Plantation Roots: How Wahiawa Became Home

From food to language, the history of the plantation workers in Hawaii continues to shape what people know about life on the island. Learn how Hawaii’s plantation economy made way for individuals to find a place to worship God in small farming communities like Wahiawa and why there was a need to renovate a new worship building to accommodate the growing number of worshippers in the area.

Show/Hide Transcript

Voiceover: What comes to mind when you think about Hawaii? Beaches, surfers, and probably hula.

Nan Zapanta: So we’re here at the old Waialua sugar mill, it’s pretty cool to see that being done for this smokestack. That’s pretty, pretty cool to see.

Voiceover: While this isn’t the Hawaii you pictured, this place, these fields and the history behind them have probably influenced pretty much everything you think you know about Hawaii.

Nan: Right behind me is the Waianae range. You can see these are the pineapple plantations here.

Voiceover: But how did the history of this island create a home for so many? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out.

[Show Open]

I’m Nan Zapanta. As an industrial designer I spent years admiring the great designs of products, vehicles, and architecture from all over the world. But I found architecture to be the most captivating. I love learning about each building, discovering the characteristics that make it unique and understanding the purpose behind it’s design. Most of all I love hearing about the stories behind each structure and seeing God’s plan in putting it all together. Join us as we discover the Blueprint of the buildings and structures inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

Voiceover: Driving north on the island of Oahu, away from the busy crowded streets of Honolulu, you begin to notice a change. Buildings begin to spread out. The clusters of homes and businesses become smaller and less frequent, replaced slowly by trees and wider stretches of fields, plantations with rows and rows of pineapples.

Kelsey Inouye: It’s interesting because Wahiawa itself is a very, very mellow town very laid back. But it’s also busy because you have all the people heading to the North Shore that pass through, so Kamehameha Highway right here is always a super busy road.

Voiceover: I met up with Kelsey Inouye, a lifelong resident of Wahiawa at the Dong Yang Inn, a local go-to spot for the past 40 years serving up classic Korean plate lunch.

Nan: Your family, what brought them here to Hawaii?

Kelsey: My family first settled here in the Waialua side, so the North Shore but farther down and over there, there’s a lot of farm plantation.

Nan: So you’re what generation?

Kelsey: In Japanese we have different generations, it’s called Issei, that’s the first generation, Nisei, Sansei, Yonsei. So I would be Yonsei.

Nan: So the fourth generation, so you got your family’s—like deeply rooted

Kelsey: My family? Yeah.

Voiceover: But while this family is deeply rooted in Hawaii, like many of those that live here, I was surprised to find out that he didn’t consider himself Hawaiian.

Kelsey: There’s people who are of Hawaiian descent and there’s the people who live here. So we can say to the people of Hawaiian descent to be Hawaiian.

Nan: Ok. So when someone asks you, what are you?

Kelsey: I’m from Hawaii, born and raised.

Nan: But you never say I’m Hawaiian.

Kelsey: No, that’s a big no no.

Voiceover: While being Hawaiian is defined as those being of Hawaiian descent, being from Hawaii was less definitive but yet equally identifiable. You see, by the early 20th century, thousands of laborers from China, Portugal, Japan, the Philippines, Korea and Puerto Rico had moved to the islands, mixing together cultures to create many things considered to be uniquely Hawaiian, like the food.

Kelsey: Food is something that’s universal. So even when people come together they would bring their lunches, in the plantation. They would each bring their lunches from their own, from their own families. And then they’ll be able to share it with each other.

Nan: I’m excited.

Voiceover: As we waited for our order, Kelsey educated me on the culture, the food and even taught me a little bit about Hawaiian Pidgin. I began to get a better understanding of how this sleepy town in the center of Oahu could become home to so many different people.

Kelsey: Thank you.

Nan: Thank you so much. This is, this is food.

Kelsey: Welcome to Wahiawa. Alright so meat jun is thinly sliced beef. And they cover it with batter and they fry— they deep fry it. We have the special sauce also.

Nan: Oh, this is a special sauce.

Kelsey: Special sauce.

Nan: Ok. Just there—is it like secret ingredients?

Kelsey: Secret, yeah. If they told us they have to kill us.

Nan: I don’t want that to happen. So I will not ask you what it is.

Kelsey: So you just dip the meat jun inside

Nan: And just give it a try.

Voiceover: After saying a quick prayer, Kelsey and I dug in.

Nan: Time for meat jun.

Kelsey: Meat jun. You don’t even have to say anything. I feel it off of your, your expression.

Nan: This is ridiculously good.

Kelsey: Want to try?

Nan: Sure, want to try some of this? Try this.

Kelsey: Thank you. And you know, I feel like this is how it happened in the plantation. See each other’s food and—

Nan: And I feel like yeah, they would try it out. And they were like, oh you know, I like that. Let me add that to whatever I’m making. And then saimin happened, right?

Kelsey: And musubis.

Voiceover: One of the largest groups of laborers were skilled laborers. They left their families in the Philippines with the hopes of providing for them. Years later, they brought their families to Hawaii. In 1969, Edgar and his family moved to Waialua to be reunited with his dad.

Nan: So how was it growing up in the sugar plantation?

Edgar Alegado: It was happy, real comfortable, you know, at least my dad was working at a sugar company and my mom had work in kukui nuts.

Nan: Do you have any fond memories living on the plantation anything that sticks out in particular?

Edgar: Riding our bikes with the neighbors, racing on the streets with our bikes.

Nan: Good ol’ times.

Edgar: Went to the store almost every hour.

Nan: Sounds like the life. So then at the time, there was worship services here on the island?

Edgar: Only in Honolulu.

Voiceover: When the Church Of Christ held its first worship service in Hawaii in 1968, most, if not all, in attendance were immigrants to the country, including a number who came to work on Hawaii’s, then, thriving sugar and plantation industry. And while they were scattered throughout the island, twice a week, the members of the Church would make the trip to gather in living rooms in Kalihi, an immigrant neighborhood in Honolulu, where a number of members lived. Soon however, they outgrew the living rooms they were using, and in 1969, the worship services were moved to the Kalihi YMCA. And by 1971, a house of worship was purchased on Valley View Drive in Kalihi Valley, where the congregation has stayed until today. Solomon Guillermo, affectionately known as Grandpa Solomon to those who grew up in Honolulu, was there when renovations began to turn it into the first Iglesia Ni Cristo house of worship on the island.

Nan: How large is this property? Do you know how many acres or—

Solomon Guillermo: No, not even an acre. Not even an acre, about two thirds of an acre I believe.

Voiceover: He took me around the building, showing me some of the work they did including the patio where you can see one of the best views of the area.

Solomon: They’re called ‘batares,’ I don’t know how you [say] that in English.

Nan: For the viewers that might not know ‘batares’ is, can you explain?

Solomon: Well, ‘batares’ means that every member, as much as possible give help [with] whatever the project are. And even the sisters, although they’re not carpenters also provided snacks [and] food.

Voiceover: Considering the amount of detail he shared, it was hard to imagine him being 89 years old, or that the work he described happened almost 50 years ago.

Nan: And this is the main sanctuary. So this sanctuary, is it similar to how it looked originally? Or was there major changes?

Solomon: No, no, no, no. There [were] lots of changes. The original building was only up to here.

Nan: Oh, it stopped right here.

Solomon: It stopped [right] here. And this wall [starts] from there and that’s why we have these side pews.

Nan: So the wall used to be over here.

Solomon: This wall, used to be here like this. Same with the other side.

Nan: That’s a lot. That’s a major change.

Solomon: Yeah, [there were] a lot of changes.

Voiceover: While the building underwent a number of changes when it was first purchased, it has inherently stayed the same since then updated from time to time, extensions added like many of the homes in the surrounding areas, but it still pretty much stayed just as Edgar remembered it as a child in the 1970s.

Edgar: I just remembered attending the CWS there in that other house that’s in the parking lot, which is—

Nan: Right, that separate building.

Edgar: Yes.

Voiceover: As a young child, he remembers traveling to Honolulu to attend the worship service twice a week until an extension was established in Waialua.

Nan: What did that mean to your family and to the other members that were living in this area? Were they happy that finally a new extension—

Edgar: Yes, actually, they were happy. We just needed help in the worship service itself from Honolulu so they had to travel on weekdays.

Voiceover: The handful of members first gathered in a garage of one of Edgar’s relatives, then move to the Waialua sugar plantation union hall, and eventually the YMCA in a nearby town of Wahiawa, another town impacted by the growing plantation economy. In 1981, the congregation dedicated its first house of worship.

Edgar: The brethren in Wahiawa were so happy to have something, a house of worship, to worship in so everyone was happy with that.

Voiceover: In 2007, historic rainfall brought about by Kona storms, a type of seasonal Cyclone hit the island of Oahu wreaking havoc, especially on old buildings, like the first house of worship in Wahiawa.

Edgar: So at one point, in the nursery, the roof fell in. So the roof fell in. And so we had to temporarily use Waipahu chapel while we try to renovate Wahiawa. But even Wahiawa, our old chapel was not able to accommodate the brethren. So that’s why we were looking for a better, nicer, more suitable—

Voiceover: We had a bit of time that morning in Wahiawa and some of the crew from Hawaii mentioned that the old worship building was just a few minutes away. So we decided to go and see if we could check it out.

Wilgren Ringor family bought the property after the congregation moved to its new location. And as he walked us around, he shared the work he did to restore and transform it. You can feel the sense of pride he had in being able to keep a bit of the history the building represented to the congregation. The same building that brought Jun Reyes to Wahiawa.

Jun Reyes: We came to Wahiawa in 1998, November.

Voiceover: A member of the construction battalion for the US Navy, Jun spent his career working on construction projects that involve building barracks, roads and piers for the Navy, a background that would come in handy during his last naval assignment.

Jun: We went to Honolulu, Waipahu, nice, big local [congregation]. And then we attended Wahiawa and we look at the chapel in Glen Avenue.

Nan: Right, that was the first house of worship.

Jun: That was the first house of worship and was it was really miserable in this place. I said I’m staying here.

Nan: That’s when you decided this is going to be where you’re going to stay. Wahiawa was going to be home.

Jun: Or at least build it to look like a chapel.

Voiceover: From 1998 to 2013, the former worship building would be repaired and renovated repeatedly during which the congregation would look for a new house of worship.

Nan: So then, once this was purchased, and there were there already plans to have it renovated. Were you involved?

Jun: Yes. Even from the beginning, the place is really nice. The land is big, we have enough parking, with that we also address the issues, the problems we have with the original location.

Nan: Would it be okay if you gave us a tour just to show us some of the renovation and—

Jun: Ok, alright, ok.

Nan: This is beautiful brother, this is definitely not an old house of worship, it’s a full renovation.

Jun: Even the wall, they used to be all CMU if you’re familiar with a masonry block, you can see the joints for all the walls around.

Nan: So it was really bare bones. With the roof I do see it does come together. Was it flat before?

Jun: Yes, yes, it used to be flat. They call it the fink truss in engineering.

Voiceover: Similar to some of the past houses of worship we visited. This worship building has an arched ceiling that was added during the renovation. In order to achieve this, the original flat ceiling was carefully removed. Next, trusses were placed every two feet along the entire length of the ceiling within the sanctuary, allowing for a solid structure for the significantly higher ceiling. As an engineer, Jun was able to contribute to the project through his understanding of the stability, strength and rigidity of built structures.

Jun: Even though the drawing calls for removing this, we can’t move it all at one time because the roof will collapse.

Nan: As I’m looking around, I know everything is new. But one part that does remind me kind of like the of the older houses of worship or even older residences, is the windows. Are the windows original or do you know if these were preserved?

Jun: The windows are original.

Voiceover: The style complimented the island location of the building. But were subtle enough to still blend in with the overall design of the building

Nan: It allows the—just the air to flow within. If it’s raining, the rain can still just go down and away from the building. Is there anything else that was a major change during the renovation, aside from from the ceiling?

Jun: The major or costly in any buildings are the utility. HVAC had to be installed.

Voiceover: The entire electrical supply was upgraded to accommodate the needs of the worship building, including all the lights and the connectivity of the building.

Jun: It runs all the way from the audio room, up to the attic and down to one of the walls.

