The Bible doesn’t lie because it is a record of the sacred word of God who cannot lie.

Titus 1:2:

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

The irrefutable guarantee of the truthfulness is that it is impossible for God to lie. Hebrews 6:18:

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

“There is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” Secrets, even though kept with the utmost of human diligence shall be revealed if not all at present, but all, come judgment day.

I Corinthians 4:5:

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

The long kept secrets of Catholic-run institutions in Ireland are now being exposed even under great influence and religious cover-up. THE BIBLE DOES NOT LIE! Most if not all religions that claim they are the one and only true church on earth are all camouflaged institutions of satan. They are cruel they care not for the souls of men. They are the executors of the lust of their father!

Catholic Church shamed by Irish abuse report

Titus 1:16:

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

John 8:44:

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

The beatings, rapes, sexual abuses and humiliation done by these Catholic institutions not only in Ireland but also in the United States and elsewhere in the world especially in the poor and neglected countries are like smoke being released high into the air to expose the burning lasciviousness and cruelty of Catholic officials that run and control these institutions.

I Corinthians 7:9:

“But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.”

There are those that commit sins even in the true church of the Bible. There was not an attempt of the inspired writers of the Holy Scriptures to cover-up for the immoral acts of Biblical personages. The fact that they were written with frankness and clarity and condemned by the Bible itself, proves the truthfulness of the Book, and was intended to teach morality and give warnings to those who commit such acts.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17:

“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

I Corinthians 10:11, 6:

“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.”

II Timothy 3:15-17:

“And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

In the church of the Bible this kind of sins were not white-washed but condemned. Perpetrators were not just moved from a place to another to protect or hide them but were punished as a consequence of their sinful acts. Apparently the practice in the Catholic church and other religious groups that claim that they are of God, is the opposite of what is in the Bible. Corruption is a syndicated act. What is reality in a place is reality everywhere. If immoral acts are not being consented to, the whole organization will not be infected, but the fact that these evil acts are being done in almost every place where such church exists is a clear evidence that there is really a culture of corruption in these churches. Romans 1:32, 28-31:

KING JAMES VERSION

THE ROMANS 1:32

“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”

In the true church of God evil doers after the first and second admonition or warning are excommunicated. Titus 3:10 (Modern King James Version):

“After the first and second warning, reject a man of heresy,”

I Corinthians 5:11-13:

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

In my country, I seldom hear of priests and Catholic officials being excommunicated for immoral acts, but, if there are those being excommunicated, it is because they have done something, not contrary to God’s doctrine like marrying and having a family of their own, but contrary to the man-made doctrines of the Catholic church!

Mark 7:7:

“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

I Timothy 3:1-2:

“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”

I Corinthians 9:1-5:

“Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?”

The doctrine of forced priestly celibacy, which is contrary to what the Bible says, is one of the main reasons that leads to rape and sexual abuses done by the clergy that for centuries are hidden behind the iron curtains of the most powerful religion in the world!

I Timothy 4:1-3:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

II Timothy 4:3-4:

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

Perhaps not all secrets will be revealed now but there is a time of judgment wherein hypocrisy will be stripped off totally to reveal its true face!

More to come. God willing.

Biblical truths are supported even by enemies of the Bible.

While many enemies of Christ and the Bible delight in the stupid and defamatory story

of Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code”, a perusal of written and archeological information can

easily belie such make-believe bunch of stupidity.

Physical evidences are most welcome among people who judge by what they see; while

logical and circumstantial evidences are more appreciated by a thinking mind. (Isaiah 11:3)

“And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:”

A wise judge considers other things than what he see and hear as the saying goes “…more than meets the eye.” Logic and human promptings was used by Solomon in judging a very delicate case brought to his court.

(I Kings 3:16-28)

“Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spoke before the king. Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.”

All evidences regarding the authenticity of the story of the true Christ and the Bible will

easily be admitted by a fair and intelligent court of law.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

The history of the very empire who put Jesus Christ to death testifies that in the reign of

Pontius Pilate, prefect of Judea, under Ceasar Tiberius, Christ was nailed on the cross and

died.

Roman History (Annals 15:44)

The Roman historian Tacitus wrote concerning the Great Fire of Rome, in book 15, chapter 44 of his Annals (c. 116):

Sed non ope humana, non largitionibus principis aut deum placamentis decedebat infamia, quin iussum incendium crederetur. Ergo abolendo rumori Nero subdidit reos et quaesitissimis poenis adfecit, quos per flagitia invisos vulgus Christianos appellabat. Auctor nominis eius Christus Tibero imperitante per procuratorem Pontium Pilatum supplicio adfectus erat;

The following is a translation of the above Latin text:

But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius:

TANGIBLE AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE

Before his death, Jesus Christ taught the unbelieving Pharisees upon presenting to Him a

Roman coin with the inscription of the picture of Ceasar to “give unto Ceasar the things

that are Ceasar’s and unto God the things that are God’s”. (Matthew 22:17-21)

“Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Octavian who became “Augustus” meaning “exalted” in 27 BC. took Egypt as his personal estate which was ruled by a prefect. The Republic was replaced by imperial rule. This was the Caesar under whom Jesus was born (Luke 2:1). Caesar Augustus brought an age of Peace called “Pax Romana” meaning “Roman Peace.” This was the golden age of literature and architecture. (left)

Jesus’ ministry takes place under Tiberius Caesar. When Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar” he was referring to Tiberius. Pilate is appointed and Jesus is crucified. (right)

A clay tablet dedicated by Pontius to his ‘boss’ Tiberius Ceasar affirms further the authenticity of the story regarding Christ death on the cross. Jesus Christ died and was buried by two well-known figures in the Jewish community — one of whom is a Pharisee, the group that is bitterly against Christ. (John 19:38-42)

“And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus (a former Pharisee), which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.”

