You can now subscribe to Christ’s Commission Fellowship’s Podcast for your Itunes or other applications.

How?
1.) Go to Sunday Messages and click the “Subscribe to Full Podcast”.

2.) Choose Itunes or another application in the box at the upper left corner then click “Subscribe Now”.

3.) You’ll be redirected to Itunes where the podcast will start downloading.

Or you can subscribe via Itunes, just click “Advanced–Subcribe to Podcast” then paste the RSS of the podcast.

Happy Podcasting!

You can now share CCF news, Sunday messages, devotionals, etc. to your accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Multiply, YM, Blogs and more! We have just installed a “Share/Save” button on every page which is designed to help regular CCF website visitors to make the testimonies, messages, and videos more accessible to their friends in any of the 122 social networking sites indicated therein. They can even recommend certain events and services (e.g. ‘Join a D-Group’) making it very easy for them to join.

So we encourage everyone to take advantage of this exciting tool to spread the word around that Jesus loves them and that we love them!

Just scroll down at the bottom of every page and click the “Share/Save button”!

“And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. “-Matthew 28:18-20

We thank God for technology that creates new ways to bring his word to everyone. We are happy to announce that, beginning with the 25th Anniversary Service, we will be web-streaming our worship services live!

Tune in to these links:

<http://www.ccf.org.ph/sunday-messages/live-service>
<http://www.livestream.com/ccf_livestream>*

at these times (Philippine time / UTC+8):

25th Anniversary Service, 30 August 2009
10:00am
3:00pm

Every Sunday after that!
8:00am
10:00am
12:00pm
3:00pm
6:00pm

–
*in case the CCF Live Service page is unavailable

Disclaimer: CCF does not endorse any of the products or services advertised on livestream.com.

We started a YouTube channel where you can see videos of Dawn Watch and Filipino worship services. We’ll also produce other videos covering different topics and life issues, and these will be posted on YouTube, too. Check it out and tell your friends!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ccf4web

CCF is also online here:
http://www.facebook.com/ccfortigas
http://ccfonline.multiply.com

by Anna Lei Locsin

An unforgettable encounter with the Lord took place in the three-day, live-out retreat held last April 9-11.

The retreat was originally intended for about 200 participants and to be held in the 4th floor Theater (Overflow Room). However, as God moved and touched the hearts of people, the number of registrants ballooned beyond the expected number. When the retreat began, 563 participants filled the 5th floor Worship Hall and needed 85 break out groups.

On the first day, participants learned about God the Father’s love through the testimony and message by Ptr. Danny Urquico. Ptr. Danny talked about about the different kinds of earthly fathers and the surpassing love of our Father in heaven.

While at times our earthly fathers may fail us, God’s love for us is always perfect.

This message was followed by the session, “What’s So Bad About Sin?” by Marc Villareal, with a testimony by former drug pusher Vic Gonzales. Marc talked about man’s sinful nature as opposed to God’s holiness. The nature of sin and its impact in our lives and our relationship with the Holy God was discussed.

The second day began with Ptr. Joey Geronimo’s message about the redeeming power of Christ’s death on the cross. Former Taoist priest Fidel Chua gave his testimony.

The participants witnessed Christ’s suffering in our behalf as they watched the movie “The Passion of Christ” during lunch.

Through the message of Denny Dinsay and the accompanying testimony by his wife Irene, the participants learned to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to live the supernatural Christian life. This was followed by the session on Spiritual Deliverance led by Ptr. Danny de Guzman and Thelma Reyes. (Read Irene’s testimony.)

The participants were amazed at the deliverance experienced by sharers Grace and Monique, who used to be involved in the occult. In the lectures, the participants were taught how to fight spiritual battles and break free from the stronghold of the enemy. (Read Monique’s testimony.)

After the session, the attendees attested to a distinct feeling of lightness in their beings.

On the third day, participants were taught about their vision and commitment as God’s people. It is important to take on the vision to bear fruit and share the gospel to different people groups, as well as commit to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives. In this regard, testimonies were given by Jean Geronimo, Ptr. Ito de Jesus, his wife Cata de Jesus, Girlie Cusio. During lunch, some of the attendees shared their own testimonies of how this event changed their lives. (Read Angie’s testimony.)

