SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILY DAY on Sept. 5, Saturday at 9:30 am here at CCD — Inviting all Sunday School kids and parents to come! This is a potluck affair!
Please pray for our upcoming MISSIONS TRAINING COURSE in KAIROS starting September 19. If you’re interested in Missions, then join this training. Details will be further announced
It was overwhelming…the adulation, the outpouring of love, the tear-jerker eulogies given to the late president Corazon Aquino during her funeral service. I’m sure many of us were glued to our television that day watching history unfold before our very eyes. She was greatly loved indeed. I remember being among those who fought the dictator during the Edsa Revolution, so I could say I’ve been a part of that historic event. Now the icon of Philippine democracy is gone.
Beloved, beyond the eulogies, the flowers, and the crowd it’s still God’s Word that has the final say. That apart from Christ there is no salvation…
But just as I was teary-eyed, clearly touched by the show of love to her and by just her passing away, I grieved too. But this time it’s a different kind of grief. It’s spiritual in nature. It’s “beyond the grave” kind of a grief. My spirit grieves for our country still so bound by religious blindness! Those who watched the coverage have seen the obvious and dominant Catholic pagan practices and beliefs – Mary, rosary, praying for the repose of Cory’s soul, she watching and listening from above, etc…Such superstition! You rarely hear the name of Jesus mentioned! Oh, Lord have mercy on us!
Beloved, beyond the eulogies, the flowers, and the crowd it’s still God’s Word that has the final say. That apart from Christ there is no salvation. It’s by grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone! This may not be what the crowd shouts about, definitely not a popular slogan but it is the truth! What I realized is that indeed there are still so many things to be done, even here in our own country. Don’t take your eyes off of the harvest precious people.
You see, when I saw the multitude of people willing to wait for the vehicle carrying the remains of Cory pass by for hours, and under the rain, I said to myself, “Wow. What love, what dedication, what commitment to one who’s already dead!” But then it hit me. Imagine if all followers of Christ would display and demonstrate the same, and even more, love, dedication and commitment to the One who was dead and is alive forever more, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior — our nation will be never be the same again!
But we live for that which has value in this life and the life to come – the gospel of Jesus Christ! Live for what matters…
Time to wake up people of God! Those who are asleep wake up! People live and die for a cause that will not count for eternity. Ultimately they will find out it’s a lost cause indeed…and they are lost forever in deepest darkness. But we live for that which has value in this life and the life to come – the gospel of Jesus Christ! Live for what matters. Don’t waste your life for that which will rob you of Christ’s life in you. May we, like Paul can say, “TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN!”
A father wanted to read a magazine, but was being pestered by his daughter. To keep her busy, he tore a sheet out of the magazine that had a picture of the world printed on it. He tore the picture into small pieces and said “Here, now go into the other room and see if you can put this picture of the world back together again.”
A few minutes goes by and he daughter appears in the room and hands him the picture all correctly fitted together.
The father was surprised and ask her how she was able to fit all those little pieces of the world back together again so quickly.
“Oh..” she said, “On the other side of the paper was a picture of Jesus and once I got Jesus in the right place, then the world came out alright.”
Keep Jesus Christ at the center of your life!
REMINDER TO ALL MINISTRY LEADERS—deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2010 budget will be on Sept. 6.
CHOIR PRACTICE resumes in September.
SUNDAY SCHOOL FAMILY DAY on Sept. 5, Saturday at 9:30 am here at CCD — Inviting all Sunday School kids and parents to come! This is a potluck affair!
Please pray also for our DIPOLOG PRAISE & WORSHIP SEMINAR and NIGHT OF PSALMS on Aug. 29-30.
To culminate our MISSIONS MONTH, next Sunday is NIGHT OF PSALMS/PRAYER FOR THE NATIONS – 6:30 pm @ CCD
Years ago I found myself sitting in a hotel room on the 11th floor, early in the morning, sleepily watching and just observing everything I see through the wide window glass. It was still quiet until the sun begins to rise and the streets begin to be filled up with people from all walks of life going to different directions…then cars, jeepneys, pedicabs start to join in signaling another start of a new busy day. Think about it. If you were to do a little fun research to discover the sheer quantity of activities that happen each day, you’d be amazed. Consider, for example, the number of cups of coffee consumed, the number of babies born, the number of people who take a taxi, go to the grocery, go to work, watch prime-time television, ride on an airplane, and go to school.
The problem is it’s easy to get selfishly swept up in the whirlwind of our own little world…
So what? That’s trivia, right? When you multiply all those things by 365, you get the general idea that there’s a fair amount of energy, money, activity, and trauma going on in a year’s time. And that’s just here in the Philippines—representing only a portion of the world’s population. We may not be big, but we’re busy. The problem is it’s easy to get selfishly swept up in the whirlwind of our own little world. Every so often it’s helpful to stop the annual merry-go-round, get off, look objectively, and think clearly. It’s not only helpful, it’s essential for the Christian. We tend to be deafened by the blare of our own cry for more stuff and blinded by the lights of our own importance.
