Baclaran@KaisangUnida.com

IN A FULLY TRANSFORMED CHURCH, EVERY MEMBER IS A GOSPEL BRINGER. Someone who tells someone else about JESUS.  Someone who is in this world but not of this world.                

     Spiritual Transformation should happen in each and every member of the church,  Not only for a few but rather it should  be church-wide. There must be a church rebirth and renewal as the members shed, either inwardly or in appearance,  the values, ideals, and behavior of a fallen world and undergo a   radical change  in inner character, condition, or nature.             

     The church must be transformed into something else:  A lighthouse in the middle of a sin-darkened community.  It must not only glow but should overflow with the FIRELIGHT of the Holy Spirit.               

     Seven decades ago, Baclaran was a barrio in the true sense of the word.  In the early evenings, as the sweet scent of Dama de Noche permeates the surrounding, fireflies (alitaptap) abound.  As youngsters, we use to gather them in a clear-glass “garapon”  (a wide mouthed bottle)  and marveled as they light up the place when we have gathered a big number of them inside.              

    Imagine, for a moment, the newly air-conditioned temple of Baclaran Unida Church, lighting up the whole community with the firelights of  every transformed member worshipping the One True God – JESUS!  A gathering of Christian Fireflies. Wow!             

     The temple then will be like a LIGHTHOUSE in the shore of a turbulent ocean, where those who are seeking God can come to become Firelights of the Holy Spirit.          

     IKAW! SI JESUS! AT AKO! KAISA! LET’S GO! (For videos link to http://bagongunida.blogspot.com)

 A WHOLE FAMILY WAS BAPTIZED AS BACLARAN UNIDA CHURCH BEGINS FISCAL YEAR 2008-09.                 THERE were rejoicing and praising as the 200-strong Baclaran Unida Church baptized 10 members of a family on Sunday June 1, 2008.                              

      It was an auspicious start for their vision of SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION by Church Rebirth & Renewal. This was the result of the Church’s Person-to-Person Sharing of the Gospel and the Bible Study for new believers led by Sister Lucy Filio at the Pastor’s House every  Tuesday.                                                                                                                                          

     Spiritual Transformation is the one-year goal of the Baclaran Unida Church.  This will be church-wide and will embrace every activity of the church and will culminate at the Church Camp at year-end.  

     By camp-time, it is expected that each and every member, child & adult alike, will have transformed into a “new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

ARE WE CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD?By Rev. Gamaliel B. Filio 

PEOPLE measure our God using us as their yardstick. To them, our God is only as great and as powerful as the things we have achieved in His Name and what we dare to do for His Kingdom.  And, of course, comparable to the challenges we throw at ourselves in serving Him. If we are mediocre, what else will they call our God.

    Elijah showed how powerful his God is in a prayer face-off with the pagan god worshippers. Yahweh won because the prophet dared to pray for fire to consume his water-logged and water-surrounded offering.  Yahweh incinerated the offering with fire from heaven.  Are we as worthy of our God as Elijah?

     Small ideas are products of small faith.  But big and extra-ordinary things and projects, those that other people categorize as impossible, are products of a GREAT FAITH in a GREAT GOD.

     We want to “EXPAND THE BORDERS OF THE CHURCH.” GOOD! BUT WHAT DO YOU MEAN EXPANDING BORDERS?  

The borders of a church are traditions, territory, and a mindset of how to do and achieve things.

      Expanding borders therefore means to get out and operate outside the confines of these three.

     When one increases his numbers within his territory, he has not expanded his borders. If one follows only traditions and a mindset, he is not expanding but shrinking.

      We were 80 worshippers when we first came to Baclaran Unida Church.  We have doubled that number and even reached our target of 215 Sunday Worshippers.  However, in doing this we have not expanded yet.  But when years ago, Baclaran helped establish a church in Calapan City, Mindoro Oriental, that is going out of its  territory and therefore expanding its borders.

     When we do things just because that’s the way it’s been done for many years without considering what the world around us has become, that is a trap that we must get out of.  If we use modern communications and new technologies to bring the message of the Gospel to people within and outside our territory then indeed we are expanding into the Virtual World.

 TERRITORY 

     The Administrative Territorial Zones of Baclaran Unida Church covers Barangay Baclaran, a part of Sucat and a part of Las Pinas City & Abroad.

      The coverage are as follows:

       Efeso:  From Roxas Boulevard passing through L. Gabriel up to Mactan Street.

       Corinto:  From after Mactan up to Lt. Garcia Street.

       Tesalonica: From after Lt. Garcia up to Unida Street.

       Antioch: From after Unida up to Lapu-Lapu including our Church

       Galacia: From after Lapu-Lapu passing thru G.G. Cruz up to Quirino

       Filipos:  Sitio Maligaya and Don Carlos

       Colosas: Sucat, Las Pinas and Abroad

     Expanding means working outside of these territory and experimenting on doing things beyond tradition and mindset.

    Traditionally, the Unida Church holds its Anniversary worship at its  temple in Unida Christian Center, Silang, Cavite. The place is now too small for such a big event attended by all Unida congregations. But in 2005 and 2007 this was done before the public and the nation at CUNETA ASTRODOME AND PHILIPPINE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER (PICC FORUM).

    Next year, The IEMILIF Church will reach 100 years and will hold its Anniversary Worship at SMX near Mall of Asia (MOA).  The place holds 10,000 people and rents at Php500,000.00 or half a million pesos.

    It is our personal prayer that some day in the future the Unida Church will also hold its Anniversary Worship & Concert there.

     Because the God that we serve is not a lesser God but the GREATEST GOD!  “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly He was above them.”  Exodus 18:11.

     People regard and believe in many gods and lords. But this does not mean that they are really what they call them.  For absolutely no one can compare to our God.  “Who among the gods is like you, O LORD?  Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” Exodus 5:11.

    We repeat, our GOD is MAJESTIC in HOLINESS, AWESOME in GLORY, and in WORKING WONDERS.  If we are shy in our efforts, limited in our initiatives, hampered by lack of finances, stagnant and immobile, then perhaps we can be called children of a lesser God.

     But NO!  We have a GREAT GOD who can make the impossible possible, and give us the strength ad the wisdom to surmount the insurmountable, and climb the highest mountain.

     It is inconceivable that the Church of God will lack finances, “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’s thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.” Deuteronomy 10:17.  God will provide the great, big finances but great big finances carries with it the responsibility to do the impossible, to surmount the insurmountable, and to reach the greatest heights that men can see like a candle on top of the mountain.

     Are we then children of the GREATEST GOD?  YES, WE ARE.  So, let us start doing like we really are.

     Let us achieve great and powerful things in His Name.  Begin to dare doing what has  never done before and challenge ourselves far beyond even our own imagination.  Let us aspire to demonstrate and show the whole world the real and true worth of Yahweh.

     Then they will know by looking at us and knowing of us that “There is only One God, there is only One Lord, there is only One Saviour, there is only One Name given for our Salvation – JESUS.  And they will know how great our God is, through us.”  

IGLESIA EVANGELICA UNIDA DE CRISTO reaches 76^th and  on Sunday, May 18, 2008, will celebrate for the whole day at UNIDA CHRISTIAN CENTER located at the junction of Aguinaldo Highway that goes to Silang and Tagaytay City.               

        The worship service begins at 8:00 and will climax with the sending out of the Pastors and Church workers to their respective congregations and mission points.  A Choir Festival follows right after lunch.               

     Our modern world awaits and the challenges of modern communication and technology offer vast opportunities to reach the unsaved with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us all come together as we forge our way towards expanding our borders and discipling our nation.

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 that 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.