AFTER MULTIPLE HEALTH STRUGGLES AND PERSONAL SETBACKS, MIKA DELA CRUZ SHARES WHY SHE BELIEVES SEEKING JESUS CHANGED HER LIFE,

Actress Mika Dela Cruz opened up about one of the most difficult seasons of her life and how her faith became a turning point during a time when several problems seemed to come one after another.

She recalled dealing with career uncertainty, learning difficulties, the loss of her father, financial setbacks from business, and multiple health concerns, including Hashimoto’s disease, liver related problems, hyperlipidemia, PCOS and gallstones.

During the same difficult period, Mika and Nash Aguas also went through a breakup. According to Mika, Nash encouraged her to stop centering her life around their relationship and instead seek Jesus.

One message stayed with her deeply:
“Alam mo gaano kasakit, yung sabihin sa taong mahal mo, na alam mong mahal ka rin, na wag kang mahalin. Mahalin mo si Jesus. Subukan mong i seek si Jesus.”

Mika said she eventually took that advice seriously and began intentionally seeking Jesus. For her, that became the beginning of a major change, not only spiritually, but also emotionally and physically.

She later returned for medical follow ups expecting another routine check. Mika said she was surprised when she received encouraging results, including a liver finding that was described as “internally resolved.” She also shared that some of the other health concerns she had been dealing with had improved.
In her latest post, Mika wrote:

“I will never forget this moment. I thought it was just another follow up check to monitor… wasn’t expecting to find out good news about my health status.”

She also expressed the belief that has become central to her testimony:
“Wala talagang sakit na hindi niya kayang palitan ng pagmamahal niya, na yun ang mag heal sayo.”

For Mika, the journey was never only about physical recovery. She says her faith helped restore her peace, change the direction of her life and give her what she now describes as a second chance filled with purpose and joy.
What began as one of the hardest chapters of her life became, for Mika, a testimony of faith, healing and restoration.

AFTER MULTIPLE HEALTH STRUGGLES AND PERSONAL SETBACKS, MIKA DELA CRUZ SHARES WHY SHE BELIEVES SEEKING JESUS CHANGED HER LIFE

Actress, Mika Dela Cruz opened up about one of the most difficult seasons of her life and how her faith became a turning point during a time when several problems seemed to come one after another.

She recalled dealing with career uncertainty, learning difficulties, the loss of her father, financial setbacks from business, and multiple health concerns, including Hashimoto’s disease, liver related problems, hyperlipidemia, PCOS and gallstones.

During the same difficult period, Mika and Nash Aguas also went through a breakup. According to Mika, Nash encouraged her to stop centering her life around their relationship and instead seek Jesus.

One message stayed with her deeply:
“Alam mo gaano kasakit, yung sabihin sa taong mahal mo, na alam mong mahal ka rin, na wag kang mahalin. Mahalin mo si Jesus. Subukan mong i seek si Jesus.”

Mika said she eventually took that advice seriously and began intentionally seeking Jesus. For her, that became the beginning of a major change, not only spiritually, but also emotionally and physically.

She later returned for medical follow ups expecting another routine check. Mika said she was surprised when she received encouraging results, including a liver finding that was described as “internally resolved.” She also shared that some of the other health concerns she had been dealing with had improved.
In her latest post, Mika wrote:

“I will never forget this moment. I thought it was just another follow up check to monitor… wasn’t expecting to find out good news about my health status.”

She also expressed the belief that has become central to her testimony:
“Wala talagang sakit na hindi niya kayang palitan ng pagmamahal niya, na yun ang mag heal sayo.”

For Mika, the journey was never only about physical recovery. She says her faith helped restore her peace, change the direction of her life and give her what she now describes as a second chance filled with purpose and joy.
What began as one of the hardest chapters of her life became, for Mika, a testimony of faith, healing and restoration.

- Philippines

THURSDAY 20TH AUGUST 2026

Topic: You Are Not Behind

Bible Reference

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10 (NLT)

A Short Story

Samuel was twenty seven, and he had started wondering whether he was already too late.

Some of his friends had built successful businesses. Others had secured good jobs, bought cars, travelled to different countries, or started families. Whenever he opened social media, it seemed as though everyone was moving forward except him.

Samuel had a small business that was barely growing. He was also learning a new skill, but the progress felt painfully slow.

One afternoon, he sat with a friend and said, “I think I have wasted too much time. Maybe I should have achieved more by now.”

His friend looked at him and asked, “Who told you that your life must follow their timetable?”

Samuel became quiet.

He realized that most of his frustration was not coming from his actual situation. It was coming from constantly comparing his journey with other people's journeys.

That evening, he returned home and looked at the small notebook where he had written his goals months earlier. He noticed something he had forgotten.

He had actually made progress.

It was not dramatic. It was not something he could proudly display on social media. But he had learned new skills, become more disciplined, grown spiritually, and taken steps he had once been afraid to take.

For the first time in a long while, Samuel thanked God for the little he had.

