It was a night of reflections, simple and refreshing songs…being intimate with our Lord and Savior as a church.

• I Come to the Cross
• Reflections
• Songs

One word I can describe our recently concluded Senior Pastor and Wives Conference is this word, “Overflowing!” Spiritually, the messages were awesome, full, solid, encouraging, overflowing. And literally, the food was overflowing too! The fellowship and the fun – faith building! I remember what David wrote in Psalm 23:5Psalm 23:5
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5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. anointest: Heb. makest fat  

WP-Bible plugin – “…You anoint my head with oil, my cup OVERFLOWS! God not only fills our life but overflows our life. The overflowing cup. What a beautiful apt description of the Christian life. Not just peace, peace that passes human understanding. Not just joy, joy indescribable and full of glory. In fact, our Lord gives us everything we could need and more. Paul expressed that thought in this way, “Now to him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to power that works within us.” (Ephesians 3:20Ephesians 3:20
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20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,  

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Think about it: He is able to do…“Immeasurably more than” - This word carries with it the meaning of a river or lake with a water level that is above capacity, or at flood stage. The flood of God’s power is over and beyond all reasonable limits. It literally means, “Superabundantly, with more added to that.” God has enough power to do immeasurably more than we can ask or think with more added to that. In fact, in the original language…Paul uses a double compound word…he makes up his own word phrase. He is so caught up in the BIGNESS and AWESOMENESS of God, he creates a new word phrase to make his point…He stacks these words upon each other in an attempt to say how God is so immensely, infinitely big! Paul is saying that God is — Incredibly Incredible. Extravagantly Extravagant. Awesomely Awesome in His Awesomeness. Outrageously Outrageous. Fantastically Fantastical. Amazingly Amazing. Infinitely Infinite – all the time! There Ain’t no box Big enough – to hold our God! And His ability? Super able! God is Ably Able in His Ability. Our words cannot fully Express what we know and Feel. There’s no such word that can contain ALL of WHO HE is and ALL of what He can do. Our God is Indescribably indescribable. God Can! God is! God is Able to do! That would be enough to have our hearts beat with Confidence and Faith. Sure it’s impossible… Sure it’s outside of our power…Sure it seems hopeless… Sure it’s beyond our ability. BUT OH PRAISE THE LORD… HE IS ABLE! Our God is Able to do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY BEYOND ALL!





There are No Limits to His Love. No Boundaries to His Blessing. No Fences withholding His Faithfulness. No Lines drawn separating us from His Salvation. No Guard Rails against His Grace. No Containers holding His Compassion. No Restrictions to Experiencing His Righteousness! God is Able to do far more and abundantly beyond ALL we ask or think. Aren’t you glad that God is not limited to what we ask or think? I’m glad that God is God and I’m not. I don’t get it – all the time and I don’t get it all – most of the time. I don’t know what God knows. I don’t see what God sees. I don’t understand what God understands. I’m not sure where God is… I’m OK with that. I’m OK with letting God be God – because I really don’t think I have a choice in that matter anyway. God is God and God is Able! My cup overflows! Beloved, O, may we overflow with His love, joy and peace in the midst of an empty, dry and troubled world!

Besides the political unrest going on in Bangkok Thailand, weeks ago the BBC News had an amusing story. An autistic boy in Bangkok was on his first day at a special needs school. He started crying for some reason and crawled out a window. Trouble was, the class was on the third floor, so he ended up sitting outside on a ledge. As the firemen tried to get the boy to come back inside, one of them overheard the boy’s mother saying he liked comic book superheroes. So the fireman got a brilliant idea. He dashed back to the station and donned a Spider-Man costume that he wore at schools to liven up fire drills. Then, when he beckoned, the little boy eagerly went to “Spider-Man.”

The little autistic boy wouldn’t listen to those strange firemen, but he knew who he could trust! Now think of yourself as that little boy, out on a ledge, in danger. There are people calling to you, but you don’t know them. Then suddenly you see a familiar face and hear a familiar voice, and you know you’ll be saved. John chapter 10, Jesus gives the analogy of the “good shepherd.” He describes the special relationship between Himself and His followers, pictured as sheep. “And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (v. 4-5).

