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DURING THE WORSHIP SERVICE held at the house of worship of the Local Congregation of Washington, Ecclesiastical District of Maynila in the Philippines, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, the Executive Minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), delivered to the Church members a timely and compelling biblical message of faith and perseverance as the world continues to be plagued by poverty, disease epidemics, and political conflicts, among others. The esteemed Church leader also extended his greetings to local congregations and ecclesiastical districts around the world that joined the sacred gathering via livestreaming, as they commemorated their respective milestone anniversaries.
During his homily, Brother Eduardo Manalo recalled the tests and challenges that members of the Church have endured in recent years, including the height of the pandemic. He emphasized the unwavering faith demonstrated by many Church members amid such dire conditions. He also enumerated the numerous victories that the Church has achieved despite the trials it has encountered. He highlighted how, time and again, the Church has emerged triumphant through the grace and guidance of the Almighty. The Church’s victories serve as a reminder to the Church members that their faith and trust in God will always lead them to triumph over adversity.
Indeed, “The Lord is powerful. He gives power and victory to his chosen one” (Ps. 28:8 International Children’s Bible). This biblical message preached by Brother Eduardo Manalo reminded the Church members that their path is not devoid of challenges but, by God’s grace, they are equipped to overcome any obstacle that may arise. The Executive Minister’s words were a source of encouragement, renewing the members’ resolve to remain steadfast in their faith and face the future with firm confidence.
Brother Wilson R. Cayago led the opening prayer before the Executive Minister’s homily. Brother Romer D. Galang led the closing prayer. Brother Ernesto V. Suratos prayed for the offerings, and Brother Bienvenido C. Santiago said the benediction.
As the worship service concluded, the Church members left the house of worship inspired and strengthened in their faith. They carried with them the reminder that, through the Executive Minister’s guidance and the Almighty God’s unwavering love, they are part of the chosen people who will continue to conquer challenges and achieve victories in their journey. The following are inspiring testimonies from some of the attendees:
‘The Lord will not abandon us’
Washington, Manila
By Alexandria Alfonso
“I was overjoyed by the visit of our Executive Minister. With the mercy of our Almighty Father, we received an immense grace of strength,” expressed Sister Ruffina Caladiao, the oldest Church officer in the Washington Congregation, who will celebrate her 90th birthday on July 10 of this year.
During his homily, Brother Eduardo Manalo reminded the attendees that the Lord will not abandon His people, the members of the Church Of Christ. In her 77 years as a member of the Church, Sister Ruffina, affectionately known as “Nanay Penny,” witnessed how the members of the local congregation were confronted with various challenges. She recalled a time when, due to inclement weather, their house of worship was flooded. But with God’s mercy and the Church Administration’s love, they were eventually granted with a majestic house of worship capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions.
As the first concrete house of worship of the Church Of Christ, the worship building of the Washington Congregation will always hold a significant place in the history of the Church. In the early days of the Church, houses of worship were primarily built out of wood and light materials, while others were only partially constructed out of concrete. This manifests that God continuously grants the Church progress and successes.
The Church members were also reminded that God will grant them victories even in their individual lives, as He does not forsake His people. Those victories, the faithful were taught, are not due to their own capacity or wealth, but because of their trust in God. Sister Adelina Roman, a deaconess in the congregation, believes that it is her duty to pass on the same conviction to her children. “As parents, we also encourage our children to be role models of their faith to others,” she remarked. Her family is known in the congregation for actively participating in the Church’s missionary efforts, and she ascribes their success in this noble endeavor to God’s mercy and power.
Meanwhile, Nanay Penny also shared her advice to Church officers, urging them to treasure their Church obligations and to never let go of them. “We should always be grateful to the Father for the most precious privilege He gave us as we serve Him in the Church,” she emphasized. She also expressed her profound gratitude to God for allowing the successful pastoral visit of the Executive Minister to their local congregation.
‘We will not falter in our services to God’
Globe, Arizona
By Amy Mallari
The Local Congregation of Globe, Arizona in the Ecclesiastical District of Mountain States was among the local congregations outside the Philippines that were linked to the worship service held in the house of worship of the Local Congregation of Washington via livestreaming. The local congregation was celebrating its 5th anniversary.
