I need to put here in the Pastor’s note part of my message last Sunday. How should we exercise our freedom? To indulge the flesh or to serve one another? In His final message to His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus declared that love was to be the distinguishing mark of His followers: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35John 13:35
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35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.  

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We might have said that differently. By this shall men know that you belong to Jesus if …’You carry a big Bible, you attend the right church, you say the right prayers, you sign the right doctrinal statement, you go to the right schools, you cut your hair the right way, you dress and act like other Christians.’

But Jesus said the one way to spot His disciples is by the way they love one another. The gospel changes the heart and a changed heart always leads to changed relationships.

Have you ever considered the many “one another’s” statements of the New Testament? There are dozens of them. Here are a few: Bear one another’s burden (Gal. 6:2Gal. 6:2
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2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.  

WP-Bible plugin); Build up one another (Rom. 14:19Rom. 14:19
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19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.  

WP-Bible plugin); Admonish one another (Rom. 15:14Rom. 15:14
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14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.  

WP-Bible plugin); Forgive one another (Col. 3:13Col. 3:13
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13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. quarrel: or, complaint  

WP-Bible plugin); Comfort one another (I Thes. 4:18hes. 4:18
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WP-Bible plugin); Pray for one another (James 5:16James 5:16
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16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  

WP-Bible plugin); Confess to one another (James 5:16James 5:16
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16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  

WP-Bible plugin); Teach one another (Col. 3:16Col. 3:16
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16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  

WP-Bible plugin); Greet one another (Rom. 16:16Rom. 16:16
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16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.  

WP-Bible plugin); Accept one another (Rom. 15:7Rom. 15:7
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7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.  

WP-Bible plugin); Encourage one another (I Thess. 5:11ss. 5:11
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11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. bushy: or, curled  

WP-Bible plugin); Give preference to one another (Rom. 12:10Rom. 12:10
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10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; with...: or, in the love of the brethren  

WP-Bible plugin); Be devoted to one another (Rom. 12:10Rom. 12:10
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10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; with...: or, in the love of the brethren  

WP-Bible plugin); Be kind to one another (Eph. 4:32Eph. 4:32
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32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.  

WP-Bible plugin); Submit to one another (Eph. 5:21Eph. 5:21
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21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.  

WP-Bible plugin); Serve one another (Gal. 5:13Gal. 5:13
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13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.  

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And there are many others we might list. All of these “one another” passages are but reflections and amplifications of the great command given by our Lord Himself—love one another. Are these true of us? Or, the other way around – choosing to serve ourselves? If we choose self-indulgence, we risk destroying our friendships and tearing apart the family of God.

It is the lack of love that causes men to hate their parents, commit murder, commit adultery, steal, lie and covet. It is the lack of love that leads to bitterness, anger, threats, and to verbal and physical abuse.  It is the lack of love—and the presence of self-centered egotism—that leads to pushing others around, demanding your own way, arguing over minor issues, and dividing the body of Christ.  If we truly loved our neighbor, those sins would be impossible. Where God’s love reigns, sin cannot abide.

When we bicker and quarrel, we inevitably harm the cause of Christ. Our bitter arguments eventually become more important than Jesus. When this happens, it confirms the criticism of skeptics that the church is full of hypocrites. They cause the enemies of the gospel to rejoice. They send the message to the world, “God loves you but we hate each other.” In the end, these things destroy the church of God. Hatred and envy and power plays and vicious words and insisting on your own way—these things harm God’s church. There can be NO VICTORY.

Beloved, this should not be! Repent if you’re convicted! The cause of Christ is far more important than our own petty issues! There are more important things in the light of eternity than your own temporal comfort. JESUS, PURIFY YOUR BRIDE!

ANNOUNCEMENT:

Please pray for Ptr. Jo and the technical team as they travelled to Iloilo to meet with the pastors for a possible H4U Concert in Iloilo.  Ptr Jo is also  preaching at CC Iloilo this Sunday.

YOUTH CAMP 2012 starts TODAY! Pray for a fruitful camp! To all YOUTH CAMPERS —

• Assembly time is 1:00is 1:00
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  Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!
  
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• Please drop by at the church so we can check you off the list.

To all PARENTS of campers —

• You are invited to watch the Talent Offering on Friday, May 25 at 7 pm.
• You are allowed to come and get laundry only during mealtime.
• Please refrain from visiting the camp.  Cell # of Glen & Abba are provided at the church office.

THAI MISSIONS 2012 is coming up on May 31-June 11. Pray for a fruitful time of ministry and outreach, and encouragement to our missionaries.

• THAI MISSIONS 2012 T-shirt — last day to order tshirts is today. Proceeds will go to our Missions Fund. Please pay as you order.  We also ask those who ordered t-shirts the previous Sundays to make payments today so we can get our orders from the printer.
• MISSIONS DINNER and ACOUSTIC NIGHT on May 27 at 6:30 pm.  It’s a dinner fundraising night of acoustic music and prayer. Tickets are now available at P200.  Space is limited. Please approach the Missions Table at the back after the service. Last day to buy tickets is this Thursday.

LOST AND FOUND items from KIDS CAMP—please claim your belongings at the back after the service.

FYI: We are in the process of providing Handicap Parking Area in front of the church.  We do not know the date yet when it will be available.  Thank you for your patience.