Reaching the blissful Holy City

Published in Pasugo

DO YOU WANT to have a vacation?

Probably, you are one of those who feel burned out and dream of going to a place where you can relieve yourself from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy even a few days or weeks of rest and relaxation.

There may be some place where you can try to relax for a while, but we know too well that no matter where we may go in this world, no matter where we may run, we could never fully escape from discomfort, hardships, and problems. Yet, true Christians know that this world is not all there is; they know and believe that there is a place so wonderful that the present world cannot compare with. That place is the kingdom of heaven or the Holy City.

A city of pure gold and of eternal life

The Bible gives a vivid description of the Holy City:

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

“The city is laid out as a square; its length is as great as its breadth. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald. The fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” (Rev. 21:1-2; 16-21, New King James Version)

Apostle John further describes the Holy City. He wrote:

“In the middle of the street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: they need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 22:2-5, Ibid.)

Think about this for a minute. A city of pure gold, clear as glass; the building of its wall jasper; the foundations of its wall garnished with precious stones, with its 12 gates 12 pearls; and its street pure gold. In the midst of the street is the tree of life. Is there any place like this in the whole world?

Regarding the life in the Holy City, Apostle John says:

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them, and be their God’. ’And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’.

“Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from’? And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know’. So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’.” (Rev. 21:3-4; 7:13-17, Ibid.)

In the Holy City, there will be eternal life. Man will enjoy an existence devoid of sorrow, crying, pain, hunger, or thirst, which are all present in this world no matter where we live. In that wonderful place or splendor, God’s servants will be with Him, serving Him day and night. Who among us would not want to live in a place such as this? The fortunate ones will dwell in this place on the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 14:1-3).

The wrath of God in the lake of fire

But, the Holy City is not the only place that the Bible speaks of to which man may go. There is also that which is referred to as the lake of fire:

“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14, NKJV)

Take a look at how the Scriptures describes how frightening it is to end up in the lake of fire. The Book of Revelation records this grim description:

“He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” (Rev. 14:10-11, Ibid.)

In the lake of fire, men will be tormented with fire and brimstone. They will have no rest day or night. Once cast in the lake of fire, there is absolutely nothing that a person could do to get out. He will remain there suffering forever. So, this is the other end – eternal condemnation in the lake that burns with an unquenchable fire. No one in his right mind will ever want to end up in that horrible place where together with him suffering are the devil and his angels (Rev. 20:10; Mt. 25:41).

Reaching the Holy City

The Bible does not only teach us that there is a Holy City and that there is going to be a lake of fire; it also teaches us how to avoid ending up in the latter and make it to the former. Apostle John says this:

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:14, NKJV)

The blessed men and women who will be granted entrance into the Holy City and will have the right to the tree of life are those who do or obey the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ. Obedience is necessary if we truly want to be saved and reach this beautiful and sacred place. Thus, it is not true that for man to be saved, he only needs to believe in Christ or accept Him as Lord and personal Savior. Faith is important, and so is obedience to or compliance with Christ’s commandments.

One of the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ that one should obey is recorded in John 10:9. This is written:

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

The Lord commands everyone to come into the fold to be saved. Jesus did not say that anyone who just believes or accepts Him as Lord and personal Savior will be saved. Which is the fold or flock everyone should enter?

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

So, for us to reach the glorious Holy City, we must become members of the Church of Christ or Iglesia ni Cristo

Mere membership in the Church is not sufficient

But there is another thing everyone must understand. Although joining the Church is very important, it is not the only thing a person needs to do to attain salvation. As faith alone does not save, neither does mere membership in the Church.

There are certain things that a person ought to avoid in order to enter the kingdom of heaven or the Holy City. He should make sure that he is not defiled or filthy in the eyes of God and that he is not doing anything that is abominable in His sight:

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes and abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Rev. 21:27, NKJV)

Those who are defiled or unclean and guilty of abominations are people who live in sin and practice the filthy works of the flesh, which were enumerated by Apostle Paul:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, Idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19-21, Ibid.)

We must not do these things in order for us to be saved. We must not embrace heresies or false beliefs even though they may be popular. We should stay away from adultery, fornication, drunkenness, and other things like these, for if we don’t, we would not inherit the heavenly kingdom of God. Those who do these evil things will find themselves consigned to condemnation in the horrible lake of fire. This is written:

“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:8, Ibid.)

There are only two places where a man will end up on Judgment Day: the Holy City or the dreadful lake of fire. The former provides eternal life and blissful existence with God and Christ; whereas, the latter offers painful torment and terrible agony and anguish with the devil and his angels. Not only did God describe the kind of life present in both places, but He also taught how man can reach either place. If one does not want to be punished but be saved and live in the Holy City, he must join the Church of Christ. It is by joining this Church and living a Christian way of life until the very end (Mt. 24:13) that we will be certain to reach the heavenly kingdom for all eternity.

Precious death

Published in Pasugo, Sept 2005



“A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.” (Psalms 49:20, New King James Version)

THE SAD THING about life here on earth, however enjoyable we may have lived it, is that it has an end. And when its end comes, which is death, nothing in this world, not even all its combined wealth and riches, not even all of man’s wisdom and knowledge can stop it. Moreover, no one knows exactly when it comes. At any moment, death can strike and take us to our graves with nary a warning and any discrimination at that. Whatever our situation in life is, we cannot avoid and escape death. Its grim specter looms in a serious illness, in a fatal accident, in a disaster – either natural or man-made – and in old age. Indeed, death lies in wait every single moment in our life. One minute a person is well and alive, the next, he is being eulogized and his name placed in obituaries. Alas, no man can stave off death and no one has the capacity to keep himself from dying. The Bible states, thus:

“No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death. …” (Eccles. 8:8, New International Version)

Moreover, as if death itself is not enough scourge already, when man is finally taken down to his resting place, he cannot bring with him anything he has worked for during his lifetime. As eloquently pointed out in the Holy Scriptures:

“We leave this world just as we entered it – with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us.” (Eccles. 5:15, Today’s English Version)

The bright side
Although death, certain as it is, is the saddest, its onset the most unceremonious of all of life’s circumstances, there is a bright side to it. There is that death which is precious in the sight of God, the Giver and Taker of life (Deut. 32:39, Contemporary English Version). The Bible enlightens us on this regard:

“Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.” (Ps. 116:15, New King James Version)

There is, after all, a death that is not supposed to bring so much pain and so much sadness to people – both to the dying and to those whom they would be leaving behind – a death that is not a loss and is not in vain, for it has worth in the sight of God. And inasmuch as death, sad as it may be, is an inevitable occurrence, we might as well opt for and welcome the death that is precious to God. Why? Is there another kind of death that is different from the death that is precious in God’s sight? In Psalms, this is recorded:

“Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.” (Ps. 49:16-20, Ibid.)

