An invitation to a joyful gathering

Posted on June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 by pasugoeditor

An invitation to a joyful gathering

To make it to the joyful gathering in heaven, people should join the Church that is "composed of all those registered in heaven."

By SIEGFRED T. GOLLAYAN

IN THIS WORLD, there are many problems and difficulties that bring us sorrow and distress. There are also times when we fail in what we do, bringing us more pain. However, our Lord Jesus Christ mentioned that even though we are now sad and troubled, He will soon see us again and our hearts will be filled with gladness that no one can take away from us:

“That is how it is with you: now you are sad, but I will see you again, and your hearts will be filled with gladness, the kind of gladness that no one can take away from you.” (John 16:22 Good News Bible)

Because no less than our Savior is the One Who made this promise, it is what we should long for. We should not allow anything or anyone to hinder us from receiving that gladness or joy (New King James Version) that our Lord Jesus Christ promised.

The place of gathering
As to where that gladness or joy is, which each of us must strive to reach, the Bible enlightens us, thus:

“But you have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels; and to the church, composed of all those registered in heaven; and to God who is Judge of all; and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; and to Jesus himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement; and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did.” (Heb. 12:22-24 The Living Bible)

The place where we will have the gladness or joy Christ promised is in heaven. There in the city of the living God or the heavenly Jerusalem, a joyful gathering will take place. For people to be counted among those who will make it to that gathering, they should become members of the Church that is “composed of all those registered in heaven.”

Hence, to say that joining the Church is no longer needed is a grave mistake, an unbiblical teaching. It is not true that it is enough to merely profess faith in Christ to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Bible assures that those who will make it to the happy gathering in heaven are the members of the Church. But, it is not just any church that one should join to receive such great reward; rather, it is the Church that is “composed of all those registered in heaven.” And one of the qualities of that Church is that it is where “the redeemed” are.

The Church that was redeemed or purchased by Christ with His blood is the Church Of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.”
(Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation)

Thus, the joyful gathering in heaven is reserved for the members of the Church Of Christ. In order for one, therefore, to make it to that joyful gathering, he must become a member of the Church Of Christ.

A joyful gathering
Why the gathering that will take place in heaven is a joyful one is clear from the description of the Bible thus:

“Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight. I’ll take joy in Jerusalem, take delight in my people: No more sounds of weeping in the city, no cries of anguish.” (Isa. 65:17-19 The Message)

Sheer joy and pure delight will be felt in the new heaven and new earth or in the New Jerusalem, which is also the Holy City (Rev. 21:1-4). In that place, all the earlier troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past and to be forgotten. In the Holy City, there are no more sounds of weeping and cries of anguish. A glorious life awaits us there.

We invite you dear readers to join the Church Of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo). We invite you to join its members in the joyful gathering in heaven.

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A life well spent

Posted on June 13, 2022June 14, 2022 by pasugoeditor

A life well spent

By SIEGFRED T. GOLLAYAN

THE WORLD IS in a state of flux—the only thing constant, people say, is change. At a time when a person feels totally in control of his life, something happens that alters his direction, a change occurs at an instant. What he considers predictable becomes unpredictable after all and he has no recourse but to adjust to these unexpected circumstances and situations.

As the cliché goes: “Life is a journey.” Indeed, as we go on in life, many things happen that turn out to be very different from what we had expected. We do plan, but the possibility of facing events beyond our control comes along the way. Financial analysts project economic growths only to be disappointed by a sudden slump that leads to an uncontrollable decline in the economy. A businessman may map out his business with optimism for the next few years but doesn’t get the revenues he had expected, probably due to inflation, unavailability of raw materials, or other reasons. We sometimes are unable to make it to our appointments because of a flat tire or heavy traffic. We promise our children to treat them out only to be sidelined by flu.

Use time wisely
Given that things are very uncertain, we should therefore make wise use of our time. The apostles, thus, advise us to “make every minute count” (Eph. 5:16 Contemporary English Version).

Just imagine: considering that a person needs to sleep an average of eight hours a day, that means that by the time he is 60, he would have already spent 20 years of his life in slumber. More or less, we only have two-thirds of our lifetime to spend productively. Hence, there is no gainsaying to ask ourselves, “How do we spend our lives here on earth?” and “How do we make use of our time?” We only have one life to live here. If we spend most of our time doing nothing good, indeed, a bleak future awaits us.

If we really care for our time here on earth, we will not waste the life we have been given. The Scriptures says that there is a time for everything under the sun:

“For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth.” (Eccles. 3:1 New English Translation)

Let us live our lives meaningfully. Let us work doing the best we can, make use of our full potentials, and treat important matters with a sense of urgency. If we do this, we help make living in this world less burdensome, even just in our own little way. Besides, the Bible instructs us, thus:

“Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.” (Eph. 5:16 New Living Translation)

Hence, let us not skip the opportunity to do good to others—nothing fabulous, but many occasions to make life a bit more pleasant for others—a simple text or instant message to someone you love; giving a seat to an old lady aboard a bus; greeting the security guard; congratulating your secretary for a job well done; caring for our families well; and being of service to our community are some ways.

Spend life well
Most of all, for us to spend our life well, we should understand our very reason for being:

“After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.” (Eccles. 12:13 Today’s English Version)

Above all our everyday endeavors is what God wants us to do. If we are able to obey Him, like what the Lord Jesus did, we could also say to the Father: “I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to” (John 17:4 Living Bible).

Because of this, let us hasten to do what God bids us and do not let the life He gave us be spent in sluggishness. According to the Lord Jesus:

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matt. 6:33 NLT)

Hence, a life well spent is doing all that we can to surrender ourselves to the will of God—not only by living righteously, but first of all by seeking the kingdom in which man will have redemption and forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ (Col. 1:12-14 New King James Version). That kingdom is the Church Of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation)

If we consider that there will never be enough time for us to do all that we can do and be all that we can be, we will always live life to its fullest, with our spiritual well-being as the top priority. It is because of this that we advise you to join the Church Of Christ—now that there is still time.

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God’s impartiality and His will to save the Church

Posted on June 7, 2022June 7, 2022 by pasugoeditor

God’s impartiality and His will to save the Church

Being a just God, He wants all men to be saved (I Tim. 2:3–4). At the same time though, He Himself set certain just conditions that man ought to fulfill in order to attain salvation.

By JENSEN DG. MAÑEBOG

PARTIALITY is “a lack of fairness that you show when you support one person, group, or opinion more than any others” (Macmillan English Dictionary, 2002). It is mostly synonymous or semantically related to favoritism, bias, prejudice, partisanship, discrimination, and unfairness. When defined as “unfair support of one person or one group against another” (Longman Dictionary), partiality is seen as negative regardless of where it happens.

