Jesus is the SON not the Father.

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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre

First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?

Short history of Felix Manalo

The founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo organization was Felix Manalo. Born On May 10, 1886 to a Catholic family, near Manila in the Philippines. His name Felix (happy) was chosen from the roster of saints from that month. was baptized a Catholic, His mother a devout Roman Catholic who had Felix attend Catechism class where he learned the fundamentals of the Roman Catholic faith. When he became a teenager he went on a spiritual quest through five known denominations. He became a follower of the ''Colorum'' spiriting sect in the Philippines which was secretive and had pilgrimages to a sacred mountain. he left the Church as a teenager In 1904 after witnessing a debate between a Roman catholic priest and a Protestant minister on the use of images, he joined the Methodist Episcopalian Church, attended their Seminary and became a pastor. Iglesia puts it this way" He found that the arguments of the Protestant minister' seemed nearer to the biblical truth, than the pointless rambling of the priest." (GOD'S MESSAGE 1 July - September 1994)

His studies were interrupted by the death of his mother and when he returned he then began studying at the Presbyterian Bible School until he came upon the Christian Mission group (Church of Christ) where he studied at the manila college of the bible for four years. From this group he learned to respect immersion in baptism and received the Idea of restoring the NT Church. He became a local evangelist in a band called the "Society for the propagation of the Gospel." He also at this time married Tomasa Sereneo of Paco manila. In 1911 Felix Manalo attended a 7th day meeting to debate Mr.L.V. Finster a missionary of the 7th day Adventist church on their stance that Christians are under the law. He lost the debate with Him and admitted Finster was right and soon he left the Christian Mission group converting to Seventh Day Adventism. This became his last association with any establish church while he was in Adventism he began to think of starting his own church. During this time his wife died and he then eloped with Honorata de Gusman a 7th day Adventist. In 1913. He was disciplines for his elopement and there were hints of moral indiscretion.

While there is not any proof of the accusations Iglesia tells it this way "Brother Felix remained with the Adventists until the time that he began to question their observance of the Sabbath during Saturdays. When the Adventists failed to respond to his queries, he resigned as minister and member in 1913." (GOD'S MESSAGE July - September 1994)

After leaving the Seventh Day Adventists, Felix Manalo claimed to experience a call like the ancient prophets.Manalo then closed himself in with his bible for three days and when he emerged He gave his shoe business to a friend took his wife and began his mission to start a new church."His exhaustive study of religions and the Bible led him to the conclusion that none of the existing churches then remained faithful with the biblical truth. Therefore, none of them is the true religion. His meditations assured him that God was commissioning him to preach the true Church of Christ." (GOD'S MESSAGE 1 July - September 1994)Like many others before him he has fallen into the trap since none are perfect by his own judgment he is to restore the true church.

In 1913 he started his own group which he incorporated in 1914 having 12 converts.

Iglesia likens their leader to Moses or the apostle Paul "Brother Felix joined other churches and religious beliefs in preparation for his God-given mission. In this respect, he was akin to Moses (who lived first as an Egyptian prince and as a wanderer in the wilderness before he led the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt) and Apostle Paul (who was formerly a member of the Jewish sect and a persecutor of Christians before being sent to evangelize the Gentiles). Brother Felix wandered into different religions always examining, in the light of scriptural truth, their various doctrines and religious practices." (GOD'S MESSAGE 1 July - September 1994 p.10)

According to reports and what is left out of the history from Iglesia's own printings is, In 1919 Manalo left the Philippines wanting to learn more about religion leaving his church in the hands of his assistant ministers. He went to all places America to study with Protestants, the very ones Iglesia would later declare to be apostates. It is for this reason the do not disclose this information. In California he reportedly enrolled in the Pacific School of Religion. This is five years after being called by God to be his "last messenger" Manalo goes to the U.S. to learn from apostates? What could God's messenger learn from a group that, according to Iglesia, had departed from the true faith? During that year he was away they enjoyed growth until a schism was led by Teogilo Ora, one of its pioneer ministers. (at the time there were 3,000 members). The Church in Bulcan had only 15 of the 80 members remain.

Manalo did not believe himself to be God's final messenger back in 1914. He didn't use the last messenger doctrine until 1922. There seems to be several instances that could have influenced him on this. The official date for the registration of his church was July 27 1914 which was the date of the beginning of the first world war. They were first known as Iglesia ni Kristo with an "K" now changed to C. It was later after his apocalyptic influence from 7th day Adventism and all the education that he gave prophetic significance to this date. He claimed that it closed the period of the 6th seal as related to Rev.7.another factor of his adopting the messenger doctrine is in response to a schism in the Iglesia movement. Manalo appears to have developed the messenger doctrine in an effort to maintain and re-assert his leadership in the church thereby having control.

When Manalo decided to start his own church he didn't begin with all current Iglesia doctrines and practices held. In the early days Manalo did not attack the deity of Christ. It was after 1930 he began to emphatically deny his pre-existence, as his being the beginning in purpose with God.

The war years hindered their growth it was afterwards within a 30 year period that they went from a small congregation to almost 40,000 which became possibly the 2nd largest in the Philippines with only the Methodist as larger. There strength was strong indigenous character with a national speaking language. It appealed to the Filipino people, even with a strong anti Catholic stance attracted those that were looking outside that religion. By 1948 their membership was 60,000 in 1960 it rose up to 200,000. Today they are larger than any other Protestant denomination in the Philippines with only one larger the Roman church. Their foreign mission work began in the US Honolulu Hawaii on July 27 1968 by 1974 they had acquired 21 congregations in the US. This is the same date that Manalo used for his application of prophecy to himself.

The reason Iglesia is not better known, despite its numbers among their culture, is that the vast majority of Iglesia's members are Filipino which includes those in the U.S.. The only exceptions are very few non-Filipinos who have married into the Iglesia. Although they have focused as of late to outside their own people.

He returned to the Philippines after only one year. As Felix continued his leadership of the organization, the INC grew rapidly and spread throughout the Philippines. Felix Manalo again later traveled to the United States in 1938. During this trip he hoped to raise enough funds to build a main chapel for his church in Manila. As they grew they have accumulated much wealth.

According to the INC he was unable to fulfill this desire because of bad health which forced him to return to the Philippines. Felix Manalo died on April 12, 1963. Many thought the church would splinter with his leadership gone but he was prepared for this. More than 10 years earlier, on January 28, 1953, his son Erano Manalo (KA Erdy) was selected to be his successor as Executive Minister and leader of INC, He is the 5th child born to Felix and Honorata. It was Erano who wrote a 64 page booklet attacking the Deity of Christ called Christ-God; investigated—false. So began their systematic campaign of attacking the Church.

What has become bewildering is that they attack by writing in their publications and public speaking but when someone challenges their beliefs they are labeled as attackers of God's (new) Church.

Let Us Reason Ministries
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre

First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?




Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo

1. Iglesia ni Cristo members are well-meaning people who cannot be blamed


We want to make absolutely clear that members of this church are well-meaning people--including those former members who've provided us with a wealth of insightful information on Iglesia's doctrines, practices, and activities. Iglesia members are not "cult zombies." They do not walk like "programmed robots." They are very normal people--some being our friends. (That's one more reason to remain anonymous!)