There is the kind of death that is likened to that of the beasts. And such death cannot be said to be on account of one’s being poor and lowly in life. The aforecited man whose death is likened to that of the beasts has even attained riches, honor, and glory. Yet, he perishes like the beasts because he “does not understand.” What he does not understand is explained by the Bible, thus:

“The Lord says, ‘Wise men should not boast of their wisdom, nor strong men of their strength, nor rich men of their wealth. If anyone wants to boast, he should that he knows and understands me, because my love is constant, and I do what is just and right. These are the things that please me. I, the Lord, have spoken’.” (Jer. 9:23-24, TEV)

Whatever is man’s station in life, be he rich or poor, wise or fool, if he does not know and understand God, he would only die like a beast. Hence, one should not be content just to be alive, pursuing earthly knowledge, accumulating material wealth to improve one’s lot or simply earning a living to survive. What is of utmost importance is to understand and know God, our Creator, for this is the very reason God created us. God does not expect animals to understand and know Him. Which is why the death of even the wisest and the richest man on earth will only be like that of the beasts if he doesn’t know and understand God.

Knowing and understanding God
Given the religiosity and spirituality of many people today, they will readily say that they understand and know God. They show as proof the worship and service that they render to God. However, just because people sincerely believe and are fully convinced that they recognize and render God genuine worship and service does not mean that they truly know Him. Apostle Paul points out why:

“They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” (Titus 1:16, NKJV)

Apostle Paul speaks here of people who merely profess to know God. Merely professing to know God is not truly knowing Him. Apostle John delineates the distinction between those who merely profess or pretend to know God and those who genuinely know and understand Him:

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him’, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (I John 2:3-4, NIV)

Those who say they know God, even if they are fully convinced that they indeed do, but do not do what He commands are called liars. Their profession of faith is but an empty claim, for the truth is not in them. The correct and proper way to know God is to obey His biddings. One does not truly know God but merely pretends to do so if he refuses or fails to obey His will.

The will of God
The Bible points out that the death of those who do not know and understand God by refusing or failing to do His will for one reason or another is like that of the beasts. On the other hand, the death of God’s saints – those who truly know God because they follow His teachings or His will – is precious in His sight. They are called the saints of God because they have been sanctified, according to God’s will, through the offering of Christ’s body. The inspired writer of the letter to the Hebrews states:

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Heb. 10:10, NKJV)

The offering of Christ’s body sanctifies man because His shed blood has the power to cleanse man’s conscience from acts that lead to his death, or from sins. In Hebrews, this is stated further:

“How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb. 9:14, NIV)

To be among those whom God recognizes as His saints, one must be sanctified first by the blood of Christ and his conscience must be purged of all impurities or sins. Aside from this, there is no other way in which man can be cleansed of his sins for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22, Ibid.). And contrary to what many people believe, the works of righteousness man has done by himself cannot sanctify him to make him worthy of salvation, for “according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6, NKJV). Hence, man’s own works, even if he considers them righteous by his standards, cannot sanctify and save him. It is according to God’s mercy and grace that man is saved through the redemptive act of our Lord Jesus Christ. This does not mean, however, that when Christ was crucified and died on the cross, all men were forgiven of their sins and benefited from His sacrificial death. The Bible testifies that it is the Church of Christ that was redeemed or purchased by the precious blood of Christ:

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

Hence, in order to be embraced by Christ’s redemption, one needs to be a member of the Church of Christ. This is the way, according to God’s will, that man is sanctified and counted among His saints. This is the way in which he is made worthy to serve God and to receive His blessings.

Blessed are the redeemed
The fortune of becoming a member of the Church of Christ, which means being redeemed from sins through the sacrificial death of Christ, cannot be overstated. The Bible testifies to the blessedness of being redeemed or forgiven of one’s sins, thus:

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.” (Rom. 4:7-8, NKJV)

Indeed, those whose sins have been forgiven by virtue of Christ’s redemption of the Church of Christ have received an exceedingly great blessing. From their former condition of being sinners and separated from God, they have been sanctified and are now counted among His saints. Should they die patiently keeping the commandments of God, their death will be a precious one in His sight. The Bible testifies to this:

“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life …” (John 55:28-29, Ibid.)

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

Their rest will be in the Holy City, where all the sad and unpleasant things they experience in this life will be ended, for “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; There shall no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4, Ibid.).

And to be assured of such a great fortune, they strive to follow the Lord’s bidding: “be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10, Ibid.)

The wonder of God’s words

Published in Pasugo, Oct 2003

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

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

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

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

He further adds:

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

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

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

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

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

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

The preaching of Christ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The preaching of the apostles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sent and anointed by God

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

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed’.” (Lk. 4:18, Ibid.)

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

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” (Jn. 14:26, Ibid.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Katunayan nga ba ng pagiging Diyos ni Cristo?

Published in Pasugo, Aug 2006

Isang pagtalakay sa ilan pang talata ng Biblia na ginagamit na batayan ng mga nagsasabing si Cristo ang tunay na Diyos.

SA ARTIKULONG ITO ay susuriin natin ang ilan pa sa mga talata ng Biblia na ginagamit ng iba upang patunayang tama ang kanilang paniniwalang si Cristo ang tunay na Diyos. Sumasang-ayon kaya ang mga kinikilala nilang iskolar ng Biblia na ang mga talatang ito ay mapagbabatayan sa pagtuturong si Cristo ay Diyos?

I Juan 5:20
“At nalalaman natin na naparito ang Anak ng Dios, at tayo’y binigyan ng pagkaunawa, upang ating makilala siya na totoo, at tayo’y nasa kaniya na totoo, sa makatuwid ay sa kaniyang Anak na si Jesucristo. Ito ang tunay na Dios, at ang buhay na walang hanggan.”

Kung ang tatanungin ay ang mga iskolar ng Biblia na mula rin sa mga samahang panrelihiyon na nagtataguyod ng aral na si Cristo’y Diyos, ano kaya ang masasabi nila matapos nilang suriin ang talatang ito? Ganito ang patotoo ng isang komentarista at ministrong Protestante na si William Loader:

“3. [I Juan] 5:20-21. Pagkilala sa tunay na Diyos; pag-iwas sa idolatriya. Sa [manuskritong] Griyego ng 5:20 ay nakalagay lamang ang (isang) totoo at literal na mababasang: ‘nalalaman natin na naparito ang Anak ng Diyos, at tayo’y binigyan ng pagkaunawa’, upang ating makilala siya na (isang) totoo, at tayo’y nasa kaniya na (isang) totoo’, sa makatuwid ay sa kaniyang Anak na si Jesucristo. ‘Ito ang (isang) tunay na Diyos, at ang buhay na walang hanggan’. Malinaw dito na [sa buong sipi], ang (isang) totoo ay ang Diyos. Si Cristo ay ang kaniyang Anak. Sa huling pangungusap, ang (isang) ito ay natural lamang na tumutukoy pa rin sa Diyos, hindi kay Cristo, gaya ng iminumungkahi ng iba…” (The Johannine Epistle, p. 79.)¹*

Maliwanag na ayon kay William Loader, ang Ama, hindi si Cristo, ang tunay na Diyos na tinutukoy sa I Juan 5:20. Ang pahayag niyang ito ay kasang-ayon ng pagtuturo ni Cristo na ang Ama ang dapat makilala na iisang tunay na Diyos:

“At ito ang buhay na walang hanggan, na ikaw ay makilala nila na iisang Dios na tunay, at siyang iyong sinugo, sa makatuwid baga’y si Jesucristo.” (Juan 17:3)

I Juan 5:7
“For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” [Sapagkat may tatlong nagpapatotoo sa langit, ang Ama, ang Salita, at ang Espiritu Santo: at ang tatlong ito ay iisa.] (King James Version)

Ayon sa ibang mga nagtataguyod ng aral na si Cristo’y Diyos at ng doktrina ng Trinidad maliwanag daw sa talatang ito na ang Ama, ang Salita, at ang Espiritu Santo ay iisa. Ito raw ang katunayan na ang iisang Diyos ay may tatlong Persona at ang bawat persona ay tunay na Diyos. Si Cristo raw ang ikalawang persona, kaya, si Cristo ay tunay na Diyos.