Voiceover: Jun walked me through the various details of the house of worship. And though the building was smaller than many of the houses of worship, it was not short on detail. Details you could especially see in the facade, which was his favorite part of the worship building renovation.

Nan: What was your involvement for this because was this originally here on the building like this whole facade?

Jun: No brother. It used to be we call it the hip roof. So imagine from about 20 feet, it dropped down, slope down. There was nothing to hold the facade so it was built from scratch.

Voiceover: Because of its location on the island and past experiences with heavy rain and wind at the former worship building, extra care was taken in building the facade, including a two foot deep concrete foundation to hold it up. Cecilio Banda, the general contractor spoke more about the amount of work put into the most recognizable part of the building.

Nan: How was it working on the front facade because from my understanding that wasn’t there before. Right?

Cecilio Banda: Yeah, it was— it had an overhang. And so we had to cut the overhang and then constructed the huge footing there in front to carry that load.

Nan: Right.

Cecilio: Because he was part steel. So it had to be craned up, you know, to put it in place.

Nan: Oh, so it was tilted up?

Cecilio: Yes, tilted up and it had to be aligned with the doors that we cut in front. And so at first it wasn’t aligned. So we had to kind of like move it a little.

Nan: Little bit— mini adjustments.

Cecilio: But eventually we got it in there.

Voiceover: The facade presented another challenge in construction. If you look at the houses of worship of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the steeples can normally be found in the front of the building. For Wahiawa the steeple was located in the middle of the roof.

Nan: Is there a reason behind like, why it was placed where it was?

Cecilio: It was designed to be aligned with the seal here.

Nan: Oh, so you could see it—

Cecilio: That was in the contract.

Voiceover: Standing in front of the seal, the fiberglass steeple directly aligns with it, creating almost a second facade, when coupled with the second entry way to the building coming from the parking lot.

Nan: Being here in Hawaii, where you’re an island far from the mainland. What are the challenges of getting materials, bringing it here?

Cecilio: The steeples that came from—

Nan: From Texas.

Cecilio: From Texas that has to be driven to Matson in Long Beach, and then shipped to Hawaii.

Nan: Those factors, you have to plan ahead of time.

Cecilio: And given the time constraint at the time, all I did was rely on God. I lost 12 pounds in the process but that was good.

Voiceover: In July of 2013, the Wahiawa house of worship was completed and dedicated in a worship service led by the Executive Minister.

Nan: Can you recall that day of the dedication?

Jun: It was a great, really blessed. I cannot express how—to be with Brother Eduardo V. Manalo on that day, and be in the podium with him and have the dedication of the chapel is really fulfilling.

Nan: When you think back to the day that you saw the original house of worship and you were thinking of how the condition of it. Did you ever imagine that this is what the end result would be?

Jun: No, I can never imagine that. I was just really happy when we were approved to renovate the old chapel. We never realized that we’ll be blessed when even a bigger, better house.

Nan: And it’s a great blessing. And it’s beautiful.

Voiceover: It’s been over 70 years since the last ship of plantation laborers arrived on the shores of Hawaii. And yet today, we still see the influence on everything we’ve come to know, as uniquely Hawaii, even in the small town of Wahiawa. Evidence can be found just driving down the main road where dozens of worship buildings line the street together reflecting the diversity of the island. A diversity that helped Kelsey, a great grandson of a Japanese immigrant find the opportunity he had been looking for, truth.

Kelsey: I live where I’ve lived my entire life. And the church was just a quick, one and a half, two minutes away from where I live. And I didn’t, I didn’t really notice. It’s not somewhere I would pass by all the time.

Voiceover: In 2012, Kelsey accepted an invitation to listen to the teachings inside the Church Of Christ.

Kelsey: I met a bunch of the brethren when I was in college. And it was through music that I met them, we’d all have this we’d have this group of people who would hang out in the college that would just play music.

Voiceover: And while he was an active member in another church, something about the Church Of Christ drew him in to listen more.

Kelsey: There came a point where in the Bible studies, where it talks about the one true Church and how the other churches are not the truth.

Voiceover: During this time, the congregation was in the middle of moving into the new building, giving Kelsey a unique opportunity to help out with the final details of the renovations, including assembling the pews that we see today.

Kelsey: When they’re bringing the pews in, they brought them in pieces. So we helped to assemble them.

Nan: Some real hands on help not not anything—that’s a pretty significant thing. Because I mean, these pews are beautiful. So you actually literally had a hand in putting them together. So what motivated you to help in that way?

Kelsey: When I was brought into the Church, I was able to hang out with all of the other officers, there were choir members and Kadiwa officers so I feel like that really affected me in my faith, kind of like a jump start in my faith already.

Voiceover: Still a Bible student at the time, he witnessed the Executive Minister officiate the dedication of the Wahiawa worship building simultaneously with members around the world, through the live video stream.

Nan: Was that kind of a realization for you as far as just how, how far reaching the Church is globally?

Kelsey: I just, it took my breath away, it was something else.

Voiceover: Whenever we get to visit a worship building for the show, I always make a point to look at the previous places of worship of the congregation, the halls they might have worshiped in, the images of the building before it was renovated to really get an appreciation of the work that was put in.

Nan: How was it there at the older house of worship, it was a little bit smaller?

Kelsey: It was more cramped, but you know what? The teachings of God are the teachings of God.

Voiceover: And while history can quickly tell us the when, and the how, sometimes the why is something that doesn’t become clear until much later on.

Nan: And when you look back and you see, from even growing up here in Wahiawa everything that you’ve gone through, do you see what God’s plan was? Can you pinpoint these are the moments?

Kelsey: From when I got baptized, I feel like things happened in my life leading up to that, that set me up to be where I am now. And I truly believe that that was God’s plan.

Nan: It’s really been great coming to this part of the island, learning its history and its impact on food, language and even the people that came here. But most of all, I love seeing how even in the smallest corner of the world, you can find buildings like this one, in Wahiawa. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Blueprint, where in the end, everything is part of God’s plan.

Adorar A Dios Correctamente, Según La Biblia

¿Qué tan seguros estamos cuando se trata de adorar a Dios correctamente? ¿Y es nuestro servicio de adoración a Dios aceptable por Él? Aprenda más hoy.

Losing Trust: Do Authentic Church Leaders Still Exist?

Are church leaders bound to fail? Despite pressure to adapt to changing beliefs and trends, and a growing mistrust towards leaders, it is possible for a Church leader to authentically care without compromising biblical teachings.

Show/Hide Transcript

TV News anchor: According to the organizers, today, at least 500,000 people have been joining this rally, opposing the extradition amendments. While according to police…

Brother Bob Pellien (voiceover): Whether it is the leaders of nations, leaders of companies, or even the leaders of international religious organizations, many leaders today have disappointed, have lost the trust of their constituents and even divided the population. People no longer trust them to be responsible, honest, or even to lead with honor, integrity and for the genuine good of those they are leading. Except for one.

[Video end]

Brother Bob: Hello everyone, I am your host, Brother Bob Pellien and this is the Iglesia Ni Cristo International Edition. Today we’re asking:

“Do authentic church leaders still exist?”

Brother Bob: And joining us in today’s discussion is Brother Randy Weir from Quezon City, Philippines. Brother Randy thanks for joining our discussion! We also have with us Brother Donald Pinnock in Toronto, Canada. Welcome Brother Donald! And, as well, we have with us Brother Philip Velasquez in the United Kingdom. Welcome to you, as well, Brother Philip and thanks for being with us.

Today, we’re talking about leadership and you know with the world constantly changing and peoples’ beliefs and their values evolving. Many Leaders appear and seem to feel pressured to adapt in any way that they can.

For example, they change what they say, they change what they do, based upon what they think people want from them, what they think people will like. What are they doing? They are seeking for man’s approval.

So brothers, I begin today’s discussion by posing to you all this question:

“Are leaders bound to fail if they don’t adapt to the population’s desires?”

Brother Randy Weir: Let me just say right at the outset of our discussion brothers, the answer is no. True leaders are NOT bound to adapt to, nor adopt to the trends or cultural adaptations of the times in order to succeed. But people are adapting, and changing Brother Bob, and following all kinds of leaders that are not committed to the truth, nor committed to what is right, and not committed to what is good for humanity.

Brother Donald Pinnock: That’s why it’s not so surprising when it comes to so much turmoil that we can see in the world today. In fact, when it came to the video that was just shown, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to protests that have been held in different nations and also territories.

We also hear of tragically mass shootings and people taking the lives of other people for no apparent reason. We can see the decline of the importance of marriage. There’s so much divorce now, families are disintegrating, there [are] so many single parents.

When it comes to leaders of nations, we can see that tragically, there are those who, as what was mentioned by you Brother Bob, they are just speaking or responding to the whim and will of the people at the current time.

When it comes to many leaders, they do not stand on the side of justice and most especially when it comes to righteousness. However in the Church Of Christ, there’s something significant, there’s something very very different.

Brother Phil Velasquez: You know, Brother Donald, what you just said there brings to mind, that the Bible actually made mention that people would choose leaders in this world that will have the wrong motives in their leadership or in their leading.

Brother Bob: Wrong motives Brother Phil? What’s the biblical guidance that people should be aware of regarding that?

Brother Phil: Well, Brother, the Bible says something here, [the] Apostle Paul says in II Timothy 4:3 :

“The time will come when people will not listen to sound doctrine, but will follow their own desires and will collect for themselves more and more teachers who will tell them what they are itching to hear.”

[II Timothy 4:3 Good News Translation]

Brother Phil: So we can see it’s not shocking then that we see so many troubled leaders in the world today, and especially in different religious organizations and churches. It’s because people are choosing for themselves leaders that will tell them what they want to hear.

Brother Randy: That’s very true brothers, because it was also predicted in the Bible, that there would be false teachers who would be tolerated and followed in religions. In fact, the Bible calls them as false teachers or prophets.

These teachers will surrender to trends and customs and traditions rather than to the Almighty God.

Brother Bob: Brother Randy, was that also spoken about in the Holy Scriptures in any way?

Brother Randy: Yes it is Brother Bob and we can read this here in II Peter 2:1, let’s read:

“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, (heresy is a false teaching) even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.”

[II Peter 2:1 New King James Version]

Brother Randy: So yes Bro Bob, and dear friends, the Bible is filled with guidance, or mentions of leadership, and gives clear warnings too. So, everyone really needs to be careful.

Brother Bob: But wait a minute Brother Randy, brothers, the question that people could—or maybe would want to pose right now is that, well then that being the case, is it even possible that there’s authentic leadership in these modern time while still a leader would be committed to the truth? Can a preacher today brothers, here’s the thing—can a preacher today lead with integrity and not surrender to the traditions of the world today? Not be the kind of preacher that just tells the people only what they’re itching to hear, can there be such leadership

Brother Donald: Well, the apostles Brother Bob, they did it. They were authentic and they did not just preach what peoples’ ears were itching to hear.

Brother Phil: That’s right Brother Donald, and we can actually read that in the Holy Scriptures written here in II Corinthians 6:4, and these are the words of [the] Apostle Paul, an authentic preacher in the first century Church Of Christ, it says here:

“Yet, as God’s servants, we prove ourselves authentic in every way. For example: We have great endurance in hardships and in persecutions. We don’t lose courage in a time of stress and calamity.”

[II Corinthians 6:4 The Passion Translation]

Brother Phil: So the apostles were authentic, in the sense that they didn’t allow the truth to be compromised when it brought to them hardship or persecution.

Brother Donald: That’s so right Brother Phil, in fact some of them according to the Bible, they were thrown into jail and even others, they were thrown into jail because of their righteous stand.

Brother Bob: Just because they wanted to preach the truth right Brother Randy?

Brother Randy: Yes, they were authentic preachers who had honor and integrity. Preachers who held onto the truth no matter what.

A Leader That is Teaching the Truth, Leading With Power and Spirit

Brother Bob: So then brothers, how about now, how about in our time? Is there anyone today, in our time, a leader that is standing his ground, not surrendering to trends if those trends go against the truth? A leader that is teaching the truth, leading with power and spirit, and never compromising the truth when it comes to service to God? And in fact, leading others to serve God without compromise as well, even if it will bring persecution or personal hardship and personal sacrifice? Is there a leader like that nowadays Brothers?

Brother Phil: Yes Brother.

Brother Donald: Yes Brother Bob, there is.

