UTP 2006 - United Church of God

Transcription

24
United Teens Philippines 2006
God’s Special Forces Creed
Vol. 6, No. 1
Philippine United Youth Camp Magazine
2006 Edition
I am a soldier in God’s Special Forces. I will do all that God requires of me.
I am drafted, knowing the hazards of my calling. I will not entangle myself with
worldly distractions—the booby-traps of my invisible enemy.
I serve with the memory of those who have gone before me: Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, Peter, Paul, Herbert W.
Armstrong, and the Ultimate Champion, the Lord Jesus Christ. I pledge to uphold
the honor and integrity of all that I am—in all that I do.
I am a soldier of Jesus Christ. I will fight wherever God requires. I will strive
always, to excel in every discipline of holy conduct and godliness.
I know that I will be called upon to perform tasks in isolation, far from familiar
faces and voices, with the help and guidance of my God.
I will exercise strict self-discipline in keeping my mind and body clean, alert and
strong, for this is my debt to those who depend upon me.
I will not fail those with whom I serve. I will not bring shame upon myself, my
spiritual comrades, or my Commanding Officer.
I will maintain my heart, spirit, and conscience in an immaculate state as befits a
soldier in God’s Special Forces.
I will use God’s mighty weapons—putting on His whole armor—so that I may be
able to stand against the tricks and schemes of the enemy.
I will never surrender, though I be the last.
My goal is to succeed in any mission—and live to succeed again.
I am a soldier in God’s Special Forces. God grant that I may not be found wanting,
that I will not fail this sacred trust.
UYC Campers “Fight the Good Fight!”
Thirty-two campers and 32 staff
members gathered at Eden Nature
Park in Davao City from May 14 to
21 for the United Youth Camp 2006.
Members of the staff came days earlier for setup and pre-camp training.
The theme of this year’s camp
was “God’s Special Forces—Fight
the Good Fight!” This year’s camp
was designed to prepare the youths
in God’s Church to fight the good
fight of faith. Like the Rangers
or the Navy SEALS, God’s Special
Forces are few in number and
often isolated from one another.
Yet they have been called, not only
to survive, but to accomplish their
mission in hostile territory. All
the campers were presented with
“The Creed,” patterned after the US
Special Forces Creed.
Each camper was assigned to
one of four dorms—two boys dorms
(1B and 2B) and two girls dorms
(1G and 2G). Each dorm of eight
campers (plus the counselor and
assistant counselor) stayed in two
Continued on page 22
What’s Inside?
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5
7
Interactive Christian Living
Class Inspires UYC Campers
UYC 2006: “A Summer Camp to
Remember”
What Will I Do To Become Part
of God’s Special Forces...?
2
United Teens Philippines
From the Camp Director...
Edmond D. Macaraeg
“God’s Special Forces: Fight the
Good Fight!”
The theme for this year’s United Youth
Camp was: “God’s Special Forces: Fight
the Good Fight!” Why did we select this
particular theme and motto?
Let us all realize and remember that
Satan and his innumerable demonic host
are very active and real – even though
unseen by our human eyes. They are
violently dedicated to destroying all of
humanity in every possible way. And they
vigilantly pursue such goals 24 hours a day,
seven days a week (often expressed as
24/7). Let us also remember that they are
especially angry at God’s people, and are
just waiting for us to lower our guard, lose our
vigilance and resolve, so they can penetrate
through God’s protection upon us.
While they target everyone alive, one of
their special focus is our younger generation
because they are an easier target—being
more vulnerable mainly due to their relative
lack of wisdom and maturity. Their difficult
condition is even compounded by the
effects of new hormones circulating in their
developing bodies.
If you observe our society, Satan’s
attacks center on areas involving the lives
of our younger generation. For example,
from their head to their feet, notice the
confusing and weird multi-colored hairstyles
(or shaving of hair), the uncalled for multiple
piercing and attachments of various types
of objects to different parts of their bodies—
likewise the various tattoos, including their
styles of clothing (or the lack thereof).
Much of our young generation’s
musical lyrics are corrupted with immorality
and profanity. There is also a lack of proper
rhythm, rhyme, and reason, together with
an absence of pleasant melody, and
most presentations are done with lack
of decency and decorum. Add to that
the fact that the current favorite reading
materials, stories in books, movies, video
games, and activities have to do with
Satanism, occultism, and witchcraft!
On top of all that, there are many other
moral issues involved in their lifestyles. Since
these popular trends have some effect on
our relatively young innocent people in the
Church, we thought of doing something
proactive to combat these, even with our
United Youth Camp summer program. We
cannot afford to just passively sit and watch
while allowing Satan to attack and take
advantage of our young people while we
do nothing.
Of course, we know that we are not to
be involved in a physical military warfare.
As the Apostle Paul wrote the Ephesians,
we do not struggle against flesh and blood
but against principalities and powers
and rulers of darkness…against spiritual
wickedness… (Eph. 6:10-18). And we need
to understand that we are all facing a
spiritual and psychological war (“psy-war”)
against Satan which threatens our eternal
life. While this type is much more dangerous,
it seems innocent and harmless to most—
another very subtle dimension of Satan’s
spiritual tactic in his warfare involving great
deception to destroy us.
Add to that the fact that most of our
youths and our members often live alone
isolated from other Church members
in their respective localities. They have
and need to stand alone against the
formidable influence of peers, their school,
and their community.
Mailing address: P.O. Box 81840, DCCPO
8000 Davao City, Philippines
Web site: http://www.ucg.org.ph/youth
E-mail address: [email protected]
Publisher: United Church of God - Philippines
Editor: Edmond D. Macaraeg
Managing Editor: Daniel Roy Macaraeg
Graphics & Layout: Richard John Macaraeg
UNITED TEENS PHILIPPINES is the official publication of United Youth Camp in the Philippines.
This publication is printed annually. It is offered
free of charge to the youths in God’s Church.
© 2006 United Church of God, AIA - Pilipinas
All Rights Reserved.