Subalit dapat pansinin na walang sinasabi sa talatang ito na ang Diyos ay may tatlong persona. At lalong walang sinasabi na si Cristo ay Diyos.

Hindi lamang iyon, ang nilalaman ng I Juan 5:7 ng King James Version ay hindi mababasa o wala sa ibang salin ng Biblia. Napatunayan ng mga nagsuri na ang nakasaad sa talatang ito ay huwad – wala sa mga sinaunang manuskrito o sipi ng Biblia. Alinsunod sa iba pang nagsuri, ang nilalaman ng I Juan 5:7 sa King James Version ay idinagdag lamang noong ikalimang siglo. Tunghayan natin ang pahayag ng isang teologong Katoliko na si Hans Kűng:

“… Ang pinakamalinaw na patotoo, ang tanyag na Johannine Comma, na ipinagtanggol ng mga awtoridad Romano bilang tunay hanggang sa pagpasok ng panibagong siglo, na isang ‘pagdaragdag’ sa mga epistola ni Juan, tungkol sa Ama, Salita, at Espiritu, na iisa, ay karaniwan nang itinuturing ngayon bilang huwad (na nagmula sa Hilagang Aprika o España noong ikatlo o ikaapat na siglo).” (On Being a Christian, p. 472)²

Maging ang New Catholic Encyclopedia ay nagsasabing ang talatang ito ay hindi matatagpuan sa mga matatandang sulat-kamay na Griyego:

“Ang Comma (talata) ay wala sa lahat ng matatandang manuskritong Griyego ng BT [Bagong Tipan] maliban sa apat na bagu-bagong manuskrito na nasusulat mula ika-13 hanggang ika-16 na siglo. Ang Comma ay hindi kasama sa matatandang bersiyon sa Silangan tulad ng Peshitta, Philoxenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, at Armenian … Wala nang iskolar na tumatanggap na ito ay tunay.” (vol. 7, p. 1004)³

Malinaw na ang I Juan 5:7 ay hindi dapat ibigay na katunayan na si Cristo ay Diyos.

II Pedro 1:1
“Si Simon Pedro, na alipin at apostol ni Jesucristo, sa nagsipagkamit na kasama namin ng mahalagang pananampalataya sa katuwiran ng ating Dios at Tagapagligtas na si Jesucristo.”

Sa talatang ito ay tinawag daw ni Apostol Pedro si Cristo na Diyos at Tagapagligtas. Ngunit tinaggihan ng isang iskolar ang ganitong pagkaunawa sapagkat ayon sa kaniyang pag-aaral, ang talatang ito ay katulad din ng nasa Tito 2:13 na dalawa ang tinutukoy. Tunghayan natin ang kaniyang paliwanag:

“Sumusunod, sa mga salitang, ng ating Diyos at [ating] Tagapagligtas na si Jesucristo, ay ipapakahulugan ko, tulad ng Tito 2:13 [ kung saan, tingnan ang nota] na ang ating Diyos ay tumutukoy sa Ama, at ang [ating] Tagapagligtas na si Jesucristo ay tumutukoy sa Anak. Dito ay may karagdagang konsiderasyon na pabor sa ganitong pananaw, na ang Dalawa ay maliwanag na magkaiba sa susunod na talata.” (The New Testament for English Readers, p. 1671)⁴

Ayon naman kay Karen Armstrong, na isang dating madre ng Iglesia Katolika, hindi tinawag ni Apostol Pedro si Cristo na Diyos. Tunghayan natin ang kaniyang pahayag:

“… Hindi ipinahayag ni Pedro na si Jesus na taga-Nazaret ay Diyos. Siya ay ‘tao, na pinatunayan ng Diyos sa inyo sa pamamagitan ng mga himala at tanda na ginawa ng Diyos sa pamamagitan niya nang siya ay nasa gitna ninyo’.” (A History of God, p. 107)⁵

Samakatuwid, inaamin maging ng mga naniniwala at dating naniniwala na si Cristo’y Diyos na ang II Pedro 1:1 ay hindi nagpapatunay sa kanilang pinaniniwalaan.

I Timoteo 3:16
“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” [At walang pagtatalo, dakila ang hiwaga ng kabanalan: Ang Diyos ay nahayag sa laman, pinapaging-banal sa Espiritu, nakita ng mga anghel, ipinangaral sa mga Gentil, sinampalatayanan sa sanlibutan, tinanggap sa itaas sa kaluwalhatian.] (KJV)

Inuunawa ng iba ang talatang ito na si Cristo raw ay Diyos na nagkatawang-tao. Tama kaya ang pagkaunawang ito? Tunghayan natin ang pahayag ng mga nagsuri sa talatang ito. Ayon sa The International Bible Commentary, ang salitang “Diyos” sa mga katagang “Ang Diyos ay nahayag sa laman” na siyang pagkakaliwat sa King James Version ay mali. Ang dapat daw na ginamit ay ang panghalip na “Siya” sa halip na ang salitang “Diyos”:

“Ang panghalip na Siya kung saan ang himno ay nagsisimula, ay dapat unawaing tumutukoy kay Cristo. Ang pagbasang Griyego na pinagbabatayan ng salin sa AV [Authorized o King James Version] na ‘Diyos’ ay halos tiyak na mali …” (p. 1479)⁶

Ganito rin halos ang sinasabi sa iba’t ibang komentaryo ng Biblia:

“3:16 Ang pinakamatatandang tekstong Griyego ay nagsasaad ng ‘Siya’ sa halip na ‘Diyos’. Ang sumusunod na anim na parirala ay tila sinipi mula sa isang matandang himnong Cristiano …” (The Criswell Study Bible, footnote)⁷

“… Sa pinakamahuhusay na manuskrito ay mababasang ‘Siya’, na tumutukoy kay Cristo. Siya ay pinapaging-banal sa pamamagitan ng paraan ng paggawa sa kaniya ng Espiritu.” (The Westminster Study Edition of the Holy Bible, footnote)⁸

Malinaw sa maraming patotoo na sinipi natin mula sa mga iskolar ng Biblia na hindi dapat pagbatayan ang I Timoteo 3:16 sa paniniwalang si Cristo ay Diyos na nagkatawang-tao.