Brother Randy : Yes there is Brother Bob.

Brother Bob: Brother Randy, who is it?

Brother Randy: Well brothers and dear friends, it is the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, the Church Of Christ, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo—for us, he is the best example of being a true dynamic leader in our time!

Brother Bob: Dear friends, can that be proven? Stay with us right here on the Iglesia Ni Cristo, International Edition. Because when we come back, we will prove to you that the ten years of leadership inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ, wherein we can see and follow the victory parade of successes over the past decade, and these have been led by Brother Eduado V. Manalo. He stands unique and profoundly of God and we’ll prove that. We will be right back.

[Break]

Brother Bob: Welcome back everyone. Today we’re asking:

“Do authentic church leaders still exist?”

Brother Bob: Let us now take a look at the contrast between the ways of this world, let’s say leaders and the leadership of this world, and the profound contrast difference being here in the past ten years under the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo or Church Of Christ. Brother Donald!

Brother Donald: Well one quality that differentiates the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo from others is none other than how he gives importance in making known to the brethren the importance of worshipping our Almighty God.

Brother Bob: Singing, praising, serving God. But what we see around us in the world is something different Brother Donald?

How is it different?

Brother Donald: What is it we can see Brother Bob? We can see that many churches are closing their doors and it means to say that when it comes to the number of congregants, that number is diminishing. That also means to say that when it comes to the leaders of those churches, well they must be lacking when it came to a significant aspect of the responsibility and because of this, as we said, the doors of many churches all throughout the world, they are being closed permanently.

Brother Bob: So those leaders did not teach the members to stand their ground and persevere come what may. You know Brother Donald, to your point, we have a short video clip about that really closely correlates to what you just said, let’s take a look.

[Video start]

TV Anchorman: Here with breaking news, it’s happening again. Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David Zubik announcing that four churches in Washington County will close next month. They include Saint Joseph Roscoe, St. Michael the Archangel, Fredericktown, St. Thomas Aquinas, California, and Saints Mary & Ann in Marianna. They all make up the Saint Catherine Drexel Parish. Bishop Zubik warned of church closures last year because attendance has declined at mass, there’s a shortage of priests, and the population has shifted.

[Video end]

Brother Donald: What we just viewed was a myopic view of what’s happening when it comes to many churches all throughout the world, including Canada, Brother Bob. In fact, according to statistics, 1/3 of the churches in Canada, they could close their doors within ten years. We have to repeat that because that astounding number of churches in Canada, 1/3 of them could be closing their doors within the next ten years.

So it goes to point again to leaders of these churches who are lacking when it comes to impressing upon the members of their church the importance of worshiping, glorifying, and praising God no matter what happens. That’s the difference.

Brother Bob: They didn’t pass it on right Brother Donald to the next generation? They failed as leaders then isn’t it Brother Phil?

Brother Phil: Yes, Brother Bob, and you know it’s not only there in the United States also here in the United Kingdom, and throughout Europe. It’s a growing trend and we can see the closure of many churches throughout the country. An interesting statistic is that there are more pubs now than churches here in the United Kingdom. You might think “Well there’s nothing special about that.”

The thing is this, many of those pubs were former churches, renovated into pubs and it’s something that’s happening all throughout the country and it’s something that the local population is not happy about. Their former churches being turned into pubs or nightclubs or other different establishments.

Brother Randy: The point I noticed in these video clips brothers is that the world is filled with failed leaders, failed religions. The world is filled with sheep that are not being lead by a true shepherd.

Brother Phil: That’s true, Brother Randy but, you know it’s not the case here inside the Church Of Christ.

We Are Being Led to be Diligent

Brother Phil: —in all of our works to intensify all elements and aspects of our services to our Almighty God, especially our worship services inside the places of worship or houses of worship.

Brother Bob: Exactly brothers. You know, under the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo for the past ten years, how many of these of these worship buildings have been built, have been renovated, have been made available by the Church Administration to the people of God for that very purpose? They could go inside, they could pray, they could give glory to God. What’s transpired over the ten years of leadership of Brother Eduardo Manalo, brothers?

Brother Phil: Well Brother Bob the numbers are absolutely astounding. The number of chapels built and renovated in the last ten years, the last decade, under the leadership of our Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, 2009 to June 2019, there’s been a talk of 3,338 chapels including what we call these barangay chapels, or neighborhood chapels. Included in that number is 105 whole concrete chapels that are located outside of the Philippines and within the Philippines we have 945 concrete chapels. Those numbers are mind blowing and on top of that we have 1,105 renovated chapels throughout the world.

Brother Bob: All in just the past decade?

Brother Phil: Yes Brother.

Brother Bob: Brother Donald, did Brother Eduardo Manalo lead the members of the Church Of Christ to offer, to dedicate this grand number of worship buildings and other properties of the Church for man’s glory?

What has always been his motive that he has taught to all of us as well?

Brother Donald: Brother Bob, the motive or sacred purpose of our beloved Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo has not changed. Let us read Haggai, the Chapter is 1 and the verse is 8, and this is stated:

Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the ^[^a^]temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord.

[Haggai 1:8 New King James Version]

Brother Donald: We can read here how the Lord our God instructs His people to build or temples or modern day usage of words when it comes to building houses of worship.

When it comes to Brother Eduardo V. Manalo he has held true to this commandment of the Lord our God so it’s not to satisfy the whim or will of other people. But rather, the Lord our God is utilizing Brother Eduardo V. Manalo in order for the people of God to glorify our Father in heaven.

And I have to point that again Brother Bob, the numbers that were read earlier about the number of houses of worship being built that is astounding, that is tremendous. There’s no other Church that can point to thousands of buildings, houses of worship being built all throughout the world. It’s really phenomenal.

Brother Bob: It really is. You’re correct Brother Donald. And you know these houses of worship have truly given glory to God. You know brothers like we mentioned earlier, these headlines of churches closing their doors and turning their chapels into pubs and stuff all over the U.K., America, Australia, other places of the world, it’s all become a very common thing.

But with God’s help and the voluntary offerings of church members inside the Iglesia Ni Cristo we’ve been able to purchase these abandoned buildings that- renovate them and help connect people back to God in so many communities all over the world and we’d like to share a little bit with you by means of this video clip. Let’s take a look together.

[Video start]

[On-screen text graphic]

The house of worship has always been a place of refuge for God’s people.

For Neil Duazo, it’s the best place to go.

Neil: If I’m having a really bad day at work or just life is starting to you know—bills get caught up and stuff and I come in, and just pray for a few minutes, meditate for a few more minutes, and I could feel peace right away.

[On-screen text graphic]

…a feeling all members of the Church Of Christ can relate to.

Herman: It’s a serene place that I can go to no matter how I’m feeling when I leave home, no matter how I feel [when] I’m coming, even sometimes, when I’m coming back from an appointment or whatever…

Fred: Aw, this is home, This is home. In Psalms 27, I like to live all the days of my life, you know, in Your house, Lord. And this is where I get my prayers answered.

[On-screen text graphic]

Fred helped renovate the Bloomingdale house of worship before it was dedicated to God in 2011 by Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.

[Choir Singing]

Neil: For me, it was the other way. I didn’t know anything except for a rented space, but once the chapel was dedicated, I knew exactly what they were talking about. Wherever they went to, whichever place they went to visit or go on vacation, they always looked for the house of worship first. [They would say] thanks to God for their safe journey, and then they go on about their day. And now I know what that feels like.

[On-screen text graphic]

The past 10 years have seen rapid changes in attitudes about religion and spiritual beliefs…

[Newscast voicover]

Local Catholic churches will shut down after the holidays. Effective January 11^th, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will close St. These of the Child Jesus.”

[On-screen text graphics]

…leaving many with no place to go.

But in the Church Of Christ, the past 10 years have seen over 3,300 worship buildings dedicated to God—a great task led by the Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo.

This helps ensure that those who seek God would always have a place to find Him—

—much like Herman King, a former pastor from Bronx, New York.

Herman: I passed the Church all the time and it was just this one particular day that I was walking past, one of the brethren was outside, he handed me an invitation to come to one of the Evangelical Missions. I took it and I just stuck in my pocket. You know I’m going—what I’m doing, what I’m doing—and I’m just—you know and I put it in my pocket.

[On-screen text graphic]

Brother Eduardo V. Manalo led the dedication of the house of worship in Bronx, New York in 2011. The building had sat empty for two years before that.

In 2016, Herman walked into the house of worship to attend a Bible study.

Herman: I thought to myself, I said, “You know what? I’m going.” I went to the Evangelical Mission and I was sitting there and I heard them talking about the Bible. Everything that was (said) came straight from the Scripture. So I’m sitting here thinking, “Am I in the right place or did I make a mistake by coming here?” Then I went maybe for a day or so, and I didn’t go back. Then all of a sudden I had this feeling, I need to go back.

[On-screen text graphic]

The Executive Minister leads many of the chapel dedications to God, illustrating just how important the house of worship is for the faith of God’s people.

Fred: (Brother) Eduardo, fabulous man, fabulous man. Very inspirational to have one of His servant’s love you so much, that they practically lay down their life, which is basically what he does when he goes to all these countries that I read about every day.

Herman: When I look at him, he is a leader. (When) we follow him, we will receive our salvation.

Fred: They love us all and that’s the most beautiful gift that God could give anyone.

[On-screen text]

In just ten years as the Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo has already given so much to the Church: constantly teaching lessons and giving reminders from the Bible and helping make sure that God’s people will always have a place to worship.

Herman: I’m in the right place, I’m doing the right thing. Our goal is to reach the day of salvation, so everybody’s moving in that direction. Like I said, I love the chapel because it’s a beautiful place.

Neil: It was dedicated to God. The beauty of this is that you know God lives here.

Fred: The nights that I have to guard, I take special time out and spend a little extra time so I can kneel and I can pray in the house of worship. This is home.

[Video end]

Brother Bob: Communities like that all over the world are thankful to God and thankful to the Church Administration under the leadership of Brother Eduardo Manalo for the past ten years of making that happen everywhere around the world.

That was a clip from a series entitled Blessed Moments—[a] video series that you can find on incmedia.org/blessedmoments and we can see just how much, from that video clip and from visiting these houses of worship, dear friends, we can see how much these houses of worship are able to inspire and change lives.

Brother Phil: And not only that Brother Bob, they also give glory to our Almighty God and that’s the actual very theme of all our upcoming activities, as relayed to us from our Beloved Executive Minister, having its biblical basis here in Isaiah 42:12, this is what we can read in the Bible regarding that:

^“12Let them give glory to the Lord and proclaim his praise in the islands.”

So you can see the purpose is always to give glory to our Almighty God. That all our actions, our activities is for that end, to glorify our God and creator!! And that’s why the Church is so thankful to our Almighty God for providing us a leader inside the COC that is not only authentic, dynamic, but always leads us to put God first in our lives, without any kind of compromise.

[Isaiah 42:12 New International Version ]

Brother Randy: And you know brothers when you mention trends, nowadays as we all know, there are gaming addictions that are very, very common, but yet our Brother Eduardo Manalo is teaching the families inside the Church Of Christ how to be careful and how to use these modern advances in technology without violating the commandments of God.

He does this by reading God’s guidance to us as what is written here in Galatians 5:19, 21 this is what we read:

“^19(a)It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: …

^21(b) … uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom.”

[Galatians 5:19, 21 The Message]

Brother Randy: So, if leaders of this world today, allow themselves to just surrender to trends, customs or human traditions that oppose the will of God that’s written in the BIble, their leadership will not be challenged, they will not be serving God anymore, but instead, they will be serving themselves. They will jeopardize eternal life for themselves, and for those that they are leading. Which again dear friends, is precisely why we inside the Church Of Christ are so very thankful to our Lord God, to be given a leader like Bro Brother Eduardo V. Manalo in his taking good care of the Church Of Christ.

Brother Bob: You know Brother Randy you mentioned addictions, like gaming addictions, there are so many kinds of addictions and that’s not the only trend of our times that really believers and holds down our society, there’s a lot right?

Let’s say for example, there’s divorce. Divorce is very common. Homosexuality is now a socially acceptable behavior and even promoted as a normal behavior. Immorality, pornography, same sex marriage, and just general disrespect for law and order, not to mention as Brother Donald did earlier, mass shootings and killings and such.

