Baclaran@KaisangUnida.com

SINGING is a God-given talent.  It should be used primarily in worshipping and praising God.      On the secular stage, performances showcase a person’s singing talent.  The focus is on the performer and the bravos are for him/her.  The audience gush “Oh, what a voice, what a performance!”        Several nights ago, the American Idol finalists sang “Shout to the Lord!”  They bombed.  Why? Because they were all performing instead of  praising God.  They even started on the wrong foot by changing the lyrics of the song.  Instead of singing “My Jesus, My Savior” in the first bar they sang “My Shepherd, My Savior.”  They were so focused on their performance, they ignored the God they are singing about.     The Center of Worship is God.  It is all about Him. Not the worshipper.     But the worshipper must give all that he has and the best that he has.  Our times is blessed with the “best of so  much”, nay, not only the best but the fastest way of doing things that the first Christians and reformers did not have nor even dreamed could ever be possible.     Could they ever have imagined an instrument that can play like a Hammond organ at the flick of a finger, or be a violin, a trumpet, a piano, etc at the musicians whim?  Or a stringed instrument like a guitar whose volume can be controlled from a whisper to the loudest sound.  Or could they ever have imagined a MINUS ONE?      These are musical instruments that God has given our generation to use and CONTROL for the good of the church.  Satan is using them to take hold of the world.  We should not let IT win BY DEFAULT.  By all means, let us use them.  But let us be DISCRIMINATING AND HOLY when doing it.  Let  us always remember that worship is about God. Not about you performing but you PRAISING AND WORSHIPPING GOD.

 4/4/2008

BRIMMING! SIKSIK! The word means overflowing with worshippers. This is the battle cry of God’s people of Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church on its 76th YEAR.

We aim to implement our Tri-Vision, namely: “PASIKIPIN ANG KAPILYA” “BAWA’T MIYEMBRO MISYONERO” and “NAG-IIKAPU ANG BAWA’T ISA”
WHAT is Spiritual Renaissance? It refers to the dawning-in of the LIGHT of knowledge of things SPIRITUAL. The Dark Ages wass the cessation of learning, a period in the history of mankind when knowledge halted and was at a standstill. Renaissance was when light entered in and knowledge flourished in arts, science, and more importantly in hearing and heeding God’s words.

The church should be at the forefront of a new Spiritual Renaissance. God’s command is clear: GATHER, HEAR, LEARN, AND THE FEAR THE LORD.

Deut 31:12-13 GATHER the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within the temple gates, that they may HEAR, and that they may LEARN, and FEAR the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

On Maundy Thursday, Holy Friday, and Easter Sunday, Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church launched a SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE of the whole membership of the church. This is a spiritual voyage that bonded together all the members in fasting, hearing the call of God, learning from His Scriptures and fearing God.

All of us  boarded the PAMANDAWAN NG KALIGTASAN (Ark of Salvation) for a COMMON EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNING WITH GOD the whole day of March 20 and the whole day of March 21, with a culminating Worship on Easter Sunday. The Baclaran Unida AirconditionedTemple is our ship (Pamandawan).  All aboard!

The Challenge is: Can we leave the world where we live and LIVE WITH GOD for three days? Are we up to the challenge. Men, women, and children?

THE whole Baclaran Unida Evangelical went on a Church Camp. It began on Holy Thursday with 110 members in attendance, a record of sorts for a special event, continued on to Fasting on God’s Friday, and CELEBRATION on Easter Sunday.

With the Holy Spirit in-dwelling in them, the camp began with a spirit-filled group dynamics that brought all of them to Tomas Claudio where historically the church began and brought some of them to as far-off as the Mall of Asia. And then the Bible Study entitled: “Finding the Power Within You.” The camp continues on God’s Friday capped by THE SEVEN LAST WORDS AND COVENANT TIME. Easter Sunday will be a Celebration ala-American Idol titled “ANG GALING MO ‘TOL.”