Ayon kay John Wycliffe, ang salitang “siya” sa I Timoteo 3:16 ay tumutukoy kay Cristo at ang salitang “laman” ay tumutukoy sa pagiging tao ni Cristo. Tunghayan natin ang kaniyang pahayag:

“… Ang konteksto ay malinaw na nagpapakita na ang tinutukoy ni Pablo ay si Cristo kapag sinasabi niyang: Siya na nahayag sa laman (ASV) [American Standard Version] … Lahat ng pangunahing salita ay nauulit sa ibang mga sulat ni Pablo. Laman. Madalas na binibigyang-diin ni Pablo ang pagkatao ni Cristo sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng salitang ito (Roma 1:3; 8:3; 9:5; Efe. 5:15; Col. 1:22; Heb. 5:7; 10:20)…” (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 1375)⁹

Tunay na si Cristo ay nagtaglay ng mga katangiang di taglay ng ibang tao (Gawa 2:36; 5:31; I Tim. 2:5; Efe. 1:20-22; Filip. 2:9-11) subalit, nananatili ang katotohanang tao ang Kaniyang likas na kalagayan at hindi Siya ang tunay na Diyos (Juan 8:40; I Tim. 2:5; Mat. 1:20; Ose. 11:9; Ezek. 28:2). At gaya ng ating napatunayan sa ating pagsusuring ito, mismong mga iskolar na mula sa mga samahang nagtataguyod ng aral na si Cristo’y Diyos ang nagsasabing ang mga talatang diumano’y nagpapatunay sa pagiging-Diyos ni Cristo ay hindi sang-ayon sa Biblia at, kung gayon, ay hindi wastong gamiting batayan sa pagtuturo ng gayong maling paniniwala.

ENDNOTES:

¹“3. 5:20-21. Knowing the true God; avoiding idolatry. The Greek of 5:20 has only the true (one) and reads literally: ‘we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding’ so that we know the true (one) and we are in the true (one)’, in his Son Jesus Christ. ‘The (one) is the true God and eternal life.’ It is clear from this that ‘the true (one)’ is God throughout. Christ is his Son. In the final sentence this (one) most naturally refers still to God, not to Christ, as some have suggested.” (Loader, William. The Johannine Epistle. London: Epworth Press, 1992.)

² “… The clearest testimony, the famous Johannine Comma, defended as authentic by the Roman authorities up to the turn of the century, an ‘interpolation’ into the first epistle of John, about Father, Word and Spirit, who are one, is generally regarded today as a forgery (originating in North Africa or Spain in the third or fourth century.” (Kűng, Hans. On Being a Christian. New York. Pocket Books, 1976.)

³ “The Comma is absent in all the ancient Greek manuscripts of the NT with the exception of four rather recent manuscripts that date from the 13th to 16th centuries. The Comma is lacking in such ancient Oriental versions as the Peshitta, Philoxenian, Coptic, Ethiopic, and Armenian … No scholar any longer accepts its authenticity.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 7. Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America, 1967.)

⁴“Next, in the words, of our God and [our] Saviour Jesus Christ, I would interpret, as in Titus ii, 13 [where see note] our God of the Father, and [our] Saviour Jesus Christ of the Son. Here, there is the additional consideration in favour of this view, that the Two are distinguished most plainly in the next verse.” (The New Testament for English Readers, vol. 4. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1983.)

⁵ “… Peter did not claim that Jesus of Nazareth was God. He ‘was a man, commended to you by God by the miracles and portents and signs that God worked through him when he was among you…” (Armstrong, Karen. A History of God. London: Mandarin Paperbacks, 1994.)

⁶ “By the pronoun He with which the hymn opens, is to be understood, Christ. The Greek reading which underlies the AV translation ‘God’ is almost certainly wrong …” (Bruce, F.F., General Editor. The International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986.)

⁷ “3:16 The earliest Greek texts have ‘He’ rather than ‘God’. The six phrases which follow appear to be a quotation from an early Christian hymn…” (Criswell, W. A., Ph.D., ed. The Criswell Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Pubs., 1979.)

⁸ “… The best manuscripts read, ‘Who’, referring to Christ. He was justified by the way the Spirit worked in him.” (The Westminster Study Edition of the Holy Bible. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1968.)

⁹ “The context makes it plain that Paul is referring to Christ when he says: He who was manifest in the flesh (ASV) … All the leading words occur elsewhere in Paul’s writings. Flesh. Paul frequently emphasizes the humanity of Christ by the use of this word (Rom 1:3; 8:3; 9:5; Eph 5:15; Col 1:22; Heb 5:7; 10:20)…” (Pfeiffer, Charles F. and Everett F. Harrison, eds. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1990.)

* NOTA: Lahat ng sinipi mula sa mga reperensiyang Ingles ay isinalin sa Filipino. Sadyang nilagyan ng diin ng may akda ang ilang bahagi ng mga siniping reperensiya.

True service

Published in Pasugo, Oct 2003

WHENEVER WE MENTION something like true service or true worship, some of our friends become annoyed. They feel upset not because they hate the idea of true worship, but because they do not agree that there is such thing as false service or false religion.

Many people consider it rather strange to believe that there is false religion or false service to God because they have been raised into believing that God accepts all services rendered to Him. “As long as you are serving the God,” they say, “God will accept you.” What is important, for them, is “to whom” one is rendering service and not “how” he does the act of worship.

Sadly, many of those who believe that all services are acceptable to God have become complacent. They have lost the motivation to examine their religious practices. They find no reason to search for the true religion as though such search were frivolous or unnecessary.

The Bible says that there are many who will be in for a rude awakening on Judgment Day – including those who believe all along that they will be saved and will receive the promises of God.

Cain and Abel

It may come as a surprise to some, but there are many examples in the Bible that prove that God does not accept every kind of service rendered to Him. One of such examples is contained in the first book of the Bible, Genesis:

“After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the LORD. Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The LORD was pleased with Abel and his offering, but he rejected Cain and his offering. Cain become furious, and he scowled in anger.” (Gen. 4:3-5, Today’s English Version)

Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve, served God. Both of them offered to the Lord. But, while the Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering, He rejected Cain and his offering.

Nadab and Abihu

There are other incidents in the Bible showing that God rejected people who were trying to serve Him, such as what happened to Nadab and Abihu:

“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.” (Lev. 10:1-2, New King James Version)

Nadab and Abihu were two servants of God who offered sacrifices to Him. But, since they offered a “profane fire which He had not commanded,” the Lord God rejected their offering. Instead of accepting their offering, the Lord God sent a fire that devoured and killed them. Therefore, it really matters “what” we are doing in our service to God. If it didn’t, then God would have accepted Nadab and Abihu.

One lesson we learn from this is that we should not break God’s commandments if we are to serve Him. Those who say something like, “God can read my mind,” and that “He knows my intention,” while going against His commandments, are mistaken. For instance, many kneel before graven images and worship those images, saying that in their mind, they believe that what they do is for God. However, nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to bow and worship images. Such practice is strictly prohibited by God (Exo. 20:3-5). Thus, the millions of people who believe that kneeling before images is acceptable, since they believe it is for God, are gravely mistaken. They are just like Nadab and Abihu who offered something that was not commanded by God.

Christ’s declaration

Often, when we talk to our friends about this topic, they would say, “we now live in the dispensation of grace.” This to them means that since we live in the Christian era, we are no longer under any obligation to follow God’s law. Also, for many so-called “Evangelical Christians,” it is enough to believe or have faith in Christ to be saved.