Well, let’s take a look at this news clip of a mainstream church that’s been divided due to disagreement on one of these significant issues. Let’s take a look:

[Start video]

Woman News Reporter: One of the world’s largest Christian denomination faces a potential split as United Methodists leaders gather this weekend to decide it’s path with gay marriage.

Man News Reporter: While some American Methodists welcome same sex relationships, conservative members are holding to the denominations traditional stand.

Woman News Reporter: 41 Action News reporter, Jordan Bets, talked to some local churches today as they await a decision.

Reporter Jordan: Methodist churches are at a standstill right now. They’re focusing on how the church will deal with the LGBTQ community.

Subject: We know here in Kansas City most of the United Methodist churches in Kansas City metro are very opening and welcoming.. (inaudible)

Reporter Jordan: Back in February a plan was passed, deny gay and lesbian members the ability to get married or be a clergy member in the Methodist Church. Now their members of their Judicial Council are meeting this week to determine if it was unconstitutional.

Subject: And the only question is, will they throw away the entire plan out or will they only throw out the 40% that’s unconstitutional and let the other 60% remain.

[Video end]

Brother Bob: Brothers, Brother Donald, should we be surprised about these things? If you noticed there Brother Donald, in that video clip, no one was asking the obvious question, “Well, what does the Bible say about such things?” But instead they were just basing their side, their stand on their understanding or opinions.

Brother Donald: So Brother Bob when it came to your question, should we be surprised? We should not, because when it comes to the traits, the characteristics, and the behavior of many people nowadays, it was foretold as recorded in the Holy Bible. We can read the following in II Timothy 3:1-5:

^“1But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce and difficult for the people of God. ²People will be self-centered lovers of themselvesand obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungratefuland ungodly. ³They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right. ⁴With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God. ⁵They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these!”

[II Timothy 3:1-5 The Passion Translation]

Brother Randy: Is that not then a description of so many people nowadays beloved viewers? We mentioned here, there is mention we should say, that there are those who would boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. And we can see this even when it comes to some leaders of nations and or countries.

So what does it mean to say? It only means to say that when it comes to what is happening in the world today it was predicted, it was prophesied according to what is written in the Holy Scriptures. That’s correct, Brothers!

All those things that were read are the trends of our time but you know, Brother Eduardo Manalo for the past ten years, has been teaching us as members of the Church Of Christ in worship services and in the family programs of the Christian Family Organizations inside the Church Of Christ how to fight against any of those things that will destroy the family.

Brother Phil: Actually In the past ten years of Brother Eduardo’s leadership, we’ve seen him launch countless programs for the benefit of families within the Church Of Christ.

Also launched were the FYM foundation or the Felix Y. Manalo foundation and the INC Giving project. These are humanitarian outreach arms of the church in response to God’s call to all of God’s people written here in Proverbs 3:27, and this is what it says here:

^“27Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it.”

[Proverbs 3:27 Good News Translation]

Brother Phil: So you can see, in response to that call of our Almighty God, what did our Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo lead all of us in the Church to do? Well this is what he did for the past ten years, the past decade under his leadership: and these photos that we are actually looking at now, are just from this past spring and summer alone there in Canada and USA.

And this has been happening throughout the whole leadership of our Brother Eduardo in many other countries especially there, in the continent of Africa and many other places around the world and think about it, all in the last ten years.

You see this is an important part of what authentic and genuine leadership and service is and our Brother Eduardo is leading us, the people of God, members of the Church Of Christ, not only to serve our fellowmen, but most of all, to serve our Almighty God, just as He commanded.

Brother Randy: And you now Brothers, one of the commanded ways to do good for our fellow man is also recorded in the Bible, which is an additional basis of why Brother Eduardo Manalo leads us in the grand Aid To Humanity Outreach projects. It is recorded here in, the book of Deuteronomy 15:11, let us read it here:

^“11There will always be poor people in the land, so I command you to ·give freely [^Lopen your hand] to your ·neighbors [or relatives; or countrymen; ^Lbrothers] and to the poor and needy in your land.”

[Deuteronomy 15:11 Expanded Bible]

Brother Randy: Hence that is why we pause and reflect upon these first ten years of Brother Eduardo Manalo’s leadership. He is leading us to fulfill what God commands His people to do!

Brother Bob: The Aid to Humanity Projects here in the United States were actually noticed by community leaders all over the country. Take a look.

[Video starts]

News Reporter: A Humanitarian Organization that helps areas that are struggling makes a stop in the Forest City. 23 News Reporter Courtney Sisk tell us about the national groups missioned to spread hope.

Courtney: Tourists sponsored by the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, through the Church Of Christ. It visits nine cities in the U.S. and today made its final stop.

MC: Struggling to meet their basic needs..

Lady: Nine cities.

MC: To good to those who need it.

Lady: One goal.

Brother Dino Bunag: To reach out to all communities. Especially the people who are in dire need of help.

Lady: The Aid to Humanity Tour sponsored by the Felix Y Manalo Foundation made its way to Rockford.

Brother Bob: A lot of underprivileged children that could have such a bright future. They just kind of need just a little bit of a nudge up so to speak you know, and that’s kind of what we’re doing.

Lady: Members of the community met at West State Street at Henrietta Avenue Sunday, where kids were kids were gifted backpacks with school supplies and ten local organizations received thousands of dollars for the work they do.

Brother Bob: Those agencies that are doing something at the grassroots level, in the communities, especially to impact the lives of children.

Lady: Some of those agencies included the Rockford Police Department and Lewis Lemon Elementary School where church leaders say about 60 homeless students attend.

Brother Dino: Because this is in fulfillment of God’s commandment to help the needy, you know in every possible way we can to help those who are in dire need.

Lady: Many left with bags filled with free winter clothes. Beyond the donations and gifts, tour leaders say spreading and showing God’s compassion is their goal.

Brother Bob: When our Lord Jesus Christ said “Love your neighbor as yourself” When we do these kind of things, we believe we’re fulfilling that. That Christian responsibility that we have.

Courtney: 1,000 free backpacks with supplies for Rockford kids to help prepare for the upcoming school year. There was also a station to help get your blood pressure and health checked for free.

News Reporter: Thanks Courtney, and Rockford is the ninth final stop on this tour. Leaders say they chose the city after researching and decided it could benefit the area.

[Video ends]

Brother Bob: And now Brother Phil, it was mentioned before that video a little but about Africa. I heard you mentioned Africa. Didn’t you personally have a mission there in Africa? What did you experience there? Briefly…

Brother Phil: Yes Brother Bob. Actually we’ve been shooting, producing, and releasing a number of what we call vlogs. Vlogs that show the successes of the Church in the last ten years under the administration of our Executive Minister and many of them are about the impact that the Church’s charity works have had upon those who are suffering and experiencing poverty.

In Africa where we conducted many works of Aid to Humanity, giving out parcels, food parcels, also purchasing vast amounts of land to be used for farmland by jobs and employment for many hundreds of people and I’m telling you what the Church has done. It’s really amazing. It’s changed lives, it’s had such an impact on their lives.

Not only their life, the ability for them to provide for themselves and their families but an impact on their relationship with God. You know bringing to them the true faith, the true act of service, and the true way that leads to salvation. It really is a wonderful and exciting thing to experience.

Brother Bob: And these events like what you experienced there, and what are being experienced in so many places around the world, are being broadcasted all over.

Since Brother Eduardo took the helm of leadership of the Church, the media arm of the Church; it has just blossomed into a modern missionary tool being used by the members of the Church to make known the Word of God all over the world. We have websites like iglesianicristo.net, incmedia.org and incgiving.org, we have social media pages that showcase all the activities of the church being conducted everywhere around the world. All these media tools are Brother Eduardo Manalo’s inspiration to lead all of us to reach out to everyone all over the world.

In 2009, when Brother Eduardo, ten years ago, when he took the helm of leadership in the Church that—we didn’t even have a website. The online internet presence of the Church was pretty much nonexistent. Under his leadership, millions of people have come to know and admire the Iglesia Ni Cristo and the truths of the scriptures being taught here inside the Church Of Christ.

Brother Randy: Well aside from this Brother Bob, hundreds of new congregations are opening up all over the world under the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. He does this because he wants everyone to be able to have a worship service near enough to them so no one will ever miss our most important responsibility in life, which is always to offer our worship and our praise to the Almighty God.

Brother Bob: Brother Donald, why is it that Brother Eduardo incessantly teaches members of the Church Of Christ to always Worship? Never be absent from worship service.

Brother Donald: Brother Bob the importance of the Worship Service is indispensable, it is invaluable and we can read that from Psalms 46:1-4 TPT:

^“1God is the one who protects us and causes us to be strong; he is always ready to help us when we have troubles. ²So, even if the earth shakes, we will not be afraid. Even if the mountains fall into the middle of the sea, ³and if the water in the sea roars and foams, and the hills shake violently, we will not be afraid! (Think about that!) ⁴Blessings that come from God are like a river that makes everyone in the city where we worship God joyful. It is the city where the temple of God, who is greater than any other god, exists.”

[Psalms 46:1-4 The Passion Translation]

Brother Donald: This is why we are so thankful, as you mentioned Brother Phil. We are grateful unto the Lord our God for providing, for the past ten years, the kind of leader that is showing us, teaching us, and reminding us to always attend the worship service in order for us to give glory unto the Lord our God and obey His teachings so that eventually, we may obtain eternal life.

Brother Bob: Yes brothers, ten years of dynamic, spiritually profound leadership that we all continue to benefit from. Stay with us dear friends and we’re going to take a look at some personal special moments experienced by some members of the Church over the course in the past ten years under the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. We’ll be right back.

[Break]

Brother Bob: Welcome back everyone. You know dear friends another element of the leadership of Brother Eduardo Manalo over the course of the past ten years has been beyond the grand victory parade of successes that well, we have all witnessed. But included as I mentioned a while ago, some personal interaction that he has had with certain members of the Church whenever possible. Whether it be taking time out to shake their hands or saying a prayer for brethren who are in need, the Executive Minister finds time, makes time to help members of the Church with their spiritual needs. Take a look:

[Video starts]

Kaithe Fadreguilan: I felt regret and pain that I may be the reason to why my family was not complete.

[On-Screen Graphic]

We remember the difficult moments.

(in Tagalog)

Joselito Eslao: [Lord,] if you would allow me to perform my duty, then give me the strength I need.”

[On-Screen Graphic]

These moments pull us closer to God.

(Foreign Language)

Karina Huayta: I told Him that I wanted my family to know about this, this truth, I need them to know.

[On-Screen Graphic]

We feel God’s guidance in many ways.

During the lessons, one of the most important lessons was carved into my heart. It was the statement of the Executive Minister that not every situation has to be understood by an individual, instead we must trust God.

[On-Screen Graphic]

We celebrate the moments God reveals His love through the Executive Minister.

(In Tagalog)

Joselito Eslao: I said to Brother Eduardo, “Thank you Brother Eduardo for praying for my household.”

[On-Screen Graphic]

We celebrate the moments that have deepened our faith.

Isabelle Alfonso: When he entered the room it was this immense feeling of love and happiness for all of us. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and my family.

Tyler Toledo: I feel like any moment with Brother Eduardo is a blessed moment.

Fred Reed: I mean it with everything in my heart when I pray for you because [of] all the souls you are helping as the Executive Minister of the Church Of Christ.

[On-Screen Graphic]

10 Years of Dynamic Leadership

BLESSED MOMENTS

WITH BROTHER EDUARDO V. MANALO 2019

INCMEDIA.ORG/BLESSED MOMENTS

[Video ends]

Brother Bob: Yes dear friends, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo is not any ordinary leader. He’s been placed by God and it shows. But brothers for the sake of our viewers who may also want to know, is there any biblical basis as to what we are doing here right now on this program today? We’re pausing to reflect, we’re expressing our deep love, we’re expressing our admiration for the leadership, ten years of dynamic leadership of our Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. But I pose this question Brother Donald, is there a biblical basis for us to be doing this.

Brother Donald: Yes there is Brother Bob. We can read the following in Colossians 1:25 :

^“25I have become its servant, according to God’s administration that was given to me for you, to make God’s message fully known…”

[Colossians 1:25 Holman Christian Standard Bible]

Brother Donald: Therefore it is due also to the entrusted responsibility given unto Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. The responsibility to make God’s message fully known.