2006 Edition
Interactive Christian
Living Class Inspires
UYC 2006 Attendees
by Chekhov Agayo, 1B
It was evident that all the UYC
2006 attendees enjoyed the annual
summer camp. We found the campsite
surrounded
by nature and
very suitable
for the camp
activities.
The
food
we had was
always tasty
and
very
nourishing.
In our daily
activities
we
felt
excitement
to the full
and a real
harmonious relationship. These are
some of the reasons that made it one of
the best camps ever. Our daily activities
were outdoor tasks, workshops and
sports, to name a few. And we held the
Interactive Christian
Living Class (ICLC).
Interactive
Christian
Living
Class
(ICLC)
was held at the
BULWAGAN (meeting
place) every morning
after breakfast. Mr.
Edmond Macaraeg,
the Camp Director,
was the facilitator in
the interactive discussion that pointed
out valuable insights and lessons from
the Bible. ICLC was one of the highlights
of the camp. It was emphasized that
Satan’s way of life in our society is
becoming stronger and more deceptive
than before; that it is necessary to equip
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the youth with godly knowledge for their
SPIRITUAL GROWTH. This year’s UYC
theme, “God’s Special Forces—Fight the
Good Fight!” needed much interactive
discussion. So, every morning both
campers and staff members conducted
a discussion on that theme. As a result,
new insights were gained on how to
be God’s Special Forces who are able
to “fight the good fight of faith.” Every
ICLC session
was started
with a prayer
for
the
flow of the
discussion to
be abundant.
On
the
very
first
day of ICLC,
both campers
and
staff
enumerated
almost every
problem that
affects
the
youth nowadays. On the second day, the
top-most problems were listed down and
then an interactive discussion was done
on each problem. Some of them were
family problems, sexual immorality,
the bad effects
of
media/
entertainment
(misuse of human
technology), premarital sex, and
temptations.
It
was
pleasing
to
note
that
all
campers
and
staff
members
were aware that Satan the Devil himself
and his demons are the ones causing all
the problems here on earth. One of the
longest discussions encountered was
on sexual immorality because it is very
common throughout the world. Its root
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Pik…Pak…Boom!
by Brigitte Cabalquinto, 1G
Pik…Pak…Boom! Then all the
campers run like crazy to find a seat.
Others get stepped on the foot while
others stumble and collide at each other. Actually, I’ve been part of this “youshouldk n o w y o u r seatmate”
game. And
that’s because I had
been part of
this year’s
U n i t e d
Y o u t h
Camp held
at Eden Nature Park in Toril, Davao
City. It was my first time to attend such
camp and of course my first time to
experience this fun, exciting, and heartpumping game (especially
when you get to sing in
front of the campers).
This is how the game
goes: all of you should form
a circle or let’s just say, an
oblong (but a circle is better). When the “it” points
at you and says “Pik,” you
must say the name of the
person to your left. When
he/she says “Pak,” you must
say the name of person to
your right. And when the “it” says,
“Boom!” you better run fast and find a
seat or else you’ll be the next “it.”
A few days after my mother told
me that I’m going to be part of UYC
2006 (the camp I’ve been nagging her
about), one of the things that bothered
me was the game Pik-Pak-Boom. I have
seen the UYC 2004 campers play this
game in the camp video. And I have
seen the campers who weren’t able to
find a seat sing in front of everyone.
That scene really troubled me, because
I don’t sing and I don’t want to sing.
And I remember my
brother always telling me
that I’m going to be one
of those who will sing
in front of the staff and
campers. He said I’m too
weak and I’m only going
to be knocked down by
big people (referring to
campers). He also told
me that I should know
how to run fast so that
I won’t lose a seat. Well,
those words also discouraged me a bit.
I know I look thin, weak, and fragile.
My brother was even surprised when he
learned I passed the medical exam!
Then
again, a
few days
after all
t h o s e
insecure
days,
I
started
asking
myself,
“What
is wrong
with me?
Why am I so worried about that game?”
As Jesus said in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about its own
things. Sufficient for the day is its own
2006 Edition
UYC 2006: “A
Summer Camp
To Remember”
by Chekhov Agayo, 1B
On the very first day of the camp I
knew it would be great. I knew there
would be many good things for me to learn
if I was going to attend. I wanted before
to be in the previous summer camps but
I never was. But I believed God would
take care of
it, and so I got
my chance this
year. It was my
first time to be
at summer camp
and it could
be
my
last,
too,
because
I’m 19 years
old
already.
However, I found
I wasn’t the
oldest
among
the campers; I
was just next to somebody else. Anyway,
what really counts is that I finally made it
to the camp.
I’m reminded of a sermon during the
Feast of Tabernacles, which pointed out
that if God says NO the outcome will be
NO even if we wanted it to be YES. In my
case, He said YES this time or I would not
have been in the camp.
This camp is very different from
one I attended outside the Church. I
mean it is the most wonderful camp
I have ever been to. Aside from the
good location and good climate of the
campsite, the food was marvelously great,
the activities were truly profitable and
most especially the spiritual feeding made
us glow and feel wondrously inspired.
Inside the camp, the people you talked
to were very kind and you could feel that
each was doing his best to exercise the
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right character. I don’t think I can find
such outside the Church. Of course, I met
different personalities in the camp but
they were all good personalities, each
unique in himself or herself. Truly, God
made us different from one another.
During the camp activities, I was able
to see some of my weaknesses which I
need to deal with. It is good for one to
know his weakness so that he may strive
to overcome it, most especially in his
spiritual life. Satan himself knows our
weaknesses. He knows his target and how
he is going to attack us.
Food in the camp was very nourishing.
There were plenty
of
fruits,
leafy
vegetables,
meat
and fish.
Aside
from the whole
wheat bread and
milk, we also had
unpolished rice. I
still
remember
when my family was
still in Sagada, Mt.
Province. We usually
ate unpolished rice.
When we moved
to Baguio City, we
could no longer have unpolished rice.
But did you ever notice that when you
ate unpolished rice, you would eat
less? And when you have to eat
polished rice, you need to eat so
much more before your stomach
feels it has had enough! What do
you think of that when it comes
to nutrition and economy?
