Doing The Right Thing

To find true happiness some people search everywhere except inside religion. A young man accepts an invitation that changes his mind.

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Todd Brown: So I looked at religion as one of those things. “Let me figure out how to make it in the world, how to acquire material things, or status, or whatever the case may be. And then one day, then I’ll go find God. But not today.”

[Show open]

Stories of Faith

My name is Todd Brown. I was born on the Caribbean island of Antigua. I grew up there until I was about 12, 13 years old. I migrated to the states, June 12, 1995. I have four brothers, three sisters. In Antigua, the primary religions on the island [are] Anglican religion, as well as Seventh Day Adventist.

My mom always instilled in me to pray and remember to put God first and just have a general guidance, in terms of being a good person.

The Contradictions

My main questions regarding God growing up was, “What [is] our purpose in life? Why is life unfair? Why [are] there some instances you hear of, God is, you know, He’s going to make fire and brimstone and punish you.” But it seems contradictory when you hear, “Oh He’s so forgiving and He’s such a kind and gracious God.” So I was kind of mixed in that aspect. And then the other thing was, I felt like I was made guilty if I had too many questions. You’re supposed to just accept it and things shown in mystery and just follow. And that never really sat right with me.

An On and Off Journey

My relationship with my brother, Claus, he was the cool brother. Every time we speak, 605 of the conversation will be around church, and “You need to take your faith seriously. You need to be saved and…” He was a member of the Church Of Christ, so he got baptized in the Church probably in the early 80’s to mid-80’s and he would invite me on the weekends to come out with him.

My first impressions of the Church Of Christ initially was mixed. For him to be in a church that seemed predominantly Filipino at the time, it was a little curious to me.

An Awakening

I came across some documentary on some lessons on Jesus Christ. So that was the first time I kind of viewed religion in a different perspective. So to see Jesus in a sense of, like a historic text, not someone who’s biased or trying to sell me on their faith or religion, was interesting. So that made me kind of dig into it and did more research. Made me curious that I wanted to take Bible lessons again. I felt it was a good way for me now to ask more educated questions.

And then especially when the lesson is about different prophecies that happened throughout mankind. I’m like, “Oh, I researched that.” I literally witnessed the growth and some of those prophecies being fulfilled. And to witness that as an outsider, it was… awakening.

“The Church Is Consistent”

I remember we were just holding worship service[s] in one of the brethren’s basement. “Why is everyone else thriving and they’re just worshiping in someone’s basement?” And then over the years, it grew, and they got their own place of worship. The Church itself spread to different locals throughout the country, across the world. People from different cultures, religious backgrounds, different stories. And then now, people turn away from [their] church. Certain churches are accepting teachings they didn’t accept before. But then this Church is consistent. It’s consistent in its belief. It’s consistent in its teachings. And it’s consistent in its growth.

“I Had A Lot Of Questions”

When I first heard that this is the true Church, it was a turn-off. It sounded presumptuous, to be honest. I didn’t know it was based on. When you make a bold claim like that, you have to be able to back it up. And then later on, now revisiting…the worship services from a different perspective, whereas more, I guess, objective… and… almost with an intention to dispel that this is the true Church, only to be met with facts and prophecies.

-What type of questions did you ask as a Bible student?

Different questions I asked as a Bible student was, “Why did God create us? If God is so omniscient, and He knows everything, why do we still have to pray? What’s the proper way to pray? Why is prayer important?”

“Did My Own Research”

It took me about six to eight months to finally become committed after my last Bible study lessons. It was a life-changing commitment. I was living my life, I guess, comfortably. And certain things or temptations that I enjoyed, and I didn’t necessarily want to sacrifice those things to follow religion. The other reason it took me a while was… part of me couldn’t believe it was real. It was, “Okay, I have all these questions, I did my own research and now I’m going to trip you up in the Bible studies.” And none of that happened. It actually…all my questions got answered from the Bible.

“Put God To The Test”

I was in the worship service one evening. In the lesson, the minister asked, “Put God to the test.” So I’m like, “Okay.” Well I needed a car at the time. And I previously was in a dealership earlier that day trying to negotiate for a car and the price just wouldn’t come together. So I had a personal prayer like, “Well, if God, if You’re so real, I’m getting this car.” And then literally, when I came out of worship service there was a voicemail on my phone from the car dealership. It was like, “Oh, Mr. Brown, you know, we couldn’t get the car you want but we got something different, that we were able to approve, all the paperwork is done, you can pick it up tomorrow morning.” And I was like, “Alright, alright.” I promised that if I get this car, then I’ll have more mobility and I can not only do my work, but I could go to every worship service and be consistent.

Seeking Substance

As I started to accomplish certain things and got a taste [of], I guess, the lifestyle I thought I desired, I realized it wasn’t as meaningful before I had it. Sometimes you look at religion as a restrictive, conforming way to live our lives, whereas most of us want to be free and feel like we have control and power over what makes us happy.

What the Church Of Christ offered that was missing in my life was a true sense of…truth.

“Your Salvation Depends On It”

So what I would say to people who don’t need a church as long as they believe in God, I would, “Dig deeper. Ask questions. Pray to God. Ask Him for that guidance. Ask Him for that acknowledgement and confirmation to find His truth.”

The reason I would encourage people to give the Church Of Christ a chance and listen is your salvation depends on it. It doesn’t cost you anything. If you give something a chance, either you gain from it, or your life remains unchanged. So if there’s a gain to be had, why wouldn’t you pursue it?

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Todd was baptized in the Church Of Christ on October 31, 2014.

“I Have A Cheat Code”

My biggest fear is missing out on God’s promise. In this journey, there’s a lot of ups and downs, but I take comfort in knowing that my faith is strong, and that God always fulfills on His promises. I feel humbled in that sense, because I know I don’t deserve it. And looking at my life ahead, having God’s promise and having God’s guidance, it feels almost like a superpower–almost like I’m cheating, like I have a cheat code. But I’m humbled to have it and I’m grateful that I do. So that makes me very optimistic of the future–trials and triumph.

[Show close]

Stories of Faith

Uniting To Help Flood Victims in Lismore

Coastal communities have a delicate relationship with the bodies of water that run along their borders. See how INC Giving volunteers traveled near and far to provide help for flood victims; provide care for mangrove trees; and showed a neighborhood that they are an important part of a community.

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Uniting To Bring Help For Flood Victims In Lismore

[cold open]

Lois Paula: On this episode of the INC Giving show, we travel to Chonburi, Thailand to see how mangrove forests make a difference. Then we travel to Lismore, Australia to see how flood victims found help from places near and far. And finally, we visit a Neighborhood Appreciation Day in Heathrow, United Kingdom, to see what a difference welcoming others can make. Don’t go away. Our episode starts now!

[show open]

Lois Paula: The INC Giving Project encourages volunteers in countries around the globe to share their faith through acts of kindness.

Lois Paula: Welcome to the INC Giving Show.

Lois Paula: For coastal communities, there is a balance between understanding the importance of protecting such a vital resource, but also protecting their communities from potential natural disasters. We’ll see why in this first story.

Lois Paula: In places like Chonburi, Thailand, mangrove forests help coastal ecosystems by preventing shoreline erosion and providing protection from floods and tsunamis.

Lois Paula: Yet mangroves are threatened by human activities in many ways. Globally, loss of mangrove forests is three to five times higher than that of terrestrial forests. From 1961 to 1996, Thailand lost about 56% of its mangrove forests due to the expansion of shrimp and salt farms.

Lois Paula: The destruction of mangrove forests is responsible for about 10% of global CO2 emissions caused by deforestation–equivalent to about 240 million tons of CO2 per year.

Lois Paula: For these reasons, INC Giving volunteers did their part and held a coastal tree planting, this time focusing on coastal areas in Chonburi, Thailand.

Bro. Maximino Vito: It’s not that really easy to plant on a muddy, muddy place, but we were able to do it. We were able to plant 100 mangrove trees. So we have accomplished that and we hope that some of the brethren will also have this kind of experience

Lois Paula: Since 2018, Thailand has been restoring mangrove forests. INC Giving volunteers from neighboring communities near Chonburi gathered and excitedly participated in mangrove planting.

Sis Maileen Vito: It has been a great privilege to be a part of this social civic activity held by the District of Thailand. It was a fun and great experience.

Lois Paula: This event will not only foster the relationship between the community and INC Giving volunteers, but also serves as a way of introducing the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) and how we care for our environment.

Director Pornthip Foiwaree: We would like to thank all the volunteers for joining this activity and tirelessly helping. And help in rejuvenating our mangrove forest’s resources by replacing the old trees that died adn making our forest beautiful and alive again.

Director Pornthip Foiwaree: We really appreciate your help and thank you so much.