Brother Phil: Yes Brother Donald but not only that, there’s another reason why members of the Church Of Christ have this profound love and respect for our Executive Minister and we can read that here in I Thessalonians 5:12-13, this is what we’re taught:

“12 We beg you, our friends, to pay proper respect to those who work among you, who guide and instruct you in the Christian life. 13 Treat them with the greatest respect and love because of the work they do. Be at peace among yourselves.”

[I Thessalonians 5:12-13 Good News Translation]

Brother Phil: So you can see, this is why we members of the Church Of Christ have this deep and profound love and respect for our Executive Minister, because our Almighty God teaches us how we should feel, how we should regard and recognize those whom He has placed to lead us. Not only in serving God and serving Him but also in the way we should live as true Christians.

Brother Bob: This is why dear friends, we join our brethren all over the world in thanking God for placing Brother Eduardo Manalo as our leader, our Executive Minister. We thank God for filling him with the power of the Holy Spirit. We thank God for protecting him from dangers and guiding his Pastoral Visitations to congregations all over the world for the past ten years. May God grant him many many more years leading us all, till we reach our promised salvation.

We thank Brother Randy Weir in Quezon City Philippines. Brother Randy thanks for joining us in our discussion. We thank you as well Brother Donnald Pinnock from Toronto Canada. Thanks for joining us Brother Donald. We as well, extend our appreciation to you there, Brother Phil Velasquez in the United Kingdom for giving us Bible based answers in our discussion, so as Apostle Peter said in his letter: you will “Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are…” in I Peter 3:15 the Message.

Well that does it for us here on the INC International Edition for today. We hope you’ll join us again next time. I’m Brother Bob Pellien and thanks for watching. But as we come to the end of the program as we always do, we invite you to please join us for a short prayer.

Almighty Father, Lord we thank you for bringing us together in the study of your Holy Teachings on this program today. Lord we join our brethren all over the world thanking you for blessing the Iglesia Ni Cristo with the dynamic leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, thank you for filling him with your spirit. Thank you for protecting him and keeping him safe in all his visitations to us all around the world. Lord, please continue to keep him safe. Continue to fill him with your spirit, continue to empower him with the leadership skills coming from you oh God, to shepherd the Church Of Christ in these last days. Lord Jesus may you bring our requests to the Father. May you mediate on our behalf asking Him Lord Jesus, to bless the families and homes of all of us and our guests and viewers joining us in this program. May you move their inner spirit, that one day they will choose to join with us here inside your Holy Church. Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you all in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

[On Screen Graphic]

INCTV

Overcoming Sadness in the Midst of Chaos

Life is hard when you don’t know where to turn. A young woman struggling with family problems finds the peace she needs to overcome her sadness.

Show/Hide Transcript

Shannon Santamaria: I was in a very troubled situation where… I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t know whether to trust my family.

I knew at the end of the day, no matter how busy I was, no matter how social I was, I was by myself. It was just me. I became angry inside. I was sad all the time.

[Show open]

[On-screen text graphic]

Stories of Faith

Shannon: I’m Shannon Santamaria. I’m 22 years old, and I’m from Waipahu, Hawaii, but I’m originally from San Diego, California.

Growing-up, my sisters and I, we were really close. We relied on each other for basically everything. [My] mom, she was always busy at work, and so was my stepdad. So a lot of our childhood was my older sister taking care of us.

[On-screen text graphics]

I Did What My Parents Wanted

Shannon: We actually attended a private school, a private Catholic school. There we would have our regular classes but alongside with that, we’d learn about “God who is Jesus Christ” because it’s Catholic. And we’d learn about their teachings, the Catholic teachings. And growing up, we still attended Catholic masses every Sunday. But I still didn’t really understand the importance of it. I attended because my parents wanted me to go, so we just decided to attend. It wasn’t something that I found interesting.

We only prayed during holidays. Like Christmas and Easter were major holidays for us in our household.

[On-screen text graphics]

I Became Angry Inside

Shannon: Our family was going through some problems, and I didn’t have anyone to turn to. Things were starting to pile up, and problems came at me fast.

I didn’t want to be the weak person, to be helpless. I wanted to be the one to help my family. And so, I began looking for jobs.

And as my family problems kept coming, I became very resentful. I became angry inside. I was sad all the time. Wherever I went, I just tried to hide it with happiness, with a smile. I didn’t know what to do. I just knew I had to keep it together.

[On-screen text graphics]

A Mystery of Faith

Shannon: I met a friend in high school, and she actually asked me about Catholicism. And her question was, “Why would you believe that Christ is God if He’s the Son of God?” And even though I’ve had that question lingering in my mind, it wasn’t until someone said it to me where I started questioning the Catholic faith.

And then I began asking them questions. And then they just said, “Just come to one of our evangelical missions.”

I didn’t take on the evangelical mission right away. Rather, I asked my dad. And then my dad said, “Maybe you can go to mass. Maybe you need to go to Bible studies because you’re questioning the faith.” So we decided to go to church one day. When I approached the priest and I asked the question, he said, “It’s the mystery of our faith.”

As I started questioning and doubting my faith—my Catholic faith, I started looking towards my friends—my group of friends, they’re members of the Church Of Christ. And so I started asking them questions like, who God is, “Who is Christ?” And they kept telling me, “Oh, just come to an evangelical mission. Just come to an evangelical mission.”

And then my friends just walked with me inside the chapel, and the first thing I noticed was the choir. It was so beautiful, everything was organized. The solemnity was there. Something that I’ve never seen in a church.

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I Could Trust the Minister Before the Priest

Shannon: I couldn’t help but feel and see how solemn it was. And as I was listening to the lesson, I couldn’t help but notice how the minister was reading straight from the Bible. And it wasn’t just once, it was continuous. And the lesson, I can still remember it, it was about who our Lord Jesus Christ was. That was something that I needed to hear.

Everything was from the Bible. There wasn’t a personal opinion stated. The minister stuck to the topic and I understood it clearly—clear as day. Seeing how everything came from the Bible, it felt like I could trust the minister before the priest that I’ve known for so long.

After the evangelical mission I was greeted [by] so many people that I’ve never even met before—people who [are] members of the Church Of Christ. You felt that love that you didn’t feel in a mass, or even in a Catholic church.

So on my way home, I was thinking, “I really like this Church.” I left feeling happy after attending the evangelical mission. But as I was going home, my heart started to sink. I was like, nervous. I would be breaking my family apart. That’s what I really felt. And I didn’t want to risk my family because I want to serve God differently from them. So I left that place thinking, “It’s not the time.”

Starting my new life as a college student—even though I attended mass with my dad, I didn’t listen. I sat there thinking about the evangelical mission, or even the questions that were answered. And I just knew that, “Okay, this mass that I’m attending doesn’t even have the right words.” Or I just didn’t care for church.

Our family was going through a rough patch. I didn’t have anyone to turn to.

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No One to Turn to

Shannon: I knew at the end of the day no matter how busy I was, no matter how social I was. I was by myself. It was just me.

I was doing my due diligence to try and get another job so I can help pay for bills. I felt incapable. I felt like I wasn’t good enough for the job positions. I was getting denied, or I wasn’t getting the reactions that I felt like I was getting from employers, so it put me even in a deeper slum, in a deeper mess. And I was going to go home sad again, failing to find a job.

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A Detour

Shannon: It was during rush hour and I didn’t realize that there were only two exits to the freeway. I couldn’t help but notice—as I was waiting at the stoplight—a chapel. There was a poster, and it said, “Church Of Christ Worship Service Times.” But it wasn’t the chapel that I saw at the first evangelical mission. And I decided to just walk in.

And then I met a minister. I told the minister, “I have questions I want to ask” and he said, “Do you know about this Church, the Church Of Christ?” And I said, “I think it’s the same Church, the one that went to a while back.” So I wanted to ask more questions, maybe that would fill this sadness, this void, this…whatever I was feeling within me.

So we sat in the minister’s office. And it was quiet for a bit. And I just started crying. I couldn’t even ask the questions that I had in my mind. I just cried…in silence.

And I just said, “I feel empty. And I don’t know how to fix it.”

I felt like maybe attending a worship service, or trying to draw myself closer to God again would be the solve to fixing this void that I had that was so evident in my life, that I felt—that I felt like no one felt except me.

I felt like at that moment I could trust the minister. And then he said, “Why don’t you join us to devotional prayer?” And so we did. We went into the sanctuary and we had a prayer. And during that prayer I felt like it was there, that God was calling me. And I felt like I was denying it all along when it was right here the whole time. And after I said, “I’ll keep having my devotional prayers, and then, if I feel like this is the Church, I’ll come back for Bible studies.” And that’s exactly what happened.

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Finding Peace in the Chaos

Shannon: My first Bible studies—it was right after school every day. Because I was still scared to tell my parents that I didn’t want to be a Catholic anymore.

But there was one Bible study that really surprised me. It shocked me, actually, because the Bible study was about the history of the Church Of Christ, and how it was apostatized. And what the Catholic church did, or how the Catholic church came about.

And the verse was about how the sign of the cross was a representation of those who were deceived by false prophets, by false preachers.

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“If anyone…receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he… shall be tormented with fire and brimstone…”

[Revelation 14:9-10 New King James Version]

Shannon: And that freaked me out because that means I was deceived for about 18 years of my life.

A week before my baptism, my dad wonders, “Why aren’t you attending Catholic mass?” And I told him, “Because I want to be a member of the Church Of Christ.”

For once in my life I was finding peace in the chaos. And that was through serving God.

Being baptized, it was like everything was light, as if God took all that weight. Everything that I was feeling, the emotions, the sadness, the void, the sins that I’ve committed, all of that was just… like it was taken—removed, lifted off my shoulders, and I got out [of the baptismal pool] as if I was someone new.

Now that I’m on the other side where I have the true faith, I can share my faith. And I can tell them how I’ve been through it, how I came to know the true faith, how I came to know the Church Of Christ. And that’s something that I want to continue to do because it’s something that I know that people need that they didn’t know that they needed.

After my baptism, I’m happier, I’m at peace. My parents are actually really proud of everything that I’ve accomplished. I graduated college, I’m living a life without that void, without that emptiness. And I’m serving God the best way that I can. And it’s given me the best things that I could have ever imagined.

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Message to Young People

You might think that becoming a member of the Church Of Christ, becoming more religious you feel trapped, that following God’s commandments is too strict for you. But what you don’t realize is that when you’re following God’s commandments, when you’re listening to Him, you’re as free as ever. You’re free from that weighted sin that you feel every day. And you’re free from that void.

Everything that you’re doing in your life, you’re just filling that void that you feel. That void that you want to fill, you’re filling it with parties, you’re filling it with hobbies. And you know deep within yourself that that’s not going to be the thing that fills that void. And I invite you to join the Church Of Christ. And maybe you can feel, for yourself, that void being filled with God.

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A Love I Never Knew I Needed

[Clip starts]

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INC News World

Shannon: Welcome to INC News World. I’m Shannon Santamaria coming to you from the INC Media Studios in Honolulu, Hawaii.

[Clip ends]

Shannon: I may be only 22 years old, and I still have a full life ahead of me, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to waste it from here on out. I’m going to use it to the best of my ability, and that’s serving God.

I’m thankful because despite everything that I’ve been through, God has manifested in my life in ways that I couldn’t have fathomed. After my baptism where I really needed God, and He was there, where I felt like I needed Him the most, and He was guiding me. And my membership, that’s something that I’m going to keep forever. Because since being baptized, I’ve been feeling this love that comes only from God. That love that I never knew I needed.

[Show close]

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Stories of Faith

Going Through Difficult Times Led Me to God

Tough times often reveal some of our biggest lessons. Tim was content with his life. Like many, he grew up in a loving family, had a happy life, and was right on track working to reach his personal goals. However, his spiritual life was lacking. Little did he know that a trial so difficult would bring him to pray to a God he never knew.

Watch more Stories of Faith

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Timmon Li: I was near my bed and I was on the side and I was kneeling and… I remember saying, “I know You’re up there… but I don’t know who You are…” And I really tried to pray that night, but of course I don’t know Him, and He doesn’t know me yet. Of course I didn’t even feel anything. So, later after that night, that’s when I realized that I wanted to find the true religion.

