AND HE DID IT AGAIN! Amazed by His grace! Awestruck by His love! Humbled by His power! Once again Jesus did it! Victory in His name! Thank you church for all the prayers, encouragement and support in every and any way. We’re all witnesses of His wonder-working hand during the Hope For You concert. We all share in the victory and the blessings of the harvest.
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Bajumpandan is one of the subdivision sites scattered around Dumaguete where Habitat for Humanity, Inc, have built houses for the urban poor of the city. Composed of row houses of similar size and design, homeowners here include, tricycle drivers, laborers, vendors, security guards, casual government workers and public school teachers.
Bajumpandan II is where the Calvary Chapel Dumaguete has an outreach.
The children eagerly await their Bible lessons each Sunday afternoon. The ministry has already visibly made an impact on the lives of the kids for they would tell each other that one day, when they are older, it will be their turn to teach in the Sunday school.
From a Sunday School which started out as an open classroom where the children would use leftover construction logs as their benches, to plastic chairs to sit on, the outreach has continued to grow and prosper through God’s grace and abundant provision.
There is a need for more volunteer teachers…We invite you to join this great outreach ministry!
Ariel and Lucille and their three daughters, who have been faithfully leading this ministry for four years now, share this request:
“Please start praying for each kid, that they will truly know Christ Jesus in a very personal and intimate way…”
“That people reading this story will lead us all to our knees and pray with them…more so that the children will see the power of a personal savior who died for them…”
Why don’t you check out the pages of the various Fellowships in Calvary Chapel Dumaguete?…One of them may interest you. Fellowship with us and be part of the church family! Please take note that for the fellowships without an asterisk, the page is still under construction…
Here we are at the door of 2011. Counting this day we are 6 days to go into the New Year. Just like many of you I’m amazed at how time flies. It seems that with each passing year time just speeds up. I’m very grateful though, to the Lord Jesus, of how this year indeed has been great! What a journey! What an adventure! Great things He has done! Praise to His holy Name!
Now, we all can do one of two things this coming year: We can waste it away by sitting around and worrying about the things we failed to accomplish this year, or the mistakes we made throughout the year; we can sit around and have a pity party because things didn’t go the way we wanted them to; OR, we can decide to make the most of this coming New Year. Besides there is nothing we can do to change this year. The good news is we can learn from this year and today we have the opportunity to start over and make some changes.
WARNING: pity parties not good for the heart...
God brings life to us in small pieces that we know as hours, days and months. At the beginning of every year He says, let’s wipe the slate clean and let’s start with a brand new year. It’s like God is saying, “Let’s start over. ” And that’s good news! But one thing I exhort all of us among many others for the new year is – COMMIT YOURSELF TO RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. Romans 12:18Romans 12:18
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
WP-Bible plugin – “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” “As far as it depends on you”. God is personally challenging each one of us to do everything we can to restore any relationships that have gone wrong in our lives.
God is personally challenging each one of us to do everything we can to restore any relationships that have gone wrong in our lives.
If you have caused a rift in a relationship then you have a responsibility to do everything you can to restore it. That everything includes the one thing we all probably find most difficult, asking for forgiveness. Are you among those people who find it hardest to say “I am sorry” to the people you’re closest to? I wonder how many marriages are not all they should be or could be simply because someone won’t say “I was wrong, I am sorry, will you forgive me?” Maybe God is saying to some of you that this change of year is the right time to restore that relationships broken by going and sincerely saying that you are sorry for those angry words or those selfish and un-thoughtful actions.
Make no mistake it will be hard to do but one of the most significant things that you can do to mark the New Year is not set off a firework but to admit your past errors in relationships and humbly seek forgiveness from the one you have hurt. Remember, God has forgiven you in Christ and the demonstration of that truth in your life is that you learn to forgive as well. And the result? Joy and peace in your life!
Will you rise to that challenge and make a commitment to restore your broken relationships in this New Year, even today? I pray so.
