Ottawa Local Celebrates Good Friday

    Brethren and friends flock to the Blackburn Hamlet Community Hall located at 190 Glen Park Street in Blackburn Hamlet, Ottawa. It was April 10, 2009 were everyone is excited greeting and introducing visitors and new brethren to each other. The air was filled with excitement as once again to listen to the meditation of God's words. This is the season of the year where we refresh our selves the very proof of God's love for us. 

 
     The program started at 1:00 pm. The brethren and visitors joined Sis. Beth Gatdula in the congregational singing in the tune of “At the Cross (I find Peace)” and “Above All”. Opening prayer was lead by Sis. Analinda Tiangco, assistant flock leader of Eastern Flock. Bro. Bernie Buck offered a song of praise then Bro. Even Gatdula, Central Flock assistant leader lead the scripture reading. Sis. Emily Grace and Sis. Ruth Joy Ramos offered also their duet to the delight of the brethren and visitors. The offertory message was delivered by Bro. Elmer Medina, Ottawa Local elder. Another song of praise was rendered to God by Sis. Beth Gatdula (local church secretary) entitled “Via Dolorosa”. That was a very heart-touching song. Everyone gets ready to listen to Bro. Elmer Medina as our first speaker expounding the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Last Sayings of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross. It was a very heart pounding delivery of God's words. The speaker explains how our Lord is a forgiving Lord. That even though the people has done so much harm to His physical body yet, He has right away given forgiveness to all of them. And He continue to provide forgiveness to all the people. He is the Lord that is taking care of us. He has provided purification for our sins and transgressions for us to be qualified to enter God's eternal kingdom. Another song of praise was rendered to God by Sis Anabella Sabijon. The song “The Day He Wore My Crown” has a very clear message to everyone who listened to it, that our Lord was the one who carried all our burdens and sin. He wore the crown of thorns for us to receive the crown of gold through Him. Again the brethren and visitors were touched by the message of the song and find themselves in teary eyes as they felt the very message of God's words and in that song of praise.

Pastor Joie Medina stood as the next speaker. To expound the 4th, 5th and the 6th Last Sayings of the Lord at he Cross. As the speaker pointed out, how our Lord Jesus suffered to be rejected by His Father in heaven as the Lord cried out “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. The physical and emotional anguish of the Lord to carry all our burdens and difficulties so that in Him we will have victory. The Lord thirst for the love of mankind as they are so innocent in neglecting the gift of God, the Lamb as an offering for our sins and salvation. Though the Lord has suffered so much, yet at the end of His sacrifices and suffering, He proclaimed His victory when He has said the 6th Last Saying “ It is finished.” Praise the Lord! As we listen to God's words, we could feel the victory in us. The Holy Spirit moves powerfully that we are all attentive and expectant to what the speaker is saying. Praise the Lord for the clarity of His words. In the Lord we have victory for He has paid all our sins and transgressions and bought us from God with His own precious blood. Revelations 5:9

The Junior Youth have offered to God their special presentation entitled “ Worthy is the Lamb”. As the brethren and visitors watched this special presentation, many visitors can't help but shed some tears, become emotional and give many times a round of applause to the Junior Youth of their wonderful performance. Truly that no one else is worthy but the Lamb of God. We understood that even though He is the Begotten Son of God yet He came down to earth to die for us. Truly that there is no other God like our God who has loved us so much and had given His one and only Son to die for our sins (John 3:16). As Pastor Joie delivered the 7th Last Saying of the Lord at the Cross, everyone feels the joy in their hearts knowing that God has made us victorious through the victory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John 16:33 said, “.. Take heart I have overcomed the world...!”. Now we can entrust our whole life to our God as the Lord Jesus entrusted His very life and physical body to God the Father. We are all joyful at the end of the service knowing that in the Lord we have complete victory. Even though we experience trials, difficulties, troubles, hardships and persecutions, yet we could always claim our victory because we are serving a victorious Lord. Pastor Joie led the visitors and brethren in the altar call as the visitors expressed their acceptance to the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We ended our service with prayers. Everyone's heart was filled with joy as we shook hands and extended blessings to one another.

We continued our fellowship with each other as we joined together in our Agape snacks that our brethren have prepared for everyone. We are looking forward for many more souls to be added by the Lord to His local Church of Ottawa as we have victoriously brought our visitors in this occasion. This was an unforgettable moment for all of us. To God be all the glory!