[Show open]

Timmon: My name is Timmon Li and I was born and raised in San Francisco. My childhood, I was blessed to travel to places. My dad worked at [a] hotel so we were able to go to different places as a family. I really liked playing video games, and also toys, and played a lot of basketball.

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I DIDN’T GET THE POINT

Timmon: I didn’t really know too much about religion. We were semi-Buddhist, but we didn’t really practice it and we didn’t really go to the temples. But I guess you could say we only practice when we “had to” practice it. What we did was just, the Chinese traditional practices where we would go to the mountain and we would burn incense for our ancestors. But I didn’t really get what was the point of all of that. For Halloween and Christmas is pretty much they would say “just do what the other kids are doing.” They didn’t really explain anything. So for me, I never even really liked to dress up for Halloween. And for Christmas, I did like that I got the gifts because it was near my birthday. But other than that I really didn’t know what Christmas [was] all about.

And for burning the incense it’s pretty much, the story goes that the ancestors are living in their, you could say world, and then burning the incense would have them receive the money that you’re burning and they could use that in their underworld.

Timmon: Since I wasn’t really practicing Buddhism, but I did have friends who were “Catholics”, and “Christians”, and some Islam, but I didn’t really question them on why they do what they do. For me it was just kind of just hangout with my friends and I just wanna live my youth years and just play basketball. I played a lot of basketball. But for religion it didn’t really pop up to me until college years. I did believe that there is a God. There is like a higher being up there. But I was trying to search for it and I didn’t feel anything.

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I KNOW YOU’RE UP THERE

Timmon: We found out my mom had…sorry..she has kidney failure. So I remember going back home that night. And I was near my bed and I was on the side and I was kneeling and… I remember saying, “I know You’re up there… but I don’t know who You are…” And I really tried to pray that night, but of course I don’t know Him, and He doesn’t know me yet. So of course, I didn’t even feel anything. So later after that night, that’s when I realized that I wanted to find the true religion.

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OPENING UP MY MIND

Timmon: It wasn’t until, I believe, a year or two later where I was able to meet Danica Sanchez. Danica is strong in her beliefs. And she really is strong with her faith, as well. And then, that really allowed me to question why she’s really into that. I pretty much asked her what the Church Of Christ is about. And she told me that it’s a Christian Church, and then she told me the different activities that they did. So that kind of sparked another interest in me. I guess that’s one of the reasons that I decided to attend the worship service.

Afterwards I went to a few more. I signed up as a Bible student because I wanted to know more. And it wasn’t until we really dug into the Bible studies, that’s when it really opened up my eyes and my mind. And knowledge about the Bible itself. And also if you’re gonna serve God then of course you’re gonna have to listen to His words. And His words are in the Bible. So for me that kind of put one and one together.

I had a hard time, to be honest, getting through the lessons, mainly because I had to travel a lot. For transportation, I took CalTrain just to go to Mountain View, and I studied lessons with the minister. But it wasn’t really until afterwards where I was traveling that’s when I started thinking more about it, and I really thought to myself, “I really want to know more.” And that’s how that really sparked something in me.

One of the beliefs and lessons of eating blood. Because I used to eat, not quite often, but I do like eating blood. But knowing what the blood symbolizes, that’s when I kind of thought of, “Oh ok, that… I’m not supposed to eat blood.” And so from there I didn’t eat blood anymore. My family asked me, “Do you want some?” and I said, “No I’m good.”

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NOT GONNA PARTY ANYMORE

Timmon: The friends that I was hanging out with after college, we would drink and party every weekend. And breaking the news to them, only my close friends they really asked me why I’m doing this, why I’m not going out with them as often anymore, why I’m not partying, drinking. And I told them what I’ve been learning and that it’s not right because that’s not what we do as true Christians.

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HE’S ANSWERING ME

Timmon: For me it’s what was missing was, I guess there was that emptiness, something… that one piece you can say, from the puzzle, that I was missing. For me finding the Church Of Christ that’s…it’s my life now. For me remembering that prayer that I did before finally realized that He’s answering me and He’s the one that’s bringing me back. So I think that helped a lot.

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LIFE FOR GOD

Timmon: Living a life for God is more rewarding than living our own lives, what we want to do, because it has purpose. And that’s serving God. It’s not doing what you want, it’s not doing what others want, or really the pleasures of life. But it’s really understanding the doctrines, but also understanding what God wants us to do.

The world right now it’s changing, it’s kinda scary at times, but I believe that when you’re part of this Church, when you’re part of the true Church you do realize that there is hope. And for those who are saying that “as long as you believe in Christ” or “as long as you believe in God you don’t need to attend church” but obviously they haven’t been to one of our Bible studies. You should try and listen to the 28 Bible lessons, it’s free.

So you’re not wasting anything, we’re not asking you for money. The minister would gladly preach it to you. They will break it down for you.

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How Do I Know If This Is the “Right” Church for Me?

While young people are leaving religion, the Church Of Christ continues to see millennials thriving in their faith. A young woman shares how she was able to find a true connection with God as she searched for the right Church. Maybe you’re looking for a new church or want a real way to connect with God. Worship with us.

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Naeemah Waleed: Hi! Thanks for being here and welcome to the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of Christ. I’m Naeemah. So chances are, you’re watching this because a friend, a co-worker, a classmate, a neighbor, or a loved one wanted you to check out this video about the Church, right? Whatever it was, I’m thankful to have you here for a few minutes.

Voiceover: You see a few years back, my brother Ahmad invited me to a bible study. And now I do the same, inviting everyone I can to share in the beautiful and powerful words of God.

Voiceover: Studies show the number one reason people go to Church is to reconnect with God. And if that’s what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. Our worship services are solemn, no loud music or loud distractions but rather savoring the moment of being in the house of God and one-on-one time with Him. All our worship services consist of preaching based on purely God’s words, no opinions or personal stories.

Naeemah Waleed: I remember attending my first worship service and feeling the music was so spiritual and listening to the words of God preached from the Bible, it was question and answer and it made me realize that God’s words are straightforward and I needed to hear everything the message had to offer that day.

Voiceover: And if you’re looking for a church that you can volunteer with communities all over the world, you’ve come to the right place. And we believe in spending time with people and sharing with them Christian love and compassion through the INC Giving Project where we sing to elders, say thank you to teachers, firefighters and police officers all over the world.

Cory Ma: Whenever somebody in the community that we’re sent out to protect, comes in and says thank you, we love it and it keeps us going a little bit harder, keeps that motivation up as well.

L. Terada: I think it was amazing, probably one of the best Sunday’s I’ve ever had.

Voiceover: It’s even inspired me to go out there on my own for my birthday and see how else I can make a difference.

Naeemah Waleed: So some of you are probably thinking, how can this church help my family, my children? Well…i’m so glad you asked.

Voiceover: While many churches are seeing young people leave their faith, this one is filled with vibrant youth involved in so many different types of projects from the arts, to music, to volunteer projects, to tv shows. I myself have been involved with numerous projects performing in places like the Verizon Center and more recently in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Naeemah Waleed: I’m so excited for you to learn what this church has to offer.

Voiceover: In just over a hundred years, this church which began preaching in the Philippines in 1914 is the first Christian Church [religion] that has come from a developing country and progressed to the west. It’s only been 50 years since coming to the United States and now the Church Of Christ is making impacts all over the world. And while nearly 10,000 churches close their doors every year in the United States, this church builds over 360 chapels a year, including one in my hometown of Philadelphia. Where did all of this success come from? It can only be from the hand of God.

Naeemah Waleed: Now that you have an idea of what the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church Of Christ is about, it’s time for you to experience the main thing that makes this Church unique, the presentation of the words of God. With congregations across North America, there’s probably one near your home.

But I know the thought of walking into any place without knowing anyone inside might seem a bit intimidating. So if you want, message us or the one who shared this video with you before you go and we’ll walk you through it.

Feel free to bring a notebook with you to take notes. Here in the Church Of Christ, everything we do is solely based on God’s teachings, nothing more, nothing less.

So perhaps you haven’t been to a church in a long time because you’ve been disappointed time and time again by false preachers and false doctrines. Well, perhaps now’s the time God has set for you to meet the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church Of Christ because this is the church you’ve been looking for and waiting for. Now is the time, are you ready?

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Get to Know Us

incmedia.org to learn more

Hope for Salvation | Milan, Italy

Being born into the Catholic faith is the norm in Milan, Italy. But these days, religiosity is not seen in many. However, there are those who have searched for the truth and have found it.

The Best Graduation Present

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As a Filipino-American, it’s not unusual to hear “nurse” or “nursing” as the frequently suggested answer. Growing up, I was surrounded by nurses. Even my mom was a nurse and she always came home from her shift with such exciting stories. I could not wait to be a nurse.

Finding a path to nursing

After high school I went to community college, got my Associate’s Degree and worked in a hospital soon as I could. I wanted a Bachelor’s Degree but I did not want to burden my parents with loans, especially since my younger sister was about to start college. So I buckled down. I worked for a year and saved enough money so the following year I could enroll in school again. And when I finally did, I did it with a full-time job at night. Busy was an understatement. Mondays and Tuesdays – online classes and homework. Wednesdays – laboratory classes. Thursdays and Fridays – work. All day Sunday and Wednesday evenings – worship services at the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ).

With God, everything is possible

I worked hard but I prayed harder. I knew I could not do this alone. I needed God to help me and see me through, and He did. On the day of my graduation, I had so many feelings. I was overjoyed, satisfied, proud, and thankful. I was overjoyed that I finally finished my degree. I was satisfied that I successfully juggled studying and working full-time. What I was most proud of was that I never stopped in my church duties and responsibilities. And I was thankful that throughout those hard years, God never left me alone.

The Church I am a member of featured me on a social media post about my achievements. The caption read,

“VIRGINIA, U.S.A. – Congratulations Sister Krisan Eselle Fragata, for graduating Summa Cum Laude in Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University in December 2018. She was a full-time student as well as a full-time Registered Nurse working night shift. She is the Head Secretary of the Local Congregation of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and helps with the District KADIWA activities for the Ecclesiastical District of Washington, D.C. Praises be to God!”

That post put a smile on my face and it was a lovely ending to that chapter in my life.

A constant reminder from Brother Eduardo V. Manalo

Not long after, Brother Matthew Capistrano, my District Minister, handed me an envelope. It was addressed to me and read “Office of the Executive Minister, Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), No. 1 Central Avenue New Era, Philippines.” I nervously unfolded the letter.

“Dear Sister Krisan,

I would like to congratulate you for graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. What you have achieved—juggling school and work while prioritizing your Church duty—is not an easy feat. I thank our Lord God for the help he has bestowed on you…”

I could not believe it. I received a letter from the leader of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ). This was the best graduation present. Of course, I framed the letter and envelope and it sits in my family’s living room. I will treasure it forever not because it makes me feel special but because it is proof that when Brother Eduardo says he loves each member of the Church Of Christ, he means it. He does not know me personally, but he took time out of his schedule to encourage and congratulate me. This letter is also a constant reminder that nothing is impossible and that as long as I take care of my duties in the Church Of Christ, God will always take care of me.

A letter from the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ) congratulating a young woman on her graduation.

Krisan lives in Virginia with her family. Outside of the hospital, she loves to help the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation of the Church Of Christ in providing free medical services to underprivileged communities. To learn more about the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) and its medical outreach events, please visit incmedia.org

Krisan Esselle Fragata volunteering at Felix Y. Manalo “Aid to Humanity”event

Are You Caught in a Happiness Trap?

Are you chasing happiness only to find yourself wondering if it will ever be enough? Learn how to stop chasing the wind and instead figure out if there really is something more to life.

Show/Hide Transcript

Announcer: Put your hands together for the host of Face The Truth – Seattle’s very own, Brother Barry Thompson!

[Audience clapping]

Brother Barry Thompson: Thank you, thank you. Thank you all! Thank you all for that very, very warm welcome, and we welcome you to this episode of “Face The Truth” being taped live here in Seattle, Washington!

[Applause]

Brother Barry: Now hopefully you’ve had the chance to check out the different booths and meet some of the awesome people of Seattle. And today we have a relevant and important topic to discuss with you, and we want to begin with this quote:

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We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

[Declaration of Independence, United States of America]

Brother Barry: Now, does anyone know where that quote comes from? That is part of the Declaration of Independence, and it is one of the founding principles upon which the United States of America is established. And it’s also the reason why, since its establishment, countless numbers of people including some of us here today, or our parents or our grandparents came to the United States–because of what it has to offer.