His enemies even asked Pontius Pilate to guard the tomb to be sure that His corpse will not be stolen by His disciples. (Matthew 27:62-66)

“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the

sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”

Had there been anomaly regarding His body, and if His resurrection did not come true, there must be circumstantial evidences (bones, tomb, etc.) to prove that He did not resurrect. (I Corinthians 15:3-8)

“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”

After His resurrection, He showed himself not to all, but to more than 500 people, with whom He stayed for another forty days before He ascended into heaven. The people that testify to His death and resurrection are more credible than the ‘incredible’ Dan Brown, and a host of his cohorts, who, if not ignorant, are blatant liars — among them are lawyers, tax collectors, fishermen of moral integrity, and many others. (Acts 1:1-3; 10:38-42)

“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.”

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

Money deposited and withdrawn from a bank existing under definite laws, have their paper-trail. The Christian faith started in the first century of our common era. There is a traceable historical trail that proves the authenticity of Christ’s death and resurrection. A declaration of the apostle Paul will spark doubts and frustration among the first-century Christian community if the resurrection did not really happen. (I Corinthians 15:14)

“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”

The fact that the Christians continued to embrace their faith even unto the start of the next century of our common era, circumstantially proves that the issue regarding the resurrection has been moot and academic.

The apostasy that happened later as predicted by the apostle Paul was not able to erase the truth among the knowledge of Christians and in the Bible. (II Timothy 4:3-4)

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

There are fragments of the Gospel of John existing now, which dates back to as early as the year one hundred twenty AD, that tells us the story of the death of the only religious leader and founder who came back to life to prove that the religion He teaches is the Truth; and to prove further that there is a judgment day which all men will inevitably face! (Matthew 12:38-40)

“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

(Acts 17:31)

KING JAMES VERSION

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

(Hebrews 9:27)

KING JAMES VERSION

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

From all admissible evidences, a fair and honest court of law will admit all evidences hereby being offered by this representation.

I REST MY CASE.

Although there are hidden and camouflaged evil in every society, it is generally the norm in human society to condemn evil. The teachings of God in the bible are against all evil. To deny the existence of God is to favor evil. The slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” implies that there is a struggle deep inside the heart of the formulators of such a slogan.  However they are trying to shrug it off, because they want to find a way of escape from feeling guilty in their heart due to all the evil they are doing.

(ROMANS 2:15) Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (KJV)

The formulators of such slogans are trying to escape all these realities because they are not real people:

1. The reality that there is a Creator of everything that exist;

(ACTS 17:24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (KJV)

2. The reality that everything that exists was planned and created for a purpose. (The harmony in the natural and physical universe cannot logically be the product of an accident or a Big Bang)

(ROMANS 1:19) Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. (KJV)

(ROMANS 1:20) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (KJV)

(JOB 34:13) Who has given the earth as a deposit with Him? Or who has set the whole world in order? (MKJV)

(PROVERBS 8:29) when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, (RSV)

3. The reality that the Bible speaks of scientific truth even before they were discovered by human science because such declaration came from an existing God.

(ISAIAH 40:22) It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: (KJV)

(JOB 26:7) He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. (KJV)

4. The reality that present-day happenings were predicted in the bible thousands and hundreds of years ago before by an existing God.

(ISAIAH 46:9) Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, (KJV)

(ISAIAH 46:10) Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:3) And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (KJV)

(MATTHEW 24:8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. (KJV)

5. And, the reality of their very existence that the prophecy of the coming of “scoffers” is being fulfilled in their person!

(II PETER 3:3) Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, (KJV)

Throughout the history of man, those who believed and served God with all their hearts were the greatest men that this world had ever seen. They were the best public servants, the best heroes, the best mentors, the best leaders, and the best neighbors — NONE OF THESE BEST MEN IS AN ATHEIST!

According to the latest available statistics there are about 15-30% of the world populations that are either agnostic or atheists. Atheist and agnostics are defined as:

agnostic
ag•nos•tic [ag nóstik]
(plural ag•nos•tics)
noun
1. somebody denying God’s existence is provable: somebody who believes that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists
2. somebody denying something is knowable: somebody who doubts that a question has one correct answer or that something can be completely understood
I’m an agnostic concerning space aliens.
[Mid-19th century. < a-2 + gnostic]
-ag•nos•tic, adjective
-ag•nos•ti•cal•ly, adverb
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

atheist
a•the•ist [áythee ist]
(plural a•the•ists)
noun
unbeliever in God or deities: somebody who does not believe in God or deities
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

While it is true that there are evil that throughout the history of humanity were done by some people who “allegedly” are believers in the existence of God, the worst of evil were done by those who denied the existence of God Psalms 53:1:

“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”

This was the observation of the psalmist David. The same observation was written by another Biblical writer many hundreds of years after David.