We also can not emphasize enough the fact that we are not here to attack Iglesia lay members and their ministers--the real victims in this organization. Iglesia members can not be blamed for unfortunately being unaware that the Central Administration--Iglesia's governing church body (under Erano Manalo)--is using deception to attempt to 'prove' its doctrines, practices, and keep its members in total unquestioning submission. The Central Administration appears to accomplish this by appearing to train its ministers to deceive its members with the bible without the slightest sense of guilt. How do they deceive with the bible? That is what we're about to reveal to you!


2. How the INC uses deception
Contrary to what Iglesia leads its prospective converts into thinking today, Felix Manalo's fundamental doctrines on its 'messenger' were not yet in place when he set out to begin his 'mission' in 1914. Both members and observers alike concede to this fact. According to some observers, Manalo devised these new set of doctrines in order to regain control of his organization after a schism in 1922. Regardless of the accuracy of the alleged reason for Manalo's action, the question now is, "how do these doctrines stand against scrutiny?"

To put it bluntly, Felix Manalo's set of fundamental doctrines--upon which his organization rests on--depends on deception as its core foundation. Without deception, Felix Manalo's doctrines would fall apart as you'll see later.

To support its fundamental doctrines among others, Iglesia makes a very deceitful claim that they are "bible-based." The fact is, Iglesia uses deception to delude its followers when attempting to "prove" its doctrines "with the bible." How?



Manalo's basic deception formula 1



Note: Iglesia's basic technique of deception is to cite biblical verses and ignore the surrounding passages that further gives meaning to them. The effect is dramatic and illusive.
For example, when proving that Felix Manalo will 'emerge' during WW1 to begin his mission, one of Iglesia's "proofs" is

Rev. 6:15 "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains."
Iglesia stops at verse 15 and purposely ignores the rest. Instead of reading subsequent passages, Iglesia immediately (yes, that's immediately--before anyone can think of reading the subsequent passages) supplements this verse with a reference to 'prove' that soldiers and their commanders did in fact 'hide' or barricade themselves in mountain barracks during WW1. It sounds fine initially, but reading on to the following passages reveals just how illusive this 'proof' is,
Rev. 6:15-17, "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? "(emphasis ours)


As you can see, the bible actually attests these people are not hiding from a 'war' after all--contrary to what Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking. You only need to read beyond Iglesia's "biblical proofs" to see Felix and Erano Manalo's self-serving deceptions such as these.

Due to time constraints, we've excluded other biblical 'proofs' used by INC for each doctrine in Sections 2.1 to 2.3. We've chosen to exclude most of these biblical citations for their lack of controversy as most Christians would agree with them. On the other hand, omissions of other controversial 'proofs' were made simply because there was just no time. However, if one applied the Twelve Precautions, these excluded controversial 'proofs' would also fall in shambles like those we'll expose on this page.

On this page, we've concentrated on the most pivotal and counterfeit "biblical proofs" that Manalo uses to delude prospects and adherents with. If you feel we excluded anything that ought to be brought up, please feel free to write us!



Manalo's deception formula 2



Note: One of Manalo's basic deception formula is to introduce biblical verses and accompanying non-counterfeit teachings then delude by elusively inserting distorted verses and accompanying 'unique' counterfeit doctrines.
For example, when tricking listeners with Iglesia ni Cristo's "name doctrine," Iglesia sets the stage by citing biblical passages that attest one must belong to Christ's church or flock to receive God's grace of salvation (John 10:9, John 10:16, Acts 20:28). At this point, reading these passages would affirm these initial assertions. The devious trick comes when Iglesia deludes the listener into thinking Acts 20:28 (Lamsa) is stating the church's name ("Church of Christ"), when in fact a more careful reading reveals otherwise!

Take careful note of the basic deception pattern that will appear time and time again:

introduction of non-counterfeit teachings/assertions with accompanying biblical citations
elusive insertion of counterfeit teachings/assertions with accompanying distorted biblical citations that have been isolated from the surrounding passages




2.1 Try to "prove" that Felix Manalo was prophesied in the bible as the "last messenger of these last days" who will "restore" Christ's apostasied church (normally integrated with doctrine in Section 2.2)


Iglesia's "last messenger" doctrine is pivotal since it's used to justify its "sole authority to preach." That is, when disagreeing with an Iglesia preacher's biblical "interpretations", one would be told, "you can not tell us we're wrong because you weren't taught by a 'messenger' (Felix Manalo) who was 'sent'" see Precaution 4 or "the reason why you can not see the 'true' meaning of those 'biblical proofs' is because you were not sent by God like Felix Manalo was."

At this point, the natural course of discussion is to examine whether or not Felix Manalo's "authority to preach" is authentic. If one finds it to be counterfeit, then it wouldn't make any sense for Iglesia to use this counterfeit authority to justify the rest of its doctrines. Common sense says that it is also equally wrong to deceive others in an attempt to build for oneself this authority.

After this section, you'll learn Iglesia's "last messenger" doctrine is founded on Mr. Manalo's self-serving personal additions, subtractions, imaginations, distortions, and deceptions that are not written in the bible. Being founded on deceptions, the "last messenger" doctrine is plainly a counterfeit authority that Felix Manalo employed to delude his ministers and well-meaning adherents with.




Reminder: When listening to this doctrine, you'll be introduced to what Iglesia terms as the "seven seals" which Manalo appeared to have "borrowed" from denominations he once belonged to. We have focused on the most pivotal verses Iglesia utilizes to isolate and distort the meanings of in its attempt to illusively "prove" its doctrines with the bible.




Here are Manalo's deceptions exposed
This section is divided in two subsections. Subsection 1 deals with Felix Manalo's "proofs" based on verses in Isaiah 41 and 46. Subsection 2 deals with "proofs" used in Revelations 6 and 7.

Subsection 1 --Isaiah

Biblical verses that Iglesia uses to "prove" Felix Manalo's "prophecy" actually describe King Cyrus of Persia--not Felix Manalo. It attempts to prove Felix Manalo's "prophecy" by using the following verses:

Chapter 41:2 God "has stirred up one from the east... [God] hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow....(emphasis ours)" We cannot document the Iglesia read this particular verse, but if read in context, it's apparently describing the same person in the next citations which Iglesia claims refers to Felix Manalo.

Chapter 41:10, further describes "God will uphold [him] with His right hand."Iglesia claims this refers to Felix Manalo.

Chapter 41:13 "For I am the lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand...." (emphasis ours) Iglesia claims this refers to Felix Manalo's "hand."

Chapter 41:15 "...you will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce hills to chaff." Again supposedly refers to Felix Manalo.

By reading the whole chapter and paying close attention to Isaiah 41:2,10,13,l5, there's an image of a fearsome "warrior" whom God called from the east. Iglesia claims this is Felix Manalo from the Philippines. There's one big problem with the Iglesia interpretation because in

Chapter 45:1-2 it clearly says, "This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains.... (emphasis ours)" These verses clearly identify the "warrior" in Chapter 41. It is so specific that the name of this prophesied individual was given--Cyrus. Chapter 45 states it is Cyrus who will subdue kings, whose right hand God will take hold of, and who will "level mountains"-- not Felix Manalo as Iglesia deludes its followers into thinking.