Sheep come to know their shepherd intimately, down to his manner and the sound of his voice. They trust him because of what he does for them; he has earned their trust. Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, has earned your trust because of who He is and what He has done: “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (v. 11). Jesus did far more than pull us off a ledge or out of a pit. He took our blame, and accepted the punishment of a righteous God, all so that we wouldn’t have to pay for our sins with our own lives.

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (Jn.10:3).” When you hear Him call your name, follow Him. He will never steer you wrong.

KIDS CAMP 2009! With the theme “Seaquest”…view the children in action, learning about the Bible and having lots of fun…



• Photos Day 1
• Videos
• Photos Day 2
• Photos Day 3

Enjoy the photos and excerpts of the message during the annual Calvary Chapel Dumaguete Resurrection Sunrise Service held at the Freedom Park.





Excerpts of the message given by Pastor Jo.



I am sure you feel a true sense of your relationship to the important people in your life whenever you refer to them as “my husband,” or “my wife,” or “my children,” or “my friends.” In a similar, but much more profound way, we should experience a sense of our personal relationship with God when we call Jesus Christ “my Lord.”

Mary Magdalene certainly felt that. When she found the tomb was empty on Easter morning, she felt a deep personal loss. As she looked inside, one of the angels asked her why she was weeping. “She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him’” (John 20:13John 20:13
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13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.  

WP-Bible plugin). Thomas felt it too. In his doubt, he said he wouldn’t believe the Lord had risen unless he could touch the wounds in His body. But when he saw Jesus, his reaction was dramatic. “And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:28John 20:28
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28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.  

WP-Bible plugin). And it wasn’t only those at the time who knew this relationship. Thousands of years earlier, Job said, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” (Job 19:25-27Job 19:25-27
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25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: ²⁶ And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: And...: or, After I shall awake, though this body be destroyed, yet out of my flesh ²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me. another: Heb. a stranger though...: or, my reins within me are consumed with earnest desire within...: Heb. in my bosom  

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We can have that same sense of personal relationship. It’s important, and that’s why I always ask people to make a public commitment of their decision to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus commended Peter when he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16Matthew 16:16
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16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  

WP-Bible plugin). It’s good to see Him as “the Savior,” “the Son of God,” “the Redeemer.” But that keeps Him at arm’s length. To have that personal relationship, He must be “MY Savior,” “MY Lord,” “MY Redeemer.” This relationship should be much closer than even what we share with those we call our “blood relatives.” Jesus is truly a “blood relative.” He bled and died on a cross outside Jerusalem 2,000 years ago so that we could be part of His family, an adopted child of His Father. That’s what we celebrate this week, our sure hope for eternity.

So don’t hold Him at arm’s length. Embrace Him. Say, along with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”

Through the photos and videos we invite you to witness God’s grace and glory! Experience God’s miracle in Dapitan and Dipolog…





• Awesome
• Notes
• Message/Call
• Songs/Videos
• Photos

Awesome

AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME! AWESOME…IS THE LORD! These are the only words that came out of my lips as I witnessed God’s glory and power in our recently concluded outreach/concert in Dapitan and Dipolog. Our words fail to describe what Jesus has done! In Dapitan there were more or less 200 people came forward to receive Christ and in Dipolog, with around 5,000 people in the complex, more or less 600 came to trust in Christ as their savior! What a blessing! And that’s not all! There were so many other things that happened that cannot be measured by numbers…through the photos and videos we invite you to witness God’s grace and glory!



Pastor Jo

Notes >>

Notes

God of the Breakthrough!

