pasugo aug.2012 vol.64 no.8 ''offer to god glory and praise'' ☺

7/30/2019 Pasugo Aug.2012 Vol.64 No.8 ''Offer to God Glory and Praise''

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PASUGO

D'SMPSSAGE. AUGUST 2012 VOLLME 64 NtMBER 8 ISSN 0116- 636 .

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PASUGOGOD'SMESSAGEThe Magazine of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)

PUBLISHERIglesia Ni Cristo

ED I TOR- I N-CH I EFRichard J. Rodas

MANAG I NG EDITORN icanor P. Tiosen

SEN IOR EDITORSMaximo M. Bularan \I . Rene J. Panoncillo

CONT RIBUTING ED ITO RSLyndon A. Aguirre ' Robert F. Pe ll ien

ED IT OR I AL ASSOCIATESRoland A. Ag uirre Ma rlex C. Cantor

Cele rino G. Baclaan . Dennis C. Lo ve ndinoPedrito B. Plac io

WRITERSSiegfred T. Gollayan Ma rie F. Ruiz

No rman A. ReyesGRAPHIC ARTISTS

Bienvenido A. Santiago Jr . Samuel T. SolanoSylvia N. Dreo . Regina B. Burgui llos

PHOTOGRAPHERSJohn Borg' Glady C. Gaddi

Sa mu el P. De Leon Chri stian R. Barrera

GOD'S MESSAGE is published monthly by the Iglesia NiCristo wit h editorial office at No. I Ce ntra l Avenue, NewEra, Quezon City 1107 Philippines Telephone: (632) 981-4311 Fax: (632) 981-4333. Entered as second-class mailmatter at the Central Post Office in Manila on February 13,1979. Published under pePM Certificate of RegistrationNo. Sp. 237. All manuscripts and photographs sub mittedfor editor ial consideration must be accompa nied by a selfaddressed envelope and return postage. G O ~ ' S MESSAGEassumes no respons ibil ity to the return of unsolicited materials. Copy right 1986 by Iglesia Ni Cristo.

HOW TO REACH US

Do yo u have questions, commen ts, or suggestions?Send yo ur letters wit h complete name and address. to an yof the following ed ito ri al offices:

Philipp ines (Main Off ice): Iglesia Ni Cristo CentralOffice, No.1 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City1107 Ph ilippines. Fax: (632) 981-4333US.A.: 770 Airp ort Boulevard, BurlingameCA 94010 USA. Fax: (650 ) 548- 1739Australia: #3 Ross St., !\orth Parramatta, NSW 2 151Australia. Fax: (6 12) 9630-5058Northeast Asia: 2 Chome 14-2. Kita-Magome OtakuTokyo T143-0021 Japan. Telefax: (8 1-03) 6303-7874Europe: 79 Sta ines Road \i\'estSunbury-on-Thames TW 16 7AH. Unit ed KingdomFax: (00 44-193) 275-5467

Or. e-ma il usat: [email protected]. Sender's name rna}'be withhel d upon request. 'We reserve the right to edit theletters for reasons of space and clarity.

C O N TEN TSAUGUS T 2012 VO LUME 6 4 ' UMBER 8

Features

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GLOBAL PASTORAL VISITATIO SShepherding an ever-growing flockNORTH DIVE RS ION, METRO MAN ILA NORTHFight the good fight of faithINC UNGAP SA MAMAMAYAN SETS WORLD RECORDSThe Lord's work excellingCALIFORNIA, USAFirst INC Media experience heldin Southern CaliforniaPI NUGAY, RIZAL, PHILIPPINESNEU conducts tree-planting activity through ALSINCELEBRAT ION : TH E INC 98TH ANN IVERSARY PRESENTATIONSFaith celebrated through culture and the arts

Art ic les

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Deliverance from sin and punishmentby Nicanor P. TiosenSino ang tunay na malaya?by Arvin T. GalangEl hombre debe ser puesto en libertadtraducido por Jose V. Ventilacion

Departments1,34

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EDITORIALSMAILBOXCHURCH REPORTSAROUND THE GLOBE

Our Cover: A photo after theChurch anni versa ry thanksgiving worshipservice officiated by the Executive Mi niste r,

Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, in Rom e, Ita ly.

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EDITORIAL

The greatest freedomTHROUGHOUT HU MAN HISTORY, many livesha ve bee n sa crificed in th e name of freedomw he ther for religiou s ex pression, political end s 0;simply eman cipation from slav ery. The wo rd " freedom "itse lf h as been a perennial ca tchphrase in fu eling manywa rs and revolutions all over the wo rld in the pas t aswe ll as in the present.

Political and soc ia l movem ents have used th e termas a rallyin g point to eradi ca te slavery everyw here th atwoefull y continues to ex is t under th e eup hemisms"bonded labor" and "human tra fficking". Ma ny na tionsan d countries cry for free dom fro m tyrann y, ye t continueto be pl ag ued by co rruption, poverty, wi ckedness, andmiser y.

There a re even acts toda y th a t m any p eo ple perceiveas m ani fes tations of freedom and favorable to the w elfa reof man-l ike assertion of gay right s, lega lized ga mbling,abortion, legali zation of p rohibited dru gs- b u t thesein fact w ill bring d es tructi on un to th em for they areblatantly aga inst Go d' s teachi ngs and commandment s(I Cor. 6:9-10, Amplified Bible). Truly, freedom has beengiven various m eanings an d definitions.

Man ought to reali ze that freedom in its veryessence do es no t mean be ing ab so lu tely free. Even in ave ry perfect se tting like the Ga rd en of Eden w here Go dplaced the first couple, Adam and Eve, and gave th emdominion ove r the fi sh, the birds, and all the animals,God ha d se t a limitation . True, God gave them also Hi slaws, one of w hi ch was the prohibition to eat of the fruitof the tree of know led ge of good and ev il at th e center o fthe gar den, but they di sobeyed . An d th e res t, as biblicalrecords articulate, is hi story.

Since th e fall of Adam and Eve, ma n has been try ingto ge t out from und er th e cu rse on account of sin- thatcur se being dea th , because as all men sin ned, so dea th hassp read to or has bee n experienced by the ent ire hu m anrace (Rom. 5:12). So how can m an recap tu re the freed omGod gave them originall y in p a radise? H ow can m an be

free ? Those w ho are truly free ha ve been enthusiasticallyid entified by th e Sav ior Him se lf, th u s: " If the Son se tsyo u free, th en yo u will be rea lly free" (John 8:36, Today'sEnglish Version ). These peo pl e have been se t free fro m" th e law of sin and dea th " (Rom. 8:2 , 1, Ibid.), hence, thestrict in s tructi on to th em is that they m ake sure to s tayfree an d not ge t tied up ag ain by sin and w ickedness .

Man h as no alternati ve for the Savior' s so lutionbecau se the w ages of sin is death (Rom . 6:23) in th e lakeof fire an d brims tone (Rev. 20: 14) on the Second Adve ntof th e Lord Jes us Chri s t. No true Christian wo uld everdi scount the grea t importance of belonging to Jes us bybein g p art of Hi s bo dy or th e Church (Co l. 1:18), thename of w hich is Church Of Chr ist (Ac ts 20:28, LamsaTranslation ). Man nee d s the Church O f Chri st so as tobenei.l t fro m the redempti ve bl ood of th e Savior, thu s,bein g freed from the shackles of s in an d d ea th .Go d 's se nding of Jes us to di e on the cross is aclea r expression of His mercy to redee m man . Ma n 'sresp onsibility th en is to d o wh ateve r is necessa ryto . preserve and maintain th a t free d om fro m sin bymainta ining a right ful rela tionship w ith Go d w ith in theChurch Of Chris t. Hi s ultimate des tiny is at stake.

The p robl em is, there is w ith in man an ever-p rese ntdes ire to sin and commit ev il- it is ca lled th e sinfu lna tu re of man. Ap os tl e Paul pow er full y sa id so : "WhatI say is thi s: le t the Spirit di rect yo ur li ves, and yo u willnot sa tisfy th e des ires of th e hu m an natu re. Fo r w hatour human na tu re wa nt s is opp osed to w hat the Spi ritwa nt s, and wha t the Spi rit wa nts is o pp osed to what ourhu m an nature wa nt s. These two are e nemi es, and th ismean s that yo u cann ot do what yo u wa nt to do " (Ga l.5:16-17, TEV) .

Ma n n a turally loves to d o ev il things- gra ti fyi ng thecrav ings an d des ires of th e fl es h or hu m an na tu re - thatare Ju st tI l e oppos ite u f w ha t th e Spi r i t 0 " Cod won t s .These two forces within m an are consta ntly fight ingeach o ther to wi n cont ro l over hi m .

.-\ L'G L'S T 2012 . GO D ' S M ESSAG E 1

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If man becomes alienated from God because of his prejudice, his carnal passion, or his worldly interest, he is courtinghis ultimate destruction and death for being enslaved again tosin as vehemently declared by the apostle: "Surely you knowthat when you surrender yourselves as slaves to obey someone, you are in fact the slaves of the master you obey-either ofsin, which results in death,or of obedience, which re-

teousness of God? Apostle Paul spiritedly answers: "Butnow that you have been set free from sin and have becomeslaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, an d theresult is eternal life" (Rom. 6:22, New International Version).

Ho w can it ever be considered a "loss of freedom" ifwhat man gains is holiness and eternal life? Great rather is

, the blessing attainedby those freed from sin:

sults in being pu t rightwith God. ... What didyou gain from doing thethings that you are nowashamed of? The resultof those things is death!"(Rom. 6:16, 21, Ibid.).

ult the Son sets you free, then you will bereally free. " -John 8:36, Today's English Versionthey have become slavesto God and will earn thepresent reward of holiness and its end is everlasting life in His heavenly kingdom.hese people have been set free fromUthe law of sin and death." -Rom. 8:2, " Ibid.

\) In familiar humanHence, those wh o

live in sin and sheertransgression of God'slaws-living in wantonpleasure and self-gratification-are already considered dead even if they

Hence, the strict instruction to them is thatthey make sure to stay free and notget tied up again by sin and wickedness.

terms, man must yieldhis natural limitation toa Christian way of lifeas the apostle unequivocally states: "Now, theimportant thing is that

are still alive (I Tim . 5:6)for they certainly will end up in hell. Although manpossibly can do anything he wants, so much so thathe declares himself to be the captain of his soul anddestiny-he still is no t truly free for he is a slave tosin and death. His life, habits, actions, an d reactionsare all strongly affected by his immorality.

It is heartbreaking, to say the least, that manypeople from the moment they wake up in themorning until they fall asleep at night, do not wantto be told what to do-that is the concept of freedompeople of this world have. It's no surprise then thatsuch people are counted by God as His enemies,thus: "And so a person becomes an enemy of Godwhen he is controlled by his human nature; for hedoes not obey God's law, and in fact he cannot obeyit. Those who obey their human nature cannot pleaseGod" (Rom. 8:7-8, Ibid.).