Whether in the home, at the workplace, and elsewhere, partiality brings about jealousy, affects people’s motivation, incites disrespect, and breaks a team or group and even families apart. So, to avoid these things, leaders of organizations and groups, and even parents, are advised to treat everyone fairly and to do their very best not to play favorites.

God as impartial
Being just and righteous, our Lord God is the perfect example of fairness. “For there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:11 New American Standard Bible), Apostle Paul stated. Whatever one does, the Father cannot be swayed to be unfair, “For the Lord your God … shows no partiality and accepts no bribes” (Deut. 10:17 New International Version). Unlike some people who favor the wealthy and almost automatically side with those in high social status, God “doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor” (Job 34:19 New Living Translation 2015).

This truth about God was pronounced by Apostle Peter to Cornelius and his relatives and close friends in Caesarea. Summoned to the centurion’s house to deliver God’s will, Apostle Peter “opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him’” (Acts 10:34–35 English Standard Version).

That pronouncement of Apostle Peter is nonetheless interpreted by some to mean that God, being impartial, requires only two things from people to be accepted as His servants and be saved: (1) fearing Him and (2) doing what is right. And so, they conclude that the Church Of Christ’s doctrine about the necessity to enter this Church in order to be saved is contrary to biblical precepts. For them, the belief that it is only the Church Of Christ members whom the Lord will save on Judgment Day runs counter to the good nature of God being impartial.

But is it true that membership in the Church Of Christ is dispensable to salvation? Is the doctrine concerning the salvation for the Church Of Christ members really at odds with God’s impartiality?

Salvation and the Church
No doctrine of the Church Of Christ is ever contrary to biblical teachings as it upholds nothing but the teachings of the Holy Scriptures. The indispensability of joining this Church to gain salvation, for instance, is not its invention but is clearly taught by the Bible itself:

“For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body.” (Eph. 5:23 Good News Bible)

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47 King James Version)

In granting salvation to the Church referred to, God is in no way unfair or partial. Being a just God, He indeed wants all men to be saved (I Tim. 2:3–4). At the same time though, He Himself set certain just conditions that man ought to fulfill in order to attain salvation. Primary among these is to obey His will that all be gathered in His Son (Eph. 1:9–10), by becoming a part of Christ’s body (Rom. 12:4–5) or becoming members of His Church (Col. 1:18).

Demonstrating impartiality, our Lord God does give everyone equal chance to attain salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ, the One appointed by God to be our Savior (Acts 5:31), has this invitation for anyone who wishes to be saved:

“I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe. …” (John 10:9 Revised English Bible)

Take note that “anyone”—regardless of race, nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, gender, and professional and personal background—is invited by the Savior to enter into the fold, because doing such ultimately means being “safe.” The fold or flock referred to is none other than the Church Of Christ:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation)

The Bible teaches that all people, except the Lord Jesus Christ, have sinned (Rom. 5:12; I Pet. 2:21–22) and are thus condemned to die
(Rom. 6:23) ultimately in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). To be saved from that punishment, one needs to be redeemed with Christ’s blood
(Heb. 9:14, 22). The Savior thus invites everyone to enter the Church Of Christ because it is that which He redeemed with His precious blood.

In view of this biblical doctrine concerning salvation, it is, therefore, only fair and impartial on God’s part not to count among His true servants and heirs of His kingdom those who refuse to heed Christ’s benevolent invitation.

Doing right and fearing God
Apostle Peter’s statement that goes “anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:35 ESV) is not in any way contrary, but instead even complementary, to the teaching that membership in the true Church is so needed in rightfully serving God. In fact, one of the “right” things which everyone must do to be acceptable to God, as explained, is to enter—not to reject—the Church Of Christ.

The “fear” of the Lord mentioned by Apostle Peter is likewise manifested through obedience to the commandments or will of God (Ps. 111:10), one of which, as earlier pointed out, is to be a part of Christ’s body or Church. As a matter of fact, the Scriptures testify that the reverent fear of God is lived by the members of the Church Of Christ:

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” (Acts 9:31 NIV)

Like Cornelius and his household, may more people today be also willing to listen to the true gospel, believe, and be baptized (Acts 10:1–48) into that same Church to which the apostles belonged—the Church Of Christ (I Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18; Acts 20:28 Lamsa).

Turning down this Bible-based means to salvation is outright wrong, and “For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality” (Col. 3:25 New American Standard Bible 1995).

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Being with God is being a Church Of Christ member

Posted on June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Being with God is being a Church Of Christ member

It is only by having God in their lives that people will enjoy His blessings. Indeed, it is exceedingly important to have God with us.

By ERAÑO G. QUINITIO

BY AND LARGE, people would certainly say yes if asked if they want our Lord God’s blessings, more so now that they go through problems, sorrows, and troubles take place either simultaneously or successively.

Certainly, it is only by having God in their lives that they will enjoy His blessings. This is not mere opinion but based on God’s truth written in the Bible. Indeed, it is exceedingly important to have God with us.

The evil of not having God
Apostle Paul described the evil of not having God in people’s lives, thus:

“Remember that in those days you were living utterly apart from Christ; you were enemies of God’s children, and he had promised you no help. You were lost, without God, without hope.” (Eph. 2:12 Living Bible)

To be without God is to live without hope of His promised help. Hence, people in such condition will certainly not benefit from God’s blessings. Worse, they are considered His enemies. Apostle Paul identified them as the people “living utterly apart from Christ.” They do not have any relationship with Him. And so, they cannot “confidently expect to go to heaven” (Eph. 2:12 Translation for Translators) or be saved because they do not belong to the people whom God have chosen—the ones to whom He has given the right to serve Him—and with whom God made a covenant or agreement. Hence, there is “nothing good to hope for” if people are not counted among those God has chosen (Eph. 2:12 EasyEnglish Bible).

In just one body
On a positive note, Apostle Paul described how good it is to be among God’s chosen people. He said of them: “God loves you” and “you were all called together in one body [the church as the body of Christ] to have peace” (Col. 3:12, 15 Expanded Bible).

God’s chosen people are called together in one body or organization, not many—they are not scattered or divided into different sects or denominations. That one body is our Lord Jesus Christ’s Church. There is no other church wherein people must be gathered to be counted among God’s chosen people and to be recipients of His blessings except the Church that is the body of Christ. People in this Church are loved by God. They have peace with Him and the confidence of being saved. The body of Christ, which He called “my church” (Matt. 16:18 Today’s New International Version) is what the apostles called the Church Of Christ (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation).

People really need to be in the Church Of Christ—the flock in which Christ commands them to come or enter to be saved (John 10:9, 16; Acts 20:28 Lamsa). Refusal to join it means turning down the opportunity to receive God’s blessings and the promised salvation.