Who would imagine that a city as hard as Dapitan (in terms of religious stronghold – Roman Catholic Dominated and 15% of the population worship Jose Rizal!), many would flock inside the Auditorium (We’re told we’re the first Christian group who have successfully gathered that number of people – around 2,000?)? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Who would think that amidst the brownout people are like being sucked inside the Auditorium like wave after wave? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Who could ever see it – that even though there are lapses in the information dissemination that many a people were drawn to the concert? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Who could silence our doubts and feelings of defeat when we thought nobody or very few would come to the concert? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Who could pull us together as a team despite of the growing tensions that were brewing due to the tiredness, stress and pressures? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

To whom would you go to when the battle seems lost? Only to the God of the Breakthrough!

Who could ever do it that amidst the noises inside and the disturbances outside, God’s Word preached still pierced through the hearts of the unconverted souls? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Who could have done it, that hundreds of people coming forward, convicted of their sin and seeing their need of Jesus, found forgiveness and received salvation that night? Only the God of the Breakthrough!

Yes, these and many more are evidences of God’s power and grace. The battle was intense you could sensed it. But the enemy is no match against the God of the Breakthrough! Jesus is victorious. How it pays to know that we’re fighting not FOR victory but FROM victory. For Christ has already won the victory for us 2,000 years ago on the cross of Calvary! You may be going through some battles right now. Whatever it is look to the God of the breakthrough. It may look bleak and black but His light will shine through the dark clouds of doubts and through the black smoke of fear and worries.

Trust in the God of the Breakthrough today and you will see that indeed the battle belongs to the Lord!

<< AwesomeMessage/Call >>

Photos

Photo Gallery Table of Contents

Fasting/Prayer The H4U team in prayer and fasting, preparing for the outreach in Dapitan and Dipolog. 25 Photos Boat to Dapitan This is the first part of the trip to Dipolog and Dapitan to do evangelistic concerts, 20 Photos Dapitan This night the battle was really was intense...with all the delays, brownout, noises, too many of a distraction, etc...yet in the end JESUS is VICTORIOUS! He's the God of the Breakthrough! We just stood there and saw that indeed the battle belongs to the Lord! 20 Photos Dipolog This was by far the bigger of the two events, with about 5000 people in attendance. There were possibly about 500 to 600 people who gave their lives to the Lord that day... it was amazing. 20 Photos "Everything" This is a skit entitled "Everything" performed by the members of the Living Vessels Fellowship. 20 Photos

<< Songs/Videos

It’s better late than never. Typically, commencement speakers address the graduates, offering them words of wisdom for life in the “real world.” If you’re part of this year’s graduating class, I’m sure you’re receiving lots of advice from counselors, friends, and family. They’re doing their best to help you make wise decisions about your future. As a pastor let me say this – as a follower of Christ, be careful what you buy into.

When it comes to spiritual matters, it’s vitally important that we are not deceived. The Apostle John offers this warning: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:11 John 4:1
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4 ¹ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  

WP-Bible plugin). You see, there was a problem in the early church because people tended to be swayed by anyone who showed up in their church service claiming to speak truth. Unfortunately we do the same thing today; we trust people just because they’re on the radio, write books, or have incredible charisma. But Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt. 7:15Matt. 7:15
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15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  

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The question is, how do you tell the difference between truth and something disguised as truth? The key is to test everything against Scripture. We can learn an important lesson from Paul’s missionary visit to Berea. The Jews there “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11Acts 17:11
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11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.  

WP-Bible plugin). In other words, they didn’t just accept what they heard at face value; they checked it out to make sure it was true.

So, some words of advice to graduates: Stay in God’s Word so you don’t get burned by the world. Your school exams may be over, but the real tests of life have just begun. As you prepare for the next phase of your life, whether you’re moving into the job market or furthering your education, remember to be like the Bereans – test everything you hear against Scripture. Always remember that God’s advice is the best advice you’ll ever receive.

When my kids were small I told them they had my permission to come into my study room whenever they wanted, no matter what, no matter when. I wanted them to know that their concerns and questions were important to me, because they were important to me. And they took advantage of that right–sometimes to the surprise of my visitors or people I was counseling! (hahaha)

Did you know that we have the same access to God? It’s true. The God of heaven and earth, the Creator of all that exists, is available to you at all times, for any reason. Hebrews 4:16Hebrews 4:16
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16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The reason we can come “boldly” is in verse 15. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” That High Priest is Jesus Christ. He understands it all, and He is never surprised at our struggles.

