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The Salvation that is being taught by the Bible |
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continuation...
Salvation is here in the Bible, and all that we have to do is to give you, and read to you, the verses that teach it. We do not have to fabricate our own doctrines, like many pastors today do. That is why they could not give you any biblical basis. But you can be sure that, whenever we teach you something, we also provide you the supporting biblical verses, so that you may be worthy in the eyes of God. Do you want to try it, brothers and sisters? We have to be exact; we must not grope in the dark.
Did God really command all of us to get married? Somebody said, “My mother told me that I must get married for me to become a parent, too. She said that, my becoming a parent is the best way by which I can pay her, and my father, my indebtedness.” In other words, for a child to pay his indebtedness to his parents, he must get married and rear a child also. But let us ask the Bible: Is it true that the only way by which a child can repay his parents is by getting married? Allow me to answer first before we read what the Bible says. How can you repay your parents if you are getting married right away . . . when you do not even have any employment? That is stupidity! Originally, your parents are feeding only you. Now, it’s going to be the two of you – you and your wife. Later on, you might become five should you beget 3 children. How can you pay your indebtedness to your parents that way? You will be able to repay them if you will not get married yet.
For example, after graduating from your Engineering course, you did not marry right away. You decided to wait for another 20 years before getting married. By that time, you have already repaid your parents. Your parents deserve your first pay because they were the ones who spent for your education. They were the ones who sacrificed for you, so, when you receive your first pay, tell them, “Father, Mother, here is my first pay. Have a taste of the fruit of your hard work.” But, you will appear ungrateful if you will hand your first pay to your wife, and then, you will quarrel with your parents.
Now, is it wrong to get married? No, so long as everything has been set properly. One time, somebody came to ask for my permission to get married. So, I interrogated him first: Do you already have a house? He said that, he had given a down payment for their would-be apartment. Then I asked him: Is the unit ready for occupancy? He said, yes. In fact, they already have a complete set of appliances, including a microwave oven! I asked him how much is his monthly salary. He said that he was receiving 11 thousand while his wife has 5 thousand. So, 16 thousand minus 2,500 for the monthly rental of the apartment is . . . Why was I computing? Because I have to know if he is capable of raising and supporting a family. I do not marry irresponsible man and woman, who would later on become irresponsible parents. I have to find out if they would become responsible parents. Otherwise, they might just compound the number of children that loiter in the streets, especially if the man is jobless. If you are jobless, you better daydream instead.
The Bible said, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.” Amen? That is what the Bible said. But today, many stupid pastors do not care anymore whether, or not, couples are fit to marry. They do not give a damn so long as you pay their services. We do not practice that thing in our organization. There is nothing wrong in getting married. Marriage is one delightful stage in the life of man. It is an ascent to a higher and more complicated step in the ladder. And it requires readiness. You have to be physically, spiritually, morally, and financially prepared for it. But if you are getting married with only 20 pesos in your pocket, where will that amount bring you? You just couldn’t romance all night through, just like what a song says.
“Magkasuyo buong gabi
Masaya’t magkatabi
Magkayakap sa buong magdamag.”
Before your honeymoon period ends, you might be giving up already. You could not even afford to buy yourself an energy drink, or a Sarsi with beaten egg. Not that I am downgrading you, but how can you survive in marriage if you only have 20 pesos in your pocket? The Bible said, The man shall leave his father and mother. Therefore, you must leave apart from your parents. That is God’s law! Will you abide by it? The Bible is exact! It is now up to you if you want to believe it, or not. Bear in mind that, in gatherings like this one, I never speak of things, which has no basis. I read verses from the Bible. May God help you understand what I am saying so that the next time that you listen to me, you will no longer be mad at me. Please, don’t get me wrong. I am just telling you the steps to salvation. And we have a basis in everything that we say. This is what I Corinthians 4:6 says--
“. . . that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written.”
If it is written that we should turn our umbrellas upside down, by all means, I, too, will turn my umbrella upside down, and then sing. The members of El Shaddai turn their umbrellas upside down. If the waving of handkerchief is also written, then, I will also wave mine. I can also do that.
“El Shaddai, El Shaddai
El a lone Adonai
Age to age you’re still the same
By the power of your name
El Shaddai, El Shaddai . . .”
That is too easy to do. Velarde’s dance steps are too simple; in fact, I can learn that in less than 20 minutes. I can also pin a flower in my “barong”, if only I am after increasing the number of members of our organization. Where can you see a preacher wearing a scarlet red suit, with a flower on his breast? I can also do that. In the first place, my complexion is fairer than Velarde’s. But I am not saying that I am more handsome than he is. I just said that my complexion is fairer because that is the truth. What am I trying to say? I can also do what he is doing; I can also flatter people; I can also do a little dancing; I can also speak in tongues. That’s easy to do. In the first place, I do not have a speech defect; I neither stutter nor stammer. They know only about 3 verses of the Bible; I know more than that. If I would just incorporate flattery and deceit in my preaching, I could, perhaps, been one of the richest pastors here in the Philippines today. That is, if I will incorporate deceit! But that is not my cup of tea! I do not do that because I love my fellowmen. My vocation in life is to proclaim the truth to all, even if it would mean being reprimanded by my parents . . . even if that would mean losing my life! That is my conviction.