Moreover, according to the geographical map at the time of the scripture's writer, a far off land in the east pointed to the area of Persia which is where Cyrus came from. The writer of the time was apparently not referring to the "Far East" of today--contrary to what Iglesia claims.

As for Isaiah 46:11-13, Cyrus' symbol was an eagle--a bird of prey. This is what these passages refer to--not Felix Manalo as Iglesia claims.

Subsection 2 -- Revelations 7:2,3

What Iglesia presents.

To further "prove" Felix Manalo's appointment as God's "messenger," Iglesia uses

Revelations 7:2,3 "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
Iglesia stops reading at this point and claims this fifth angel "ascending from the east" symbolizes Felix Manalo from the Philippines (See Section 2.4). Iglesia further explains that "sealing" is supposedly done through "preaching" as written in Eph. 1:13,14. Therefore, Felix Manalo will "preach" to God's servants--supposedly Iglesia members since 1914 (more on this in Section 2.2). There are four problems with Iglesia's "exegesis."

Cont'd
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre

First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?



Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo Cont'd


Four reasons why Iglesia's "exegesis" is a fraudulent scheme

First, they're equating the term "sealing" with that used in Eph. 1:13,14 although it is apparently used differently. On one hand, Eph. 1 uses the term in a figurative context. On the other hand, in Rev 7, it's used in a more literal sense--they will be "sealed on their foreheads." But regardless of whether or not it's figurative language, assuming "sealing" is actually achieved through "preaching", Iglesia still runs into more and even greater problems...

Second, based on what the bible states, John's vision describes the fifth angel--supposedly Felix Manalo--crying to the first four angels described in Rev. 7:1. This fifth angel cried to the first four angels Rev. 7:2-3

"hurt not...until we have sealed the servants...." (emphasis ours)
Based on what's written,--without any additions from Manalo-- the fifth angel summoned the first four "angels" to perform the "sealing." In that case, assuming "sealing" is indeed achieved through "preaching," Iglesia has a problem because they also assert the first four angels who "had the power to hold back the winds [of war]" were the Council of Four or "Big Four" (George, Wilson, Clemenceau, Orlando) at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of WWI. Did these four seal or "preach" the gospels as Manalo did? Apparently not.





TRICK EXPOSED!
Note: In an attempt to divert your mind from thinking of this obvious problem, Iglesia ministers will likely distract you by exaggerating the issue of what the word "cried" means. While he's at it, one thing to keep your eyes wide open for is whether or not the "cried" you'll be shown are used in the same way as in Rev. 7:2.

The fact will remain, without any additions or alterations from Manalo, the bible clearly states that the first four angels in Rev. 7:1 were called by the fifth angel in Rev. 7:2 to perform the sealing (or atleast perform something) together. The fact will also remain, the Big Four whom these five angels supposedly 'represent' neither did 'seal/preach' nor do anything together!
Beware of Manalo's trick!




Third, Felix managed to further delude millions by claiming the fifth angel (Felix supposedly) stated (Revelations 7:3) "...until we have sealed the servants..." (emphasis ours) to include Felix's trained ministers--not the four angels (Rev 7:1) as John's vision specifically illustrates. Ask yourself, does John's vision say the fifth angel had 'ministers' or anybody else with him? As you can see, the answer is no--contrary to what Felix deceived hundreds of thousands into thinking. Once again, Felix is guilty of adding to what the bible actually states.

Fourth, without adding nor subtracting from what the bible actually states , reading beyond Rev. 7:3 clearly specifies these five angels will seal 144, 000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. Did Felix and any of the Big Four do anything to this effect? Apparently not.

It's no surprise Iglesia stops reading after Rev. 7:3. The rest of the chapter contradicts Felix's deceitful claim!






Note: In an attempt to divert your attention from these exegetical problems, Iglesia will often exaggerate the question of whether or not an "angel" needs to have "wings" or whether or not he needs to be "Christian." This is a RED HERRING. We repeat, this is a RED HERRING. It's an attempt to distract you from thinking of or asking about real questions (such as those we've mentioned) that would render their "interpretation" a hoax. The fact remains, by abiding to what scriptures actually state, these "angels" do not at all fit what Iglesia will attempt to delude you into thinking.




In conclusion, Mr. Manalo's "last messenger" prophecy is based on his deceitful self-serving scheme. He plainly could not be a follower of God. His doctrines were made by lifting up passages and ignoring the surrounding verses--thus altering the meanings in an attempt to fit his doctrine. This is evidence that Felix is not the "last" but the false messenger of "these last days". On the other hand, we must concede that the bible in fact has a prophetic vision for Mr. Felix Manalo, Erano Manalo and unfortunately their trained preachers. For committing these biblical additions and deceitful schemes, they qualify for a "reward" John described in

Rev. 22:18,19 "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." (emphasis ours)





Note: With Manalo's counterfeit "last messenger" doctrine refuted and proven a deceitful scheme, it would be senseless to use it to justify the rest of its deceitful "biblical interpretations." Common sense says a person who authenticates his "authority" with a "prophecy" founded on deception--as Felix Manalo did--is someone who plainly can not be a follower of God. As 1 Tim. 4:1 warns, "...the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons... (emphasis ours)".
At this point, further discussions of other Iglesia doctrines would be overkill. However, we'd like to share a few more basic Iglesia doctrines that are also based, again, on deception.




2.2 Try to show when the "true church" will "re-emerge"



Iglesia's doctrine that the "last messenger" (Felix Manalo) will re-establish the "true church" during WWI is founded on another deceitful scheme as you'll see in this section.

According to Iglesia's record, it was registered in the Philippine government in July 1914--around/at the onset of WW1. "Incidentally," one of Iglesia's fundamental doctrines is that the "last messenger" of God will begin "preaching the true gospel" and "re-establish" the "true church" in WW1.

What Iglesia presents.

To delude the indoctrinee into believing this deceitful doctrine, Iglesia sets the stage by citing biblical passages that are supposedly signs of the period just before the "last messenger's" (Felix) appearance. (One of these signs which we'll focus on is supposedly WW1. This, as you'll see later, is a hoax.) They illustrate these "signs" with the following passages:

Matt. 24:6-7 "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars...nation will rise against nation.....There will be famines...earthquakes in various places...."
They further tie this in with the following passages...

Rev. 6:12, 13, 15 "...a great earthquake...sun turned black like sackcloth...moon turned blood red...kings of the earth...and every free man hid in caves among the rocks of mountains"
Iglesia is particular about the order of this list which supposedly corresponded to specific events in history. To support their claims, Iglesia will cite historic events that supposedly corresponded to these visions--an earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon turning red, stars falling from the sky. These events supposedly preceeded the "re-emergence" of Christ's "true church." (Unfortunately, we cannot provide references on these historical events at the moment but if you insist, you may approach the Seventh Day Adventists from whom Felix Manalo plagiarized this 'revelation' from.)
Take note of

Rev. 6:15"...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains."
Iglesia claims this is referring to WW1 and attempts to 'prove' it through a reference that attest to soldiers and commanders who hid in mountain cave bunkers in that war. Iglesia will also emphasize WWI was the first war the telegraph was widely used--thus signifying the spreading of "rumors of wars" (Matt. 24:6). These were supposedly 'proofs' that Rev. 6:15 'pointed' to WW1. At this point, one may somewhat be awed by the similarities.
Immediately following Rev. 6:15, Iglesia would then cite

Rev. 7:2,3 "And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."(emphasis ours)
Iglesia will claim this fifth "angel ascending from the east" refers to Felix Manalo as he "re-established" Christ's "true church" at the beginning of WW1 (Rev. 6:15). Without your own bible and by neglecting Precaution 3, Iglesia may indeed delude you at this point. (Iglesia will likely provide other passages or "proofs". Whatever these may be, remember Precaution 3 to help you better scrutinize these.)