In Romans 3:10-18, the apostle Paul categorically stated:

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

In I Timothy 6:10, the apostle Paul explained that the love of money is a root of all evil:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (ASV)

But Paul was consistent in saying that all evil comes not only from the love of money but by not acknowledging the existence of God. Romans 1:28-32:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

The Godless Hitler murdered millions of innocent Jews. While other tyrants confess that they know God, their acts of cruelty and injustice denies their claim. Titus 1:16:

“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”

Polpot (an atheist, leader of the Cambodian communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge)
-has killed probably at least 1.5 million people and it may have been as 3 million

Joseph Stalin (an atheist, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s Central Committee)
-a tyrant who murdered millions of people. He began a series of ‘purges’ in which millions of people died. The purges are known as the Great Terror.
- The Soviet dictator said, “You know, they are fooling us, there is no God… all this talk about God is sheer nonsense.” – (E. Yaroslavsky, Landmarks in the Life of Stalin)

Adolf Hitler (Nazi leader, no religious inclination)
-responsible for the murder of some 6 million Jews during the World War II

Sources:
http://www.localhistories.org/tyrants.html
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.adherents.com/people/ps/Joseph_Stalin.html)

Will the belief in the true God bring evil to humanity?

He said:
“Thou shalt not kill.” ( Exo.20:13)
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Exo.20:14)
“Honor thy father and thy mother…” (Exo.20:12)
“Thou shalt no steal.” (Exo.20:15)
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Ephe.5:25)

Believing in the God who commands all these things will make the human society more humane. There is wisdom and prudence to believe in God as all areas of logic dictates than to deny His existence. Denying God is denying the principle of science and logic that nothing happens without a cause. Romans 1:19-20:

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

The wonders of the created universe prove the existence of the Most Magnificent Creator. Denying God is denying the dictate of human conscience that there is somebody greater than him. Romans 2:14-15:

“For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another; )”

The inability of a man to attain the stature that he perfectly wants to be, proves the fact that he was created by somebody higher in power than him; while understanding the purpose of the Creator, allowing the presence of infirmities in his being, will make him realize how great his Creator is.

Romans 9:20-21:
“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?”

II Corinthians 12:7-10:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

THERE IS PROBABLY NO GOD, IS AN ESCAPE FROM ALL REALITIES.

Why?

(to be continued…)

One of the concerned readers of this blogsite asked, “Is there any prophecy in the Bible regarding the Philippines?” It immediately flashed into my mind when sometime in the 1980’s, a critic in Pampanga where I was preaching nightly asked, “Can you read Philippines in the Bible?” And there followed a lot of discussion about what cannot be read in the Bible. For example, although the name bitter gourd is not in the Bible, ampalaya in the vernacular, the very essence and the very being of such vegetable is in the Bible. I will read to you the book of Genesis 1:11-12, 29 –

“And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

It is clear in the verse that God created every herb for food. “Every herb.” Every herb means every plant and every vegetable that is after its kind. I want you to notice the word “after its kind” and “bearing seeds”. The bitter gourd falls into this category. Exodus 12:8 proves this.

“And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.”

When God commanded the Israelites to observe the Passover, they were admonished by God to eat the Passover lamb with bitter herbs and there is no doubt that ampalaya is bitter. So it does not mean that if a particular name is not mentioned in the Bible, it is not in the Bible. In fact, the Bible is the mirror from which we can gauge or see things that exist since creation. Even those that have gone extinct can be found in the Bible. For example, dinosaurs, even though they are now extinct, are mentioned in the Bible. They are now extinct, but they are in the Bible. The same thing goes with the Philippines. It was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan on March 16, 1521, and was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain, sometime in 1543. So it was called “Las Islas Filipinas” or The Philippine Islands.

There are great nations in the world today that exists whose name is not in the Bible. There is a hint of the nation of Cyprus, even though the word “Cyprus” is not mentioned, The Bible mentions it as Chittim; but the word Cyprus is not in the Bible. America, Great Britain or the United Kingdom are also nowhere to be found in the Bible. There are prophecies in the Bible that do not mention the name; therefore, it is logical that we cannot find those names in the Bible.

The last book of the Bible was written in the concluding part of the 1^st century of our era . The Old Testament books and the prophets were written from as far back as 1300 years before Christ. So a name which was given to a particular nation only in the 1500’s of our era cannot be found in the Bible and it is logical. But it doesn’t mean that because the name of a particular nation or a country cannot be read in the Bible, that nation is not included in the Biblical prophecy – just like the case of my country, the Philippines.

Whatever truth that happens which is in accordance to the will of God is in the Bible. I believe the advent of the preaching of the true church in the Philippines is in the Bible. Let us read from the prophecies of the scriptures. There is a prophecy in the book of Malachi 1:11, which says –

“For the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.”

This is clear in this prophecy among the heathen or the Gentiles. The word “Gentile” means “outside Israel”. For reference, we may read Ephesians 2:11-12:

“Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye 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:”

All nations outside Israel, which is the first nation under God, are called Gentiles. And according to the Bible, in the prophecy of the Book of Malachi, the name of the Lord God of Israel will be great among the heathen or the Gentiles. And that starts from the rising of the sun.