Lois Paula: What an inspiring story. It’s awesome to see how our INC Giving volunteers are getting their hands and feet dirty to keep the coast healthy and safe. Thanks to our volunteers out there in Chonburi, Thailand.

Lois Paula: Our next story takes us to another coastal community that also has a delicate relationship with it’s neighboring waterways. Take a look.

Lois Paula: The city of Lismore in New South Wales, Australia sits at the junction of Leycester Creek and Wilsons River. Being this close to these major waterways has brought life and growth to the city.

Lois Paula: But just as the river and waterways have given to the city, it has also taken. Flooding is always a danger the city potentially faces. But the recent flooding was unprecedented.

Lois Paula: The damage was undeniable. The shells of homes and buildings sat broken. Debris and abandoned cars filled the streets of this small, close-knit town.

Lois Paula: At the peak of the flood, water levels reached as high as the 2nd floor of many buildings, leaving many residents to face the aftermath head on.

Andrew Hayward: Devastated, lost for words. It’s quite traumatizing, actually.

Lois Paula: Andrew, born and raised all his life in Lismore drives around town thinking about his hometown and all the people he grew up with.

Andrew Hayward: Panic, frustration.

Andrew Hayward: I’m feeling this sadness because my home isn’t my house. My home is my town. My home is everything here.

Andrew Hayward: No one thought it was going to come up that high. So when it did come up this high, they said, “Get out.” And you didn’t have a chance.

Lois Paula: In just a few days, the lives of many here have been completely changed.

Andrew Hayward: They were unable to recover, and what’s lost are certain items, you know, family treasures, all that type of thing. They just left with everything they had on their back.

Andrew Hayward:  People are just jumping in their boat and able to just pick up people and bring them to safety.

Andrew Hayward: There’s no words to describe–what what you see. This is the first time I’ve actually been crying about it. It’s to the point where there is almost no hope left.

Andrew Hayward: That is a big concern is people who, whether they’re going to be able to stay strong mentality, and whether they’re going to be able to come back from it.

Lois Paula: With their futures now uncertain, the hardest hit were family-owned businesses.

Lois Paula: Kylie, whose hotel has been in business for decades, with her parents as previous owners, assesses the flood’s toll.

Kylie Gilmore: I would say at least probably about $800,000 worth of damage, especially to the internal walls. We lost all our fridges, our refrigeration, our cool rooms have lifted.

Kylie Gilmore: [It’s] been hard to come back here and then not be able to have any control over it.

Kylie Gilmore: So this awning was completely covered, was probably, when we got out, it was probably up to that line on the outside.

Andrew Hayward: It’s devastating to see such a, such a disaster like this because, you know, it’s not exactly something that happens everyday.

Lois Paula: But driven by his love for the town and the people in it–and as a member of the Church Of Christ, Andrew, among many others across the east coast of Australia, moved to action and traveled for as long as 8 hour to lend a hand and help businesses get back on their feet.

Brother Richard Esperanza: And so, brethren, from all over our district, namely in Sydney, Brisbane, Queensland area, also the Gold Coast, they all came down to Lismore.

INC Giving Volunteer: Or that’s been–we’re going to place a new one.

Kylie Gilmore: And they are just the best workers I’ve ever seen in my life. They are amazing.

Lois Paula: INC Giving volunteers had the opportunity to help Robyn, whose entire family also came to help her sort through the damage.

Robyn Richardson:  Right from the beginning we’ve–to have the inside of the house demolished and have all of the inside of the house taken away, washing the outside of the house, all the mud off and spraying the inside of the house with a vinegar and water solution and mold killer to try and inhibit the mold.

Robyn Richardson: It looks super clean. It’s amazing. And, and it gives you a sort of relief that somebody cares.

Janelle Javier:  It’s always a really nice feeling to be able to come here and help people. It is very heartbreaking to see and you can hear it in their voice. But coming here, it’s it’s nice to be able to help them out.

Janelle Javier: And they did explain to us that they are going to turn this place into an evacuation center for people to live in while their housing is unaccommodatable. So we’ve been in the bathrooms cleaning out. A lot of the other brethren have been in the other rooms, have been scrubbing the walls, cleaning floors and moving all the equipment and furniture downstairs.

Janelle Javier: Actually a couple of years ago, we were here in the exact same spot with the same thing, floods. It’s good to come back and see people and for them to be able to accept our help.

Bro. Richard Espranza: There are people who are in need. We have to extend help. This is to follow the commandment of our Lord God. And we are joining the campaign of the Church Administration–their leadership, the leadership of Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, our Executive Minister, that in times of needs of our fellow men, not only our brothers and sisters, we should be there to help them.

Robyn Richardson: It’s heartwarming. It’s, like it’s a terrible situation, but it’s so heartwarming to think that Australia can come together the way it has. So it’s wonderful.

Lois Paula: In addition to helping clean and restore the buildings in the community, a donation of school supplies and toiletries were shared.

James Jamias: We’re all in this together. Yeah, especially during times of calamities that, like, we could work together to rebuild.

Gillian Rayner: I have a sense of trust that people will get through this. In a way, it’s crises that bring everyone together.

Gillian Rayner: That has touched me the most has been the strength of the human spirit to support each other as a community. And I’m seeing this and it’s beautiful. It’s really moving.

Kylie Gilmore: Church Of Christ, thank you so much. You’re unbelievable. Your workers is incredible. Their kindness, you know, they’re all just so lovely. I think a lot of us here need to learn from that and yeah, couldn’t do it without them.

Andrew Hayward: My hope for tomorrow would be to get Lismore back on its feet so we can have business as normal. Because if we can help businesses, that we can actually get them to the point where they can make the restart themselves, so that all the clean up, all the disaster and they can start afresh.

Lois Paula: Our hearts go out to the community of Lismore. We pray for a speedy recovery. And thank you to Andrew for giving us such an up close and personal view of this story. Thanks to the INC Giving volunteers who didn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand even when it meant an 8 hour one-way trip.

Lois Paula: This just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how near or far communities in need are. And while some deal with natural disasters, there are those who experience a less visible challenge.

Lois Paula: In the United Kingdom, over 9 million people suffer from loneliness. And although it is a familiar feeling for everyone, studies have shown that those deprived of social interaction are at risk of other health complications.

Lois Paula: But the Church of Christ (Iglesia Ni Cristo) has been tackling this issue since 2011, when they held the first Neighborhood Appreciation Day. Events such as these are one of the many ways the Church acknowledges the positive impact of human connection within communities, as seen recently in Heathrow North, United Kingdom.

Andrea Basilio: We sent flyers to our neighborhood. We were able to let our neighbors know about the activities that [are] going on in our [local congregation].

Lois Paula: One of the guests of this activity was Riza Lemi, who noticed a positive effect on her mom.

Riza Lemi: She’s [My mother] been attending worship services and activities and she seems really like happy about it. And I just wanted to know what it was like and just meet people that’s in the community.

Lois Paula: The guests were introduced to all of the volunteer projects organized by the Church.

Riza Lemi: To just know what was happening in the Church and community and how they were helping the less fortunate people and I also enjoyed meeting like all the people here. They were very nice and friendly.

Lois Paula: Performances and gifts prepared by the youth volunteers of the Church Of Christ were given to the guests as their way of saying their thanks. This outreach was not only a way for guests like Riza to find out about the Church, but to foster new relationships and strengthen existing ones with the members of this community.

AndreaBasilio: And on top of that, I also made new relationships with people.

Riza Lemi: I just really appreciated what they do and what they actually have for the community. Everyone was very, very friendly. I was so welcomed. I didn’t feel like I was an outsider at all which was very, very nice.

Lois Paula: It’s always so special to see the bonds within a community grow stronger through events like this. All it takes is the choice to volunteer our time to help others. And as we can see, many great things can happen no matter what the challenge is.

Lois Paula: Now that does it for us on this episode of the INC Giving show. We hope this has inspired you to recognize the needs in your area and to go out and make kindness contagious.

Lois Paula: I’m Lois Paula. Remember, whenever you possibly can do good to those who need it.

[show close]

INC Extends Help to School in Florida

In Florida, as students struggle to prepare for the new school year, the INC steps in to help; from Southern Africa to Mediterranean, the latest events in the INC.

More Join True Faith in Northwest California

From different walks of life, individuals from Northwest California join the true faith; Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ reaches Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

Who To Reach Out To When Feeling Lonely

Loneliness can happen to anyone at any time. Who can we reach out to when we feel alone? What are the benefits of asking for help?

Show/Hide Transcript

Vantage Point: Who To Reach Out To When Feeling Lonely

[Show starts]

Brother Felmar Serreno: With the lingering pandemic, there is a social epidemic that is steadily on the rise. It’s called loneliness.

[On-screen text graphic].

Loneliness

Brother Felmar Serreno: Others claim that its long term effects are just as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

[On-screen text graphic]

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

Bro. Felmar Serreno

Brother Felmar Serreno: What causes loneliness and are there ways to get through it successfully? Stick around and let’s find out.

