No Reason For Despair

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Brother Felmar Serreno: Do desperate times really call for desperate measures? Hi, and welcome to the podcast version of God’s Message magazine, where today’s topic is “No Reason For Despair.”

The prevalence of hopelessness, and of people resorting to criminal acts, when they find themselves in dire straits, can be interpreted as lack of trust in God. Sadly, many think that believing in what God can do in times of difficulties is an idea that has become outmoded or has lost its usefulness. 

“Desperate times call for desperate measures” is how some people justify their aberrant behavior, saying adverse circumstances forced them to commit their misdeed. Others, on the other hand, succumb to hopelessness, and misery. Approximately 280 million people suffer from depression, the World Health Organization says. 

But despair has no place in the lives of God’s faithful servants. They believe that God who parted the Red Sea to deliver the ancient Israelites from the Egyptian army, made water gushing out of rocks, to quench their thirst, and performed other works of wonder is the same God whom they can rely on to make miracles in their lives. Apostle Paul says:

“God can do anything, you know— far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”
[Ephesians 3:20 The Message]

Brother Felmar: Nothing is impossible with God. He can do anything in our wildest imagination, far more than we could ever request. His power has not diminished through the ages, for He neither faints, nor is weary. And that’s based on Isaiah chapter 40, verse 28. Though we may not see today the same kind of miracles He performed during the olden times, God’s omnipotence remains evident in the lives of His chosen ones today, the members of the Church Of Christ.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church Of Christ] is God’s modern-day miracle. Facing seemingly insurmountable odds, this Church bucked the trend and made astonishing feats where others have lagged and failed. From its modest beginnings and preached by a man seen to be bereft of earthly virtues the Church has spread far and wide, with congregations in 159 countries and territories, and members from more than 147 races and ethnicities. 

Some might point out that other religious organizations have also started small and grown extensively. But what make the Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church Of Christ] feats truly remarkable are the enormous odds stacked against it. It emerged in the Philippines at a time when Catholic beliefs were already widely entrenched within the archipelago, and Protestantism had deeply taken root. The surroundings were simply too hostile, and not conducive for the growth of the then budding church. Compounding the problem was the eruption of the Second World War and the subsequent foreign occupation of the Philippines. 

The Church survived those testing times flourishing and growing by leaps and bounds despite the unfavorable setting. Such expansion remains unabated even now, when the so-called religious recession has afflicted majority of Christian-professing groups. While many churches are experiencing significant drop in their membership and clergy, the opposite is happening to the Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church Of Christ]. Multitudes of converts are being added continually. Hundreds of ministers are being ordained yearly. And scores of new houses of worship are built annually. 

Members of the Church Of Christ have proven true in their life what Apostle Paul taught: God can do beyond what His people could ever imagine or request. The uninterrupted triumphs of the Iglesia Ni Cristo [Church Of Christ] in its 107-year journey are nothing less than miraculous, and bespeak God’s infinite power and glory as He fulfilled His promises to the Church in these last days. And that’s based on what is written in Isaiah, chapter 41, verses 9 to 16; Isaiah chapter 43, verses 5 to 6; Isaiah [chapter] 46 [verses] 11 to 13 and Isaiah chapter 62, verses 11 to 12. It is He, the omnipotent God, who made the impossible, possible, the unachievable, achievable. 

This is what gives comfort and inspiration to God’s chosen servants. In the face of life’s pains and sorrows, they find no reason for despair. Apostle Paul explains why:

“Because I have the strength to meet and overcome every difficulty and circumstance, thru the power that Christ gives me.”
[Philippians 4:13 The Last Days Bible]

Brother Felmar: Hence, true Christians in desperate times cling tightly to God. When life gets tough, and burdens become too heavy to bear, they turn to their Creator:

“My response is to get down on my knees before the Father …” 

[Ephesians 3:14 The Message]

For more articles like these, get your copy of God’s Message magazine, from a member of the Church Of Christ. You can listen and subscribe to this podcast on Apple podcast, Google podcast, and the INC Media mobile app. Thank you for listening. I’m Brother Felmar Serreno. God bless.

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