’s a flower offering from a sweet couple who has hundreds of kinds of roses in their home! We praise the Lord for the wonderful ways through which He provides!   Here’s a picture after the Service. The message was on Cain & Abel, the Flood and the Beginning of the Nations; specifically, the theme of man’s sinful heart and of God’s holiness which requires the judgment of sin. Indeed, in today...

This morning, we had a hard time finding a parking space. The lot was full! Sadly, folks were there for another event–and we could not help but whisper a prayer to the Lord that these men and women would come to know and worship the Lord! Please pray with us as we process and wait for other documents we need to be able to open our worship venue to the general public.  We look forward to the Lord’s perfect timing and provision. Presently, working full time as a chaplain intern in San Francisco has challenged both me and my wife in strength and stamina; but by God’s grace and Sovereignty, through my workplace, I am growing in my understanding of various cultures and beliefs representative of the people in the communities we are aiming to reach. Today, as we began our service, we could not help but feel the emptiness of the room; but, shortly after the opening prayer, there were 16 of us gathered–all repeat attendees.  We do praise the Lord for each one of these whom the Lord has...

A Video by Kathleen’s Grandma Ampy

Kimyal New Testament launch in Indonesia from United Bible Societies on Vimeo . My family and I, together with my wife’s parents, were encouraged today to have repeat attendees, save for one visitor.  In sum, we were 12 in number.  The family who has come since the first Sunday were recently saved in our Bible Study sessions in their home; and, our hearts do rejoice in the Lord! Please pray for their continued growth and discipleship and for the other repeat visitors — that we may be given the opportunity to lead them to and/or disciple them in the Lord.  We have been asking our heavenly Father for a core group of believers; and so, the repeat attendees today were a tremendous encouragement. The message today was on Psalm 19 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  As an introduction to our “Through the Bible” series, we surveyed the unique characteristics of the Bible and its power. We also had the opportunity to see the presentation of the New Testament to an Indonesian peopl...

Today, Saturday, 9/17/2011, lunch for our family was out of the ordinary.  We were full-y encouraged, to say the least… We met for the first time Sir John and Ma’m Daria Greening and were glad to once again fellowship with Pastor Ron and Ma’m Judy (You can click on their names to get to know them, too!) . . . In the ministry, a pastor is necessarily engaged in the ministry of listening to and carrying the burdens of others. It is therefore an encouragement to be able to be in fellowship with Christian leaders who, as servants of Christ, make it a point to humbly listen and share in the burden of a fellow worker in the Lord… Today, among other things, we have also placed into our family’s “treasure chest” the testimony of a child of God whose life was shaped and sharpened by his father’s taking the time to read a chapter from the book of Proverbs daily before he would leave for school.  Indeed, if we desire to help our children develop vi...

Today we experienced once again the goodness of our Lord — that He is indeed the Lord of the Harvest. By the time our worship began, our number matched last week’s attendance of 22.  However, this Sunday, 11 were 1st-time visitors and 5 were from a newly-saved family who returned from last Sunday (more photos below)! The remaining 6 consisted of my family and I, together with Anna’s parents and nephew. After the service, one visiting couple even treated us to lunch and what a treat it was to be able to talk more about the Lord and His Word.  Please pray for this precious couple and the others who visited. The message was on Luke 24:13-27 entitled, “Remembering 9/11: What We Can Learn from God’s Word.”  As we journeyed with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, we saw how Jesus had turned their despair into hope. The resurrected Christ, “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, [ ] explained to them the things concerning Himself in all ...

How we praise the Lord for each of you who prayed for Northside Harvest’s 1st Worship Service.  T he Lord blessed with three unchurched families. For this reason, Pastor Sidney preached the Gospel Message. Two of those unchurched families expressed to us that they will come back next week; so, please continue to pray…. Also, to our surprise, after my wife’s parents arrived, two Christian families also came to encourage and to express their support for the new work. All in all, 22 of us were gathered today for the 1st Worship Service of Northside Harvest.   How we greatly praise the Lord for Who He is and how He has answered the prayers of His people. Again, to each of you who have supported us in prayer, we extend, from our hearts, our gratitude. The Lord bless each of you and to God be the glory!   Above are the 21 + Anna taking the picture = 22 🙂   On a Side Note: Saturday evening before Northside Harvest’s 1st Worship Service, our family van was loaded with t...

Tuesday, August 30, we asked Mr. and Mrs. Greening for prayer for our first worship service. We are indeed grateful to their response. Not only are they praying but have posted the prayer request on the website of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches so that others too, may include us in their prayers. We do thank and praise the Lord! The following entry was posted [on the GARBC Website ] on Wednesday, August 31st, 2011 at 11:26 am and is filed under GARBCnews, PrayerLink. Prayer Request: First Worship Service A prayer request from Sidney Capillas, pastor of Northside Harvest Baptist Church, church plant of Sunrise Baptist Church, Ron Shaw, pastor: “I would appreciate your prayers for the first worship service of the new church planting ministry that my wife, Anna, and I are starting in the North San Jose and Milpitas, California area, namely Northside Harvest Baptist Church. Please help us pray that the people whom we have invited will all come. Some have already indic...