[On-screen text graphic]
Despite so many changes
Let’s move forward together
This is

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Vantage Point

Brother Felmar Serreno: JR and Nat, have either of you ever struggled with loneliness?

JR Dongalen: For sure I’ve struggled with loneliness personally.

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CONTENT CREATOR

JR Dongalen

JR Dongalen: You know I’ve encountered it from heartbreak, when I felt like I was the odd man out when it came to certain interests that I pursued, the way that I express myself, having a different cultural and religious background [from] others. You know, today I look at it like I’m unique and everyone is different. But for a really long time, I thought of myself as the odd man out, as someone who was just different and lost.

Natalie Fitzpatrick: In many ways, honestly, I can relate to JR, too.

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GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Natalie Fitzpatrick

Natalie Fitzpatrick: I definitely felt lonely growing up, mostly because of the sports teams that I was associated with in high school. A lot of my coaches and my teammates never really understood why I would prioritize the worship service over our games or our practices,

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Who To Reach Out To When Feeling Lonely

Natalie Fitzpatrick: …especially when they interfered with that schedule or that worship service time, and on top of that, I also felt lonely when I’d stopped being invited out to plans that my friends were making, because they knew that my values or my beliefs didn’t align with the lifestyle that they wanted to lead.

So, whether they were experimenting with intoxicating substances, going to parties, or just trying to live fast like they did, I couldn’t relate, and obviously got left out for that reason.

JR Dongalen: Yeah, you know, loneliness is a really broad topic, broader than what others might think. For example, here’s a piece published by the Royal College of Nursing on their website:

[On-screen text graphic]

Source: www.rcn.orh.uk
“loneliness is: having nobody to talk to, feeling disconnected to the world, feeling left out, sadness, and not feeling understood.”

Brother Felmar Serreno: It’s ironic, [isn’t it] JR, that having nobody to talk to is on that list when we are supposedly more connected nowadays because of technology, the Internet and social media. Having said that, consider what USA TODAY published on their website in an article in 2018.

[On-screen text graphic]

Source: www.usatoday.com

“Thanks to the erosion of neighborhood communities, the fracturing of many families, and the decline in church attendance, there are fewer and fewer opportunities for finding new friends or developing meaningful relationships.”

Brother Felmar Serreno: So, people are seeing a decline in in-person interactions. As a result, opportunities to develop meaningful relationships are also on the decline, and mind you, the article that we quoted was published pre-COVID, back in 2018. So those declining in-person interactions could only have dropped further in 2020 when lockdowns and restrictions really began to be enforced.

JR Dongalen: Yeah, you know, if you’re a young person or a student who’s struggling with all the pressures of today, and you’re unhappy and you have no community to turn to, you can see how that can lead to serious loneliness.

Natalie Fitzpatick: But even if we might feel lonely at times, there are ways that we can find comfort through the Church, and I don’t say that just to plug the Church name, I mean that. Let’s be real. When you get out of high school, when you’re entering adult life or adulting, I mean take a look around—where can you find a free program that enables you to do what you love? So I went from playing basketball and volleyball competitively in school to suddenly looking and longing for that feeling of competitiveness again, and because there was no real competitive program that I could join, or easily sign up for with a team of people I had already built chemistry with, it was difficult.

But, inside the Church Of Christ we have great activities like “Unity Games” or “EVM Cup” where we get to be able to play these sports that we love, and these outlets have been amazing for boosting our mental health, our physical wellness, and being able to participate in [those activities] helps us keep that competitive spirit alive. And, not just not just playing sports but being an active officer above all of that has had the greatest impact I’d say on my life and on my mood every single day. When you’re busy with doing good work, planning activities, constantly communicating with other people, and visiting brethren especially, or even creating promotional materials for events and activities that you’re planning, you tend to forget about anything else that’s going on that worries you or that might be bothering you in the back of your mind. That stuff fades away so quickly when you’re keeping busy like that, and once you’re in the zone and you’re working with other people who are also active—you know, they want the best for you; it’s those people, these officers [whom] you’re working with, or the brethren that are always beside you, they understand where you’re coming from and that loneliness goes away. For myself, I find myself laughing all the time when I’m with my fellow officers, we always have a really good time together and they understand the sacrifices that I make and I’m also able to understand the sacrifices that they’re making too. Because of that, our bond grows stronger every single day.

JR Dongalen: I would say also Brother Eduardo and the Church Administration has done an amazing job, a creative job in keeping us connected both in our faith and with each other.

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Who To Reach Out To When Feeling Lonely

JR Dongalen: With the pandemic really distancing us from one another, producing challenges for in-person gatherings; we couldn’t even see each other, we couldn’t even hang out like we used to. Interacting with friends, our beloved brethren, the people that we see at worship services before and after, Brother Eduardo and the Church leadership do their best implementing vital methods from video streaming worship services, online activities, and even our Executive Minister responding and writing back to the brethren [and] church officers around the world. There are some really heartwarming stories about this on our “Blessed Moments” program. So knowing we have each other as officers and brethren in the church, an administration that cares and labors for all of us, it’s not something that a lot of people can say they have. That authentic community, based on our spirituality and faith—and God is what helps someone like me feel, even in the loneliest of times, that I’m never actually by myself, that I’ve always got someone to rely on, someone that I can reach out to, someone that I can really trust.

Brother Felmar Serreno: And even more than our Executive Minister, who else can we rely on for help, which is why we, members of the Church Of Christ, we should not be defeated by loneliness? We can rely on our Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s based on what we can read here in the book of Philippians chapter 4 and the verse is 13:

for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.

[Philippians 4:13 Living Bible]

Brother Felmar Serreno:

Now, in addition to our Church Administration, and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who above all can we rely on for help? The answer is revealed here in the book of Psalms, Chapter 121, verses 1 down to 3, the Bible teaches us:

I look to the mountains; where will my help come from? My help will come from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let you fall; your protector is always awake.

[Psalms 121:1-3 Good News Bible]

Brother Felmar Serreno: Therefore, we can rely on God above all.

Natalie Fitzpatrick: I was just thinking to myself how we’re so blessed in the INC or the Iglesia Ni Cristo we have our Almighty Father, we have our Lord Jesus Christ. We also have our Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, who all love us, and are always trying to help us. And, we also have the leadership in our ecclesiastical districts. We have the ministers, the evangelical workers, the deacons, the deaconesses, and even the group overseers who are always looking after us in our own local congregation.

JR Dongalen: Human as we are, we will still find ourselves experiencing some form of loneliness sometimes. There’s no shame, there’s no reason to feel embarrassed in reaching out to someone for help. It’s totally okay to reach out to a KADIWA President, for example, or our Binhi officers, and it’s totally okay for us to reach out and set an appointment with our minister—have an open discussion with him about what you’re going through, kind of like what we get to do on this show. Another avenue that’s available to us is incmedia.org where we can ask questions, and visit the Help Center page and we can use that to reach out to ministers in the Church Of Christ.

Brother Felmar Serreno: Well, that’s our discussion for today. Thank you to JR and Nat, and to everyone who tuned in. Join us again next time. God bless.

Natalie Fitzpatrick: If you’re ever feeling lonely or like you’re missing that sense of community, we highly encourage you to reach out to your CFO or Christian Family Organizations’ leadership in your district or even in your local congregation. You could reach out to your KADIWA president, your Binhi president, or your CFO overseer for more information on how you can be of help or join in on the many activities happening all around the world. And to our friends, we also encourage you to visit incmedia.org to learn more about the many events taking place within your community. Also don’t forget to give us a thumbs up if you liked this episode and follow us @vantagepoint.inc on Instagram to find out more about the show and upcoming content as it comes out.

[Show ends]

How Do We Experience God’s Love?

Does God love me? Actually, success, happiness, and lack of problems cannot measure God’s love. In that case, how can we know that God loves us?

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How Do We Experience God’s Love?

[Show intro]

Brother Richie Juatco: It’s now understood that different people have different ways of showing love. If a person learns the particular ways of how someone expresses his or her love, then misunderstandings are avoided, and the relationship is stronger because communications are clear. Now, if there is anyone’s love we want to make sure that we’re clearly receiving, it’s none other than our Creator, our God. But how does God show His love and how can we identify those who are receiving it? How do we know God loves us?

Hello, I’m Brother Richie Juatco, and here with me in our Southern California studios in Anaheim, is Brother Joe Velasquez. Hi, Brother Joe!

Brother Joe Velasquez: Hi, Brother Richie!

Now, there might be some watching this program that are confident that they are experiencing the love of God. And their basis might be: “I’m healthy, my family’s peaceful and happy” or “I can’t complain, I have more than I need.” Or maybe, “I feel blessed because things are working out for me. I have no major problems. Does God love me? Of course He does.”