I want to invite the meticulous attentions of those Bible reading scholars. The east mentioned here is not the east of Jerusalem but it is the east where the rising of the sun commences. We know that the sun rises in the direction of the Far East and that is where my country lies. The Philippines is in the Far East and not in the near east. If we are to consider the wordings of the prophecy in Malachi, it is among the Gentiles. So, it is not in the Middle East or in the near east where Christianity was first established but it is in another east which is different from the near east where Christianity was first preached, the near east. Therefore, it is another east and this east is very clearly defined in the Bible as the east from where the sun rises. According to the prophecy “…from the rising of the sun and to the going down thereof, the name of God of Israel shall be great among the Gentiles…” Why? It is because incense will be offered unto the name of the Lord God of Israel. Incense in the verse tells us not of literal incense. It is in the book of Revelation 5:8 (REVISED STANDARD VERSION) -

“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;”

Incense signifies the prayers of the saints. So there will people in the east offering prayers to God and God acknowledges their prayers. These are people of God in the east. In relation to that, there is another prophecy in the book of Zechariah 8:7 –

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country;”

So, there will be people of God in the east. Let us not discount, however, the possibility that when we say the word “east”, it may mean Japan because it is also in the east. In fact, it is called the Land of the Rising Sun. It may also mean Indonesia. It may also mean the Philippines and other countries in the Far East but what is striking in the prophecy is that it speaks of people praying unto the God of Israel. Never was in the history of Japan or other countries in the Far East that the name of the Lord God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was praised among the Gentiles or the heathen in Japan.

(paragraph split into two)

Most oriental countries have their own religion. For example, Buddhism is very prevalent in Japan and other oriental religions. They do not believe in the Lord God of Israel. But in the Philippines, it is the only country in Asia that believes in the Bible and that takes the Bible as the authority of their faith. And in the Philippines, I believe, is the fulfillment of this prophecy that there will be a people of God and these people will be offering incense or prayers to the Lord God of Israel. But how do we know they are the people of God and how will they become the people of God? He said, “I will save my people from the east country…”

Before there can be people of God, somebody must be used by God in preaching the truth. In the book of Acts 15:14 –

“Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.”

Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. So God will visit the Gentiles, to take out of the Gentiles a people for his name. And how can this be? How will this happen? The Bible again in the book of Acts 9:15 has this to say –

“But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:”

The verse speaks of the person of the Apostle Paul. For there to be a people of God, there will be a chosen vessel like the Apostle Paul. Paul was commissioned by God, firstly, in the Christian dispensation, to be the front runner of Christianity among the Gentiles. “He’s a chosen vessel unto me to bring my name before the Gentiles…” he said in the prophecy. And this was accomplished by the Apostle Paul. When he was preaching, he said in the book of Acts 13:46-47 that–

“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”

It is clear in the verse that Paul said to the Israelites, who rejected his preaching that he was going to the gentiles “…the word of God must be preached first unto you, but seeing you put it from you, you do not want to accept it, you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, then we turn to the Gentiles…” Why? For this is the essence of the prophecy (in verse 47) “For so hath the Lord commanded us (in the prophecy)…” it is in the prophecy of Isaiah saying “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.”

So when the name of the Lord God of Israel was first preached unto the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul was the chosen vessel. But let us remember that the Gentiles being spoken of by the Apostle Paul are not the Gentiles in the Far East since he did not preach in the Far East. The Gentiles, to whom God sent the Apostle Paul, are the Gentiles in the surrounding areas of the Holy Land and extends as far as Greece, the Gentiles in the domain of the Roman Empire. But the prophecy in Malachi specifically speaks of Gentiles in the east. So, in that particular prophecy, it is not Apostle Paul who will be the instrument of God in gathering his people in this particular part of the globe. There will be another vessel like Paul who will preach the greatness of the name of the Lord God of Israel in the east; and that east, the rising of the sun, the is different from Jerusalem or from the Holy Land which is in the Middle East. .

Now, is there such a person like the Apostle Paul in the east who will preach the name of the Lord God of Israel? Is there a prophecy that tells about his being and is there a prophecy that tells us the time when this vessel of God or instrument of God like the Apostle Paul will preach the name of the Lord God of Israel in the east? Of course there must be in the Bible because as I have said earlier, there’s always a fulfillment of the truth of God written in the scriptures, especially in the prophecies.

There are so many preachers in the east that claim to be the vessel or the instrument of God in preaching the truth. One of them very much known in the Far East is a Korean by the name of Sun Myung Moon. Another is a Filipino by the name of Felix Manalo who teaches that he is the angel ascending in the east in the book of Revelation Chapter 7. Another still is a Filipino by the name of Salvador Payawal, who preached that the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth will be on January 1, 2001, 12:01 in the morning. And of course, in the Philippines, there is also Bro. Soriano. Who among these that claim that they are the instruments of God in establishing God’s people in the Far East is the true messenger of God? Let us again focus our eyes on the prophecy in the east. It is undoubtedly Biblical that, according to the prophecy, there will be people of God in the east country; that the east mentioned is not the Near East. It logically speaks of another east. And we have seen that before, it can be in the Far East. But let us see who will be the instrument to be used by God in preaching the glory of his name among the Gentiles or the people of God in the east or in the Far East. In the book of Isaiah 24:15 (REVISED STANDARD VERSION) it says –

“Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.”

I want you to notice what the verse says. The prophecy speaks of people giving glory to the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea in the east. Did you notice the term used “coastlands or the islands of the sea in the east?” In the King James Version, it is translated as “isles of the sea” while in the Revised Standard Version, it is referred to as “the coastlands of the sea”. So, the country being mentioned is made up of many islands and they are islands of the sea. The characteristics of the country called Las Islas Filipinas or later The Philippines is very much fitting. There will be people (from where? in those islands??) giving glory to the name of God of Israel. This is a collateral prophecy very much related to the Malachi 1:11 that we have used earlier.

