January 2004 | Volume 2 Number 4 | ARCHIVES |
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Christ the True Foundation Christian Ministry Official Newsletter
Time to read your Heartbeat!
CTF's Christmas Party
By Cathy Josue
Dec 21 - CTF held its celebration of the yuletide season with its yearly christmas party last Dec 21. The celebration started with the Sunday Worship Service in the morning and the christmas party in the afternoon. Fun and excitememt awaits every member as they join the games. There was also the traditional exchanging of gifts. Indeed, it was a joyous event of celebrating the birth of Christ - the reason for the season!
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“Pamaskong Himig” Sings Classic Tagalog Christmas Carols
By Coney Ranches
Last December 22, in the banner “Pamaskong Handog”, the CTF Youth members: Helen Cruz, Dulce Cruz, Jessica Ranches, Connie Ranches, Jonell Bautista, Kristine Solomon, Gigi Solomon, Lot Olarte, Rhea Macam, Rona Santiago, Cathy Josue, Sharon de la Paz, Flor Pajarillo, Limwell Rodil, Jesmon Garcia, Joseph Mendoza came to entertain the Church through song and dance numbers. The audience, which included a few newcomers were very happy singing-along with the Christmas carols, and very satisfied with the product of their one-hundred-pesos. The main purpose of the event was to raise funds for the upgrading of the sound system. All of this is for the glory of God, for He deserves the highest praise!
The presenters which are all youth created a new bond in their friendship because of the joy this affair brought. They only practiced in less than two weeks, and yet performed a very well show.
YOUth have a special part
Dec. 14 – It’s a youth Christmas party! It was really a day of fun and enlightment. Fun, because of the games and special numbers given by the youth from the CTF Dos Castillas, CTF Antipolo and God’s Everlasting covenant. Enlightment because of short exhortation delivered by Ptr. Abet. Indeed, all the 37 young people felt the special part of the youth on the first Christmas. That is, the angel of God sent the message that the savior was born to the young shepherd. With this, everyone was challenge to share the message of Christmas.
By Pastor Albert Aquino
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
BY:
In these days, we hear a lot about success. If I asked 100 people to define "success," I would probably get 100 different answers. I would like to share my definition of success: Success is choosing to enter the arena of life, determined to never give up, and investing your life in humanity and eternity.
SUCCESS IS CHOOSING TO ENTER THE ARENA OF ACTION. It is finding a need and filling it. Don't be a spectator - be a participant in life. Zig Ziglar says, "You can get everything in life you want - if you help enough other people get what they want." In other words, the way to the top is not stepping on others, but stooping to help others.
SUCCESS IS BEING COMMITTED.
Success is facing a challenge and meeting it. You will face big and small
problems. It is not as important where you are located when the problems come,
but where you are when the problems are over. Problems are the great dividers
between success and failure. How you handle them will determine on which side of
success you'll live.
SUCCESS IS DETERMINING TO GIVE YOURSELF TO JESUS. Success is
losing your life and finding it in Jesus. Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life
will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." You reap what
you sow.
I love the Olympics. The athletes are so dedicated. More gold medals have
been won because of consecration and sacrifice than by natural abilities. A
person never truly lives until he or she has a reason to die for something.
SUCCESS IS HELPING HUMANITY. Nothing is more distressful than
seeing people with great abilities sitting on the sidelines of life. Success is
developing your abilities and sharing them.
SUCCESS IS INVESTING IN ETERNITY. Success is going to Heaven.
"Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last."
By Kristine Solomon
Anxiety
If we ask a pressured office worker a question like this: could you bear the responsibility or work assigned to you? Most often than not, their answer is “They’re treating me like a machine, giving me work more than my two hands to do”. With this, reminds me of the famous quote by Beacher : “It is not the work that kills men; it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more upon a man that he can bear. Worry is rust upon the blade. It is not revolution that destroy the machinery but the fiction. Fear secretes acids but love and trust are sweet juices.
Truly, it is not the work that kills men. It is not the situation but you handle it. Thus, as the new year begins, let the distress of our mind be cast to God for He said in His work “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your request to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
Isn’t it wonderful to start the year having break away with all anxiety.
By Joy Torren
By Jennifer Ranches
Things to Ponder…by Me
What can be more satisfying than getting up from bed and praise the Lord, and then before you sleep at night, you look back at your day’s accomplishments and praise the Lord, once again. What can be more joyful than fellowshipping with your brothers and sisters at church in regular times; good times and bad times.
***
Try to erase God in your plans, and you will lose His blessings for you. Ignoring God is to ignore your real purpose in life. You toil at work and at the end of the day you ask why you’re not happy and blame God for your misery. How foolish. Get a life!
***
Be patient with God’s perfect gift, inside it is a wonderful kind of life, a life without pressures from work, friends, families and even your demanding favorite hobbies. Fervent prayer is always highly recommended.
***
Wake up! Rise up! Breakfast is ready! Pray before you eat.