Activities during the camp
were also fascinating. Some of
the activities were new to me,
some were not. One activity I
never tried before was skating.
For the very first time my feet wore a
pair of roller blades. I learned to balance
my body, but I still couldn’t make the
proper move to skate. I hope to be able
to do that next time. Anyway, it was one
unforgettable experience, a great activity.
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My Camp Experience
by Ariel Cabalquinto, 2B
“God’s Special Forces: Fight the
Good Fight!” was the theme of this
year’s United Youth Camp that was attended by 32 campers and 32 staff from
different congregations around the Philippines. The camp was conducted on
May 14-21 2006 at Eden Nature Park in
Toril, Davao City. The camp focuses on
teaching God’s way of life, overcoming
fears, fellowship among youths in the
Church and maturity in all aspects.
The camp started with the setup of
tents and assigning
of chores to each
camper for cooking,
preparation of the
dining table, cleaning of the restrooms
and cleaning of the
surroundings. Each
dorm has assigned
tents,
restroom,
shower area, a gas
stove, and kitchen
utensils. Then the
campers had an orientation night in the
first evening of the camp. Each day started with a quiet time for prayer and meditating on God’s Word. Then each dorm is
assigned to prepare their own meals with
the ingredients given to them. The first
activity in the morning was the interactive Christian living class, which tackles
the problems and the temptations of the
youth today and how to overcome them.
There are workshops after the Christian
living class such as silkscreen printing,
journalism, public speaking, arts and
crafts, carpentry, cooking and baking,
song leading, and PA system. There was
also a dance clinic and a first aid lecture
in the morning. In the afternoon, activities of the camp were inline skating, softball, soccer, swimming, and riflery. The
campers were taught about the spiritual
lessons that they can get from every activity and every workshop. The campers
were taught how to decode and send
Morse code, which was used later on the
wilderness adventure. Yes, there was a
wilderness adventure, where each dorm
was required to cook without a stove!
The campers cooked rice in a bamboo
tube and improvised ways to cook the
chicken, potato and bake the bread over
a fire. After lunch, the campers had to
go through a confidence course, which
was designed to develop confidence and
overcome the individual’s fears. Campers
and their counselors had to
climb a 32-feettall wall, then
rappel back to
the ground, go
through the zip
line and pass
through
the
monkey bridge.
Then the campers
should
trek
through
the jungle and
find clues that
are in Morse
code and try
to decode them to find their way through
the jungle. Then the campers had to go
through the mud tunnel in the dark to
finish the course. In the evening, there
were novelty games, and an open forum
where campers could ask questions
about faith and God’s ways. There was
also a dorm time where ministers went
to each dorm and answered questions
of campers; each dorm can also discuss
the topics of the Christian living classes.
During the Sabbath, the campers and the
staff had their Bible bowl in the morning, which was won by 1G. There was a
Sabbath service in the afternoon with Mr.
David Baker giving the main sermon.
An open house followed after the
Sabbath service, where campers can go to
the other dorms and fellowship with each
2006 Edition
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Essay: What Will I
Do To Become Part
Of God’s Special
Forces, And Be Able
To Fight The Good
Fight Of Faith?
I still remember during my high school
days, when we were in a Citizen Army
Training (CAT) class. We were trained to be
like a soldier. We should be alert, snappy,
and always focused on the command of
our commanding officer. For every mistake of an individual in a team (platoon) is
the mistake of the whole platoon. And for
every mistake we made, we had to take the
consequence or punishment. So to avoid
the punishment given to us, everyone
must have presence of mind, always be
alert and focused on the instructions and
command of the officer. One more thing
is to be “always
prepared” with
your uniform,
your shoes,
belt, and hat;
your rifle must
also be with
you. So also
with our Christian Life. We
must always be
prepared and
“fight the good
fight of faith.”
To be able to become part of God’s
Special Forces, we must put the whole armor of God to fight against Satan the Devil
and his demons. This is the whole armor
of God (Eph. 6:10): Stand firm with the
belt of truth and with the breastplate of
righteousness, feet fitted with readiness,
shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword
of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, and
pray always.
And so to be able to fight the good
fight of faith, we must be an OVERCOMER.
I must overcome my fears, my weakness,
my mistakes, and my sins. Same with you;
you must overcome. As youths, we must
be very careful with our daily activities,
because we might be caught in a trap or a
booby trap. Everything we must do must
be based on godly principles in the Bible.
Keep the Ten Commandments, keep all of
God’s Feasts and keep on praying always.
—Chekhov Agayo, 1B
In order to become part of God’s
Special Forces and be
able to fight the good
fight, we have to wear
the complete armor of
God based on Ephesians 6:10.
In the world of
Satan, this world of
hatred and full of wars,
many are deceived and
don’t know what they
are doing. And as God’s Special Forces,
we know all the deceptions so it’s best not
to go with the deceived because you will
be deceived. Also always watch for booby
traps, obstacles, and many more, because
all of these are made by Satan to destroy
us, especially the youths because we are
immature, ignorant and don’t know what
this present world is filled with.
Continued on page 8
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Continued from page 7
There are some problems that we cannot face alone, so it’s best to turn to our
parents for wise decisions and to answer
those hard problems with them so we can
still continue as soldiers of God.
—Russel Adrian Balugo, 1B
To be able to become part of God’s
Special Forces and win the good fight,
we must always remember our goal. Our
goal is to win the battle against Satan and
his demons and pass each obstacle to
get to the top, even if each obstacle will
be harder and harder as we advance. We
should always have faith in God, our Commander-in-Chief. We should also try not to
join the wordly flow. We should resist Satan and follow the footsteps of our fathers
Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. Just
like playing
softball we
should think
that we are the
batter and our
life is the ball.
We should hit
the ball as hard
as we can and
have faith that
God will lead
us to our goal which is God’s Kingdom.
But as we advance to different bases there
will always be possibilities that the ball will
be passed to Satan who will try stopping
us from going to our Goal, so we should
run as fast as we can to get to our goal
before Satan has a chance to stop us. We
should do our best to win the good fight.