Brother Noel Mallari, the Globe Congregation’s head deacon and one of the pioneering Church officers since the Church Administration approved that it become a full-fledged local congregation in 2018, could not have imagined how he was able to continue performing his divine duty in the Church and be a part of the leadership of their local congregation if not for God’s grace. God’s love and mercy are so evident in his life and in the lives of his family members. Brother Noel shared one of his most unforgettable experiences when he began performing his duty as a head deacon.
“In 2017, I had been afflicted with a disease that doctors were not able to diagnose immediately. I experienced losing my voice, weakness, and other unexplained health conditions. Still, I did not allow this sickness to hinder me from performing my Church duties,” Brother Noel expressed.
Despite these unfavorable conditions, including financial hardship due to his inability to work because of his illness, Brother Noel attests that it was through God’s help that he was still able to perform his Church duties and support his family.
“I never ceased in my devotional prayers and I always asked for the anointing of oil. Eventually, the doctors were able to diagnose my sickness,” Brother Noel narrated. He was diagnosed with severe valley fever, an infection caused by exposure to the fungus Coccidioides. If not treated immediately, it can lead to long-term lung problems. In his case, the infection was about to spread to his lungs, but the doctors were able to treat it just in time, preventing it from reaching other critical areas of his body, including his brain and spinal cord. Brother Noel firmly believes that it was God’s hand at work for his well-being.
Brother Eduardo Manalo mentioned in the lesson that Church members should not leave the Church whatever happens in this life, even if they experience hardships, because God will not forsake His people who call upon Him, as the Bible teaches. This is exactly Brother Noel’s conviction. He said, “We should not be afraid whatever comes in our life, for God will not abandon us. He will help us in times of sufferings and tests, and He will continue to uphold us.”
As for the Local Congregation of Globe, Brother Noel fervently prays that God continue to bless them with zeal in participating in all the endeavors of the Church and that they always be part of the Church’s victories. For him and his household, Brother Noel promised, “We will not falter in our services to God as long we live. We will remain in the Church Of Christ no matter what happens until we breathe our last.”
‘God will always be on our side’
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
By Karen Castillo
Before coming to Canada, Brother Wilfredo Lanip was a head deacon in his previous local congregation in the Philippines. “I’m a convert in the Church Of Christ, and I have been a member since 1979. I have served as a head deacon for 24 years,” he narrated. “My brother, who is a naturalized Canadian citizen, offered to apply, on my behalf, for me to also become a permanent resident of the country,” he continued.
Leaving one’s comfort zone is never easy. But Brother Wilfredo always trusts in what the Lord God can do for him and his family’s welfare. Through their devotional prayers to God, they were granted their visa, and in 2016, they arrived in Canada.
However, assimilating to their new living conditions initially proved to be challenging for Brother Wilfredo and his family. They were unfamiliar with the country’s climate, customs, and culture. But the fact that the house they would live in was close to the place of worship of the local congregation they registered in helped alleviate the hardships they faced. With conviction, Brother Wilfredo said, “God always works in our favor, He is always on our side.”
As the number of members in their congregation grew, so did the need for a bigger place of worship. Through God’s grace, they were able to quickly find a new place of worship, which the Church acquired in 2018. It was an old chapel previously belonging to another religion.
He took oath as head deacon of Portage la Prairie Group Worship Service (GWS) in the Ecclesiastical District of Manitoba, Canada on June 19, 2023. Their GWS had just celebrated its 5th anniversary and was among those connected to the livestreaming worship service officiated by the Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo Manalo, on June 9, 2023.
“When we heard about the good news that Brother Eduardo Manalo would be officiating at the worship service, we were all excited and our hearts were filled with joy because we know that it is a blessing from the Almighty God. In preparation, our GWS, like the other local congregations, conducted a week of devotional prayers,” Brother Wilfredo shared.
“It is a great blessing to me, to my family, and to the Portage la Prairie GWS. Brother Eduardo Manalo taught about the importance of the worship services to God, which we should not forsake. In the worship service, we gain the strength that we need as we sojourn in this dark and wicked world,” Brother Wilfredo continued.