For this reason, Church Of Christ members have further intensified their efforts in the work of sharing their faith, patiently convincing their fellowmen to believe that it is not enough to be in just any religion of their own liking to be recognized, be blessed, and be saved by God—they have to be in the true Church Of Christ.

The true Church Of Christ
For their part, members of the Church Of Christ will never separate from the Church because they have been assured of receiving salvation and entrance to heaven, as Apostle Paul states, thus:

“But you have come into the reality (of which the symbols only pointed to), to Mount Zion, the New Jerusalem—the heavenly city of the living God—and you are part of that city. You have come to join millions upon millions of angels rejoicing in God’s presence, into the heavenly sanctuary—the true church of Christ—whose identities are stored in heaven …” (Heb. 12:22–23 Remedy New Testament)

The verses mention about Mount Zion which is also called the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city of the living God. He Himself is there as well as the millions upon millions of angels and the heavenly sanctuary or the true Church Of Christ. Hence, the Bible itself proves that the Church Of Christ will go to heaven.

Inspired by the great reward it brings—salvation and eternal life—Church members heed God’s instruction not to “throw away [their] confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens” (Heb. 10:35–36 New Living Translation). Church Of Christ members have more confidence knowing that what God lays in store for them is not just a source of living but, most importantly, salvation.

Although life here on earth is filled with troubles, sorrows, trials, and problems, God’s servants firmly believe that all these will be things of the past—to be replaced with pure joy which no one can take away from them. Hence, they believe that reaching the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, will put an end to all their problems especially the grave ones. That is why they heed the call of the apostles not to throw away their confident trust in the Lord no matter what happens. As they focus their attention on the great reward brought by their divine election, they patiently endure, striving to overcome sufferings just so they can obey God’s will—dedicating themselves to attending the worship service, helping in the work of propagation, and renewing their life, to name a few.

‘Where will my help really come from?’
Knowing that life’s problems, sorrows, and troubles come whether simultaneously or successively, members of the Church Of Christ turn to the only One Who can help them—the Almighty God. Psalms 121:1–3 state, thus:

“I look up to the hills, but where will my help really come from? My help will come from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. He will not let you fall. Your Protector will not fall asleep.” (Easy-to-Read Version)

God’s true servants firmly believe that the Creator of heaven and earth will not let them fall. He is always there to help them with their needs. They receive the much-needed help when they “look up to the hills,” referring to the hills surrounding Zion where the temple was (Ps. 121:1–3 EXB)—the place where God’s chosen servants conduct their worship. Hence, the worship service is the best time for God’s chosen to ask Him for help. When they ask for God’s help, especially in the worship service, He will not fail them. God will remove the disappointments from their lives. That is why they do not forsake their worship services.

So, when Church members have problems, they conduct devotional prayers in the place of worship. They know that God will all the more listen to them in that place which He has consecrated for His Name and glory to dwell.

Although to live in this world is becoming more difficult nowadays because of the many things to endure—problems, trials, and poverty which remains unsolved no matter what people do—nevertheless, true Iglesia Ni Cristo members who expect God’s help will never lose hope (Ps. 119:81–83, 114). That is the conviction of God’s servants. They may have problems that make them feel weak, but they do not lose their hope in God’s help, for He has promised it.

At times, God allows His people to go through trials so they can prove that they are worthy of receiving His blessings. Though they encounter heavy problems and get afflicted with illnesses, they remain obedient to God’s commandments and cling to His promise that He will not fail them. He is helping them go through those things. They might have been heavily burdened in life, but they beg the Father in heaven to make them strong through His power they feel most especially during the worship service. He is their refuge and shield and His promises are their only source of hope. When they kneel and pray to God to ask for His help, they beg Him to reach out to them. They implore Him not to allow even one member of their family to be excluded from being saved on Judgment Day.

This article was originally published in the Pasugo: God’s Message magazine, February 2020 Issue.

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

Why does God send messengers?

Posted on May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Why does God send messengers?

Many biblical passages show that for each dispensation of time, God sends messengers. What is His purpose in doing so?

By ROMMEL V. SAN PEDRO

UPON HEARING THAT the Church Of Christ recognizes that Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God’s Messenger in these last days, the initial reaction of people sometimes is skepticism. A reason for this is because of their being unaware that the Bible teaches the importance of a messenger.

The importance of a messenger
Our Lord Jesus Christ taught the importance of a messenger, when He said that “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29 New King James Version). Since sending His messengers is God’s work, and since God never does anything useless, then this work of sending messengers is extremely important. And since God sends messengers, He, of course, expects and desires people to believe them. Many biblical passages show that for each dispensation of time, God sends messengers. Any church or religion that neither has God’s messenger nor recognizes God’s commissioning of messengers cannot be true. Although others may agree that messengers are important, some assume that anyone with the desire can become one. But “no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was” (Heb. 5:4 NKJV).

God’s noble purpose in sending messengers
According to the Bible, God sent messengers during the time of ancient Israel because “He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place” (II Chr. 36:15 NKJV). God repeatedly sent messengers so that people would not be condemned, a manifestation of compassion and love. This divine purpose continued during the Christian time period:

“I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:17-18 NKJV)

God sent Apostle Paul to the Gentiles “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light,” because those who remain in darkness or under satan’s power will not be saved. Those removed from darkness through the work of God’s messenger are brought to God, receive the forgiveness of sins, and are counted among those who will inherit God’s great promises. Those who enter the Church Of Christ as taught by the messenger of God receive forgiveness because Christ purchased the Church with His blood (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation).

How God’s messengers were treated
It should not be surprising if Brother Felix Manalo is rejected as God’s messenger because of the pattern of making “… fun of God’s messengers, ignoring his words and laughing at his prophets, until at last the LORD’s anger against his people was so great that there was no escape” (II Chr. 36:15-16 Good News Bible). This persecution and maligning was to prevent people from listening. The technical term for this is an ad hominem attack, which is an attack against someone’s character. The Prophet Jeremiah’s character was attacked in this way, when the persecutors transpired to “attack him with the tongue” (Jer. 18:18). The same type of tactic was used against Brother Felix Manalo. The real culprit behind these attacks, satan, “takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Luke 8:12 NKJV). The devil, not wanting them to be saved, lies. One lie, that people can return to God and serve Him even without His messenger, is contradicted by what happens without a teaching priest:

“For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.” (II Chr. 15:3 NKJV, emphasis ours)

They had lost their right to serve God because He refuses to accept worship not based on His law. The necessity of the teaching priests, as God’s messengers is shown by the command of what to do when people had a question about God’s law:

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Mal. 2:7 NKJV)

The teaching priests were the messengers, entrusted with the preaching of God’s words. God commanded people to seek His laws only from the mouth of His messengers and not just from anyone.