The old sinful nature within man-with itscarnal thoughts and purposes-is hostile to God. It isnot in conformity with God's laws an d ways. That'swhy those who are still under the control of their oldsinful selves, being bent on following their old evildesires , can n.ever please Cod .

Does man lose his freedom and subject himselfto oppression if he submits completely to the righ-

2 A UGUST 2012 GOD'S MESSAGE

GEM TV[SKY & HOME CABLES, CH . 20 DESTINY CABLE, CH.18

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your way of life should be asthe gospel of Christ requires, sothat, wh ether or not I am able togo and see you, I will hear thatyou are standing firm with onecommon purpose and that withonly one desire you are fightingtogether for the faith of th e gos pel" (Phil. 1:27, TEV).

One great purpose forwhich members of the ChurchOf Christ were redeemed isto proclaim God's great glory(Rom. 15:5-6, NIV), showingto all that God is wor thy to beloved an d praised by mirroringin their lives the gospel of theLord Jesus Christ. God demandsfrom them to abstain fromthe abominations that peopleof this world passionatelyembraced . As God's people inthe Christian Era, they are nolonger distinguished by racialor territorial characteristics bu texclusively by living their faithin Christ.Indeed, human history tellsus of many epic stories of man 'sstruggle and triumph in hisquest for freedom from tyrannyand oppression; but unless healso is freed from sin and itsconsequence, which is death inthe lake of fire and brimstone, theprice he pays for such freedo mis in va in. Comparatively, to bea servant of God is ex tremelydesirable, within the true ChurchOf Christ which Jesus "freed" orredeemed from sin an d death,to be such is to look forward torecapturing the " true freedom"and the perfect life in God'seternal kingdom. 0- RICHARD J. RODAS

Editor- in -Chief

MAILBOX

"more modernand more readable "" Ithink thePasugo magazinenow hasamore modern and amorerefreshing presentationand is clearly amuchmore readable magazine.

Well done!!! "- Robert (Bob) NoakesGo ld Coast,Queensland, Australia

" Hi! I wanttocommend all of the peopler e s ~ n s i b l efor this publication.It really helps a ot inspreadingthe Good News, and

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- Rolly PelayoUpper Tambl er,Gen. Santos City, Phi lippines

For questions, comments, and suggestions, send yourletters to any of our editorial offices (see staff box,p.1). Or, e-m ail [email protected] reserve the right to edit letters for reasons ofspace and clarity. Sender's name may be withheldupon request.

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By NICANOR P. TIOSEN

HW MANY TIMES have we heard people say they want to befree from punishment? How many have expressed their desireto be delivered from sin and to win eternal life for themselves,hence, be saved?

Writing to Timothy, a co-worker in the Church Of Christ in the firstcentury, Apostle Paul advised the former, thus: "Run your best in therace of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this lifethat God called you when you firmly professed your faith before manywitnesses" (I Tim. 6:12, Today's English Version). And as to how valuablefaith or belief is, Jude, another apostle of the Lord, wrote, thus: "Foreven though you know all this, I want to remind you of how the Lordonce rescued the people of Israel from Egypt, but, afterward destroyedthose who did not believe" (Jude 1:5, Ibid.).

Contending with the enemyThroughout th e history of Go d' s people,the devil wh o is the enemy of the electhas been doing what he is best at whichcaused Apostle Peter to remind the faithful,thu s: "Be sober, be vigilant ; because youradversary the devil wa lks abo ut like aroaring lion, seeking whom he ma y devour.Resist him, steadfas t in th e faith, knowingthat the same suffer ings are experienced byyo ur brotherhood in the wo rld " (I Pet. 5:8-9,New King Jam es Version).

Certainl y, Satan will use every ploy ormachination in his hand s to deceive thegullible. To safeguard the believers, ApostlePaul warned them, thus: "The Wicked Onew ill cume with the power of Satan an dperform all kinds of false miracles and

4 AUGUS T 2 0 1 2 ' GOD'S MESSAGE

wonders, an d use every kind of wicked deceiton those wh o wi ll perish. They will perishbecause they did not welcome an d love thetruth so as to be saved . And so God sends thepower of error to work in them so that theybelieve what is false. The result is that all wh ohave no t believe d the truth, but have takenpleasure in sin, will be condemned" (II Thess.2:9-12, TEV).

Of course no one in hi s right mind willadmit to having been deceived by Satan.

H o w e v th e Bible ha s a wa y of exposingthose wh o have unfortunately fallen to thew iles of the dev il, thus: "You are doomed!You call ev il good an d call good evil. You turndarkness into ligh t and light into darkness. Youmake what is bitter swee t, an d w ha t is sweetyo u make bitter" (Isa. 5:20, Ibid.). Therefore,

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With the true Church, that which belongs to ourLord Jesus Christ and to our Lord God, membership in it

is anecessary condition tobe saved and befree from punishment.

we can glean from the Bible th at those whoare deceive d by Satan h ave succumbed todistorting the truth to their ow n doom, asevidenced by their calling good evil, and viceversa; an d turning darkness to light and lightto darkness. Hence, th ey come to believe theopposite of what is right and good. On e o ughtto realize though that the commandment ofGod is what is right an d good (Rom. 7:12,Ibid.).The truth concerning salvationTake th e issue of sa lvation. Many believe onecan be saved without the benefi t of the ChurchOf Christ. To them, membership in the ChurchOf Christ is no longer necessary. And thatbelief in Christ as one's personal savior is allthat is needed to be saved fro m punishment

an d w in eterna l life. They further allege thatwha t is important is one's relationship withChrist, irrespective of church membership.What do these people who espouse suchbeliefs fail to realize? They ha ve totallyrelegated to the backgrou nd and ignored theSignificance of Apos tle Paul's message, thu s:"Th is is a great mystery. (I'm talking aboutCh rist's relationshi p to the church" (Eph . 5:32,God 's Word).

It is true that Christ is the Savior, bu twh a t He is go in g to save is th e Church,w hi ch is Hi s bod y, th u s: "For a husbandh as authority over hi s w ife just as Christh as authority over th e church; and Christ ishi mse lf the Savior of th e church, hi s body"(Eph. 3:23, Tr;V). S adly, C\ lo t of peopl e failedto see this tru th .

A U GU ST 20 12 ' G OD 'S MESS AG E 5

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The Church Of Christand redemptionBut the true believer of Christ oughtto believe in what is written, th us "SoJesus spoke again: 'I n very truth I tellyou, I am the door of the sheepfold.. . I am the door; anyone who comesinto the fold through me will be sa fe... " (John 10:7, 9, Revised English Bible).An d the fold or flock that man mustcome into is the Church Of Christaccording to Apostle Paul, thus: "Takeheed therefore to yourselves an dto all the flock over which the HolySpirit has appointed you overseers,to feed the church of Christ whichhe has purchased w ith his blood"(Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Thisshould silence once an d for all thebelief that Church membership is nolonger necessary. If it were not thetrue Church Of Christ, yes. But, withthe true Church, that which belongs toour Lord Jesus Christ an d to ou r LordGod, membership in i t is a necessarycondition to be saved and be free frompunishment.

Should anyone insist that faithalone is sufficient, Apostle Jamesreplies in no uncertain terms, thus:"My brothers, what good is it forsomeone to say that he has faith if hisactions do not prove it? Can that faithsave him? ... You see, then, that it is byhis actions that a person is pu t rightwith God, an d not by his faith alone"(James 2:14, 24, TEV).Winning the battleIt will do we ll for the true membersof the Church Of Christ to heed theadmonition of Apostle Paul, thus:"Use every pi ece of God's armor toresist the enemy in the time of evil, sothat after the battle, you will still bestanding firm" (Eph. 6:13, New LivingTro11f; ]ot;OI1) . So as n.ot to give 'Nay tothe enemy, with much resolve Apostle

Paul advised the Christians further,thus: "So stand ready, with truth asa belt tight around yo ur waist, withrighteousness as your breastplate,and as yo ur sho es the readiness toannounce the Good News of peace.At all times carry faith as a shield; forwith it you will be able to put ou t theburning arrows shot by the Evil One.And accept salvation as a helmet, an dthe word of God as the sword whichthe Spirit gives you" (Eph. 6:14-17,TEV).Asking God's helpthrough prayersThe heavenward journey is fraughtwith trials. We, members of the ChurchOf Christ, God's people in these lastda ys, are very much aware of this.Nonetheless, in our great desire to befree from punishment or to be savedon Judgment Day, we do ou r best tosafeguard our faith, buoyed by ApostlePaul's reminder, thus: "Do all this inprayer, asking for God's help. Pray onevery occasion, as the Spirit leads . Forthis reason keep alert an d never giveup ; pray always for all God's people"(Eph. 6:18, Ibid.).

We, likewise, draw inspirationfrom the praye r of King David, thus:"I look to th e mountains; where willmy help come from? My help willcome from the LORD, who ma de th eheaven and earth. He will not letyo u fa ll; your protector is alwaysawake . . . . The LORD will guard you;he is by your side to protect you . . . .The LORD will protect yo u from alldanger; he w ill keep yo u safe. Hewi ll protect you as yo u come an d gonow and forever (Ps. 121:1-3, 5, 7-8,Ibid.)." With the Fathe r Almighty atou r side to guide us, we can trulybe cer tain of deliverance from life'svvoc s and th roe s , ITtOre ;:,u frorn. ::5 111an d punishment. 0

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Emerge victoriousRoaring like a lionThe devil hunts for prey;All forms of lies he usesTo take our faith away.The devil deceives manBy twisting his mind;The good look badAnd the evil look kind.Be alert! Be on guard!The faith defend and hold;Be firm! Be steadfast!Remain in the fold.Be prepared! Be aware!Trust in God above;Be brave! Be strongIn faith, hope, and love.Worship God and Christ!Fight the lies so vicious;Live by the gospel of truthTo emerge victorious!

Bernard F. AsuncionLegazpi City, Albay, Philippines

AUGUST 2012 GOD'S MESSAGE 7

age 9 o

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and have our devotional pr ayer toGod. Although we've been here for 12years already, we still get ho mesick.But when we pray, our lonelinessdisappears," said Sister VeronicaTuanon. In response to God's messagethrough the Executive Minister, shepromised, "I will be a good exampleto th e b rethren . Even thnu g h life ishard and work schedules sometimesconflict with the schedule of worship,I will prioritize my duties because it

is du rin g worship services that wereceive the words of God."

Those who at tended the ga theringalso witnessed two importantevents: the announcement of theestablishment of a ne w ecclesiasticaldistrict in the Midd le East (there areno w two districts in that part of thewo rld- the districts of Qata r an dUAE); an d the oath-taking of fiveministers-Brother Raul Basco asdistrict minister of Qatar, Brother

Sarwan Singh as district secretaryof Q a t a l Brother Antonio Banezas district auditor of UAE, BrotherFlorente Ladrillo as district treasurerof UAE, and Brother Jeffrey Labasanas district secretary of UAE.