God doesn’t condemn us for our sin when we approach the Throne of Grace. After all, when we come to Him, we’ve already admitted we’re in the wrong, we have a problem, and we need His help. If we didn’t want to admit we were wrong, we would hide. That brings me to the scripture that I want you to read. Psalm 139 is full of wonderful truths about God and His knowledge and love for us. Read it over slowly several times and digest it.

Verse 7 in particular stands out. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?” The psalm goes on to explain how that very idea is nonsense. There’s nowhere to hide. But that’s the great part. Not only is there nowhere to hide, there’s no reason to even try. We can come to Him at any time, with any problem.

Are you struggling with a sin? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you depressed or grieving? Come to the Throne of Grace. Are you angry, or confused, or full of doubt? You guessed it–come to the Throne of Grace. God is waiting there, eager to hear your problem, eager to give you His solution, His care, and His love. You can come anytime. Isn’t that what being a child of God is all about? He’s never too busy, and He’s never annoyed that you want to talk to Him. What a wonderful God we serve! What a wonderful Father we have!

Do one of Two things this coming year

Unnecessarily worry about your mistakes?


Here we are at the door of 2009. Counting this day we are 4 days to go into the New Year. It seems that with each passing year time just speeds up. We all can do the one of two things this coming year:

1. We can waste it away by sitting around and worrying about the things we failed to accomplish last year, or the mistakes we made through out the year; we can sit around and have a pity party because things didn’t go the way we wanted them to;
2. OR, we can decide to make the most of this coming New Year that God has granted us.

The fact is for some of you perhaps the year 2008 was more of a disappointment than a joy. Some of you may have experienced a loss of some kind. For some of you it may have been a year of set backs and failures. The bad news is there is nothing we can do to change this year. The good news is we can learn from the past and today we have the opportunity to start over and make some changes. 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. Its like God is saying, “ Let’s start over. ” And that’s good news! The good news is that, amid so many changes, there is one unchanging reality you can always count on. Hebrews 13:8Hebrews 13:8
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8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.  

WP-Bible plugin says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Jesus never changes, and His faithfulness to those who believe in Him never changes. “His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4Psalm 91:4
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4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  

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Standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ

Have you ever had a rough ride in an airplane? Turbulence tosses the plane this way and that. An air pocket makes the plane drop suddenly, and your stomach jumps into your mouth! As you near your destination and come in for a landing, the plane shakes and sways in the wind. When it reaches the runway, the plane bounces a few times before screeching to a stop. After such a wild and bumpy ride, what a relief to be on firm ground! It feels great to have both feet standing on something solid. So too, if you’ve been blown this way and that by turbulence and changing times, it feels great to have both feet standing firmly on the rock-solid reality of Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ brings security and stability you can’t find anywhere else.

Your health can change, your relationships can change, your finances can change, weather patterns can change, economies can change, technology can change, governments and national boundaries can change, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Changing times don’t change the Lord. All other things, even the very earth and sky, are changing. The Bible says earth and sky are like clothes that eventually wear out and must be changed. “But,” says the Bible of Jesus, “you remain the same, and your years will never end” (Hebrews 1:11-12Hebrews 1:11-12
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11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; ¹² And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.  

WP-Bible plugin). So, beloved, rejoice in Him who holds you secure – and know that nothing can pluck you out His powerful and loving hands!



The Take No Glory – MUSICIANARIES came to Dumaguete City June 2008 to do an evangelistic concert. A lot of Dumaguetenos came forward and accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. What a harvest! The Lord indeed is awesome and amazing… We share with you some pictures and a Christmas greeting from Eric and Mandy of TNG.











Download their New Christmas song for FREE by clicking here.

Excerpts from the Take No Glory Blog…Please read the full narrative by clicking here.



…On Sunday morning, we played at Calvary Chapel Dumaguete for both morning services 8:30es 8:30
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WP-Bible pluginam and 10:30am. It was an awesome blessing to worship with fellow believers. The house was packed out for each service.

