UPDATE from WCG PHILIPPINES

An official weekly e-mail newsletter from the Worldwide Church of God in the Philippines

US Missions Trip Ended with a Combined Service

Combined Metro Manila worship service last August 17 with US missions team led by Dr. Mike and Janet Morrison.

A US short-term mission trip headed by Dr. Mike Morrison visited Philippines for two weeks. He was with his wife Janet Morrison and 12 young people. They visited some part of the Bicol Region & Bulacan, conducted DVBS among children and participated in a Youth Leadership Camp at Silang, Cavite.

Their trip ended with a combined Metro Manila worship service last August 17, 2008 at the Amoranto Theatre. The 12 young people shared their different experiences and what they learned on their stay here in our country. Dr. Mike Morrison gave the main sermon on “Servant Leadership.” There were 675 brethren who attended.

Just before the main sermon, Pastor Nomer Venus, senior pastor for the Manila South Church was ordained as an elder. ND Eugene and some of the ordained elders joined to pray for Pastor Nomer and his family.

After the service, the team had a small gathering at WCG National Office with some of the brethren to enable them to fellowship and get to know one another personally. At the same time, they celebrated Mavicar Chan’s 18th birthday.

ND Eugene sent them off to airport the next day, August 18, 2008. --Noime Aileen del Rosario

Daily Vacation Bible School (DVBS) Held at NHV, Bulacan

On Aug.12 and 13 the New Life Missions Team lead by Mr. Mike and Janet Morrison went to NHV, Bulacan to conduct DVBS from 1-5pm.

The venue was the building where the WCG Church regularlymeets. On Aug. 12 we had 150-160 grade 1- 4 pupils who were present along with their teachers and the Principal. The DVBS started with two action songs which the Principal of NHV enjoyed. It was so meaningful that she requested for 12 CDs of the songs as she wanted all the teachers to teach it to the pupils in school. She had the lyrics copied.

Pastor Nomer Venus of the Manila South Church was ordained as an elder by ND Eugene during the combined Metro Manila worship service.

Kids EE was presented by the team- Heaven/Gifts, Man/Sin, God/Love, Jesus Christ (God-man)/Savior, Faith/Lifesaver. Cutting crafts followed. Ptr. Andrew Teng was the translator.

On Aug. 13 we had 100 children from 8-12 years old. These are children around the community. But there were more kids who came and watched outside . They were so noisy and the solution was to have half of the missions team lead by Mr. Morrison, to go someplace where they have their own games and singing. All of them enjoyed it.

DVBS held at NHV, Bulacan

Mrs. Janet Morrison and the remaining missions team inside the hall also had a better time to share the gospel (Kids EE). These kids enjoyed the singing and their handicraft where they cut out the symbols and tied them in a plastic strip where they can hang it at the window or door entrance. From this they can tell the story of the gospel. A number of them made a commitment to receive Jesus as they understood it. --Ptr. Andrew Teng

PEOS Held at the USANT in Iriga City

Some two hundred and fifty graduating students of the University of Saint Anthony (USANT) in Iriga City attended the Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS) of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on August 8, 2008.

Pastor Greg Glova explains PEOS at USANT, Iriga City

Dr. Rey Taniajura and Pastor Greg Glova, both accredited facilitators of the PEOS, conducted the seminar. The Circle of Young Mentors (CYM) of the College of Education of the university sponsored the event. Ms. Juliet C. Saldo, adviser of the CYM, contacted Dr. Taniajura on behalf of students to request that a PEOS be held for the students of the university. Dr. Arlene O Monsalve, dean of the college of education, welcomed the participants and stressed the relevance of the topics covered. She also presented certificates of appreciation to Dr. Taniajura and Pastor Greg at the end of the seminar.

Beloved... the Musicale on August 31

Beloved...the musicale on Aug.31, 2008 Sunday, Amoranto Theater, Scout Chuatoco St., Roxas District, Q. C. Watch and hear the gospel proclaimed in music and dances! Tickets at P100 per person. Children below 12 years old are FREE. You may bring mats as we provide limited chairs due to audience participation in the praise and worship. GLF Sunday Worship Service is at Amoranto Theater at 1:00 p.m. Speaker: Robert Ferrer, tentmaker missionary in Vienna, Austria who is back with us. You are welcome to join us in worship. --Pastor Andrew Teng, Senior Pastor, Glory to the Lord Fellowship

2008 Festival Sites

Baguio City - September 24 - 28 at Teachers Camp. Morning worship services are from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Various activities are slated in the afternoon. For housing accommodations, contact Pastor Jerry Ortiguero at +63920-903-8377.

