Time well spent is time spent with God!

Praise God for the 24 people present yesterday in our breakfast fellowhip. Praise God for using P. Arnold in leading us for devotion.

Kudos to our brother Niel, who's always first and early to arrive in GCF for our fellowship. May he be our example in giving honor and glory to God by coming on time.



Let us also welcome our first time guests, as we are very pleased and privilleged to have them join our group: Natalia from Convergys-Ortigas and Sir Darwin from JP Morgan Chase Bank-Makati. We hope to see you again next meeting!

For the people that missed the fellowship yesterday, we hope to see you again also for next week!

God bless us all!

Effective TIME MANAGEMENT: Setting Priorities

Pastor Arnold Perona set a very good example when he came on time for our fellowship, and even though there were a lot of us who came in late, indeed the Holy Spirit worked through him and that his message was very powerful as it served to be a wake up call and a reminder for everybody.

We praise God and give back all the glory to HIM for bringing P. Arnold in leading our morning devotion earlier.

Here's the summary of the message:

A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.



-The passage calls our attention in no uncertain terms to a clear view of sovereignty.
-Because God is in control of everything, we should trust Him.
-God's control remains mysterious.
-There will be times when you will need to scatter things because it doesn't work.
-Enmity; when the bond of friendship is broken.
-With all His authority, he left us with something for us to fulfill-- CHOICE.
-Salvation; it is a gift for everybody but then it is for a person to make the choice to ACCEPT it.
-Time; we are all given equal time, 24 hours a day.
-The focus should not be on the QUANTITY of time but on the QUALITY on how we manage it.
-Time is rhythm of events, it is not sortable nor retrievable, it is not loanable.
-Time is to be spent, time not spent is time LOST.
-Your time intersects with time of others, time is relational.
-The view of time in CULTURES; there is no such thing as Filipino Time (which is not on time).
-How much of your personal time is controlled?

10 Basic Principle of TIME MANAGEMENT

1. Live in the present- you cannot changed what happened, as life is to be lived today, and as the future depends on what we do today.
-Tomorrow is all about today.
-Focus on the immediate time; the present.

2. Value your activity- ask yourself "Is it really worth it?", every minute counts.

3. Create a Daily Written Schedule- you must respond accordingly to your activity.
-Mental schedule; sequence is very important, you need to know what you will be doing in the next 24 hours.

4. Prioritize your tasks- start with the most difficult (if it doesn't work for you, start with the least difficult task).

5. Use short period of time effectively- maximize your 15 minute break, take a power nap, do something productive and relaxing at the same time.
-If you want to be remembered forever; plant a tree, bear a child, write a book!

6. Do not allow others to determine your schedule, set aside distractions.

7. Work smart- working smart beats those who work hard, prioritize and plan.

8. Recognize time wasters- ask yourself "What are time wasters for me?"
-Do not put one over yourself.
-Stand on your feet and think quickly
-Do not concentrate on irrelevant questions/issues.
-Train well to avoid time wasters.
-God gives us two ends; to sit down and to think (how will we act upon it).

9. Focus on personal productivity- poor discipline is your problem.
-Do not mind what's happening in your left nor what's happening in your right, but rather focus on what's in front of you.
-Live according to your personal standards.
-Discipline your self.

10. Do it NOW- it is a three letter -word of success.
-Do not procrastinate.
-Tomorrow is nothing more than a series of today.
-There is no time to waste on idle dreams, every minutes counts.
-It makes no difference because we all have 24 hours to spend equally, no one has the right to say "I don't have time!"



I HAVE ONLY JUST A MINUTE. ONLY SIXTY SECONDS IN IT. DIDN'T SEEK IT. DIDN'T CHOOSE IT. BUT IT'S UP TO ME TO USE IT. I MUST SUFFER IF I LOSE IT. GIVE ACCOUNT IF I ABUSE IT. JUST A TINY LITTLE MINUTE. BUT ETERNITY IS IN IT.

"Be careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil"
-Ephesians 5:15-16

Prayer Points for our Ministry

The Core Group; Mommy Bibeth, Jeff, Janette, Leah, Julie, Raya, Rajsh, with P. Euge and P. Mau gathered yesterday at GCF's Prayer Room.

It was a successful gathering as we were able to pray for the ministry and the whole of CONNECT. We'll make it a regular-every other Sunday meeting, so that our group would grow stronger for God's glory.