Even in the Christian era, there is such a thing as false religion and false service to God. There are people who profess belief in the name of Christ but in the end will be rejected by Him and, thus, will not be saved. Christ declares:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Mt. 7:21, NKJV)

Since, according to Christ, not everyone who calls Him Lord will go to heaven, then not all Christian-professing religions or churches will be saved on Judgment Day.

Who then will be saved? Who will go to heaven? Christ our Lord declared, “but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Thus, if we do the will of the Father, we will enter the kingdom of heaven. But even if we believe in God and in Christ yet do not obey the will of the Father, we will not be saved.

God’s will

The Bible teaches one of God’s will, that everyone must do:

“Having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him.” (Eph. 1:9-10, Ibid.)

It is God’s will that all be gathered together in Christ. Thus, no one could truly say that he has completely followed the will of the Father if he has not been united with Christ. To be in Christ is to be inside the body headed by Him:

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.)

It is God’s will for us to be members of the body of Christ, which is the Church:

“And He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18, Ibid.)

The apostles called this Church, the Church of Christ:

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

Those who were redeemed by the blood of Christ obtained the right to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14), therefore, they could now render true service.

God wants all people to be gathered together “in Christ.” To be in Christ is to be inside or to become part of His body or Church, which is the Church of Christ. Therefore, it is God’s will for us to be members of the Church of Christ.

Let us always remember that we are not free to do just about anything we have in mind in serving God. Even our Savior Jesus Christ tells us that we should follow God’s will.

Certain of salvation

While some people do not believe in the necessity of joining the Church of Christ to be saved, the Bible teaches otherwise:

“Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts. 2:47, NKJV)

If we want to be counted among those who will be saved, we must join the Church, for the Scriptures teaches that “the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.”

We are not teaching here that the Church is the Savior. Christ is the Savior, as the Bible teaches. But the Bible also teaches that it is the Church which Christ will save:

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

Those who follow God’s will are assured of receiving salvation on Judgment Day, inasmuch as the worship they render to Him is acceptable.

Ang Malaking Magagawa ng Pagtitiwala sa Diyos

sinipi mula sa polyeto ng INC

I. Dapat Magtiwala sa Diyos

1. Dapat magtiwala sa Panginoon nang buong puso – Kaw. 3:5-6 NPV
“Magtiwala ka sa PANGINOON nang buong puso at huwag kang manangan sa sarili mong karunungan; isangguni mo sa kanya ang lahat ng lakad mo, at itutuwid niya ang iyong mga landas.”

2. Sa Panginoon dapat ilagak ang mga kabalisahan – Awit 55:22 NPV
“Ilagak sa PANGINOON ang inyong mga kabalisahan at ikaw’y kanyang aalalayan; hindi niya itutulot na ang mga matuwid ay mabuwal.”

3. Gawin nating kanlungan ang Diyos sa panahon ng kaguluhan – Nahum 1:7 NPV
“Ang PANGINOON ay mabuti, isang kanlungan sa panahon ng kaguluhan. Ipinagmamalasakit niya ang mga nagtitiwala sa kanya.”

4. Dapat sumampalatayang may Diyos – Hebreo 11:6 Living Bible (LB)
“Hindi ninyo kailanman mabibigyang kaluguran ang Diyos kung walang pananampalataya, nang hindi umaasa sa kanya. Sinumang nais lumapit sa Diyos ay dapat sumampalatayang mayroong isang Diyos at ginagantimpalaan niya ang mga taong taos-pusong humahanap sa kanya.”

5. Dapat ipagtiwala sa Panginoon ang ating lakad – Awit 37:5 NPV
“Ipagtiwala mo sa PANGINOON ang iyong lakad; magtiwala ka sa kanya at ito ang gagawin niya.”

6. Dapat magpakatatag sa pananampalataya – I Cor. 16:13 NPV
“Mag-ingat kayo, at magpakatatag sa pananampalataya. Magpakalalaki kayo at magpakalakas.”

II. Ang Magagawa ng Patitiwala sa Diyos

1. Mamahalin ng Diyos – Isaias 30:18 MB
“Ngunit ang Diyos ay naghihintay Upang tulungan kayo at kahabagan; Diyos na makatarungan itong si Yahweh, Mapalad ang lahat ng nagtitiwala sa kanya.”

Awit 32:10 NPV
“Maraming kapighatian ang masasama, ngunit ang di nagmamaliw na pag-ibig ng PANGINOON ang nasa paligid ng taong nagtitiwala sa kanya.”

2. Hindi matatakot ni manlulupaypay – Deut 31:8 NPV
“Mauuna sa inyo ang PANGINOON mismo at sasama sa inyo; hindi niya kayo tatanggihan ni pababayaan. Ikaw ay huwag matatakot ni manlulupaypay.”

3. Matatatag at giginhawa – II Cron. 20:20
“At sila’y nagsibangong maaga sa kinaumagahan, at nagsilabas sa ilang ng Tecoa: at habang sila’y nagsisilabas, si Josaphat ay tumayo, at nagsabi, Dinggin ninyo ako, Oh Juda, at ninyong mga taga Jerusalame; sumampalataya kayo sa Panginoon ninyong Dios, sa gayo’y matatatag kayo; sumampalataya kayo sa kaniyang mga propeta, sa gayo’y giginhawa kayo.”

4. Magiging matibay ang puso – Awit 27:14 LB
“Huwag kayong mainip. Hintayin ninyo ang Panginoon, at siya’y darating at ililigts kayo! Laksan ninyo ang inyong loob, maging matibay ang inyong puso, at kayo’y maging matapang. Oo, maghintay kayo at tutulungan niya kayo.”

5. Iniingatang ligtas – Kaw 29:25 NPV
“Ang takot ng tao ay nagsisilbing patibong, ngunit sinumang nagtitiwala sa PANGINOON ay iniingatang ligtas.”

6. May panangga at pamatay sa masama – Efe 6:16 NPV
“Bukod dito, ay taglayin ninyo ang kalasag ng pananampalataya bilang panangga, at pamatay sa lahat ng nagliliyab na palaso ng masama.”

7. Sa panahon ng bagabag, mapupuntahan ang Diyos – Nahum 1:7 LB
“Ang Panginoon ay mabuti. Kapag dumating ang kabagabagan, siya ang mapupuntahan! At nakikilala niya ang lahat ng nagtitiwala sa kanya!”

8. Walang kasamaang mangyayari sa tahanan – Awit 91:9-10
“Sapagka’t ikaw, Oh Panginoon, ay aking kanlungan! Iyong ginawa ang Kataastaasan na iyong tahanan; Walang kasamaang mangyayari sa iyo, ni anomang salot ay lalapit sa iyong tolda.”

9. Ibibigay at tiyak na tatanggapin ang anumang hingin – Mateo 21:22 NPV
“Kung kayo’y nananampalataya, anumang hingin ninyo sa panalangin ay ibibigay sa inyo.”

Marcos 11:24 LB
“Pakinggan ninyo ako! Maaari kayong humingi ng anumang bagay sa pamamagitan ng panalangin, at kung kayo’y sumasampalataya, tinanggap na ninyo ito; ito’y sa inyo na!”

