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:

• For those who ordered our 25th Anniversary and Hope For You Concert DVDs, they are now available at the back after the service.

• YEAR-END SERVICE this coming Thursday, Dec. 30, at 6 pm.

• H4U T-SHIRTS are now available at P250 each! For orders please approach the Youth table at the back after the service. This is a fundraising for the upcoming Youth Camp next year.

• Note: The OFFICE will be closed on Dec. 27 till morning of Dec. 30.

• No PRAYER MEETINGS on Dec. 21 and Dec. 28. Resumes on Jan. 4, 2011Jan. 4, 2011
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• BEREAN “GETTING DEEPER” CLASS resumes on Jan. 18, 2011Jan. 18, 2011
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Yes they still go at it. They’re still pointing fingers on who’s to blame. Yes, those responsible for the failure of the hostage-taking crisis should answer to the law. But it seems that all they do is play the blame game. Someone has said, “If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.” The first people on earth, Adam and Eve, first played it so it’s not surprising that the children would follow. The Lord God asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten the fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Yes,” Adam admitted, “but it was the woman you gave me who brought me the fruit, and I ate it.”

“Often we seek to blame others for our behavior and our failures…”

Adam both blamed the woman and God who gave him the woman! Then the Lord God asked the woman, “How could you do such a thing?” “The serpent tricked me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” It was the classic “The Devil made me do it,” defense! Yes the Devil will tempt us to do wrong, yes he wants you to fail as a Christian. But you don’t have to. One of the greatest promises in the bible is found in 1 Corinthians 10:131 Corinthians 10:13
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. common...: or, moderate  

WP-Bible plugin, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”The bible never says that we won’t be tempted, but it does say we don’t have to give in to temptation.

Now, how often in our lives do we seek to blame others for our behavior and our failures on others? ‘It was because of my parents, or my teachers, or my friends. They led me astray.’ Beloved, when you blame others, you give up your power to change. And so you don’t need to change if it was someone else’s fault that you sinned. Very seldom do you hear someone say “I sinned, it was my choice, nobody forced me, tempted me or enticed me, I did it because I wanted to.” And there’s no forgiveness for that.

Many suffer for years with a guilty conscience because they are not willing to come to the place where they acknowledge their sin. They will not call it what God calls it. We all tend to cover up sin and make it sound nicer than it is. “No this is not sin, it’s a weakness!” “No, this is not gossip, it’s just telling you this so you can pray.” We use pleasant names to describe it. Thus, we try to cover over our sins. But we can never be forgiven while we do this, for the first step in the process of forgiveness is an acknowledgement of sin. Not trying to cover it up, blame others for it, justify, rationalize or make excuses for it! But when we stop protecting our sins, and confess them, then we receive forgiveness and the process of restoration begins. And we not only regain a better relationship with God – a peace with God, but we also feel His peace within and at peace about ourselves!

“So, confess, admit, open up… and you shall be free!”

Youth Camp 2008

COME, FOLLOW ME

“Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:61 John 2:6
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.  

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VISION:

Jesus came and walked on this earth leaving us a shining example of absolute obedience to God the Father. Our desire is that the youth would understand the crucial truth that those who profess to be His followers and to abide with Him must walk with Him, following His pattern and example. Jesus lived a victorious life on earth and promised that if we accept His invitation to follow Him in obedience, we too will live victoriously!

PRAISE:

After more than 7 years of opening our youth camps to other Calvary Chapel churches, the Lord impressed on our hearts that this year needed to be different. Our youth group was going through a rebuilding stage and we felt strongly that the Lord was moving us to focus on the young people in our own church. We were excited to have a smaller group that would allow for the opportunity to break down barriers and build unity among our youth. That was our hearts desire and the Lord granted us that and so much more.

We learned to follow the footsteps of Jesus through 6 powerful sessions entitled:

• The Invitation
• Carry Your Cross
• Press On
• Saved to Serve
• Forgiveness, and
• Called to Love

We also enjoyed an exciting two-day Sports Fest and Relay Obstacle Course, sweet worship, interactive workshops and Purity sessions, bonfire fellowships, and so much more.

On the last day of camp, we were blessed and moved by the heartfelt testimonies of the youth who stood up to praise God for what He had showed them and to encourage each other to keep following Jesus no matter what! Every camp is an awesome experience with Lord and the youth go home on fire and excited.

But, after a few weeks or months the ‘experience’ can be pushed into the past by problems, pressures, friends, etc. That is why our camps are planned out to be more than just an experience with God but to be a life-changing encounter that would be a turning point in their lives.

We praise the Lord for the awesome work He did through this camp and we give Him all the glory and honor!