Restoration 2022

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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Prayer by Gem Castor

Gem Castor

He is Faithful

Peace in the Storm

Give Him Praise

For His Glory

Sunday Morning Devotional

Gentle Healer

Relentless Pursuit

From Garbage to Gold

Greater Works Than This

Give Him Back His Throne

How Big is God

I pray that this little sharing this morning will be an inspiration to us that even though things don't go our way we know for a fact that there is 1 behind the scene who's still in control.

And even the saddest situation is actually setting up to see a clearer picture of who God is.

So friends, I know that we have prayed a while ago but I'll ask once again only for those who are able for those who has food in your lap stay where you're at But let's let's kneel down for the prayer Let us pray Our great God our dear loving Heavenly Father Lord I praise and I thank you that we could come to you.

There's no limit Lord on how Often we could come to you and there's no limit on how near we could draw to you If father we praise and we thank you that for that's past 2 days you have shown us who you are but Lord we desire More of you and Lord I ask in a very special way that as we begin this this afternoon stop May we never forget the beautiful promise that were 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name there you are in the midst of us.

So Lord I pray that may you fill us with your spirit for we ask all this in the loving and precious name of your son Jesus all your children say amen.

So friends when people ask me about my name and they hear the name Jem the first reaction was oh you are really a Jem you are that's really a special special name Some people say amen but actually you know what, I did not think at first that it was special.

I'm the youngest and then again people will think oh you're the youngest you're the spoiled brat.

Oh actually opposite of being a spoiled brat.

Friends our family our parents were planning for 4 kids.

And they tell me so you're the oops baby.

So from the very beginning friends I did not feel really that I was I was special.

I did not feel that I was part of the plan and even the name Jem, the sequence of our of our siblings it's boy girl boy girl boy So they're expecting a girl My name was supposed to be Gemini But my mom was too tired of looking for another name.

So they just got half of my name That's why it's called Gem So when people say that's so special, I say no no no you just don't know the background of it.

And friends at first I was even my name did not really speak to me.

1 of my biggest insecurities is when I look at my pad paper.

When I write my name there's a lot of blank space.

I envy my friends who have like 2 or 3 names and why is my name only 3 letters and that short?

Friends, I did not realize that that God was setting something up.

Friends, a little background about my mom.

She's the eldest of 7 and her parents were having a lot of vices in their lives.

And when she got converted to the church, friends, she brought her siblings, some of her siblings joined.

And every person who comes to our house, she has this burden to give them The Bible study.

And I remember when kids back home, when they scare 1 another, they don't shout the police or a ghost.

They shout my mom's name and the kids are screaming back home.

She might be feared, but she's also respected by the people around us because every time they needed something they knock at my mom's door and my mom always helps out.

If she will not be able to help out herself she'll rally the neighbors.

For example there's someone who's sick and the person is about to die.

She said, you will contribute when this person dies.

Contribute right now while the person is still alive.

My mom has a tough and rough upbringing so her language of love is not a sweet type of love like hey I love you no I have not heard my mom said I love you She shows her love through the services that she gives.

So she will work hard so that her kids will go to school.

Friends, all of us went to school except 1.

It was his choice because he was already involved in the business.

And seeing how our mom worked, my dear friends, I have nothing to complain.

So that's 1 thing I'd like to establish right now as I share my testimony.

I love my mom and I would not be here right now.

I would not be a missionary if not for the influence of my mom.

And she even raised our church in the best way that she thinks she could.

And I remember little background friends.

When she was on fire for the Lord She will go to our neighbors and our neighbors Remember, they they kind of respect and fear her They will play like Like this mahjong.

This is like a Chinese gambling type of thing and my mother will bring her Bible and will place the Bible on the table said stop this nonsense let's talk about your salvation and friends you know what Of course the people will not say otherwise.

They will listen and after the Bible study she'll ask, did you like it?

She goes to their house, knock on their doors and said open up I know you're here all your slippers are outside.

She'll not open, she'll go the back door.

She will look under the beds, inside the closet and the people who got Whom she has raided will tell me this later on 1 of them said Jim.

I'll wrap myself in the in the mat like We call that banig and then they'll wrap themselves And my mom will go and push everything they could not hide from my mom.

Friends, that family became the first convert of our church.

But 1 thing that I've noticed growing up is that I did not have special attention from my mom.

And Growing up, when you're a kid, birthdays are very important, isn't it?

Friends, like 3 to 4 birthdays of mine have been forgotten.

It breaks my little heart like They will not remember my birthday because my birthday is December 13.

They will remember my birthday when it's my dad's birthday.

So many times they forgot about it and I will just be like being emotional in the corner.

And friends, even graduation, my high school graduation, my mom did not show up.

My mom did not show up and I was wondering at first why.

And I guess the Lord somehow blocked my memories of my past hurts before.

Friends at the age of 7, at the age of 7, remember we are siblings of 6 and we have like cousins living with us like 4 cousins and there are some times that they'll be missing missing stuff inside the house especially money and and they will ask for people who took it I'm the smallest in the house and they'll ask me did you take it and said no.

Be honest did you take it at the age of 7 said no.

I said no it wasn't me and the more the more they come at me the more I get afraid and the more I shake the more I look guilty and friends at that early age I was pressured to admit something that I did not do And then you know back home there's no there's no rights of a child during my time.

We do not spare the belt, we do not spare the rod.

I will receive like really painful beatings from the belt and I it will not stop until my statement will change.

So I said to them okay okay I took it and they said so what what did you do with the money?

At an early age, I would somehow be pressured to create something, to somehow make up something.

So friends, I will make up a story and then the beating will stop.

Series

Prayer by Gem Castor

From Garbage to Gold

Transcript

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Personal Testimony: From Islam To Adventism

1h 19m

Prayer by Gem Castor

Relentless Pursuit

53m

Dealing with Depression, Anxiety, and Discouragement

1h 7m

Prayer by Gem Castor

Peace in the Storm

52m

Christian Cult, Love Triangle, and Art School: My Story

58m

Babylon, America, and Bible Prophecy

04 Salvation Through the Sanctuary

1h 18m

Prayer by Gem Castor

Sunday Morning Devotional

28m

Plenary Sessions

God Invented Sex

1h 34m

Healing of a Broken Heart

57m

AMEN 2009 Plenary Sessions

Old Things Have Become New

45m

There IS a God in Heaven

38m

A Call to Revival

When You Lose Your First Love

1h 15m

Sound Doctrine