This historic development showsthe fast expansion of the Church inthat part of th e world, a proof thatGod until no w fu lfills His promisesto His Messenger an d Hi s Church inthese last da ys. ~

AUGUST 20 12 GOD'S MESSAGE 11

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II Ringraziamento e iniziato con iI canto degli inni dilode a Dio condotto dai membri del coro. Fratello Oliver C.Canlas, ministro del distretto del Sud Europa, ha guidatola congregazione nella preghiera d'apertura.

Fratello Eduardo Manalo inizi6 if suo sermonerammentando che if 27 Luglio 2012, e la data di dueimportanti anniversari: iI 98 anniversario della ChiesaDi Cristo e if 18 anniversario del suo ufficiale ritorno aRoma, un'occasione storica condotta dall' allora MinistroEsecutivo, Fratello Eraflo G. Manalo. Predicando conI'uso della Bibbia, Fratello Eduardo ha enfatizzato che e fvo/ere di Dio che i membri della Chiesa ringrazino sempreDio qualunque cosa succeda. Qualunque problema 0calamita possa arrivare, come I'attuale crisi finanziariae Ie guerre che accadono ora, in felicita 0 in tristezza,c'e comunque un motivo per cui ringraziare Dio: la lorachiamata come membri della vera Chiesa Di Cristo. Perquesto loro sono sicuri che i lora nomi sono scritti nelLibro della Vita; perci6, sono sicuri che riceveranno lapromessa salvezza nel Giorno del Giudizio.

Inoltre, Fratello Eduardo ha rammentato ai fratelli chequesta Chiesa eopera di Dio, ed eper questo che continuaad avere successo. La sua espansione e incessante. 11numero degli edifici per I'adorazione, i membri e i ministricontinuano ad aumentare. Comunque, tale benedizionedi vittoria non e imitata solamente per la Chiesa nella suainterezza. Questo arriva anche agli individuali membri.Fin quando uno rimane un membro fedele della Chiesa,Dio Ii aiutera, Ii rafforzera e Ii sosterra poiche questa e lapromessa Sua promessa al Suo popo/o. Invero, questo estato ci6 che ha sempre fatto dai tempi del Fratello FelixY. Manalo, if Messaggero di Dio in questi ultimi giorni.

The Thanksgiving worsh ip service began with the singing of hymn sof praise to God led by the choir members. Brother Oliver R. Canlas. districtminister of Southern Europe, led the congregation in the opening praye r.

Brother Ed uardo Manal o began his sermon by pointing out that July27, 2012, is th e date of two important an ni versa ries : the 98th anniversary ofthe Church Of Christ and the 18th ann ive rsary of its official return in Rome, ahistoric occasion that wa s led by the then Executi ve Minister, Brother Eraiio G.Mana lo. Preaching from the Bible, Brother Eduardo emphasized that it is God'sw ill th a t Ch u rch members should always thank God no matter what happens.Whatever problem or calamity may come, such as the current financial crisisand wars, whether in happiness or sadness, there is still a very important reasonto thank God : their calling as members of the tru e Church Of Christ. Because ofit they are certain that their names are written in the Book of Life; hence, the yare assured tha t they would receive the promised sa lvation on Judgment Day.

In ad dition , Brother Ed uardo reminded th e bre thr en that this Church isGod's wo rk, w hi ch is w hy it continues to succeed. Its expansion is unceasing.The number of worship buildings, members, an d ministers is constantlyincreas.hg. Ho weve r, such blessing of victory is not limited to just theCh urch in its e nti re ty; it also exte nd s to the indi v id u al me mb e rs. As lon gas one remains a faithful memb er of the Church, God will help, s trengthenand uphold them becau se th at is Hi s promise to Hi s people. Indeed, that iswhat He has always do ne since the time of Brother Felix Y. Manalo, God'sMessenger in these las t days .

14 AUGUST 20 12 . GOD'S MESSAGE

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Dopo iI servizio di adorazione, la fede dei fratelli furafforzata. Sono grati a Dio per iI Suo amore per la Chiesacome dimostrato dal Ministro Esecutivo, iI quale non sistanca mai nel visitare i fratelli in tutte Ie parti del mondo.Fratello Maurizio Borghetti, un fratello italiano di 54 anni,dalla sede congregazionale di Lucca, ha nota to, "Mentre[Fratello Eduardo] stava stringendo Ie mani ai fratelli ementre sentiva iI lora affetto, la sua gioia nel stare conlora e stata vista nei suoi occhi e nel suo radiante sorriso. "

I fratelli nel distretto ecclesiastico del Sud Europasono emersi molto piiJ determinati nel conquistarequalunque cosa possa ostacolarli dal servire in modoattivo Dio e nel tenere una vita Cristiana, in quanta ancorauna volta hanno sentito I'immenso amore di Dio attraversol'Amministrazione della Chiesa. 0

After the worship service, the faith of the brethren wa s strengthened. Theyare grateful to God for His love to the Church as imparted through the ExecutiveMinister, who never tires of visiting the brethren a ll over the wo rld. BrotherMauriz io Borghetti, a 54-year-old Italian brother from the loca l congregation ofLucca, observed, "While [Brother Eduardo] wa s shaking hand s with the brethrenand while he wa s feeling their affection, his joy to be with them shone in his eyesand raulan l ~ l l l i l t :

The brethren in the ecclesiastical district of Southern Europe have emergedmore determined to conquer anything that may hinder them from activ elyserving God and upholding the true Christ ian way of life, for once again they feltthe wondrous love of God through the Church Admi nistration. 0

AUGUST 20 12 GOD ' S MESSAGE 15

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Ibiza, Es anaE 25 DE Julio de 2012, la devocion de lacongregacion de Ibiza, Espana, situada en unaisla en el mar Meditemineo, en Espana, se viarecompensada con bendiciones que proceden del SenorDios al dedicar un nuevo edificio de adoracion. Esteservicio de adoracion especial, fue dirigido por nuestroquerido Ministro Ejecutivo, el Hermano Eduardo V. Manalo.

La congregacion de Ibiza tuvo sus inicios humildesen 1984. A pesar de tener impedimentos geograficospuesto que esta aislada de la peninsula y a pesar de ladisminucion de la poblac ion en invierno, el Senor Dios lesbendijo con un continuo crecimiento. En respuesta a lanecesidad de un lugar de adoracion mas grande, debidoal incremento de sus miembros, la Administracion de la01 JULY 25, 2012, the devotion of the local congregation of Ibiza, Spain, situatedin an is land in the Mediterranea n Sea, wa s rewarded with blessings from theLord God w ith the dedication of a new wo rship building. Thi s special wo rshipservice wa s led by the Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.

The local congregation of Ibi za ha d its humble beginnings in 1984.Des pi te geog ra phical obstacles du e to its remo teness from th e Ibe rianpeninsula and in sp ite of the d ecrease in population during w in ter, ou rLord God has blessed it w ith continuous growth. In response to the nee dfor a bigger pl ace of worship du e to the increase in membe rship, the ChurchAd ministration ap p roved th e purchase of a property in March 2011.

16 AUGUST 2012 GOD'S MESSAGE

Iglesia aprobo la compra de la propiedad en Marzo de2011.

Poco despues de empezar la renovacion, surgieronimpedimentos y persecuciones. Sin embargo, loshermanos de Ibiza no cesaron de acercarse al SenorDios por la finalizacion de la renovacion. Por la graciade Dios, la renovacion siguio adelante. Para recuperarel tiempo perdido, los hermanos ayudaron en laconstruccion. Trabajaron sin descanso, conscientes dela gran importancia del proyecto. Tres dias antes de laconsagracion del edificio de adoracion, hermanos deBarcelona, Mal/orca y Madrid I/egaron para ayudar. Con lafirme fe en 10 que Dios puede hacer por Su pueblo, todostrabajaron dia y noche, para completar la obra.

Shortly after th e reno va ti on began, hindra nce s an d perse c utionarose. Ho weve r, the b rethren in [b iza di d not cease in pray ing to ou r Lo rdGo d for th e completion of th e renovation. By God's grace, th e renovationproceeded. In order to ma ke up for the lost time, the br e thren he lp ed inth e construction. They did so w ithout res t as th ey were we ll -aware of th egrea t importa nc e of the end eavo r. Three d ay s before th e d edication of th ewo rs hi p building, brethren from the local congregations of Barce lona.Mallorca, and Madrid arrived in order to assist. With a fir m faith in whatGod can do for His peo p le, all of them la bored da y an d night to accomplishth e task.

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En el servicio de adoracion especial, dirigido por elMinistro Ejecutivo, el Hermano Eduardo Manalo, nuestroSenor Dios bendijo a los hermanos con su sagradapresencia. Desde los himnos de alabanza, liderados porun cora de mas de 50 miembros de Ibiza, Barcelona yMadrid, Su poder ya fue evidente. Y continuo sintiimdose,en la primera oracion, liderada por el Hermano Oliver C.Canlas, ministro del distrito del Sur de Europa, y durantetodo el servicio de adoracion.

En la predicacion de las palabras de Dios, nuestroquerido Ministro Ejecutivo, el Hermanc Eduardo Manalo,recorda tina vez mas a los hermanos la gran importanciade ofrecf::r aDios la verdadera adoracion. Enfatizo, quecomo miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo, somos los unicosque tenemos tal preciado derecho y privilegio porquepertenecemos a la unica verdadera religion. Por tanto,en adorar aDios, debemos dar 10 mejor de nosotros.Ademas, debemos lIevar una vida justa estemos dondeestemos. Aunque tengamos que sacrificarnos para servira Dios en la manera que lEI quiere, nuestros esfuerzosnunca seran en vano. Y esto es exactamente 10 que fueprobado verdaderamente en las vidas de los hermanos deIbiza en vista de 10 que han tenido que pasar antes dealcanzar tal bendita ocasion.

Ahora que el local de Ibiza cuenta con un nuevoedificio, los hermanos estan muy motivados para mantenerla voluntad de Dios, que es compartir la fe a mucha gentepara que puedan ofrecer la verdadera adoracion al SenorDios, y asi recibir la salvacion. ~

In the special worship se rvice o fficia ted by the Executive Minister, BrotherEdu ardo Manalo, the Lo rd God blessed the brethr en with Hi s holy prese nce.During the singing of the hymn s led by a choir of more than 50 members fromIbi za, Barcelon a, and Madrid, Hi s power was alread y ev ident. And it continuedto be felt in the first praye r that was led by Brother Oliver R. Can las, di strictminister of South ern Europe, a nd througho ut the w orship se rv ice.