Will you rise to that challenge and make a commitment to restore your broken relationships in this New Year, even today? I pray so.
ANNOUNCEMENT:
Saying goodbyes are not necessarily what I’m looking forward to. There’s always that feeling of “death” inside of you, the prick in the heart, that sense of emptiness or void. This is how I felt when we sent off Pastor Jerry, Marisa, Dani and Jessica at the airport last Tuesday. 12 years of faithful and dedicated service. 12 years of God’s faithfulness in their lives that result in lives challenged and changed for the glory of Christ! Now the Lord moved them on to continue to do God’s work in a different place.
Pastor Jerry, Marisa and the kids
And yes, no matter where we are, we are His instruments – His hands and feet, mouths and ears. The location is not the question but our obedience to the call is. And all of us are called to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8Acts 1:8
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. power...: or, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you
WP-Bible plugin). But before you think of getting a passport, flying on a plane and learning a foreign language, there’s your neighbor, your classmates, your officemates even you’re family members to share God’s love to!
Especially during this Christmas season when many people’s attention are upon the birth of Christ, it’s a great opportunity to tell them the reason behind the season – that Christ was born to die for our sins. That those soft little hands fashioned in Mary’s womb were formed so that nails might be driven through them. Those cute little baby feet would one day walk up a dusty hill carrying a cross. That tender head would one day bear a crown of thorns.
That tender head would one day bear a crown of thorns.
Yes the baby grew up, died on a cross, was buried for three days, and rose again so that anyone can have a personal, intimate relationship with Him. God gave the most precious gift He had so that we could have a precious relationship with Him. There’s no greater news than that and there’s no better gift than to give them Jesus! And yes, the greatest gift one can receive is not found under the Christmas tree, but the One who was hung on a tree – called the cross!
So beloved, wherever you find yourself this Christmas, whoever you’re with, whatever you do, with gifts or no gifts, with much food on the table or no food at all, be a witness of Christ, and let Jesus and His gift of salvation be the center and focus of your celebration. For the truth is, there’s no other way and no other reason why we do what we do.
A CHRIST-CENTERED AND LOVE-FILLED CHRISTMAS TO YOU!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
• For those who already ordered last week, you may get your DVDs at the back table after the service.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE on the following schedule:
• CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE on Dec. 24, Friday at 6 pm. (There will be no Thursday Bible Study on Dec.23.)
• YEAR-END SERVICE on Dec. 30, Thursday at 6 pm.
After a very busy but very fruitful and memorable anniversary celebration as a church, we now enter into the Christmas season. How time flies so quickly indeed. We’re entering that season again when to merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead. For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do. For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for that morning when they can open their gifts.
So before we get into the hustle-bustle of the time, before we get caught up in the web of stretched schedules and non-stop feasting….
It’s a blessed thing — but it’s also a major period of increased stress for many people. So before we get into the hustle-bustle of the time, before we get caught up in the web of stretched schedules and non-stop feasting….just a pastoral reminder: Stop! Chill! Relax! Don’t forget what it’s all about! Sometimes I get the feeling that we are like the people who decided to throw a party to honor a very special friend. They sent out invitations, decorated the hall, & had the food catered. All the people came together at the designated time, but to their surprise, the guest of honor was not there. Finally, they made the embarrassing discovery that no one had ever invited the guest of honor!
I wonder if that happens at Christmas time. Do we go through all the decorating, and buying presents, and preparing elaborate meals, but somehow forget whose birthday it really is? Yes I know, Christmas is not really Jesus’ birthday, but it is wise to redeem the season to focus our attention to one of the greatest miracles of all time, the Incarnation, God becoming man – to save us from our sins!
the Incarnation, God becoming man - to save us from our sins!