We also need your help in praying for the following:

-Our Mission and Vision.
-Activities and events for the succeeding months and for next year.
-Budget, for God's provision.
-CORE Group as they take the lead in the ministry; strength, endurance and health.
-In reaching out to more people and more Call Centers.
-Plan in forming up Small Groups.
-Promoting our minstry; materials, etc.
-Growth; spiritually and in numbers.

For individual prayer concerns feel free to approach or contact the CORE Group.

Prayer meeting on September 23

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." -Mark 11:24

Why do we pray?

-We are invited to by God Himself.
-There is power there.
-It moves the heart of God.
-It connects us with God through Jesus.
-To invite God to be at work in our lives.

4 four tips that can make a healthy conversation with God:

1. Adoration. To show adoration to God is to worship, praise, honor and exalt Him. In other words, respect Him, be in awe of Him, say wonderful things about Him. Psalm 103 and 145 are good examples of adoring the Lord.

2. Confession. When we begin to acknowledge how great, perfect and awesome our God is, we can’t help but recognize our weaknesses and sins. Admitting and confessing our sins (1 John 1:9), and knowing He has forgiven our past, present and future sins is vital to our prayer life. God is a Holy God, so we need to come to Him with a clean heart. “He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins” (Psalm 66:18).

3. Thanksgiving. Giving thanks expresses our faith, and it is faith that pleases God. In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “And without faith it is impossible to please God.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ concerning you.” We don’t necessarily give thanks for the circumstances, but give thanks for His total provision during good - and painful - circumstances.

4. Supplication. Asking seems to come naturally to children. As God’s children, we can freely talk to Him, asking Him for anything. And like any caring parent, He will say,“Yes” to some of our requests, “No” some of the time, and at times, He will say, “Wait.”

**from http://christianwomentoday.com/prayer/ACTS.html

As announced few weeks ago, the CORE Group will be having a Prayer meeting on Sunday, September 23 at 2pm.

For people who has prayer concern(s), or an item of thanksgiving kindly inform Mommy Bibeth- 09275043204 or Jeff- 09185936398 or approach any of the CORE Group staff, so we could pray for you.

For people who would want to join in the Prayer Meeting YOU are Welcome to do so!

18 people with 4 newbies

We missed a lot of faces yesterday but still the breakfast fellowship ended to be a fruitful one, praise God!


It was a joy to have been joined by our newbies: Joniza (invited by Janette), Marc (Teleperformance -EDSA Central), Mickey (Trec Pacific -Ortigas) and Zaldy (ICT Group -Makati). Let us also welcome those three person who prayed to receive Christ, as P. Mau led the call to altar invitation.

For P. Euge in his participation in the "question and answer portion" and P. Jon in sharing thoughts and wisdom about worship, thank you and to God be the glory for your ministry.

We learned a lot yesterday and indeed God is good and He is so amazing in working in this ministry.

On Monday, September 24. we'll have P. Arnold Perona speak about TIME MANAGEMENT. See you all! May the Lord bless us all this week as we give glory to His name in our respective workplace!

What JESUS taught about WORSHIP

Praise God for using Mrs. Len Sabio who came all the way from Baguio City to lead us in our morning devotion, her message earlier was taken form John 4:19-24, WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT WORSHIP.

The summary of the message are as follows:

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

If the worship of God is not the first priority of the church then worship of something else is.

Return to the basic truth of authentic worship.

Know the rules of the game so that we can be sure that it is the game that is being played.

God is calling His own people back to the priority of Himself in everything and over everything in the church and in the world.

Worship is the most fundamental expression of the priority of God in one's life. To worship God is to express that priority in the whole of one's life.

Worship services take place in buildings; worship takes place in the heart of men.

This is the most extensive teaching of Jesus in worship.

What does Jesus say about worship?





5 Fundamental Truth/ Biblical Norms

I. God is seeking (true) Worshipers

- God is seen as the prime seeker
- No self-initiation in the spiritual world
- All man's initiative in seeking God is the result of God's prior initiative towards all man.
- All forms of right and appropriate human action towards God are the result of God's prior initiative towards man.
- The search begun at the beginning... Adam and Eve did not seek God after the Fall; God did.
- All true worship was a response to the One who was seeking first.

Isaiah 43: 1 - I have formed you, I have Called you by name... You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you...

The human race is not running after God but away from God.

Worship is an aspect of humane nature
- Whom do you worship? How?
- The God who seeks us is in hot pursuit.

GOD is the object of worship...