In the preachin g o f God 's wo rd s, Brother Eduardo remind ed the brethrenon ce aga in about the great imp ortance of rend erin g to God the true wo rship .He emphas ized that as members of the Chur ch Of Christ we are the onl y oneswho have bee n given such a precious right and pri v ilege beca use we belong tothe one tru e re ligion. Thu s, in worshiping Go d, we should give ou r very bes t. Inaddition, we mu st al ways lead a righteo us way of life no matte r whe re we are.Even if we have to sacri fice in order to se rve God in the w ay He wa nts us to, ou refforts will never be in vain. And that is exactly what wa s proven true in the livesof the brethren in Ibiza in view of what the y hod gone throu gh before rcacll ings llch a blessed occasion.

Now tha t the local con gregation of Ibi za has a new worship building, thebre thren here a re a ll the more inspir ed to up ho ld God 's will , one of which is toshare the faith so that m any more w ill also be a ble to rend er th e tru e worship ofG od, w hich resu lts in one's sa lva ti on. ~

AUGUST 2 0 12 ' GO D 'S MESSAGE 17

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A CONGREGACION DEBarcelona comenzo, desdeel Mayo de 1980 en un

pequeno apartamento alqui/ado,con 18 hermanos. A pesar de lapersecucion, nunca cesaron deadorar al Sefior Dios. En 1993,con tan solo 50 miembros enla congregacion, se adquirio laprimera casa de adoracion en lacalle Tarragona 108 sotano. Desde18 AU G U ST 2012 ' GOD'S MESSAGE

Barcelona, Es anaentonces, el numero de hermanosha ido creciendo. Con la ayuda deDios, el28 de Julio de 2012, el nuevoedificio de adoracion fue dedicadoal Sefior Dios en un servicio deadoracion especial liderado porel Ministro Ejecutivo, el HermanoEduardo \I. Manalo.

EI edificio, situado en la calleDante Alighieri 18 de Barcelonafue adquirido a lo s testigos de

Jehova el mes de Febrero de 2012.Tiene una capacidad para unas1000 personas y una superficieconstruida de mas de 3.400 m2contenidos en 6 plantas diferentes.Esta considerada actualmente lacasa de adoracion de la IglesiaDe Cris to mas grande fuera deFilipinas.

A pesar de las profunda crisisespanola, hermanos de todos lo s

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loca les de Europa yespecia lm en tede Espana , se unieron a noso trosen este momenta tan especia lpara adorar y agradecer alSenor Dios. A pesar de nohaber transporte publico a a/tashoras de la madrugada, algu noshermano s caminaron desdesus hogares para poder asistircon anticipacion al servicio deadoracion.

THE LOCAL CONGREGATIO N of Barcelonastarted in May 1980 in a small apa rtm ent rentedby 18 brethr en. Despite the persec ut ion, they neve rceased to worship our Lord God. In 1993, withonl y 50 members in the loca l congregation , the fi rsthouse of wo rship was pu rcha sed a t 108 TarragonaStreet. Since then, its membership has continuedto grow. With God's help, on July 28, 2012 its newhou se of wo rship wa s dedi cated to God in a specia lworship se rvice led by the Executive Minister,Brother Ed uardo V. Manalo.

The building, located at 18 Dante A ligher iStreet in Barcelona, wa s purchase d from the

Jehovah's Witnesses on February 2012. It canaccommodate more than 1,000 people and has atotal area of 3,400 sq uare meters dis tributed in sixfloor s. It is considered the biggest wo rship bu ildingof the Chu rch Of Christ outside the Philippines .

Despite the severe economi c s i s ~ brethrenfrom the loca l congregations in Europe, andes pecia lly in Spain, gat hered for this spe cial momentto wo rship and thank ou r Lord God . Beca use therewas no public transportation in the ea rl y hours ofth e I l Iul l l i n g, ~ o l " n c brethr e n \ k c d :1 11 th " \N


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EI Hermano Pepito Y.Acuesta , ministro supervisorde la Oficina Central de Europa,Iidero la primera oracion de lacongregacion . EI Hermano JayAcuna, secretario del distrito delSur de Europa, leyo la historia dela congregacion de Barcelona.Seguidamente , el Hermano OliverC. Canlas, ministro del distritodel Sur de Europa , junto contreinta ministros, invocaron alSenor recitando la ora cion delrey Salomon cuando consagro

20 AUGUS T 2 0 12 ' GO D 'S M E SS AG E

al Senor Dios el templo deJerusal{m.

Tambi{m en este servicio deadoracion especial, el MinistroEjecutivo anuncio la formacion deldistrito eclesiastico del Reino Unidoe lrIanda, con 10 que el numero totalde distritos en Europa son tres. EIHermano Antonio D. Duenas, jurocomo ministro del distrito del Nortede Europa mientras el HermanoDanilo Caalim y el Hermano DarwinBlanco jura ron respectivamentecomo secreta ri o y tesorero.

Brother Pep ito Y. Acuesta, sup ervisingminis ter of the Europe Main Offi ce, led the o peningcongrega tional praye r. Brother Jay Acun a, districtsecretary of Sou thern Europe, read the history o f thelocal congregation of Barcelona. Afte rwards, BrotherOliver R. Canlas, district minister ofSouthern Europe,along w ith 30 ministers, ca lled to God in a praye r thatwas patterned afte r Solomon 's praye r when he haddedicated to Go d the templ e in Jerusa lem.In thi s spec ia l wo rship se rvice as well, theExecuti ve Ministe r announced the formations ofthe ecclesias ti cal di stric t of the United Kingdomand Ire land, bring ing the total numbe r of di s trictsin Europe to three . Brothe r Antoni o D. Dueiias, tookoa th as di s tri ct minis ter of I orthern Europe w hileBrothe r Danilo Caa lim and Brother Da rwin Blancoas treasurer and sec retary respec ti ve ly.

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Durante el estudio de laspalabras de Dios, el HermanoEduardo predico sobre el estadog/orioso que tiene la Iglesia hoyen dia. Mientras otras reJigionesvenden sus propiedades, pierdenseguidores y oficiales, merman enfuerza, la Iglesia De Cristo en estosultimos dias es cada vez mas fuerte,mas grande y mas triunfante por laayuda del Senor Dios.

Los hermanos fueron inspiradosen el servicio de adoracion. Fueronrecordados del preciado derechoque les fue otorgado--servir yg/orificar al Senor Dios. Tal divinaeleccion, viene con la promesade Dios que no les abandonaramientras Le sirvan fielmente suceda10 que suceda.

EI Ministro Ejecutivo tambi{menfatizo a los hermanos que sonmuy afortunados porque tienenun edificio de adoracion dondeel Padre Todopoderoso habita ydonde los miembros de la Iglesiapueden encontrar el consuelade sus pesares y problemas.EI Ministro Ejecutivo alento alos hermanos a acercarse conhumildad a Dios para que escuchesus supJicas. EI Ministro Ejecutivoimploro a nuestro amado Dios, quesu amor permanezca para siempreen este nuevo edificio de adoraciony que bendijera a cada miembro dela Iglesia, desde los oficiales hastalos padres e hijos, para que semantengan firmes y fuertes en susdeberes. @

During the stud y of God's wo rd s, BrotherEduardo preached about the Church's glorioussta te. While other religions se ll off their propertiesand lose followers, officers, and strength, theChu rch Of Chri st in the se las t days is becomingstronger, bigger, and more triumphant with God 'shelp.

The brethren we re inspired in the worshipservice. They were remind ed of the precious rightthat wa s bestowed to th em- to serve and glorifyGod. Such di vine e lection comes also w ith thepromise that God w ill not forsake them as long asthey serve H im fa ithfully no matter what happ ens.

The Executive Minister also em ph as ized tothe brethren that they are ver y blessed becausethey have a worship building where the AlmightyFather dw e lls and where Church memb ers canfind comfort amidst so rrows and troubles . TheExecutive Minjster encouraged the brethren tohumbl y ap proach God for He wi ll listen to theirpraye rs. Brother Eduardo imp lored to the lovingGod to always le t Hi s love abide ill the new wo rshipbuilding and bless every Church member, fro m theofficers to the parents and chi ldren, to rema in firmand strong ill their duties. @

Write rs : Kim Borghetti , Je ffrey Cabacunga n, Albe rto Ma nza no, Miriam Manza no an d Je romya Sa n Vice nte , with as s ista nce lrom Ma rkle l SerrenoCon t ributing Photographers : Ange lo Era no V. Ma na lo, Christophe r Alignay, Jeffrey Cabacunga n, Sergin io Santos a nd Ma rkle l Ser reno

A UGUST 20 12' GOD'S MESSAGE 21

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FEATURES

FIGHT THEGOODFIGHTOFFAITHThe Executive Minister conductsPastoral Visitation in North Diversion,Metro Manila North

JLY 7, 2012- a special worshipservice was held with a messageaimed to teach the members of theIglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ)on ho w to fight a good fight of faith .It was led by the Executive Minister,Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, duringhis pastoral visitation in the localcongregation of North Diversion,Metro Manila North.

In his homily, Brother Eduardoemphasized that it is no t enough tobe a member of the Church Of Christto be saved. Just like what ApostlePaul did, the brethren should all themore prepare against th e enemy oftheir faith (II Tim. 4:7-8). The devilis cunning an d determined to leadpeople to destr uc t ion. H is t ime isgetting shorter that is why he usesevery means to take more people away

22 AUGUST 2012 GOD'S MESSAGE

from hearing the truth and receivingsalvation (I Pet. 5:8-9; Rev. 12:12).

The Executive Minister furtherexplained Satan's "modus operandi."The devil will employ every means inthis battle to sway the people of Go dfrom obeying His teachings an d w illuse even natural calamities, financialworries, false preachers (such as"televangelists" wh o claim to betrue prophets), and worldly lust topersuade the servants of the Lord Godinto committing sin (Mark 4:15-19;Luke 21:8, 11, 26, 34). For this reason,a member of the Church Of Christshould not be easily discouraged,bu t should instead put on the armorof God- the belt of truth, the vest ofrighteuwmess, the shield of faith, thehelmet of salvation, an d the swordof the spirit. Brother Eduardo also

reminded the brethren th e greatimportance of prayer. He explainedthat prayer is an effective instrumentagainst the devil an d distress (Eph.6:11-18). He reminded the brethrenthat prayer should be a part of their life.Every family should have devotionalprayers. He also emphaSized theimportance of spiritual training likewhat Apostle Paul reminded Timothy(I Tim. 4:8).

Members of the Church shouldconstantly practice righteousness .They should stand firm in theirfaith by constantly obeying thecommandments of th e Almighty God.Every member should also be active inparticipating in the different Churchactivities especially attending theworship services, where they receivethe words of God.

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In conclusion, Brother Eduardoenjoined the brethren to pu t their trustto the formidable allies of the ChurchOf Christ-the Almighty God andthe Lord Jesus Christ. The strengthwill surely be given when they praybecause the Almighty God will corne torescue (Ps. 29:11; Phil. 4:13; Ps. 89:15).

Before the homily, BrotherIsaias T. Samson Jr. led the openingprayer. Brother Armando F. Ernieled the congregation in prayer afterthe preaching of the gospel. BrotherErnesto V. Suratos led the prayer forthe voluntary offerings, and BrotherBienvenido C. Santiago said thebenediction.

