SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS
By ERANO G. QUINITIO
THE WORLD ENTERED the 21st century
encountering an onslaught of extremely bad news. Some of the most notable events made
headlines during the last ten years were:
the hijacking of two commercial jets from Boston, on September 11, 2001,
and crashing them into the World Trade Center towers in New York City; outbreak of severe respiratory syndrome
(SARS) in April of 2003, a deadly form of pneumonia; a 9.0-magnitude earthquake
on December 26, 2004, causing a powerful tsunami in the Indian Ocean that hit
12 countries; a school shooting incident on April 16, 2007 that took place on
the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in
Blacksburg, Virginia, considered as the deadliest shooting rampage by a single
gunman in US history; a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastating Port-au-Prince,
Haiti on January 12, 2010; and a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggering a
deadly 23-foot tsunami that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011 and caused a
nuclear threat when cooling systems in one of the reactors at the Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station failed shortly after the earthquake.
These and many others, with all certainty, brought
immense fear and indescribable grief not only to those who survived the
tragedies but also to those who, through mass media, kept their eyes open as
these dreadful events were unfolded.
Long long time ago, in the history of God’s early
servants, it was bad news that 10 men brought back as they reported to the
Prophet Moses, after they, along with two others, were sent to explore the land
of Canaan—the land the Lord God had promised the ancient Israelites to be their
dwelling place (Num. 14:36, Contemporary
English Version).
The ten bearers of bad news said that, although the land
they explored was rich with milk and honey, the people who lived in Canaan were
much too strong and like giants that they felt as small as grasshoppers (Num.
13:28-29, 31-33, Ibid).
Upon hearing such a truly disturbing report, the Israelites
cried all night, complained to Moses and Aaron and said to them, thus: “We wish we had
died in Egypt or somewhere out here in the desert! Is the LORD leading us into Canaan, just to
have us killed and our women and children captured? We’d be better off in Egypt” (Num.
14:2-3, Ibid.).
Similarly, a series of tragic news dealt a heavy blow to
Job, a righteous servant of God, as his sons and daughters were dining at their
eldest brother’s house. His four
servants who arrived in close succession brought these bad news: “A messenger
rushed to Job’s home with this news:
‘Your oxen were plowing, with the donkeys feeding beside them, when the
Sabeans raided us, drove away the animals, and killed all the farmhands except
me. I am the only one left.’ While this messenger was still speaking,
another arrived with more bad news: ‘The
fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your sheep and all the
herdsmen, and I alone have escaped to tell you.’ Before this man finished, still another
messenger rushed in: ‘Tree bands of
Chaldeans have driven off your camels and killed your servants, and I alone
have escaped to tell you.’ As he was
still speaking, another arrived to say, ‘Your sons and daughters were feasting
in their oldest brother’s home, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the
desert and engulfed the house so that the
roof fell in on them and all are dead; and I alone escaped to tell you’”
(Job 1:14-19, Living Bible).
Yet, no matter how depressing and heartbreaking the accounts
of the loss of his cherished children and all his hard-earned properties, Job
did not point a blaming finger on God.
Instead, he knelt on the ground, then worshiped and praised the name of
the Lord—“The LORD alone gives and takes,” he said (Job 1:20-21, CEV).
In this time of the impending Second Advent of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the Bible forewarned about a steady stream of bad news that will
pour in—one disaster will follow another—fighting in the streets, sickness,
hunger, confusion, violence—inevitable consequences of man’s disgusting conduct
that caused God’s anger (Ezek. 7:26, 2-4, 15, 17, 23, 25, Today’s English Version).
Without wonder, these as well as many others like earthquakes, tsunamis,
hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, cold spell, heat wave, volcanic eruptions
alternately fill the headlines almost on a daily basis.
The good news
However, in spite of all these appalling news which,
observably, have increased in frequency by the turn of the 21st
century, the Scriptures gave this reassuring announcement, although declared
more than two millennia earlier yet still rings truly significant in our time: “But the angel
said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am
here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David’s town your Savior was
born—Christ the Lord’!” (Luke 2:10-11, Ibid.)
