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Monday Edition |
December 5, 2011 |
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Christ
our Lord
is
King
of
Kings |
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Greetings! | |
 The Christmas season, properly understood and observed, brings a spirit of expectation, and anticipation. It also gives us a longing and even a yearning to understand better how deep, how high and how wide is God's love for us.
Let's make the spirit of Christmas a default spirit by which our lives are attuned to that of giving, sharing and blessing others.
The Church Staff |
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KING OF KINGS | |
 Pastor John Tulio's evangelistic series on the "King of Kings" will continue on Sunday, December 11, with the topic "Worthy is the Lamb." The first sermon on the series was given a week ago yesterday, entitled "Everlasting Father."
He will continue to share "Bible messages about the complete Messianic ministry of Jesus Christ....and learn about the God who loves you unconditionally and how He saves you by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone."
The topics for December 18 and 25 are "The Promise Keepers" and "The Perfect Gift," respectively.
Pastor John is Senior Minister of Gospel Life Community.
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FEEDING THE HOMELESS | |
 Volunteers from Gospel Life Community sponsored the feeding of the homeless in the local community by serving dinner last night at the St. Christopher Church in West Covina.
There was more than adequate food as second helpings were offered, and the homeless who came also received bag lunches prepared by our volunteers to take with them.
While dinner was served Ray Bautista provided praise and Christmas music by playing the keyboard which he and his wife, Lulu, brought with them. Several of our members formed a choral group to sing the songs that Ray was playing. This group included Selena Culpepper, Susan Williams, Vonnie Cabrera, Rel and Reby Ravago and others. Ray and Lulu belong to the Monday night Bible study group of Ruth and Ernie Jordan.
The people who came to avail themselves of the meal were very grateful to all who served. Several of our members' children were there to help as well. Pastor John welcomed the people to the event and offered a word of prayer at the outset.
The committee responsible for getting things ready for the dinner consisted of Nancy Alano, Maria Avena, and Lelit Luciano. They will be preparing for another similar event in February. Several local churches take their turn to provide this winter service to the homeless in our area. |
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DR. MYAPE VISITS | |
We have a well-loved member who came to worship with us yesterday. Dr. Robert Myape, Sr. seemed delighted to be able to come to his old "stomping grounds" as he recounted to several of us how he and his wife, Esther (who recently passed away) enjoyed our fellowship and their experiences as part of the group that started the Gospel Life Community congregation first in West Covina before moving to our present location in Wanut.
Bob also participated in our First Sunday activities when he spoke from the pulpit for a few minutes and allowed us to ponder upon the words of the Bible in John 3:16.
He conversed some more with others while at the Fellowship Hall for lunch, and thankful that Tito and Vonnie Cabrera picked him up from his home in Cerritos over the weekend so he could come and visit. He says he no longer drives a car because of his failing eyesight.
Meanwhile, one of the First Sunday program participants was a group of young children belonging to a children's class led by Eric Torres and Sam Alano. Each one of the children recited a favorite Bible verse and explained what that verse meant to him or her. It was good to see such young children learning from the Bible and knowing that they understand what they read from it. |
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GOSPEL LIFE FRIEND PASSES | |
Another friend and occasional visitor to Gospel Life passed away on Tuesday, November 29. Dr. Jaime Arcilla, a retired plastic surgeon who at some point operated a natural healing health care facility, recently became known to our Pastor Tony Luciano who has been to Dr. Arcilla's home several times at the latter's request, for a deeper study of our Basic 10 guide, the "Keys to the Kingdom."
Dr. Arcilla used to come and attend our praise and worship services, as well as listen to several Gospel Life seminars conducted by Pastor John.
The family announced that a Memorial Service on Dr. Arcilla's behalf will be held Sunday, December 11 at 1:00 p.m. at the Azure Hills Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Grand Terrace, CA. (Grand Terrace is a community located between Loma Linda and Riverside.) |
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MARKETPLACE MINISTRY |
Empowering Others
"I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).
The CEO was excited that he'd found the right man to be general manager of his growing enterprise. He had all the training, the right skill set, and great people skills. The CEO gave him all authority to fulfill his role. However, after six months the CEO had to fire him. It seems the general manager refused to use the empowerment given him to accomplish his tasks.
Great leaders, mentors, and managers must empower others to fulfill the mission of any organization. Jesus invested time and energy developing leaders. Only at the point at which they could properly manage the resource did Jesus empower them. The teacher who offers empowerment too early sets up followers for failure. On the other hand, the leader who fails to empower capable people creates frustration.
Part two of good empowerment is engaging your follower to use his/her authority entrusted to them to fulfill their mission.
Jesus imparted to his followers a balance of both of these concepts. Peter was not ready for leadership before the crucifixion. He failed to use the empowerment given to him by Jesus. It required a failure in Peter's life before he matured in his leadership. However, once Peter began to appropriate from Jesus what He had imparted to him he became a powerful and effective leader. Jesus told his disciples they would be able to not only do what He had done, but they would do even greater things than He did.
This is a key attribute of a leader who wants to empower others to advance their mission.
(Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders) |
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"TIPPING POINTS OF GRACE" BACK IN PRINT | |
 A second printing of the book "Tipping Points of Grace" by Pastor John Tulio is now available. The book re-examines several old dogmas and presents clearly why they are not biblical and/or no longer applicable under the New Covenant.
These books are good for personal study, or to be given away as gifts to your friends and family members who may still believe in the dogmas discussed in this book. A donation of $10 per book to cover cost is requested. Please let the church staff know if you'd like to have one or more of this book or you may send for one by clicking the PayPal icon below.
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MAILING ADDRESS:
436 Crestwood Lane
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| MEDITATION |
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"Oh God, most gracious heavenly Father, thank You that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me in Your path.
"Thank You for making me such that I may not cause pain to You, my loved ones, my church family, or to those who stand in need of your love, mercy, and salvation--or to myself.
" May You be glorified, Oh lovely and loving One. Thank You in Jesus' name, amen. |
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