Brother Roy Montemayor, aministerial student assigned to thelocal congregation of Grace Park,Metro Manila North said, " It is such a

great blessing to have Brother EduardoManalo corne to teach us today. I amso thankful to the Almighty God forgiving to us the Administration wh opainstakingly teaches us. Throughthis, we know that the Almighty neverforgets us, His children."

"I got here at the chapel at 3:30in the morning. 1 cleared my workschedule for the past couple of daysso 1 could prepare for this specialoccasion. Now, I feel my strength isrejuvenated!" Brother Mark AnthonySantos, 19 years old an d a KADIWApresident and choir member. "I learnedhow to fight a good fight of faithagainst the devil an d the temptationsin this world. Thank. you, BrotherEduardo. 1 hope that God con.t in.uesto guide you because yo u are such ablessing to all the congregations."

A few days after the pastoralvisitation in North Diversion, theExecutive Minister began anotherseries of pastoral visitations to variouscongregations in the Middle East,Europe, Canada, an d the United States.All the brethren are united in prayingfor the continuous help of God so thatthe Executive Minister may all themore strengthen the Church membersaround the world. ~Written by Erman Vem M. Canlas, andRodrigo C. Valdez Jr.; With assistancefrom Ed H. Lumbao, Raymond M.Reyes, and Ramfel T. Serreno

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPI-JERS;CHRISTOPHER ALiGNAY, CHRISTIANBARRERA, and JEFFREY CABACUNGAN

AUGUST 2 0 1 2 ' GOD'S MESSAGE 23

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OER 200,000 PEOPLE IN one day.This is the total number of beneficiaries in the Iglesia Ni Cristo's Lin-gap sa Mamamayan that was held on July7, 2012 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines.Dubbed on this particular project as theInternational Aid For Humanity, this activity is one of the biggest launched bythe Church Of Christ as part of its 98thanniversary celebration this year.

Lingap sa Mamamayan is a medical-dental-relief mission extendedby the Church regularly to calamitystricken or depressed areas in the Philippines. Guided by the biblical ma n date "to be openhanded toward yourbrothers and t01Nard the poor andneedy" (Deut. 15:11, New InternationalVersion), the Church, through this program, has been providing these services an d other aid as early as 1950.

So big was the event held last Julythat it even set three new "world records" for International HumanitarianMission in the Guinness Book of WorldRecords . These new world recordsin "Largest Dental Health Check,""Most Blood Pressure Reading Takenin 8 Hours," and "Most Blood GlucoseLevel Reading in 8 Hours" were announced and made official by a Guin-ness representative on site.A sign of hope"We are so thankful. God proved thatwe are no t short of people who care,"Lizel Etel, one of the beneficiaries ofthE' a id , a p r e g n a n t m o th e r vvith a n other two young children in tow, said."This is a sign of hope for us here. Mychildren had not even been to a doctorbefore this because we do not have the

means . This is really a great help," sheimparted.

A total of 40,130 people benefittedfrom the medical mission, which notonly provided free check-ups, X-rays,and ECG, blood pressure reading an dglucose reading, bu t also gave awayfree medicines . Meanwhile, the dental mission, which also provided freecheck-ups served 12,384 people.

Moreover, 50,000 families, wh ocame from different barangays in Delpan , Parola, San Nicolas, and Basecoreceived relief packs-five kilos ofrice, noodles, and canned goodsfrom this project on that day. Policea n d s taff f rom M ani la Ci ty Hal l ""hohelped maintain order on the site estimated the crowd to 150,000-200,000that peaked around 2:00 in the afternoon to 8:00 in the evening .

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"There are a lot of people wh oneed help. Ne vertheless, the turnouthere is also really astounding. I havebeen part of various medical missions,bu t this is so different. Even a hundredtimes over better." Mr. Isko Moreno,Manila Vice M a y O l ~ observed. He alsoexpressed, "We thank the Church forgiving its part to help and show love tothese poor people. In my whole life inpublic service, this is the only time thatI have seen a medical mission so grandthat is done by an organization."Unsung heroesThe volunteers for this mission werecomposed uf lll.em.bers of th e Churchan d some nonmembers who assembled to the event to participatethrough whatever their abilities couldgive. Their sheer number, though not

great, catered to the tremendous sizeof the crowd. Ministers and evangeli-cal workers, Christian family organi-zations officers an d SCAN membersfrom the five ecclesiastical districts ofMetro Manila, medical practitionerscoming from different ecclesiasticaldistricts and New Era General Hos-pital who numbered 146 doctors, 123dentists, 486 paramedics, New EraUniversity staffs an d nursing students,and volunteers from the Departmentof Health office were all in the venueas early as 5:00 a.m. and stayed thereas late as 11:00 p.m . to aid in the healthmission, maintain peace and securityaround the area, and help in the distri-bution of relief goods.

"I have been part of this kind ofmission for the Church, bu t this is thebiggest crowd we served that I haveseen," Dr. Michael Hernandez, a non-member wh o has been participatingwith the mission regularly, shared."And whenever the Church have thisactivity, it is always organized andcomplete. This is also what separatesit from other missions. That is wh y weca n provide help to these people efficiently," he added .

Some volunteers ha d even set theirow n personal records. Sister RosalieAcebuque, a dentist wh o has worked

regularly with the mlSSlOn, conveyedafter the activity, "I t will be very hard totop this experience. This is already partof the history of my life . This is the firsttime in my career that I ha d performed120 tooth extractions in a single day. Weare tired, bu t it feels so good to be a partof this endeavor of the Church."The site to seeThe site in Tondo, Manila where thehealth mission was held was situated be-

8,026BLOOD PRESSUREReading in 8 Hours4,128DENTAL HEALTHCheck Patientsin 8 Hours5,217BLOOD GLUCOS ELevel Test takenin 8 Hours* Figures include only patients whoare 18 ears old and above.

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beside an informal settling compound thathas a population of almost a hundred thousand. This compound comprises two districts, the Parola district three and Isla Pu-ting Bato. In order for the members residingthere to have a land where they can buildtheir ow n house of worship, the Church

purchased a one-hectare land along 2ndstreet at the Port Area in Tondo, Manila,previously owned by a local businessorganization. On this lot, makeshiftstructures were erected for the one-daymedical and dental mission. Construction volunteers even stayed up all nightto prepare the venue. The Church,through its General Auditor, BrotherGlicerio Santos Jr., announced also thatit would build on the site a huge houseof worship with a seating capacity of2,014. It is projected to be completedand dedicated in 2014, coinciding withthe Church's centennial anniversary.The Gu inness adjudicator, MissTarika Vara, was all praises, "I have truly never seen anything like this, not justas a representative of Guinness Book ofWorld Records, but in my life, I have never seen an organization so dedicated tohelping other people." She also was surprised because although, as she admitted, she adamantly required the "highstandards" be complied with, still, asingle organization had succeeded in asingle attempt to break these three records in a single event in one day. Withthe help of a local accounting outfit, theSGV & Co., she implemented their institution's strict standards throughout theevent. "You are no w officially amazing!"sh e announced to the croW'd after n1.en-

tioning the numbers set by the activitywhich surpassed the previous records.What counts the mostBrother Eduardo V. Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ,gave the directives for the implementation of the program that day and sawto it that all aspects were taken care of,and were effectively and efficiently carried out. Through the Felix Y. ManaloFoundation, Inc., the social arm of theChurch, the Church also establisheslinkages wi th government organizations and non-government organizations that undertake similar objectivesin the spirit of mutual cooperation andunderstanding.

More than the record set, membersof the Church Of Christ, even those wh odo not have much in life, are overjoyedand will continue to willingly shell outanything that they can muster and sharethem with their less-privileged brethrenand fellowmen, for they know that infulfilling this deed, they please the Lordas the Bible teaches, "We can be assuredof receiving from God whatever we askHim fol', because we are obeying Hiscommands [i.e. espec ially the one aboutloving others1 and are practicing whatis pleasing to Him. So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, letus do good to all people. For the wholelaw can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself"(Excerpted from I John 3:22, An Under-standable Version; Gal. 6:10, AmplifiedBible; Gal. 5:14, New Living Translation).(With reports from Luila Tumanan) 0

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HELD IN SOUTHERN CALI FORNIA

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE attendedthe firs t-ever INC Media Ex perienceevent held on the chapel groun ds ofMontclair Congregation in the ecclesiastical district of Southern California on June16, 2012. The event marked the first timethe television programs produced bythe Church 's INC Media Services weretaped in front of a live studio audience.The programs that were taped throughout the day were Face the truth, The IN CGiving Show, and That's in the Bib le.

Through this live format, the audience was able to interact with the hostsof the shows. This was particularly beneficial for That's in the Bib le wherein theaudience were able to ask Brother RobertPellien, a minister of the Church and hostof the show, questions about the Bible, theChurch, and the doctrines upheld by Igle-sia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) members.

A tent, especially se t up for thetaping, was filled to capaci ty as gue stsan d breth ren from as far as the states ofNe w Jersey, Colorado, Utah, Arizona,an d Nevad a in the US and Vancouverin British Columbia, Canada formedlines outside the venue hours before thescheduled taping times.

Another important aspect of theevent was the outreach services provided by brethren from the district. Freedental and medical services, w ell a sfinancial aid advice for students andcareer assistance for those looking forwo rk du ring this time of economic difficulties, were available.

The guests were given a guidedtour of the Montclair ho use of worship and an overview of the Church OfChrist. Ministers of the Church we realso available to answer the questionsof the gues ts regarding the Church.

The INC Media Experience is scheduledto be held in different

ecclesiastical di stricts throughout theworld to introduce the Church an d itsmedia programs to more people.

Fo r more information aboutINC Media Services, one can visitincmedia.org . 0

~ ~ ~ NEU CONDUCTS~ \ ~ T R E E - P L A N 1 l N G ACTIVITYTHROUGHALS

structional managers,facilitators, an d sup-port groups (Christianfamily organizations

By RONALDO C. FLOR

POMOTING ENVIRONMENTALprotection and conservation campaign, the New Era University(NEU) through its Alternative LearningSystem (ALS) Depa rtment, in partnership with the Department of Education(DepEd), conducted a tree-planting activity dubbed as "ALS Lingap Kalikasan"on May 19 an d June 23 , 2012.

A total of 500 mahogany seedlings we re planted in Pinugay, Rizal;1,600 mahogany seedlings in Palangue,Cavite; 200 mangrove seedlings inSampinit seashore, Negros Occiden-tal; and 1,000 narra seedlings at PrenzaDam, Bulacan. More than 1,600 participants, including ALS learners, in-

members and officers),took part in the activity.Brother Sonny Villanueva, NEU

ALS Director, noted that since its establishment in 2007, the NEU-ALShas helped thousands of out-of-schoolyouths and adults, regardless of theirreligious affiliation, to pursue theirdream of finishing school. During theNEU-ALS graduation held at the Tabernacle last June 2, a total of 549 elementary and high school ALS learners graduated and obtained their ALScertificates. Using these certificates, thegraduates may enroll in any technicalvocational or collegiate courses. Theycan also apply for any vacant po sitionin any government agency providedthey meet its requirements. 0

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.