…God opened the door for us to play a full evangelistic concert at Sillman University. Missionaries established this university in 1901 and we have been told they have NEVER let a band come do an evangelistic concert before. So, all the locals kept telling us this is a VERY big deal that we are invited to play and preach the Gospel. What great favor the Lord has shown us!

We just got back from the event. It was packed with almost a thousand people there. Eric and Ian boldly shared the Gospel with all the students. They exhorted them to make a commitment to Christ and to have a personal relationship with Him. Lives were be changed and the students were able to connect with the local churches to get discipled. Hearts were convicted and refreshed as we worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. The Lord worked in supernatural ways as we witnessed spiritual revivals within the hearts of these college students.

…This Saturday June 21st at 7pm is the BIG free concert at the Macias Sports Complex. Prayerfully, the local churches are expecting 5,000g 5,000
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Štetje svetopisemskih vrstic se začne z ¹! Vrstica ⁰ ne obstaja!

WP-Bible plugin people to be there. Take No Glory is the only band playing and we will hand out as many free CDs as possible while also connecting the attendees to the local churches. The Gospel will be preached and there will be a call to respond. Right now there are almost 200 volunteers available to serve!! Please pray for this important event. May it transform Dumaguete City.



Wake Me Up






The Children’s Christmas Party

There’s a story of a 15 year old boy whose name is Sammy. He was a handicap, he is slightly retarded. Christmas is an exciting time for him. They were in church for children’s Christmas party. The pastor started picking up presents and calling out names; Sarah, Bobby, Susan… Sammy was on the edge of his seat — he was about to burst with anticipation. When his name was called, oh he leap on his feet and gladly received it. Sammy took the box and gently took off the bow, his heart was pounding. Sammy removed all the paper and laid it beside the box. And then he began to remove the lid — in his mind, all of the things he hoped to see flashed before his eyes in a second. Finally, as he got his big box open and he looked inside… he saw…NOTHING! He saw nothing — someone had played a trick on Sammy. When Sammy lifted his head, huge tears were streaming down his face. Who would do something so cruel — who would play such a mean trick on Sammy? The box was empty.

The Empty Box with Pretty Paper and a Beautiful Bow

Oh beloved, everyday, not just during Christmas season, all around the world, this same trick is being played. Though the names and exact situation are a little different — the results are still the same. The world promises people great things; happiness, wealth, pleasure, relationships, fame, success, power. And it wraps them up in a great big box, with pretty paper and a beautiful bow. And it hands us this box as a gift, we get excited; and we take off the bow — we unwrap the box and we open it with great expectations. And when we look inside, just like Sammy, all we find is an empty box. No hope, no life, no joy, no happiness — just huge tears of heart break streaming down our face! That’s the kind of gifts this world gives us! Have you ever opened one of its boxes? I think you have and it’s not fun is it? But beloved, the good news is, the greatest gift we could ever receive is a gift of Jesus from the Father in heaven; and this gift is not found in a box nor under the Christmas tree, but once was hanged on a tree! God has a Christmas tree – it’s called the Cross!



Remember the Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown!

Christmas is
not
just a
baby in a cradle
Remember this, Christmas is not just a baby in a cradle, but also the God-man on the cross. The angel said to Joseph, “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins!” The Cross is the ultimate goal of Christmas. And yet the story does not stop there. After the Cross is the Crown! Jesus resurrected from the dead and He’s alive forevermore! Because HE is risen, our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life! We have hope in this life and the life to come. That’s the good news of Christmas!
This Christmas season and all the seasons of life, remember the Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown!

Eleven Days Before Christmas

Knowing that there are only 11 days left before Christmas, to many people it is cause for distress instead of delight. You intended to save up this year, but never got around to it, or never seemed to be able to, and now you’re looking at more credit card debt. Family get-togethers make you tense and anxious instead of happy and relaxed, and for some of you it is but another reminder of good years gone by with a loved one who is no longer here. The closer Christmas gets the more some wish it would just hurry up and be over with.