***
Election time is fast approaching. Who are you going to vote? The actor, the gunman, the arrogant bastard, the fickle actress look-alike, or bahala na? Pray for the plan of the esteemed man of God, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus is Lord Church, about his conviction to take the country’s highest office. Pray for the future of the Philippines.
By Coney Ranches
WHO'S IN THE PICTURE?
By Cathy Josue
When I was in college I came home from school one day with a brain teaser. See if you can figure it out:
Imagine that you are a school bus driver. A red-haired student gets on the bus and begins combing her hair with a green brush. At the next stop two more students get on and say in passing that they like the color of the driver's new blue cap. As they walk to the rear of the bus, the shorter one shouts back, "I wouldn't let that red-head stay on the bus if I were you. Her brush clashes with your hair!" What color is the bus driver's hair? Think about it. Remember, you are the bus driver.
If you didn't see yourself in that story until I tol you, you're not alone. Of course the answer is your hair color. King David also made a mistake with another story. He became furious when a prophet of God told about a rich man who stole a poor man's pet for his dinner. Yet it became very clear as Nathan bluntly said to David, "You are the man!"
We read the Bible but fail to see ourselves in the picture. We tend to forget that the Bible was "written for our admonition." REMEMBER THAT THE BIBLE GIVES US A PICTURE OF WHO WE REALLY ARE.
MIA Goes On…
By Jessica Ranches
MIA or the Mission In Action of the Youth Ministry has the objective of evangelizing all classes of people. This team was also motivated by the compassion of Christ. To seek and meet all kinds of human needs which may be spiritual and/ or physical. MIA was planned out last September 2003 with the goal of helping 30 indigent families (10 from the CTF family and 20 new believers of the Gospel) by giving them Noche Buena Package for their Christmas celebration. In line to this material blessing, this people were first blessed spiritually. A member from each family were given an opportunity to hear and understand the God given salvation during the house to house evangelism of CTF’s Young People. With the move of the Holy Spirit, these people accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. There was a follow up visit for these people and taught them how to communicate with God in prayer. On the other visit they were given an invitation to come to church and they were surprised by the claim ticket for family Gift Package. It was a glorious night service when all these new believers with some members from their family gathered at the CTF church. There was a preaching of the Word by Ptr. Boya and a prayer where they accepted Christ publicly by raising up their hands in surrender to Him. Following the short service was the distribution of the Noche Buena Pack.
The Noche Buena Pack distribution would not have materialized if there was no kindhearted sponsors. Thanks be to God for He pointed and prepared at least 50 people to act in love by donating a sum of money for this Mission. The goal of helping 30 indigent families and the goal of sharing the Gospel to upper classes were served. Most of the pointed sponsors are unbelievers which belong to the higher class. This is just a God-given opportunity for us to share the good news and a great chance for them to be saved. MIA Team has prepared a Dinner for the Sponsors last December 5, 2003 for the goal of evangelism but very few from non-believers have responded. The team is still hoping and praying that God will use those teaching CDs, Christian Album, and Salvation articles from the CTF Songbook that were given to them.
This activity is not yet over for MIA members as there are number of people who responded to the Gospel and are willing to grow in Christ. This new challenge given to the team will engaged a committee to encourage, pray, and oversee these new believers until they become a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Bagong Taon, Bagong Buhay!
By Sharon de la Paz
(Deutonomy 6:5 Love your God with all your heart, with all your soul and strength)
Bago sumapit ang Bagong Taon marami ang abala sa paghahanda gaya ng pag luluto ng masasarap na pagkain, sari-saring paputok, mga palaro, marami rin ang nagsusulat ng kanilang “New years resolutions” o mga pangako. Masaya ang lahat sa pagsapit ng Bagong Taon, andyan ang pagsasalo-salo ng pamilya, pagdarasal bago kumain, at pagsisindi ng paputok at maraming klaseng ingay ang ginagawa. Ano nga ba ang Bagong Taon? Sabi ng marami “Bagong Taon, Bagong Buhay” ibig sabihin lahat ng mga gawa na masama sa taon na nagdaan ay itapon na at wag ng dalhin o pulutin pa sa panibagong taon na darating. Ang taon na darating ay ang pagbibigay ng pasasalamat sa panginoon at paghingi ng kapatawaran sa lahat ng mga ginawa natin na di nakalugod sa kanya. Ang panginoon ay nagbigay sa atin ng magandang karanasan sa taong nagdaan. Maniwala tayo na siya lamang ang makapagbibigay ng magandang buhay. Ibigay natin ang ating buong buhay sa kanya.
2 - Sharon Dela Paz
3 - Helen Cruz
10 - Kyle Villanueva
10 – Robert Arana
11 - Jennifer Ranches
13 - Charles Gabriel Allana
28 - Joseph Mendoza
World Scare of Terrorism; Our Philippine Nation; Unity of the Filipino Church; CTF Ministries; Church-building fund of 16M; Our Pastors and their families; CTF Family/Members