Mga Aspeto ng Pakikipagtipan

Marahil marami na sa atin ang nakarinig na ng ibig sabihin ng 4Ws na malimit banggitin ng ating pastor. Ito ay tungkol sa pangakong pinangatawan ng mga kabataan nuon, isa po dito ang inyong lingkod, na tinuruang umiwas sa apat na uri ng bisyo:

1. Walang iinom ng alak
2. Walang maninigarilyo
3. Walang magsusugal, at
4. Walang magda-drugs

Ngunit katulad ng lahat ng uri ng pagpipigil, ang 4Ws ay isa lamang sa tatlong aspeto ng uri ng pangako - sa bibliya, ang tawag dito ay pakikipagtipan o “covenant”. May tatlong aspeto ang pakikipagtipan sa Dios:

1. Tawag o “Calling”
2. Tiwala o “Trust”
3. Tungkulin o “Obedience” - ito ay iba’t-ibang uri ng paglilingkod o mga kasalanang iiwanan

At sapagkat kadasalan nakakaligtaang ipaliwanag ang mga pang-loob na aspeto ng pakikipagtipan (Tawag at Tiwala), ang karaniwang nabibigyan diin ay ang mga pang-labas na aspeto nito (Tungkulin). Dahil dito, malimit ding makalimutan na ang mga panglabas na kapahayagan ng pakikipatipan ay bunga lamang ng pang-loob na kapaganapan nito. Ito ay layunin ng iyong lingkod ngayong gabi - ang tukuyin ang dalawang pang-loob na aspeto ng pakikipagtipan upang magkaroon ang bawa’t isa mas buo at malawak na pang-unawa sa bagay na ito.
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WORSHIP is an often discussed subject and many books have been written telling us what it is suppose to be. In this discussion, I stop merely accepting what other people say it is and begin saying what I feel it is. Worship for me is personal and therefore concerns what I can feel about my God. For a while, I will refrain from quoting verses to avoid circular logic but rather refer directly to my personal relationship with God. Deep in my heart, this is the meaning of worship.

“YOU, feeling God and acknowledging His reign in you. GOD, feeling you and declaring His Kingship of you.”

Feeling God means accepting His presence and existence. Is there a God? Yes, there is a God who must be without beginning and no end. An Eternal God who created the universe and began Man’s time and entered into it by creating man in His own image. This feeling begins with you and connects you to God and should never be severed. This is what faith is, never cutting your connection with God no matter what happens in your life. Why can’t this feeling end? Because when God created you, He not only created you in His own image but made you a LIVING SOUL by breathing into you His SPIRIT. There is a part of God in you so your feeling of Him should never end. Rather, could never end, because whether you are aware of Him or not He is in you.

Acknowledging His reign, means accepting that He rules your life. It is not you who lives but He who lives in you. When you pray, when you enter His temple and His presence, it is not any purpose that drives you but rather the Holy Spirit that powers you to overcome all things and achieve great things for Him. You were created so that God can overcome this world through you. He has no other way but you. Accepting this and His will for you is worship.

God feeling you, means He rejoices that you have come to worship Him. He welcomes you to His flock within His Church where He is at door. He says come so that He can feel your presence.

Declaring His Kingship of you, means God saying YOU ARE MINE and the devil cannot touch you. And as He sees you worshipping Him, He rejoices and accepts your worship.

BRIMMING! SIKSIK! The word means overflowing with worshippers. This is the battle cry of God’s people of Baclaran Unida Evangelical Church on its 76th YEAR.We aim to implement our Tri-Vision, namely: “PASIKIPIN ANG KAPILYA” “BAWA’T MIYEMBRO MISYONERO” and “NAG-IIKAPU ANG BAWA’T ISA”

We begin our Celebration of the 76th Anniversary on January 12th at 6:00 am with a PARADE OF ALL THE MEMBERS around Barangay Baclaran, preceded by a “SALVATION RUN” by 16 young men and women around the perimeter of Baclaran. As soon as they are back, the Drum & Lyre Band will signal the beginning of the parade.

The next day, there will be a SPECIAL WORSHIP SERVICE with the Unida’s General Secretary Rev. JARVIN RESUS as the main speaker. Special guest singer is the Philippines leading classical singer, RACHELLE GERODIAS. Main feature is KORO NG BACLARAN and the GALA PERFORMANCE of “KAISANG UNIDA, HUMAYO NA!” by the Unida 75th Anniversary Committee.