Worship deals with ultimate priority of our lives.
- To follow God is to be His worshipers.
- To be His people is to be His follower.



II. Only True Worship is acceptable to God

Three types of Worship

1. False Worship- worshiping the wrong god; idolatry
2. Vain Worship- worshiping the right God at the wrong way.

Mark 7:6- He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.

Mark 7:7- They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.

Mark 7:8- You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.

When is worship in vain?
a. When it is merely external behaviour; merely external routine, when behaviour learned; habits developed, nothing inside, just going through the motions of worship.
b. When human traditions take precedence over God's word and God's commandment; abandoning the commandments of God and clinging to the traditions of men.
c. When sin is tolerated and goes unconfessed in the lives of believers; when we left sin find a place to live in our hearts, sin in the church and sin in the world do the same thing; they destroy the Kingdom of God; it ruins, destroy, kills.




Isaiah 1:11-20- "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?

Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.

When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

"Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

- God hates sin


d. When we are living in broken fellowship with other believers.
e. when our motives are wrong; doing the right thing for the wrong reason is nver acceptable to God, pure worship can easily be diluted by self-seeking motives (Jesus at the temple when he overtuned the tables of those selling animals), the Pharisess were right... but they were dead right.

3. tru worship- worshiping the right God at the right way; according to God's word, according to God's commands; in spirit and in truth, only true worship is acceptable to God.

III. True Worship is the Fruit of True Salvation

- You worship what you do not know.
- A little bit of truth is dangerous.
- Worship is not a means of salvation but rather a fruit of salvation.

John 5:30- By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Luke 19:10- For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

- Salvation is the method of God's mission, worship is the goal.
- Without God's rescue operation there is no true worship.
- We worship what we know for we have true salvation in Jesus Christ.


IV. We are living in the age of True Worship

- There were very little true worhip in the Old Testament.
- In Malachi's time, God's judgement on vain worship.
- As worship goes so goes the rest of life.
- There are 5 areas of life in Israel: personal spirituality, personal morality, social ethics, fidelity, blessings.
- The hour is comming... what makes the difference?



V. The Holy Spirit is the Energizer of True Worship

- We are the true circumcision who worship by the spirit and glory of Christ Jesus
- We worship by the spirit of God
- The Holy Spirit makes the difference; not concered about style, packaging, formats and worship services.
- What do we judge this activity by that we call worship? -by WHAT JESUS TAUGHT, the biblical norms by which the church understands and practices true worship.
- Imperative Standard for true worship
- IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH.

NEWS: CONNECT in Theology 1 Class

With Elder Jim Davis are: (L to R) Jv, Janette, Jeff, Mommy Bibeth, Rajsh, Leah, Raya, Shey and Jay-ar


It is just amazing to see majority of the Theology 1 class composed of the Call Center People of CONNECT!

It started on August 5, and will be going on until some time in November. The class is using the Holy Bible and the book "Back to Basics" written by Elder Jim Davis as reference for their topic.

For those interested in joining the class, you are very welcome to do so! It will enrich our knowledge on "What we believe" and "Why we believe what we believe".

Classes are every Sunday at 11am-12:30nn, 5Th floor.

September 17 Breakfast Fellowship

On Monday, our topic will be "What Jesus taught about WORSHIP".

Our devotion will be led by Mrs. Jocelyn Sabio, a GCF member since 2006, a freelance writer/editor, small group leader who's currently based in Baguio City in Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (supporting her husband who's taking up his Masters of Divinity), mother of the Sabio siblings.

We encourage all to come on time, at 7am, so that we may all enjoy the program prepared. If we could also invite people to join us in our fellowship, much better!

See you all! God bless you guys!

One Refreshing Morning!

"How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great Is our God..."

Another wonderful time spent with God, the breakfast fellowship and morning devotion earlier was just so refreshing and PRAISE BE TO GOD that everyone was able to share their testimony and everyone learned from each other! And again, PRAISE BE TO GOD!




Geoff of ICT Marketing Services Inc. - Makati, joined in for the first time, and after devotion had a one-on-one talk with P. Ro, who led him to pray to receive Christ! Having said that, we welcome Geoff to the family of believers!

And even though we missed a lot of people earlier, it's a joy to have seen brothers and sisters that have been out of our loop (for quite some time) and came back to join us for our morning devotion. We had 22 people present. Again, praise God for that!