Maybe, some of you would ask why I am shouting at the top of my voice. “Mr. Soriano, can’t you speak a little softer?” The reason why I am shouting there are people who are deaf. Isaiah 58:1 --
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression . . .”
I am shouting because I have a basis in doing so. Why am I laughing sometimes? Why am I singing sometimes? I have
a basis!
“Magmula sa Herusalem
Lahat ay inyong libutin
At turuan ng magaling
Ang taong nagugupuling
Nang sa sala’s di mahaimbing.”
(Starting from Jerusalem
Travel in all places.
And teach all men what is good
Especially those
Who are succumbed to sinfulness.)
“Ang sinoma’t aling tao
Arala’t binyagan mo . . .”
(Teach and baptize all men.)
Every man must be taught. But, where will the doctrines come from? Magmula sa Jerusalem. Where did the doctrines come from? They came from Jerusalem . . . not from Germany; not from Rome. The “Pasyon” said, it would come from Jerusalem. Unfortunately, your doctrines came from Rome. The doctrines, which came from Jerusalem couldn’t be altered because they were written in the Bible. And those teachings must be imparted to all people so that, they won’t fall into transgression. “Ang sinoma’t aling tao/ Arala’t binyagan mo.” (Teach and baptize all men.) Who should be baptized? . . . those who had received the teachings of the Bible, not the infants! “Ang tumanggap ng bautismo at maniwalang totoo.” (Those who receive baptism are those who believed.) Is an infant capable of believing? Hebrew 5:13 says --
“For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness for he is a babe.” .
Is it an infant capable of accepting the word of righteousness? An infant, or a babe, “is unskilled in the word of righteousness.” So, how could he accept it?
Were you baptized when you were still young? Did you personally accept it? The priest said, “Yo te bautiso el nombre del padre, del verbo, y del espiritu santo.” And his sacristan replied, “Amen.” Who was the recipient? The sacristan! If the priest gave baptism 5 times that day, the sacristan likewise received 5 baptisms! While the infant simply cried, “Uhaaa . . . Uhaaa . . .” Did the child accept any baptism? Who among you are Catholics? That means, all of you have not been baptized! Why? . . . because you have not received any. In fact, you never really understood “varta mergon sacramentum liri y mun I lui el antigum, monumentum.” Did you understand, “Dominus noviscum secola se colorum, Amen”? What does that mean? Did you accept it? How, when you did not even understand what that meant? You did not even know if you were already cursed!
That is what I mean. We must not be ignorant because there is the Holy Scriptures, which we can consult. You can never be fooled because you have a basis – the Bible! It had been documented; it can never be altered. Should anybody dare to change the Bible, he will merit our wrath. Personally, I really dispute with people who change the Bible. That is the reason why many pastors are angry with me. I quarrel, not only with those who change the Bible, but also with those who give their own interpretation to it, because they are misleading a lot of people. The Bible does not have to be interpreted; the Bible interprets itself! You only have to read it. In Ephesians 6:1 it says--
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise. That it nay be will with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”
Is that difficult to understand? Child, do you want to live long? If you want to live long, what must you do? Honor your mother and your father because this is the first commandment with a promise. What is the promise? You will live well. The Lord will never forsake you; you will live longer. You will be able to enjoy your life on earth. The first commandment that you must obey is to honor your mother and your father. Is that hard to understand? Of course, not! That is what was written.
Here is another in Colossians 3:19--
“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
Are there husbands who are bitter to their wives? Yes, there are. That is why, the moment the husband leaves the house, his wife secretly prays, “May you be hit by lightning! You shameless! May a train run over you!” Bitter or not? Bitter, otherwise, his wife will not pray that he be hit by lightning! Her wishes only prove that her life with her husband is bitter! If her life with him is sweet, each time that he would leave the house, she would always tell him, “Take care, dear.” Or, “Daddy, you take care. I am miserable without you.” Sweet, isn’t it? But, if their pronouncements are, “You shameless! Do not come back anymore!” that means that, the husband is bitter to his wife. Is that true, or not? But, why do they happen? . . . Because you do not want to follow the teachings of the Bible. Obey the Bible! Love your wife. Do not be bitter to them.
On the other hand, the women are also advised to be quiet. Men do not like very talkative women. The more you talk, the more your husband gets annoyed. Do not be suspicious of him. “Perhaps, you have a mistress!” If you do not stop from talking . . . if you not stop with your suspicions and accusations, he might really look for a mistress! And where will you end up when that happens? Your husband will start singing, “Please, release me let me go/ For I don’t want you anymore…”
The reason why the world goes wrong is because we refuse to obey God’s commandments. But, if you will only follow them, then, everything will just be fine. It is just be like a train that sticks to the railway. But once the train gets off the track, accidents are sure to happen. The Bible is like a railway. When God created us, He also created, for us, a “railway” which we must follow to avoid mishaps. In other words, if we want to attain salvation, we have to be guided by what the Bible says.
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Bible
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