This indeed is the best news that man has ever heard—“the
most joyful news ever announced” (LB),
offering the most valuable salvation to all men brought by God’s love who gave
His only Son so that everyone who believes or keeps faith in him will not die
but have eternal life (John 3:16-17, TEV).
For man to receive the full advantage of salvation
through the Lord Jesus, he must comply with the first requirement—to be put
right with god through Christ’s blood.
Apostle Paul declares, thus: “But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for
us. The blood of Christ has made us
right with God. So we are even more sure
that Jesus will save us from God’s anger” (Rom. 5:8-9, New International Revised Version).
That which the Savior died for is
His body or Church—the Church of Christ He redeemed or purchased with His own
blood (Eph. 5:25, 23, New King James
Version; Acts 20:28, Lamsa Translation). Hence, through the Church of Christ, man will
be counted righteous in the sight of God.
Undeniably, nothing compares to “the most joyful news
ever announced”—the birth of the Savior and that by His sacrificial death, man
will attain salvation by virtue of membership in His Church, the Church Of
Christ. For this reason, Apostle’s
Paul’s encouragement then to the Jews and Gentiles of his time equally applies
to all who long to be saved in this time when the end fast approaches. He said, thus: “And this is the
secret: that the Gentiles will have
their full share with the Jews in all the riches inherited by God’s sons; both
are invited to belong to his church, and all of God’s promises of mighty
blessings through Christ apply to them both when they accept the Good News
about Christ and what he has done for them” (Eph. 3:6, LB).
Sharing the Good News
To belong to Christ’s Church is the apostle’s invitation
to all who yearn to be saved. It is in
this same vein the Church Of Christ continues to share its faith to
others. Effectively led by the Church
Administration, the Iglesia Ni Cristo
ceaselessly strives to reach more and more people, even through mass media, to
have them receive the Good News of salvation.
Ministers and evangelical workers are being sent to various parts of the
globe to propagate the truth that guarantees salvation. Without letup, the Church’s Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo, constantly
takes hold of every opportune time, especially through worship services, to
exhort Church members to win over converts—a sacred call that Church officers
and brethren have been gaining steam adhering to, following the biblical
example of a servant of God who said, thus:
“…
LORD, I told the good news that you save us.
You know that I will never stop telling it. I have not keep the news of salvation to
myself; I have always spoken of your faithfulness and help. …” (Ps.
40:9-10, TEV).
Active and faithful members of the Church Of Christ
continue to disseminate the truth they firmly believe in, minding less of
themselves yet caring more about God’s work of salvation, like Apostle Paul who
said, thus: “But
I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work that the Lord
Jesus gave me to do. And that work is to tell the good news about God’s great
kindness” (Acts 20:24, CEV).
This, the Iglesia Ni
Cristo members will patiently fulfill not only until the Church’s
centennial anniversary but also until the day the Lord Jesus Christ returns,
remaining as diligent partners in spreading the Good News. The same apostle made this appeal to the
first Christians, thus: “Because you have been my partners in spreading the Good
News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am sure that God, who began the good
work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that
day when Christ Jesus comes back again” (Phil. 1:5-6, New Living Translation).
Not in vain
To such servants of God who remain one in mind and in
spirit with the Church Administration in spreading the Good News, the
Scriptures gave this guarantee, thus: “And, my true partner, I ask you to help them. These women have worked together with me and
with Clement and with the others in spreading the good news. Their names are now written in the book of
life” (Phil. 4:3, CEV).
Hence, what every Church Of Christ member does in service
not only in terms of spreading God’s words but also in their works for the Lord
will not be counted as fruitless endeavors.
All these will attest to their salvation. Though they too go through difficult times in
their life, hear depressing news like calamities, wickedness, or dreadful
diseases, their hearts remain secure, full of confidence in the Lord, as what
the Bible clearly attests, thus: “He is not
afraid of receiving bad news; his faith is strong, and he trusts in the Lord”
(Ps. 112:7, TEV).
Copied from PASUGO GOD’S MESSAGE/SEPTEMBER 2012/PAGES
22-24/VOLUME 64/NUMBER 9/ISSN 0116-1636
.