It is really a joy for us (the CORE GROUP) to see people (from the call center industry) longing for the word of God and eager to have an intimate relationship with Christ. You may not be aware of it but you people are also helping us to grow!

Let us continue in praying for one another so that more people will see "How great our God is", the one working in our lives.

See you all next week! Godspeed!

What happens when we are BORN AGAIN

Ms. Zabeth Ong, professor in Journalism and Marketing, in Miriam College and currently taking up her Doctorate in Theology through an online study program of South Western Baptist Theological Seminary, Texas, gave a wonderful and refreshing message about assurance of salvation and what's in it being BORN AGAIN. The message was a reminder to all of the people present this morning that being Born Again is not just a religion or being converted, it doesn't end there, but rather it's a gift (gift of salvation when we received Christ as our personal saviour) that we did not deserve to have but was still given to us, not because of our righteousness but because of God's mercy-- and being Born again means having an intimate relationship with our Saviour Christ Jesus.

The summary are as follows:


1. SAVED- We spend eternity in Heaven.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16


2. JUSTIFIED- We are declared righteous.

" Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." -Romans 5:1-5

3. ADOPTED- We became part of God's family.

"because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of son ship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." -Romans 8:14-17

4. REGENERATED- We have new life.

"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked." -John 3:1-9

5. IMPUTED- God credits Jesus' righteousness to us.

"What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

"Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him." -Romans 4:1-8

6. SANCTIFIED- We become more like God in holiness.

"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." -2 Corinthians 7:1

7. RECONCILED- We are reunited with God.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." -2 Corinthians 5:17-21

8. REDEEMED- We are set free from bondage.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." -Titus 2:11-14

9. RECEIVED INTERCESSION- Jesus prays for us.

"Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." -Romans 8:34

10. RECEIVED MEDIATIONON- We have access to God.

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" - 1 Timothy 2:5

11. GLORIFIED- We have hope that the best is yet to come.

"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." -Romans 8:30

The Wisdom of Depending on God

by Gail Rodgers

Carrie was frustrated. Anger played at the edge of her heart. Why didn’t God answer her? Why didn’t He rescue her in her situation as she begged Him too?

She began to pray less. One day she realized she had stopped praying except for her habitual prayer before meals. She realized she had quit expecting anything from God. Her trust in His goodness had melted away in the heat of her struggle and God’s silence.

Countless Christians have experienced their prayers erode to a trickle of empty words of habit or panic button prayers. Some lose faith when life’s hard circumstances make no sense and God fails to intervene as they think He should. Others simply get too busy to bother. Many experience feeling let down and disappointed by the church or other Christians and paint God with the same brush.

It’s easy to begin depending on our own best thinking when we lose heart in expecting God to answer our prayers. Trusting God, when our path in life grows muddy, is not an easy task. The mud of weariness, busyness and hurt can cause us to trip and even fall. We wonder how we will ever get up again. Faith can feel like a thread that threatens to break.

Trusting God with your life, even when it makes no sense to you, is to choose to grab hold of the pearl of wisdom. As Christian women we know the vital connection prayer is to our God, yet we can let it slip away from fingers muddy from falling. We must be deliberate in choosing to cling to it. There is great wisdom and reward in depending on our God even in the silence.

Maintaining that vital connection to God in prayer is a choice. Step by step, through the fog on our pathway, we can choose to trust that God has our best interest at heart and lean on His strength to get us through our day… or … we choose to shrug Him off with little expectation and lean wearily on our own understanding.

When we live our lives with prayer on the fringe we are really telling God that we don’t trust Him. Often with our lips we declare trust but with our lives we show that we really don’t believe He will see us through. Ask yourself the hard questions…

Do I really trust God to have my best interest at heart?
Do I really believe He will strengthen me today to walk where I need to walk…even in the dark and the silence?

Choose to increase your trust in God and to bring prayer into focus from the fringe of your life. These steps will help you firmly grasp that treasured pearl…and you will discover the wisdom of depending on God. Choose to TRUST.

T Thank God for the things He has done in your past. Go back as far as you need to.
Begin to chart His track record in your life. Ask Him to remind you of times past when He was there for you. Then find something in your life today to be grateful for. Living thankfully is God’s will for your life.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

R Repent…say you are sorry to God for intentionally allowing things in your heart and your life that you know would disappoint Him. Having a rebellious heart toward God’s ways in one area of your life can cause your prayers to hit the ceiling in other areas. Take an inward look and ask for God’s help in changing attitudes, thoughts, motives and actions that need a correction.