God’s Messenger in these last days
After the apostasy and before the world’s end, God commissioned Brother Felix Manalo and the ministers of the Church Of Christ to preach the true gospel:

“Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads’.” (Rev. 7:2-3 NKJV)

Both the angel from the east and his companions in the prophecy would be entrusted with the mission to seal. Angel from the Greek anggelos or angelos means messenger and can refer to either a spirit or man as long as that individual is God-sent. John the Baptist, a man, was an angel:

“But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.” (Matt. 11:9-10 Douay-Rheims, 1899 American Edition)

Heavenly angels in contrast, who are sent on short missions to deliver a special message, do not preach the gospel.

The angel in Revelation 7:2-3 is human because his mission is to seal those who become servants of God. Sealing is the preaching of the gospel guided by the Holy Spirit:

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14 New International Version)

The seal is the Holy Spirit while sealing is the preaching of the gospel that is coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Those sealed with the Holy Spirit believed in the gospel preached by the true messenger of our Lord God. The fulfillment of the East in Revelation 7:2-3 is the Philippines. The true Church Of Christ reemerged in the Far East, in the islands of the sea, also a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. With the blessings of God, the Church Of Christ has now spread to many parts of the world. Through the preaching of the ministers and ministerial workers of the Church Of Christ, people can now learn God’s laws, and return to Him. This is the last work of God for salvation in these last days, which no one can stop because God promised:

“Yes, from the time of the first existence of day and from this day forth I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand. I will work, and who can hinder or reverse it?” (Isa. 43:13 Amplified Bible)

This article was originally published in the Pasugo: God’s Message Magazine, September 2014 Issue.

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

Those who have the right to serve God

Posted on May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Those who have the right to serve God

One must first have the right to serve God for one’s services to be deemed worthy and acceptable and one should serve God based on His will.

By BIENVENIDO A. SANTIAGO JR.

IT IS COMMONLY ASSUMED that one may fulfill his sacred obligation to serve God in any manner he chooses. Sadly, such assumption has blurred for many two basic biblical truths regarding man’s service to God: that one must first have the right to serve God for one’s services to be deemed worthy and acceptable and that one should serve God based on His will. Precisely, for a person operating on that assumption holds that what’s important is he is able to serve God—in whatever way he prefers. However, that is not the case when it comes to serving God. In fact, the Holy Scriptures teaches otherwise. Such person has failed or ignored to find out what the will of God is and the condition He set in order for man to have that right to serve Him.

Those who have the right
The Bible clearly states the prior condition that must first be met before one can serve the living God: one must first be made clean and pure from sins, and only the blood of Christ can absolutely cleanse a person. In Hebrews 9:14, it is written:

“So surely the blood of Christ can do much, much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make us fully clean from the evil things we have done. His blood will make us pure even in our hearts. We are made pure so that we can worship (serve) the living God.” (Easy-to-Read Version)

Only those who have been made pure and clean can serve God—not just anyone.

In Acts 20:28, the apostles attest who were cleansed with Christ’s blood. Apostle Paul says:

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.” (Lamsa Translation)

Contrary to the popular notion that all people benefited from Christ’s sacrifice, it is only the members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) who have truly gained from Christ’s redemptive act when He shed His blood on the cross. The members of His Church have been made pure and clean from their sins. Hence, they are the ones given the right to serve and worship God.

In the light of this, anyone who wants to serve God should strive to become a member of the Church Of Christ. People should have no misgivings in leaving their religion for the Church Of Christ because what they would be doing is in compliance with Christ’s command. The Lord said that people should enter through Him to be in the flock and be saved (John 10:7, 9, 16 Revised English Bible). The flock, as mentioned earlier, is the Church Of Christ.

Not only does the Bible attest that the Church Of Christ has the right to serve and worship God, but it also has the true relationship with Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul attests to this:

“That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will be one. This is a great mystery. (I’m talking about Christ’s relationship to the church.)” (Eph. 5:31-32 God’s Word Translation)

Those who don’t have the right

What about those who are not members of the Church Of Christ—those who do not have any relationship with Christ? According to Apostle Paul, such people do not have the right to serve God and have no share in His promises:

“…remember that at that time you were separated from Christ [excluded from any relationship with Him], alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise [with no share in the sacred Messianic promise and without knowledge of God’s agreements], having no hope [in His promise] and [living] in the world without God.” (Eph. 2:12 Amplified Bible 2015)

That’s a terrible condition to be in—to have no hope in God’s promise and live in the world without God. That is the predicament of anyone separated from Christ because he doesn’t have any relationship with Him. Any service and worship he renders to God will amount to nothing. God’s promised help and deliverance are not intended to include him. With the many uncertainties in this world and its nearing destruction on Judgment Day, things aren’t looking good for anyone outside the Church.

Therefore, one ought to strive to be in the Church Of Christ to have a relationship with Christ and be able to serve God.

The rightful manner of serving God

Just because one has the right to serve God and has been taught to do it accordingly, yet that person still insists on doing it in a manner he pleases, his services would be worthless. Christ teaches us that rendering service and worship to God should not be based on man-made laws because such service and worship will be worthless. In Matthew 15:9, the Lord said:

“Their worship is worthless, for they teach their man-made laws instead of those from God.” (Living Bible)

When one serves God, he should observe His laws and teachings. Only then will God consider such service worthy and acceptable.

This is what God has been seeking from those whom He has given the right to serve and worship Him. For example, the Israelites. During their time, only they had the right to serve and worship God (II Kings 5:15 New King James Version; Rom. 9:4 Good News Bible). However, they were not at liberty to do whatever they wanted. God gave them His decrees regarding the worship that they should render to Him, and He demanded that the decrees He had laid down be followed punctiliously (Deut. 12:13, 4 ETRV). The same is true in the Christian era.

A counsel to those who have the right

Those who already have the right to serve God are truly blessed because they are certain that their worship is acceptable to Him.

Hence they are given an instruction to fulfill first in order for them to hold on to God and uphold their services to Him. In Deuteronomy 13:4, this is stated:

“Follow the LORD your God and fear him. Keep his commandments and obey his voice, serve him and loyally hold onto him.” (Digital American Standard Version 2011)

God’s true servants must be obedient. They must have reverent fear of Him. They have to be careful in obeying His commandments. They have to remain true to Him. They should never revert to the wrong worship of Him. They should never be enticed to stop serving the true God to serve false gods. Even if the ones who are pressuring them to do so are their family and friends, they must remain faithful to God (Deut. 13:3, 5-8 DASV).

To remain in their right to serve and worship God, the true worshipers are exhorted by the apostles to be strong in the faith (Rev. 3:11 Expanded Bible) and to always excel in serving God (I Cor. 15:58 Names of God Bible). If they do these—if they devote themselves to faithful service of God—they will never be on the losing end of things. The apostles remind them that the works they do for the Lord will never be pointless.

So, even if they encounter trials and hardship in this life, they should still uphold their faith and services to the Lord until the end because on Judgment Day, they will receive the promised salvation and eternal life. In II Timothy 4:7-8, Apostle Paul states this:

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. Without compromise I have remained true to the faith. What’s ahead for me now is to receive the crown that’s been reserved for me for saying and doing what was right, which the Lord, the Judge who always does what’s right, will give me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have looked forward in joyful and keen anticipation to His appearing.” (Last Days Bible)

Therefore, receiving the right to serve God and rendering the true worship to Him will not only make a person’s services to the Lord worthy and acceptable, but will also bring him great blessings in this life and in the life to come.

This article was originally published in the Pasugo: God’s Message magazine, April 2017 issue.

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

Never allow the Messenger’s efforts to be in vain

Posted on May 9, 2022May 10, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Never allow the Messenger's efforts to be in vain

In the face of worsening difficulties nowadays, how can we hold fast to our Church Of Christ membership?

By JOHENES R. MAGHUYOP JR.

THIS 10TH MAY 2022, we, the members of the Church Of Christ, commemorate the 136th birth anniversary of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, whom we firmly believe is God’s Messenger in these last days. We are ever-thankful to the Lord God for sending him to preach the pure gospel of salvation in our time.

As God’s Messenger, Brother Felix Manalo faithfully fulfilled the mission he received from Him even in the face of great odds. He helped people understand and accept God’s words, receive the true knowledge of the One true God and have faith in Him, and become members of the true Church who have the hope of salvation on Judgment Day.

And so, we will never put these precious blessings to waste nor will we let the labors of Brother Felix Manalo end in vain. We are determined to hold fast to our membership in the Church Of Christ and continue in our services to the Lord God. How can we do these in the face of many difficulties and troubles in life that we go through as we journey towards our salvation?

The One Who has the power to help
As God’s people, we are not alone. We have God with us.

The Bible teaches that “his power is to help those who believe him.” The power of the Lord God is “incredibly great” (Eph. 1:19 LB). It is God who has made the heavens and the earth by His great power (Jer. 23:17 English Standard Version). So, those who will receive God’s help are certainly fortunate. No matter how difficult things are, they will surely be victorious as long as they truly believe in Him and acknowledge His power.

Those who truly know and believe God “keep His commandments”
(I John 2:3 New King James Version). One of His commandments is to listen to His Son, Jesus Christ Whom He made as our Savior (Matt. 17:5; Acts 5:31). Christ’s instruction to anyone who wants to be saved by Him is to enter the sheepfold or flock, which is the Church Of Christ (John 10:9, 16; Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation). Thus, Christ assures Church Of Christ members that “whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:16 NKJV).

We, members of the Church Of Christ, are so fortunate. We have the right to ask for and receive God’s help because we not only say that we believe Him but we also prove it by remaining inside the true Church.

As Church Of Christ members, we have nothing to fear for “God is the one who protects us” and “causes us to be strong” (Ps. 46:1 Translation for Translators). So, even if calamities strike and different hardships come into our lives, there is no reason for us to grow weak.

The Bible also clarifies: “[the Lord], the commander of the armies of heaven, is with us” (Ps. 46:7 T4T).

The kind of faith required
Since by virtue of our being Church Of Christ members we receive God’s help, it is only right that we always pray to Him. That is why the Church Administration always reminds and encourages us to set our personal and family devotional prayers. However, for God to heed us and manifest His power, we must understand that as His people, we must have genuine faith in Him.

Genuine faith is not the kind that dissipates as one experiences hardships. Instead, as Christ reminds us, it is the kind of faith that “grows until [we] truly believe that God will do what [we] ask him to.” In having such a high level of faith, one “will be able to do anything!” (Matt. 17:20 T4T).

One who has genuine faith in the Lord God is “sure of what [he hopes] for” even though he does not “[physically] see” it (Heb. 11:1 Clarified King James Bible). If we are sure of what we hope for, we do not have any shadow of doubt, for doubt is the enemy of faith.

There are many biblical accounts of God’s servants who proved their genuine faith in Him. One of them was Abraham. “When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn’t do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples” (Rom. 4:18 The Message).

Abraham was a hundred years old, and his wife, Sarah, besides being advanced in age was also barren. Yet, he “didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said” (Rom. 4:20-21 MSG).

There are many times when people lose hope as their problems pile up. And even though they have been doing their best to alleviate their situation, things still do not seem to get any better. At times, we, too, experience the same. However, like Abraham, we must not waver in our faith. As God’s servants in these last days, there is no room for hopelessness or any reservation. When things get worse, we can expect “that God would make good on what he had said.” Indeed, God has fulfilled and will continue to fulfill His promises to us. He will help us overcome all kinds of difficult situations. We must never think negatively, but instead firmly believe that God is more than capable of helping us.

Those who belittle the importance of knowing who the true God is are committing a grave error. The absence of the true knowledge about God has been the cause of man’s present sorry state of life in this world:

“Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others.” (Rom. 1:28-31 GNB)

All the wickedness and iniquities present in the world today are the consequence of man’s refusal to keep the true knowledge about God. The world has been cursed because of such people and God has given them over to corrupted minds and left them to do evil deeds. What misfortune awaits those who have not known God and have worshiped a god other than the true one? What will God do to them?

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” (II Thess. 1:8-9 NKJV)

God will exact vengeance on those who have not known and recognized Him. He will punish them with everlasting destruction on the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. Such eternal punishment will be in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).

A reminder during difficult times
Through the guidance of the Church Administration, may we always keep our faith and remain steadfast in our services to the Lord God. Although difficulties come, let us always keep in mind that we have the Lord God Who is always ready to help us overcome them all—this we should never doubt.

Let us continue obeying Him with all devotion. Let us keep His commands in our hearts and minds and live by them. And if ever we feel weak because of all the problems that pile up, let us remind ourselves:

“… don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! … He is my help! He is my God!” (Ps. 42:11 LB)

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

Treasuring God’s words

Posted on May 3, 2022May 3, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Treasuring God’s words

Wealth and knowledge are no guarantee to a problem-free life. God knows what is best for man and so it is He who should be followed.

By NICANOR P. TIOSEN

THERE REALLY IS NO WAY we can elude problems. At every turn and bend, we are bound to meet one. Truly so for our earthly journey is never a smooth one. Ours is not a worry-free world. And we cannot afford to stop on track seeing a problem looming in the distance. We have to move forward and risk an encounter as there could be no other way out. Making a detour or backtracking, as the case may be, is not a guarantee that we won’t be meeting the same problem, or another one for that matter, elsewhere. We may even find ourselves in a tighter situation.

So when a problem comes along, no matter how trivial it may be, there is no recourse but to work out a solution. Yes, for there is no way that the problem is getting away from us unless it has been dealt with accordingly. And problems, when not solved, have a way of recurring, or haunting people, as others would put it, with even more devastating effects. So the earlier we are done with one, the better. Successfully getting through a dilemma, we can heave a sigh of relief. And with a shrug of the shoulders we could then whistle, “Whew! That was close.”

The best thing to do when you have a problem is to meet it head-on. But how? “Well, if you have money, you can buy yourself out!” says the rich. “Having a brilliant mind would be to your advantage,” says the learned. In reality, both have found themselves many times over in a fix. Many rich people, and educated ones at that, have, in fact, a hard time figuring out how they can possibly come out of a gripping situation unscathed or without any scratch. Simply stated: wealth and knowledge are no guarantee to a problem-free life. They are not the best moorings in life.

What man should understand

“The Lord says: ‘The wise should not boast of their wisdom, nor the strong of their strength, nor the rich of their wealth. If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the Lord, have spoken.’” (Jer. 9:23-24 Good News Bible)

Basing on the verse cited, man ought to recognize God as his best stronghold—a fortress—in life. Rightfully so for having created the humankind, God knows what’s best for them. Corollary to that, man should not boast of any of his accomplishments, for, “What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless” (Eccles. 2:22-23 New International Version).

Then comes the stark realization:

“You work for something with all your wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and then you have to leave it all to someone who hasn’t had to work for it. It is useless, and it isn’t right!” (Eccles. 2:21 GNB)

The root cause
But why has man fallen into a problem-filled existence? God says, “Listen, earth! As punishment for all their schemes I am bringing ruin on these people, because they have rejected my teaching and have not obeyed my words” (Jer. 6:19 GNB).

Worse, “The wicked tell God to leave them alone; they don’t want to know his will for their lives” (Job 21:14 GNB).

Not a bit remorseful, there are those who “think there is no need to serve God nor any advantage in praying to him” (Job 21:15 GNB).

There lies the cause of man’s problematic existence: he has rejected God’s words and there are those who even deny His very existence. Don’t atheists downrightly question God’s very existence? No wonder, God’s verdict is: “I am bringing ruin on these people because they have rejected my teaching and have not obeyed my words.”

But are atheists the only ones guilty of such offense? How about those who are in organized religions? Those who profess belief in God? How flawed have many become? In his second letter to Timothy, Apostle Paul made this prophetic pronouncement to his co-worker in the Church, thus:

“The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear. They will turn away from listening to the truth and give their attention to legends.” (II Tim. 4:3-4 GNB)

Wasn’t Apostle Paul sounding off a warning? People may be in organized religions, but more as a matter of convenience as they listen only to that which they are itching to hear. Aren’t there preachers who advocate so convenient a concept of salvation—that of just having faith in Christ? That Church membership is no longer necessary? That there is no need to listen to a messenger?

Whom to listen to
On the contrary, man must listen to the one whom God sends to deliver His message. The Bible attests that, “The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God’s punishment” (John 3:34-36 GNB).

Obedience to God’s commandments spells eternal life; the opposite of that is remaining under God’s punishment. And that is the gravest problem the human race is confronted with. Of course no one in his right mind would want to be punished: the desire for safety, hence, the need for salvation is but natural. But how can man be saved? Christ said:

“I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe.” (John 10:9 Revised English Bible)

To be saved, one needs Christ and must come into the fold. The fold, which is also the flock, is none other than the Church Of Christ (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation). Men therefore ought to join or enter the Church Of Christ to be saved. Having done so, they shall have met head-on and triumphed over man’s gravest problem which is the perdition of one’s soul.

Keeping the commandments of God
But does becoming a member of the Church Of Christ mean a problem-free existence? No. The world we live in is not worry-free. Nonetheless, Apostle John’s testimony of the saved is truly inspiring, thus:

“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on’.” ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” (Rev. 14:12-13 New King James Version)

Indeed, the members of the Church Of Christ—those who followed God’s commandment to listen to His Son—have everything to be grateful about. They are in a trouble-laden world all right, but not for long. Apostle John went on to say:

“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’” (Rev. 14:14-15 NKJV)

But as the end of the world is yet to come, it behooves and would augur well for servants of God to firmly hold on to His commandments, thus:

“I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.” (Job 23:12 NIV)

Like Job of old, one should be able to say with firm resolve, thus:

“My feet have closely followed his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:11, 10 NIV)

The value of God’s laws
God’s people, from olden times and in these last days, truly understand the worth of God’s laws, thus:

“The law of the Lord is perfect; it gives new strength. The commands of the Lord are trustworthy, giving wisdom to those who lack it. The laws of the Lord are right, and those who obey them are happy. The commands of the Lord are just and give understanding to the mind.” (Ps. 19:7-8 GNB)

Because of this, “God says, ‘I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord’” (Ps. 91:14 GNB).

God assures them furthermore, thus:

“When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them. I will reward them with long life; I will save them.” (Ps. 91:15-16 GNB)

On the other hand, the stubborn shall reap God’s wrath, thus:

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it happened, that just as he proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen. … But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known, …’” (Zech. 7:11-14 NKJV)

These biblical pronouncements speak for themselves and need no further elaboration.

Winning the prize
God’s faithful servants should not risk incurring God’s displeasure and wrath. Instead, they should do their best to gain His blessings—to win the prize, as what Apostle Paul terms it, thus:

“Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.” (Phil. 3:13-14 GNB)

Apostle Paul talked of a life above—one that is truly to be desired, thus:

“We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.” (Phil. 3:20-21 GNB)

Troubles notwithstanding
Salvation and eternal life are much to gain. Members of the Church Of Christ, God’s people in these last days, cannot risk losing them. Like the Apostle Paul, with much resolve they also say:

“We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed.” (II Cor. 4:8-9 GNB)

Still following the learned apostle’s example, the faithful members of the Church declare, thus, “For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever” (II Cor. 4:16-18 GNB).

Assured of God’s promise, they thus go about their daily lives treasuring His words.

This article was originally published in the Pasugo: God’s Message magazine.

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

The wonder of God’s words

Posted on April 19, 2022April 19, 2022 by pasugoeditor

The wonder of God’s words

Although many have studied the Bible, not all have come to the knowledge or understanding of the truth.