Now, how will these people give glory? What will lead them to give glory to the name of the Lord God of Israel in the east? There is still another prophecy in the book of Jeremiah. But before we read such prophecy, let us discover what kind of a prophet is Jeremiah. In the book of Jeremiah 1:5 the Lord said –

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

He was ordained a prophet unto the nations. Meaning, the prophecy of Jeremiah does not only mention the nation of Israel but also other nations. And it is very much possible that the Philippines is a part of the prophecy of the book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 30:19-22, 24 –

“And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as formerly, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.”

The prophecy states that there will be people of God in the last days. You should remember that fact in the prophecy – that they are people of God at the time of the end or in the latter days. Out of these people will come out with praises and thanksgiving unto the Lord God of Israel. But you have to notice also that in the verses mentioned, they are few. Nevertheless, the power of God will not see them few for all time because He said that “I will multiply them…,” meaning, they will start from few; “I will glorify them and they shall not be small…,” meaning, at their advent they will be few and they will be small. Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry for the glory of the name of the Lord God of Israel. How will this start? In the prophecy also, it says that out of them will proceed their governor or their leader and their nobles will come from themselves. A leader or a governor, from among them, shall come. So there will be an instrument like the Apostle Paul who will lead them to be the people of God. Their leader will come from them. Surprisingly true, Brother Eli Soriano did not come from any other religious group. He was born, with his parents already members of the Church of God and they are few. Upon the death of Brother Nicolas Perez, Brother Eli Soriano took the administration in the Church of God which during those times, were but very few.

Maybe critics will say, “So, therefore, it was not Soriano who started the preaching, it was Nicolas Perez.” That is true, and we will not refute that, but the prophecy is clear – it will not be Perez that will be acknowledged by God as the leader. He is just like John the Baptist who has preached the inception of Christianity. He did not become the leader but he is the introducer. Nicolas Perez was used as an instrument of God to start the preaching but he is not the supposed leader who will lead the people because he came from another religious organization. Very much like Manalo, who also claims to be the fulfillment of this prophecy. In this case, Manalo, he cannot be the fulfillment, because he was born a Catholic and he became a member of so many religious groups before he finally founded the Iglesia Ni Cristo (of Manalo) in the Philippines. It is much like also with the Korean who was born in an oriental religion. Brother Soriano, on the other hand, was born in the Church of God. His parents were already members before he was born. This satisfies the fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah that says “and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.” And when that happens, “And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” And this will happen in the latter days or in the time of the end.

Aside from the prophecy of Jeremiah, is there another prophecy that can be used in the Bible to mention the person of Brother Eli Soriano? In the book of Revelation 1:3 it says –

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

In the time of the end, when the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand, there is another prophecy in the prophetic book of Revelation that there will be someone who will be reading the Bible. There are those who will hear the words of the prophecy of the Bible when he reads them, people will hear and they will fulfill the things that were written in the prophecy. I believe with all my heart that this was fulfilled in this organization that started from the east which is now called popularly as the Church of God International. It was the person of Brother Soriano who was used by God in making his truth be heard from the isles of the sea in the orient or in the east. In fact, Brother Soriano is known from the tip to the bottom of the Philippine Islands because of his preaching that he has been doing for four decades of his life.

Now, Brother Soriano is in the west. Still, if he be allowed by God, he is willing to be used as an instrument for the westerners because the prophecy states, if we are going to go back to Malachi 1:11 -

“For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.”

It says that “from the rising the sun and unto the going thereof”, meaning in the west, it is fate and faith that brought Brother Soriano from the east to the west. For your information he is now preaching in the west to make the prophecy be seen among the nations that the Lord God said that from the rising of the sun to its setting, or from the east to the west, “I will save my people in the east country and in the west country.” I believe in the potent work of the words of God. I believe in the powers of the word of God. All of these shall come true. And I’m willing to be a little instrument of this prophecy!

So help me, God. AMEN!

The idea of giving names came from God just as what is written in the book of Genesis 2:19 -

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.”

It is clear that it was God’s will that Adam named or gave names to the different kinds of animal life which were with him in the garden. And we can presume how intelligent Adam was when he was able to name all those animals that were created by God. However, we are not informed about the standard or the rule that Adam used in naming such creatures but there are other scriptures that tell us what’s in a name.

I felt upset when while I was watching the convention of the democrats on television, and one said, “the funny name of Obama”, referring to Barack Obama. According to that speaker, the name Barack is a funny name. I’m reminded of people’s ignorance of the scriptures. If only people have known the Bible, they will not say such a thing as “funny name of Obama.” In fact, Biblically speaking, the name Barack is not a funny name. It is a serious name and I will tell you about that later. I just want to lay the basis of why I’m discussing this topic. This is not to disgrace anybody but to share knowledge from the scriptures about the naming of names, of things, creatures, individuals, and the like.

The Hebrew tradition or custom of naming people is what I regard as the wisest standard of giving names. They name people by their characteristics, by their qualities and sometimes, according to the circumstances of their birth or conception. The name Isaac, for example, does not spell the qualities or the characteristics of Isaac, the son of Abraham, but it tells us of the circumstance surrounding the conception of Isaac. Isaac means “laughter” in Hebrew language. It implies that the name Isaac spells “happiness.” When the person of Isaac was mentioned by the angel to his father Abraham, his mother Sarah laughed, Genesis 18:12; 21:6-7 -

“Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.”

Thus, the word Isaac means laughter or something funny. But I’m sure the name Barack is not funny. The name of Isaac spells fun or joy, laughter. The name Esau on the other hand, defines the characteristic or the special characteristics of the person’s being. Esau means “hairy.” Genesis 25:25 reads -

“And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.”