; , , & I

FEATURES

INCELEBRATION: THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO

By MARIE F. RUIZ

PILIPPINE DISTRICTS OF the IglesiaNi Cristo simultaneously celebrated th eChurch's 98th anniversary througha weeklong activity dubbed INCelebration.After holding Thanksgiving worship serviceson July 21 an d 22, 2012, the celebration startedwith filmed stage play performances tagged"INCinema" shown for free at various venuesand screening dates nationwide. In MetroManila, the films ran from July 23-26 an d 28-29at the Ne w Era University

Hall in Quezon City whichwa s installed with a bigscreen an d other technicalequipment that gave anaudio-visual resemblanceof a movie theater, an d onJuly 30 at the TabernacleMulti-Purpose Hall of theIglesia Ni Cristo CentralOffice Complex.

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98TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATIONS

BRATEDU R E A N D T ~ EARTSThe project's mISSIOn is to pro

duce low-budget but quality pro-grams filled with Christian values.The films, stories written by brethren-two love stories, one on greed,an d one tragedy, but all with a dashof comedy-highlighted the firmfaith of members of the Church evenunder adverse circumstances. Production of the films, with assistancefrom the Church's Central Office, were assigned to selected ecclesiasticaldistricts-Quezon West for"Ang Mga Tagapagmana", Mindoro Occidentalfor "Ala-alang Magbabalik", Benguet for "Sa Muling Pagkikita", an d CebuSouth for" Panahon Na". After conducting auditions, acting workshopswere held, ve nues were chosen, outfits were picked, props were made,then the cameras rolled. The films were accompanied by original Christian music videos entitled "TangZaw Sa Aking Daan" , "Bagong Landas ngBuhay", "Sa AtingMuling Pagkikita", and "Kamusta Na Kayo?", respectively. The films garnered various reactions ranging from thrills of emotionto tears of sympathy to billows of laughter from those w ho wa tched.

The districts then held grand evangelical mis

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sions, the highlight of the celebration, in differentvenues nationwide . Thousands of brethren withtheir guests flocked to the venues to listen to thewords of God preached by the Church's ministersof the gospel.

Capping the celebration, the "INCon cert" series of musical presentations were conducted in thedistricts highlighting the brethren 's strong faith inthe Lord God and in the Lord Jesus th rou gh original religious and inspirational song compositions.In Metro Manila, the concert was held on July 29and 30 at the Tabernacle Multi-Purpose Hall at 7:00in the evening featuring a 1,000-voi ce choir accompanied by the Iglesia Ni Cristo Orchestra, the performances interspersed with video presentationsof highlights of the visitations of Brother EduardoV. Manalo, the Church's Executive Minister, to thebrethren in different parts of the world, admonishing them to remain steadfast in faith. Guest performers were the New Era University Rondallaand the Church's children's choirs.

Former and first-time guests expressed happi ness and thankfulness, for despite their beingnonmembers of the Church, they were given theopportunity to witness the Church's 98th anniversary celebration- an experience they will neverforge t. 0

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AFRICA LUSAKA, ZAMBIA-The newly estab lishedgroup worship serv ice (GWS) of Lusaka, Zambia,held its fi rst Hol y Supper on July 8, 2012. After theHoly Supper, brethren inv ited their friendsand coworkers to attend an eva ngelical miss ion wh ich

was officiated by Brother Alexander Batulan, theass igned minister in Zambia. After hea ring theimportance of the Church Of Christ for man's sa lvation as proven by the Bible, many guests, mostof them Zambians, decided to attend instructionsin bibl ica l doctrines to know more about theChurch. The following Sunday, July 15, they allattended the worship service bringing w ith themtheir friends and loved ones. (T. Batulan)NORTHERN CALIFORNIA The campa ign for more Church officers to helpoversee the sp iritual needs of an ever-increasingmembership in the district resulted in the oathtaking of 357 new Church officers simultaneouslyhe ld on July 14 at the houses of worship of thelocal congregations of San Jose and Sacramento.The gathering in San Jose was officiated by Brother Jose lino Casti llones,district minister, wh ile the other onein Sacramento by Brother ManuelAndaya, USMO supervising minister. The attendees were remindedabout their important role in edifying th e faith of the brethren on din leading them in helping out inthe intens ive propagation of God'swords. (G. Abella)

32 AUG UST 2012 . GOD'S MESSAGE

Brethren in Cerritos Congregation after their inaugural worship service.SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Th e district continues to grow w ith the recentestablishment of the local congrega tion of Cer-ritos. Its inaugural wo rsh ip service was held atthe Mason c Lodge, 11 531 187th Street, Artesia, on June 24 and was officiated by BrotherRobert Pellien, district minister. Brethren inCerritos plan to hold many propagational act iv ities in o rder to share th e true fa ith w ith thepeople in the neighborhood and the surrounding areas. Th e minister cur rently overseeingthe newly established congregation is BrotherRicardo Ada lia, who also oversees the LongBeach Congregation . (N. Trinidad, J. Dayrit,and T. Antonio)

PACIFIC NORTHWEST SEATTLE, WASHINGTON-Af ter successfullyinviting over 100 guests during the gra nd evangelical mission (GEM) on May 20, the congregationtreated the brethren's families and their guests toa Famil y Fun Day on May 28 at the Lake Sam-mamish State Park. More than 200 brethren and30 guests participated in sports and fun games.Brother Dominador C. Santos, resident minister,sa id, "The Seattle Congregation is thankful to Godfor H is guidance and to the Church Adm inistration for supporting activities that enrich the relationsh ip between members of the fami Iy and theirloved ones." The guests, on the other hand, ex-

Brethren and theirguests participated ina Family Fun Dny inSeattle. Washington.

pressed their w illingness to lea rn more about theChurch Of Christ. (M. Marcos)

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PHILIPPINE DISTRICTS MISAMIS ORIENTAl-( :hristian family organiza tion (CFO) district off icers, including membersof the Society of Communicators and Networkers International (SCAN International), sponsoreda grand evangelica l mission (GEM) on June 26,2012. The GEM was held at the house of worshipof Cagayan De Oro City Co ngregat ion and was

Blood donation and

attend ed by 870 guests. A b lood donation act ivitywas then held at the Bu lua Gymnasium on June29 . Tllrough the volunteerism of the brethren, atotal of 14,000cc of blood were collected and depos ited at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center.(D.Apayor & J.Santiago) CAGAYAN EAST- Th e district baptized 51converts at the loca l congregation of Gattaran onJune 23. Offi ciating in the baptism, Brother Dionisio Mateo, district minister, underscored in hishomi ly the great importance of rece iving the truebap tism and of living a Christian wayof life. Brother Mateo also officiated inthe dedication of theNewly dedica ted houseof worship in Bugu eyIlIld dis triel baptism illCagnyan East.

new house of worship of the loca l congrega tionof Bu guey on June 29. (S. Castro)

Brethren in San Pascual, Boholafter the dedication worship service.

ROHOl-The brethren in the local congregation of San Pascua l received a great blessingas their new house of worship was dedicatedto God on Jun e 29. Th e special worsh ip service was off iciated by Brother Ceasa r Ca lizo,district minister. After the chapel dedica tion,the first-ever baptism in the loca l congregationwas held. A total of 71 new conve rts were bapti zed in the undertaking supervised by BrotherDiosdado Dades, ass ista nt district minister. Inthe evening, a GEM was also held wherein 433guests we re able to hea r th e wo rd sof God delivered by Brother Ram ero Forro Jr., district edification overseer. (R. Flor) PAMPANGA-CFO and SCAN Intern ationalmembers throughout the district gathered at thePorac Mega Dike to take part in a tree-plantingac tivity on Jul y 7. Brother Man uel Sori ano Jr.,district minister, supervised the activity. Morethan 2, 000 brethren wo rked hand in hand inplanting 3,000 banaba seedli ngs supplied by

CAGAYAN SOUTHJune 30 marked an important event for the brethrenu S the di strict ce lebrat ecl its26th annive rsary. To commemorate the occasion, aseries of evange lical missions was held simultan e-

the Provincial Env ironment Natura lRes o urc esOf f ice (PEN RO ). (R. Car-los)

Tree-plantingactivity inPampanga.

ousl y in Amulung, Ca bagan, San Jose, TuguegaraoCity, and Sampaguita on June 29. A total of 465guests attended. Still a part of the ce leb ration, 40new converts were ba ptized at the local congregation of Tuguega rao. Brother Mamerto Gabriel,district minister, supervised the baptism. Sinceits estab lishment in 1986, the district has grownto include 32 local congregations and 12 ex tensions. (j. Seguban) PANGASINAN CENTRAL- Th e district dedicated to God its newest house of worship in theloca l congregation of Balu yot on July 13. Offic iat ing at the special wo rsh ip serv ice, BrotherLibrado V. Santos, district minister, expounded in

hi s homily the importance of building houses ofworship for the glory of God and the utmost ca rethat must be accorded unto these. (\I. Sarmiento)

A UG US T 20 12 . GOD'S MES SAGE 33

FILIPINO SECTIONPANGULONG TUDLING

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Ang pinakadakilang kalayaanN KATALA SA KASAYSAYAN ng tao sa mundona marami nang nagbuwis ng buhay alang-alangsa pagtatamo ng kalayaan- na ito'y maaaring

tumukoy sa malayang pagpapahayag ng relihiyon 0simulaing pampulitika, 0 kaya naman ay kalayaan mulasa pagkaalipin. Mismong an g salitang kalayaan angnaging karaniwang sigaw ng maraming mga digmaanat rebolusyong sumiklab sa buong daigdig, noon man athanggang sa kasalukuyan.

Ginamit ng mga kilusang pampulitika at panlipunan angkatagang ito bilang kanilang pinakasimulain sa pagsugpoat pagpapawalang-bisa sa pang-aalipin (sLavery) sa lahat ngdako, subalit nakalulungkot na patuloy na urniiral ang pangaalipin sa panibagong katawagan na "bonded labor" at "humantrafficking". Mararning mga bansa at estado ang sumisigaw ngkalayaanmula sa paninikil, subalit patuloy silang nakararanasng katiwalian, kahirapan, kasamaan, at pagkaaba.

Mayroon pa ngang mga gawa sa kasalukuyanna inaakala ng marami na kahayagan ng kalayaan atmagbubunga ng kabutihan sa kapakanan ng tao-gayang pagsusulong ng tinatawag na "gay rights" 0 karapatanng mg a taong may naiibang oryentasyong seksuwal;legal na pagsusugal; pagpapalaglag ng bata 0 "abortion",pagsasabatas ng legal na paggamit ng ipinagbabawal nagamot-na ang totoo'y pawang magdudulot sa tao ngkapahamakan yayamang ang mga gayon ay tahasangpaglabag sa mga aral at utos ng Diyos (I Cor. 6:9-10) .Tunay ngang ang kalayaan ay binigyan ng iba't ibangpakahulugan at interpretasyon.