Behold God’s Glory!

It doesn’t have to be so. In fact, our distress and discouragement and sometimes even depression are generally indications that we have turned away from what the season really ought to be about. Each year we have the opportunity to behold God’s glory as it was manifested to us in the incarnation of Christ, but if we’re not thinking along those lines then we’ll miss what God has for us. We shouldn’t miss it. This is a time when our hearts and minds ought to be pulled out of the mire of the earthy and into the glories of the heavens, and it is a time to remember where our hearts and minds ought to be year round.



The Story of a Prince

There’s the story of a prince who was running an errand for his father one day in the local village. As he did so, he passed through a very poor section of the town. Looking through the window of his carriage, he saw a beautiful young peasant girl walking along the street. He could not get her off his heart. He continued to come to the town, day after day, just to see her and to feel as though he was near her. His heart yearned for her, but there was a problem. How could he develop a relationship with her? He could order her to marry him. It was in his power to do so. But he wanted this girl to love him from the heart, willingly. He could put on his royal garments and impress her with his regal entourage, and drive up to her front door with soldiers and a carriage drawn by six horses. But if he did this he would never be certain that the girl loved him or was simply overwhelmed with his power, position and wealth.

The prince came up with another solution. As you may have guessed, he gave up his kingly robe and symbols of power and privilege. He moved into the village dressed only as a peasant. He lived among the people, shared their interests and concerns, and talked their language. In time, the young peasant girl grew to know him, and then to love him.

The Word Became Flesh

This is what Jesus Christ has done for us. The Word became flesh. The King of heaven put aside His heavenly robes and divine prerogatives. He came to us as one of us. He lived among us; ate with us; drank with us; felt with us — all to win our love. He could have forced us. He could have overwhelmed us, but He chose to romance us. He stands here today with the smile of love and arms extended. He is the God who became real so that we could experience His transforming love. Jesus is not just a truth to believe in, He is a person to be experienced. Have you experienced Him? His love? This is Christmas: He walked upon the earth that we may walk with Him…now and for eternity! That we may not walk in darkness anymore but to have the light of life – for Jesus is the Light of the world!

“You Will Not Have to Fight this Battle”

Do you know what the middle verse of the Old Testament is? It’s 2 Chronicles 20:172 Chronicles 20:17
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17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.  

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“You will not have to fight in this battle.”

This is a significant verse – and not just because it’s the middle point of the Old Testament. It’s significant because of what it says to those of us fighting a battle – and we all are. King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were about to be attacked by three enemies: the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Meunites. Imagine, three against one! This was a triple threat. Jehoshaphat had to be worried about how they could defend themselves in such a battle, but God knew what he was thinking. He said, “You will not have to fight in this battle.”

God is much better at fighting your battles

What God tells Jehoshaphat in this passage, and what he would remind us today, is this: “The battle is not yours; it’s mine. You don’t have to fight in it.” It’s God’s problem. Let Him solve it. The fact is, if you are God’s child, then your problems are His problems. And He’s much better at fighting your battles and solving your problems than you will ever be. Your job is to trust Him to work it all out. The reason why we have so many tired, fatigued, and discouraged Christians is they walk around with this Atlas complex – “I’m carrying the entire world on my shoulders! And it all depends on me.” The day you resign as General Manager of the Universe, you’re going to find that it doesn’t fall apart. You can relax in faith, trusting that God is able to run things without your help.



God doesn’t lose battles!

Twice in this passage it says, “Don’t be afraid,” and “Don’t be discouraged.” Has God ever lost a battle? No. He doesn’t lose battles. And because He’s never lost a battle, we should never be afraid. God has a reputation for winning. We are on the winning side. Regardless of the problems or difficulties or the barriers or the circumstances or the delays, ultimately, we are on the winning side. Oh yeah we may lose a few skirmishes here and there, but ultimately, we’re on the winning side. There’s an important phrase in verse 17. God tells Jehoshaphat, “Take up your positions and stand firm.” What does it mean to stand firm? It means to have a mental attitude of quiet confidence. It is never God’s will for you to run from a difficult situation. Instead trust Him. Now what am I to stand firm on while I’m waiting for God to fight my battles? You stand firm on two things:

1. The character of God. He’s faithful. He does not bring us this far just to leave us and let us down. Have faith in the nature and character of God.
2. The truth of His Word. God’s Word is faithful. You can count on the promises found in the Bible.