Yes, that’s why Jesus came. God ‘in the flesh’– was born to die. He was born to take to Himself our brokenness and guilt and shame. Christ came to deal decisively with all the things that we want to escape this holiday season. You can only understand what is going on at Christmas if you see the road Jesus will travel. It is a road that will take Him to Egypt, to Nazareth, and throughout Palestine. But it will end only a few miles from Bethlehem. On a hill outside Jerusalem. At a cross. Only if you see that the road winds its way to Calvary will you understand why this Holiday Season is a holy season. Only if you understand the cross will you understand Bethlehem’s crib.
Only if you understand the cross will you understand Bethlehem’s crib…
So, don’t get caught up with what the world views as a great Christmas. It’s not about gifts. It’s about God’s greatest and best gift – His Son, Jesus Christ! If you already have received that gift, if you already have Him, then you already have everything!
Announcement:
PLEASE TAKE NOTE on the following schedule:
• CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE on Dec. 24, Friday. (There will be no Thursday Bible Study on Dec.23.)
• YEAR-END SERVICE on Dec. 30, Thursday.
PLEASE COOPERATE WITH OUR PARKING PERSONNEL. Please park properly, no double parking; park on the west side and don’t block any driveways. If possible, share a ride, car pool, or ride a pedicab.
It was a great 25th anniversary celebration we had that culminated in the Hope For You (H4U) concert. It was indeed a display of His greater works! And that only is a preview of the greater things to come, of the greater works He will do in our midst for the coming years. Praise be to Jesus Christ the miracle-worker, the life-changer!
It was a blessing to worship the Lord together as one big family. Not only to worship together but to serve together. Seeing the pictures, hearing the testimonies during the preparations, I couldn’t help but thank the Lord for you church. Everyone did their part, every gift exercised, every precious time given. It was indeed a display of unity and cooperation for one purpose and goal – for God’s greater glory!
So, as your pastor, along with my wife and kids, thank you so much for the partnership in the gospel through the years. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6Philippians 1:3-6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, remembrance: or, mention
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: perform: or, finish
WP-Bible plugin)
Yes, He’s not yet done with us. God never starts a work and leaves it unfinished, that would be a contradiction of His character. God is not like man. We start things but we do not finish them. Thank God that my hope in Christ does not rest upon my will power. It rests upon the fact that God would never have started the work in me if He had not decided to finish it. Paul says the same thing in Romans 5:10Romans 5:10
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
WP-Bible plugin: “If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, how much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” In other words, if Christ died for you when you were an enemy and a rebel and hated Him; how much more, then, will God keep and sustain you and finish the work He began now that you are His child?! The character of God guarantees the completion of the work.
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We don’t just do good works as a result of the work of grace in our hearts, we are a good work ourselves—God’s own good work. The word in the greek is “poeima” where we get the word POEM. But it’s more than a poem, it’s a work of art.
We are like a beautiful work of art, painstakingly designed and crafted by the Master Craftsman himself. We don’t yet see the final result, but God does.
You see, beloved, you are a work of art. If the work depended on us, we would fail. But it doesn’t. We are like a beautiful work of art, painstakingly designed and crafted by the Master Craftsman himself. We don’t yet see the final result, but God does. So we can trust Him when He gives us the promise, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
So, with one heart, one mind, one purpose – let Him continue to work in us and as we do, we shall see greater works done, for His greater glory!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
- H4U Band & CCD Choir -H4U Counseling Team
- Physical Set-up & Aftercare - Security
- Transportation - Documentation
- Techical Team - Food
- Stage Crew/Stage Décor - Freaks Drama Team
- H4U Ushering Team - First Aiders
This is a lovefeast affair, so bring some simple snacks to be shared by everyone!
PLEASE TAKE NOTE on the following schedule:
• CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE on Dec. 24, Friday. (There will be no Thursday Bible Study on Dec.23.)
• YEAR-END SERVICE on Dec. 30, Thursday.
“The Lord did an amazing work through H4U…to Him be all the glory, honor & praise!!!” This video shares with you scenes just before the concert, the actual concert and the celebration! For those who prayed with us, you are a big part of this. “When He comes may He find a faithful Bride in us.”