But without any weapon we couldn’t win
so we should take God’s whole armor:
stand against the wiles of devil, gird your
waist with truth and put the breastplate of
righteousness and we should also shod our
feet with the preparation of the gospel of
peace, and above all we should not forget
the shield of faith to quench the wicked
one’s attack, the helmet of salvation and
the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of
God. And the most important thing is we
should always pray to God and ask for His
protection and guidance in our way. We
should not forget to pray always, have faith
in the Almighty God and resist Satan.
—Lenard Angelo Bautista, 1B
God’s Special Forces… Perhaps the
smallest and the least famous unit of any
fighting force, but it’s been here since the
beginning of man. The struggle has never
ceased and it’s still going on.
I want to be part of that battle although it’s hard because I know it demands strong determination, a willing
heart for obedience and a zealous faith.
To do this, I will always study and
meditate on the words of God. I should
be equipped with the
understanding from
God. I should always
bear in my mind that I
am nothing without my
Commander-in-Chief. I
must put aside worldly
things and concentrate
on God’s Kingdom. I
must always be prepared to help my comrades. I must also be
ready to resist temptation and never to let our adversary win.
God’s Special Forces… Yes, perhaps it
might be the smallest and the least famous
unit of any fighting force but I can assure
you it is the most powerful force that could
2006 Edition
make a impact and change our life until the
day God will tell us: “Well done, my good and
faithful soldier, welcome to my family.”
—Joshua Infantado, 1B
To be a part of God’s Special Forces, it is
right to do things based on biblical principles
and take the armor of God to strengthen your
defense. Don’t forget to pray always because
praying can save people. Face those trials
and struggle with it. Don’t be afraid because
God is watching over you.
—Raymond Jain, 1B
For me to become one of God’s Special Forces, and be able to fight the good
fight, we must first follow God’s principles
and teaching and also His commandments
because following
God’s commandments and teachings
means loving God.
UYC is a program
teaching youths to
be closer to God and
God’s laws and they
also train youths in
the mental, physical,
and spiritual aspects
that they can apply in
their daily lives. We
as Christians must
struggle and try harder to become God’s
Special Forces and fight the good fight
against Satan and his evil demon armies
who want us to be destroyed and keep us
away from our goal which is the Kingdom
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of God. So we must hold on to our faith
and fight the good fight!
—Leif Kenneth Presbitero, 1B
Here in this summer camp, we were
taught many things and we experienced
lots of enjoyment. Playing soccer for example. You are the ball and the one who
is protecting the ball should protect that
away from his/her opponent. And the ball
should enter the goal which symbolizes
your goal in life. But there are so many
obstacles in that game which symbolize
the temptations in the world. So it helps
you in keeping your faith in God because
it gives an example in life you should follow. Another example is the wall climb.
First, you are afraid to go up there because
it is so high but it also symbolizes your
goal that you should achieve. You think
it is scary but when you’re in the middle,
you are enjoying. It also symbolizes what
you may think is not enjoyable, reading the
Bible. But when you are in the middle point
or especially in the highest point you are
so happy and enjoying the trip. So the first
thing you should do to be in God’s Special
Forces fighting the good fight is to have
time to talk to God through prayer. And
to strengthen your faith, you should have
time to read
the Bible and
follow it. But
following it is
hard because of
Satan’s temptations, such as
sexual immorality, hatred
toward your
neighbor, or because of Satan’s
schemes to try
to bring you
away from God. Always obey your parents
and the older ones than you, because they
know what is good for you but obey only
good things. So avoid temptations that
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were made by Satan. To be in God’s Special
Forces, fight the good fight!
—Timothy James Siopan, 1B
I attended this camp to be able to be
one of God’s Special Forces. I will pray
always to God, always attend Bible studies, attend Sabbath services, and take the
whole armor of God which includes the
helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, and
the sword of the Spirit. I will avoid things
that can destroy the relationship between
God and me, like barkadas in school.
—Marvin Glen Tuario, 1B
“Thou therefore endure hardness as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3).
I think to be part of God’s Special
Forces, I must obey God’s laws so that God
will be pleased with me and so that it would
be a lot easier for me to combat the devil
and his demons. Getting rid of the devil’s
temptations and booby traps will also help
me become a good soldier of God. And to
be able to overcome the problems and trials given to us by the devil, I should put on
God’s armor to be ready for the daily battles
of life.
“Put on the whole armor of God that
ye may be able to stand against the wiles
of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
I shall put on the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and the word of
God which is the sword of the Spirit.
And lastly, to become part of God’s
Special Forces, I must have commitment—
to be called, be dedicated, be loyal, be
brave, be trustworthy, be honorable, and
lastly, be faithful.
“Fight the good fight of faith,”… I think
these are the things I should do to be part
of God’s Special Forces and to be able to
fight the good fight of faith.
—Brigitte Calbaquinto, 1G
I think, first of all, I must get away
from all the temptations and worldly influences that could weaken my strong foundation in God which I’m already trying to
achieve. Then, I must start praying to God
always and to meditate so that I will not
forget that I can still communicate with
God not only when there are troubles but
also when God has given me blessings.
And I must take up the whole armor of God
so that I could face all the problems I am
having. And lastly, I must endure hardship
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ to be able
to fight the good fight of faith to become a
part of God’s Special Forces.
As I have said, to endure hardship as
a good soldier of Jesus Christ is one of
the ways to be able to fight the good fight
of faith. But I must also flee from all the
worldly things that may badly influence
me and I must also pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and
gentleness.
All of these things that I have written
is what I must do and what I will do to be-
2006 Edition
come part of God’s Special Forces and to
be able to fight the good fight of faith.
And if I continue to apply all these
things, I surely think that I will become a
part of God’s Special Forces and become
part of God’s family.
—Verlyn Dizon, 1G
For me, what we campers must do to
be part of God’s Special Forces is first, we
must fight the good fight of faith. We must
fight for it so that we will not stumble.