It is just like the fruit “rambutan.” It was named rambutan because the name “rambut” means hair – in Indonesia. It’s the kind of fruit that looks hairy, that’s why it’s called rambutan. Esau had a hairy body that’s why when his twin brother Jacob was asking the blessing of their father Isaac, the blessing for the firstborn, Jacob thought of disguising himself as Esau. He wore on his arms the skin of a hairy animal to make it appear that he was Esau, the real firstborn. The verses in Chapter 27 of Genesis tell us this.

The name “Mary” means beautiful in Hebrew. No wonder the mother of Jesus Christ is called Mary because she’s a beautiful lady. It’s no wonder also that Mary from Magdala was called Mary because she’s portrayed in the Bible as an evil woman. She is evil maybe because she works like a prostitute although the Bible does not tells us that she’s a prostitute. Nevertheless, she was evil before knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 8:2 says -

“And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,”

So by these examples, we know that there is something in a name, the Hebrew way and God’s way. The Lord Jesus Christ also in the New Testament has used names to indicate the special characteristics of a person. He called the two apostles “Boanerges”, which means “the suns of thunder”. Let us read the verse in Mark 3:17-

“And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:”

So it is clear that there is something in a name. Very much like the name he gave to Peter when he commissioned him to be one of the apostles of the 1st century church, Matthew 16:17 -

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

The original name was Simon Bar-Jona. And in Matthew 16:18 -

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter….”

He did not use the original name given by the parents of Simon. The father’s name of Simon is Jona that’s why Simon was called Simon Bar-Jona. “Bar” means son. He was not called anymore by the Lord Jesus Christ as Simon Bar-Jona but Peter, Simon Peter. “I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter.…”, or “Petros” the masculine for stone, a small rock. “And upon this rock…” he said, [In Greek it is “petra” which is different from “petros” which is the name of Peter.] “I will build my church”. This is where the Catholic Church was misled. They presume that petros is the rock on which the church was built but upon a close study of the Greek word used, it was not petros but petra, the feminine of the word which means a very big rock, a boulder, a strong foundation. Because petros is a stone or small rock or a cliff, it cannot be used as a foundation; therefore, Peter was never the foundation of the church. In fact, he was founded on the foundation itself and that foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20 says -

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”

The prophets and the apostles were built upon the foundation. And the foundation is not Peter because he is one of the apostles. The apostles were built upon the foundation, including Peter himself. And the foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ which is the real petra or the real rock or boulder of rock as the foundation the church. To prove that, let us read I Timothy 3:15-16 -

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

It is clear that the house of God, which is the church of the living God, is the pillar and foundation of the truth. And what is that pillar and foundation of the truth? “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness…” You see, the foundation of the truth is divine, “….great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh….”, so this is not Peter.

The foundation of the truth is called God. Which God? “….great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh….”, so he is a God manifest in the flesh, “….preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory”, that is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of the real true church in the Bible. The word petros was mistakenly interpreted by the Catholic Church to be the foundation and according to them that was Peter. It’s not true. Peter can never be a foundation because he is a man. No man can withstand the weight and responsibility of the true church in the Bible. That man or foundation will break. Let us read in the book of Psalms 146:3 -

“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”

And in Jeremiah 17:5 it says -

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”

So it’s clear that man cannot be a foundation of such an entity as great as the church which was meant by God to exist forever. According to Matthew 16:18 -

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

And in Ephesians 3:10-11 -

“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:”

The church will be the instrument of God in making manifest the manifold wisdom of God according to his eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the church was meant by God to stay and exist forever. The name Peter or Petros can not be the true foundation of the true church, which God guaranteed to exist forever; proving that there really is something in a name. A name sometimes means everything in it. In the Proverbs 22:1-

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”

It is better to choose a better name, a good name than riches. Imagine everything that riches can buy cannot be compared to the beauty and honor that is in a name. Very much like the name of the Almighty God as mentioned in Matthew 6:9 -

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

God made His name an object of worship, something that must be respected and bowed down to by a person who fears God. In fact, the 3^rd commandment says that we shall not use the name of the Lord our God in vain if we are true Christians. Exodus 20:7 says -

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

He will not hold guiltless anybody who will use his name in vain. The name of God is not only an object of worship. It magnifies everything that is of God, Psalms 138:2 reads -

“I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”

The word angel, spoken alone, is nothing. It may mean harm or it may mean evil. But if you attach the name of God, “angel of God,” it is magnified, it is great, it means holy. Angel of God because there are angels of satan. Just like the word, “word”. The “Word” alone is nothing. It can be a word of someone who is foolish. But if you attach to it the name of God, “word of God,” it is magnified, it is great, it has power in it. Hebrews 4:12 says -

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

So it is clear that the name of God magnifies the things attached to it. Just like the word “spirit.” Not any spirit is great, there are evil spirits. But if you say “spirit of God,” it’s something that we must respect, we must worship, because the spirit of God is the Holy Spirit. So the name of God does not just mean something great but in it are so many things wherein we owe respect, obedience, veneration and fear.