Why Iglesia's doctrine of the 'messenger' emerging during WW1 is a deception

First of all, again, these interpretations of the imminence of Judgement Day in Matthew 24 and Rev. 6 are not God-given "revelations" to Felix Manalo--contrary to what Iglesia leads others to think. Prior to his "re-establishing" the church in 1914, Manalo "adopted" them after a stint with the Seventh Day Adventists. (Isang Pagbubunyag Sa Iglesia ni Cristo, 1964).

Second, we'll focus on the supposed 'war' during which Iglesia claims the 'messenger' will start his mission--WW1. Iglesia claims Rev. 6:12, 13, 15's mention of 'wars', 'rumors of wars', and people hiding in 'mountain caves' signified WW1--the period within which Manalo registered the church. Let's review these passages more closely.

Wars? There had been wars of all types throughout recorded history--both before and AFTER 1914. Who said it had to be WWI? Iglesia would argue that WWI was the Great War which involved numerous countries, but did the scriptures state it had to be a "great war?" Apparently not--contrary to what Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking. Besides, WWI lost its "greatness" after WWII.

Rumors of wars? WW1 was NOT the first time rumors of war was spread! Before 1914, rumors of wars were ALREADY spread by mouth, letter, or printed press. It could refer to other methods of modern telecommunications we have today such as tv, radio, and the internet! Who said the rumor had to be spread far and wide and by telegraph? Not the bible, though Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking otherwise.

At this point, Iglesia will likely argue that "wars and rumors of wars existing before and after 1914 does not necessarily mean Manalo was wrong for establising a church within that period. It just means he was within the 'right' time period". This sounds like a reasonable argument until you further examine Iglesia's technique of isolating verses which, in effect, 'takes away' from what scriptures actually state. To see how deceptive and misleading this Iglesia technique can be, let's move on to the next verse in study. Iglesia claims

Rev. 6:15, "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains,"
describes people hiding in cave bunkers during WW1. Instead of proceeding to the next passages, Iglesia will quickly present a quotation from a history book (or other) that describes people hiding in cave bunkers during WW1. But does Rev. 6:15 actually describe people hiding from a 'war' as Iglesia deluded so many into thinking? You can find the answer by reading on.

Cont'd
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre

First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?



Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo cont'd


MAJOR POINT OF DECEPTION

Note: This is probably one of the most blatant deception we've found in this sect. It is also a dead giveaway of Felix Manalo's authenticity as "God's messenger." Just by reading on beyond Rev. 6:15...(you've probably noticed already if you've been reading along with your bible)
Rev. 6:15-17, "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? "(emphasis ours)
So, whoever they were, they were apparently hiding from the day of the the Lamb's wrath--NOT from a war as Manalo deluded so many into thinking. At this point, Felix Manalo's doctrine once more falls in shambles. This is an undeniable deception. For a man this deceitful to dare claim to be "God's messenger" is outright blasphemy!




Berean Ministries
 
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edpobre

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Originally posted by gunnysgt
The Iglesia Ni Cristo and The Bible: A Handling Example.
By: Chris Anna

It is important to note how the Word of God is handled by the INC. The INC claims to believe in the Word of God as the Truth.

The Word of God is written in the Bible and since all scripture is inspired by God (cf. II Tim. 3:15-16) then the Iglesia Ni Cristo has faith in the Bible as the truth and thus, the Bible contains no falsehoods. 

This sounds very good. Of course, God's Word is Truth (Jn. 17:17).
With this in mind, then, does the INC correctly handle the Word of God? No it does not! Let us see an example (it may be a little long, so bear with me). The following quote is talking about Felix Manalo, the so-called ?last messenger? of God, in an attempt to prove that the INC is the True Church by virtue of the ?prophecy? about him.

Now for the quote. I feel it necessary to quote numerous paragraphs here, to get the context.

?The Prophet Isaiah himself recorded the prophecy of God that the Almighty will choose His servant,
a messenger from the ends of the earth whom He will uphold with His righteousness.

?Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto
thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.? (Is. 41:9-10, Ibid. [KJV].)

The righteousness that God will use in upholding His messenger is actually the Gospel of Christ which, according to Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome, is also the power of God unto
salvation (cf. Rom. 1:16-17)

This messenger, therefore, is armed with the Gospel of Christ, the message of truth that will sanctify man and lead him to salvation.

This same messenger will be instrumental in the bringing and gathering of God?s sons and daughters from the Far East and the Far west. Again, this is proven by the prophecies of God as written in the book of prophet Isaiah, thus,

?From the far east will I bring your offspring, and from the far west I will gather you, I will bid the north lands
give them up, and bid the south let go, bringing my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth.? (Is.
43:5-6, Moffatt)

The work of this messenger (that is, to preach the Gospel of Christ so that man could attain salvation) was likened by God to that of a ravenous bird for He will snatch God?s people from the clutches of false religions. Another prophecy supports this Biblical truth:

?Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness: I bring near my righteousness: it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.? (Is. 46:11-13, KJV)

These prophecies were fulfilled in Brother Felix Y. Manalo who preached about the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines, a Country in the Far East (Asia and the Philippines, p. 169) in 1914 as the First World War was breaking out in Europe. This period of time scripturally is referred to as the ends of the earth (cf
Is 41:9-10; 43:5-6) the time when the end of the world is near, even at the doors (cf. Mt. 24:3, 33), which began with the outbreak of a war of global proportions (cf. Mt. 24:6-7).?(2)

If you simply read the verse in context (Isaiah 43:5-6, above), or even the verses by themselves, you will see that ?ends of the earth? is not a time period as mentioned by the author
in the last paragraph of my quote, but rather, it is talking about physical dimensions or directions. It means from all over the earth; from the west, the east, the south, and the north. This has nothing to do with time period.

This is an obvious and simple mis-interpretation of Scripture, but if taken the way it is meant by the INC, it has much bearing on their view of Felix Manalo as the ?fulfillment? of these scriptures. Their doctrine of the fulfillment of these passages by Felix Manalo cannot stand if the ?ends of the earth? does not refer to the last days here in these passages. This is because, according to the INC writers, the last days started with WWI, when Felix Manalo also began the INC!

Look at the other quoted verse (Is. 41:9-10) which mentions ?ends of the earth?, and which is also supposedly speaking of Felix Manalo as ?Thou whom I have taken from?and called thee?? So, Felix Manalo is called in the last days, seeing as how the last days started with WWI, and the ?ministry? of Mr. Manalo also started at the same time?



You said that "ends of the earth" means from all over the earth; from the west, the east, the south, and the north and has nothing to do with time period.  Isaiah 41:9 says: "Thou whom I have taken from the "ends of the earth..." Are you saying that this man whom God has taken from the "ends of the earth" was PHYSICALLY taken from ALL directions (west, east south, north) from all over he earth?