At the end of the retreat, 112 of the participants were baptized as a public declaration of their faith, 215 prayed to received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, and 138 asked to be placed in D-Groups.

The retreat was indeed a testimony of God’s power. For some, it was a life-changing opportunity to know God’s amazing plan of salvation for the very first time. For others who have committed their lives to Jesus a long time ago, it reignites their passion for the Lord as they look back at what Christ has done for us. To God be the glory!

Irene with her family

I am Irene A. Dinsay, married to Denny and blessed with two wonderful girls. This is God’s story in my life.

My lifelong search for love and security began earlier than I can remember. Because of the pain my father inflicted upon me since I was a child, I found it difficult to trust God and believe that He loves me. My father was distant, absent, harsh and unable to express love. This is the reason I have never been close to him and always kept a distance.

At age five, I witnessed how my parents would always fight and my how my father physically hurt my mother. This went on for years. Later, I found out that the reason for their endless fights was my father’s womanizing and irresponsibility.

In July 1978, when I was 12, my father came home, told me to pack up my things, and without saying another word, brought me to my grandmother. Though I was very reluctant, I knew I had no choice. A year later, my grandmother told me the reason I was staying with her was to be a “pambayad utang” (payment for debt). She told me how my father would always borrow money from her. I then understood why my grandmother treated me not as a family member, but as household help. I also had to take care of my mentally-challenged uncle.

During my stay, there was not a time she wouldn’t say nasty things about my mother, insult her, and tell me how she disapproved of my father’s marriage to her – the reason she could not accept us in the family. Despite all these, I managed to continue my studies and even excelled in academics. But each day I headed home from school, I would dread the loneliness I knew was waiting for me. I was deprived of my childhood, and life was meaningless for me. For years, I seethed with anger, hatred and bitterness toward my father.

In 1981, after barely three years of living with my grandmother, I got very sick and was sent back home. I had severe asthma, was very pale, and had allergies all over my body. In my desperation, I prayed that God would take me because I didn’t find purpose in my life anymore. However, I was also scared of death.

One night, I dreamt of a person with a very bright light coming out from him. I believe He was Jesus, because I heard Him say, “Irene, I have loved you.” For the first time, I opened the Bible, and God led me to John 3:16 -

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life.

The word “loved” in that verse really struck me. Though I didn’t completely understand what it meant, I felt loved for the first time. The next thing I knew, I was down on my knees. In that moment on 30 November 1981, I opened my heart to Jesus and invited Him to be my personal Lord and Savior.

I realized that this newfound relationship with God was all I ever needed. I started to hunger for God’s Word. When I went back to my grandmother, I knew that I still had to face the loneliness and my sickness, but this time, I would find my strength, joy, and hope from Jesus. I also started praying for my family’s salvation.

Finally, in 1985 – after seven years – I went home for good. I started to look for a church where I could grow in my relationship with God. In college, I joined the Campus Crusade for Christ, where I grew in my faith and learned to share the Gospel.

But there were times that the pain of the past would haunt me like an uninvited guest. I was still distant from my father .

In 1993, God gave me the second love of my life – my husband. I praise God for giving me such a loving and God-fearing partner in life. With my husband’s help, I had the courage to share the gospel with my family, and all except my father received Jesus Christ.

In 2001, I dreamt of my father weeping, and that really bothered me. I knew that God had been telling to me to forgive him, totally and completely, so that I would be healed. When I had the chance to have a heart-to-heart talk with my father, I humbly asked for his forgiveness – for being bitter towards him and for my rebellious attitude. I also told him how grateful I was to God that he was my father. His tears flowed as he knelt before me and asked for my forgiveness. He regretted the way he treated me, because he himself did not experience love from his parents. In an instant, healing took place.

God is so amazing! Right then and there, with the help of my husband, I shared the good news about Jesus with my father, and he made the decision to make Him His Lord and Savior. After that, a heavy load was taken off my shoulders. We both felt the peace of God, and all the bitterness and resentment just melted away. God is so good!