By RUBEN D. AROMIN

INDISPUTABLY THE BEST seller of all time, the Bible is the most read and most studied book in all history. It is said to have been translated, in parts and in whole, into more than 2,000 languages (Guinness World Records 2002, p. 154). With that awesome circulation, the Bible is one book that has undoubtedly affected and influenced so many lives, cultures, countries, and peoples throughout this habitable planet. And its readers, including the so-called Bible students, have viewed and regarded it in so many different ways: as a history book, as a book of customs and morals, as a mere literature of the Hebrew people, and as an “open book.” The last of which should be seriously addressed. However, to those who believe and value the Bible, this is no ordinary book. The Bible is the repository of God’s words. As such, there is more to the Bible as a book than meets the eye, and on this regard our Lord Jesus Christ enlightens us:

“…‘To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that “Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them’.” (Mark 4:11-12 New King James Version)

Concerning knowledge of God’s kingdom and all things pertaining to it, the Bible is the authority. However, according to Christ, there are those who are given understanding to know the mystery of this kingdom, and there are those who are not. To those who are outside, all things come in parables—they can see but do not perceive; they can hear but do not understand. This is so because God’s words are hidden in mystery as testified to by Apostle Paul:

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began.” (Rom. 16:25 NKJV)

He further adds:

“Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (II Tim. 3:7 NKJV)

Such is the wonder of the words of God. Although many have studied the Bible, not all have come to the knowledge or understanding of the truth, as proven by their conflicting interpretations regarding what is written therein. It goes to show that the Bible is not an “open book” as many want to believe. Not just anyone who knows how to read can understand it. And neither can such understanding be gained through diligent study alone. What would happen if those who have not been given understanding dare to preach the gospel? Apostle Paul provides us the answer:

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal. 1:6-7 NKJV)

Inasmuch as the preaching of those who do not truly understand God’s words results in a different gospel or perverted gospel, Apostle Peter forewarned the danger awaiting those who listen to and believe in such false preachers:

“This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.” (II Pet. 3:16 Good News Bible)

Thus, we should not believe a preacher simply because he uses the Bible. If he does not have the gift of understanding of God’s words, then he would only succeed in endangering the souls of his listeners.

The preaching of Christ
There is no doubt that Christ, being the greatest of God’s messengers, was given the understanding to know the mystery of God’s words. No wonder His preaching elicited awe from His listeners:

“The Jewish authorities were greatly surprised and said, ‘How does this man know so much when he has never been to school?’” (John 7:15 GNB)

The Jews marveled how Christ came to know so much when they said He had never been to school. Such was again displayed in His encounter with the Sadducees:

“When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way. The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: ‘Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living’.” (Matt. 22:22-32 NKJV)

The Sadducees thought that they could ensnare our Lord Jesus Christ through their questions but they were instead silenced by the wisdom of the Savior. The Pharisees also tried the same thing to test the Lord Jesus Christ, but only to no avail. This account was written by Matthew:

“But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets’.” (Matt. 22:34-40 NKJV)

Christ was able to answer clearly the question posed to Him by the Pharisees. And to show them how ignorant they were concerning God’s words, He in turn asked them a question which they could not answer. Matthew narrated further:

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?’ They said to Him, ‘The Son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying: “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool?’” If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his Son?’ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.” (Matt. 22:41-46 NKJV)

The preaching of the Apostles
When our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, His apostles took the cudgels of preaching the gospel to the people. Their preaching was also awe-inspiring in spite of the fact that they were perceived as unlettered. The book of Acts recorded this account:

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 NKJV)

The reason God chose many who are uneducated and unlettered as His servants, especially as instruments in preaching His words, is clarified by Apostle Paul thus:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” (I Cor. 1:26-29 New International Version)

Clearly, God had intended it to be so that no one might boast before Him. And although there were some who were educated like Apostle Paul, they didn’t use their own wisdom in convincing people to believe in their preaching:

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (I Cor. 2:4-5 NIV)

Sent and anointed by God

Christ and His apostles clearly understood God’s words and were able to preach them to the people because they were sent by God. They had the spirit of God in them. Says our Lord Jesus concerning His authority to preach:

“‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed.” (Luke 4:18 NKJV)

The same can be said of His apostles, as Christ, before He ascended into heaven, promised to send them the Holy Spirit, who would teach and guide them in their preaching:

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.” (John 14:26 GNB)

And this is also true to the messenger in these last days whom God commissioned to preach to us His words. The Bible prophesied the sending of the messenger from the rising of the sun who has the seal of God:

“And I saw another messenger going up from the rising of the sun, having a seal of the living God, and he did cry with a great voice to the four messengers, to whom it was given to injure the land and the sea, saying, ‘Do not injure the land, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we may seal the servants of our God upon their foreheads’.” (Rev. 7:2-3 Young’s Literal Translation)

The work of the prophesied messenger was to seal the servants of God. In carrying out the mission of sealing God’s servants, he was not alone—he has co-workers. It says in the prophecy, “till we may seal the servants of our God” (emphasis ours). The Church Of Christ believes that this prophecy was fulfilled in Brother Felix Y. Manalo and the ministers in the Church Of Christ. The seal is the Holy Spirit, and sealing is done by means of preaching the gospel as explained by the Apostle Paul, thus:

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Eph. 1:13-14 NIV)

Inasmuch as the messenger in these last days was given the gift of the Holy Spirit, he was able to understand and to preach to the people the gospel of salvation. The members of the Church Of Christ, being the fruits of his preaching, are certain that what has been taught to them are the words of God that will lead them to salvation. As it is, only God’s messengers can preach the pure gospel which is hidden in mystery. As the Apostle Paul asked rhetorically, “And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:15 NKJV).

Hence, any church or religious group that does not believe in the commissioning of God’s messenger has certainly not come to the knowledge of truth. And if there are those who would claim to have been taught by a messenger of God, but fail to show biblical proof of God’s commissioning, they would only end up to perdition, for they have not understood the wonder of God’s words written in the Bible.

This article was originally published in the Pasugo: God’s Message magazine, June 2013 Issue.

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

Enjoying God’s gifts

Posted on April 11, 2022April 11, 2022 by pasugoeditor

Enjoying God's gifts

From the very beginning, God manifested His desire to bring joy and happiness to the human beings He created.

By MARLEX C. CANTOR

“Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.” (Prov. 17:22 Good News Bible)

THIS BIBLICAL PASSAGE must serve as a reminder for the problematic and the burdened soul. It surely will not help if we bury ourselves in sorrow. In fact, doing so will only make matters worse as it can harm our health and shorten our life.

So, instead of having a negative view in life because of so many problems, let us cheer up and be happy. It is helpful to recount the wonderful deeds intended for all of us by the Almighty One Who gave us this life.