What is the basis of God’s love?

Brother Richie: Now, Brother Joe, the question we want to pose is, can these be the basis of determining God’s love? Is it possible to look at the conditions of people’s lives to determine if God loves them or not? Is that possible, Brother Joe?

Brother Joe: Well, Brother Richie, the Bible tells us, here, in the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:45, and this is what we can read:

so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.

[Matthew 5:45 Good News Translation]

Brother Joe: And so, according to our Lord Jesus Christ, we cannot use the condition of a person’s life to determine if God loves him or not.

Brother Richie: Why not?

Brother Joe: Well, because He taught that God “makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil.”

Brother Richie: But some might think, if a person is flourishing or seemingly succeeding in all they do, couldn’t that be proof that God loves them or is blessing them?

Brother Joe: Well, Brother Richie, for the answer to that question, let’s turn to Psalms 92:7. This is the teaching of the Holy Bible, and this is what we can read:

though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be eternally destroyed.

[Psalm 92:7 Holman Christian Standard Bible]

Brother Joe: And so, here we can see that even the wicked or evildoers flourish.

Brother Richie: But, Brother Joe, if someone can flourish by being evil, well, what’s stopping them from choosing that way of life over?

Brother Joe: Well, Brother Richie, the Bible says that they will eventually be destroyed eternally, proving they do not have God’s love.

Brother Richie: Now, friends, this is important to understand because if not, then we would completely misinterpret God’s love.

What also is the danger of using material things, the success we see in others–for example: they’re always happy, they’re in good health, they’re problem free–which is what people in social media are always portraying–what is the risk of using that as a measurement of God’s love, Brother Joe?

Brother Joe: Well, Brother Richie, let’s read the answer, here, in Psalms 73:3 to 5, and this is what is stated:

because I was envious of arrogant people when I saw the prosperity that wicked people enjoy. They suffer no pain. Their bodies are healthy. They have no drudgery in their lives like ordinary people. They’re not plagued [with problems] like others.

[Psalm 73:3-5 God’s Word Translation]

Brother Joe: And so, Brother Richie, the danger of falsely measuring God’s love by prosperity is that it will make us envious of others. It will skew the truth of how God blesses those whom He truly loves.

Be rich in faith

Brother Richie: Well, what then should we realize about those God chooses to love?

Brother Joe: Well, let’s hear the answer stated here, Brother Richie, in James 2:5, and this is what is stated:

Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him.

[James 2:5 Good News Translation]

Brother Joe: And so the Bible teaches that, “God chose the poor people.” But what did He choose them for? It said, “to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which He promised…” So, clearly, these are the ones whom He loves, Brother Richie.

Brother Richie: Brother Joe, we need to clarify for our viewers that we are not saying that just because a person is poor, that does not mean that he is chosen or loved by God. We also want to make clear that there’s nothing wrong with being healthy, wealthy, [and] being comfortable. What we are learning is that these things are not the basis or evidence of God’s love.

Life through Jesus Christ

Brother Joe: And so, Brother Richie, now that we’ve eliminated the misconception that God’s love can be interpreted by means of a person’s condition or situation in life, well, let’s find out then, how does God show His love? In other words, how do we know that God really loves us?

Brother Richie: Well, for that, Brother Joe, we’re going to turn to what’s recorded in 1 John 4:9-10, and it says this:

This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. In sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins.

[1 John 4:9-10 New Century Version]

Brother Richie: So, the Bible says, “This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world…”

Brother Joe: Now, Brother Richie, how is God sending His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world God’s way of showing His love for us?

Brother Richie: Well, Brother Joe, the verse actually explains, “God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins.”

Now, we learned in our other episodes that sin–and everyone has sinned (according to Romans 5:12) is the major problem that needs to be solved because it is the reason humanity has lost its relationship with God (that’s according to Isaiah 59:2). It is also the reason God is requiring payment from mankind (according to Romans 6:23), which is to be eternally punished, which we read earlier, Brother Joe. So, God giving people a way to take away our sins, truly, what the Bible says, “This is what real love is.” So, those who are experiencing God’s love, who are they? It says that they “have life through Him…” through Christ.

Brother Joe: But, Brother Richie, what kind of life is being mentioned here and how can we identify the recipients of God’s love?

Brother Richie: Well, we’ll turn to 1 John 5:11-12, to find out what is that life being mentioned in the previous verse reading. We’ll read, here, and this is what it says:

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

[1 John 5:11-12 New International Version]

Brother Richie: So, the life (through Jesus Christ) that God is giving to those He loves is eternal life. Those that will receive this are people “who have the Son.”

So, according to the Bible, who has the Son? Who has Christ? Who is with Him? Notice, we specifically asked, “according to the Bible,” because if we use just any source, we’ll get a lot of different answers. So, Brother Joe, according to the Bible, who is with Christ?

Brother Joe: Well, Brother Richie, let us ask the Holy Bible. Here, in Ephesians 2:12-13, and this is what we can read:

that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

[Ephesians 2:12-13 New King James Version]

Brother Joe: So, here, the Apostle Paul is addressing those with Christ and reminding them of the time that they were without Christ. So what changed? How do they go from being without Christ to being with Him? Well, according to the Apostle Paul, “you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Brother Richie: Now, dear friends, we need to understand that the blood of Christ is the only way sins can be forgiven (that’s according to Hebrews 9:22). That is the only solution to mankind’s major problem–sin. Now, we can understand that God’s way of showing love is by giving people a way for their lost relationship with Him to be solved. God sent His Son so that people could have a way to be forgiven in order to return to Him. How does the Bible identify those brought near to God by the blood of Christ? Well, just as we heard, the Bible said you are “now in Christ Jesus…”

Brother Joe: And, Brother Richie, according to the Holy Bible, how can we be in Christ Jesus? What does that mean: being in Christ? And again, we are specifically asking what it means according to the Bible, not according to our own opinion. Because if we ask, what does that mean according to you, or them, or your heart, well, we wouldn’t get the biblical truth.

Brother Richie: That’s right, Brother Joe. Because different people have different definitions of what it means to be in Christ Jesus. Many people believe that they are “in Christ” simply because they accept Christ that’s their Savior. There are people who feel they are in Christ because they call themselves Christians, or they are in the body of believers, or have allowed Christ to be in their heart. Now, some go as far as to say, “all you need to do is believe and nothing else.”

Brother Joe: So again, Brother Richie, we need to ask: according to the Bible, how could we be in Christ Jesus? And what should we understand about Christ?

Brother Richie: Well, we will turn to what’s written in Colossians 1:18 that we can learn, what is it that we should understand about our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is it says:

And He is the head of the body, the church,

[Colossians 1:18 New King James Version]

Brother Richie: We need to understand that Christ is the head and His body is the Church. So, to be in Christ is to be in His Church. We also need to point out that the Bible is not mentioning multiple churches like we see today. According to the Bible, Christ’s one singular body is just one singular Church.

Brother Joe: But, Brother Richie, because there are many churches existing today–each with their own set of beliefs and faiths unique to them—yet at the same time, each is claiming that they are the church mentioned in the Bible. The obvious question to ask is what is the name of the Church that is the body of Christ?

Brother Richie: Well, since we want a biblical answer, we will turn to what is written in the Bible here in Acts 20, the verse is 28, it says:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.

[Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation]

Brother Richie: So, according to the Bible, the Church that is the body of Christ is called Church Of Christ. Now, it is vital to notice that the biblical Church Of Christ was purchased by Christ with His blood. Therefore, those that are “in Christ”–meaning those that are in the Church Of Christ—they are the ones that have been brought near to God by the blood of Christ because they benefited from God’s way of taking sins away, which in turn means they are the ones receiving God’s real love.

Brother Joe: Now, for those hearing this biblical truth for the first time, believe that it is God showing you how to be among those He loves. Remember that learning how someone expresses love is key to having a real relationship and avoiding misunderstandings.

Brother Richie: Now, it is also understandable that a person hearing this for the first time might feel hesitant to leave behind what they’ve been believing for years in order to join or enter the Church Of Christ. They might think, well, “even if I’m not in the Church, I still feel God’s love.” So, let’s find out, if one chooses not to join or enter the Church—now, we remember since we’ve all sinned—how does God relate with those outside the Church, Brother Joe?

Brother Joe: We really need to know the answer to that question, Brother Richie. And we can find it here in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, and this is what stated:

What business is it of mind to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

[1 Corinthians 5:12-13 New International Version]

Brother Joe: And so, the Bible makes clear that God will judge those outside the Church. And the judgment God already made for those that commit sin is to be eternally destroyed. So, here you can see, dear viewers, that there really is no gray-area or middle ground. God will either love a person or judge him based upon what he does.