Dapat maunawaan ng tao na ang kalayaan sa kaniyangkasiyangaan ay hindi nangangahulugan ng pagigingabsoluto 0 walang kaakibat na pananagutan. Maging saisang dako na masasabing perpekto- gaya ng halamananng Eden kung saan inilagay ng Diyos ang unang lalakeat babae, si Adan at si Eba, at doo'y binigyan sila ngkapangyarihan sa ibabaw ng mga isda, mg a ibon, at mgahayop- ang Diyos ay nagtakda rin ng limitasyon. Angtotoo'y hindi sila binigyan ng Diyos ng napakaraming mgatuntunin at regulasyon kundi ilan lamang at an g isa sa mg ait o, ala laong baga 'y huW'ag ni lang kakanin ang bunga n gpunongkahoy ng pagkaalam ng mabuti at masama na nasagitna ng halamanan. Ang ibinunga, gaya ng isinasaad saBiblia, ay nakaukit na sa kasaysayan.

Mula nang mahulog sa kasalanan sina Adan at Eba aypilit nang sinisikap ng tao na makatakas mula sa sumpa ngkasalanan, na ito nga ang kamatayan; dahil sa ang lahat ngtao ay nangagkasala, lumaganap ang kamatayan sa buongsangkatauhan (Rom. 5:12). Kaya, paanong mapapasakamaymuli ng tao ang kalayaang ibinigay sa kaniya ng Diyosmula pa nang un a doon sa paraiso? Paanong magigingtunay na malaya ang tao? Ang mga taong tunay na malayaay ipinakilala ng mismong Tagapagligtas: "Kapag kayo'ypinalaya ng Anak, tunay nga kayong malaya" (Juan 8:36,Magandang Balita Biblia). Ang mga taong yaon ay pinalayana mula sa batas ng kasalanan at kamatayan (Rom. 8:2,I, Ibid.), kaya nga may mahigpit na tagubilin na tiyakingmanatili silang malaya at huwag muling maalipin pa ngkasalanan at kasamaan.

Maliban na ang tao'y palayain ng Tagapagligtas, walasiyang ibang pagpipilian sapagkat ang kabayaran ngkasalanan ay kamatayan (Rom. 6:23) sa dagat-dagatangapoy at asupre (Apoc. 20:14) sa ikalawang pagparitong Panginoong Jesucristo. Walang sinumang tunay naCristiano ang magsasabing walang halaga ang mapasakay Cristo sa pamamagitan ng pagiging sangkap ngKaniyang katawan 0 Iglesia (Col. 1:18), na ang pangalanay Iglesia Ni Cristo (Gawa 20:28, salin ni Lamsa) . Kailanganng tao an g Iglesia upang makinabang sa dugong pantubosng Tagapagligtas, at nang sa gayon ay mapalaya sapagkakagapos sa kasalanan at kamatayan.

Ang pagsusugo ng Diyos sa Panginoong Jesus upangmamatay sa krus ay malinaw na kahayagan ng Kaniyanghabag na ang tao ay matubos. Dapat gawin naman ng taoang lahat ng kaniyang pananagutan upang makamtan atmaingatan ang kalayaang dulot ng katubusang ito mulasa kasalanan sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng marapatna kaugnayan sa Diyos sa loob ng Iglesia Ni Cristo. Ditonakataya ang magiging kapalaran ng tao.

Ang suliranin, nasa tao ang pagnanasa na magkasalaat gumawa ng kasamaan- tinatawag itong makasalananglikas ng tao. Kaya an g buong kapangyarihang itinuro niApostol Pablo: "Ito ang sinasabi ko sa inyo: ang Espirituang ga\'l1in ni nyong pa tnubay sa i nyong b u h a y a t h u w a gninyong susundin ang pita ng laman. Sapagkat ang mgapita ng laman ay laban sa mga ninanasa ng Espiritu, at angmga ninanasa ng Espiritu ay laban sa mga pita ng laman.

34 AUG UST 2 012 . GOD ' S MESSAGE - F IL IP I N O SECTIO N -

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Magkalaban ang dalawang ito, kaya hindi ninyo magawaan g ibig ninyong gawin" (Gal. 5:16-17, MB).

Likas sa tao na nasain na gumawa ng masama-nasinusunod ang mga pita 0 nasa ng laman 0 ng likas napagkatao-na ito naman ay kaibayo ng nais ng Espirituo ng Diyos. Ang dalawang puwersang ito ay lagingnagtutunggali upang siyang makapamayani sa tao.

Kung ang tao ay nahiwalay sa Diyos dahil sa kaniyangmakalamang pita 0 makamundong pagnanasa, siya namismo ang nag-aanyaya sa kaniyang pagkawasak atkamatayan dahil sa kaniyang pagiging alipin ng kasalanan,gaya ng itinuro ni Apostol Pablo: "Alam ninyong kapagkayo'y napailalim kaninuman bilang alipin, alipin ngakayo ng inyong pinapanginoon-mga alipin ng kasalananat an g bunga nito'y kamatayan, 0 mga alipin ng Diyos atang bunga nito'y pagpapawalang-sala . .. Ngunit ana ngaang napala ninyo sa mga bagay na iyon na ikinahihiyaninyo ngayon? Ang kinauuwian ng mga ito ay kamatayan"(Rom. 6:16, 21, Ibid .).

Kaya, ang mga nabubuhay sa kasalanan at sa paglabagsa mga batas ng Diyos-pamumuhay sa kalayawan atpagbibigay-kasiyahan sa sarili-ay itinuturing nang pataybagama't buhay pa (I Tim. 5:6) sapagkat sila ay tiyak nahahantong sa impiyerno. Bagama't totoong magagawang tao ang anumang naisin niya, anupa't itinuturing niyaang kaniyang sarili na siyang mayhawak ng kaniyangkaluluwa at kapalaran-ay hindi siya tunay na malayasapagkat alipin siya ng kasalanan at kamatayan. An gkaniyang buhay, gawi, kilos, at pamumuhay ay pawangnapangingibabawan ng kaniyang imoralidad.

Labis na nakalulungkot na maraming tao, mulasa sandaling sila ay gumising sa umaga hanggang samakatulog sa gabi, ay tumatangging mapagsabihankung ana ang dapat nilang gawin-at ito ang uri ngkalayaang hinahangad ng mga tao ng sanlibutan. Hindi nanakapagtataka, kung gayon, kung ang mga taong gayonay ituring ng Diyos na Kaniyang mg a kaaway: "Sapagkatkalaban ng Diyos ang sinumang nahuhumaling sa mg abagay ukol sa laman. Hindi siya sumusunod sa kautusanng Diyos, at hindi niya kayang sumunod. At ang mg anabubuhay ayon sa laman ay hindi maaaring kalugdan ngDiyos" (Rom. 8:7-8, MB).

Ang dating makasalanang pagkatao-na taglay angmakalamang pag-iisip at adhikain- ay kalaban ng Diyos.Hindi nito sinunod ang mga batas ng Diyos, at kailanma'yhindi nito magagawang makasunod . Kaya naman angmg a taong nasa ilalim pa ng kapangyarihan ng kanilangmasamang pagkatao, na nakahilig sa pagsunod sa kanilangmga masasamang pita, ay hindi kailanman mabibigyangkaluguran ang Diyos.

Nawawala ba ang kalayaan ng tao at siya ba aynagpapaapi kung lubos siyang magpapasakop sakatuwiran ng Diyos? Ganito ang sagot ni Apostol Pablo:"Ngunit ngayong malaya na kayo sa kasalanan at alipin nang Dios, mag-aani kayo ng kabanalang hahantong sa buhayna walang hanggan" (Rom. 6:22, New Pilipino Version).

Papaano itong maituturing na "pagkawala ngkalayaan" kung an g matatamo naman ng tao ay kabanalanat buhay na walang hanggan? Tunay ngang dakila angbiyayang makakamit ng mga nakalaya sa kasalanan:sila'y pawang naging mga alipin ng Diyos at mag-aaning kasalukuyang gantimpala sa kabanalan at sa wakas ayng walang hanggang buhay sa makalangit na kaharian ngDiyos.

Sa madaling salita, dapat isuko ng tao ang kaniyanglikas na kahinaan sa isang maka-Cristianong paraan ngpamumuhay, gaya ng itinuro ng apostol: "Anuman angmangyari, mamuhay kayo nang naayon sa ebanghelyo niCristo. Sa gayon, makarating man ako 0 hindi sa inyongpiling ay mabalitaan kong kayo'y nananatiling matatagsa isang isipan, at sama-samang ipinaglalaban angpananampalataya ng ebanghelyo" (Filip . 1:27, Ibid .).

An g isa sa mga layunin ng pagkakatubos sa mg akaanib ng Iglesia Ni Cristo ay upang ipahayag nila angdakilang kaluwalhatian ng Diyos (Rom. 15:5-6), naipinapakita sa lahat na ang Diyos ay karapatdapat naibigin at purihin sa pamamagitan ng pagsasabuhay ngebanghelyo ng Panginoong Jesucristo. Inaasahan ngDiyos na lalayuan nila ang lahat ng mga kasuklamsuklam na gawa na ibinubuhay ng mga tao ng sanlibutan.Bilang mg a lingkod ng Diyos, sila ay namumukod-tangihindi dahil sa kanilang lahi 0 dakong pinagmulan, kundidahil sa kanilang pagsasabuhay ng pananampalatayakay Cristo.

Ang kasaysayan ang nagtuturo sa atin ng maramingmga pakikipagbakang ginawa ng tao at ng kaniyang mgatagumpay na magkamit ng kalayaan mula sa pang-aalipinat paninikil; subalit maliban nang siya muna ay mapalayasa kasalanan at sa ibubunga nito na kamatayan sa dagatdagatang apoy at asupre, ang kaniyang pinuhunansa pagtatamo ng nasabing kalayaan ay nawawalangkabuluhan. Sa kabilang dako, ang pagiging lingkod ngDiyos ay marapat pakahangarin at ito ay nasa loob ngtunay na Iglesia Ni Cristo na "pinalaya" 0 tinubos ni Jesusmula sa kasalanan at kamatayan, dahil ito ang maghahatidsa pagtatamo ng "tunay na kalayaan" 0 isang buhay nasakdal sa walang hanggang kaharian ng Diyos. 0-RICHARD J. RODASEditor-in-Chief

-FILIPINO SECTION- AUGUST 20 12 GO D ' S MESSAGE 35

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Ano nga ang ibinunga ninyo sa panahong yaon sa mgabagay na ngayo'y ikinahihiya ninyo? sapagka't ang wakasng mga bagay na yaon ay kamatayan" (Roma 6:20-21). An gkamatayang tinutukoy ay ang ikalawang kamatayan sadagat-dagatang apoy na nakaambang parusa sa lahat ngalipin ng kasalanan (Apoc. 21:8).