To fight for faith is to meditate on God’s
Word, pray always everywhere we are. We
must also fast and be active in all God’s
activities. And we must also help ourselves
overcome our weaknesses when it comes
to God’s Sabbath Days, and not to compromise God’s Holy Days.
Second, we must get away from those
who surround us that can make a big impact to weaken our foundation in God. An
example is our friends who are not of the
same belief, especially those who cannot
understand us.
And lastly, we must follow our Commander, which is our Almighty Father. We
must obey His command to become truly
one of God’s Special Forces. All of these
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which I’ve written is what I’m already striving to do.
—Jennifer Fernandez, 1G
We all know that we are very few who
are chosen, but it doesn’t mean that God
doesn’t love them too. He called us to be
His weapons to fight Satan and to be His
special forces who will share with everybody the wisdom that we learn.
For me, to become part of God’s Special Forces, I will put God first above everything because we all know that we are very
few who are chosen in this world and it is
not easy to fight Satan and his demons if
we are not united because temptations and
obstacles in our life are always at our side.
Then secondly, I will follow God’s commandments. Finally, I will do everything to serve
God, like sharing with everybody the wisdom that I’ve learned, especially with my fellow youths because as what was discussed
in our Christian living classes, Satan is targeting the youths because they are in an immature stage, and are very easy to tempt if they
don’t have faith in God. It’s my pleasure to
be one of the Special Forces of God.
—Aubrey Cebrian Monton, 1G
To become part of God’s Special
Forces… First, I must have a closer relationship with God so that I wouldn’t be easily
influenced by all of the world’s wicked
ways. I must have a strong foundation and
communication with God, not just once a
day, but every time I could talk with God,
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United Teens Philippines 2006 Edition
UYC 2006 at a Glance...
13
14
and He’ll guide me always in what I’m doing everyday of my life.
And, to be able to fight the good fight
of faith, I must wear the whole armor of
God (Eph. 6:11-18), so that I’ll be able to
face all the problems, temptations and
every wicked doings of Satan both physical
and spiritual.
Forces, I must: 1) Have commitment, 2) be
called, 3) dedicated, 4) loyal, 5) brave 6)
trustworthy 7) honorable, and 8) faithful.
And to fight the good fight of faith, I
must apply and do all the biblical principles
that I’ve written here in this essay and from
all that I’ve learned in this camp, at every
Sabbath sermon, and Bible study.
And lastly, to become part of God’s
Special Forces and to be able to fight the
good fight of faith, I must endure hardness (2 Tim. 2:3) as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ and always obey all the things that
are noble and true (Philippians 4:8). And if
I’ve applied all of these, I’ll be able to say
I’ve fought the good fight of faith!!!
—Ainee Nagtalon, 1G
We know that each of us has an aim
or goal! For me, UYC ’06 is a very happy
experience and full of joy. I learned many
things, like concerning my attitude. I feel
there has been a big change in my attitude.
And I learned more about God’s words and
I’m so glad for that. I will apply the things
that I’ve learned here in the camp.
For me it’s hard to finish our goals if
we have no faith in God. So what I do is
I will always pray and ask guidance from
Him and also I will not give up because I
want to reach my goal. To become a good
soldier of God, I will obey His commands
and do His laws so that He will help me
with my problems. That’s why I will not give
up, but always have faith in God, and will
fight for my right to be a good follower or
a soldier of God. I will fight the good fight
for God’s Special Forces and always have
faith in God!
—Sherrah Mae Pilar, 1G
It’s hard to become part of God’s Special Forces. It has lots of obstacles that I need
to overcome because Satan is always looking
at my weaknesses, to easily tempt me. But
all of these are only trials as to how faithful I
can be to Him as one of His special forces.
To become one of God’s Special Forces, I must avoid evil and obey God’s commandments, always put God in my heart,
thought, mind and soul. I must share my
2006 Edition
clean and unclean. They don’t know the
laws of God and have a wrong belief regarding God’s food laws.
knowledge of God so that they would not
blame me when the time comes. I must
obey my parents in all they want for me,
be active in Church activities, and always
attend the Sabbath and Feast days. And all
of these is not only in thought but in action
because words are useless without action.
—Liafail Salvador, 1G
To think wisely, to become part of
God’s Special Forces and to be able to fight
the good fight of faith, I need to be close
to God, love God above all and obey all of
His commandments. I need to pray faithfully to get closer to Him. I will participate
in the activities of the Church and attend
Bible study at every session.
I will encourage people to get closer
to God, as well as give comfort to them
while we stand as a model of the right
way. When the time comes, God’s calledout ones in this world will be the rulers of
His future Kingdom. But temptations are
everywhere. Satan also tries to discourage us on what we believe, but it is only
a challenge to us, and measures our trust
and faith in God. Satan makes ways so we
would hate God and want Him to leave
us alone. Satan is our worst enemy. But
some of us don’t know that we are also our
worst enemy.
A part of ourself is good and the other
part is bad. We are easily tempted by what
we see and by Satan’s influence too. But
we need to be brave to fight that bad side
of us and also that of our society.
And by that time, God’s children will
be united and inherit eternal life.
—Karriss Mae Zayas, 1G
Youngsters today are getting away
from God’s word and don’t know what is
These are the things to do to be a
part of God’s Special Forces: we must re-
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spectively follow the Ten Commandments,
always escape from booby traps in our life,
always have faith in God even in times of
trouble and distress, and face all the challenges and trials in life. As youths, we must
not practice premarital sex or adultery and
we must take care of our body because our
body is the temple of God’s Spirit.
—Hernol Aguipo, 2B
I would determine first what the
enemy’s battle plan is, which is to destroy
the family as the basic unit of the society
and to waste away our lives. I will also be
aware of the enemy’s attacks on the youth.
I will strengthen my relationship with God
to be closer to Him. I will continually study
God’s Word so I will have a strong spiritual
foundation to thwart off the enemy’s attacks and to overcome our temptations. I
will strive to obey God’s commandments. I
will flee sexual immorality and avoid eating
unclean foods and to keep myself pure. I
will avoid the ways of the world and be an
example of a real Christian which is obeying God’s laws. With God on our side, we
will be victorious in fighting the good fight.