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Brother Barry: Now I’m especially focusing on the last part of the quote: The Pursuit of Happiness…

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Brother Barry: …and this forms our topic today. Now is there any among our audience today who doesn’t want to achieve happiness?

Brother Barry: Well I didn’t think so, because that desire is innate in all of us. The question is: “What is Happiness?” Now we went out into the streets of Seattle to learn what people felt would make them happy, and here is what some had to say:

[Video starts]

Judi, Seattle Resident: I would be happier if there was rent control.

Woman: What would make me happy is if one day I’m taking that bus from Tacoma and I come down this street and there are no people sleeping under a tent, or under a blanket on the side of the road. That everyone had a home or someplace to go.

Eduardo, Seattle Resident: Summer would make me happy, man…

Interviewee: That’s it, eh?)…Yeah, that’s the only reason to stay here. (It’s coming around.)

[Video ends]

Brother Barry: So as we could see, happiness has a different meaning for everyone–depending on their situation, and it’s constantly changing. Yet could the means by which we try to make ourselves happy ultimately lead to our unhappiness? Could we find ourselves caught in a happiness trap? Now is there someone in the Bible who pursued happiness? Let’s find out what he did to be happy, and what did he conclude? I’m going to begin by reading what is written in the book of Ecclesiastes, the chapter is 2 the verses are 9, 10, and 11…this is what is written:

Yes, I was great, greater than anyone else who had ever lived in Jerusalem, and my wisdom never failed me. Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward. Then I Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard I had worked doing it, and I realized that it didn’t mean a thing. It was like chasing the wind – of no use at all.

[Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 Today’s English Version]

Brother Barry: King Solomon was the one who was speaking. He was one who literally had everything a person could want in life that people believe will make them happy. He was a King, so he had power. He had knowledge; in fact he was the wisest at that time. He was also very wealthy, he even said, “Anything I wanted, I got…I did not deny myself any pleasure.” This is the kind of life people today want so badly, and you know here in America you have a greater possibility of achieving this if you’re willing to work hard for it. And I suspect that many of you are doing just that, you are working hard to achieve the American dream—which people equate to happiness. There’s more to the story of Solomon. How did he feel about all he had accomplished? Did he find true happiness? Well he said, “Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard I had worked doing it, and I realized that it didn’t mean a thing. It was like chasing the wind—of no use at all.” Sound familiar? Let’s take a look at some famous and wealthy people today.

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Jeff Bezos Richest man in the world just finalized the most expensive divorce.

Brother Barry: Maybe you recognize Jeff Bezos: the richest man in the world recently finalized his divorce, agreeing to a $35-billion settlement.

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Kate Spade Fashion Designer & Business Woman worth $2.4 billion at the time of her death.

Brother Barry: The late Kate Spade built a $2.4-billion fashion empire, only to kill herself a year ago. Jim Carrey, an actor who has made millions making people laugh is famously quoted for saying:

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Jim Carrey “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”

Brother Barry: And so at the height of his career, Jim has realized having it all did not equate to happiness he thought he would have when he was starting. And so it’s quite similar to what Solomon concluded. After Solomon thought deeply about all his achievements, he realized that all he had achieved didn’t mean a thing—it was like chasing the wind. This is one of the reasons why we are presenting this to you today, for you to take a moment in your life to think about what really matters. But how do you know if you’re “chasing the wind”? Let’s take a few minutes to do a little self-assessment:

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What was the last thing that made you happy?

How long did your happiness last?

Did you find yourself asking, “what’s next?”

Brother Barry: Well going back to Solomon, why did he come to such a drastic conclusion after chasing after happiness? Well there were certain truths that he realized about life—which he mentions also here in the book of Ecclesiastes, this time 16, 17, 22 and 23:

No one remembers wise men, and no one remembers fools. In days to come, we will all be forgotten. We must all die – wise and foolish alike. So life came to mean nothing to me, because everything in it had brought me nothing but trouble. It had all been useless; I had been chasing the wind. You work and worry your way through life, and what do you have to show for it? As long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can’t rest. It is all useless.

[Ecclesiastes 2:16-17 & 22-23 Good News Bible]

Brother Barry: What Solomon mentioned is how man’s life is: whether rich or poor, wise or foolish—there is no true contentment or true happiness. Now I want to emphasize the word “true”, because we’re not saying that you won’t feel content or happy at times—you will.

Brother Barry: But it won’t be lasting, [it] won’t be lasting happiness or true contentment. Why? Because according to Solomon, no matter what people do, we still experience worry and heartache. So the happiness that people seek in this life doesn’t last and we see it all around us. The things that people do to make themselves happy eventually come to nothing. It’s like taking drugs to numb the pain we feel. Once the drugs wear off, we feel the pain again. And no amount of money, wisdom, and power can make us immune to the pains of life. That’s why it’s not surprising to see so many people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. This is true even among the rich and famous, because it’s an attempt to numb themselves from life’s difficulties. And ultimately, as Solomon stated, “we must all die – wise and foolish alike.”

Now in addition to the fact that we’re running in place trying to chase happiness, let’s take a look at the current state of America. Considered the “Land of Freedom”, where you can make your dreams come true…

[Video starts – sources: various news broadcasts]

CBS Evening News: This deadly mass shooting happened in Parkland, Florida…

CNN: If all our government and President can do is send thoughts and prayers then it’s time for victims to be the change we need to see.

ABC Nightline: Seven people are being treated at hospitals after a deadly shooting at a high school in Kentucky…

ABC News: This image, one that has become all too familiar. Students evacuating with their hands up…

Vox: I was born only a year after Columbine….

Vox – KOVR13: Called one of the worst school shootings in our Nation…

Vox: Virginia Tech…

Vox – Fox News: New Town…

Vox: 29 dead…

Vox: 26 that were killed…

The Guardian: Fight for your lives before it’s someone else’s job.

ABC Nightline: [Crowd] Never again! Never again! Never again!

Washington Post: They need some people to stand for righteousness and justice!

Washington Post: Keep our family together! […] Justice! […] I want my family together!

Fox: More outrage in St. Louis, police shot and killed a black man ten days after…

CBS This Morning News: Five officers were killed when they were ambushed by at least two snipers…

NBC News: Lots of troubling questions to be answered there Gabe, thank you.

CBS This Morning News: Olympic runner, Alisia Montaño, is calling out organized sports and sponsors, like Nike, for allegedly discriminating against pregnant athletes.

NBC News: Three former employees say Google discriminates against women by systematically…

CBS This Morning News – Nikki Battiste: 40% of female fast food employees say they were sexually harassed at work.

CBS This Morning News: Trying to raise a two year old on a $67 paycheck a week is…is hard.

NBC News: It doesn’t make sense, and we should’ve fixed it!

CNN News: We spend a lot of time in America trying to solve lots of problems, and we haven’t solved many of them.

[Video ends]

Brother Barry: Don’t those things make you feel sad? You know the Bible mentions all the injustice that goes on in this world. Allow me to read Ecclesiastes 4:1:

Then I looked again at all the injustice that goes on in this world. The oppressed were crying, and no one would help them. No one would help them because their oppressors had power on their side.

[Ecclesiastes 4:1 Good News Translation]

Brother Barry: Now isn’t it true that so many people are treated unfairly? When you’re trying to do better for yourself and your family, there are those who are intentionally trying to keep you down. Just look at the recent headlines about cases of discrimination here in America.

[On-screen image and text graphics – Source: Capital Gazette]

HEADLINE: Annapolis public housing residents sue, claiming racial discrimination and deplorable conditions.

Brother Barry: There’s so many things.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Buffalo Wild Wings former cook claims racial discrimination against him and black customers.

HEADLINE: 3 Amazon workers in Minnesota file discrimination complaint.

Brother Barry: You know when things like this happen, what can you do about it?

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Pearland ISD faces accusations of racial, religious discrimination.

Brother Barry: Many times, nothing—why?

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Group files another lawsuit against UT over racial discrimination during admissions.

Brother Barry: Because as the verse stated, “The oppressed were crying, [because] no one would help them […] because their oppressors had power on their side.”

Brother Barry: Now, what else makes life so difficult and painful? Ezekiel 7:26, this is stated:

One disaster will follow another, and a steady stream of bad news will pour in…

[Ezekiel 7:26 Good News Bible]

Brother Barry: The Bible says one disaster will follow another; a steady stream of bad news will pour in.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Magnitude 8 earthquake strikes Amazon jungle in Peru, killing one.

HEADLINE: Record floods breach Arkansas levee, overtop 2 in Missouri.

HEADLINE: 5-Car Accident Halts Traffic On Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.

HEADLINE: Severe Weather Outbreak – 70 million in the path of life-threatening storms.

Brother Barry: Isn’t this true? Yes, it is. Everyday, everyday—whether through the internet, TV, or radio – we hear of gruesome disasters such as earthquakes, floods, typhoons, tornados;

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: One dead, several injured, homes and schools damaged as magnitude-8 earthquake strikes Amazon jungle in Peru

HEADLINE: Dangerous floods leave Plains, Midwest ‘at the mercy of Mother Nature’

HEADLINE: Severe Weather Outbreak – 70 million in the path of life-threatening storms.

HEADLINE: 5-Car Accident Halts Traffic On Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension.

Brother Barry: And everyday things such as car accidents and fires, that affect many lives and this brings sadness to all of us. Now, what else is occurring more and more today? Also in the book of Ezekiel 7, this time verse 23:

Everything is in confusion – the land is full of murders and the cities are full of violence.

[Ezekiel 7:23 Today’s English Version]

Brother Barry: The Bible gives us a vivid picture of our world today. It says, “the land is full of murders and the cities are full of violence” and we face things like this every day, wherever we go, it could be at work. Can you imagine?…just yesterday there was another shooting in the headlines.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Twelve people killed in shooting at Virginia Beach municipal complex, police say.

Brother Barry: A gunman firing at random, inside a business complex and sadly twelve people lost their lives. That was here in America, the United States. And this could also happen while shopping at the mall, even at the school where our children are during the day.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Synagogue Shooting Keeps Religious Leaders on Edge: ‘No One Should Be Gunned Down in Worship’

Brother Barry: It could even happen at a religious gathering or building.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: School Shooting Leaves 1 Student Dead and 8 Injured

Brother Barry: Just like what happened to us here, just a few months ago. Right here.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: Arsonist strikes during church service in Seattle; Molotov cocktails used

Brother Barry: While we’re not letting that fear dictate the way we worship, you know it’s easy to feel like there is no safe place anymore. Now I know that’s a lot already, but we have one more thing to mention just to drive the point home about how elusive happiness really is. Here in Ezekiel 7:15, this is recorded:

There is fighting in the streets, and sickness and hunger in the houses. Anyone who is out in the country will die in the fighting, and anyone in the city will be a victim of sickness and hunger.

[Ezekiel 7:15 Good News Translation]

Brother Barry: The Bible mentions people being victims of sickness and hunger – is this not the case the world-over? I’m sure everyone here knows at least one person or more, who is either sick with a chronic illness or has died from one. Every one of us knows one. And all these things, the Bible mentions, affect all of us regardless of our age, ethnicity, or status in life. So it’s not surprising Solomon concluded that man, no matter what we do or how much we accomplish, there is still worry and heartache – so, it’s like chasing the wind.

Though we seek happiness in this life, it still leads to sadness. Now, are people really experiencing sadness with all the knowledge that we have gained, and the modern technology that exists, and the numerous millionaires – and even billionaires – around the world? This was the headline of a recent article published by USNews.com, which mentioned that The World [is] Still at Record Levels of Sadness and Anger, Survey Shows.

[On-screen text graphics]

HEADLINE: The World [is] Still at Record Levels of Sadness and Anger, Survey Shows

Brother Barry: Here in the U.S. specifically, these are some examples of sadness:

[On-screen text graphics]

Nearly 1 in 12 American adults report having depression

39% of tech workers say they are depressed.

In Washington state, there was an increase of 21% in diagnosed cases of depression between 2014 and 2016.

Brother Barry: So today, we have many broken homes. More marriages ending in divorce. More drug addicts and alcoholics than ever before. Though people want to be happy, the world is in a sad state.