That needs to change. We need to hear the voice of the Lord of the Harvest as He raises His hand to say: “We interrupt this program to bring all of you a reminder that the world in which you live is not the whole world . . . but only a very small part of the world for which I died.” The Great Commission is still “the Great Commission.” Jesus still looks out across a wide world and weeps over men and women and children who do not know—have never heard—His healing, life-giving Name.
Jesus still looks out across a wide world and weeps over men and women and children who do not know—have never heard—His healing, life-giving Name…
Can you feel His pain? What could you do this week to reach farther, see wider, feel deeper? What could help you kindle a greater understanding, perspective, and compassion for this vast hurting world of ours? Taking a missionary out for coffee? Reading—really absorbing—a good missions magazine? Writing a letter to some battle-weary missions veteran in the trenches of a distant country? Making friends with a lonely international student? Praying that the Lord would give you an opportunity to serve Him in a cross-cultural experience—even for one year? Sound risky? Maybe. But I’ve got a hunch that when the score is added up one day as we stand before our Lord, many of us will wish we’d played a lot more Risk . . . and a lot less Trivial Pursuit!
An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for the gifts to be ministered either way…
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph.4:16) – Last Sunday was an awesome sight to me. Coming together as one family worshiping Jesus together. How God has indeed increased our numbers. But more than numbers I pray that everyone will continue to grow in quality. And this cannot happen without each other. It’s the “joints and ligaments” that connect us with other parts of the Body as we rub up against each other and lean on each other and cooperate with each other. These supporting ligaments refer to the times we study God’s Word together and when we serve together side by side. It is these joints in the body that keep all the parts of the Body interdependent on each other.
I can’t imagine a body without any joints, can you? Without the joints, we’d be a sorry dislocated mess! We need those connection points of fellowship in order to grow in Christ in love. It has been discovered that isolated, unloved babies do not grow properly and are especially susceptible to disease, while babies who are loved and handled grow normally and are stronger. SO it is with the children of God. An isolated Christian cannot minister to others, nor can others minister to him, and it is impossible for the gifts to be ministered either way. Some of us need to make that decision to get more closely connected in fellowship with other members of the Body today.
The body grows as each part of the body does its work. One part stops working and the whole body is affected. When a cell in the body revolts and stops functioning and starts attacking its own, the body becomes sick. So does in the local church. Your inactivity affects the whole church. Oh yes we can still function, we can still move forward, but may not be as effective as when everybody does its part. Instead of a blessing one may become a burden. Instead of being part of the solution one becomes the problem! But as each part of the local Body of Christ uses his or her spiritual gift to serve in a ministry, the result is that the church grows and becomes healthy — but only as each part does its work. Some of us need to make that decision to be willing to do our part of the ministry, starting today.
Christ wants you to do in His Body exactly what He’s made you to do…
There are no unnecessary parts in the Body of Christ! There are no little people in the family of God. Even if you think of yourself as just a big toenail, just imagine how it would hurt the whole Body if you became ingrown! If you are a true Christian, Christ declares you to be a valuable and needed part of this church. You are a specialized part. No one else can do what you can do as well as you can do it. You cannot be replaced with a substitute part any more than a surgeon can replace a defective stomach with a pair of lungs. Christ wants you to do in His Body exactly what He’s made you to do because you, as an individual, really do count.
God stimulates us to grow through the process of giving each one of us a ministry, a ministry that forces us to learn and stretch and grow up. It’s a good plan. Our Heavenly Father thought it up. It’s God’s healthy plan for a healthy church.
AUGUST IS MISSIONS MONTH! Please take note of our schedule:
Aug. 30—Night of Psalms/Prayer for the Nations
AUGUST IS MISSIONS MONTH! Please take note of our schedule:
Aug. 22—Cultural Night 5:00 pm—8:00 pm @ CCD
Those who wish to bring food for sale during the Cultural Missions Dinner, please approach the Missions table at the back.
But missions didn’t begin with the Great Commission. Missions began with God. It first beat in His heart…
Usually, when we think of missions we think of the Great Commission. But missions didn’t begin with the Great Commission. Missions began with God. It first beat in His heart before it was ever breathed as the life sustaining force into His church. Our God is missions-minded. If He were not, there would be no Christian mission. The Gospel He has given us is a missions message. If it could not save every sinner, there would be no reason to take it to every nation. And the Great Commission is a missions mandate. It identifies the local church as the center for world evangelism.
