Merry Christmas from PNG!
MERRY CHRISTMAS & A BLESSED NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
Let’s receive the best gift of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, by worshipping and serving Him…
Let’s join with the apostle Paul who said, …I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me… I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14, NLT
It is my prayer that as you walk faithfully with the Lord, that the year 2009 will be a blessed year for you, your family and your business (Deuteronomy 28).
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFUL PARTNERSHIP IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA MISSIONS.
ABRAHAM C. VISCA
Missionary to PNG
School of Bible and Theology Students 2008
Greetings from BKK!
A Joyous Christmas
&
A Blessed New Year to you all!
Love,
Chad, Renee & Nav
www.narrowroadpilgrim.com
www.ica-bangkok.org
Jerry’s Grill: Wise Men Still Seek Him
“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” (Proverbs 25:2 NIV)
I normally don’t skim through my files but recently I did because I need to clean up my computer. Among other things in there, I found this short message. I can’t recall how I got this, or where or when I used it before, but it really brings out an appropriate message for us this Christmastime. Some of us may remember a famous bumper sticker the message of which was as profound as it was simple: WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM.
I like this because it says at least two things. First, those who seek God are wise. God affirms the dignity of the searcher and the search. The fact that God has set it up this way – that He has concealed His matters and has invited us to search for him – confirms our nobility. It says we have enough smarts to look for Him and recognize Him when we find Him. In fact, the proverb above puts the searcher in the realm of kings. It’s a noble task to seek after God.
Second, those who seek God are given the benefit of the doubt, that if they seek Him, they will find Him. This is actually a promise in Scripture: “He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) This is why those of us who already know Him don’t have to jump all over those who are still seeking Him when they get something wrong or don’t put it in exactly the right words. If they are truly seeking, they will find Him, and, ultimately, it will be God Who will open their eyes. We need to respect the search of those we know who are seeking and not get impatient with them or think of them as stupid for not seeing what we see. When it’s time, they will.
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ICS Choir getting ready for the “Prince of Peace” cantata
December was a very busy month for the ICS Choir but all the time spent for practice and vocalizing will come to an end as they finally take the center stage tomorrow, December 21, 2008 at the ICS Worship Center with their cantata entitled “Prince of Peace”.
Here’s a photo during their last day of practice:
Service starts at 9 am. Everyone is invited. Come one, come all!
PRINCE OF PEACE: ICS’ Christmas Cantata Special ‘08
ICS@COM
By Edgar Gomez Sr.
No I am not referring to a new ICS website. This is just to inform the whole ICS community that a new and revitalized Committee on Missions was recently re-organized last November 29, 2008, and will, henceforth, be known as ICS COM. The ICS leadership saw the need to have a central body to coordinate all activities relevant to the Missions Program of our church. ICS COM was therefore born to accomplish this great responsibility.
Pastor Jerry Balbuena appointed Bro. Jeff Castillo to organize the committee. Bro. Jeff, in turn, recommended to Ptr. Jerry the existing heads of the various ministries, as well as other members, to initially form the ICS COM. Here are the names of members:
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S.U.B.I.C.
The ICS Youth and YA will be having their Christmas retreat on December 21-22, 2008 at JEST Camp in Subic. Pray for our young people as they continue to love God passionately and pursue His call to make disciples of all nations.
To Walk Where Jesus Walked - An ICS’ Member’s Trip To Israel
By Sonia Tan
When I wast told that I will be going with my mother to the Holy Land I was very excited. Apart from the fact that this is the land God has chosen to have His son Jesus be born in, I have always wanted to see for myself all the places that I have only heard about from stories being told from Sunday school!
When we arrived in Israel, we stayed at a church in Tel Aviv. The people there were very friendly and the fruits very sweet and delicious!
The name “Israel” can mean either of two things - “one who fights victoriously with God ” or “a prevailing prince with God”. It was the new name God gave Abraham’s grandson Jacob.
God intended to use Israel as His means to love and bless people from all the other nations that surrounded them. It was God’s plan from the beginning to bring forth the Messiah through Israel to be the Savior of the entire world.
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Bangkok Chronicles: Christmas is Family Time
By Michael Chad Visca
It’s been our tradition that in the week of Christmas to New Year we would be with extended family. This will be the first Christmas we spend away from family. I can’t say it isn’t sad because it is.
Christmas in Thailand is very different from the Philippines. For starters Christmas is just another working day here. In the Philippines the Christmas season began in September and doesn’t end until the New Year and sometimes reaches Valentines. Here, decorations are limited to church buildings, hotels, malls and homes of Christians. Christmas carols are heard sparsely over the radio or TV. This is understandable, of course, as Thailand has the biggest Buddhist population in the world with the King as its primary image bearer.
PRINCE OF PEACE: ICS’ Christmas Cantata Special ‘08
Financial turmoil, massive layoffs, economic and political upheavals, hunger and famine, terrorism and genocide. These are the headlines confronting us this Christmas season. In no other time in recent history has man witnessed such chaos and strife.
In these times of uncertainty and worry, the “Prince of Peace” reminds us that there is hope for us all because on that first Christmas night, God has given us the One whose name shall be called “Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace” (Isa.9:6). And because of that we are assured that, for as long as we have made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, we will always have peace and joy, regardless of the circumstances that surround us.
This simple yet powerful cantata by Rodger Strader features songs that will surely touch our hearts as we once again witness the events that surround the birth of the Savior of the World. Share the tender moments of Joseph and Mary as they ponder the awesome responsibility God bestowed on them. Experience the majesty of the choir of angels as they announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds. And worship with the wise men as they kneel before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
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12 Shopping Tips For a Merrier Christmas
By Reah Padla
Aaah, Christmas. It’s my favorite time of the year. The list as to why I love the holidays is endless but I’m not about to enumerate them.
Yes, we all know that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. Still, some people get caught up in all the Christmas rush. You know, shopping, shopping, food, gifts, parties, and yeah, more shopping. Despite the stress, traffic jams, and overdrafts, people still fight their way to the malls and ‘tiangges’ to do their Christmas shopping.
Seriously, it’s one of my favorite activities in the world but because of the recession, I feel it’s time that I be more practical and spend wisely. Better yet, as my husband would put it, “Don’t spend”. But hey, I can’t just change overnight so instead, I made a list of tips on how to shop just a little more wisely this Christmas. Here they are:
1. Make a Christmas list. By this I mean a list of people you want to give gifts to and not your Wish List. There’s a huge difference between the two. The former is more important. Write down those very special people who are dear to you so you won’t miss anyone.
2. Set a budget. This one is also very important. You can’t risk going over your budget. Even if some people say it’s okay to splurge, don’t. Stick to your budget. If you can, pay in cash. Don’t just swipe, swipe, swipe. You don’t want to be paying for Christmas gifts until June, do you?
3. Brand matters-NOT. When buying gifts, don’t shop at designer stores or boutiques. Brand doesn’t matter, really. What’s important is the quality. There’s a better alternative to the malls too. Hello, Divisoria! (And Tutuban, Quiapo, Greenhills, etc…)
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