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NEWSLETTER
Wednesday Edition | December 5, 2012 |
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Dear (Contact First Name),
Some churches call the days leading to Christmas as "The Advent," which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, ending on Christmas eve. As Christians we have to pay attention to the religious significance of the season which has been largely lost in the commercialism that surrounds it.
Actually, the focus of "The Advent" is to celebrate Jesus' birth when He first came to earth (First Advent) and the anticipation of His return as King of Kings (Second Advent).
As we focus on both the past and the future, Advent becomes a symbol of our spiritual journey, not only as individuals but as a congregation, validating the fact that Jesus came to dwell among men, that He is still present in the world today through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that He will come again in power and majesty.
Let the spirit of the season be in our hearts and minds not only during the "The Advent" but every day of our lives.
The Church Staff |
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| WHAT THE GOSPEL IS NOT |
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Pastor John Tulio |
An evangelistic series begins Sunday when Pastor John Tulio, founder and senior pastor of Gospel Life Community, preaches on topics that will address the theme "What the Gospel Is Not."
The series of Good News Hour sermons will be delivered in four segments
in the next three Sundays (the 9th, 16th and 23rd of December). The fourth in the series will be on Saturday evening, the 29th.
We urge you to invite family members and friends who may be hearing about the gospel for the first time, and/or in a way quite different from what they're used to hearing. Knowing the gospel is one sure way that we can "weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not." |
| MINISTRY TO THE HOMELESS |  Rain and cold wind did not keep a good number of Gospel Life volunteers from serving food and entertaining approximately 120 homeless persons last Sunday evening at the St. Christopher Church in West Covina. Our volunteers provided dinner for the homeless, as well as an additional sack lunch for the next day. Vanessa Cabrera and Ray Bautista provided music as dinner went on. Gospel Life is one among many area churches who volunteer to feed the homeless during a designated 13-week period in the winter. Some of the volunteer churches provide shelter for the homeless during this period when nights can be very cold. The yearly program is sponsored by the East San Gabriel Valley Cooperative for the Homeless. |
| A THOUGHT FOR CHRISTMAS |  There is a certain degree of anticipation and a spirit of expectation that the Christmas season brings. It also gives us a longing and a yearning to understand better how deep, how high and how wide God's love is for us. We can make the Spirit of Christmas the default spirit by which our lives are adjusted to become more giving, more sharing, and more of a blessing to others. |
| AREA "MANAGERS" |  A REMINDER: At our Core Group meeting two Sundays ago, there were several of you who volunteered to be area "managers" for different areas of the church and the modulars, to remove things that are no longer needed, either to be disposed or given away, and to make sure these areas are left clean and without trash. Please do not forget to oversee your respective areas, making sure that the task is done soon. Please do not personally give things away without checking with Pastor Joannie as she has the "master list" - first come, first served. There's a call for volunteers to come this Saturday, December 8, to help clean up and haul away all trash. |
| CHURCH CHRISTMAS LUNCH |  Ruby Dijamco is coordinating our church's Christmas Fellowship Lunch for Sunday, December 23. All lunch groups will please get in touch with Ruby. Let's all plan for this and make sure we all decide to stay for lunch that day, after church service. It will be a good time to have a special get-together for the entire church family. |
| MARKETPLACE MINISTRY |  A Heavenly Strategic Planning Session
"And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. - 1 Kings 22:20
There are few times we get a glimpse of what goes on in Heaven. Here is one instance when the angels were conferring with the Lord about the judgment of King Ahab for his sin and who was going to set up Ahab for this judgment.
If God wanted to use you to impact your world for Jesus Christ, what circumstances would have to be created in order for you to respond to His call? Would prospering you materially encourage you to this end? Would a major change in what you are presently doing be necessary? What would your response be should God and the angels conclude that the only way to move you into a position of fulfilling God's purposes was to remove some things that might be very dear to you? Would you agree with their plan if you knew this would be the only way you would achieve the purposes for which God made you? Hard questions, aren't they?
This is the very thing God does in many who have been called for a special mission. Moses had to be stripped of his royal position in the family of Egypt and sit in the desert for 40 years. The apostle Paul had to be knocked off his horse, blinded, and receive a personal visitation from Jesus. The 12 disciples had to leave their jobs for three years to follow Christ. Imagine what kind of disruption this had on their lives. There are many examples of God bringing major upheaval in the lives of those He called for His purposes. Why?
The reason is that we do not seek God with a whole heart in times of prosperity and comfort. Prosperity and comfort tend to breed complacency and satisfaction. It is rare to find the man or woman who seeks God with a whole heart who does so simply from a grateful heart. We often must have pain or crisis to motivate us. Eventually, that crisis bridges us to a new calling, and we embrace that calling if we are open to the Holy Spirit's work in us. We can actually thank God for the change that was required to get us to this place, but it is not without anguish of heart.
Would you be willing to sit in the strategic planning session for your life and agree with the plans God has for your life? Could you give God complete freedom to implement that plan, no matter the cost? Ask God to give you the grace and trust in His love for you to say "yes."
(Today God Is First [TGIF] devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.) |
| CHURCH GREETERS' SCHEDULE |  December 9 - Penny & Conrad Miranda December 16 - Eunice Alinsod December 23 - Lelit & Tony Luciano December 29 - Ruby & Ding Dijamco January 5 - Linda & Danny Santos January 12 - Vonnie & Tito Cabrera |
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MAILING ADDRESS:
436 Crestwood Lane
Walnut, CA 91789
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| Meditation | | |
Dear God, thank You that I am still alive and able to enjoy this day that You have given me. Would You do me a favor? Please let me know how well I am doing in keeping my word and my commitments. Examine the desires of my heart, the words of my mouth, and the actions I take (or don't take). Do I follow through like I should? Do I keep my commitments? Please help me to be trustworthy and dependable.
Thank You for showing me how not to over commit myself and to think and pray before I speak and make commitments. And thank You for making my thoughts, words, and actions bring glory to You and not disappointment or shame. I trust You and commit my thought life to You -- as well as my eyes, mouth, hands, and feet -- that they may be about Your business. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. |
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