He decided that instead of spending his energy asking why he was not where someone else was, he would focus on becoming faithful with where God had placed him.

Today's Message

Comparison can make you despise your own journey.

You look at someone else's finished product and compare it with your beginning. You see their achievement but do not see the years of preparation, sacrifice, failure, and waiting behind it.

God does not measure your life by another person's timeline.

The Bible tells us not to despise small beginnings. Something may look small today and still become significant tomorrow.

Do not be ashamed of starting small. Do not be discouraged because your progress is not yet visible to everyone.

Your responsibility is to be faithful with what God has placed in your hands today.

You are not behind simply because someone else arrived before you.

Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep praying. Keep working. Keep trusting God.

Your journey is your journey.

What To Do Today

1. Stop comparing your progress with what you see on social media.

2. Write down three areas where you have genuinely grown.

3. Identify one small step you can take toward your goal today.

4. Thank God for where you are while trusting Him for where you are going.

Prayer

Lord, deliver me from the pressure of comparison. Help me to appreciate my journey and remain faithful in small beginnings. Give me patience, discipline, and confidence to keep moving forward with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Daily Challenge

Write down three things you have accomplished or improved in the past year, no matter how small they may seem. Thank God for each one.

Anthony Ijere
Christian Author and Revivalist

https://chat.whatsapp.com/BDs9qaNMQumKTicv7uU7SJ?s=cl&p=a&mlu=0&ilr=0

https://t.me/anthonyijere

This week, we’re learning something really important — God speaks through wise people. Sometimes God uses parents, pastors, teachers, or even good friends to help us see what’s right. Wise people help us make smart choices, stay safe, and follow God’s plan for our lives.
You know what I’ve learned? When someone shares something that’s really from God, it brings a quiet peace inside — like a warm light turning on. But when something isn’t from God, it just feels… off. Kind of like a flashlight with the wrong battery. Today we’re going to learn how to tell the difference and how God uses ordinary people to do amazing things.

https://www.professorandfriends.com/

You know, when you get older, people start giving you a lot of advice — teachers, parents, coaches, friends, even random people online. Some of it’s helpful, some of it’s confusing, and some of it feels totally wrong. I’ve had moments where someone said something “spiritual” to me, and honestly, it didn’t sit right at all. It felt off, like a warning light inside.
But I’ve also had people speak into my life in a way that brought clarity, peace, and direction — and later I realized God was using them to guide me. That’s what today is all about: learning how God speaks through wise people, and how to tell the difference between real wisdom and noise.
High school is full of choices — relationships, future plans, friendships, identity, pressure — and God doesn’t expect you to figure it all out alone. He puts wise voices around you to help you see clearly, stay grounded, and grow. The trick is learning how to recognize those voices and test what you hear.

https://professorwhoopieteen.weebly.com/

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Back to School at Antioch Christian Academy & Preschool

A new school year means new opportunities to grow in faith, in learning, and in community. At Antioch, we partner with families to provide a Christ-centered program of excellence that nurtures every student spiritually, academically, and socially.

Parents: What’s one thing you’re most excited for your child to experience this school year?

Discover our programs & enroll online today: www.antiochokc.org

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Wednesday Encouragement — Thankful for His Faithfulness

Blessings, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

As we reach the midpoint of another week, let us pause from our responsibilities and concerns and simply say, Thank You, Lord.

There is so much for which we can give thanks. Our sovereign God has sustained us, provided for our needs, answered prayers according to His perfect will, and granted us blessings that we sometimes overlook in the busyness of everyday life.

But today I am especially thankful that God continues to keep the Gospel flowing.

The world may be troubled, governments may change, economies may struggle, and opposition to biblical truth may increase, but none of these things can stop the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Across nations and cultures, God’s Word continues to be proclaimed. Churches are being established, pastors are preaching, believers are being discipled, children are learning Scripture, families are being encouraged, and precious souls are hearing about salvation through Jesus Christ.

What a privilege that our Lord allows us to participate in His work!

We must always remember that this ministry belongs to Him. Every open door, every person reached, every church strengthened, and every life transformed is evidence of His grace—not our accomplishments.

Paul reminds us:

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” — 1 Corinthians 3:6

We plant.
We water.
We pray.
We give.
We serve.
But God gives the increase.

So today, rather than concentrating upon everything that is wrong with the world, let us rejoice in what our sovereign God is doing within it.

Let us thank Him for every person who faithfully prays for this ministry, every supporter who sacrificially gives, every pastor who courageously proclaims His Word, and every believer who quietly serves Christ where God has placed them.

And let us pray that the Gospel will continue flowing into homes, villages, communities, and nations until countless more hear the wonderful truth that Jesus Christ saves.

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” — Psalm 107:1

May gratitude fill our hearts today, and may we never cease giving glory to the One who makes all things possible.

Serving Christ Together for His Glory Alone.

Soli Deo Gloria.

Acts 26:

"1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar."