2020 Christianity , COVID 19 45 Comments

Fake Religious Leaders Flanking in Pandemic

Staying at home is, indeed, one effective measure against the spread of Covid-19. However, many citizens are compelled to go out despite the risks because they worry about the needs of their respective families, especially their need for daily sustenance.

The truth is that if we will just join hands in helping our underprivileged fellowmen, nobody would starve; nobody would die of hunger.

We, in the Church of God International, are aware of the tough ordeal many people are going through while the lockdowns and community quarantines are in effect. So in our own humble way, we try our best to provide our brothers and sisters in faith and even our fellowmen with their essential needs like food and medicines. We have also put up a 24/7 digital clinic that will address their health-related problems.

In this global health crisis, so much can be done by different religious organizations in easing the burden of the government and in alleviating the hardships of our fellowmen, or at least, even just their respective members and followers. This is the time wherein they can show their members that they really care for their welfare and that they are not only after collecting monetary contributions from them. They can always provide for their day-to-day subsistence and perhaps, even a small amount of money.

But aside from giving material things, this is also the best time for religious leaders who claim to be apostles and Christs, to go out of their fortresses and use their power — which they claim to possess — to stop this plague and heal the people battling for their lives in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Now is their chance to prove that they are real and not simply usurpers.

If they are real apostles and real Christs, healing the sick and eradicating the virus should be very easy for them to do. But how come they are not doing anything? Don’t they care for the people who suffer and die? Why are they playing deaf and blind to the woes of the Covid-19 patients? Their silence and inaction only mean that they are not real Christs and real apostles, but false Christs and fake apostles. It only means that they are really without any power — that they are as helpless like ordinary people, and they themselves are scared of this deadly virus. And in their fear to get infected, they no longer go out of their havens.

Now we can clearly see that these boastful preachers and religious leaders are a bunch of liars. They brag that they are capable of performing wondrous acts, that they can give commands to angels, that they can do this and that—but where are they now? There, in their mansions and palaces! What have they done? Nothing!

For instance, one religious leader, who claims to be an appointed — shall I say self-appointed — boasts of so many things such as stopping earthquakes. But where is he now and what has he done? If he can really stop an earthquake, then he can easily stop this virus from spreading all the more. But why can’t he and why doesn’t he? It is because he is a false Christ! And what he brags about are nothing but delusions.

How about those pastors and priests who claim that they can heal even terminal cases by simply laying hands on the sick? Where are they, too? Why don’t they go to hospitals where there are Covid-19 patients even in hallways and corridors? It is over half a year now since the onset of this health crisis and so many lives have been lost, and yet not one of them has come out and volunteered to lay hands on people. Why? It is because they are all fake healers and not faith healers!

Evidently, even the religious leaders today are shaken and terrified by this pandemic; hence, they cower in their strongholds like women.

As it is written in Jeremiah 51:30 (KJV),

The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned their dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.

Had this pandemic happened during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles, they will surely go out of their way to reach all those who are infected and heal them because they truly have the power to heal the sick.

During the time when the real Christ was still on earth, He cured all kinds of illnesses; He even resurrected the dead. The same was true for the real apostles.

Matthew 10:1 (KJV) says,

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

The apostles were likewise given by God the power to heal all illnesses and diseases without exceptions — this means that their power to heal would have included Covid-19. Like the real Christ, they were also able to bring to life a person who had already died, unlike the false Christs and false apostles that proliferate in this dispensation.

But none of us in the Church of God International have made any claims that we are apostles or that we are Christ. We also never claimed that we have the power to heal any illness. Whenever one of us gets sick, we pray to God; we implore His mercy. And when we get well, we acknowledge that it was God who healed us because we believe that our lives are in His hands.

As it is written in Deuteronomy 32:39 (KJV),

See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

In these perilous times, our only hope is God’s mercy; there’s nobody else that we can turn to but God so let us always pray for His mercy. By His mercy, and if it is not against His will, we will be able to get through this global health crisis.

Right now, even those who do not believe in God can feel His might and power. When God sends a plague, its impact can be felt by the whole world.

With the things happening now, I really couldn’t help but be reminded of one of the revelations given to John.

In Revelation 6:8, it says,

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (KJV)

And I saw, and behold, a pale horse, and its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him; and they were given power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth. (RSV)

The horseman that sat on the pale horse was given the power to kill the fourth part of the earth through different means like sword or war, famine, pestilences or plagues, and the wild beasts of the earth.

The virus that attacks humanity now is said to have come from bats, snakes, and pangolins, which are among the unclean and the abominable wild animals. It is probable that the virus that was in bats merged with the virus that was in snakes, and this hybrid virus that is now in the snakes merged with the virus in pangolins. All of them are wild animals; they are not domesticated. And they are not supposed to be put in the same place. Unfortunately, they were all available in one market in Wuhan, China, where a new coronavirus with extraordinary strength, the Covid-19, developed. And this coronavirus mutates so fast, unlike an ordinary virus whose mutation normally takes years to happen.

I am keenly observing the things that happen in the world today, and afterward, refer to the circumstances mentioned in Revelation 6:8. Aside from this current plague, there are also wars and strife everywhere — they can be seen among nations and within nations. People hunger. There is unrest. If what we are experiencing now is already the plague brought by the horseman on the pale horse, it would mean a great loss in terms of human lives as he had been given power over the fourth part of the earth. Meaning, if the world’s population today is about eight billion, it would mean the death of about two billion people.

We can only hope and pray that this isn’t yet the doing of the horseman on the pale horse. But of course, if it is the will of God, we are not against it. In the first place, we know that all of us are decreed to die.

Our only desire now, while God is giving us the opportunity, is to continue preaching the gospel — to convince people to develop faith and fear in God, teach them to love their fellowmen, inspire them to spend their God-given lives purposefully, and eventually, lead them to serving God so that they will be worthy of salvation.

May God help us and have mercy upon us all! May He heal the sick. May He heal our land.

45 Comments:

In Uncertain Times, God’s Name Is Our Refuge
6/20/2020 Christianity , COVID 19 23 Comments

God’s name is our refuge in times of uncertainty

The Covid-19 pandemic caught the whole world by surprise; no nation expected that it would come and nobody was ever prepared for it. So many lives had been lost, and we do not know how many more people would lose theirs due to this illness.

People ask why many have died of this new coronavirus. The answer is simple: It is because the Bible speaks of a time to kill and a time to die.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 (KJV) says,

1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

The season and time under heaven being referred to are the seasons and time here on earth, not in the kingdom of God in heaven because there is only one season there.

The seasons are part of nature’s law, and here on earth, there is a season and a time for everything and for every purpose — such as a time to be born, a time to die, and a time to kill, to name some.

As far as we are concerned, our time to be born had come but our time to die is yet to come. People die but they die in different ways. While many die the natural and peaceful way, there are some who die in an extraordinary manner — either it could be a gory death or the person has to languish in bed for a long time while going through many difficulties and discomfort before succumbing to death, like what happened to some of the victims of Covid-19.

I believe that in this generation, many are destined to die in this pandemic. The global death toll has reached hundreds of thousands and the number of deaths is still growing by the day. This is a fulfillment of what the Bible says: there is a time to die . . . there is a time to kill.

In general, all men want to live long lives. Although it is not for man to decree his lifespan, he can hope for a long life if he develops fear in the Lord.

As it is written in Proverbs 10:27 (KJV),

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

Even if there is an appointed time for people to die, there is still a hundred percent possibility that God will prolong their lives if, before their appointed time to die comes, they were able to develop faith and fear in Him. In other words, God may delay or postpone the death of people. And that is very possible since time and seasons are under His administration; and by His mercy, He may prolong the days of those who fear Him.

The Bible also has specific admonitions for children to live long.

Ephesians 6:1-3 (KJV) says,

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

According to the words of God, children who are obedient and respectful to their parents are promised long lives. We can expect that this promise will be fulfilled because the words of God can never be false — they are always true.

If for children, the key to having long lives is to be respectful and obedient to their parents, for us sinners, it is in our repentance for our sins and in our fear and obedience to God.

So, if you want to be saved from this pandemic that we are facing right now, if you want to live much longer, and if you want to see better days ahead, repent for the sins that you have committed, abide by the words of God, turn away from your wicked ways, and start living a righteous life.

Perhaps, this global health crisis is really bound to happen because so many people now no longer fear God; perhaps this is a wake-up call to all of them.

It is just very disappointing that in crucial times like this, there are still people who take advantage of the plight of their fellowmen. There are those who hoard goods and sell them at higher prices. And worse, there are some officials of local government units who even try to get a cut or a share from the financial assistance provided by the national government to impoverished families—some of these officials were found to just give half of the correct amount meant for the poor families. What gross heartlessness!

It has been more than half a year now since the Covid-19 outbreak. By this time, most people seem to be sick and tired of community quarantines and complain about their restricted mobility. People want an end to this health crisis and want to go back to their regular way of life. However, it will only happen if the virus is contained and prevented from spreading. To achieve this, everybody’s cooperation is required. But as long as some citizens continue to be headstrong, defiant, and uncooperative with the measures employed by the government—like wearing face masks and staying at home instead of gallivanting—then community quarantines are here to stay. So let us just cooperate. It is better to sacrifice and endure a little hardship now while there is no cure for Covid-19 yet, than spend the rest of your lives in fear and misery.

What we need now is a concerted effort geared towards the common good. We need to help each other. We need to help the government. And we also have to do our share, no matter how small it is, in easing the difficulty of our current situation.

On our end, although our primary aim is to share with the people the teachings of God and the Lord Jesus Christ written in the Bible, we know that we have a moral obligation to do good deeds unto all men. That is why we in the Church of God International, with God’s help, are doing our best in augmenting the needs of our fellowmen.

For instance, in cooperation with UNTV News and Rescue, we are able to offer those with health concerns a 24/7 digital consultation with doctors whose services are being given for free.

We also distribute bags of relief goods and other essentials, not only to our brethren in faith but also to other people regardless of their religions. And we deliver them right on their doorsteps so that they wouldn’t need to go out of their dwellings. After all, in going out, there is always a risk of acquiring the virus.

Moreover, our brethren are constantly reminded to exercise extra caution, observe all of the health protocols, and listen to the directives of the government. Above all, we constantly remind our brethren to always pray to God and implore His divine intervention.

Nobody knows until when Covid-19 is going to wreak havoc to humanity. With this uncertainty ahead of us, our only refuge is the name of the Lord. So let us not fail to call upon His name and let us always ask for His mercy. Let us pray that the “time to die” and the “time to kill” come to pass at the soonest possible time, and may the “time to heal” be at hand. The whole world needs the kind of healing that only God and the Lord Jesus Christ can give. AMEN!

23 Comments:

God’s Compassion Is Unfailing
6/13/2020 Christianity , COVID 19 19 Comments

If there is one thing that we should not neglect to do every day of our lives, it is to constantly pray and give thanks to God.

When we wake up each morning, our first utterance should be an expression of gratitude to God; we should be thankful for a brand-new day that He has given us because every new morning signifies His unfailing mercy and compassion toward us.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV) says,

22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not,

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

In distressful times like this, when the whole world is beset by a plague, we need God’s mercy and compassion now more than ever. Many people die daily and we just have to be exceedingly thankful that God does not allow us to be one of them. By His unfailing mercy and compassion, we continue to live, be safe, and still enjoy the company of our loved ones. And it is also because of His mercy and help that we are able to overcome the challenges, uncertainties, and problems that we get confronted with each day.

God’s mercy and compassion are new every morning. That is why, for every new morning that God gives us, we can also expect His compassion and mercy. It is because of His mercy that we are being spared from the annihilation that is caused by this plague.

There is indeed an annihilation and destruction that will come to the wicked — to the people who are disobedient and rebellious to God.

But those who acknowledge and fear God can expect His mercy and compassion, which are given afresh to them every new morning.

People who are under the care of God and the Lord Jesus Christ are assured of protection — and this assurance has been given by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

In John 10:28-29 (KJV), it says,

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

But those who do not believe in God, those who mock the Bible the way the atheists do, and those whose belief in God is nothing but lip service and is never manifested in deeds, are all destined to perish and to be destroyed.

As it is written in 2 Peter 2:12 (KJV),

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

We just pray to God that before it is too late — before destruction comes to ungodly people — that faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ would spring in their hearts at the soonest possible time so that they will be saved.

As this plague continues to infest the world today, we are not certain if we will still be alive tomorrow or in the days to come. We are not sure if we will already be among the hundreds of thousands whose lives have been taken by this illness. We know that each of us is appointed to die, and it is just a question of who is going to die first.

King David had full knowledge that all men are bound to die and that our lives are in the hands of God. That was why when he learned that his newborn son by another woman had been decreed to die, he fasted and prayed to God for his son’s life.

But when God’s decree came to pass, when the infant’s death finally came, he ended his fasting and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped Him — a gesture of his submission to the will of God. He knew that he could not bring his child back to life again; he also knew that when the appointed time comes, he, too, would die.

2 Samuel 12:23 (KJV) says,

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

The people of God know that one day, they will die; it is a decree unto all men.

As it is written in Hebrews 9:27 (KJV),

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

All men are appointed to die. But we should not pray, nor wish, for the death of our fellowmen even if they happen to be the most bitter of our enemies. We are admonished to pray for the betterment of our enemies — not for their deaths or misfortune. But we cannot help that there are really people whose joy is in destroying the reputation of others and in spreading fake news about them on social media. I, myself, am a victim of such kind of people. They malign my person — they even posted that I was seriously ill and dying on social media.

I am wondering if these people don’t have any better things to do. Instead of preoccupying themselves with nonsensical things like fabricating and spreading fake news, why don’t they try doing something that will benefit our fellowmen — especially now when millions of people are suffering and are in dire need of help?

I am also appealing to some media personalities, politicians, and leaders of government. Instead of faultfinding and mudslinging, why don’t you join hands and work together for the common good? This is not the time to be critical and antagonistic of each other; this is also not the time to think about political ambitions or other personal agendas. This is the time to be united, not only in fighting our battle against this pandemic but also in extending a helping hand to those who have been adversely affected by the lockdowns and community quarantines imposed by the government.

Because of the lockdowns, many people today endure hunger; many rely only on the relief goods being given to them for their daily subsistence. There are senior citizens who need maintenance medications but cannot purchase them. There are babies and infants who need formula milk and diapers but are unable to have any because their parents lack money. And there are also some who already suffer from depression because they are unable to cope with the problems and difficulties that they are experiencing.

This is why instead of wasting time, effort, and financial resources in political propaganda, in criticizing a political foe, or in spreading fake news on social media, it is better that we use our time in alleviating the hardship of these distressed and poverty-stricken citizens. A little help can make a lot of difference to them.

The government needs everybody’s help and cooperation in addressing this contagion and in looking after the welfare of the people. Although the government is exhausting all possible means of providing citizens with their basic necessities, the government can only do so much. The government’s resources are limited, in fact, it is already depleting, The government therefore needs the help of the private sector — most especially the help of the religious sector.

It’s high time that the leaders of different religious organizations, these individuals who claim to be Christians, prove to their members that they truly care for them and that they are not only after their monetary contributions. Religious organizations whose leaders and ministers live in pomp and affluence should provide, at least, the basic needs of their respective members. And since they do not pay taxes to the government, the least that they can do is to take care of the needs of their poor members, whether these needs be material or financial in nature.

One thing that I am truly proud of about our religious organization, the Church of God International, is that though we may be poor and lowly in the eyes of others, we see to it that none of our brethren in faith will starve, beg for food, or die unattended. Our fellow Church workers have been instructed to check on the welfare of our poor brothers and sisters in their respective places of assignment, and provide them with their essential needs like food and medicines.

My point is, in our own little way, we can ease the burden of our underprivileged fellowmen and we can be partners of the government in its relief operations.

Even as ordinary citizens, we can contribute in preventing the spread of this new coronavirus by being responsive and compliant to the directives of government officials and health experts. If they tell us to stay home and to not gallivant, then let us stay home. If they decide to further extend the quarantine period, let us not oppose it. It is for our own good.

Actually, the idea of quarantine or self-isolation has a biblical basis.

Leviticus 13:46 (KJV) says,

All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

To prevent the plague from spreading, the Israelites were commanded to “dwell alone.”

In another book, they were instructed to go inside their chambers and be in isolation until the plague has passed.

Isaiah 26:20 (KJV) says,

Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

We can say that the measures being imposed by the government and health authorities today are not really new; they are as old as the Old Testament.

In 2 Chronicles 26:21 (KJV) it says,

And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house, being a leper; for he was cut off from the house of the LORD: and Jotham his son was over the king’s house, judging the people of the land.

Until the day of his death, King Uzziah lived in isolation because he had leprosy. He distanced himself from the rest of the people so that he would not infect them.

Considering that Covid-19 is more fatal and more easily transmitted than leprosy, then all the more that this generation should practice self-quarantine or self-isolation. Let us strictly observe the health protocols that the people in authority have recommended. Staying at home is the best way of not getting infected. But should you manifest certain symptoms, consult health professionals immediately, even through different platforms of communication which are already being utilized now. UNTV, for instance, has a 24/7 digital clinic wherein you can consult doctors about your health concerns without needing to go out of your home.

Indeed, the imposition of lockdowns and quarantines have their setbacks, especially to ordinary employees and daily wage earners. But it’s just a matter of making the right choices. It is much better that you stay home and experience hunger once in a while, at least, you are safe and are still alive. Do not complain about getting bored at home. Why will you get bored when you are with your loved ones? Make the most of the community quarantine period by bonding with your family. It doesn’t matter if your pockets are empty now; your life is worth more than a pocket-full of money. If you insist on going out and trying to earn a living, you are risking your safety and also the safety of the other members of your family. For all you know, the money that you’ll be earning will just be spent for your hospitalization should you catch this deadly virus. And when you get infected, there is no guarantee that you’ll be able to recover, so why take chances when you can be safe by staying at home?

But aside from taking all the necessary precautionary measures, our most potent weapon is our prayers to the Almighty God. In every opportunity that is given us — morning, noon, afternoon, evening — let us pray for God’s mercy. Remember, God’s mercy and compassion are unfailing for those who fear and believe in Him; they are new every new morning.

So, each morning that we wake up, let us not fail to give thanks to God for giving us another opportunity to receive His mercy. It is because of His mercy that we are still alive until now.

Thanks be to God!

19 Comments:

There Is Nothing to Worry About If We Obey God
6/06/2020 Christianity , COVID 19 16 Comments

One of the distinguishing hallmarks of real Christians is that they are not easily disheartened by unpleasant things that come their way. In the midst of troubles and worries, real Christians maintain a certain level of composure and serenity in spirit. This is not because they are unaffected by adversities. As people who acknowledge and fear God, in their hearts, they trust that whatever happens, the end result is always for the good of those who love God.

Romans 8:28 (KJV) says,

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

If we genuinely love, fear, revere, and obey God, we should look at everything that happens on the principle that God allowed such things to happen for the good of those who love Him. And who are those who love God?

1 John 5:3 (KJV) says,

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

They who love God are those who obey His commandments. Our obedience to God’s commandments is a manifestation that we love Him because to love God is to keep His commandments. So, if we truly love God — that is, if we obey His commandments and base our faith in the teachings of the Bible — we will not say that bad things happen to us. Bad things happen to those who are disobedient to God.

During the time of the Israelites, God gave them a warning that if they would not observe all of His commandments and statutes, curses, plagues, and pestilences shall come upon them. The intent of the warning was not to inflict them with suffering, but to deter them from doing evil things.

We can say that when unpleasant things like plagues or pestilences happen, God is actually calling the attention of the disobedient and the evildoers so that they could depart from their wicked ways. But if they opt to take His warning for granted, they will surely suffer the consequences of their disobedience. And one of its consequences is the occurrence of plagues.

In Deuteronomy 28:22, God enumerated the curses and plagues that would befall those who are disobedient to Him. “The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.” (KJV)

God wants them to be obedient to His commandments so that the above-mentioned curses and plagues would not come upon them.

If we are going to look around us today, we can see that a lot of people have become very disobedient to God. They disregard His words; they do not fear Him. They are indulged, not in spiritual matters but in worldly pleasures — in materialism and in all kinds of vices. Their way of life and preoccupations are practically similar to that of the people during the time of Noah and the people in Sodom and Gomorrah.

During those times, one could hardly find people who are obedient to God; they were very rare. That was why when God sent them destruction, only very few people were saved.

1 Peter 3:20 (KJV) says,

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

During the time of Noah, only eight souls were saved from the flood; in Sodom and Gomorrah, only three were saved from the fire — Lot and his two daughters.

Even during the time of Elias, only one widow was saved from a great famine.

Luke 4:25-27 (KJV) says,

25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

Like famine, leprosy is also a kind of plague. During the time of the prophet Eliseus, so many people in Israel suffered from leprosy. But among the many lepers, only Naamon was cleansed while all of the others died of the illness.

27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Today, the entire world is beleaguered by another plague, a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus called Covid-19. Each day, the number of Covid-19 positives all over the world keeps growing, and what scares many people is that the vaccine that could fight this virus is yet to be formulated.

In our previous articles, it has been discussed that there are two possible reasons behind the occurrence of plagues. First, they may be sent by God because of man’s rebelliousness and disobedience to Him; or second, they may be caused by the horseman riding the pale horse (Revelation 6:8).

In a revelation given to John two thousand years ago, he saw a horseman riding a pale horse who has been tasked to kill with a sword, with hunger, and with beasts of the earth. The havoc that he will create is of great magnitude as he has been given the power to kill a fourth of the earth.

If this Covid-19 pandemic is caused by the horseman riding the pale horse, Satan is definitely behind him as Satan wants the destruction of all men. However, if this is a result of man’s wickedness and disobedience to God, we can always repent, pray to God, and invoke His forgiveness and mercy.

Actually, if this plague is caused by the horseman riding the pale horse, the more that we should ask for God’s intervention because He has the power to control the deadliest of viruses and the most devastating of plagues. Let us also pray that this is not yet the worst of the plagues that had been prophesied in the Bible.

But whoever and whatever caused this plague, I am definite that this is not going to make all men perish and this is not going to mark the end of this earth yet. It is because the Bible still speaks of a 1,000-year reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth, and the start of the 1,000- year reign will commence when He returns.

I look at the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth as a grace period for people to repent, have faith, and accept the teachings of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And there is a great possibility that such will happen because, while the Lord Jesus Christ is reigning, Satan will be incarcerated to prevent him from deceiving more people.

Revelation 20:3 (KJV) says,

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.

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, He shall resurrect His holy servants, and they shall reign with Him for 1,000 years. This is called the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:5 (KJV) says,

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

In the first resurrection, not all the dead shall be resurrected but only those who died in Christ. It will only be after the 1,000 years that the rest of the dead shall be resurrected. Those who will be part of the first resurrection are considered blessed and holy because the second death no longer has power over them.

Revelation 20:6 (KJV) says,

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The Covid-19 is not yet the plague that is brought by the horseman riding the pale horse that will kill a fourth part of humanity. The Lord God will still allow humanity to be ruled by Christ and His holy servants for 1,000 years.

The good news is that in the 1,000-year reign of Christ, there will be no more plagues; children will get to live their lives to the fullest because no child will die without reaching one hundred years old.

As it is written in Isaiah 65:20 (KJV),

There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.

But a sinner, on the other hand, who reaches one hundred years old will be accursed.

The ones who will be included in the first resurrection shall be made kings and priests unto God.

Revelation 1:3-6 (KJV) says,

3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

And they shall reign with Christ on earth for 1,000 years.

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.

Let me reiterate that when Christ returns, the earth will not be destroyed yet; it will continue to exist until the 1,000 years are over. The return of the Lord Jesus Christ does not mark the end of the world — what it marks is the first resurrection, or the resurrection of Christ’s faithful servants who will be made kings and priests. And they shall reign here on earth.

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 of Manalo that Christ’s reign shall not take place here on earth but in the clouds, because they believe that when Christ returns, this earth will already be destroyed. In their television program, their minister even had the nerve to object sarcastically to my statement that Christ is going to reign here on earth when He returns.

The INC of Manalo believes that this whole world will be burned upon the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is not true! If that were true, over whom will Christ and His saints reign during the 1,000-year period? And what will happen to those who were not included in the first resurrection? Obviously, they know nothing about the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth which will begin when He returns.

It is clearly stated in the Bible that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns, He will resurrect those who died fulfilling the will of God, and they shall reign with Him on earth for 1,000 years.

In the 1,000-year period, Christ and His saints shall reign over the people who are still alive on earth during that time. These are people who have not yet heard of Christ’s teachings, people who do not yet believe in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ — and there are a lot of them. What I am trying to point out is that life on earth continues throughout the duration of the 1,000-year reign of Christ.

If you are going to believe the claim of the INC of Manalo that when Christ returns this world will already be burned, it would mean that those who were not included in the first resurrection will no longer be resurrected; they would all be burned. And Christ and His saints will just be floating in the clouds as they reign for a thousand years. That’s ridiculous!

But I cannot completely blame the ministers of the INC of Manalo for thinking that way because they were just verbalizing the teachings that they’ve received from the founder of their church, Felix Manalo.

“Sa dalawang sunod na lathala tungkol sa paksang ito ay maliwanag na ating natiyak, sa pamamagitan ng mga hula sa Banal na Kasulatan, na si Kapatid na Felix Manalo, ay huling sugo ng Diyos sa wakas ng lupa. Kaya huling sugo, gaya nang ating napag-aralan, ay sapagka't pagkatapos ng gawaing kanyang isinasagawa, samakatuwid baga'y ng pangangaral ng mga dalisay na salita ng Diyos, ay wala nang iba pang sugong darating kundi ang kakila-kilabot ng paghuhukom o ang katapusan ng pag-iral ng sanlibutang ito.”

English Translation: “In the next two publications about this topic, we have clearly assured, through the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures, that Brother Felix Manalo is the last messenger of God on earth. He is the last messenger because, as we have studied, after doing the works which he has done, that is the preaching of the pure words of God, there will be no other messenger who will come but instead the fearful judgement or the end of this world.”

They believe that Felix Manalo is the last messenger and that there would be no other messenger that is to come after him. And according to their official publication, once his preaching is completed, the end of this world or judgment day shall also come. That is a very wrong teaching and it is without any biblical basis.

I repeat, according to the Bible, Christ shall reign on earth for a thousand years, which will begin when He returns. He will reign over billions of people who were not included in what many call as “rapture.”

This 1,000-year period is going to be blissful because, as mentioned earlier, there is no Satan who would interfere and deceive mankind as he will be imprisoned; humanity will enjoy a plague-free life; man will live until he is a hundred years old; and all corrupt governments in the world shall be destroyed.

And most of all, that 1,000 years will give more people a chance to salvation as this also serves as a chance for nonbelievers to know Christ and to have faith in Him through the Gospel which will also be preached everywhere — even in places where the Bible and the preaching of Christianity are prohibited today, like in India, the Middle East, and in some other countries where false gods are being worshipped.

And after the 1,000-year grace period, all of the dead people who have not been included in the first resurrection shall be resurrected to face judgment. After which, the devil and all the enemies of God will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. And it is only after all these that this earth shall be destroyed.

As it is written in Revelation 20:10-12 (KJV),

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

The reason why I am patiently and meticulously explaining all these things is because I want to give hope to people; I want to make people realize that the plagues that humanity experiences would not totally annihilate mankind. Not all men will die yet because the Lord Jesus Christ will still return and He will reign on earth for 1,000 years.

I am explaining all these especially for the sake of those who do not yet believe in Christ. By sharing with them the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, we as Christians are able to extend our love to them, with a hope that one day they would also develop faith in Him.

We have to be instruments in introducing Christ and the Christian faith to them. Or if they get the chance to live much longer, if they would still be alive when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and be amongst the people whom Christ and His saints shall reign over in the coming 1,000 years, we hope that with Christ reigning, they will believe and accept His teachings and be among those who will merit salvation.

While the world’s battle against Covid-19 continues, we should always exercise extra caution; we should always pray for God’s protection because we cannot do anything if God will not protect us. But we also have to do our share in protecting ourselves because in doing so, we are also protecting our loved ones.

But even if this global health crisis persists much longer, let us keep the feeling of hope alive in our hearts. There is hope for us who fear and love God. And no matter what happens, let us hold on to what the Lord said — “All things work together for the good of them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.”

In Spanish, “Y sabemos que todas las cosas cooperan juntas para el bien de los que aman a Dios, los que son llamados segun su proposito.”

In Portuguese, “Sabemos que todas as coisas cooperam para o bem daqueles que amam a Deus, daqueles que sao chamados Segundo o seu proposito.”

Whatever is happening in the world today, it is part of our faith to believe that this is for the good of those who fear and love God. AMEN.