“If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened: but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer” (Psalm 66:18 & 19).

U Unify broken relationships. Whether you have offended someone or have been offended, God leaves the ball in your park to seek restoration. If restoration isn’t possible give God the broken pieces and ask Him to root resentment out of your heart. Bringing peace to fractured relationships brings blessing.

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

S Share the journey. When times are tough and trust wears thin, find a friend to pray with you and for you. Tell someone your struggle and ask her to walk with you awhile on the road of life. Getting help in our weakness leads to healing and to power in praying.

“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

T Take time to spend with God. If your heart is dry set aside some time to listen to praise music and use the words of the songs as prayers from your heart. Till up the ground that has become hard from the worries of life. Learn to spend time in the presence of the Lord and find refreshing beyond what you can imagine.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”” (Psalm 91:1 & 2).

Depend on God in new ways today. Trust Him… even in the silence and in the dark. The wisdom of depending on God will bring results in your life that will surprise you. “My God, in whom I trust”… with expectation!



**from: http://christianwomentoday.com/prayer/depending.html

I thought of posting this in lieu of what our sister Leamae posted on the comment box.

Keep 'em coming!

Praise God for the newbies that joined in, in our breakfast fellowship yesterday: Aldrin (VXI Philippines, QC), Carmi (JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. - Makati), John (DELL - Libis),Roche and Pam (SITEL - Libis), Manelyn (invited by Marlou), and Bombit (VOISWORX Inc., Ortigas). Let me also take this opportunity to welcome you guys to CONNECT, hope to see you again next meeting!

Meanwhile, after P. Kevin gave his message, our beloved P. Ro gave a follow up lesson taken from the old testament, 2 Kings 5:




Naaman Healed of Leprosy
1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. [a]
2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents [b] of silver, six thousand shekels [c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

13 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."

16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.

17 "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. 18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this."

19 "Go in peace," Elisha said.
After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, "My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him."

21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. "Is everything all right?" he asked.

22 "Everything is all right," Gehazi answered. "My master sent me to say, 'Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent [d] of silver and two sets of clothing.' "

23 "By all means, take two talents," said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. 25 Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha.
"Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked.
"Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered.

26 But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? 27 Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.





Notes on P. Ro's message:

-What is more important to you; religion or relationship with God?
-Naaman was scared because he doesn't trust God.
-Elisha, a prophet who knows God.
-Non-believer doesn't want Jesus, they only want the git not the gift giver.
-Sometimes our problem would not talk about God but later on it will lead you to Him.
-So what if you gained the whole world yet forfeit your soul?
-Is it hard to die for Jesus when you have not lived for him?
-Dreams apart from God can never come true.
-"Go in Peace"
-Unless God is your life, you will not know what life is.

P. Kevin in Decision Making

Thank God for using Pastor Kevin in speaking to us about Decision Making, indeed everyone was able to relate and everyone was able to discern things clearly and on a biblical manner.




Here's the summary of the topic discussed:

Four kinds of Decision we make EVERYDAY

1. States will of God- pertaining to "good" and "evil", (ie. someone left his wallet on his seat, there in his wallet his name, contact info, address, etc., and you ask your self- isosoli ko ba?) the answer is always clear and that is the stated will of God.

2. Am moral decision- there's nothing good or bad about it, but we have to consider the moral decision behind it (ie. wearing spaghetti strap top on a Sunday service, how it affects others around you). It needs to be discerned when it's important or not.

3. Basic Life Decision- it will affect the whole course of your life. These are things you need to decide as the goal of your life (ie. what course will you take for college?)

4. Instrumental Decision- based on how convenient it is for you. Try and try until you succeed or try and try until you die.


Common Pattern on Decision Making

1. Fate- people always depend on fate or destiny. If you believe in destiny and you missed it, you missed one-in-a-lifetime chance! But the good thing about it is it will give you one-sided track mind-set (ie. Marcos was told when he was a kid that he would grew up to become the President of the Philippines)

2. Open Door Policy- when God opens a door and He opens a window not for you use the window to get in but rather to see and look on what is happening behind the closed door. Problem is, you're not taking responsibility on your decision and when it fails you run away.

3. Ultimatum approach- what is convenient, what are the moral implications, what does it make out of you?

4. Discernment- develop wisdom according to the Bible. Ability to discern between to same offer.



Basis to a correct Decision

- God is your father, if you do not approach Him, you will always have problems. God is good; he gives you "good dilemmas", while Satan makes you choose between good or evil, God will make you choose between good or good.