God’s gifts to mankind
From the very beginning, God manifested His desire to bring joy and happiness to the human beings He created. The Bible enumerates the things God created for the enjoyment of all humankind:

Food. God created earth as man’s home and filled it with all of nature’s bounty. He designed our environment in such a way that we can find food to satisfy our hunger and thus be happy:

“But he has always given evidence of his existence by the good things he does: he gives you rain from heaven and crops at the right times; he gives you food and fills your hearts with happiness.” (Acts 14:17 GNB)

Work. While He cast out the first couple out of paradise because of sin, God’s desire for man to be happy did not end. He commanded man to work for his needs, thus giving him the opportunity to savor the joy of harnessing the fruits of his labor:

“Your work will provide for your needs; you will be happy and prosperous.” (Ps. 128:2 GNB)

Friendship. Another way by which man can afford happiness is through the company of friends whom he can rely on to listen to him and give sound advice when needed. The Bible acknowledges that the pleasure we gain from such friendship is also in accordance with God’s plan:

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.” (Prov. 27:9 New International Version)

Knowledge. God made us different from the rest of the living creatures in that we possess the ability to think rationally. When this uniqueness is served through the pursuit of knowledge, pleasure can be attained:

“You will become wise, and your knowledge will give you pleasure.” (Prov. 2:10 GNB)

Marriage. Still for the happiness of the human being whom God created male and female, He established the sacred institution called marriage:

“So be happy with your wife and find your joy with the girl you married.” (Prov. 5:18 GNB)

God willed that a man and a woman find happiness in each other’s company through marriage. Together they can build their own family and have children to stand by them as they grow old. So, more than just sexual satisfaction, marriage offers emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual assurance of having a family and a caring partner for life.

With all these wonderful creations of God, we should understand that it is truly His desire and intention that we be happy. So, let us look at life with a positive outlook, considering these gifts that God has given for the happiness of the people He created.

How not to abuse happiness
However, we should be careful not to abuse the satisfaction that can be drawn from food, work, knowledge, friendship, and marriage. Inasmuch as all these gifts come from God, He tells us the proper way of using or dealing with them. Thus, we should follow the rules that He gave, which are found in the Bible. They may be summed up as follows:

1. Don’t indulge in gluttony and drunkenness.Concerning food intake, the Bible warns:

“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor.”
(Prov. 23:20–21 NIV)

Maintaining a good diet is essential to sustaining our health and to having a long life. Abusing our physical bodies by indulging in gluttony and drunkenness—with alcohol or worse, with drugs—can ruin our health, suck dry our entire fortune, and completely destroy our relationship to the people we care about and, above all, to our Creator.

2. Do not be filled with greed.It is true that hard work has its rewards, but to be filled with greed for money and for material success leads to many sorrows:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (I Tim. 6:10 New King James Version)

Because of greed, others are pushed to cheat, bribe, and betray their fellowmen, much worse their loved ones. Some become so fixed on acquiring riches that they have no more time left to worship and serve the true God. In both cases, true happiness cannot be achieved.

3. Don’t go with bad companions. Finding happiness in friends also has its limitations. Apostle Paul admonished:

“Do not be fooled. ‘Bad companions ruin good character’.”
(I Cor. 15:33 GNB)

We should be careful in choosing the people with whom we go or follow. There are companions who would take us to carry out evil deeds with them. God’s advice is that we should “not walk in the way with them” and “keep [our] feet off their path” (Prov. 1:15 NKJV).

4. Do not dishonor marriage. To be a true source of joy, marriage “should be honored by all” (Heb. 13:4 NIV). Thus, we should not make a mockery of God’s sacred union by having the wrong motives (as in the so-called “marriage of convenience”) or false notions about it, like treating marriage as something disposable and infidelity to one’s spouse permissible. God emphatically says:

“‘I hate divorce’, says the Lord God of Israel. ‘I hate it when one of you does such a cruel thing to his wife. Make sure that you do not break your promise to be faithful to your wife’.” (Mal. 2:16 GNB)

5. Don’t let knowledge mislead you.Like everything else, knowledge is also something we should be careful with. There is nothing wrong with being knowledgeable, but one should be careful not to become puffed up with pride (I Cor. 8:1 GNB) and be misled to question God’s power and deny His existence:

“You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me’. Your wisdom and knowledge mislead when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me’.” (Isa. 47:10 NIV)

Such is the mindset of the morning star or anointed cherubim who was cast out from heaven, thrown to earth, and became the devil or Satan (Ezek. 28:14; Isa. 14:12; Rev. 12:9). Hence, anyone who is similarly led astray by earthly knowledge not only misuses the gift but also makes enemies with its Giver. There is no true happiness in that.

Indeed, God made food, work, friends, knowledge, and marriage available for our delight and happiness. But we can draw meaningful joy from these things only if we acknowledge them as God’s gifts and obey His governing rules. If we abuse the pleasures derived from those gifts and go beyond the limitations set forth by God, they will cease to bring us true joy and will become a root of sorrows instead.

Seeking happiness in God
Beyond physical, material, social, emotional, and intellectual satisfaction, what we should all the more seek is the happiness of being with God:

“How precious, O God, is your constant love! We find protection under the shadow of your wings. We feast on the abundant food you provide; you let us drink from the river of your goodness. You are the source of all life, and because of your light we see the light. Continue to love those who know you and to do good to those who are righteous.” (Ps. 36:7–10 GNB)

Those who have the Almighty One on their side can be certain that they will never lack in anything they need. Incomparable, indeed, is the joy of being under His loving care and protection. It transcends all the pleasures anything else can provide.

What must we do to seek the true joy that is in God? The Bible teaches:

“Trust in the Lord and do good; live in the land and be safe. Seek your happiness in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desire. Give yourself to the Lord; trust in him, and he will help you; he will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.” (Ps. 37:4–6 GNB)

To seek happiness in God is to trust in Him. To prove that we trust in Him, we should do what is good.

That which is good is the laws or commandments of God (Rom. 7:12). One of these is His admonition taught by Christ that we enter or come into the fold or flock (John 10:9 Revised English Bible), which is the Church of Christ that He purchased or redeemed with His blood (Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation). To join “Christ’s Church” is essential to become “heirs of God” or be certain of receiving “all the blessings God promises” (Eph. 3:6 Last Days Bible).

The greatest of God’s blessings that He promised to the members of “the true Church of Christ” is the life of rejoicing that they will have in “the New Jerusalem—the heavenly city of God” (Heb. 12:22–23 The Remedy New Testament). Life there in the new heaven and new earth that God created for His people “will be happy and joyful forever” because “there will never again be heard in that city the sounds of ·crying [weeping] and ·sadness [crying]” (Isa. 65:17–19 Expanded Bible).

Let us make it a part of our search for true happiness to join the true Church Of Christ or Iglesia Ni Cristo. By becoming a member of this Church, we will find happiness in God not only in this present life but, most of all, in the everlasting life that is to come

For more articles, visit www.pasugo.com.ph

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