Are you telling us that it is possible for ONE man to be taken from ALL directions all over the earth? How gunnysgt? One ear comes from the west, the other ear comes from the east, one eye comes from the north, another from the south, etc...?

And how do you explain Isaiah 46:11 gunnysgt? Who is the fulfillment of this ravenous bird, this man from a  FAR contry who will execute God's counsel? Isn't this the SAME man whom God will take from the "ends of the earth?"

Do you know anyone who FITS these descriptions other than God's LAST messenger in these last days (ends of the earth)?

It's really a coincidence that was made to fit the Scriptures like a square peg being pounded into a round hole by a hammer! If you pound the square peg (the INC doctrines) long enough, the round hole (Scriptures) will eventually appear to resemble the square.

You must be thinking of the Trinity doctrine and the doctrine that Jesus is God (square pegs) that have been pounded long enough (almost 1,700 years), that the round hole (Scriptures)  have APPEARED to resemble or fit these square pegs.

Ed
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre
First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?



The Felix Manalo Prophecy
By: Chris Anna

So far, we have seen some of the ??evidences? that the INC has given to show that it is the ?true
church?: no Trinity, Jesus is not God but a man only, salvation is by means of the INC, etc. They also
claim that they truly follow the commands of God, as in this quote, ?All the doctrines of the Church of
Christ are in complete accord with Biblical precepts. This Church therefore, passes the first test of the
true religion given by the Prophet Isaiah: The teachings.?(1) I will have more on this later. At this
point, I want to focus on another crucial doctrine of the INC. That is their claim to fulfill Biblical
prophecy as proof that they are the ?only true church?.

As with any religious group, we need to be wary about groups that claim that they fulfill Biblical
prophecy.

As mentioned earlier, various groups have attacked the historic Christian faith, which is from
Jesus Himself, in every century since the time of Christ. The attacks have come in the form of
heretical teachings, which stem from various motives. Usually it is from incorrect interpretation of
Scripture. It is no different today. The INC has attacked historical Christianity by claiming that after
the Apostles, such a great apostasy came into the Church that there were no longer any true Christians.
Here is some evidence to this belief:


?Eventually, after the death of the Apostles, this Church which was established by Christ
in the first century departed from the true faith. It was apostatized.? (2)
?This Church [INC] is the continuation, so to speak, of the Church that Jesus
established in the first century, the same Church which suffered from the great
apostasy when false teachers introduced doctrines alien to the original teachings of
the Lord upon the death of the Apostles. ?The prophecy [Revelation 7:2-3] also
describes laconically the kind of Church the Iglesia Ni Cristo would be as it emerges
once more in the 20th century.? (3, emphasis and underline added)


Therefore, according to the INC, from the death of the Apostles to the early twentieth century, there was no
true church, until Felix Manalo started the Iglesia Ni Cristo. It is the re-emergence of the Church that
Christ started prior to the apostasy. The false teachers and alien doctrines of course include the
Roman Catholic Church. To the INC, even the Reformation of the 1600?s did not bring back true
Christianity, but rather made the situation worse. Now there are even divisions over teachings among
the Protestants. This means that there is not one true church of Christ among the Protestants, but
many churches that are not part of Christ?s body, because they are not the ?Church of Christ.?
So, regarding the INC?s ?fulfillment? of Biblical prophecy, let us start with a short passage from
God?s Message,


?What about the second proof given by prophet Isaiah, the testimony? Is the Church of
Christ proven by the testimony of Jesus? What is the testimony of Jesus? Revelation 19:10
reveals that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy:
?And I fell at his feet to worship him, And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: Worship God: for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.? (King James Version)
The true religion must also be proven by the spirit of prophecy.? (4)

What does ?spirit of prophecy? mean? A careful study using some good Greek dictionaries and a
concordance reveals that ?spirit?, in this verse, means ?purpose?, or ?aim?. So we are first of all talking
about the purpose or aim of prophecy. The next important question here is, ?What is prophecy??
Vine?s dictionary defines it primarily this way: ?propheteia?signifies ?the speaking forth of the mind
and counsel of God.?? It does not only mean telling the future. It means a direct word from God,
which could pertain to past or present or future. {See 1Cor 14:3}
With this in mind, how does the INC believe that they are the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy?
There are basically two Scripture passages that I will focus on. These are John 10:16, and Revelation 7:2-3
The Iglesia Ni Cristo builds its case concerning Felix Manalo by using the words of Jesus in John
10:16: ?And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; and I must bring them also, and they shall
hear my voice and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.? (NASB) Here is what an INC
writer wrote concerning this.

?It [the INC] was founded by virtue of the prophecy mentioned in John 10:16 (we will
dwell with this passage separately) as regards the other sheep of Christ which would
come from a far country (cf. Acts 2:39).?(5)

We must ask the question; is this verse really referring to Iglesia Ni Cristo? Or, could it be
referring to someone else? To answer this, we must first discover who the first sheep are, before we
can discover who the ?other sheep? are.
There are essentially two groups of people, Jews and non-Jews, or Gentiles. Everyone who is not
a Jew is a Gentile. In the Old Testament, the people of God, that is, the Israelites, were compared to
sheep, or a flock, as in Isaiah 40:11. They were chosen by God as in Deuteronomy 7:6. Since the
Jews were the first sheep, then the ?other sheep? must logically come from the Gentiles. So since
Jesus is speaking to Jews in John 10:16, then He must mean that the ?other sheep? are Gentile
followers! For further example, Matthew Henry wrote in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, ?He
[Christ] had sometimes intimated His special concern for the lost sheep of the House of Israel, but,
saith He, I have other sheep. Those who in process of time should believe in Christ, from among the
Gentiles, are here called sheep.?(6) Before Christ, the people of Israel were God?s sheep. But now,
because of Christ, even the Gentiles who believe are included, ?and they shall become one flock with
one Shepherd.? At this point in time, there was not yet a church, so the Gentile followers He was
speaking of would come along in the future. But it was not long, since in the book of Acts, gentiles
were witnessed to and included in the sheepfold along with Jews who will believe. {Also see epistles
for the two becoming one flock, Jews and Gentiles} So, the ?one flock? that Jesus is speaking of here
is made up of believing Jews and Gentiles.
Could Jesus have been speaking specifically about the Iglesia Ni Cristo in this passage? The
?other sheep,? as I have mentioned, came along not too much later, in the book of Acts. Felix Manalo
started the Iglesia Ni Cristo in 1914! That is about 1800 years later! But aren?t the INC members also
Gentiles? Yes. So wouldn?t they be included in the sheepfold just like any other Gentile church, even
though years later? No. I?ll explain more on that when we get into some of their other doctrines.
Also, For the INC to be the ?other sheep?, and no other Gentiles were included from the Apostles until
The INC came, then that means that there must have been a discontinuation of the church in history.
But there was not! We see in Christian history a continuation and perseverance of Christ?s Church,
from Christ until now. There was never a time when the entire body of Christ fell away, creating a
need for another group of sheep to come and continue it.