Brother Richie: Now, although some may argue that they too feel God’s love because of the peace and seemingly worry-free life that they have, we have now learned that a person is not really loved by God, even if He only has one problem – but it’s a major problem—that he cannot solve, which is sin.

Brother Joe: Now, Brother Richie, if one chooses to enter the biblical Church Of Christ—realizing that this is God’s way of offering His love to us—what happens to the love that God offers us?

Brother Richie: Let’s turn to 1 John 4:16 to 17. Let’s find out. It says here:

And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world.

[1 John 14:16-17 Holman Christian Standard Bible]

Brother Richie: God’s love for us is perfected if we follow Him–our lives should be based on His laws and commandments. This is the way to receive the confidence of not being judged by God on Judgment Day. We are taught that God is love and that we should remain in Him.

On behalf of all of us at The Message, we would like to thank you for joining us in our study of God’s message.

Brother Joe: And we hope that you will continue to watch this and the other programs of the Iglesia Ni Cristo or Church Of Christ. Before we go, though, please do join us for a short prayer.

Dear God, most Merciful and Loving Father in heaven, we thank You from the bottom of our hearts for this wonderful opportunity that You have given to us to study Your words contained in the Holy Bible. We praise You, we glorify Your most Holy Name. We have learned not only the importance of having love for You, but even more important is that You would love each and every one of us, and we have also learned, dear God, that the manifestation of Your love is that You sent your only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We plead with You, oh, Dear Father, may we be counted among those who benefited from this wonderful blessing, we will be counted among Your true servants found inside the Church, which He purchased with His blood, and that is the true Church Of Christ in these last days. Make us worthy of this wonderful blessing, help us to be obedient to Your holy will, may we be the true beneficiaries of Your love for each and every one of us, that we might also be certain of receiving the blessed salvation come Judgment Day.

Jesus Christ, our Lord, we call upon you as well, thank You so much for your sacrificial death, we know that because of Your precious blood, we have the right to serve and worship our Almighty God. Make us worthy to always serve You and our Father in Heaven, and most importantly, to be able to enter into that eternal kingdom that You are preparing for each and every one of us.

Dear God, may you maintain, always, our firm connection with the Administration You have placed in Your holy Church. Bless our leaders at all times, that they may guide us always until we reach our salvation. It is our confidence that You have heard our prayers, You’ll forgive us for the sins that we may have done, You have blessed all those who have been able to watch this program, we humbly beg all of these things in the name of Your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

[Show ends]

[On-screen text graphics]

INC Media Services

¿Por qué la INC ayuda a los necesitados?

Ayudando a los pobres, proporcionando medios de subsistencia y ayudando a las familias necesitadas. Vea cómo la Iglesia De Cristo ayuda a los necesitados en todo el mundo, basada en las palabras de Dios escritas en la Biblia. [Helping the poor, providing livelihood and assisting needy families. See how the Church Of Christ helps those in need throughout the world based on God’s words written in the Bible.]

Show/Hide Transcript

[Apertura del programa]

¿Por qué la Iglesia De Cristo ayuda a los necesitados?

Hermano Christian Tantay: Bienvenidos a El Mensaje, un programa presentado por la Iglesia De Cristo. Soy el Hermano Christian Tantay. En el estudio de hoy, nos enfocaremos en lo que la Biblia dice sobre brindar ayuda a los necesitados. Pero primero, veamos esto:

[primero segmento de vídeo]

Narradora: Nuestras vidas han cambiado drásticamente, y mientras continuamos ajustándonos al estado mundo del actual, una cosa que no cambió fue el cuidado de la Iglesia De Cristo, a través del liderazgo de la Administración de la Iglesia, a sus miembros ayudando a nuestros semejantes sin importar dónde estén.

Charles Louinel: Como miembro de la Iglesia De Cristo, es sumamente importante para mi ayudar a los necesitados, porque la vida se está poniendo más y más difícil cada día. Hay más personas que están sufriendo de pobreza.

Ceci Tabobo: Es muy difícil porque hay bastante personas que no preocupan a los demás.

Rodrigo de Villa: Me siento alegre porque estamos—para ayudar otra persona, estamos ayudando por amor a los demás, por amor al prójimo.

Narradora: En áreas afectadas por calamidades, comunidades empobrecidas y vecindarios desatendidos, la Iglesia De Cristo brinda alivio de muchas maneras a personas en diferentes ámbitos de la vida.

Charles: Es muy difícil vivir en el mundo hoy en día. Hay muchos conflictos en el mundo, y eso trae angustia a las personas y hay pocos empleos. Y algunas veces las personas tienen un trabajo, pero el dinero que ellos cobran no le da para satisfacer a sus necesidades.

Hermano Camy Augustin: Bueno, la Iglesia ayuda en agricultura, en construir casas también para ellos, porque a veces hay calamidades, terremotos, que bueno—las casas se derrumban y la Iglesia también ayuda en esa manera.

Narradora: La mano amiga de la Iglesia ha llegado a todo el mundo, con la Iglesia De Cristo establecida en más de 155 países, es en estos lugares donde se puede ver, en un esfuerzo unido, a los miembros viendo las necesidades dentro de sus propias comunidades y proporcionando el alivio necesario. Como a través de un proyecto conocido como Ayuda Humanitaria. Un proyecto lanzado por la Fundación Félix Y. Manalo y encabezado por la Iglesia De Cristo, continúa abordando las necesidades inmediatas de las personas debido al creciente número de personas que experimentan pobreza. Así como INC Giving, el brazo voluntario de la Iglesia, fortalece los lazos dentro de la comunidad al proporcionar ayuda a través de un esfuerzo basado en la comunidad.

Karina Huayta: Bueno en mi primer viaje para ayudar la Ayuda Humanitaria, para mi fue algo curioso también porque nunca hemos visto que una Iglesia nos pueda dar así. Sin que tú pertenezcas, sin que tú te inscribas, te bautices. ¿Cómo puede una iglesia ayudar, no?

Hermano Froilan: Muchos perdieron trabajo, los negocios se quedaron en quiebra. Pero aún así los hermanos con mucho entusiasmo se unieron con la Administración respondieron al llamado de nuestro queridísimo Ministro Ejecutivo de compartir la palabra de Dios. Entonces, en la propagación intensiva del Evangelio, muchos hermanos participaron junto con la actividad de Ayuda Humanitaria y muchos hermanos participaron a pesar de los retos.

Charles: Yo he notado que la Iglesia De Cristo, siempre ayuda a todas las personas. No importa su raza, su nacionalidad, el color de su piel.

Carlos Mateu: La Iglesia intenta a dirigirse a todo el mundo, no hay grupos, a todo el mundo.

Narradora: Y con cada lugar que tiene diferentes necesidades, la Iglesia De Cristo se une en todos estos esfuerzos, ya sea respondiendo al llamado de las comunidades a través de paquetes de víveres, campañas de ropa … dando servicios médicos gratuitos… incluso a responder a la llamada de los líderes y establecimientos locales… No importa la edad, el origen étnico o la situación, los miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo se esfuerzan por ayudar a los necesitados, motivados por el amor y la fe.

Hermano Antonio Dueñas: La razón por la cual ayudar a los necesitados ha sido una práctica de fe para los miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo, para que nuestra fe no sea inútil.

Narradora: Con un esfuerzo global, la Fundación Félix Y. Manalo continúa identificando comunidades desatendidas que necesitan asistencia, como aquí en la República Dominicana, donde casi una cuarta parte de la población experimenta pobreza extrema, muchos de ellos siendo niños.

María Elena, propietaria de un orfanato en Santo Domingo, necesitaba ayuda cuando se trataba de sus niños afectados por circunstancias extremas.

Maria Elena Beltrán-Hernandez: Mi nombre es Maria Elena Beltrán-Hernández, soy la fundadora del Hogar de Niñas Madelaes. Nos dedicamos a las—a coger niños que viven en la extrema pobreza , niña huérfanas y a niña desamparada.

Milagros Noemi Moreno: Yo llegué al hogar a los cinco años por la razón de que mi madre murió y yo estaba con una tía y mi tía tenía otros, mis otros hermanos, y no se podía hacer cargo de todos. Aparte de que también era una persona de escasos recursos.

Kateri Yank: (en inglés) Apenas tiene suficiente para comer, lo suficiente para llevar, como las necesidades básicas—es muy importante que ayude—a que más organizaciones ayuden materialmente con estas personas pobres aquí y sencillamente inviertan en su educación, sus necesidades materiales.

Narradora: Y esas necesidades serían provistas como parte del esfuerzo global del proyecto de Ayuda Humanitaria.

Charles: (en inglés) Buenas tardes a todos. Esto es Louinel Charles. Estamos aquí en Santo Domingo por nuestra Lingap Sa Mamamayan o Ayuda Humanitaria. Estamos ahora mismo con nuestros hermanos del Distrito Eclesiástico del Caribe. Estamos preparando los paquetes de atención que se van a dar. Puede ver—cada bolsa tiene algunos artículos de higiene personal.