- Win-win solution; to develop a win-win approach will lead you to the best of both world result.

- If God has given it to you, you will not go wrong!

- Decision making is not a trial and error.

Blocks in Decision Making

- Physical block; are you physically capable?

- Intellectual block; most people stop studying after they graduate. It's not about getting there, it's about being there!

- Emotional block; are we emotionally prepared? We usually base it on "feelings" when it feels so right even if it's wrong, it's still wrong!

- Theological block; correct and incorrect notions about God.

- Closure; you close a door, you leave something behind, we realize that there are things unsettled we left behind when the door has already been closed. Never make a decision if you haven't make proper disclosure on the things that needs to be settled.

- Psychological block; identify your dysfunctional issues and take it to account, a major thing. Identify also you "pet passions" and take time to decide on it.

DO YOU WANT ALL YOUR DILEMMAS TO BE GOOD?

- consider the claims of Christ and save many years of wrong decision outcome.

WHEN TO KNOW IF IT'S RIGHT?

- Affirmation of your Family; consider what they have to say
- Affirmation of your Community; ask yourself if "do i have the right community?" or "what community do I belong?" "will my decision affect and move two communities?" because if you belong to a wrong community you might end up making wrong decisions too.
- Affirmation of the Word; what does the word of God says about it?
- Affirmation of Yourself; God will not compel you to something against your most basic aspiration.
- Affirmation of the Spirit; the Lord will always make a way to show you that "this is what I want for you!"
- Affirmation of Peace; everything that was mentioned should balance and it will give you peace. It will help you stand even in the toughest times.

NEWS: 2 of our CORE Staff joined the Crossover Leader's Retreat!

Our very own Mommy Bibeth and Rajsh was invited to join the Crossover Leader's Retreat during the past weekend, September 1-2, it was held in Maria Paz Resort, San Pablo City, Laguna.



The event was composed of the Crossover Singles' Ministries Growth Group Leaders with Pastor Lito Villoria, as the group's speaker for the first day of the retreat, he gave a message on "Restoring a Dislocated Heart" , while Pastor Chris Tayoto took over on the 2ND day.

Here's a summary of the topics discussed:

DAY 1
** Wash each other's feet, John 13
-God wants us to be united, "leaders love by serving" John 13:1
-Leaders are called to serve, christian leadership requires supernatural intervention.
-the antidote to pride and competition is SERVICE.
-Leaders serve with endurance, what makes an ordinary work "extra ordinary" is the one person who do it.
-When people hurt you, learn to forgive without discrimination.
-When we set an example (to our subordinates or to others) we must always seek God's help.


** Serve with Grace, 1 Peter 4:10-11
-The Lord gave us gifts, all we need to do is use it to see how God will work in our lives.
-No matter how difficult a person is, you should learn to love him/her.
-Focus on results, not on who gets the credit.
-God's glory should be the ultimate goal of our service.

** Lead like Christ, Philippians 2:6-9
-Do not assert authority for personal gain.
-Place no limits on obedience.
-Ask yourself; is it a matter of principle or preference?
-Wait to receive honor according to god's time table.
-To restore a dislocated heart is to engage in constant prayer, ask God for cleansing.

DAY 2
** from Luke 14:25-35
-Count the cost before you commit to something.
-There would come a point that God will have you choose HIM over something or someone precious to you.
-Love Jesus more than anyone else, even more to your own self
-It's not what we can GET from Him but what we can DO for Him.
-To carry "your cross" is to submit totally to God, even up to the point of facing death.
-Check you prayer time.
-Denying yourself; what do you do to learn more about Jesus?
-As leaders we need to equip ourselves.
-Know the cost before you commit, and remember that to accomplish it is to sacrifice!
-Wrestle with God in discerning things, major things that you need to decide on.
-God wants your 100% commitment
-Application; Pray, Confess, Petition, Intercession, Read bible everyday, attend bible classes, share the gospel, be involve in the ministry!



Photos taken during the event:
*color of the day was RED*



*crossover singles' ministry with a table cloth*



*an icebreaker game- paper plate relay*


The event was a success! It was a priviledge for Mommy Bibeth and Rajsh to become a part of the retreat and for sure they learned a lot.

Let's continue to pray for our CORE staff as they take the lead in our minstry and offer all the glory (and credit) to God alone!