Let us go back to the name Barack. As I have said earlier, Barack is not a funny name. It is a serious name. I’m sorry for that person who said that Barack is funny, that the name of Barack Obama is a funny name. What she or he meant is not the name Obama but Barack. Barak in the Bible is a serious man, a great fighter for the cause of justice in Israel. Let us read in Hebrews 11:32-34 (Revised Standard Version) -

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets – who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

If you notice the verses, the Apostle Paul said that he has no more time and space for lengthy discussions. But he can’t help mentioning the name of Barak. Who is this Barak whom he mentioned in line with Samson and the others of the great men of the Old Testament? In Chapter 4 of the Book of Judges, we will learn that Barak is a captain in Israel who helped a great woman to judge Israel when there were no more men to do the job.

But let me add to you some information about this. Within God’s people, it is not a very good thing to notice that the leader is a woman. I’m not against any woman leader of any country now except in my country. There are great women, they have led their people for so many years but no corruption was heard among them. There are women in the truest sense of the word. Women are shy, truthful, faithful, and honest. These are the women like Queen Elisabeth II, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, a very respectable woman, a woman who has maintained the integrity of her kingdom up to now. Great Britain is respected all over the world. There was once a Margaret Thatcher, who, even after her retirement, was not spoken of evil by her constituents. There was also one great Bhutto, very much loved by her countrymen. Are you asking me about our President? The name is very much sweet sounding – Gloria, but what is in that name is not glorious to a lot of Filipinos.

Deborah was a courageous woman during a time when Israel had no man judges or no man judge that fitted or that qualified to judge Israel. And as I’ve said it is something not very good to know. Just for your added information, it is God’s will that His people be led by a man. The book of I Kings 9:5 says so -

“Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.”

It’s clear that the promise to David is, there will not lack or fail him a man to rule on the throne of Israel. So when there was no more man that qualified for the position of leading the people of God, it’s something not very sweet sounding. Yet, Deborah, by her might and courage, judged Israel. But it was not really Deborah that acted as the leader of the people of God. There was a great man behind her that has done the salvation of the people of Israel. That was the one man mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Chapter 11 of the Book of Hebrews.

“And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets – who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.”

You will notice that the Apostle Paul did not even mention the name of Deborah. It was Barak that was mentioned. So Barak was a great, serious man. He’s a man able to respect somebody like Deborah even though he was fighting and that Deborah had taken the honor of being judge to Israel.

Barak is a man of humility. He did not in any manner grab the honor of being the judge to the people of Israel. Barak is a man of honor, a man of dignity. I do not know the Democrat Presidential candidate of the U.S.A. He’s very popular. In fact, I was convinced by the speech, not of Barak, but by his wife. I was convinced by the speech of the former President Clinton, not by Barak. Only the Americans know Barak. But whoever Barak maybe, I would say that the name Barak is not a funny name. It’s a serious name and maybe, to those Americans saying that the name Barak is funny, a little review of the scriptures will reveal to them and tell them that the name Barak is not a funny name. I hope I have shared a little knowledge with this article.

Sincerely in Christ,

Brother Eli Soriano

I do not just say that the Bible is a book of the highest standards of moral. It is what the book says and the book itself can prove it. There are so many books regarding moral that now exist in the world. But the Bible is above them all. And it can be proven by the teachings of the Bible.

We do not refute that there are other books that teach morality and there are other religious books regarded as sacred by those people who believe in them who teach also morality. But why do I say that the Bible is a book of the highest form of morality there is that exists on earth? First of all, the Bible is a book wherein the words of God are written. Of course not all the words in the Bible are the words of God, but there are specific words of God in the Bible, and those are very much discernable because the Bible says so. Whenever there is a quotation coming from God, you will be familiarized with the introductions of all the Bible writers before they write the sacred words of God: “And God said,” “Thus God said,” “God said,” “The Lord spake unto,” etc. So if we read closely, the Bible is a book that contains pronouncements from God Himself. This is proven by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 1:1-2, which reads –

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

The verses clearly state that God has spoken unto the fathers in diverse manners and times and places and has spoken unto us in these last days by sending His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, during His ministry on earth, said in the book of John 12:49 –

“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.”

So, the pronouncements of the Lord Jesus Christ are words of God. Now, how do we discern, how do we know that the word came from God? There is a very distinct quality of the word of God in the Bible. In the book of Proverbs 8:8-9 we read –

“All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.”

So there is nothing perverse, there is nothing wrong, no contradiction whatsoever with the words coming from the mouth of God. Another distinct quality of the word of God was preached by the Apostle Paul in I Thessalonians 2:3-4 –

“For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.”

We must, at this juncture, notice what the Apostle Paul said, that as they were trusted by God to speak they speak. And what they speak is not of uncleanness, deceit or guile. Meaning, the words of the Lord are without deceit, without uncleanness or guile. They are simple, straightforward truth containing no contradictions whatsoever. Another quality of the word of God is in the book of Hebrews 4:12 –

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

On verse 13 it says –

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Meaning, the word of God in the Bible is quick or alive; it is powerful, it is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it pierces to the hearts and thoughts. It knows the thoughts and hearts of men. And no human secret cannot be made manifest by the power of the word of God. By these qualities we will know if what we are reading in the Bible, or in any other book that was written on this earth, are the true words of God or not. The word of God works. In the book of I Thessalonians 2:13, the Apostle Paul said –

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

It is clear in the verse that the word of God is not just like the word of man, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually works unto you that believe. So the power of the word of God is manifest unto the believers. It works among the believers. It does things to those that believe. And what the word of God can do is manifest among the believers. And what does it do? In the book of James 1:21 –

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

The word of God is powerful to blot out all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness in a man. It renews a creature. The word of God has a power to renew; it regenerates and it is proven among those who believe. Let us read in the book of I Peter 1:23 –