I will always be grateful to God for using those circumstances to bring me to where I am today. He restored me and my relationship with my family, and He gave my life a new beginning. I don’t have enough words to fully appreciate Gods’ display of his love, grace, goodness, and power in my life. I know that I am now living for Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, in Galatians 2:20 – my life verse:

I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I lived, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me.

To God, who has loved me with an everlasting love, I give all the glory!

Do you have a personal relationship with God?

(Angie was a participant in the recent “A Summer Encounter to Remember.” She gave this testimony near the conclusion of the retreat.)

I am Angie. As I sat there listening to the speaker talk about his father, I remembered mine… and an ocean of tears welled from my eyes. My father left us when I was four and my youngest sister was less than a year old. All four of us girls grew up without a father, and most of the time, without a mother, for my mother had to work to support all of us.

As I grew older, questions began springing from my young and idealistic mind. Where was my father? What was he like? Was he a good man, like they said he was? People around us blamed my mother for the breakup and always regarded my father as the underdog. He was, they said, too good for my mom.

When I was in my early twenties, I began my lonely search for my father. I was working then in a beverage company and doing very well. I was hoping that my father would be proud of me.

It was not long before I was facing him, in his house, with his new family. I did not know what to expect, nor whether to hug him or just hold his hand, but I got the shock of my life. Nothing prepared me for what I was about to receive.

I’d been told that he was a good and decent man – a good cook, a poet, and a lot of other good things. But there I was, in a small shanty; an untidy, unkempt, poor excuse for a house, with a woman who introduced herself to me as my father’s wife.

When I faced him, the first thing he told me was that he had already sold his inheritance, a premium parcel of land in Pasig, and that we would receive nothing from him. The second thing he told me, without looking at me, was that the only child he was sure was his was my eldest sister, who looked exactly like him. He was not sure that I and my two younger sisters were his children.

I was devastated; a lifetime of longing to meet him, and that was my prize – rejection. I did not show any emotion and decided to leave.

He walked me over to the place where I could board a jeepney. As I sat in the back of the jeepney, I looked out at him and saw that he had already left; he did not even bother to see me go and wave goodbye. He had just turned around and walked home. That image of him walking away from me under the dim streetlight haunted me for a long time. He had left me, again.

No words could express the pain and devastation that the incident brought me. My young heart was shattered. And when my sisters learned about what he did to me, they blamed me for wasting my time looking for him.

After some time, I resumed a normal life. I tried to shut the memories of my father out of my consciousness. I told myself that if he thought he did not need us, we also did not need a loser like him.

Deep within me, I came to the conclusion that fathers stink. My father’s rejection of me hardened my heart. Even the news that he was looking for us, and that he died a few years later, did not bother me nor my sisters. He rejected us, so we also rejected him.

On the first day of this retreat, Pastor Dan talked about a God who is also our Father.

I have already processed the idea of God as my Savior, as the Lord of my life, and as my Friend who will be there for me in times of need. But God as a good Father, who loves me and cares for me? That was alien to me.

As the AVP told us what kind of a Father God is, I felt that God was talking to me personally. My eyes shed old tears. I realized how wounded my heart and soul were because of my father’s rejection of me. Although I denied it and tried to push it down, there was a deep void in my heart and an unfathomable sense of longing for a father. My hunger for a father’s love was too primitive and too profound for words.

Hebrews 13:5 says that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Psalm 103:13 says that God is like a father to us and has compassion for us.

Reconciling the image of the only father I ever knew, the one who abandoned and hurt me, with the idea of a Heavenly Father who will never leave me nor forsake me, was not easy. Because I did not experience it, I did not have even a vague idea of what a father’s love was. I associated fathers with rejection and pain, and I secretly swore that I did not need a father to live. Regarding God as my father gave me the shivers.

In the first few minutes of the retreat last Thursday, God dealt with me, with this issue. As Pastor Dan spoke, I cried uncontrollably in my chair. So as not to attract attention, I went to the comfort room and prayed. I surrendered my fears to God and dared to love, dared to trust a Father again: my Heavenly Father. I admitted to God that I needed Him as my Father.