Brother Barry: You know, this show is not about depressing you – the world is already doing a very good job at that. We’re also not telling you to stop seeking for success or trying to make your life better, or work hard. What we do want to point out is that it may be a happiness trap. You may get caught up in your desire for happiness and not realize this very important point:

Brother Barry: that we have our limitations, and we humans are not able to make ourselves completely happy. I hope you understand that. Now we know that there are many people who have their theories on life, and how to be happy. You have so many gurus today who have their own philosophies on life, yet you know these gurus, motivational speakers, and philosophers – they go through many of the same things as everybody else, so why would we listen to them? They also need answers to the problems of life on Earth, as well for their own personal problems. Listening to them would be like the blind leading the blind – both will fall into a ditch. Or in other words, they are people with problems telling other people with problems how not to have any problems. Does that even make sense?

Brother Barry: So, the answer cannot come from me, or any guru, or philosopher. We cannot solve all the problems of life, nor give ourselves true and complete happiness. People have access to more information now more than ever before, yet there are also more problems now than ever before. Therefore, the solution to the problems must come from someone else – doesn’t this make sense? The answers to life must come from someone who is above all mankind. Don’t you agree? That’s why Solomon had this to say in Ecclesiastes 2:25:

No one can eat or enjoy life without God.

[Ecclesiastes 2:25 International Children’s Bible]

Brother Barry: We cannot truly enjoy life without God. Now, you are free to test this for yourself. However take note that man has been trying to do this since the beginning, and has failed miserably – so, it’s time that we listen to the Almighty God, our Creator. Fact: we will not be completely happy without God, and this is what Solomon realized.

If you remember earlier we read Ecclesiastes 2:23, where Solomon said, “as long as you live, everything you do brings nothing but worry and heartache. Even at night your mind can’t rest. It is all useless.” You’ve heard what Solomon has said and he was a very wise man. Maybe you have your own thoughts about life, or you’ve even listened to the gurus and various philosophers, but let’s listen to what God has to say. This is what the word of God tells us in the book of Hosea 14:9:

May those who are wise understand what is written here, and may they take it to heart. The Lord’s ways are right, and righteous people live by following them, but sinners stumble and fall because they ignore them.

[Hosea 14:9 Good News Translation]

Brother Barry: The Bible says the Lord’s ways are right, we live by following them. However we will stumble and fall if we ignore them. So man’s problems will not be solved unless he knows the root cause. It’s no wonder we can’t solve the world’s problems, nor find complete happiness – no matter how much knowledge man has gained, because we’ve been looking in the wrong place and listening to the wrong people. The one we should be listening to is God.

Ever since the beginning, the problems of mankind have steadily increased until today, and it’s so alarming. Take a look at the world. You know the condition of the world correlates to what the Bible says? Allow me to read Malachi 3:7, God himself is speaking here. He says:

You, like your ancestors before you have turned away from my laws and have not kept them. Turn back to me, and I will turn to you. But you ask, ‘What must we do to turn back to you?’

[Malachi 3:7 Today’s English Version]

Brother Barry: From the beginning, man has turned away from God by not following or obeying His laws. The further away we get from God, the worse life gets – so how could we expect life to work right, or for us to be completely happy, when we don’t follow the instructions from God? It’s just not going to happen. And so God says, “Turn back to me, and I will turn to you.”

Now, here is an argument which states…you know, others will say this: There are a lot of religions today, aren’t there? There are a lot of religious people. So why are things still getting worse? At this point I want you to really, really listen to the verses that I’m going to read to you. This is what the Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans 10, the verses are 2 and 3:

I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God’s way of putting people right.

[Romans 10:2-3 Today’s English Version]

Brother Barry: Religion itself as a whole, adds to the existing problems of the world. Because Apostle Paul said, you know, that people “are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge”. They do not know the way in which God puts people right with Himself. So what have people done? Apostle Paul said, “they have tried to set up their own way; and […] did not submit themselves to God’s way of putting people right.” So understand this: that’s one of the reasons why we see so many religions today. So many – different names, and all kinds of different things and practices.

[On-screen text graphics]

Cut-n-Shoot Cowboy Church: Living In Bondage, We Have Bolt Cutters

The Cool Church Central – Tucson Community Church

The “Exciting” Singing Hills Baptist Church

Concordia Lutheran Church: Hipster Jesus Loved You Before You Were Cool

Little Hope Baptist Church

Brother Barry: So many, right? That’s just a tiny, tiny sample. There may be a church with your name on it. But here is the important point that right now I don’t want to pick on the names, but here is the important point that we all need to understand: with the increase of many religions, the world’s problems have also increased. That’s why wrong religion is as bad as no religion.

Brother Barry: Following man-made religious teachings is as wrong as not obeying God at all. Now let’s be clear, there is only one way that people can return to God. It’s His way and no other. And so it is very important, it’s imperative, then, that people must sift through all the religions that exist and find that “one way” that God Himself has set up – that’s extremely important.

Brother Barry: I’d like to ask the audience if you’re listening – are you listening? (Yes) Do you believe…He’s not listening.

Brother Barry: Do you believe that God has the ability to show us what that one way is that He wants us to serve Him? (Yes).

Brother Barry: And would you like to know what that one way is? (Yes) Are you sure? (Yes)

Brother Barry: Now we could just tell you…or we could prove it to you. We believe that you would rather it be proven to you, and we’ll do just that. Because we want you to discover what millions of people around the world have already discovered: the missing piece to life’s puzzle. I know that that was important to me when I found myself in your shoes, trying to figure out if there was more to life. So isn’t it time to face the truth and get out of that happiness trap?

[Show audience]

Brother Barry: Aren’t you tired of chasing that elusive happiness, not getting anywhere in life?

Brother Barry: Wouldn’t you like to finally, FINALLY, discover that peace that God has in store for you?

Brother Barry: We’d like to thank you for joining us for this live taping of Face The Truth. And we have a series of Bible Study sessions available for you to attend, to help you explore this life-changing subject even further; and learn what God has to say about YOUR life. Topics such as:

How can I truly get to know God?

How can I know God’s purpose for my life? and,

What do I need to do to make sure God will listen to my prayers, and bless my family?

and so much more.

But first, here’s a quick video from individuals who have been able to find the biblical answers they have been looking for after years of searching. Let’s take a look.

[Video package]

“A long time in my life I had lots of questions…”

“So I kept looking into all the churches, all the religions. And I still got questions, but not answers. And sooner or later I just left because I was disappointed.”

[On-screen text graphics]

SOUND FAMILIAR?

Voiceover: This might sound familiar to you. In fact, chances are you’ve walked out of your own religion for the very same reasons.

Sol Velasquez, Orosi, CA: I didn’t go to a church for so long, because they were all the same.

Voiceover: It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all want answers. Real ones. Ones that are backed up with more than just someone’s story. But what would it mean to you if you actually got answers to your question? Like, really got the answers.

Fred Reed, Bloomingdale, IL: You don’t have to wonder or imagine and all that type of deal, a lot of hocus pocus stuff goes on in some churches.

Nicholas Victorio, Former Mormon: And I think once you get to bible study and you hear the lessons – that’s the biggest hurdle. And once you can get to a bible lesson, you want to learn more.

Brother Bob Pellien, Minister of the Gospel: Well, uh here in 1 Corinthians, chapter 6: Apostle Paul is the one who makes mention of that here in…

Voiceover: You see, this place does exist…a place where questions about the Bible are answered, well, by the Bible.

Nicholas Victorio, Former Mormon: Any question I had was answered. They explained it to me using the Bible, not using their own interpretation of it. So, coming from a Mormon church, it wasn’t like that. You…when you ask questions, you got different answers all the time.

Fred Reed, Bloomingdale, IL: And all of a sudden, there’s actually the church that actually teaches us what’s in the Bible.

Brother Donald Pinnock, Minister of the Gospel: At one time you were far away from God, and were His enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. How does the Lord our God regard…

Voiceover: And the good thing is: you don’t have to look for it anymore. You just have to take a few minutes to set up a time to sit down with one of the ministers of the Church of Christ, and ask your questions.

Nicholas Victorio, Former Mormon: You know, once I started hearing the gospel and um the way we teach the Bible, it was a no brainer for me to really know either this was the true church.

Voiceover: They did it. They found their answers. Isn’t it time to find yours?

[On-screen text graphics]

ISN’T IT TIME TO FIND YOURS?

Sol Velasquez, Orosi, CA: So I went to the bible study and they treated me like part of the family. I said ok, I’ll sit in…and I learned. I learned a lot during that bible study.

Fred Reed, Bloomingdale, IL: I always gain something from every minister. I’ve not seen anything like this in my entire life, where you can walk up to any one of them and they can answer any questions you have. But they’re not going to give you their opinion. They’ll never give you their opinion. All they’ll do is reach over, pull out the word of God, “Well let’s see what it says in the word of God”, and they’ll find a scripture. Yes, it does answer the questions.

Nicholas Victorio, Former Mormon: And the unity of Iglesia Ni Cristo is what I love. Cause you truly see the same answer that you ask from one minister to the other. Seeing that we just use the Bible and we just believe what the Bible says, is truly the only truth I can believe in.

VO: So, ask yourself: What do you want to do next? What are the Bible questions you’ve waited so long to ask? When you’re ready, we’ll be right here waiting for you.

[Video ends]

Brother Barry: Again thank you so much for joining us today on this live taping of “Face The Truth.” I’ll be here, along with other ministers of the Church of Christ, ready to answer any questions that you may have or even just to talk. I’m Barry Thompson. Thanks for watching, God Bless.

Searching for God. How to Optimize Your Search Results for Biblical Accuracy

If you’re like most people, you probably Google everything. The best place to find sweet potato pancakes for example. Or what does it mean when your car makes a sound like… Or what’s Meghan Markle up to?

Every day there are about 3.5 billion online searches. 18 million of those searches have the word “God” in them. And 1.5 million of those searches specifically asked questions about God, like is God real? Is God mad at me? Why did God make me this way? What does God want me to do?

Search engine with the word ‘god’ typed in the search bar.

With billions of search results about God, how can you make sure the answers you’re getting are accurate?

Before understanding that, you have to understand how search engines work and how they decide which results you see first.

Understanding Your Search Results Page

1. The top result on a search engine results page doesn’t always equal the truth.

The Search Engine Result Page lists the most relevant answers to your inquiry, based on how well websites have optimized their websites to be found by the search engine.

In short, a computer is telling you that these are the best matches to your question because of an algorithm (or the set of rules followed by a computer).

2. Your location and search history influences what shows up on your search results page.

Look at this example of a search for God’s purpose. One searcher originated from Toronto, Canada and the other searcher from San Francisco, California.

Searcher from California
Searcher from Canada

In short, a user’s search history and location will impact what search results they see.

3. The featured content is determined randomly.

You know that featured snippets, or highlighted information that appears on the top of the page?

The top half of a search engine results page with the phrase ‘who wrote the bible’ typed into the search bar.

35% more people click on the featured snippets because it’s the first thing they see and read. Chances are, you’ve done the same.

But how is that snippet determined? According to Alexa, an online analytics tool, no one knows.

“Google chooses which results end up as featured snippets, and they don’t explicitly say how to get your pages to appear as these rich results.”

So what do you do? Is there a checklist to help you navigate through millions of results?

What is their source? When you’re asking a question about God, don’t you want your answer to come from His book? If the results are coming from a different book, find out why.
Who is behind the answer? Is it a particular Church or organization? Click on their beliefs page to examine their basic doctrines. Are they all based on the Bible?
Do they believe Jesus is God? While the Trinity is a common belief among Christian- professing religions, did you know that the Trinity isn’t mentioned in the Bible? It’s a teaching that wasn’t adopted by the Roman Catholic Church until the council of Nicea in 325 AD. Here’s Google’s result about the Trinity, by the way.

The first result from a search engine results page with the phrase ‘Is there a trinity’ typed into the search bar.

So, how do you learn the truth about God?

A bible on top of a table with it open and a woman flipping through the pages.

The web is a great resource to have. But remember: not everything online is true. So, don’t go at it alone. You’ve already taken your first step by trying to find the answer to your questions, so why not make sure the answers you’re getting are accurate?

Need help navigating through it all, set up some one-on-one time to get your Biblical questions answered.

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