To God be the glory!
—Ariel M. Cabalquinto, 2B
It is indeed a very great privilege for
me to become part of God’s Special Forces.
As a youth, we must always do what we
can to serve and trust God and intercept all
temptations and booby traps because we
are the future leaders of tomorrow’s world.
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These are the things to do to become
part of God’s Special Forces:
• We must face all the challenges and
trials in life;
• Always have faith in God even in
times of trouble and distress;
• We must prevent booby traps to
enter our lives especially adultery and premarital sex because our body is the temple
of God so we must use it properly;
• We must always remember and
keep the Sabbath day holy;
• I will abstain from all circumstances
that will affect my daily life especially temptations, booby traps and lust;
• We must eat the right kinds of food
stated in Leviticus 11 and prevent unclean
foods to enter the temple of God;
• Always love God above all;
• Follow the Ten Commandments
found in Exodus 20.
Our life in this world is just temporary.
So we must do whatever we can to praise
and worship God, follow His commandments, and love Him above all things so that
we could be in God’s Kingdom and have eternal life. As a part of God’s Special Forces in
UYC, I say we must FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!!!
—Reuel Regem Cainglet, 2B
As for me to become part of God’s
Special Forces and be able to fight the good
fight of faith, I need to be closer to God,
and meditate on His words. Because as we
all know we are not fighting with flesh and
blood, but we are fighting the evil spiritual
forces tempting us. We all know that we
have no chance against them, but if we stay
close to God, and obey all His commands,
not a single evil force can withstand us, because He dwells in us. We also have to pray
and have faith always no matter what, because as stated in the Bible, “Be sober, be
vigilant, for our adversary the devil, walks
about like a roaring lion seeking whom he
may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). So in this verse,
we are to be alert always, because you
don’t know where and when the devil may
strike. So for us not to be tempted, let us
put on the whole armor of God, for no one
can help us in times of chaos and catastrophe, but only God. We must also honor our
father and mother because this is the first
commandment with a promise that we may
live a long life on the earth. In short, follow
all His commandments and meditate on His
Word, and by following these commands,
we shall see the abundance of God’s love
and blessings poured out upon us.
—Rhustum Evaristo, 2B
I am one of the Special Forces of God.
And it is my great privilege to be part of it.
As a soldier of God, I will be obedient to
all His commands, especially in following
and obeying His laws or commandments
and also to be loyal at all times, especially
in times of trials. I will be honest in saying all things that we want to express or
to tell with all our inquiries and obstacles
that we encounter in our lives especially in
2006 Edition
repentance and prayer. It’s helpful to serve
God’s people as a sign of companionship
to God and showing love and pleasure to
Him, and be active and responsible in God’s
calling for my life, and also be courageous
instantly and frequently to overcome and
fight fears and problems, for God will never
leave us nor forsake us and will not give
us a burden or trial that we cannot solve or
handle. And lastly, I’ll be sober and vigilant
to fight temptations that will lead me to
death, for the Kingdom of God is at hand
and we should do good in all things according to our works in order to be in His Kingdom and be the sons and daughters of our
Most High God.
—Christian
Infantado, 2B
I am one
of God’s Special
Forces. I will be
honest to God. I
will abstain from
all circumstances
affecting my life
especially regarding temptations. I
will control my lust
and become generous instead. To control
temptation, I need to keep my mind clean.
I have to keep the Ten Commandments:
Thou shalt not have other gods beside God,
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, Thou shalt not take the name of God
in vain, Remember the Sabbath day to keep
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it holy, Honor thy father and thy mother,
Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit
adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not
bear false witness, and Thou shalt not covet
what is your neighbor’s.
—Gem Kevin Presbitero, 2B
Special Forces are those who are elite,
more advanced than the other soldiers.
They are few but powerful. Their mission
is more difficult than the rest. They obey
their commander-in-chief. They are the
ones who survey the terrain first before
their comrades arrive or attack.
Like them, I should be spiritually elite,
and always ready for combat. We should
also be aware of Satan’s booby traps and
plans to ruin our life. We should endure to
fight the good fight. We should wear the
whole armor of God for our protection. If
we stumble we should stand up again. We
should trust the plan of our Commander-inChief who is God.
—David Jonathan Remo, 2B
For me to become part of God’s Special Forces and to be able to fight the good
fight of faith, I need to fear God and keep
His commandments. We need to be a
good soldier of Jesus
Christ who fights
against our enemy.
If we keep His commandments, His
Feasts, Sabbaths and
others, we would not
go astray because
God leads our way to
eternal life.
—Glenn
Salvador, 2B
First of all, I will lay everything I do to
God. I know there’s a lot of temptations
or hindrances in order to be part of God’s
Special Forces, but I will try to counterstrike Satan’s plan to waste my time in the
ways that are not obvious (for time is my
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life). To counter-strike Satan is hard since
he is wise. But I know with God nothing
would be impossible. God is good! He
will provide me everything I need to fight
the good fight. It’s up to me anyway. I
already decided that I want to become one
of God’s Special Forces and to become
God’s daughter, and to enter the Kingdom
of God soon. I pray to God and ask for His
guidance for the struggles that I will face
always. I believe in God and I have trust in
Him. I know God will always be with me.
To fight the good fight of faith is hard
because in this generation now, Satan
works wisely just to hinder us from our destination. But for me, my way to fight is to
read the Bible, pray, and be aware and stay
away from the things that cannot help me to
grow spiritually. And lastly, I will do things
that can make God happy, since I know every mistake or sin I make, would not please
God who is the Savior from my sins.
—May Rihyzel Arsula, 2G
To be part of God’s Special Forces will
be a great pleasure for me and for others
as well. But I know it’s not that easy to obtain. I have to undergo a process.
Attending UYC this year is I think one
way of building my character. There are
certain changes that I’m taking on, but I
know it helps me for my own good.