Now for Revelation 7:2-3. The INC claims that Felix Manalo is the fulfillment of prophecy in
these verses, thus,


?We believe that the late Brother Felix Y. Manalo is God?s last messenger; he was the fulfillment of Biblical
Prophecies concerning the messenger from the far east (rev 7:2-3) who would preach to
God?s sons and daughters in these last days (Is. 43:5-6; 46:11; 41:9-11).? (7)

If this is true, then they may have a solid foundation to stand on concerning other doctrines that
they teach. If it is not true, then Felix Manalo is proven to be a false messenger and the church that he
started is also a false church, and should not be followed.

Revelation 7:1-3 (I include verse 1 for background) says, ?After this I saw four angels standing at
the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no winds should blow on
the earth, or on the sea or on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun,
having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was
granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we
have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads.?

So what is the prophecy here concerning Felix Manalo? The INC claims that he is the ?other
angel? in verse 2! What justifies this? The ?four winds?, according to INC writers, refers to World
War I, as follows:

?Wind in Revelation 7:3 refers to battle or war. And this war is not an ordinary
war, but one of global proportions. The prophecy describes it as four winds of the
earth, not because there would be four wars but because the war would involve the
four corners of the earth (cf. I Chron. 9:24) Indicating the nature of the war which is
global in scope. It is a world war that the four angels standing at the four corners of
the earth would hold back. Was there indeed a global war recorded in the annals of history which became the
fulfillment of this prophecy? Yes. That was the First World War that broke out in the year
1914.? (8)


cont'd
 
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Originally posted by edpobre
First, why should people believe you when you say "you know" that the founder of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is a "false prophet?" Where is your proof?


The Felix Manalo Prophecy Cont'd
By: Chris Anna


The INC claims that the four angels were the four world leaders who signed the treaty of
Versailles at the end of World War I. Felix Manalo started the INC at the same time that WWI broke
out. Felix Manalo is from the Philippines, which is in the ?center? of the Far East, hence, the ?rising of
the sun?. The ?ascending? means his teachings and church were growing and becoming widely known
as well as the work of evangelism.
?Wind,' first of all, can have different meanings based on the context. In some cases in
the Bible, it is used figuratively to mean battle or war. So, for the sake of argument, let us say that it
really means war in this particular case, specifically WWI. Does this fit with what the Scripture says
in context? The four angels were already holding back the winds so that no harm would come to the
earth etc. The INC teaches that WWI was already happening (earth being harmed etc) when the [Big
Four] stopped it (held back the winds). Also, the other angel ?cried out to them with a loud voice.? With
regard to this part of the Scripture, the INC explains in their God?s Message magazine that this is not
to be taken literally.(9) Felix Manalo, they admit, never communicated with the Big Four! Also, the
other angel told them not to harm the earth, etc, until after the bondservants of God were sealed,
which would have to mean INC members of course, since they are ?the One True Church?. So, if the
winds here mean war, then this effectively means that no war could occur until after the bondservants
of God were sealed. But of course we know that not all the bondservants (lets say INC members for
argument) are even sealed yet, since they are still bringing more members into their church. And we
know also that numerous wars have occurred since WWI, including another war of global proportions
(WWII). So even if the winds in this passage literally mean war, and more specifically WWI, then
the full membership of the INC should have been completed prior to WWI! Therefore, does
Revelation 7:1-3 speak of Felix Manalo and his church? No it does not! If the Word of God did not
prophesy about Felix Manalo in this passage then who did? I maintain that the INC is not the
fulfillment of any prophecy, but rather the creator of false prophecies due in part to false interpretation
of Scriptures. Since the claim has been made by INC that Felix Manalo is an ?angel? or messenger of
God, then where would his message logically come from? It would come from God if he was a true
messenger of God. But the prophecy concerning the INC and WWI is not true, since the verses used
to support it are not about the WWI or the INC. Well then, where does Felix Manalo, and the INC
for that matter, fit into prophecy? Here is where they fit in: ?When a prophet speaks in the name
of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.
The prophet has spoken presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.? (Deut 18:22) Therefore,
Felix Manalo and also his church, is not a true messenger of God.

References:

1. Bocabo, Antonio E. Jr. ?On Choosing The True Religion.?
God?s Message, October ? December 1991, pg.14.

2. Santiago, Bienvenido C. ?What We Believe and Why.?
God?s Message, Special Issue, ?Iglesia Ni Cristo, 25 Years In The West: All For God?s Glory!,
1993, pg. 25

3. Fuentes, Feljun B. ?The Angel From The East And His
Message.? God?s Message, Special Issue, ?Iglesia Ni Cristo, 25 Years In The West: All For God?s Glory!,
1993, pg. 17

4. Bocabo, Antonio E. Jr. ?On Choosing The True Religion.?
God?s Message, October ? December 1991, pg. 14

5. Fuentes, Feljun B. ?The Angel From The East And His
Message.? God?s Message, Special Issue, ?Iglesia Ni Cristo, 25 Years In The West: All For God?s Glory!?,
1993, pg. 17

6. Church, Rev. Leslie F. Commentary on the Whole Bible by
Matthew Henry . Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960, pg. 1,564

7. Santiago, Bienvenido C. ?What We Believe and Why.? God?s
Message, Special Issue, ?Iglesia Ni Cristo, 25 Years In The West: All For God?s Glory!?,
1993, pg. 24.

8. Fuentes, Feljun B. ?The Angel From The East And His
Message.? God?s Message, Special Issue, ?Iglesia Ni Cristo, 25 Years In The West: All For God?s Glory!?,
1993, pg. 15

9. Santiago, Bienvenido C. ?The Church of Christ Today in Bible
Prophecies.? God?s Message, International Edition, April, 1997, pg. 5

NOTES:

1. [NOTE: We can see in context that the winds in this verse are more closely related to the catastrophic
events that will occur at the very end. The bondservants are the Elect of God (I didn?t say INC
members), and the sealing of them means they will be marked as ?owned by God? before
everything is destroyed and the final judgement occurs. The Elect will not face the wrath of God,
as the rest of the world will. It is impossible to say that the winds here mean WWI since all the
bondservants of God were not sealed prior to the war, which would have to be a chronological
prerequisite for the prophecy to be about WWI. The other angel said, ?do not harm? until after
the bondservants of God are sealed.? The order is bondservants sealed first, destruction from the
?winds? after. Therefore, we have discovered that the INC?s interpretation is wrong. Therefore
their ?Prophecy? is wrong. This is not a prophecy concerning Felix Manalo! This is a Prophecy
of the sealing of the believers in Christ prior to the final destruction of the universe and the
Second Coming of Christ. A good explanation can be found also in, ?The Lamb Is All The
Glory?, by Richard Brooks, (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1986) But even without this
book, anyone who studies the Book of Revelation can see that WWI does not fit in there. ]

2. [NOTE: The INC magazine, God?s Message (2, pg. 13) mentions that they believe that Felix Manalo
is the messenger sent by God in the last days of the Christian era, which immediately precedes the
end of the world (See ref 1, pg. 13). We have seen that Rev. 6 is talking about the end of the
world and the catastrophes that occur prior to the Second Coming of Christ. Rev 7 talks about
who will be able to stand with all the catastrophes- those who are sealed before they (the winds)
happen! This shows that Rev 7 is not talking about WWI, since it did not destroy the world like
those great catastrophes mentioned! Trying to make WWI fit with Rev 7 is confusing at best,
along with the idea that Felix Manalo is a messenger of God. ]
 
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2THESS 1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2THESS 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

2THESS 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

2THESS 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2THESS 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre
Felix Manalo is God's LAST messsenger.