Kiara, Bukidnon - October 23 - 26 at the WCG Kiara Church Building, Kiara, Don Carlos, Bukidnon. Contact person: Ruben Carmelotes at +63921-404-3487.

Motiong, Western Samar - October 23 -26 at Ygrubay Family Compound, Motiong, Western Samar. Contact person: Ptr. Danny de Guia at +63919-539-5397.

Cebu City - October 24-26 at Club Ultima, Jones Avenue, Cebu City. Contact Person: Ptr. James Boone at +63927-433-8491.

Dumaguete City - October 24 -26. Le Toundra Peak, Bacong, Negros Oriental. Contact person: Ptr. Angelo Ouano at +63915-804-4740.

Ipil - October 24 -26 at Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay. Contact person: Ptr. Bert Colona at +63919-209-5540 or (062) 333-2539 (during office hours only).

Tacloban City - October 18-20. Pawing Christian Center, Pawing, Palo, Leyte. Contact person: Ptr. Arturo M. Reyes at (053) 321-2989 or (053) 524-9228.

Tagbilaran City - October 26. FAD Beach Resort, Baclayon, Bohol. Contact person: Ptr. Romy Pusta at +63917-241-3980.

Cagayan de Oro City - October 31 - November 2. Contact person: Ptr. Rollen Olango at +63927-345-5522.

Davao City - November 1-2. Contact person: Dr. Boy Garcia at +63916-267-3168.

Dr. Joseph Tkach

Speaking of Life 102: The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John is one of the most beloved books of the New Testament. It is unique among the four Gospels — different from the other three in several ways.

Unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke, John has no account of the birth, baptism, or temptations of Jesus. It does not mention the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, or the ascension.

Accounts of Jesus’ many healings and casting out demons are not included in the Gospel of John. Nor do we find in John the many short and memorable parables in which Jesus teaches profound lessons about the kingdom of God and godly living.

Instead of parables, the fourth Gospel records long speeches of Jesus that sometimes range more than a chapter in length, and often involve complex arguments and reasoning.

John not only leaves out much that the other Gospels mention, he also tells us much that they do not include. Only John tells us of the marriage feast at Cana, of Nicodemus’ visit to Jesus, of the Samaritan woman, of raising Lazarus from the dead, washing the disciples’ feet, and the teaching about the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of John was written in Ephesus around A.D. 100. By that time, perhaps 30 years after the other three Gospels had been written, an important change had occurred in the church: the good news had been proclaimed to the Gentiles.

It was important that the story of Jesus be told in ways that Gentiles were more likely to understand. After all, by this time the vast majority of new converts were coming from a Greek Hellenistic cultural background and not from a Jewish background.

Nothing about the message itself had changed, but the ways by which the good news was expressed and explained needed to be broadened to accommodate the new audience.

For example, the genealogies included by Matthew and Luke in their Gospels were of great importance to Jews, because the Messiah was to be a descendent of King David. In Greek culture, however, King David had no status, and even if a Greek had heard of King David, being descended from him had no significance.

But Greeks did have a concept of the Logos. Logos referred to the word and reason behind the universe. To Greeks, the Logos was the mind of God, responsible for the order in the universe and giving rational thought to human beings. John used this concept of Logos to reach Greeks in a way they could more easily relate to.

Educated Greeks thought in terms of the two worlds taught by Plato– the shadow world in which we live and the what he called the real world, of which everything in our world is only a pale copy. The greatest reality of all in the real world was God. In Greek thinking, the problem facing humanity was how to get from our world of copies and shadows into the world of reality.

John’s Gospel declared that Jesus is the true reality come to earth. In John, Jesus is the real Light. He is the real Bread. He is the real Vine. He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the Truth, and he is the Way –concepts that Greeks could readily understand.

In Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus’ miracles demonstrate his compassion and love. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’ miracles are presented as signs pointing to the Reality that is God, and demonstrating the glory of God breaking into our world. The miracles are insights into the way God always is and how he always acts. In John, Jesus does not merely heal a blind man, he is the Light of the World. He does not merely feed 5000 with a few loaves of bread, he is the Bread of Life.

The Gospel According to John goes beyond the facts of Jesus’ life – to the spiritual meaning of Jesus’ life.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote historical Gospels as testaments to the truth of the facts about Jesus’ life death and resurrection. John, on the other hand, wrote a spiritual Gospel about the meaning for humanity of Jesus’ words and Jesus’ life.

Together, the four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- present Jesus as the fulfillment of the great messianic prophecies of the chosen people and as the mind of God in person, as one of us, who draws us out of the shadows of this life into true life of the kingdom of God.

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you." (2 Thessalonians 3:1)