I realized that I created an imaginary wall to protect me, a psychological fortress to prevent me from being hurt again. And in that afternoon, I ventured out of those walls and gave my heart to another father, my Heavenly Father.

I know that this time, this Father will not hurt me, will not leave me nor forsake me.

I still cry on a daily basis. Sometimes, just a teardrop or two; other times a full hour of bawling. I know it is a process I must undergo.

But deep inside, I have hope. I know that no matter how dark my night is, the sun will rise again, and soon it will be morning. There is no other way to go. It is God’s order of things.

To God be the glory.

Do you know God the Father?

By Karen Galarpe

Over coffee one Saturday afternoon, during our D-Group meeting, Kat asked me, “But how do you know if it’s God speaking to you?”

Does God really talk to us in this day and age like He did with Abraham, Moses, and all the patriarchs? He does. And just like you know it’s your best friend calling you on the phone at the word “Hello,” you will know it’s God speaking to you when you are intimate with Him.

Darlene and Dr. Harold Sala

“God wants intimacy with us. He wants to be close to our hearts and have an intimate close relationship with us,” said best-selling author Darlene Sala in her recent talk “Intimacy with God” at CCF, through the efforts of the Women-to-Women Ministry.

She said too that Jesus has referred to Himself as our elder brother and as the groom, with the church as the bride. “He wants that close a relationship with us,” said Darlene.

And that kind of relationship demands time. “There’s almost nothing we could give God that He doesn’t already own. But we could give Him our time. We all have the same amount of time. Some of that time can be spent with God. Our time is the one thing He really wants that we could give to Him,” added Darlene.

Satan knows how important it is for us to spend time with God. That is why he will do anything to keep you away from praying. Darlene identifies three ways Satan accomplishes that:

1. Keeping you busy. Work can keep us away from having our quiet time with God. Do you feel like you don’t have time for God and want to give up your work? Darlene said, “You may not need to quit; you may just need to stop running on empty. Unless we have that quiet time with God, we’re running on empty.”
2. Sending us much trouble that we doubt if God loves us. Included in this “trouble” are sicknesses. Darlene says, “When He allows different things to happen to us, it’s because He has an eternal purpose. The One you committed your life to runs the universe, and if He does so, He will help you during hard times.
3. Sending prosperity so we think we don’t need God. The deceitfulness of riches can be a thorn.

So how can we get intimate with God? Darlene shares that it begins with salvation. Galatians 3:3 asks, “Are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” Darlene said, “You can’t do it without God anymore than you can be a believer without God.”

Next, to get intimate with God, we need to pray, read the Bible, and have our small group “not because you have to but because you want to. These aren’t just items on our To Do list,” cautioned Darlene.

Third, to know God intimately, “Shut your mouth and listen to what God wants you to do for the day. He wants us to obey Him and rest in Him,” added Darlene. As Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” One of the most powerful prayers, it is said, is one without words, when we just sit down, be quiet and let God whisper to our hearts.

Intimacy with God is expressed in two ways, says Darlene. First is becoming attached to God. Second is by abandoning oneself to God – “utterly believing that everything that is happening is from God.”

So stop for a while and rest in God. “Let Him read the Bible to you,” said Darlene.

By Cata S. de Jesus

The GM of a big corporation was informed by his staff that they were under fire because of complaints from some sectors. A TV station wanted a statement from someone in authority. The GM had a few choices. He could send one of his well-heeled underlings to face the cameras and take the flak. He could briefly leave the country and assign his PR guys to take care of the problem. Or, he could do the most difficult, but the RIGHT thing to do — make the statement himself and take the flak. Well, that he did. The GM faced the cameras himself. He told the truth. He took the flak. That’s integrity.

A housewife was buying several big cans of expensive milk. She noticed that the prices on the cans were lower than usual. As the cashier was about to punch in the purchase, the lady told the cashier that there might have been a mistake in the pricing. The cashier checked it and found out that there was, indeed, a mistake — so the right (but higher) amount was punched in. That’s integrity.