MT 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

MT 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

MT 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
 
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Originally posted by edpobre
Felix Manalo is God's LAST messsenger.



Topics provided by: Catholic Answers



The Iglesia ni Cristo (Tagalog, "Church of Christ") claims to be the true Church established by Christ. Felix Manalo, its founder, proclaimed himself Gods prophet. Many tiny sects today claim to be the true Church, and many individuals claim to be Gods prophet. What makes Iglesia ni Cristo different is that it is not as tiny as others.

Since it was founded in the Philippines in 1914, it has grown to more than two hundred congregations in sixty-seven countries outside the Philippines, including an expanding United States contingent. The Iglesia keeps the exact number of members secret, but it is estimated to be between three million and ten million worldwide. It is larger than the Jehovahs Witnesses, a better known sect (which also claims to be Christs true Church). Iglesia is not better known, despite its numbers, because the majority of Iglesias members are Filipino. Virtually the only exceptions are a few non-Filipinos who have married into Iglesia families.

The organization publishes two magazines, Pasugo and Gods Message, which devote most of their energies toward condemning other Christian churches, especially the Catholic Church. The majority of the Iglesias members are ex-Catholics. The Philippines is the only dominantly Catholic nation in the Far East, with eighty-four percent of its population belonging to the Church. Since this is its largest potential source of converts, Iglesia relies on anti-Catholic scare tactics as support for its own doctrines, which cannot withstand biblical scrutiny. The Iglesia tries to convince people of its doctrines not by proving they are right, but by attempting to prove the Catholic Churchs teachings are wrong.


Is Christ God?

The Catholic teaching that most draws Iglesias fire is Christs divinity. Like the Jehovahs Witnesses, Iglesia claims that Jesus Christ is not God but a created being.

Yet the Bible is clear: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). We know Jesus is the Word because John 1:14 tells us, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." God the Father was not made flesh; it was Jesus, as even Iglesia admits. Jesus is the Word, the Word is God, therefore Jesus is God. Simple, yet Iglesia wont accept it.

In Deuteronomy 10:17 and 1 Timothy 6:15, God the Father is called the "Lord of lords," yet in other New Testament passages this divine title is applied directly to Jesus. In Revelation 17:14 we read, "They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings." And in Revelation 19:1316, John sees Jesus "clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords."

The fact that Jesus is God is indicated in numerous places in the New Testament. John 5:18 states that Jewish leaders sought to kill Jesus "because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God." Paul also states that Jesus was equal with God (Phil. 2:6). But if Jesus is equal with the Father, and the Father is a God, then Jesus is a God. Since there is only one God, Jesus and the Father must both be one Godone God in at least two persons (the Holy Spirit, of course, is the third person of the Trinity).

The same is shown in John 8:5659, where Jesus directly claims to be Yahweh ("I AM"). "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad. The Jews then said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM. So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple." Jesus audience understood exactly what he was claiming; that is why they picked up rocks to stone him. They considered him to be blaspheming God by claiming to be Yahweh.

The same truth is emphasized elsewhere. Paul stated that we are to live "awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13). And Peter addressed his second epistle to "those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:1).

Jesus is shown to be God most dramatically when Thomas, finally convinced that Jesus has risen, falls down and exclaims, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28)an event many in Iglesia have difficulty dealing with. When confronted with this passage in a debate with Catholic Answers founder Karl Keating, Iglesia apologist Jose Ventilacion replied with a straight face, "Thomas was wrong." (The video of this debate"Which is the true Church?"is available from Catholic Answers.)


Gods Messenger?

A litmus test for any religious group is the credibility of its founder in making his claims. Felix Manalos credibility and, consequently, his claims, are impossible to take seriously. He claimed to be "Gods messenger," divinely chosen to re-establish the true Church which, according to Manalo, disappeared in the first century due to apostasy. It was his role to restore numerous doctrines that the Church had abandoned. A quick look at Manalos background shows where these doctrines came from: Manalo stole them from other quasi-Christian religious sects.

Manalo was baptized a Catholic, but he left the Church as a teen. He became a Protestant, going through five different denominations, including the Seventh-Day Adventists. Finally, Manalo started his own church in 1914. In 1919, he left the Philippines because he wanted to learn more about religion. He came to America, to study with Protestants, whom Iglesia would later declare to be apostates, just like Catholics. Why, five years after being called by God to be his "last messenger," did Manalo go to the U.S. to learn from apostates? What could Gods messenger learn from a group that, according to Iglesia, had departed from the true faith?

The explanation is that, contrary to his later claims, Manalo did not believe himself to be Gods final messenger in 1914. He didnt use the last messenger doctrine until 1922. He appears to have adopted the messenger doctrine in response to a schism in the Iglesia movement. The schism was led by Teogilo Ora, one of its early ministers. Manalo appears to have developed the messenger doctrine to accumulate power and re-assert his leadership in the church.

This poses a problem for Iglesia, because if Manalo had been the new messenger called by God in 1914, why didnt he tell anybody prior to 1922? Because he didnt think of it until 1922. His situation in this respect parallels that of Mormonisms founder Joseph Smith, who claimed that when he was a boy, God appeared to him in a vision and told him all existing churches were corrupt and he was not to join them, that he would lead a movement to restore Gods true Church. But historical records show that Smith did join an inquirers class at an established Protestant church after his supposed vision from God. It was only in later years that Smith came up with his version of the "true messenger" doctrine, proving as much of an embarrassment for the Mormon church as Manalos similar doctrine does for Iglesia.


Iglesia Prophesied?

A pillar of Iglesia belief is that its emergence in the Philippines was prophesied in the Bible. This idea is supposedly found in Isaiah 43:56, which states, "Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, Give up, and the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth."

Iglesia argues that in this verse, Isaiah is referring to the "far east" and that this is the place where the "Church of Christ" will emerge in the last days. This point is constantly repeated in Iglesia literature: "The prophecy stated that Gods children shall come from the far east" (Pasugo, March 1975, 6).

But the phrase "far east" is not in the text. In fact, in the Tagalog (Filipino) translation, as well as in the original Hebrew, the words "far" and "east" are not even found in the same verse, yet the Iglesia recklessly combine the two verses to translate "far east." Using this fallacious technique, Iglesia claims that the far east refers to the Philippines.

Iglesia is so determined to convince its followers of this "fact" that it quotes Isaiah 43:5 from an inexact paraphrase by Protestant Bible scholar James Moffatt that reads, "From the far east will I bring your offspring." Citing this mistranslation, one Iglesia work states, "Is it not clear that you can read the words far east? Clear! Why does not the Tagalog Bible show them? That is not our fault, but that of those who translated the Tagalog Bible from Englishthe Catholics and Protestants" (Isang Pagbubunyag Sa Iglesia ni Cristo, 1964:131). The Iglesia accuses everyone else of mistranslating the Bible, when it is Iglesia that is taking liberties with the original language.


The Name Game

Iglesia takes great delight in pointing to its name as proof it is the true Church. They argue, "What is the name of Christs Church, as given in the Bible? It is the Church of Christ. Our church is called the Church of Christ. Therefore, ours is the Church Christ founded."

