Our Bodies Are a Living Sacrifice

12/28/2019 12 Comments

Our body is a living sacrifice to God

In our present dispensation, can anyone still offer a sacrifice to God? How? And what should we offer?

It is very evident today that many pastors ask their members to offer money and other material things for sacrifice. So it is but sensible to find out from the Bible if those are the rightful offerings and sacrifices that a Christian is required to offer God.

There are many sacrifices that can be read in the Bible, like the sacrifice of different kinds of animals. But it must be understood that when the Lord Jesus Christ came they were all stopped.

HEBREWS 10:5-7 (KJV) says,

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body has thou prepared me:
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast no pleasure,
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth He said that God no longer wants sacrifices and offerings similar to what the Israelites had done. Remember that the Israelites sacrificed animals and offered them to God for different intentions. Those sacrifices are no longer what God requires from us because He had given the body of the Lord Jesus to be sacrificed.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came, He had something in Him which was to be sacrificed, and that was His body. His body was nailed on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. This is the reason why we do not need to sacrifice animals anymore because the ultimate sacrifice had been rendered by the Lord Jesus Christ.

HEBREWS 10:10 (KJV) says,

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

What the Lord Jesus Christ had done was a sufficient sacrifice. The offering of His body was once for all. But why do many pastors today teach people to sacrifice animals and, most especially, money? It is because it will profit them; it is because they have a great love for money.

If we want to offer sacrifices now, we have to see to it that our sacrifices are in accordance with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

ROMANS 12:1 (RSV) says,

I appeal to you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

This is the sacrifice taught to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse tells us that we can present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, which is our spiritual worship to Him. The question is, how can we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God?

ROMANS 6:13 (KJV) says,

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

To become a living sacrifice, we have to use ourselves as instruments of God’s righteousness. We need to be the instruments of God in doing good to other people. Just like what Job did.

JOB 29:15 (KJV) tells us,

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

Job used himself, his members or the parts of his body, to serve other people. He became an instrument of God’s righteousness. He became eyes to the blind and feet to the lame; meaning, he served the helpless and those in need. Job did good things to other people. In that way, he was able to sacrifice his own body as an offering of righteousness.

Therefore, in our dispensation, sacrifice is not only offering money and other material things as many pastors insist. According to the Scriptures, our body can be offered as a sacrifice to God by doing good and by showing kindness to others. AMEN!

12 Comments:

Christ's Existence Began in Eternity, Not in the Womb of Mary. Period.

12/21/2019 11 Comments

Jesus existed before he was born

When and where did the existence of the Lord Jesus Christ begin? Did His existence only begin when He was conceived by Mary, as what the Iglesia ni Cristo of Manalo believes?

This particular belief of this religious organization is expressed in an article featured in their official publication, Pasugo, which says,

Translation:
Had there been a Christ in the beginning before the establishment of this world? The answer is clear based on what the angel told Mary, that she would conceive and give birth to a son whose name would be called Jesus, Luke 1:31. From the answer given by the angel, the existence of Christ started in the womb of the Virgin Mary.


The INC of Manalo is claiming that Christ’s existence began only when Mary was told by the angel, “thou shalt conceive in thy womb” Implying that prior to Mary’s conception, there was no Christ yet that was in existence. But if you are to go over what Luke 1:31 says, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS” you will realize that the verse did not say that Christ’s existence started only in the womb of Mary.

Scientifically speaking, human life does not begin in the womb of the mother but from the loins of the father. A person’s identity starts from the bosom of his father. Although his DNA, which is the blueprint of our being, comes from both his mother and father; yet, biblically speaking, what comes from the father has a greater impact.

HEBREWS 7:9-10 (KJV) says,

9 And as I may so say, Levi also, who received tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

Spiritually and scientifically, Levi started from the loins of Abraham; he was already in the loins of Abraham 450 years before his birth. This implies that scientifically speaking, one’s DNA may come from as far as the 7th to 10th generation backward.

According to science, a living cell is formed out of the 23 chromosomes from the father and another 23 chromosomes from the mother. Actually, all the cells in our body, like the cells in our bones, in our ligaments, in our flesh, etc. have 46 chromosomes. Only the sperm cell of a man and the egg cell from a woman contain 23 chromosomes each; all the other cells have 46. But when the sperm cell and the egg cell unite, a new cell with 46 chromosomes forms. This new cell will later become a fetus, which after nine months will be born as a new human being.

The point that I am trying to drive at is, although Levi was yet to be born 450 years later, he was already in the bosom of Abraham. Meaning, the DNA that was already in Abraham would be transferred to Levi 450 years later. Proving that literally and scientifically, our beings do not really begin from the womb of our mothers. That is why it is scientifically wrong to say that Christ’s existence started only when Mary conceived Him in her womb. And it is also very wrong, spiritually speaking. Why? Because Christ’s existence did not start here on Earth!

HEBREWS 10:5 (KJV) says,

Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

The verse is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. “when he cometh into the world” means that He did not originate from this world. But when He came into this world, a body had been prepared for Him. What body was that? It was the body that was conceived by Mary. That was the body that started from Mary – the physical body of Christ.

JOHN 1:14 (KJV) says,

And the Word was made flesh...

If Christ did not begin from this world, where then?

MICAH 5:2 (KJV) says,

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

According to the prophecy of Micah, from Bethlehem shall come forth He who would rule Israel, and this ruler came from everlasting, where the Father begot Him.

PSALM 2:7 (KJV) says,

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

The Father begot Christ, and it is one biblical fact that some people refuse to believe. But that is the truth. The Father had begotten His Son even before the creation of the world.

JOHN 3:6 (KJV) says,

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

He that is born of the flesh is flesh; and he that is born of the Spirit is spirit. So the spirit can give birth.

HEBREWS 12:9 (KJV) says,

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

God the Father is a spirit; He is also called, “the Father of Spirits.” In essence, God is called the Father of spirits because He had begotten His Son as a spirit being and have created spirit beings like angels!

JOHN 4:24 (KJV) says,

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

So that we won’t get confused, we always have to remember that there are two things that are in Christ: first, the Spirit that was begotten by the Father; and second, the flesh that was born of Mary. He that came into this world was the Son of God whom the Father had begotten, spiritually, in everlasting. And when the Son of God came into this world, He dwelled in the body of the son that was born of Mary.

What the INC of Manalo conceals from its members is the biblical truth that the Father has a Son whom He Himself had begotten.

HEBREWS 1:4-6 (KJV) says,

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

The first begotten of the Father is Christ, and He was only brought into this world. He did not originate here because He came from everlasting.

Now, where was Christ before He was begotten or brought forth by the Father?

JOHN 1:18 (KJV) says,

No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

Christ came from the bosom of the Father and He is the only begotten of the Father.

The New American Standard Bible has a better rendition of JOHN 1:18 as it is in conformity with the Greek Bible. It says,

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

In the original Greek scriptures, it says “the only begotten God.”

IΩANNHN 1:18 (Greek Wescott-Hort Transliterated):

Theon oudeis eoraken popote monogenes theos o on eis ton kolpon tou patros ekeinos exegesato.

“MONOGENES THEOS” = Begotten God

Christ was in the bosom of the Father. He was part of the Being of the Father in eternity. However, time came that the Father had to bring Him forth.

JOHN 17:5, 24 (KJV) says,

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

Before the creation of the world, Christ had already received and enjoyed the glory which came from the Father. What was that? It was the glory of being the Son of God. “Thou art my son,” the Father told Him, because He was the one who gave birth to Christ; He begot Him.

What others are skeptical about is the Father’s capability to bring forth a son simply because He is a male.

Actually, a male’s capability to give birth is both literally and spiritually possible.

Literally, a male can give birth.


It is the male seahorse that becomes pregnant and gives birth.

If a male’s capability to give birth is literally possible, all the more it is possible spiritually. God is Almighty, and because He is an Almighty God, I don’t think it would be difficult for Him to bring forth or to beget a Son.

PSALM 94:9 (KJV) says,

He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

Human beings are capable of seeing and hearing. These capabilities have made mankind discover the principles that govern our visual and auditory senses, which we later applied when we invented the camera, an eye that captures images, and the microphone, an ear that listens and says aloud what it hears.

If we humans, despite our limitations, are able to come up with wonderful inventions such as the camera and the microphone, how much more the Almighty God! “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?” Along those lines, could we not also ask, “He that created the womb, shall he not be able to bring forth a child?” Of course that is very possible with God.

The existence of the Lord Jesus Christ began in eternity with the Father. In fact, they were together during the creation of the world.

PROVERBS 30:4 (KJV) says,

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

The Father and His Son were the ones who created everything, including man. When the first man was created, Genesis 1:26 says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...” The pronouns “us” and “our” imply that the Father was talking with another Being who was with Him, and that was His Son whom He had begotten in everlasting.

What the INC of Manalo can’t accept is the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. For them, there is only one God, and that is the Father. I do not disagree that there is one God, but we have to clarify who is that one God in the Bible. The Hebrew word that was used is Elohim, which the plural form of the singular noun Eloah, which means God. Therefore, Elohim means Gods. Elohim said, “Let us make man in our image.”

There is but one Elohim, but embodied in that one Elohim is not only the Father. Just like a music band. Although we consider a music band as one, yet it is composed of several musicians. It may comprise a keyboard player, a guitarist, a drummer, a violin player, a trumpet player, etc., but we call it a band. The same with family, which is also a singular noun, but in a family, there is the father, the mother, the children, and the grandparents.

What am I trying to say? The one God that the Bible mentions came from the Hebrew word Elohim, which denotes plurality. Meaning to say, it is not limited to the Father. Within the Elohim are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I am very certain that this is something which the ministers of the INC of Manalo will never teach their members. And neither will they read to them JOHN 1:18 in the original Greek version which referred to Christ as “Monogenes Theos” or “the only begotten God” because it will shatter their over-a-century-old doctrine that Christ is just a man whose existence began when Mary conceived Him in her womb.

However, the verses that I have cited are more than enough to prove that Christ’s existence did not begin in the womb of Mary because prior to her conception, He had already existed with the Father in eternity; He was with the Father throughout the process of creation; and He is a divine Being — the Bible calls Him “the only begotten God” or “Monogenes Theos.” AMEN!

11 Comments:

How Religions That Abuse the Bible Cause Misery to People

12/14/2019 12 Comments

Proofs that the Bible is Reliable and Truthful

One of the reasons why some people doubt the reliability and authority of the Bible as a source of the truth is the fact that many religions today, despite their claim that the Bible is the foundation of their faith, differ in their teachings, practices and beliefs. That is, they do not seem to have a common faith and they do not share a common set of teachings and doctrines.

To be frank, not all religions claiming that the Bible is the foundation of their faith are telling the truth. Most of them do not use the Bible as the basis of their faith instead they cleave and adhere more to dogmas which are never taught by the Bible, just like what the Catholic Church does.

The Catholic Church had invented so many dogmas which are without any biblical basis, and yet they are accepted and followed without question by Catholics. For example, they believe that Mary was sinless and immaculate, although the Bible never mentioned that Mary did not commit any sin at all. They also believe that when she died, even her physical body was brought to heaven. However, that is not biblical; it is even against the Bible.


Translation:
Catholic Life page 63
Nihil Obstat: Artemio G. Casas
Imprimatur: Rufino J. Santos
 
God wanted (or desired) that the mother of His Son have (or attain) perfect holiness. So as soon as Mary was conceived, God set her apart not to have inherited or original sin. This is what we call Immaculate Conception that was approved and declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854 as one of the dogmas of the Catholic faith.


Translation:
Catholic Life page 63
Nihil Obstat: Artemio G. Casas, Pbro.; Imprimatur: Rufino J. Santos, D.D.
Written by Gerard Linssen C.I.C.M., S.T.D.

When St. Mary died, she was brought up into heaven, soul and body. God did not allow the most holy body of Mary (whom He used for the human form of Jesus) to rot. The most awaited glory of the saints in the resurrection was given to the holy Mother of God at the very instance of her death. After she partook in her Son's suffering and death, she was given a special blessing to be immediately with Him in His resurrection and glory.

Disharmony due to doctrinal differences among many religions today is a manifestation of their lack of understanding of what the Bible says. If they were really of God, and if their respective faiths were all founded on the Bible, as they claim, such disagreements and differences would not exist. That only proves that the Bible is not really the foundation of their faith, but something else.

ACTS 4:11 (KJV) says,

This is the stone which was set at nought of the builders, which is become the head of the corner.

The foundation of the Christian faith is Christ. Christ is the chief cornerstone of the Christian faith. Christians must not have any other foundation but Christ. Many religions today have doctrinal issues because Christ is not the foundation of their faith, and neither do they regard the Bible as an authority of the truth. Instead, their faith is founded more on the beliefs and speculations of men, and on dogmas invented by men.

Indeed, the Bible is a credible and reliable source of the truth. Archeology, history, science, and many other fields of study, have proven that the Bible is an authority of the truth, be it spiritual, scientific, or historical. Let me cite an example to prove my point.

In the past, people used to believe that the earth is flat. Actually, until now, there are still some who believe that the earth is flat and not round. These people call themselves “flat earthers.” To prove to them that the earth is round, an experiment was conducted. They let a boat with a multi-colored banner sail toward the horizon. As it sailed farther, they saw how the boat gradually disappeared, until it finally vanished from their sight, proving that the earth is not flat. Because if the earth were flat, even if the boat had sailed very far, there would still be a faint and minute trace of it. But why did it disappear? It is because the earth has a curvature. If you will watch the live feed of the International Space Station, you will see the curvature of the earth.


Although the International Space Station is unable to capture the full image of the earth because of the instrument’s proximity to the planet, Apollo 11, which was launched by the USA to the moon in the late 60s, was able to take the first full- view photo of the earth. And that photo proved that the earth is round.


But even before the USA did it, Russia had already taken a photo of the earth as seen from a Russian Molniya satellite in 1966. The photograph likewise showed that the earth is spherical.


I would say that such a discovery was quite late already because more than 2,700 years ago, the Book of Isaiah had already hinted that the earth is round. The book of Isaiah was written in 723 B.C., and now it’s already 2,000 years after Christ. Adding 723 to 2019 would give us the number of years since the Book of Isaiah was written; it has been more than 2,700 years ago.

What did Isaiah write about the earth more than 2,700 years ago?

ISAIAH 40:22 (KJV) says,

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth . . .

If the earth has a circle then it is not flat. It is just like the moon and the other heavenly bodies, except for meteors and meteorites. You will notice that almost all heavenly bodies are round. Implying that during their formation, there was an equal pressure all around. Try observing the bubbles that children play with. All bubbles are round because of the equal pressure around them. The universe is like that. There is an equal pressure in almost all heavenly bodies that is why most of them are round. The truth that the earth is round had been recorded in the Bible long before science discovered it, proving that the Bible is an authority of the truth.

When it comes to history, the Bible is even more reliable and more complete than any other history book. Why did I say so? In the history of the Assyrian Empire, it did not mention that Assyria once had a king by the name of Sargon. It was not recorded in their official documents but it was recorded in the Bible, specifically in ISAIAH 20:1 (KJV) which says,

In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;

The Bible mentions of an Assyrian king, Sargon. The Assyrians never knew him because his name was never mentioned in their history books. This is one reason why some Assyrian historians tried to discredit the Bible; they accused the Bible of speaking falsehood for mentioning a certain King Sargon whom they knew not.

Actually, the absence of the name of King Sargon in the history of Assyria is not enough reason to question the credibility of the Bible, because even Moses, a prominent biblical figure, was neither mentioned in the history of Egypt. And it is apparent that the Egyptian historians deliberately did not mention Moses and the Israelites in the history of Egypt, despite the fact that they enslaved the latter for more than 400 years, because doing so would put Egypt and the Egyptians in a very disgraceful and embarrassing situation. Remember that the Egyptians were defeated by the Israelites because God was on the side of the Israelites. The entire kingdom of Egypt was devastated by the curses of God. So, to spare themselves from shame and ridicule, they opted to discard the name of Moses in their historical records.

We can say that the historical documents of both Assyria and Egypt are incomplete and inaccurate because they scrapped out from their accounts the names of King Sargon and Moses, respectively. But the Bible, as a book of history, is complete and accurate.

In fact, physical evidence that proves that there was indeed an Assyrian king by the name of Sargon had been found. In 1842, a limestone relief, wherein the name and image of King Sargon were inscribed, had been discovered by French archeologist Paul-Émile Botta. The discovery of this artifact further proves that the Bible really speaks of the truth.


Another scientific truth that the Bible had spoken about 2,800 years ago concerns with what science calls “black holes.” A black hole is a spot in space where a giant star had exploded. Before science learned about it, the Bible had already foretold that there are things in heaven, like the stars, that shall wax old and perish. Even the processes of the universe like the explosion of stars (red giant) from which new stars would be formed, and the collision of galaxies from which new galaxies would also be formed, were already written in the Bible long before they were discovered by science. (Psalms 102:26)


What I have cited are but a few of the so many proofs of the Bible’s truthfulness and reliability. Without a doubt, the Bible is the foundation and source of all truths, be they physical, scientific, or spiritual.

12 Comments:

No More House of Prayer, Only a House That Prays

12/07/2019 7 Comments

The House of Prayer in the Bible

Why do we no longer have a house of prayer today? It is a question that came from a diligent seeker of biblical truth and it is apparent that his question is premised on MATTHEW 21:13 (KJV) which says,

And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

To understand this, please take note of what the Lord Jesus Christ said, “It is written”. Therefore, Christ was quoting the part of the Scriptures where it was written.

In ISAIAH 56:7 (KJV), it says,

Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

The Lord’s house shall be a house of prayer. This particular pronouncement of God is also recorded in the book of Chronicles and in 1 Kings. Jeremiah, a prophet unto nations, likewise prophesied that there would really be people who would turn God’s house of prayer into a den of robbers or thieves.

JEREMIAH 7:11 (KJV) says,

Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.

So, even before it was said by the Lord Jesus Christ, it had already been prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah.

When Christ said, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (MATTHEW 21:13), He was quoting the Scriptures. It did not originally come from Him. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to preach the word of the Father. That is why there are pronouncements of the Father in the Old Testament that were repeated by the Lord Jesus Christ.

JOHN 12:49-50 (KJV) says,

49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

We can be sure that whatsoever the Lord Jesus Christ had spoken they were the very words of the Father because He had been commanded to speak exactly what the Father told Him.

Christ said that they had made God’s house, which is a house of prayer, a den of thieves because it had become a business place for money changers and sellers of doves, lambs, etc. Remember doves and lambs were what the Jews offered in the altar then, so those businessmen during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ made those items easily accessible for them, hence, the house of prayer of God had become a den of thieves.

Now, why is there no house of prayer anymore? This question has to be dealt with a little touch of history and a little touch of spirituality.

During the time of the Lord Jesus Christ, more or less year 40 A.D. . . . Why did I say 40 A.D? It is because our present calendar, the Roman calendar, is erroneous; it is short of about 5 or 6 years. The Roman calendar tells us that this is the year 2019 when it should be 2025 or 2024 already.

IN WHAT YEAR WAS CHRIST ACTUALLY BORN?  
ZENIT International News Agency

When Dionysius Exiguus computed the date of Christ’s birth in the Middle Ages, he named the year of the Nativity 1 A.D., and stated that Jesus’ birth date was December 25 of that year. The year immediately before this was the year 1 B.C. Whether from mathematical ignorance or design, he did not include a year zero.

To complicate matters further, it seems that Dionysius made an error in his calculations. Herod the Great, who the Bible says was alive at the time of Christ’s birth, died in the year 4 B.C. based on the reports of Josephus. According to the Gospel of Matthew, when Herod was unable to trick the astrologers into leading him to the Child, he ordered the slaughter of all male babies in Bethlehem. Since Herod’s command (which is not attested outside the Gospels, but is consistent with his historical character) was to kill all babies under age 2, this event occurred no more than 2 years after Christ’s birth. If we assume that this happened near the end of Herod’s life (which seems likely), this puts Christ’s birth in the year 5 or 6 B.C.

The reality is, Christ was not born in 1 B.C. as what the historians are trying to make us believe. The article cited above has put the birth of Christ in 6 B.C considering the fact that, to arrive at A.D., we have to count 10 B.C., 9 B.C., 8 B.C., 7 B.C., 6 B.C., 5 B.C., 4 B.C., 3 B.C., 2 B.C., 1 B.C., 0 B.C., and then 1 A.D., and so on. Therefore, our calendar now is short of more or less 6 years.

If we are going to use the calendar that we have now (which lacks almost 6 years), when the Lord Jesus Christ was there in Jerusalem, according to the estimate of the Catholics, he was 33 years old. It was then that He told the apostles that the temple, or the house of prayer, would be destroyed. If He was 33 years old that time, and if we are going to add the 6 lacking years, it must be something like 39 or less than 40 A.D. then.

What He told the apostles was actually a prophetic pronouncement of the would-be total destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. There are facts that will prove that the war in Jerusalem caused by the Roman army, which destroyed the temple, happened in 70 A.D.

From The Arch of Titus in Rome . . .


The Arch of Titus is a first century honorific arch located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in 82 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his brother Titus to commemorate Titus’ victories, including the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

That memorial arch, called the Arch of Titus, in Via Sacra, Rome confirms that there was really a war in Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

In MATTHEW 24:1-2 (KJV) this is what the Lord Jesus Christ said,

1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Christ had foretold to the apostles the destruction of the temple, or the house of prayer.

To answer the question, why is there no house of prayer anymore now? Physically, we do not have the temple anymore because it had been destroyed during the war. What is left is the wail of the wall of Jerusalem now called The Wailing Wall. It is where members of Judaism pray. The original temple is not there anymore; it had been replaced by other temples. In Jerusalem there is a Catholic edifice, and there is the Dome of the Rock that belong to the Muslims. There is also a particular portion there where the Muslims, the Jews, and the Christians are always in contention; there is always a fight there.

The house of prayer, or the temple in Jerusalem, which was originally built by Solomon, had been destroyed during the 70 A.D. war caused by the Roman Empire. Its destruction had been foretold by the Lord Jesus Christ 30 years before it happened; and it had also been prophesied by the prophet Daniel.

DANIEL 9:2 (KJV) says,

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

The prophet Daniel prophesied that there would be desolation in Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ likewise foretold of an abomination of desolation that would happen in Jerusalem.

MATTHEW 24:15 (KJV) says,

When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

We all know that the holy place being referred to is the temple. The Lord Jesus Christ had predicted its destruction, citing what the prophet Daniel had spoken. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ made reference to the prophet Daniel who, on his part, also made reference to the prophet Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah provided more information about the desolation that was to befall Jerusalem.

JEREMIAH 4:11-13 (KJV) says,

11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.

The “wind” that Jeremiah mentioned does not refer to the literal wind because the literal wind, especially if it is strong, actually fans and cleanses. The literal wind has a cooling effect and it is capable of removing dirt. Yet, the “wind” that he mentioned does the opposite: it is not to fan, but to bring heat; and it is not to cleanse, but to bring filth.

What is that “wind”? Definitely, this is not an ordinary wind because it has chariots. The “wind” referred to something bad that was bound to happen in Jerusalem.

JEREMIAH 4:19 (KJV) says,

My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

Very clearly, the “wind” signified the war that would happen in Jerusalem. Indeed, this war happened and it caused the destruction of Jerusalem. The temple, which is called the house of prayer, was totally destroyed that not a stone was left above another stone. But now, that temple or house of prayer had been replaced by temples of different religions which are all anti-Christ.

However, there is another “house” that God teaches in the Bible, a house that is symbolic of the Church.

1 TIMOTHY 3:15 (KJV) says,

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Now we have a “house” that is meant to last forever; a house that is indestructible as it was built by no less than the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (MATTHEW 16:18) No power in this world could ever destroy the church, or the house of God.

The spiritual house that we have now on earth is the Church of God whose tenets, rules, laws are completely recorded in the Bible. The Church is the house of God that is meant to exist forever.

EPHESIANS 3:10-11 (KJV) says,

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

It is the Church that God tasked to teach the manifold wisdom of God according to the eternal purpose. The Church that the Lord Jesus Christ built in the first century of our era is an entity that God has destined to be eternal. It will never be destroyed anymore.

The first house of God in Jerusalem was a house of prayer; it had been destroyed; it is gone. Now we have another house which is eternal, the Church, or the house of God. That is why it is no longer fitting to call it a house of prayer; it now fits to be called a house that prays.

HEBREWS 3:6 (KJV) says,

But Christ as son over his own house; whose house are we, . . .

To understand this better, let us go over HEBREWS 10:21 (KJV). It says,

And having an high priest over the house of God;

We have a high priest over the house of God, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. HEBREWS 3:1 (KJV) says,

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Christ is the high priest in the house of God, which is the Church of God. The house is the Church itself. It is not an edifice; it is not a structure made of concrete, brick, steel, etc.

The Church is the house of God now. I agree that the house of God in Jerusalem is called the house of prayer. But it does not stand anymore; it had been destroyed 2000 years ago. But there is a house that will never be destroyed; it is the house of God, which is the Church of God.

The first century Christians said, “Christ as son over His own house; whose house are we.” (HEBREWS 3:6) If we, in the Church of God, are the house of God, then the Church of God should not be called a house of prayer. Instead, it must be rightfully called a house that prays.

Praise be to God!

7 Comments:

Felix Manalo: The Last, the Late, or the Lost Messenger?

11/30/2019 20 Comments


One of the deceptive doctrines that the Iglesia ni Cristo of Manalo teaches their members, and even unsuspecting non-members, is that Felix Manalo is the last messenger in the last day. This particular claim was even published in their official magazine, Pasugo.

With frankness, I say that such is a big lie! Why? Because Christ is the end; He is the first and He is also the last. He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega.”

It is Christ that God will send to get His servants who will be saved. That is written in the Bible — He is going to send Christ. If Felix Manalo is the last messenger, what is Christ’s work then?

Actually, the work of Christ isn’t over yet.

JOHN 4:32 (KJV) says,

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

What is the food or meat that He was referring to?

JOHN 4:34 (KJV) says,

Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

His food is to do the will of the Father who has sent Him and to finish His work. His work is not yet finished. In fact, the work will still be in progress during the reign of Christ in the thousand-year period, wherein during that time, the last enemy He shall destroy is death.

He will be sent by God on earth to get His servants who will be saved. They will rule for a thousand years and afterward, He will bring them to the kingdom of heaven. So the work of Christ is not done yet.

The phrase “last messenger in the last day,” which they ascribed to Felix Manalo, has been wrongly used by the Iglesia ni Cristo. In the January 1976 issue of the Pasugo magazine of the INC of Manalo, this is what they’ve said:



“Brother Manalo is the true messenger of God in this last day. He has an election from God through the prophecy.”

In another Pasugo magazine, Lesson number 8 of the primary doctrines believed by the INC written by Eraño Manalo, it said:


“Brother Felix Manalo: Messenger of God on the Last Day”

That is very wrong!

JOHN 6:44 (KJV) says,

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Bear in mind that “the last day” is different from “the last days.” In the Bible, the “last day” is already the resurrection of the dead. So how can it happen that Manalo is the last messenger in the last day when the last day is already the resurrection of the dead? And since it is already the resurrection of the dead, to whom will Felix Manalo be sent? His being sent would be too late!

What the Bible tells us is that the Father will send Christ on earth to get His servants that would be saved and they will rule on earth for a thousand years. It is apparent that for the Church of Manalo, the one thousand-year reign of Christ and the saints on earth will not occur. Or perhaps, they are really ignorant of this biblical fact. That is why when they heard me say that Christ will rule on earth in the millennium, they spoke of me in their television broadcast with mockery and sarcasm.


Michael Sandoval: “I hope the members of the Old Path won’t get offended. I hope you did not fall from your seats when Soriano said that ‘the rule of Christ is here on earth.’ . . . How can that happen when this earth will be burned?”

When Christ comes, the earth will not be burned yet! Only after the millennium that the earth will be burned, but while the millennium is not yet over this earth remains. This earth will still be here.

The belief of the INC is that when Christ comes, it is already the end. But for us, the coming of Christ is not yet the end. It marks the first resurrection and the commencement of His one thousand-year reign. Those who will be resurrected when Christ comes will rule for a thousand years here on earth. Therefore this earth will still remain.

REVELATION 20:4 (KJV) says,

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

What will happen after the one thousand year-reign?

REVELATION 20:7-8 (KJV) says,

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

After the millennium, Satan will be loosed from prison. It must be understood that during that one thousand-year period, Satan is in prison.

REVELATION 20:1-3 (KJV) says,

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Satan will be cast into the bottomless pit where he will be shut up, and a seal will also be set upon him. But after the one thousand-year period, he will be freed.

What I am trying to point out is that the earth will continue to exist within the one thousand-year reign of Christ as well as those whom He will resurrect in the first resurrection.

REVELATION 5:8-10 (KJV) says,

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

This is contrary to the belief of the INC minister, Michael Sandoval, that when Christ shall come, this earth will already be burned. No, that is not true!

To further prove that this earth will remain, the Bible tells us that when Christ will come, one will be taken and the other will be left, as it is written in Matthew 24:40-41 (KJV).

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

When the time that Christ will come to take His saints, some will be left. So, the earth will continue to exist because some will be left here.

Actually, one of the most wonderful things that is going to happen on earth during the one thousand-year period is the preaching of the Gospel in all nations, freely. Nowadays, we still cannot preach the Gospel to the whole world. There are nations where you cannot preach the Bible, otherwise you will be killed. here are also places on earth wherein Christ is not being acknowledged. But when the millennium begins, nothing can hinder the preaching of the Gospel to the whole world anymore. Come the one thousand-year period, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14, KJV) That will be the end of the thousand-year period; the end of the world.

So the destruction of the earth will happen only after the millennium, not during the coming of Christ, as what is believed by INC ministers.

Very clearly, the belief that the earth will already be burned when Christ comes is just one of the many erroneous teachings of the INC of Manalo.

In addition, they also teach their members lies — one of which concerns the actual year when their organization really started. They were claiming that the INC of Manalo started on July 27, 1914, but in truth, their organization really started in 1913, and I have the documents to prove it.

I have a copy of an invitation which states that they were already celebrating their fifth anniversary during that year, the year 1918.


Church of Christ
Manila, December 1918
 
Life and peace.
 
Gentlemen, we respectfully invite your honor to the celebration of the thanksgiving for the FIFTH YEAR of existence of the “IGLESIA NI KRISTO” in the Philippines and the LAYING ON OF HANDS on Brother Felix Manalo as pastor and minister of the church. It will be held on Sine “Gloria”, number 1649 Sande Street, Tondo (Manila) on the 25th of December of this year at eight in the morning.
 
We are hoping that your honor will grace our celebration on the said date and hour.
 
Respectfully,
Ustino Casanova
Teodoro Santiago
Federico Inocencio

Who would lay hands on Felix Manalo? From the same pamphlet, it said:


“The laying on of hands on Brother Felix Manalo will be done by bishops and pastors of different churches in the island and these are Alejandro Reyes, Victoriano Mariano, Gil Domingo, Guillermo Zarco, Nicolás Fajardo, Emiliano Quijano and Roque Bautista.”

The laying on of hands was performed by bishops and pastors from different churches. What does the laying on of hands mean? It means the giving of authority. Therefore, the ones who gave Felix Manalo authority were the bishops and pastors from different churches.

So, how can Felix Manalo be a messenger of God when the ones who laid hands on him were bishops and pastors whom he himself later referred to as ministers of the devil? In fact, Manalo even admonished his members to reject such priests and pastors because they were of the devil or Satan.

In the August 1961 issue of their Pasugo, page 39, Manalo said,


“At the end of this publication we should reject Catholic priests and Protestant pastors for they are ministers of Satan.”

It shows Manalo’s lack of gratitude to those pastors who laid hands on him. After laying hands on him, after receiving authority from them, Manalo wanted his members to reject Catholic priests and Protestant pastors because they are of Satan.

But the thing that I want you to take note of is the laying on of hands to Manalo, which happened in 1918 and took place in the celebration of their fifth anniversary. Hence, simple arithmetic will prove that the INC actually started in 1913, and not 1914.

Another document said:


“Felix Manalo began fulfilling the prophecy for God about his last messenger who will emerge in the far east at the time called ‘ends of the earth.’ He first introduced the church to the workers of Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company. The first fruits of his were baptized at the Pasig River in late 1913.”

How could he have possibly baptized his first converts in 1913 if they started to exist only in 1914? If it is true that the INC started in 1914, how come the first fruits of Manalo’s preaching were baptized in 1913? Nonsense! To claim that their organization, Iglesia ni Cristo of Manalo, started to exist in 1914 is another big lie!

Aside from that, the ministers of the INC of Manalo are also making their members believe that the spirit of God dwells in their chapels or houses of worship.


Caption of the photo says, “We are summoned by the Lord God to serve Him in the Body or the Church of Christ. We have to worship Him in the house where His Spirit dwells, like the modern house of worship pictured above.”

Again, that is not true! That is against what the Apostle Paul said. Saint Paul said that God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Acts 17:24). Instead, God dwells in the heart of man.

The Apostle Paul told the brethren, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, KJV) He did not say, “Don’t you know that we have a temple in Diliman and the Spirit of God dwells there?” NO! To say that the Spirit of God dwells in their chapel is against the Bible!

Perhaps I am the only preacher who has pieces of evidence of the INC’s lies and contradicting teachings. I have newspaper clippings which were collected by Bro. Nicolas Perez, and they were later entrusted to me; and I also have copies of their Pasugo magazine from 1939. I use all these references to expose their unbiblical doctrines to enlighten the minds of people so that they will not be deceived anymore. That is why they are very angry with me and they are using their resources and connections not only to discredit me, but to silence me as well.

But my battle is not a carnal battle. My battle is to uphold the truth that the Bible teaches. And with God’s help, I am willing to fight this battle until the end.

20 Comments:

Why Did Some People Live Long and Peacefully?

11/23/2019 , 9 Comments

Why God permits early death

Today, we live in an era where we can say that the wickedness of man has escalated to a certain level never imagined before. This being the case, an ordinary person sometimes asks why God still allows evildoers to live much longer. Why doesn’t He just annihilate them, or wipe them out of the face of the Earth? And instead of them, why not let the righteous ones thrive and enjoy long and peaceful lives?

If we are going to refer to the Bible, Psalm 90:10 (KJV) mentions the possible lifespan of a person. It says,

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

A person may possibly live until he is seventy or eighty years old, depending on his bodily strength.

But aside from physical strength, another contributory factor to a person’s having a long life is his fear in God.

As written in Proverbs 10:27 (KJV),

The fear of the LORD prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Therefore, God may prolong the life of a person if he is God-fearing.

However, this is not always the case. Not all who enjoy long lives are God-fearing people. There are also cases wherein God lets the wicked live longer because He is giving them chances to repent and to change so that they’ll also have a chance to salvation. God doesn’t take away their lives just yet despite their wickedness because He wants them to come to repentance.

Now, if there are wicked people who live long, there are also upright and righteous people who die young. In the Bible, there are righteous people who died early like John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ, who both died before reaching the age of thirty-four; the same goes for the Apostle James, who also died young.

But aside from these biblical personalities, we are also aware of stories of innocent babes who die in the wombs of their mothers; others die during infancy due to congenital diseases, or sometimes due to the negligence and cruelty of other people.

The question that many ask is, why does God permit the early death of the righteous and the innocent?

Isaiah 57:1 (KJV) says,

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

There are times when God takes away the life of a good or righteous person quite early in order to spare him from the evil that is to come later on. Apparently, this is God’s gesture of compassion and mercy to him as He doesn’t want him to be affected or to be corrupted by the evil that is about to come.

On the other hand, God extends or prolongs the lives of those who are disobedient to Him because He is giving them chances to repent and change, which is also a gesture of His love and mercy toward them.

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) says,

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

God doesn’t want anyone to perish, that is why He gives the wicked chances to come to repentance for them to be saved.

We always have to remember that God is love; He is just and merciful. Should He take away the life of a righteous person early, or should He prolong the life of a wicked person, we can be sure that there is a valid reason behind it. And it is not for us to question His discretion. But we can be certain that whatever His decision is, it is always prompted by justice, love, and mercy.

9 Comments:

Children Should be Grateful to Their Parents

Dealing with ungrateful children the Christian way

Why are some children unappreciative of the sacrifices being made by their parents? Why is it that many of them do not even have a sense of gratitude?

Having unappreciative and ungrateful children is something that makes parents think that they are a failure in what they have done, and what they do, are still not enough.

In life, there are certain realities that we have to accept. First, you cannot really please everybody, and second, not everybody has a sense of gratitude.

We have to accept the fact that while there are people who acknowledge and give importance to every favor and good deed done unto them, there are also those who never show thankfulness and appreciation at all — even if you give them everything that you have. Why? It is either they are not yet satisfied with what you have done and given them, or they are simply ungrateful.

One Filipino song goes, “Kahit konting pagtingin kung manggagaling sa‘yo ay labis ko nang ligaya dahil sa ikaw ay mahal ko.” [Even a little love that will come from you will give me immense joy because I love you.]

For somebody who loves, even a small amount of love coming from his loved one is enough to make him or her happy. That small amount of love is very much appreciated. Similarly, for parents who deeply love their children, a simple gesture of appreciation for that love, coming from the children, is enough to brighten up their day, because that simple gesture of appreciation manifests that they also love them.

If both love and kindness are given to somebody who loves you, surely that person would be appreciative. And surely, too, that person will reciprocate, meaning, you will be loved back, and your kindness will be valued.

So, if your children love you they will not take for granted each act of kindness, big or small, as well as your every gesture of love. Instead, they will always be thankful and grateful to you. And they will give you love and show you kindness in return.

But if your children do not reciprocate the love that you give them, if they do not show you gratefulness and appreciation for all the good things that you have done to them, it only means that they do not love you.

It is a sad reality but there are really people who are inherently unthankful.

LUKE 6:35 (KJV) says,

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

Thankfulness is a manifestation of gratefulness. Hence, to be unthankful is to be ungrateful, and you can never please people of this kind.

However, God commanded us to be thankful.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 (KJV) says,

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

It is very important that we show gratitude even for the smallest acts of kindness rendered unto us. If you have a sense of gratitude, if you have love for others, especially to your parents, you will never fail to acknowledge their good deeds and sacrifices.

To hear a mother lament for her child’s ungratefulness is something that really pricks my heart because I know how much a mother sacrifices for her child.

Since my childhood, I have been suffering from asthma. I remember whenever I had asthma attacks my mother would do everything to ease my suffering. She would run her hands on my back as I gasped for breath; and she was always by my side, watching over me. I would forever be grateful to her for her love and sacrifices.

That is why I pity mothers whose children do not show them any gratitude. It implies that their children do not love them enough.

I also have children and grandchildren so I know the joy it brings a parent if his good deeds are being appreciated. Every parent wants to give everything that his beloved son or daughter desires, to the point that sometimes, in order to buy it, he has to make certain sacrifices like setting aside his personal needs. Sometimes, even if he craves a particular food he wouldn’t buy it because he is saving the money for the thing that his child wants.

Sadly, some children do not realize the sacrifices that their parents have to make, their mothers especially, just to make them happy.

It is, indeed, very disappointing to see children who seem to have forgotten and are taking for granted their mothers’ hardships in raising them. They do not acknowledge their mothers’ sleepless nights, monitoring their condition, whenever they were sick and the nights that their mothers had to wake up even during the wee hours just to feed them when they were still babies. And most especially the travails that mothers went through during their pregnancy up to the day they gave birth to their children, where throughout that period their lives were in peril.

And what is very disheartening is that when they grow up, they even become disrespectful.

If you happen to be one of these children who hardly show love and gratitude to their parents, I advise you to change. Love your parents while you still have the opportunity. Do not wait for the time that you would be showering them with love but they are no longer capable of feeling it. Now is the right time to make them feel how important they are to you.

But children of this kind are not a hopeless case yet. There is still a great chance that they will change for the better. From being disrespectful, disobedient, ungrateful, selfish, and uncaring, they may still become respectful, obedient, grateful, and loving children. How? If only their parents will introduce them to the word of God and the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ at the earliest possible time. The word of God can work wonders; it can easily mold and refine the character of children.

By listening to the teachings of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, with God’s help, these children would realize their great indebtedness to their parents as well as the rightful way of treating them. They will develop a sense of gratitude and they will become more appreciative of their parents’ sacrifices.

And most of all, they will become grateful and thankful not only to their parents but also to God.

19 Comments:

Sign of the Cross: A Catholic Practice Without Biblical Basis

11/08/2019 16 Comments

Is The Catholic Sign of The Cross Biblical

The members of the Catholic Church are distinguished from the members of other religious denominations by their adherence not only to idol worship but also to certain rituals and practices which they, themselves, do not have a clear understanding of. One example of this is the sign of the cross.

Why do Catholics make the sign of the cross? What is the sign of the cross all about?

First of all, let me make it clear that making the sign of the cross is not a commandment of God. Catholics should not even be doing it because it is wrong.

According to the book on the catechism of the Catholic Church, making the sign of the cross is a prayer for deliverance from their enemies.


It says,

And tanda ng Santa Krus
Ang ipagadya mo sa amin, Panginoon naming Dios
Sa mga kaaway namin
Sa ngalan ng Ama, at ng Anak,
At ng Espiritu Santo. Siya nawa

Another Catholic book, Discourses on the Apostle’s Creed, even stressed the formidable power of the sign of the cross.



It says,

And St. Teresa states that Satan had no power over the cross, nor over any object over which the sign of the cross has been traced. It is the Christian’s strongest and most powerful weapon against Satan.

They said, according to Saint Teresa, the most powerful weapon in winning over Satan is the sign of the cross because he (Satan) has no power over the cross and over other objects onto which the sign of the cross has been traced.

The question is, who is this Saint Teresa that they were talking about? She was not even a preacher of Christ! And yet the Catholic Church is banking on what she said.

However, members of the Catholic Church seem to be confused as to when they are supposed to make the sign of the cross and what should their intent be in making one.

Practically on all occasions, you see Catholics make the sign of the cross. Whenever they perceive danger lurking or when they feel the presence of an evil spirit, they make the sign of the cross. Whenever they are terrified by roaring thunder and streaks of lightning, or whenever they are scared by ghosts, they also make the sign of the cross because they want to be delivered from impending danger.

Now, if making the sign of the cross means they are praying for their deliverance from the enemy, and that it is a very powerful weapon against Satan, as stated in their books, why is it that Catholics also make the sign of the cross whenever they see the statue of Mary, either inside the church or during processions? Does it mean that Mary is their enemy and they are praying to be delivered from her?

Why do they make the sign of the cross whenever they pass by a church? Are the minions of Satan there and do they want to be delivered from them? Is the enemy there, too?

Before eating, they also make the sign of the cross. Why? Is the devil also in the food that they are about to eat?

What is worse is that the sign of the cross is also being made by people who do evil things. They make the sign of the cross, not to pray for deliverance from evil, but for success in executing their evil acts.

A thief makes the sign of the cross first before robbing a certain household.



In boxing matches, a boxer, whose ultimate objective is to give his opponent deadly punches, also makes the sign of the cross before the fight starts. And when he finally knocks out his opponent, he makes another sign of the cross. On such an occasion, how are you going to interpret the boxer’s sign of the cross?

A pickpocket who succeeded in stealing the contents of a woman’s bag also made the sign of the cross before fleeing.


Is the sign of the cross really a prayer for deliverance from evil? If so, why do Catholics make the sign of the cross even in front of what they consider holy and sacred, like churches and statues of Mary, and of their other saints? Why do they make the sign of the cross before and after doing unlawful acts? Or, is the sign of the cross an expression of joy and thankfulness for successfully carrying out an evil act?

Beloved Catholics, I am calling your attention. Please try to ponder all these things. I am sure that you understand the point that I am trying to drive at. Just do not forget, making the sign of the cross is not a commandment of God. MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

16 Comments:

Believing Paradise on Earth? You Must Be Misled

11/02/2019 13 Comments

Why heaven is not located on earth

It is evident that people from different religions have a very vague, sometimes weird and illogical, notion of where Heaven, or Paradise, is. Some of them think that Heaven is right here on earth, while others presume that it is elsewhere.

Definitely, those who believe that Heaven and Paradise are right here on earth are grossly mistaken. We can say that such a belief could either be a product of their wild imaginations or a mere result of the false teachings that they’ve heard from their respective preachers who are ignorant of the Bible.

Please, do not believe the concocted stories of such people about heaven. Believe in what the Bible says instead. The Bible is reliable; it is precise, complete, and definite.

Actually, despite the attempts of some people to discredit the Bible, nobody has yet succeeded in disproving it. Science, archeology, and history have proven that the Bible is authentic and it speaks of the truth. It is because it came from God.

Indeed, the Bible mentions that Heaven exists.

GENESIS 1:6-8 (KJV) says,

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

The firmament being referred to in the verses above is the heaven that we know; it is the vast space that we see above. But we have to understand that there are three heavens in the Bible, and the highest of these three is the third heaven, in which is what we call Paradise.

Paradise in the third heaven was attested by Apostle Paul.

2 CORINTHIANS 12:2, 4 (KJV) says,

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

The Apostle Paul was caught up (in spirit) to the third heaven, where Paradise is. It is the very kingdom that was promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to those who will be saved. The Bible also calls it the New Jerusalem. And it is not here on earth!

There is no truth to the claim of Apollo Quiboloy that the New Jerusalem is in Davao. That is not true; do not believe him!

But long before Quiboloy made that stupid claim, other religions like the Jehovah’s Witnesses have already been fooling many people that Paradise is here on earth.

That is a lie! Paradise is in heaven; it is the place where the throne of God is situated.

REVELATIONS 22:1-2 (KJV) says,

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

When John was caught up to the third heaven, he saw the throne of God, from where a pure river of water of life was flowing. He also saw that on the other side of the river was the tree of life.

According to REVELATION 2:7 (KJV), the tree of life is in Paradise.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Very clearly, from the account given by John, the throne of God, the tree of life, and the river of water of life are all in Paradise.

Are humans capable of determining how high the heavens are?

ISAIAH 55:8-9 (KJV) says,

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

The heavens are higher than the earth, according to the word of God. This pronouncement is something that has not been disproved by anybody until this day. In fact, until now, despite the sophisticated instruments in science, no scientist has ever come up with exact figures that would indicate how high heaven is from the earth. Even the Hubble Space Telescope failed to measure the distance of the heaven from the earth, not even the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) which is a more powerful telescope as it could reach as far as 13 billion light-years from the earth.

God said: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” That is why up to now, nobody has ever reached heaven.

Heaven and Paradise are not in this world. Remember what the thief told the Lord Jesus Christ while they were both suffering in the cross? The thief said, “. . . Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (LUKE 23:42, KJV)

If it were true that Paradise is here on earth, why would the thief still ask Christ to remember him when He comes to His kingdom, or to Paradise?

If it were true that Paradise is here on earth, then, the Lord Jesus Christ should have corrected the utterance of the thief. He should have told the thief, “Don’t worry, both of us are already in Paradise.”

But instead, the Lord Jesus Christ answered the thief, “. . . Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (LUKE 23:43, KJV)

This clearly proves that Paradise is in another place. It is somewhere outside this world.

For you not to be misled, believe in the word of God. Do not believe the Jehovah’s Witnesses; do not believe Quiboloy. Paradise, or the New Jerusalem, is not here on this earth, and more so, it is not in Davao. That is a big falsehood.

Do not entertain incongruous stories about Heaven, or Paradise, which were invented by false prophets. It is best to believe in God and in His words, which are recorded in the Bible. If you do this, you will never be deceived and you will never go wrong. And most of all, you will never believe that Paradise is here on Earth because the Bible tells us that it is in the third heaven.

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How Soon Is the Imminent Coming of Jesus Christ

10/26/2019 12 Comments

Understanding the return of Jesus Christ

From the things that are observable in nature, like the seasons, we are being forewarned of certain eventualities. Each season is an indicator of what is to come.

So if you want to find out when the Lord Jesus Christ is coming, you can also refer to the seasons and you will be provided with clear signs.

MATTHEW 24:32-33 (KJV) says,

32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, all of you know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when all of you shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

The seasons give signs. So it is important that we are able to read and understand the signs they reveal.

For instance, in the Philippines, a certain fruit-bearing tree called “siniguelas” grows. If you want to find out when the “siniguelas” tree is going to bear fruits, you have to be observant to the changes that take place in the tree. The first sign that you will see is that, the tree is shedding its leaves. When the tree has practically become bare of leaves, later on, it will grow flowers which will wither after a certain period of time. And once the flowers have completely dried, the fruits will appear.

In countries that experience the four seasons, people also see signs given by nature which tell them the imminence of a particular season.

For instance, before winter comes, the leaves of trees change their colors; from green, they turn to yellow and brown. After some time, they wither and fall. In other words, the fall season signals the commencement of another season which is winter. And after winter comes spring, wherein the sprouting of new leaves is one of the signs to be seen; and after spring comes summer.

The same principle applies to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When He is about to come, we are not only to observe signs in nature but also take note of the things that are happening around us. Christ cited specific occurrences that will surely happen and that will surely not slip our attention. And once we see them, we are to understand that those are signals of His coming.

What are those?

MATTHEW 24:6-8 (KJV) says,

6 And all of you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

The Lord provided us with many signs like wars and rumors of wars, conflicts among nations and kingdoms, famines, and pestilences that would infect humans and animals.

And all these things are already happening in this dispensation although, perhaps, not at peak levels as of yet, but nonetheless, we are witnessing how these things are now being realized.

Today, humans are exposed to different kinds of pestilences that are fatal to mankind. For example, there are now diseases that come from animals like the avian flu; there is also the Ebola virus which originated in Africa. And according to scientists, the Ebola virus came from the blood of bats, and this virus was acquired because some Africans eat bats.

Aside from those, there is also Hepatitis B, C, and D, AIDS, and many more.

Other signs include famine, earthquakes in diverse places, and the uprising of nations against other nations.

And since we are now seeing how these events happen in our time, we can say that His coming wouldn’t take very long.

Inasmuch as we have been foretold of the signs of His coming, as conscientious Christians, we need to see to it that before that day comes, we have made the necessary preparations. Make sure that you have done everything that you need to do in order to be assured of your salvation. Make sure that you spend your life in service to God.

ECCLESIASTES 12:1 (KJV) says,

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when you shall say, I have no pleasure in them;

It is best that you start serving God while you are still young. Abide by His will; follow His commandments.

ECCLESIASTES 12:13 (KJV) says,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Develop fear in God and obedience to His commandments. Actually, the only service that you can render to God is by following His commandments. And it is in your fulfillment of His commandments that you will merit salvation.

ECCLESIASTES 12:14 (KJV) says,

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

God will judge humanity. He has an appointed time for it; it is inevitable. So, if you care about your salvation, serve God; and serving God means obeying His commandments. If you are spending your life in service to God, if you are abiding by His words, you have a very great chance to salvation.

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