“We should remain in the Church Of Christ in order to receive salvation on Judgment Day. Undoubtedly, there will be trials and tribulations that will test our faith, but we must always remain in our services to the Almighty God and continue fulfilling our Church duties. Whenever we are burdened by so many worries, God will always be on our side as we pray to Him. That is our privilege as His chosen nation in these last days.”
As the world gets closer to its end, unusual things happen, which make life in this world more difficult. But for Brother Willie and his entire family, these are not new because God has already forewarned that these will take place before the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ.
‘Kitang-kita namin ang pagtulong ng Diyos sa amin’
Talavera, Nueva Ecija
Sinulat ni Yvonne Kjay Isip
Sa kabila ng sunud-sunod na mga hindi pangkaraniwang pangyayari sa mundo, nahahayag pa rin sa mga kaanib ng Iglesia Ni Cristo ang pagiging tapat ng Panginoong Diyos sa Kaniyang mga pangako—Siya ang magbibigay ng tagumpay at kapangyarihan sa Kaniyang mga hinirang. Ito ang pag-asa ni Kapatid na Melvin Maravilla, isang masiglang maytungkulin sa Lokal ng Talavera, Distrito Eklesiastiko ng Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
Sa loob ng 14 na taon na pagtupad ng kaniyang tungkulin bilang pangulong diakono, hindi rin nakaiwas si Kapatid na Melvin at ang kaniyang sambahayan sa iba’t ibang mga mahihirap na pangyayari sa buhay.
“Nagkaroon kami ng karamdaman. Naapektuhan din ang aming kabuhayan dahil sa kompetensiya, pero kitang-kita namin ang kahayagan ng tulong at awa ng Panginoong Diyos sa amin,” pahayag ni Kapatid na Melvin. Kabilang sa pagsubok na kanilang dinanas ang pagpanaw ng kanilang ama. “Nang iwan po kami ng aming tatay, ito ang pinakamasakit sa amin,” isinalaysay ni Kapatid na Melvin. Ang kaniyang ama ang isa sa mga itinuturing niyang inspirasyon sa pagtupad ng kaniyang tungkulin mula pagkabata. Gayunman, ang sabi niya, “Lahat ng bagay na dinaanan namin ay lalong nagbigay sa amin ng inspirasyon, ng panibagong lakas, at ng dahilan para maglingkod nang tapat sa Diyos.”
Kaya naman, bilang isang maytungkulin, napakahalaga sa buhay ni Kapatid na Melvin ang pagsapit ng ika-90 anibersaryo ng Lokal ng Talavera, lalo na at isa ang kaniyang sambahayan sa mapapalad na nakapakinig sa mga salita ng Diyos na itinuro ng Tagapamahala, ang Kapatid na Eduardo Manalo, sa pamamagitan ng video streaming.
“Hindi man namin nasaksihan ang pagpapagal ng mga unang kapatid rito sa lokal, pero kitang-kita namin ang awa at tulong ng Diyos. At ngayon, nagkapalad ang aming lokal na makasaksi sa pagsamba. Napakalaking biyaya nito sa aming pagiging Iglesia Ni Cristo,” saad ni Kapatid na Melvin.
Sa pagsamba ay binigyang-diin ng Tagapamahala na may pangako ang Diyos sa mga hinirang Niya na sila ay bibigyan Niya ng maraming tagumpay. Ayon sa pagsasalaysay ni Kapatid na Melvin, “Matatawag kong matagumpay kami dahil naipagpapatuloy namin ang aming paglilingkod, payapa ang aming sambahayan, sama-sama kaming sumasamba at tumutupad ng aming tungkulin, bagay na lagi naming ipinagpapasalamat at tinatanaw na kabutihan ng Diyos sa aming buhay.”
Naninindigan si Kapatid na Melvin sa kaniyang masiglang pagtupad ng kaniyang tungkulin. At ito ang pangako niya sa Tagapamahala at, higit sa lahat, sa Panginoong Diyos: “Habang may buhay kami, ipaglilingkod namin ang aming lakas. Lagi kaming magiging katuwang ng Pamamahala sa pagsasanggalang sa Iglesia para mapatunayan sa Panginoong Diyos na kami ay nagmamahal sa aming sinumpaang tungkulin.”