Tunay na walang kalayaan ang taong alipin ngkasalanan 0 nagpapakabuyo sa kalayawan. Kaawa-awaang kalagayan ng ganitong tao, sapagkat kung ilarawanng mga apostol ay "bagama't buhay ay patay" (I Tim. 5:6).Sentensiyado na siya sa kaparusahan sa dagat-dagatangapoy. Ganito kung ilarawan ng Biblia ang kalagayan ngmg a tao na ginagawa ang lahat ng maibigan kahit na ito aylabag sa kalooban ng Diyos.

Ang mga nagtataglay ng kaisipan ng laman 0 patuloysa paggawa ng kasalanan ay nakikipag-alit laban sa Diyosat hindi napasasaklaw sa kautusan at hindi maaaringmaging sa Diyos (Roma 8:7) palibhasa'y tumatanggingsumunod sa kautusan, na ang ginagamit na pamantayansa buhay ay ang sariling kalooban 0 karunungan. Mataasan g pagkakilala nila sa sarili, bunga marahil ng taglaynilang karunungan, kung kaya't ipinipilit na sila namanda w ay may layang makapamili ng kung an a ang susundinsa kanilang buhay. At may nang-aakit pa ng ibang mgatao na sumama sa kanila na malayang nakapag-iisip atnakapagsasagawa ng ibang mg a bagay-bagay sa buhaynila sa mundo. Mapanganib at nanganganib ang taongmay ganitong isipan. Sinabi ni Apostol Pablo: "Kung angsinoma'y nagtuturo ng l b a n ~ aral, at hindi sutnasangayonsa mga salitang nakagagaling, sa makatuwid ay sa mgasalita ng ating Panginoong Jesucristo, at sa aral na ayon

sa kabanalan; Ang gayon ay palalo, walang nalalamanganoman, kundi may-sakit sa mga usapa n at mga pagtatalo,sa mga salitang pinagbubuhatan ng kapanaghilian, mg apagkakaalit, mg a pagalipusta, mga masasamang akala"(I Tim. 6:3-4). Kaya, nagpayo ang mga apostol na huwagmaging palalo ang tao at sa halip ay magtaglay ngmababang isipan at ipalagay na lalong mabuti ang ibakaysa kanila (Filip. 2:3). Sa ganito ay magagawa ng tao nasumunod sa kautusan 0 katuwiran ng Diyos.

Ang dakilang kalayaanMawawalan ng kabuluhan ang kalayaang maaaringmakamit ng tao sa mundo na kaniya pa man dingpinamumuhunanan at ipinakikipaglaban kung hindisiya magiging malaya sa pagkaalipin sa kasalanan. Hindimakaiiwas dito ang sinuman sapagkat may itinakda angDiyos na araw na kaniyang huhukuman ang lahat ngtao batay sa kautusan ng kalayaan: "Gayon ang inyongsalitain, at gayon ang inyong gawin, na gaya ng mga taonghuhukuman sa pamamagitan ng kautusan ng kalayaan"(Sant. 2:12). Sa kautusan ng kalayaan na binabanggit ngmg a apostol nakasalalay ang ikapagtatamo ng tunay nakalayaan. Mahalagang ito'y matupad upang hindi langmaging malaya kundi magtamo rin ang tao ng pagpapala(Sant. 1:25). Sinasabi rin ng Biblia na kapag ang kautusano tuntunin ng Diyos ang sinunod ng tao, tiyak na lalakadsiya sa kalayaan: "A t lalakad ako sa kalayaan; Sapagka'taking hinanap ang iyong mga tuntunin" (Awit 119 :45).Kaugnay nito, dapat na maging mainga t ang tao sapaghahanap ng tunay at dakilang kalayaan-hindi kungsino na lamang ang kaniyang susundin at pakikinggan .

-F ILIPI NO SECTION- AUGUST 2012 GOD'S MESSAGE 37

kaya't magpakatatag kayo at huwag pasakop na muli sa

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Dapat niyang sangguniin ang katotohanan na siyangmakapagtuturo kung paano magkaroon ng tunay nakalayaan. Napakalinaw ng pahayag ng Biblia na angmga pinalaya ng ating Panginoong Jesucristo ang siyangtunay na malaya (Juan 8:36, Magandang Balita Biblia). Atito ay pinatotohanan ng mga apostol na mababasa saGawa 13:39 na ganito ang isinasaad: "Sa pamamagitanniya pinata aw ad at nagiging malaya sa lahat ng itoang sinumang sumampalataya sa kanya" (Biblia ngSambayanang Pilipino).

Ngunit hindi sapat na ang gawin lamang ng taoay sumampalataya. Ang kapatawaran ng kasalanan namagpapalaya sa tao sa parusang walang hanggan aymakakamtan sa pamamagitan ng pagkabuhos ng dugo atmaliban dito 'y walang kapatawaran: "A t ayon sa kautusan,ay halos masasabi kong lahat ng mga bagay ay nililinis ngdugo, at maliban na sa pagkabuhos ng dugo ay walangkapatawaran" (Heb . 9:22). Ang tinubos ng mahalagangdugo ng ating Panginoong Jesucristo ay walang iba kundi

ang Iglesia Ni Cristo: "Ingatan ninyo kung gayon ang inyongmg a sarili at ang buong kawan na rito'y hinirang kayo ngEspiritu Santo na mg a katiwala, upang pakanin ang iglesiani Cristo na binili niya ng kaniyang dugo" (Gawa 20:28,isinalin mula sa Lamsa Translation).

Kung gayon, walang tunay na malaya sasangkatauhan maliban sa mga taong tinubos ng dugo ngating Panginoong Jesucristo 0 sa mg a kaanib sa Iglesia NiCristo. Tanging sa Iglesia lamang makakamtan ang tunayat dakilang kalayaan.Ang ikapananatiling malayaAng magpaalipin sa katuwiran 0 kalooban ng Diyosay hindi isang kaapihan 0 kalugihan. Sa halip, ito angikababanal ng tao at ikapagkakaroon niya ng buhay naW'alang hanggan (RoIna 6:22, 19 , NPV) .At upang Inaingutunang dakilang kalayaan na ipinangako, ganito ang bilin ngmga apostol: "Para sa kalayaan ay pinalaya tayo ni Cristo;

pamatok ng pagkaalipin" (Gal. 5:1, Ang Bagong Ang Biblia).Ang tinutukoy na "pamatok ng pagkaalipin" ay ang gawang laman 0 kasalanan (Gal. 5:19-21).

Ang pinaghaharian ng kaisipan ng laman ay patungosa kamatayan at sila'y hindi kalulugdan l)g Diyossamantalang ang nasa kapayapaan naman ay nagtataglayng kaisipan ng Espiritu at siyang tinatahanan ng Espiritung Diyos at ni Cristo: "Sapagka't ang mga ayon sa laman aynangagsisitalima sa mg a bagay ng laman; datapuwa't angmga ayon sa Espiritu ay sa mga bagay ng.Espiritu. Sapagka'tang kaisipan ng laman ay kamatayan; datapuwa't angkaisipan ng Espiritu ay buhay at kapayapaan. Sapagka'tang kaisipan ng laman ay pakikipagalit laban sa Dios;sapagka't hindi napasasaklaw sa kautusan ng Dios, ni hindinga maaari: At ang nangasa laman ay hindi makalulugodsa Dios. Datapuwa't kayo'y wala sa laman kundi nasa saEspiritu, kung gayo'y tumitira sa inyo ang Espiritu ngDios. Datapuwa't kung ang sinoma'y walang Espiritu ni

Cristo, siya'y hindi sa kaniya" (Roma 8:5-9). Tiniyak dinni Apostol Pablo na kung saan naroroon ang Espiritu ngPanginoon, doon ay may kalayaan (II Cor. 3:17).

Kaya, kung hangad ng tao ang mapayapa, masagana,at malayang pamumuhay na walang anumang bagabago kapighatian, napakahalagang masumpungan siyasa pagsunod. Ganito ang patotoo ng isang lingkod ngDiyos: "Ako nama'y mamumuhay nang payapa at malaya,Yamang ako sa utos mo 'y sumusunod namang kusa" (Awit119:45 , MB).

Isang dakilang kalayaan ang tatamuhin ng tao kungsusunod lamang siya sa lahat ng kalooban ng Diyos saparaang pumaloob siya sa tunay na Iglesia, an g IglesiaNi Cristo. Sa ganito, anuman ang mangyari sa mundoay magkakaroon siya ng tunay na kalayaan mula sapagkaalipin sa ka::;alanan at malaya ding maisasagawa niyaang paglilingkod na taglay ang pag-asa sa pagmamana ngmga pangako ng Diyos. 0

38 AUGUST 2012 ' GOD'S MESSAGE of ILlPI NO SECTION 0

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LA LIBERTAD ES una cosa que el hombre atesoratanto. Sin ella, el hombre se siente infeliz ydescontenta. Sin ella, el se sumerge en el hoyo

de tristeza y desesperaci6n. Esto Ie da el impulsopara levantarse y ponerse en camino de un a ardientebusqueda de la libertad.

Sin embargo, a pesar de movimientos ycampanas para lograr la libertad, el hombrepermanece a se r esclavo. No es libre. El todaviaesta en condici6n de servidumbre. Sin 10 sabery en tender el, esta sufriendo de un a clase deesclavitud qu e resultara catastr6fica en el final.

LQue es 10 que esclaviza al hombre? LQUe es 10 quese ha apoderado del hombre que ni balas ni votacionespueden liberarlo de sus garras? LC6mo puede serliberado el hombre de este tip a de esclavitud?EI hombre esta bajo de su encantoLQue es 10 que esclaviza totalmente la humanidad?Nuestro Senor Jesucristo decla ra, asi: " ... De cierto, decierto as digo que todo aquel que hace pecado, esc1ava es del pecado" On. 8:34, Version Reina-Valera 1960).

El pecado es el que esc1aviza al hombre. LQuedemuestra aun mas que el pecado tiene un embraguefuerte encina del hombre? Ap6stol Pablo dice: "N ome comprendo. Deseo hacer 10 que es correcto perono 10 hago. En lugar de ella, hago precisamente 10qu e odio . .. Asi, no 10 hago yo, sino el pecado quevive en mi. Se que no hay nada bueno en mi, a sea,en la carne, porque quiero hacer el bien y no 10 hago.No hago el bien que quiero, pero haga siempre lascasas malas qu e no qu iera hacer" (Rom. 7:15, 17-19,Versi6n Nueva Vida).El pecado, pa r 10 tanto, es el mayor enemigo dela humanidad. El hombre debe ser puesto en libertadde su mortal agarre. LPor que?

pasugo aug.2012 vol.64 no.8 ''offer to god glory and praise'' ☺

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