I learned a lot of things in ways little
and big. It kept my mind clear as I unlock
the hidden Truth.
For me to be able to fight the good
fight of faith, I have to improve my relationship with our God Almighty as I continue
my life’s journey with Him. I have to be
aware of the booby traps and other worldly
aspects that may badly affect my spiritual
life without even knowing it.
I have to keep His laws and principles
as they also help me to do things right.
Sometimes, for every trial we face, we
tend to be weak and lose our faith. But
we just have to trust the LORD because He
knows what’s best for us and He has a perfect reason of giving us hardships for our
better future and stronger character.
And lastly, I have to share and spread
God’s good news and open it to everyone in
order to be united and do the Will of God.
—Hannah Baldonado, 2G
To become part of God’s Special Forces, and to be able to fight the good fight
of faith, I always have to get closer to God,
be strong always so that I can fight the
good fight and also always pray to Him to
guide me.
To get closer to God is most important
because God is powerful in the world. He
knows already who you are. To be strong
is important because when there is an enemy, you are ready to fight.
To become part of God’s Special Forces, we should always be brave, strong and
also need to have confidence to fight the
good fight of faith.
—Josie Ann Cebrian, 2G
2006 Edition
I think I should be wise, obey my
God and parents, and be always with
God. This helps me grow strong spiritually. Therefore, my God tells me never to
join bad company. My God tells me not
to walk and fight with flesh and blood,
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loyal, brave, trustworthy, honorable, and
faithful. I will apply these things as I go
back home.
And that’s what God’s Special Forces is
all about—fighting the good fight!
—Ivy Mae Monton, 2G
Forces, first, I will do my best to be strong
so that I will not be easily tempted by Satan
the Devil. Second, I would never quit, even
if I fall down, I will do my best to make my
faith strong. And the last one is to always
remember that God is always at our side.
So, do not fear! Do not quit! Be strong!
Fight the good fight when you encounter
an obstacle in your life! Because, “only the
strong can survive!”
—Rhodamie Obsequio, 2G
but wear the whole armor of God: loins
girt about with truth, breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the preparation of peace, shield of faith wherein
the fiery darts of the enemy shall not
hit you, the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit which is the Word of
God. All these help me fight my fears
and enemies.
—Rhoxanne Evaristo, 2G
I, as a part of God’s Special Forces, will
fight the good fight! For I believe that my
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
I will keep away from all bad influences around me. I will reject all forms of
temptations, like illegal drugs, premarital
sex, early marriage, boy-girl relationships.
I will also reject pornographic materials
like Playboy magazine, tabloids, billboards,
pocketbooks, X-rated movies, or any kind of
evil publication.
I will not allow Satan to control my life,
or even waste my time. I will fight by rejecting all evil things and be faithful to our
God Almighty!
I want to have a pure body, pure heart,
and pure mind before I get married.
And God’s Special Forces requires me
to have commitment, be called, dedicated,
Here at UYC, I learned a lot of things
especially the spiritual teachings. Those
things that I learned helped me lot. I think
I should apply these things to be a part of
God’s Special Forces.
From now on, I’ll try not to be tempted
by some evil doings. I should have more
faith in God, make good friends, have a
determination to be part of the family of
God. I will love my neighbors including my
enemies and be kind to them always. Most
of all, I’ll focus on the path where I can enter the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, I should apply the good
things that I learned at UYC—to fight off the
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bad things that I encounter to be able to be
part of God’s Special Forces and to be able
to fight the good fight of faith.
—Angelica Joyce Remo, 2G
The thing that I will do to become
part of God’s Special Forces and be able to
fight the good fight is first, I will pray and
give all my heart to God. I will give my
attention to Him, to learn what the Bible
says and focus on Him. Also, I will do my
best to follow the commandments of God
to keep me away from temptation. I will
always read and strive to understand God’s
laws and tell my friend what I read and understand
about the
Bible and
what is
the right
thing to
do. I will
always
remember
that our
bodies
are the
temple of
the Spirit
of God. I know God is very powerful and
He is always at our side. I know that God
will take care of His sons and daughters. I
will always keep in mind that we youths are
the target of Satan because He knows that
the youth are on the way of God to help
preach the gospel.
—Marjiniel Blessiel Faith Zayas, 2G
2006 Edition
trouble.” Then I said to myself, “It’s
just a ‘get-to-know-each-other’ game.
There’s nothing to worry about.” And I
prayed to God to take away this problem in me.
Well, I still seemed to have thought
of the game over and over again until I
arrived in camp.
Then, whoa! I can’t believe it! The
dream I’ve been waiting for! At last! I’m
finally a UYC camper! Yehey! I started
making new friends. First, my dorm
mates, then 2G, then 1B and 2B. And
slowly, I forgot the whole “pikpakboomphobia” thing! I started to live
like a normal camper. You know, having fun with the campers, doing your
chores, and chatting with the counselors and staff.
Everything was going out so well,
then came the night…the night for the
novelty games! Ahhhh!!
But my mind only went like, “Oh
well, no need to worry. At least I already memorized most of
the campers’ names.” Wow,
at least I got this courage
in me.
And those things my
brother used to tell me
didn’t actually happen. You
know, the “get to sing in
front of everyone?” It never happened to me! Yehey!
Of course, I did stumble
and fall. And sometimes,
the other campers didn’t notice me so
they got to sit on me without noticing whom they’re sitting on. Well, I
did hurt myself a bit, but at least, I
survived. As it says in Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.”
or origin and some of its branches and
the situations that lead to it were also
discussed. Strategies were then brought
out on how to counter temptation before
it leads to sin.
During ICLC, other related topics
were
also
touched on,
such as why
Satan targets
the youth and
the strategies
he uses to get
them. It was
made
clear
that Satan’s
goal is to
waste human
life. In war,
many
lives
were wasted
by the enemy’s booby traps, especially
in the war in Vietnam. So, by knowing
how Satan does his work, the youths can
avoid his “booby traps.”