Estamos en camino al lugar donde llevaríamos a cabo nuestra Ayuda Humanitaria. ¡Vamonos!

Nosotros aquí en el lugar donde estamos realizando la actividad de Ayuda Humanitaria. Esta es la Fundación Madelaes. Es una de las fundaciones aquí que ayuda a los niños para que puedan tener un futuro mejor. Como veis, acabamos de llegar y nos estamos preparando para empezar con la actividad. Están muy contentos de recibirnos y damos gracias a Dios Todopoderoso. Hermanos del Distrito del Caribe están ayudando a regalar esos paquetes a los hijos.

Maria Elena: La Fundación de Hogar de Niñas se llama Madelaes. Fue fundada el 5 de octubre 1995.

Noemi: Otras organizaciones se sumen a la Fundación Madelaes u otras organizaciones es de suma importancia ya que hay muchas veces la fundación por sí sola no puede o no tiene los canales de recaudar o obtener algunas cosas que no se tienen en lugar.

Kateri Yank: Creo que es grandioso que la Iglesia De Cristo esté haciendo tanto trabajo misionero y tratando de ayudar a tantas comunidades y es algo realmente hermoso. Y realmente espero que el trabajo pueda continuar, florecer y crecer porque el mundo definitivamente necesita más de eso.

Hermano Esteban Inocencio: (en inglés) Constantemente, nuestro Ministro Ejecutivo, el Hermano Eduardo Manalo, nos enseña y nos inspira a ayudar a compartir las palabras de Dios y poder extender nuestra ayuda a aquellos que lo necesitan, a nuestros compatriotas menos afortunados.

[termina del segmento]

Hermano Christian: Queridos amigos, la Iglesia De Cristo, dirigida por la Administración de la Iglesia, continúa brindando ayuda a aquellos que se encuentran en extrema necesidad a través de nuestros proyectos como Ayuda Humanitaria implementado por la Fundación Félix Y. Manalo, INCGiving y nuestros otros programas de ayuda comunitaria. Muchos miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo en todo el mundo participan para repartir artículos de ayuda y ofrecen diversos servicios médicos gratuitos, especialmente a los afectados por calamidades imprevistas, como terremotos, tifones, incendios forestales, entre otros. La Iglesia De Cristo ha construido y continúa estableciendo comunidades de viviendas alrededor del mundo, proporcionando un medio de vida sostenible para muchos. Sin embargo, en la misión de la Iglesia, la ayuda más importante que podemos brindar a todas las personas, más que cualquier cosa material que podamos proporcionar, es enseñar las palabras de Dios que nos ayudarán a todos a recibir la salvación. Entonces, además de brindar ayuda a los necesitados, también invitamos a todos a estudiar la verdad escrita en la Biblia. En todas las obras comunitarias que llevamos a cabo, también invitamos a nuestros amigos y seres queridos a estudiar las Palabras de Dios.

Hermano Christian: Ahora quizás, ustedes podrían preguntarse, ¿por qué lo hacemos? ¿Cuál es nuestra base para hacer tales cosas? ¿Cuál es nuestra motivación? ¿Cuál es el mandato de nuestro Señor Dios a Sus siervos, incluso en tiempos pasados? Comenzamos nuestro estudio leyendo la respuesta escrita aquí en Deuteronomio 15:11 (EXB), esto es lo que está escrito:

Siempre habrá personas pobres en la tierra, por tanto, os mando que deis libremente [tened las manos abiertas] a vuestros vecinos [o familiares; o paisanos; hermanos] y a los pobres y a los necesitados en vuestra tierra.

Deuteronomio 15:11 Expanded Bible traducido al español

Hermano Christian: En este versículo, incluso en el pasado, nuestro Señor Dios advirtió que siempre habría pobres en la tierra. Por lo tanto, Él ordena a Su pueblo que sea generoso y extienda ayuda a los pobres y necesitados, a sus vecinos, paisanos y hermanos. Esto muestra que no es solo nuestro deseo hacer tales cosas, sino que es la voluntad de Dios. Como siervos de Dios, obedecemos Su voluntad, como lo que Él ordena en este versículo. Además, en el cumplimiento de este mandato de Dios, la Administración de la Iglesia nos exhorta a intensificar nuestros esfuerzos para ayudar a aquellos que están en necesidad ahora en nuestro tiempo. Por eso, quizás también hayan notado que en la actualidad, los miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo son cada vez más activos en participar en nuestras obras de caridad y misiones evangélicas. ¿Por qué se hizo necesario intensificar nuestros esfuerzos para ayudar a las personas necesitadas? La Biblia nos responderá y no daremos nuestra opinión. La Biblia describe cuál sería la condición de nuestro mundo en nuestro tiempo, aquí en II Timoteo 3:1 LBLA:

Pero debes saber esto: que en los últimos días vendrán tiempos difíciles.

II Timoteo 3:1 La Biblia de Las Americas

Hermano Christian: Los apóstoles profetizaron que en los últimos días, nuestro tiempo, vendrían tiempos difíciles. Y, de verdad, ha llegado. Ahora más que nunca la vida es dura porque la pobreza, la maldad y muchos males están muy extendidos. De hecho, las estadísticas muestran:

De la población mundial estimada en 7.2 billones:
Más de 1.3 billones viven en la pobreza extrema, menos de $1,25 al día.
22.000 niños mueren cada día a causa de la pobreza.
750 millones de personas carecen de acceso adecuado a agua potable limpia.
Aproximadamente 1.6 billones de personas (al menos ¼ de la población) viven sin electricidad.
El hambre es la principal causa de muerte en el mundo, matando a más personas que el SIDA, la malaria y la tuberculosis juntos.

Fuente: dosomething.org

De acuerdo con la Organización Mundial de la Salud: La mayoría de los 25.000 niños menores de cinco años que mueren cada día se concentran en los países más pobres del mundo en el África subsahariana y el sur de Asia.

Hermano Christian: Estas son solo algunas de las cifras clave que muestran claramente la situación del mundo donde vivimos actualmente. Entonces, en medio de esta condición del mundo, el Señor Dios manda a Sus siervos a ayudar a los necesitados, y eso es lo que nos esforzamos por cumplir. Preguntemos a la Biblia, ¿cómo valora el Señor Dios el esfuerzo de su pueblo cuando cumple Su mandato de ayudar a los necesitados? Leamos lo que dice Proverbios 19:17 NTV

Si ayudas al pobre, le prestas al SEÑOR, ¡y él te lo pagará!

Proverbios 19:17 Nueva Traducción Viviente

Hermano Christian: Queridos amigos, cuando obedecemos el mandato de Dios de ayudar a los necesitados, a Él le agrada. La Biblia incluso da una garantía de que el Señor Dios pagará a los que ayuden a los pobres. Por supuesto, no debemos ayudar solo con el motivo de esperar lo que recibiremos a cambio. Por un lado, a través de este versículo, entendemos que el Señor Dios quiere que aprendamos y cumplamos Su mandato, y por el otro lado, también quiere que nos demos cuenta de lo que hace Él es diferente a cualquier hombre. Estimados espectadores, a diferencia de cualquier hombre, cuando el Señor Dios nos da seguridad, Él tiene el poder y la capacidad para hacerlo. Así que, cuando la Biblia dice que el Señor Dios pagará a los que ayudan a los pobres, seguramente Él dará Su recompensa. Los miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo, dirigidos por la Administración, están listos para echar una mano y ayudar a aquellos que están en extrema necesidad. Sin embargo, de acuerdo con la Biblia, ¿Cómo muestra Dios su compasión e interés por todas las personas, especialmente por los necesitados? Todo esto y más después de la pausa. Por favor, quédense con nosotros.

[Video de gráfico de verso]

Esto es bueno y agrada a Dios nuestro Salvador, pues él quiere que todos se salven y lleguen a conocer la verdad.

1 Timoteo 2:3-4 Dios Habla Hoy

Hermano Christian: Bienvenidos de nuevo, queridos amigos, a El Mensaje. De acuerdo con las Sagradas Escrituras, ¿cuál es la mayor ayuda que podemos brindar?

Leamos lo que está escrito en Judas Tadeo 1:22-23 DHH:

Tengan compasión de los que dudan. A unos sálvenlos sacándolos del fuego, y tengan compasión de otros, aunque cuídense de ellos y aborrezcan hasta la ropa que llevan contaminada por su mala vida.