A strong missions program rests on these three foundations:
I. A Compassionate God. That God so loved the world…(John 3:16John 3:16
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16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
WP-Bible plugin). It is an extravagant love. It is a love so infinite that it is everlasting (Jer. 31:3Jer. 31:3
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3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. of...: Heb. from afar with lovingkindness...: have I extended lovingkindness unto thee
WP-Bible plugin). It is a love so incomprehensible that it passes knowledge (Eph. 3:19Eph. 3:19
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19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
WP-Bible plugin). It is a love so indiscriminate that it would be given to the least worthy, sinners (Rom. 5:8Rom. 5:8
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8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
WP-Bible plugin). It is exhaustive – it’s for “the world”. God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:92 Peter 3:9
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9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
WP-Bible plugin). It is expressive – “He gave His Son.” He promised a Savior to deal with the problem of sin (Gen. 3:15Gen. 3:15
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15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
WP-Bible plugin). And then He came. He died. He rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-41 Cor. 15:3-4
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3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
WP-Bible plugin). To the everlasting praise of God, salvation is now offered on the sole condition of faith in the finished work of Christ upon Calvary.
II. A Compelling Message – In Romans 1:14-16Romans 1:14-16
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14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
WP-Bible plugin, Paul declares that he is indebted to God to give the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Having heard the greatest message in the world, he was compelled to share it with whomever he could. So great was this sense of obligation that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:161 Corinthians 9:16
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16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
WP-Bible plugin, “ Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!!” It is a distinct message. Every major religion relies upon performance for salvation. Hinduism preaches a fourfold path to salvation. Buddhism leads its followers down an eightfold path to salvation. The salvation offered by Islam rests upon Five Pillars. In Catholicism, salvation is gained through fulfilling five sacraments. But the Gospel centers upon a Person for salvation…Jesus Christ! (John 14:6John 14:6
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6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
WP-Bible plugin). Peter declared, “There is none other name …whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12Acts 4:12
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12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
WP-Bible plugin). The Gospel finds its source, content, and meaning in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, there is no salvation. Other messages tell men what they must DO to be saved; the Gospel tells men what has been DONE to save them.
No one is exempted from the responsibility to evangelize the lost. Christ’s command means that you are either sent or you send…
III. A Commissioned Church – (Mark 16:15Mark 16:15
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15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
WP-Bible plugin) Every member involved. Missions is imperative - “Go”. Multitudes are born and die whether or not anyone is prepared to reach them. Missions is inclusive. “You.” No one is exempted from the responsibility to evangelize the lost. Christ’s command means that you are either sent or you send, but you cannot remain uninvolved and be obedient to Jesus Christ.
Where do you stand today? Are you involved? If not, what’s your excuse?
REMINDER TO ALL MINISTRY LEADERS—deadline for submitting your ministry’s 2010 budget will be on Sept. 6.
CHOIR PRACTICE resumes in September.
HOSPITAL MINISTRY will have a meeting today, August 16, 2009st 16, 2009
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Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!
WP-Bible plugin, right after hospital visitation.
AUGUST IS MISSIONS MONTH! Please take note of our schedule:
Aug. 16—Movie Night “Behind the Sun” 6:30 pm @ CCD
The church is the gathering of God’s children…
Welcome! Glad that you all can join in our Family Fellowship today. “Family” because we are a family in Christ. Before the church was the institution, as we know it today, the church was a family. “While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt.12:47-50)
It was and is a place of fathers and mothers in the faith, brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as, elderly saints and newborn babies in the faith. The church is the gathering of God’s children, where they can be helped and fed like babies and then, guided by her motherly care, grow up to manhood in maturity of faith. If you are born again, washed by the blood of Jesus, trusting in Christ alone for your salvation, then you are a brother or a sister in Christ.
Beloved, there is a deeper and stronger relationship we have as Christians than our natural families who are unsaved. Isn’t that true? I’m sure you already have noticed that. I’m really closer to you than my cousins or my other relatives who do not know the Lord! I have shared the gospel to most of them but until they accept Jesus, we really have nothing in common where we can really share and have fellowship. Now our Lord was not suggesting that believers ignore or abandon their families in order to serve God, but only that we put God’s will above everything else in life. Certainly it is God’s will that we care for our families and provide for them (see 1 Tim. 5:81 Tim. 5:8
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8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. house: or, kindred
WP-Bible plugin), but we must not permit even our dearest loved ones to influence us away from the will of God.
So what is it that characterizes the person who is spiritually related to Christ? What is the indication that we are indeed part of God’s family? Because we go to church? Is it because we carry our Bible? Is it because we speak Christian lingo? No, if we hear God’s Word and put it into practice! That’s always the challenge for every hearer of God’s Word. Many church-goers tend to regard sermon-listening as an end in itself. Others look at it as an “escape” or a “substitute” for obedience. But God wants transformation from listening into living! And there’s one key ingredient for this to happen – faith…believing in what God has said, for we cannot really apply God’s Word without believing it. What moves us to obey is because we believe God will do what He said He will do! Faith in God’s Word moves us to action. You see, the Word of God feeds faith (Faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ -Rom.10:17), and faith leads to obedience (Rom.1:5)!
God wants transformation from listening into living! And there’s one key ingredient for this to happen – faith…
May we, who call on the same Father, trust the same Savior Jesus Christ, in the fellowship of the same Spirit, come together now and offer Him our love Him and worship and live a life of obedience that He may be glorified in us!