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

The word of God is able to make a man a new being. It is an agent by which a man can be born again. It is likened in the Bible to a seed which is not corruptible. Nobody can corrupt it. Nothing can corrupt the word of God. After knowing all these things, let us analyze from the written word of God in the Bible the morality that is being taught by God’s words. In the Bible it says, in Matthew 19:5-6 –

“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

I want you to please notice the word twain, or two. A man shall cleave to his wife, not wives [twain, only one partner]. And this is the highest standard of morality among married people. Let us read. Hebrews 13:4 says –

“Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

So marriage is confined to only two contracting parties: the man and the woman, or the husband and the wife. There is no such thing in the Bible as marriage to more than one. It is not allowed. But there are religious books that say that you can get more than one wife. It’s directly contradicting the pure words of God in the Bible. And the very good example is the Book of Mormons. In their Doctrine and Covenants they have this to say:

According to Joseph Smith, which I will call a false prophet, this is a revelation that he received from God. I know that Joseph Smith has his god and his god is not the God of the Bible. I do not even want to call this group The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints. With the standards of morality in the Bible the Mormons cannot be considered saints. Pardon me for saying these words.

Saints in the Bible are those who obey the rules of sainthood. And one of those rules is to have only one wife. Having two wives will not make marriage honorable and the bed undefiled as Hebrew 13:4 says. Marrying more than one woman defiles the bed. Let us read in the book of Romans 7:2-3, it says –

“For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”

So it is clear in the verse that if a woman, or in the case of the man also, marries another while the husband or the wife is living, the woman will be called an adulteress, likewise the man. It is clear in the book of Matthew 19:9 –

“And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

Marrying another when one of the parties is still living will fall into adultery. Of course there may be millions who believe in the Book of Mormons and nobody can question the integrity of these people. There are judges, there are lawyers and there are statesmen who belong to this group of people who believe that plurality of marriage, as taught in the Book of Mormons, is a true revelation from God. But it is not. It contradicts the word of God in the Bible. In the Bible, especially for bishops, or those that preach the gospel of Christ, only one wife is allowed. I Timothy 3:2 says –

“A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”

So if you get two wives then you are not blameless. Just like what happened to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, the first two leaders of the Mormon Church that exists now in so many parts of the world. Brigham Young had 25 wives; 48 for Joseph Smith. They did not even abide by the revelation that they claim to have received from God. The revelation alleges that you can have only ten wives. But because of their greed for women and their lust, Joseph Smith had 48 and Brigham Young 25. Why do I say that the standard of morality in the Bible is far more excellent than any other book of religion, especially if we are going to compare it with the Book of Mormons? First, you have to know my intention. I’m not trying to destroy anybody’s reputation. But I have read that there was an apostle of the Mormon Church who claimed that their Book of Mormons is more correct and excellent than the Bible. This is what they have to say:

Although it was said before my time, before I was born, I’m concerned about this for my fellowmen. Why? This is a blasphemous statement because it places the words of Joseph Smith far more superior than the word of God, and that is blasphemy. God tells us the highest standard of morality in the life of a married person – to have only one wife. Joseph Smith tells us that it can be ten, especially if they are virgins. But Joseph Smith himself did not follow such revelation. He accumulated 48 wives and most of them were not virgins. They were wives of his co-ministers in their church. Imagine, is there morality in there? Let us ask a former Mormon member. What is the first problem they encounter when they abide by the wrong teachings of the Book of Mormons? Number one is jealousy.

We are informed by the Bible and it was mentioned earlier that the word of God is a discerner of truth. It pierces to the thoughts and to the heart of a man. What is jealousy according to the Bible? The Bible defines jealousy as wisdom from demons. It is satanic. Let us read in the book of Proverbs 6:34 –

“For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.”

Jealousy is a form of anger or rage that will spare not when it finds time for vengeance. History bears evidences and proofs of this powerful word of God. There are those who kill their husband or their wife because of jealousy. No Mormon member will say that they do not feel this human emotion, jealousy. And this is something that Mormons cannot hide. It was a confession from a former member of the Mormons. If you are under one roof and there are ten wives, you are wives of only one man, you will see the unfairness and the inequitableness of the treatment because no man can treat ten wives equitably and exactly fair. Jacob or Israel had only four wives but his love is more on Rachel than the other three. And there was jealousy also among the children of Israel. It’s the reason why Joseph the Dreamer was sold or maltreated by his eleven brothers, because of jealousy. Jealousy in polygamy is very rampant not only among the wives but also among the children. If you are one of the ten wives of your husband and each of you has five children then you will be a family of more than fifty. How can jealousy be prevented among those fifty coming from different wombs? So polygamy and the plurality of marriage give way for satan because jealousy came from satan. James 3:16, 15 (Revised Standard Version) says –

“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.”

If you must believe, it is better to believe in James the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ than to believe in the false prophets of the Mormons. Jealousy is devilish. It’s satanic and it is the product of the plurality of marriage or polygamy. Proving once again that what God have said is the utmost truth about human passions and human emotions. And if you have only one wife and living by the standards of God’s word, a loving husband to your wife, and a wife that subjects herself to her husband, Ephesians 5:23-28 :

“For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.”

Then the family ties and values are intact and there is no place like home if the home is where the word of God and its morality dwells. Coming home to a home with women competing to be a desirable wife for only one man and with children competing to be heirs of the riches of only one man is just like coming home to hell. You may comment and suggest and add to what has been laid in this article.

May God bless you.