Judas 1:22-23 Dios Habla Hoy

Hermano Christian: Más que las cosas materiales o cualquier ayuda para el bienestar del cuerpo físico, el Señor Dios manda a Sus siervos que ayuden a las personas para el bienestar de sus almas. El versículo también decía “fuego.” ¿Se compara este fuego con incendios forestales o erupciones volcánicas? ¿Cómo describe la Biblia ese fuego que todas las personas enfrentarán al final? Leamos aquí en 2 Pedro 3:7 y 10 LBLA:

pero los cielos y la tierra actuales están reservados por su palabra para el fuego, guardados para el día del juicio y de la destrucción de los impíos. Pero el día del Señor vendrá como ladrón, en el cual los cielos pasarán con gran estruendo, y los elementos serán destruidos con fuego intenso, y la tierra y las obras que hay en ella serán quemadas.

2 Pedro 3:7 y 10 Las Biblias De Las Americas

Hermano Christian: El “fuego,” del cual la gente necesita ser salvada, es el fuego del Día del Juicio. Ese fuego es más destructivo que cualquier calamidad porque quemará todo: las personas y la tierra, y todas las obras en ella. En ese día, el veredicto de Dios es castigar y condenar a todas las personas impías, personas que desobedecieron Sus leyes. De acuerdo con la Biblia, el Día del Juicio no se demorará. Seguramente, estamos ahora en un tiempo en que ese Día está muy cerca. Así que, ahora más que nunca, tenemos que aprovechar la oportunidad y hacer lo que podamos para ayudar a las personas a evitar el castigo y la condenación ese Día y, en cambio, recibir la salvación. Para que estemos seguros de que los pasos que daremos nos llevarán a nosotros y a las personas a las que ayudaremos a la salvación, tenemos que consultar las Sagradas Escrituras. De acuerdo con la Biblia, ¿cómo puede una persona ser salva? En Primera Timoteo 2:3-4 LBLA, esto es lo que enseñan los apóstoles:

Porque esto es bueno y agradable delante de Dios nuestro Salvador, el cual quiere que todos los hombres sean salvos y vengan al pleno conocimiento de la verdad.

1 Timoteo 2:3-4 Las Biblia De Las Américas

Hermano Christian: El Señor Dios Todopoderoso quiere que todos sean salvos. Pero también debemos entender que para que seamos salvos, tenemos que llegar al conocimiento de la verdad. Es por eso que no les presentamos nuestra propia opinión, sino las palabras de Dios en la Biblia. Y de acuerdo con la Biblia, que contiene la verdad, ¿qué debe hacer una persona para ser salva? Volvamos a las enseñanzas del Salvador mismo, aquí en Juan 10:7 y 9 REB:

Entonces Jesús habló de nuevo: “En muy verdad os digo: Yo soy la puerta de las ovejas.” Yo soy la puerta; cualquiera que entre dentro del rebaño por mí, será salvo.

Juan 10:7 y 9 Revised English Bible traducido al español

Hermano Christian: Nuestro Señor Jesucristo invita a todas las personas. Él dijo, cualquiera que entre dentro del rebaño a través de Él será salvo. Quizás ahora quieran saber cuál es el rebaño donde debemos entrar por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo. Aquí en Hechos 20:28 (Lamsa)

Por tanto, tengan cuidado de ustedes mismos, y de todo el rebaño sobre el cual los ha puesto el espíritu santo como supervisores para apacentar la iglesia de Cristo, la cual Él compró con su sangre.

Hechos 20:28 Lamsa traducido al español

Hermano Christian: El rebaño donde el Señor Jesucristo invita a todas las personas a entrar para que sean salvas es Su Iglesia, la Iglesia De Cristo. Entonces, nosotros les estamos invitando a que se unan a nosotros en la Iglesia De Cristo donde tenemos la seguridad de recibir la salvación, de acuerdo con los apóstoles, porque es redimida con la sangre preciosa de Cristo. La Iglesia De Cristo no es una organización edificada solo por nuestros propios deseos. Más bien, es establecida por Cristo mismo, y aquí Él quiere que nos unamos para que podamos participar de Su gracia de salvación. Por eso, para los miembros de la Iglesia De Cristo, es una expresión de la fe verdadera y amor para ayudar a los necesitados. Y para los que han recibido ese amor, muchos también han conocido la verdad que cambió sus vidas para mejor y también les da esperanza en sus vidas. Queridos espectadores, como siervos de Dios, queremos hacer todo lo posible para ayudar a las personas necesitadas, porque se nos ordena hacerlo. Nunca dejaremos de hacer todo lo posible para que puedan unirse a nosotros en la Iglesia De Cristo y también recibir la salvación. Seguimos invitándolos a visitar nuestras casas de adoración y asistir a los servicios de adoración, para que puedan hacer sus preguntas a los ministros de la Iglesia para ayudarlos en su búsqueda de la verdad. La Iglesia De Cristo continúa dando a conocer su presencia en muchas partes del mundo de habla hispana. Para ver más historias como estas, visite incmedia.org/iglesia-de-cristo-mundo. Si desean obtener más información sobre la Iglesia De Cristo, pueden visitar nuestro sitio web. Gracias por estar con nosotros. Soy el Hermano Christian Tantay, hasta la próxima.

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[Show open]

Why does the Church Of Christ help those in need?

Brother Christian Tantay: Welcome to El Mensaje, a program brought to you by the Church Of Christ. I am Brother Christian Tantay. In today’s study, we will focus on what the Bible says on extending help to those in need. But first, let’s watch this:

Narrator: Our lives have drastically changed, and while we continue to adjust to the current state of the world, one thing that didn’t change was the care of the Church Of Christ, through the leadership of the Church Administration, to its members helping our fellow men no matter where they are.

Charles Louinel: As a member of the Church Of Christ, it’s extremely important to me to help those in need, because life is getting more and more difficult every day. There are more people who are suffering from poverty.

Ceci Tabobo: It is very difficult because there are quite a lot of people who do not worry about others.

Rodrigo De Villa: I feel happy because we are—to help another person, we are helping with our love for others, love for our neighbors.

Narrator: In calamity stricken areas, impoverished communities and underserved neighborhoods, the Church Of Christ provides relief in many ways to people in different walks of life.

Charles: It’s very difficult to live in the world today. There are many conflicts in the world, and that brings distress to people and there are few jobs. And sometimes people have a job, but the money they earn is not enough to meet their needs.

Brother Camy Augustin: Well, the Church helps in agriculture, in building houses for them too, because sometimes there are calamities, earthquakes, well—houses collapse and the Church also helps in that way.

Narrator: The helping hand of the Church has reached throughout the world, with the Church Of Christ having been established in over 155 countries, it is in these places you can see, in one united effort, members seeing the needs within their own communities and providing the necessary relief. Like through one project known as Aid To Humanity. A project launched by Felix Y. Manalo Foundation and spearheaded by the Church Of Christ, continues to address the immediate needs of people due to the growing number of people experiencing poverty. As well as INC Giving, the volunteering arm of the Church, strengthening ties within the community by providing help through a community based effort.

Karina Huayta: Well, on my first trip to participate in Aid to Humanity, for me it was something very curious as well because we have never seen a church give like that. Without requiring to belong, without having to sign up, or be baptized. How can a church help, right?

Brother Froilan Enriquez: Many lost their jobs, businesses went bankrupt. But still, the brethren enthusiastically joined with the Administration in responding to our dearest Executive Minister’s call to share God’s word. Then, in the intensive spread of the Gospel, many brethren participated in the Aid to Humanity activity and many brethren participated despite the challenges.

Charles: I have noticed that the Church Of Christ always helps all people. It does not matter your race, your nationality, the color of your skin.

Carlos Mateu: The Church tries to address everyone, there are no groups, everyone.

Narrator: And with every place having different needs, the Church Of Christ unites in all these endeavors, whether answering to the call of communities through providing care packages, clothing drives…to providing free medical services…to even answering the call of local leaders and establishments…No matter the age, ethnicity or situation, Church Of Christ members strive to help those in need, motivated by love and faith.

Brother Antonio Duenas: The reason why helping those in need has been a practice of faith for the members of the Church of Christ, is so that our faith is not useless.

Narrator: With a global effort, the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation continues to pinpoint underserved communities in need of assistance, like here in the Dominican Republic, where almost a quarter of the population experiences extreme poverty, many among them children.

Maria Elena, an owner of an orphanage in Santo Domingo, needed help when it came to their children impacted by extreme circumstances.

Maria Elena Beltrán-Hernández: My name is Maria Elena Beltrán-Hernandez. I am the founder of Fundación Madelaes. We are dedicated to taking in children that live in extreme poverty, orphans and children who have been abandoned.

Milagros Noemi Moreno: I came here when I was five years old, because my mother passed away. My aunt was not able to fully take care of me after my mom passed away because she had other children in her family and they were not financially stable.

Kateri Yank: Apenas tienen suficiente para comer, lo suficiente para comer, para llevar, como las necesidades básicas—es muy importante que ayudes—a que más organizaciones ayuden materialmente con estas personas pobres aquí y sencillamente inviertan en su educación, sus necesidades materiales.