10. Lahat ay mapangyayari – Mateo 17:20 NPV
“Sumagot siya, ‘Sapagkat mahina ang inyong pananampalataya. Sinasabi ko sa inyo ang katotohanan, kung ang pananampalataya ninyo’y sinlaki man lang ng buto ng mustasa, sabihin ninyo sa bundok na itong lumipat doon, at ito’y lilipat. Lahat ay mapangyayari ninyo.”

11. May buhay na walang hanggan – Juan 5:24 NPV
“Sinasabi ko sa inyo ang katotohanan, ang dumirinig sa aking salita, at sumasampalataya sa kanya na nagsugo sa akin, ay may buhay na walang hanggan, at hindi na siya hahatulan. Lumipat na siya sa buhay mula sa kamatayan.”

Awit 37:5 MB
“Ang iyong sarili’y sa Diyos mo ilagak, Pag nagtiwala ka’y tutulungang ganap.”

12. Magmamana ng lupain – Awit 37:9 MB
“Ang nagtitiwala sa Diyos, mabubuhay, Ligtas sa lupain at doon tatahan, Ngunit ang masama’y ipagtatabuyan.”

13. Makakamit ang masaganang gantimpala – Heb. 10:35 NPV
“Kaya huwag kayong mawawalan ng tiwala sa Dios at makakamit ninyo ang masaganang gantimpala.”

III. Ang Makapagtitiwala sa Diyos ay nananatiling tapat sa pagka-Iglesia ni Cristo

1. Hinanap muna ang kaharian – Mateo 6:33
“Datapuwa’t hanapin muna ninyo ang kaniyang kaharian, at ang kaniyang katuwiran; at ang lahat ng mga bagay na ito ay pawing idaragdag sa inyo.”

… na ibinigay sa kawan – Lucas 12:32
“Huwag kayong mangatakot, munting kawan; sapagka’t nakalulugod na mainam sa inyong Ama ang sa inyo’y ibigay ang kaharian.”

… na siyang Iglesia ni Cristo – Gawa 20:28 Lamsa
“Ingatan ninyo kung gayon ang inyong mga sarili at ang buong kawan na rito’y hinirang kayo ng Espiritu Santo na mga katiwala upang pakanin ang Iglesia ni Cristo na binili niya ng kaniyang dugo.”

2. Nananatiling dumadalo sa pagtitipon – Heb. 10:23, 25 MB
“Magpakatatag tayo sa ating pag-asa at huwag mag-alinlangan, sapagkat tapat ang nangako sa atin. At huwag kaligtaan ang pagdalo sa ating mga pagtitipon gaya ng ginawa ng ilan, kundi palakasin ang loob ng isa’t isa, lalo na ngayong nakikita nating nalalapit na ang pagdating ng Panginoon.”

3. Kahit may problema ay patuloy na sumasamba – Awit 27:3-6 MB
“Kahit salakayin ako ng kaaway, Magtitiwala rin ako sa Maykapal. Isang bagay lamang ang aking mithiin, Isang bagay itong kay Yahweh hiniling: Ang ako’y lumagi sa banal na templo Upang kagandahan niya’y mamasdan ko At yaong patnubay niya ay matamo. Iingatan ako kapag may bagabag, Sa banal na templo’y iingatang ligtas; Itataas niya sa batong matatag. Ako’y magwawagi sa aking kaaway. Sa templo’y may galak ako na sisigaw Magpupuri akong may handog na taglay; Kay Yahweh sasamba’t aking aawitan.”

4. Nagpupuring lagi – Awit 52:8(b)-9 NPV
“…nagtitiwala ako sa di nagmamaliw na pag-ibig ng Dios magpakailanman. Dahil sa ginawa Mo, pupurihan kita magpakailanman; aasa ako sa Iyong pangalan, sapagkat ang pangalan Mo ay mabuti. Pupurihin kita sa harapan ng Iyong mga banal.”

IV. Ang Pagpapakilala ng Pagtitiwala sa Diyos

1. Lumapit sa Diyos – Sant. 4:8 LB
“At kapag lumapit kayo sa Diyos, lalapit ang Diyos sa inyo. Hugasan ninyo ang inyong mga kamay, kayong mga makasalanan, at hayaang ang Diyos lamang ang pumuno sa inyong mga puso upang maging dalisay at tapat ang mga ito sa kanya.”

2. Maglingkod na lubos – Awit 116:7 at 16 MB
“Manalig ka, O puso ko, sa Diyos ka magtiwala, Pagkat siya ay mabuti’t di marunong magpabaya. Panginoon, naririto akong inyong abang lingkod, Katulad ng aking ina, maglilingkod akong lubos; Yamang ako’y iniligtas, kinalinga at tinubos.”

3. Tumawag sa Panginoon Awit 55:16 LB
“Ngunit tatawag ako sa Panginoon upang ako’y iligtas – at ililigtas niya ako.”

4. Laging igalang ang Kaniyang mga palatuntunan – Awit 119:117
“Alalayan mo ako, at ako’y maliligtas, At magkakaroon ako ng laging pitagan sa iyong mga palatuntunan.”

5. Sumunod sa Panginoon – Kaw. 16:20 LB
“Pinagpapala ng Diyos ang mga taong sumusunod sa kanya; maligaya ang taong nagtitiwala sa Panginoon.”

6. Nagpapagal at nagtitiis – I Tim 4:10 KJV
“Sapagkat dahil dito ay nagpapagal kami at nagtitiis ng kahihiyan, sapagkat nagtitiwala kami sa buhay na Diyos, na siyang tagapagligtas ng lahat ng tao, lalo na ng mga sumasampalataya.”

7. Hihintayin ang Diyos – Mikas 7-7 LB
“Para sa akin, titingin ako sa Panginoon para sa kanyang tulong; hinihintay ko ang Diyos upang ako’y iligtas; didinggin niya ako.”

8. Hanapin ang Diyos nang buong puso at kaluluwa – Deut. 4:29 NPV
“Ngunit kung hahanapin ninyo roon ang PANGINOON ninyong Dios, makikita ninyo siya kung hahanapin ninyo siya nang buong-puso at buong kaluluwa.”

9. Alalahanin ang Panginoon at manalangin sa Kaniyang templo – Jonas 2:7
“Nang ang aking kaluluwa ay nanglupaypay sa loob ko, naaalaala ko ang Panginoon; At ang aking dalangin ay umabot sa loob ng iyong banal na templo.”

10. Ipahayag na tayo’y Kaniyang lingkod – Neh. 2:20(a) MB
“Tinugon ko sila, ‘Pagtatagumpayin kami ng Diyos ng kalangitan, pagkat kami ay kanyang lingkod.’”

11. Huwag magsawa sa pagsunod sa Kautusan – II Hari 18:5-6 MB
“Ang pananalig ni Ezequias kay Yahweh, sa Diyos ng Israel, ay hindi natularan ng mga naging hari sa Israel, maging sa mga sinundan niya o sumunod sa kanya. Nanatili siyang tapat kay Yahweh at hindi nagsawa sa pagsunod sa Kautusan.”