In a Christian’s life, there are many
booby traps set up by Satan and his
demons. One example pointed out in
the discussions was the use of cell phone
text messaging.
A blind date is
arranged with a
textmate, which
leads to a boygirl relationship
outside
the
C h u r c h .
Sometimes
the
blind date may
lead to a problem
wherein the youth
becomes a crime
victim.
Another
example is music. The youth may
unknowingly sing blasphemous songs.
The beat and tune may be very nice to
hear but if you analyze the lyrics or go
deeper to the meaning of a song, you
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discover that it is blasphemy. These
were some of the examples of booby
traps brought out in the discussions. It
was pointed out that Satan sets up his
booby traps using entertainment, music,
the mass media, boy-girl relationships
outside the Church, and all misuses
of
human
t e c h n o l o g y.
Because
the
enemy
sets
up
so
many
booby traps, we
should envision
ourselves
as
soldiers avoiding
those traps. It’s
not easy to get
out from a booby
trap once you
are caught and
wounded.
Our
enemy is powerful and wise, so what are
we supposed to do? (1 Peter 5:8-11).
As the camp progressed to its last
day, INTERACTIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING
CLASS was able to INSPIRE us, both
campers and staff members. We were
led to remember that to become God’s
Special Forces and to be able to “fight
the good fight of
faith,” we must
put on the “the
full armor of
God” as it says
in Eph. 6:10-18.
Fellow campers,
staff
members
and
all
UYC
2006 attendees,
may we hope
and
give
an
encouragement
that
all
the
wonderful lessons we’ve listened to
would be put into action (James 1:
19-26) so that as we continue to grow
physically and mentally, we may also
do so spiritually.
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five-man tents and cooked their own
food on two-burner gas stoves.
Each day began at 5 a.m. with
“quiet
time,”
a
n
hour of
prayer
a n d
B i b l e
s t u d y.
Then at
6
a.m.
campers
would get
ready and
prepare
breakfast.
Like
a
family, the
campers
and counselors in
each dorm
ate together and worked together.
At other times, however, dorms would invite
one another, help each
other prepare meals,
and join forces in cleaning up afterward.
The first activity of
each day was the Interactive Christian Living
class. For five mornings,
camp director Edmond Macaraeg led
discussions on the major issues and
problems facing the youths today. He
presented the concept of the Special
Forces as a metaphor for our calling
in this world, battling against a society designed to destroy our faith. He
presented various ideas and strategies for overcoming the various
booby-traps of the enemy.
The other activities consisted
of classes and workshops (arts &
crafts, carpentry, cooking & baking, first aid, journalism, PA system,
public
speaking,
signaling
[International Morse Code],
silkscreen printing, and song
leading) and regular day activities (confidence course, dance,
inline skating, riflery, softball,
soccer, swimming, and wilderness skills). We also had a day
of hiking and outdoor cooking, followed by a “confidence
course.” For the evenings
we had novelty games,
fellowship time, an open
forum, and a variety show
and dance. On the Sabbath, we had Bible bowl
and Sabbath services. Mr.
David Baker, our senior
pastor, and Mr. and Mrs.
Rey Evasco, pastor of the
Manila congregation, visited us this
year.
Mr.
Baker gave
the sermon
on Leadership Principles from
the Life of
Joshua.
After
the
service, we
had “Open
House,”
(a.k.a. Open Tent!) then a Pizza &
Ice Cream night.
The next day, we had awarding
ceremonies and pictorials, capped
with a buffet lunch at the Holiday
Terraces. It was a very memorable
and profitable camp, with a lot of
valuable lessons learned.
—Reported by Daniel Macaraeg
23
2006 Edition
other. Dinner during the last night of
the camp was pizza, ice cream and soda,
which was followed by a variety show
and a dance. On the last day of the camp,
the campers had pictorials and awarding ceremonies. Then the campers were
treated to a buffet lunch at the Holiday
Terraces. Then the campers went back to
the campsite to get their bags, bid their
last goodbyes and then ride a jeep back to
Davao City. Indeed this year’s camp has
been an enjoyable and a memorable one.
There’s a skating rink here in Baguio,
but it’s so expensive that we never got
Thus at UYC, we had to inform them
about the type of spiritual warfare they are
already engaged in – whether they like it
or not – whether they have enlisted or not.
They need to be able to identify the enemy
in his various deceptive manifestations
– which in most cases appear innocent,
appealing, and even very friendly! Next,
they needed to be imbued with the proper
moral fiber and resolve, together with
knowledge of the spiritual resources, power,
and guidance to be able to stand their
ground and be victorious.
Like the military’s specially trained and
equipped elite fighting forces – this year’s
United Youth Camp program did its best
to help prepare our youths to succeed
in their daily
battles, so they
can overcome
and survive
as they pass
through enemy
territory, which is
this world. Even
if they are often
outnumbered,
they should never
be out-fought!
With Christ as their
Commander-inChief, and the Holy Spirit of God with them,
He has promised us all victory, as long as we
obey, are vigilant, and put our trust in Him!
As God’s Special Forces, let us fight the
good fight of faith and endure to the end!
to try. Truly, the summer camp gives an
opportunity to experience new things that
only the moneyed folks can afford in their
daily lives. In the wall climbing that we
also did, the materials were there and
all we had to do was try and overcome
our fear of heights. From all our camp
activities I gained so much that I would
not expect to have if I did not attend.
I learned many things also during the
INTERACTIVE CHRISTIAN LIVING CLASS.
There are so many problems in society
affecting the youth and it is good to be
reminded on how to deal with them. Also
during the open forum and the Sabbath
service, new insights were brought out
from the Bible that
should not be forgotten
but should be put into
action. Indeed! Good
location, good climate,
sumptuous
meals,
healthy
activities,
different personalities
we interacted with, and
godly instructions made
UYC 2006: “A Summer
Camp to Remember.”
We owe its success to
God to whom we express
gratitude for such a blessing. How great it
is to have learned that, as this year’s UYC
theme goes, we are God’s Special Forces
who must fight the good fight.

UTP 2006 - United Church of God

Transcription

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