So beloved, stand still. Remember Who the battle belongs to. Trust that He is able to deliver you. And then watch Him do it!

CCD MISSIONS MINISTRY

Calvary Chapel Dumaguete Missions trip to Thailand…A slideshow…



CCD Missions Committee – The Movement



Vision

Our vision is to be a missions-oriented church, sending out individuals and teams helping to fulfill the Great Commission.



Purpose Statement

The purpose of the Mission Committee is to promote missions in Calvary Chapel Dumaguete with the goal to become a sending and supporting church for missionaries primarily coming out of our own congregation and eventually those from other Christian organizations or churches. Our main focus is to spread the Gospel and to make disciples of Jesus-Christ(). We desire to support already existing missionary works and also target to reach out to those who have not yet heard the Gospel. All this in order to expand the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus-Christ on earth. (through prayer support, evangelistic activities, biblical teaching, education, medical help, practical and technical support, financial support and others).



Name of the Mission Committee

MOVEMENT : Move ME NT

Move: Mission Oriented Vision for Evangelism
Me: Me
NT: New Testament – Gospel

Movement = Move me to bring the Gospel


Theme Verse

“Here I am Lord, send Me”. Isaiah 6.8



Team Structure

Responsible elder: Uly Curilan

Team leader: Marie-Th. Benold

Assistant leader: Ami Pinero

Short term team leader: Becky Kimball

Cashier: Chacha Somoza



Mission Activity Plan for 2008

January
Mission Fellowship (20)
Mission Awareness Presentation (21, 28)
Prayer Focus: Korea: Viktor /Mae

February
Mission Fellowship (17)
Thailand team preparation meeting
Mission Awareness Presentation (3, 4,11, 18, 25)
Prayer Focus: Thailand: Eric / MJ

March
Mission Fellowship (16)
Thailand team preparation meeting
Thailand Trip fund raising fun day (22)
Prayer Focus: Thailand: VemVem and Mira

April
Mission Fellowship (20)
Trip to Thailand: (27- May 9)
Prayer Focus: Thailand: the Team

May
Thailand trip Report Night (25)
Prayer Focus: Thailand

June
Mission Fellowship (15)
Thailand team reentry evaluation meeting (22?)
Prayer Focus: Muslim countries and people groups: Indonesia, Magindanao (Ryan&Maricel), Pakistan (Pat& Shari bailey) and Tausug (Neru, Jeremia)

July
Missions Month
Prayer Focus : 10/40 Window countries: Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and China
Thailand video Showing (13?)
Mission video/Movie showing ?
Praise &Worship Night for the Nations.

August
Mission Fellowship (17)
Condensed World Mission Course (CWMC) changed to Kairos Course (9, 16, 23,30)
Prayer Focus: Countries of the 10/40Window

September
Mission Fellowship (21)
Kairos Course (6, 13, 20)
Graduation from Kairos Course (27)
Prayer Focus: Tribal Bloc: Bagobo (Sally), Badjao, Maranao (Laarni) etc.

October
Mission Fellowship (19)
Short term Mission exposure for the Kairos Course graduates (?)
Prayer Focus: Hindu bloc

November
Anniversary month
Mission Fellowship (16)
Prayer Focus:

December
Mission Fellowship (14)
Others?
Prayer Focus:

”Healing Grace” – To culminate our November Anniversary Celebration, we are going to have a NIGHT OF PSALMS next Sunday, Nov. 30 at 5:30 pm. Note: No Visayan Service on this day.

CHURCH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION next Sunday, November 16! There will be just one service as we gather together as one big family. Our celebration starts at 9:00 am.