12. Mabuhay sa pananampalataya – II Cor 5:7 NPV
“Nabubuhay kami sa pananampalataya, hindi sa pamamagitan ng paningin.”

13. Makipagbaka ng mabuting pakikipagbaka – I Tim. 6:12 NPV
“Makipagbaka ka ng mabuting pakikipagbaka ng pananampalataya. Panghawakan mo ang buhay na walang hanggan yamang diyan ka tinawag nang ipahayag mo ang iyong pananampalataya sa harap ng maraming saksi.”

14. Gumawa ng mabuti – Sant. 2:17 LB
“Kaya nakikita mo na hindi sapat na magkaroon lamang ng pananampalataya. Dapat din kayong gumawa ng mabuti upang patunayang taglay nga ninyo ito. Ang pananampalatayang hindi pinatutunayan ang kanyang sarili sa pamamagitan ng mabubuting gawa ay hindi pananampalataya sa anumang paraan – ito’y patay at walang kabuluhan.”

15. Kung bumagsak man ay muling tumayo – Mikas 7:8 NPV
“Huwag mo akong pagtawanan, aking kaaway! Kahit ako bumagsak, muli akong tatayo. Kahit ako umupo sa kadiliman, ang PANGINOON ang magiging liwanag ko.”

16. Huwag mag-alinlangan – Sant. 1:6
“Nguni’t humingi siyang may pananampalataya, na walang anomang pagaalinlangan: sapagka’t yaong nagaalinlangan ay katulad ng isang alon ng dagat na itinutulak ng hangin at ipinapadpad sa magkabikabila.”

17. Huwag umurong – Heb 10:39 NPV
“Ngunit hindi tayo kabilang sa mga umuurong at napapahamak, kundi sa mga sumasampalataya at naligtas.”

18. Panatag na hintayin ang mga pangako ng Diyos – Heb. 11:1 NPV
“Ngayon, ang pananampalataya ay ang kapanatagan ng mga bagay na hinihintay at katunayan ng mga bagay na hindi nakikita.”

19. Huwag pagmatigasin ang puso – Heb 3:16 LB
“Ngunit ngayon na ang panahon. Huwag ninyong kalilimutan ang babala, ‘Kung marinig ninyo ngayon ang tinig ng Diyos na nagsasalita sa inyo, huwag ninyong pagmatigasin ang inyong mga puso laban sa kanya, tulad ng ginawa ng baying Israel nang sila’y maghimagsik laban sa kanya sa ilang.”

20. Magbalik-loob sa Diyos – Oseas 12:6
“Kaya’t magbalik-loob ka sa iyong Dios mag-ingat ka ng kaawaan at ng kahatulan, at hintayin mong lagi ang iyong Dios.”

21. Kilalanin ang Diyos at si Cristo – Mat. 10:32-33 NPV
“Sinumang kumilala sa akin sa harap ng mga tao ay kikilalanin ko rin sa harap ng aking Ama sa langit. Ngunit ang magtatwa sa akin sa harap ng mga tao ay itatwa ko rin naman sa harap ng aking Ama sa langit.”

22. Huwag matakot – Isa. 12:2 NPV
“Tiyak na ang Dios ang aking kaligtasan; magtitiwala ako at hindi matatakot. Ang PANGINOON, ang PANGINOON ay aking kalakasan at aking awit. Siya ang aking naging kaligtasan.”

23. Hilinging dagdagan ang pananampalataya – Lukas 17:5 NPV
“Sinabi ng mga apostol sa Panginoon, ‘Dagdagan po ninyo ang aming pananampalataya!’”

24. Ibigin ang Diyos – Roma 8:28 LB
“At nalalaman natin ang lahat ng bagay na nangyayari sa atin ay sa ating ikabubuti kung iniibig natin ang Diyos at tayo’y karapat-dapat sa kanyang panukala.”

25. Matamang makinig sa Kaniyang mga salita Roma 10:17 KJV
“Kaya nga ang pananampalataya ay nanggagaling sa pakikinig, at ang pakikinig ay sa pamamagitan ng salita ng Diyos.”

26. Ibigin ang ating kapwa laluna ang kapatid – I Cor. 13:2 LB
“Kung taglay ko man ang kaloob na panghuhula at nalalaman ang lahat ng bagay na mangyayari sa hinaharap, nalalaman ang lahat tungkol sa lahat ng bagay, ngunit wala akong pag-ibig sa ibang tao, ano’ng kabutihan ang magagawa nito? Kahit na taglay ko ang kaloob na pananampalataya kung kaya nakapagsasalita ako sa isang bundok at naililipat ito, kung walang pag-ibig, wala pa rin akong kabuluhan sa anumang paraan.”

27. Idagdag ang kabutihang-asal – II Pedro 1:5 NPV
“Dahil dito, sikapin ninyong idagdag sa inyong pananampalataya ang kabutihang-asal; sa kabutihang-asal ang kaalaman.”

28. Buksan natin ang ating puso sa Diyos – Awit 62:8
“Magsitiwala kayo sa kaniya buong panahon, kayong mga bayan; Buksan ninyo ang inyong dibdib sa harap niya; Dios ay kanlungan sa atin.”

God’s Planting

Published in Pasugo, Aug 2006

God’s planting is for His glory, so a person can truly glorify God only if he is included among God’s planting or if he is among God’s chosen people.

ALTHOUGH CHURCHES professing to be Christians are so numerous nowadays that one can hardly count them, there remains the biblical truth that there is only one Church or religion that belongs to our Lord God. The Holy Scriptures, being the repository of God’s revealed truth, which man should accept and believe, is never wanting in revelations about which religion or church is the true one. Hence, people should not allow themselves to be confused or to be hoodwinked into believing that all religions or churches belong to Him, neither should they stop searching for the true one, until they have finally found it, because what is at stake here is no less than the salvation of their souls.

The Bible illustrates in various ways how God’s people – those who belong to the true Church or religion – can be recognized. One lucid illustrations depicts God’s chosen people as His planting – distinct and unique from those which He did not plant or those who do not belong to Him. The prime importance of being God’s planting is underscored in these words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

“…Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.” (Matt. 15:13, New King James Version)

The plants, which God did not plant, obviously, do not belong to Him and they will be uprooted come the appointed time. These are the churches or religions that were not established by Him. They are likened to tares that will be “gathered and burned in the fire… at the end of this age (Matt. 13:40, Ibid.) or on Judgment Day. How they came about, the Lord Jesus explains that “an enemy has done this,” referring to the devil as “the enemy who sowed them” (Matt. 13:28, 39, Ibid).

Indeed, to be God’s planting or to be among His people is very important because on Judgment Day, those that are not His planting will be uprooted and burned in the lake of fire.

God’s planting in the ancient time
The Psalmist points out which was God’s planting during the ancient period:

“You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it.” (Ps. 80:8, Ibid.)

The planting of God that He brought out of Egypt was no other than the nation of Israel that God established to be His own people. The Prophet Isaiah explains that “the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant …” (Isa. 5:7, Ibid.).

As God’s planting, His established nation and chosen people, the Israelites were towering in importance before the sight of God over all the other peoples of the world during their time:

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” (Deut. 7:6, Ibid.)