A lady, highly paid and highly placed in an international organization, was asked by her colleagues to sign a document which contained fabricated results. She refused to sign. Even if her colleagues and superiors badgered her, ostracized her, badmouthed and threatened her, she still refused to sign. That’s integrity.

Many years ago, my husband was an executive in a real estate company. He was offered a P1-million bribe by a broker who was selling a property to the company. My husband knew that the property had, in fact, already been approved by top management because he himself had recommended its approval – but the broker didn’t know that. It would’ve been easy to accept the bribe because it was already a done deal. But my husband did not accept the bribe. Instead, he scolded and blacklisted the broker who tried to bribe him, and reported the incident to Management. That’s integrity.

A few good men. That’s what we call people with integrity. Men of principle, honor, and courage. All the above stories are true, and all of them are Christians. None of them can take any credit for what they did. Only by God’s grace, and only the power of the Holy Spirit, were these men and women able to hurdle their own individual tests and trials with integrity.

The Bible tells us,

You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy (Deut. 5: 32-33).

God is the only One Who sees everything we do. That’s why our integrity is fully tested when nobody else is looking but God. We know He doesn’t have the habit of blowing the whistle on us right on the spot, or zapping us immediately when we do wrong — that’s why we find it easy to compromise, lie, cheat, exploit, and manipulate things to our advantage when we think we can probably get away with it. Maybe the prize money is too high, so we’re willing to compromise. Or we’re too scared to face the consequences of our mistakes — so we lie and hide and twist things to save our skin.

Our integrity is usually put to the test by two things: MONEY and REPUTATION. When any of these are involved, the temptation to compromise escalates — depending on how much we have to gain, or how much we stand to lose.

Let’s do a little Integrity Check, then, on ourselves. These questions are not exhaustive, but they will do for now. Let’s answer these questions honestly:

1. Am I a User? Do I use people and relationships for my personal advantage? Do I constantly MASSAGE THE EGOS my bosses? Do I often FLATTER people who are useful to me, people who can get me what I want? Do I use GIFTS to ingratiate myself to, or get the support of others? Do I ignore and drop people like hot potatoes when they’re no longer “useful” to me?
2. When my superior tells me to do something that I know is wrong, unsavory, or devious, do I have the courage to respectfully say NO? Or do I just go ahead and do it because it might cost me my job, my boss’s approval, or job perks? Am I a “Yes Man”? Am I a boot-licker? Am I a sycophant? (In Tagalog, am I sipsip?)
3. Do I accept gifts, freebies, privileges, etc. from suppliers/contractors who give these things to me because of my position? (Either do not accept the freebies, raffle them off to your staff, or ask your boss if you can accept the gifts/freebies. That’s integrity. Never use your position to curry favor or get gifts.)
4. As a boss, do I have a “fall guy” who takes the flak for me, who takes the blame for my mistakes, who does things that I won’t risk doing myself? Do I use my subordinate to be the “bad guy” so that I can always be the “good guy”? Do I resent or demote subordinates who do not always agree with me or who have the courage to stand up to me?
5. Do I play politics to may advantage, and to the detriment of others? Do I have quid-pro-quo relationships: “I’ll scratch your back, you scratch mine. I’ll do you a favor, but you owe me one.” Do I cover up for my friends even if it’s something that I should have reported?
6. Do I take personal/command responsibility for my mistakes or my subordinate’s mistakes – even BEFORE I am caught or confronted? Or do I own up only AFTER my sin/mistake is exposed? (This is means not only a lack of integrity but also cowardice.)
7. Do I speak up when I see someone being treated unjustly? Or when I detect a dishonest/unfair policy? Or do I just shut up because it might cost me my job or jeopardize my position? Do I just look after my own interests – not willing to recommend something that will benefit others but not myself?
8. Do I make bad reports or say negative things to my superior or to others when I am envious of, or angry at someone? Do I become critical when I am threatened/intimidated by someone more accomplished or more popular than me?
9. Do I lie to clients just to get a sale — concealing negative information, selling them what they don’t need, or exaggerating the positive? Do I lie or over-sell myself, just to get the job/position I want? When making a report or presentation, do I slant the truth just to impress people or get what I want?
10. Do I negotiate to the point of taking advantage of another person, using loopholes and technicalities just to gain the upper hand, abusing his trust, or using his ignorance/inexperience to my advantage?
11. Do I engage someone’s services without first making clear what I intend to pay him so that, after the job is done, I can just pay him what I want? Do I burden my subordinates with a lot of additional work that’s not in their job description? In short, do I exploit my staff?
12. Do I take home office supplies or use company time and equipments for personal use? (If I do, do I pay for the extra expense myself?)
13. Do I brag and take credit for something that I did not do myself? Do I give credit where credit is due? Do I cite the achievements of my team and predecessor/s when making an Accomplishment Report – or do I fail to mention them, presenting the accomplishments as my own?
14. Do I refuse to take part in anything that involves cheating, lying, unfair practices, illegal activities, or selling harmful, useless or overpriced products? Do I declare my income honestly? Do I pay my taxes honestly?
15. Do I pay my debts and bills on time? Do I have debts or bills that I’m not paying regularly? Have I discussed a realistic payment scheme with my creditors?
16. Do I use “negotiations” to earn as much money as I can, or to get what I want — without thinking of the welfare of the other parties involved?
17. Do I use my position/power to CONTROL PEOPLE instead of lead them? Do I use my authority to bestow favor on people I like, and to make life hard for those I don’t like? Do I nurse grudges and let it affect the fairness and objectivity of my decisions?
18. Do I tell the truth even if it will put me in a bad light – and even if no one will find out? When I give good reports about my project, do I also report my failures/mistakes? Or do I just cover up by not talking about my mistakes at all? Do I exaggerate things or pad my numbers to look impressive?
19. Do I give people what is due them, when it is due them? Or do I try to pay people as little as I can, and delay payment for as long as I can?
20. On the matter of Intellectual Piracy — if I give a talk or write something, do I cite the source of my outline/content (if I’m using someone else’s materials)? Do I cite the authors/sources of the quotations, ideas, concepts which I borrowed? Or do I pass it off as my own? (Some people in the audience know – and we will lose credibility with them.)
21. When I am in a mutually exclusive relationship – do I cheat on my boyfriend/girlfriend by flirting with or secretly seeing others? Do I cheat on my spouse – even just by getting emotionally involved with someone else? Take note: an unfaithful spouse or dating partner has no integrity in many other areas of his/her life.
22. When I am confronted with an apparent mistake that I made, do I excuse myself by saying that it was just a “miscommunication,” an “oversight,” or “I was just following orders”?
23. Am I consistent and transparent in what I say and do? Or am I more of a chameleon? Am I two-faced (in Tagalog, balimbing)? Do I conveniently change my opinion/story to blend in, to avoid scrutiny, to avoid being caught, or to protect my own interests?
24. Are you honest with money? Are you honest in your relationships? Do you do things behind people’s backs?

Integrity is a MUST for every Christian. It’s non-negotiable. It reveals our true character. It reveals our own humility of mind and generosity of spirit:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2: 3-4).

The world is full of temptations. And let’s face it. We are easily tempted because we are so full of ourselves – our lust for power and recognition, our selfish cravings, our personal ambitions. That’s why developing integrity is always an arduous, uphill climb. It takes tons of resolve, determination, sacrifice. When we slip now and then, we should quickly get up and resume our uphill climb.

No one has perfect integrity. But as Christians, we must try to use integrity as a plumb line for everything else in our lives.

We must constantly strive to develop integrity before God. Integrity in our own family. Integrity before men. Integrity when we face ourselves. If someone questions your integrity, drop everything and listen!

–
Catherine de Jesus is a writer, lecturer, and a Christian counselor on Marriage, Life Issues, and Work Ethics. She is married to one of CCF’s Elders, Pastor Ito de Jesus, and they have four children. Cata serves with the CCF Women-to-Women Ministry and the Elders’ Wives Group. Prior to her involvement in CCF, she headed Corporate Communications and Media Relations departments in local/international organizations. She immensely enjoys reading, writing, and traveling. She has been working on a book of essays that will be published this year.