Narrator: And these needs would be provided as part of the global effort of the Aid to Humanity project.

Charles: Good afternoon, everyone. This is Brother Louinel Charles. We are here in Santo Domingo for our Aid To Humanity. We are right now with our brethren from the Ecclesiastical District of the Caribbean. We are preparing the care packages to be given. Each bag has some personal hygiene items.

We’re on our way to the venue where we would be holding our Lingap Sa Mamamayan. Let’s go. Vamonos.

We are here at the venue where we are holding the Lingap Sa Mamamayan (Aid to Humanity) This is Fundación Madelaes. It’s one of the foundations here that helps kids so that they can have a better future. As you can see, we just arrived and we are getting ready to start with the activity. They are very happy to receive us and we give thanks to Almighty God. Brethren from the Ecclesiastical District of the Caribbean are helping out to give away those packages to the kids.

Maria Elena: Foundation Madelaes is a foundation for children. It was founded on October 5th, 1995.

Noemi: It is extremely important that organizations work together since organizations like Fundación Madelaes are not able to take as much action by themselves since they do not have the resources.

Kateri: I think it’s a great thing that the Church Of Christ is doing so much mission work and trying to help so many communities and it’s a really beautiful thing. And I really hope that the work is able to continue and flourish and grow because the world definitely needs more of that.

Brother Esteban Inocencio: Constantly, our Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo Manalo teaches us and inspires us to help share the words of God and to be able to extend our help to those who are in need, our less fortunate countrymen.

[end of video segment]

Brother Christian: Dear friends, the Church Of Christ, led by the Church Administration, continues to extend help to those who are in dire need through our projects such as Aid To Humanity implemented by Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, INCGiving, and our other outreach programs. Many Church Of Christ members around the world take part to distribute relief goods, and offer various free medical services, especially to those affected by unforeseen calamities, such as earthquakes, typhoons, wildfires, among others. The Church Of Christ has built and continues to establish housing communities around the world, providing a sustainable means of livelihood for many. However, in the Church’s mission, the most important help we can extend to all people, more than any material thing we can provide, is to teach the words of God that will help all of us receive salvation. So, along with the giving of aid to those in need, we also invite all to study the truth written in the Bible. In all outreach missions we conduct, we also invite our friends and loved ones to study the words of God.

Now perhaps, you might ask, why do we do so? What is our basis in doing such things? What is our motivation? What is the command of our Lord God to His servants, even in times past? We begin our lesson by reading the response written here in Deuteronomy 15:11 (Expanded Bible), this is what is recorded:

There will always be poor in the land, so I command you to give freely [open your hand] to your neighbors [or relatives; or countrymen; brothers] and to the poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 15:11 (Expanded Bible)

Brother Christian: In this verse, even from before, our Lord God forewarned that there would always be poor in the land. So, He commands His people to be open-handed and extend help to the poor and needy—to their neighbors, countrymen, and their brethren. This shows that it is not only our desire to do such things, but it is the will of God. As God’s servants, we obey His will, like what He commands in this verse. Moreover, in fulfilling this command of God, the Church Administration even exhorts us to intensify our efforts in helping those who are in need now in our time.That is why, perhaps you have also noticed that at present, Church Of Christ members are all the more active in participating in our charity works and evangelical missions. Why did it become necessary to intensify our efforts in helping the people in need?

The Bible will answer us and we will not give our opinion. The Bible describes what would be the condition of our world in our time, here in II Timothy 3:1 HCSB:

But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.

II Timothy 3:1 Holman Christian Standard Bible

Brother Christian: The apostles prophesied that in the last days—our time—difficult times will come. And, truly, it has come. Now more than ever, life is hard because poverty, evil, and many troubles are widespread. In fact, statistics show:

[on-screen graphic]

Out of the estimated 7.2 billion world population:

More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty—less than $1.25 a day.
22,000 children die each day due to poverty.
750 million people lack adequate access to clean drinking water.
Approximately 1.6 billion people (at least ¼ of the human population) live without electricity.
Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Source: dosomething.org

According to World Health Organization:

Most of the 25,000 children under five that die each day are concentrated in the world’s poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Brother Christian: These are only some of the key figures that clearly show the situation of the world we live in at present. So, amid this condition of the world, God commands His servants to help those in need, and that is what we are striving to fulfill. Let us ask the Bible, how does the Lord God value the efforts of His people when they fulfill His command to help those in need?

Let us read what is stated in Proverbs 19:17 GNB:

When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the LORD and the LORD will pay you back.

Proverbs 19:17 Good News Bible

Brother Christian: Dear friends, when we obey God’s command to help those in need, it pleases Him. The Bible even gives a guarantee that the Lord God will pay back those who help the poor. Of course, we should not help with just the motive of waiting for what we will receive in return. On one hand, through this verse, we understand that the Lord God wants us to learn and fulfill His command, and on the other, He also wants us to realize what makes Him different from any man. Dear viewers, unlike any man, when God gives us assurance, He has the power and capability to do so. So, when the Bible says that God will pay back those who help the poor, surely, He will bestow His reward. Church Of Christ members, led by the Church Administration, are all ready to extend a helping hand to those in dire need. However, according to the Bible, how does God show His compassion and concern to all people, especially to those who are in need? All this and more after the break. Please stay with us.

[Verse graphic video]

This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 Good News Bible

Brother Christian: Welcome back, dear friends, to El Mensaje. According to the Holy Scriptures, what is the greatest help we can extend? Let us read what is recorded in Jude 1:22-23 ETRV2012:

Help those who have doubts. Rescue those who are living in great danger of hell’s fire. There are others you should treat with mercy, but be very careful that their filthy lives don’t rub off on you.

Jude 1:22-23 Easy to Read Version 2012

Brother Christian: More than any material thing or anything for the welfare of the physical body, the Lord God commands His servants to help people for the welfare of their souls. The verse also stated “hell’s fire.” Is this fire likened to wildfires or volcanic eruptions? How does the Bible describe that fire that all people would face in the end?

Let us read here in II Peter 3:7 & 10 NKJV:

But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men… But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

II Peter 3:7 and 10 New King James Version

Brother Christian: The “hell’s fire” that people need saving from is the fire on Judgment Day. That fire is more destructive than any calamity, for it will burn everything—people and the earth, and all works in it. On that day, God’s verdict is to punish and condemn all ungodly people—people who disobeyed His laws. According to the Bible, Judgment Day will not delay. Surely, we are now at a time when that day is very near. So, now more than ever, we have to take the opportunity and do what we can to help people avoid punishment and condemnation that Day and instead, receive salvation.

For us to be certain the steps we would take will lead us and the people we would help toward salvation, we have to consult the Holy Scriptures. According to the Bible, how can a person be saved? In I Timothy 2:3-4 NKJV, this is what the apostles teach:

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 New King James Version

Brother Christian: The Almighty God wants all men to be saved, dear friends. But we must also understand that for us to be saved, we have to come to the knowledge of truth. That is why we present to you not our own opinion, dear friends, but the words of God in the Bible. And according to the Bible, which contains the truth, what should a person do to be saved? Let us turn to the teachings of the Savior Himself, here in John 10:7 & 9 REB:

So Jesus spoke again: ‘In very truth I tell you, I am the door of the sheepfold.

I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me will be safe…”

Brother Christian: Our Lord Jesus Christ invites all people—according to Him, anyone—to come into the fold through Him so they would be saved. Perhaps now you would want to know what that fold or flock is where we should come in through our Lord Jesus Christ. Here in Acts 20:28 (Lamsa):

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.

Acts 20:28 Lamsa

Brother Christian: The fold or flock where the Lord Jesus Christ invites all people to come in so they would be saved is His Church—the Church Of Christ. We, then, are inviting you to join us in the Church Of Christ where we are assured of receiving salvation, according to the apostles, because it is redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. The Church Of Christ is not an organization established only through our own wishes. Rather, it is established by Christ Himself, and here He wants us to join so we can partake of His grace of salvation. That’s why, for Church Of Christ members, it’s an expression of true faith and love to help those in need. And for those who have been on the receiving end of that love, many have also come to know the truth that would change their lives for the better and also give them hope in their lives. Our dear viewers, as God’s servants, we want to do all that we can to help people in need, because we are commanded to do so. We will never neglect to do everything we can so you can join us in the Church Of Christ and also receive salvation. We continue to invite you to visit our houses of worship and attend worship services, so you can ask the ministers of the Church your questions to help you in your search for the truth.

The Church Of Christ continues to make its presence known in many Spanish-speaking parts of the world. To see more stories like these, visit incmedia.org/iglesia-de-cristo-mundo.

If you want to learn more about the Church Of Christ, you can visit our websites.

Thank you for joining us. I’m Bro. Christian Tantay, until next time.

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