There were already many nations established during the time of ancient Israel but only the Israelites were chosen by God to be a people for Himself. Only Israel was God’s planting during that time. As such, He was counting on them to bring forth good grapes. However, what Israel brought forth instead were wild grapes. God said of His planting:

“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.” (Isa. 5:3-5, Ibid.)

As ancient Israel fell short of God’s expectation, He decided to take away from His vineyard its hedge, burn it, break down its wall, and be trampled down. Israel did not remain as God’s planting and God rejected them as His people.

God’s planting in the Christian era
God had prophesied, through Prophet Isaiah, whom He would send to begin a new group of people who would glorify Him and who would replace ancient Israel as His planting. The prophecy states:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (Isa. 61:1-3, Ibid.)

Our Lord Jesus Christ proved that He was the one referred to as God’s planting in the prophecy when, after reading this same prophecy, He declared: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:17-21, Ibid.). However, Christ is not the only planting of God; as the true vine, He has branches. Says our Lord:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. …I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1, 5, Ibid.)

As Christ, the vine, is God’s planting, so are His branches. Christ and His branches belong to God and are recognized by God as His chosen people. As for what the branches are intended, the prophecy clarifies, thus:

“Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, that I may be glorified.” (Isa. 60:21, Ibid.)

God’s planting is for His glory, so a person can truly glorify God only if he is included among God’s planting or if he is among God’s chosen people. Christ and His branches are chosen by God to give glory unto Him in replacement of ancient Israel that was formerly His planting.

The vine and the branches
The equivalent of Christ’s being the vine and those who belong to Him as the branches could be read in this illustration of Apostle Paul:

“And He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18, Ibid.)

“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being, many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” (Rom. 12:4-5, Ibid.)

Christ, who is the vine, is the head, and the members of the Church, which is His body, are the branches. The Church headed by Christ is named after Him – Church of Christ (Rom. 16:16; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation).

Christ and the members of the Church which He established in the first century were God’s planting. God expected them to glorify Him. However, Apostle Paul forewarned that the first-century Church of Christ would apostatize or turn away from the true faith, thus would stop giving glory unto God:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; … Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” (I Tim. 4:1, 3, King James Version)

This turning away from the faith of the early Christians occurred after the “departure” or death of the apostles (Acts 20:29-30, 37-38; II Tim. 4:6-8). Indeed, when the apostles were gone, the Church that they had left behind listened to and followed the “doctrines of devils,” two of which are forbidding to marry and abstension from eating meat. These doctrines can be found in the Catholic Church, the church that prides itself to be the continuation of the Church administered by the apostles (The Unbroken Chain, p. 4). The Catholic Church forbids its “priests to marry after their ordination” (The Faith of Our Fathers, p. 328), and it also commands its members “to fast and abstain from flesh meat on certain days of the year” (Manual of Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma, Moral, and Worship, p. 317). Upholding such doctrines clearly shows that the Catholic Church is indeed the result of the apostasy that took place when the first-century Church of Christ turned away from the true faith after the death of the apostles. Thus, just as Israel, God’s planting in ancient time, turned away from Him, so did the first-century Church of Christ which God appointed to replace it. And just as Israel continued to exist as a nation, but no longer as God’s nation, so did the Church that started in the first century, but no longer as the Church that belonged to God and to Christ, because it had turned into an apostate church.

God’s planting in these last days
With the turning away from the true faith of the first-century Church, God again planted a replacement as He had promised, thus:

“I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the LORD has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (Isa. 41:19-20, NKJV)

God’s planting in the wilderness herein referred to is the work and creation of His hand. He planted in the wilderness because the apostasy that overtook the first-century Church is illustrated in the Bible as that of a “woman [who] fled into the wilderness” (Rev. 12:6, Ibid.). The woman represents a church, for the true Church is likened by Apostle Paul to a chaste virgin (II Cor. 11:2). The first-century Church when it had apostatized became “a land where there is no one, A wilderness in which there is no man” (Job 38:26, NKJV). Although the organization has persisted and continued, it has lost its right and privilege to glorify God, and hence, the first-century Church of Christ died out as God’s planting after the death of the apostles. And so God promised to plant again in replacement to His former planting.

The beginning of God’s planting
To start out His planting in these last days, God sent a messenger whom He had “taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions,” and to whom He assured, “You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not for I am with you, Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:9-10, Ibid.).

The time “ends of the earth” refers to that period when the end of the world or the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus “is near – at the doors” (Matt. 24:3, 33, Ibid.), as He emphatically pointed out, giving as signs, events that had global significance, like the two world wars, World War I and World War II, that broke out in succession on July 27, 1914 and on September 1, 1939, respectively (Matt. 24, 6-7; The Story of the Great War, vol. 3, p. 923). It was at the start of the first global war that God’s planting at the ends of the earth officially emerged through the instrumentality of His chosen servant whom He had given the right to serve and worship Him and to whom He promised to help, strengthen, and uphold with His righteous right hand or the gospel, which is God’s righteousness for salvation (Rom. 1:16-17).

The Church of Christ believes that the chosen servant whom God had sent to begin His planting in these last days was fulfilled in Brother Felix Y. Manalo, who preached this Church in 1914. Through his preaching of the gospel, which God promised to uphold him with, God’s sons and daughters from the far east, the Philippines being the country in the far east in which the prophecy was fulfilled, were gathered together (Isa. 43:5-6, Moffatt Translation; Asia and the Philippines, p. 169), resulting in the reemergence of the true Church of Christ, God’s planting in these last days. In order for this planting to grow in the “wilderness,” as the first-century Church of Christ turned apostate and became devoid of people faithful to God’s teachings, God said in the prophecy that He “would make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water” (Isa. 41:18, NKJV). The water that God would cause to flow in the wilderness for His planting to grow is His words (John 4:10-15) and the Holy Spirit (John 7:38-39), both of which have been received by those who believed in the preaching of the gospel by the one whom God has sent (Eph. 1:13-14).

True enough, the Church of Christ in these last days emerged through the preaching of God’s words by His messenger. The once desolate wilderness is now again populated with members of the true Church, God’s chosen people who firmly believe and faithfully obey His commandments. As God’s planting, the Church of Christ is continuously nurtured with His words, which are incessantly preached in the congregational worship services of its members throughout the world, together with the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit – all for the glory and honor of its vinedresser, the Father in heaven.

References:
Dela Costa, Horacio, S.J. Asia and the Philippines. Manila, Philippines: Solidaridad Publishing House, 1967.

Gibbons, James Cardinal. The Faith of Our Fathers. New York, USA: P.J. Kenedy & Sons, n.d.

Hunt, Most Rev. Duane G., D.D. The Unbroken Chain. n.p The Queen’s Work, 1959.

Manual of Christian Doctrine: Comprising Dogma, Moral and Worship. By a Seminary Professor. Nihil Obstat: N.F. Fisher, S.T.I., Censor Librorum, and Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D., Censor Deputatus; Imprimatur: D.J. Dougherty, Archiepiscopus Philadelphiensis. New York, USA: La Salle Bureau, Brothers of the Christian Schools, 1935.

Reynolds, Francis J., Allen L. Churchill, and Francis T. Miller, eds. The Story of the Great War, vol. 3. New York, USA: P.F. Collier & Son, 1916.