Whether or not the exact words "Church of Christ" appear in the Bible is irrelevant, but since Iglesia makes it an issue, it is important to note that the phrase "Church of Christ," never once appears in the Bible.

The verse Iglesia most often quotes on this issue is Romans 16:16: "Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you " (Pasugo, November 1973, 6). But the phrase in this verse is "churches of Christ." And its not a technical name. Paul is referring to a collection of local churches, not giving an organizational name.

To get further "proof" of its name, Iglesia cites Acts 20:28: "Take heed therefore . . . to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood" (Lamsa translation; cited in Pasugo, April 1978). But the Lamsa translation is not based on the original languages. In Greek, the language in which the book of Acts was written, the phrase is "the church of God" (ten ekklesian tou Theou) not "the church of Christ" (ten ekklesian tou Christou). Iglesia knows this, yet it continues to mislead its members.

Even if the phrase "church of Christ" did appear in the Bible, it would not help Iglesias case. Before Manalo started his church, there were already groups calling themselves "the Church of Christ." There are several Protestant denominations that call themselves Church of Christ and use exactly the same argument. Of course, they arent the true Church for the same reason Iglesia isntbecause they were not founded by Christ.

Cont'd
 
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Gunny

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Originally posted by edpobre
Felix Manalo is God's LAST messsenger.


Topics provided by: Catholic Answers Cont'd






Did Christs Church Apostatize?

The doctrines upon which all Iglesias other doctrines depend is its teaching that Christs Church apostatized in the early centuries. Like Mormonism, the Jehovahs Witnesses, and other fringe groups, Iglesia asserts that the early Christian Church suffered a total apostasy. It believes in "the complete disappearance of the first-century Church of Christ and the emergence of the Catholic Church" (Pasugo, July-Aug. 1979, 8).

But Jesus promised that his Church would never apostatize. He told Peter, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). If his Church had apostatized, then the gates of hell would have prevailed against it, making Christ a liar.

In other passages, Christ teaches the same truth. In Matthew 28:20 he said, "I am with you always even until the end of the world." And in John 14:16, 18 he said, "And I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever.
. . . I will not leave you desolate."

If Iglesia members accept the apostasy doctrine, they make Christ a liar. Since they believe Jesus Christ is not a liar, they are ignoring what Christ promised, and their doctrine contradicts Scripture.

They are, however, fulfilling Scripture. While Jesus taught that his Church would never apostatize, the Bible does teach that there will be a great apostasy, or falling away from the Church. Paul prophesies: "[Do not] be quickly shaken in mind or excited . . . to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion [Greek: apostasia] comes first" (2 Thess. 2:23); "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1); and, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths" (2 Tim. 4:34). By falling away from the Church, members of Iglesia are committing precisely the kind of apostasy of which they accuse the Catholic Church.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:1: "Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world." Was Felix Manalo a true prophet? Is his church the "true Church?" If we test the claims of Iglesia ni Cristo, the answer is apparent. His total apostasy doctrine is in flat contradiction to Christs teaching. There is no way that Iglesia ni Cristo can be the true Church of Christ.
 
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edpobre

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Originally posted by gunnysgt
Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo

2. How the INC uses deception
Contrary to what Iglesia leads its prospective converts into thinking today, Felix Manalo's fundamental doctrines on its 'messenger' were not yet in place when he set out to begin his 'mission' in 1914. Both members and observers alike concede to this fact. According to some observers, Manalo devised these new set of doctrines in order to regain control of his organization after a schism in 1922. Regardless of the accuracy of the alleged reason for Manalo's action, the question now is, "how do these doctrines stand against scrutiny?"

Did Christ come up with all his doctrines in one day? In FACT most of his doctrines were PREACHED by the apostles through letters AFTER Christ has ascended to heaven.

Manalo's basic deception formula 1

Note: Iglesia's basic technique of deception is to cite biblical verses and ignore the surrounding passages that further gives meaning to them. The effect is dramatic and illusive.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo cites ONLY verses that are crucial to the issue at hand. On the  other hand, Trinitarians use surrounding passages to CLOUD the real meaning of a verse. For example, John 17:3 CLEARLY say that the FATHER is the ONLY true God. Trinitarians use John 17:5 to CLOUD the REAL meaning of John 17:3 and John 8:40 in order to MAKE Jesus God.

For example, when proving that Felix Manalo will 'emerge' during WW1 to begin his mission, one of Iglesia's "proofs" is

Rev. 6:15 "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains."
Iglesia stops at verse 15 and purposely ignores the rest. Instead of reading subsequent passages, Iglesia immediately (yes, that's immediately--before anyone can think of reading the subsequent passages) supplements this verse with a reference to 'prove' that soldiers and their commanders did in fact 'hide' or barricade themselves in mountain barracks during WW1. It sounds fine initially, but reading on to the following passages reveals just how illusive this 'proof' is,
Rev. 6:15-17, "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? "(emphasis ours)

As you can see, the bible actually attests these people are not hiding from a 'war' after all--contrary to what Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking. You only need to read beyond Iglesia's "biblical proofs" to see Felix and Erano Manalo's self-serving deceptions such as these.

I haven't heard Rev. 6:15 used to show that "soldiers and their commanders did in fact hide in their mountain barracks in WW I." Please show proof that the Iglesia Ni Cristo indeed uses Rev. 6:15.  

Manalo's deception formula 2

Note: One of Manalo's basic deception formula is to introduce biblical verses and accompanying non-counterfeit teachings then delude by elusively inserting distorted verses and accompanying 'unique' counterfeit doctrines.

For example, when tricking listeners with Iglesia ni Cristo's "name doctrine," Iglesia sets the stage by citing biblical passages that attest one must belong to Christ's church or flock to receive God's grace of salvation (John 10:9, John 10:16, Acts 20:28). At this point, reading these passages would affirm these initial assertions. The devious trick comes when Iglesia deludes the listener into thinking Acts 20:28 (Lamsa) is stating the church's name ("Church of Christ"), when in fact a more careful reading reveals otherwise!

It was Christ who BUILT his church. Christ SAID: "Upon this rock "I" will build "MY" church (Matt. 16:18). The church is Christ's BODY (Eph. 1:22-23). Therefore, the name of the church is "Church of Christ."

Christ SAID he is a MAN (John 8:40). God is SPIRIT (John 4:24) and has NO flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). God is INVISIBLE and IMMORTAL (1 Tim. 1:17). Therefore, it was NOT God who PURCHASED the church with His own blood (Acts 20:28 [iLamsa[/i]).

Apostle Paul CALLED members of the church "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16).

Here are Manalo's deceptions exposed
This section is divided in two subsections. Subsection 1 deals with Felix Manalo's "proofs" based on verses in Isaiah 41 and 46. Subsection 2 deals with "proofs" used in Revelations 6 and 7.

Subsection 1 --Isaiah

Biblical verses that Iglesia uses to "prove" Felix Manalo's "prophecy" actually describe King Cyrus of Persia--not Felix Manalo. It attempts to prove Felix Manalo's "prophecy" by using the following verses:

Chapter 41:2 God "has stirred up one from the east... [God] hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow....(emphasis ours)" We cannot document the Iglesia read this particular verse, but if read in context, it's apparently describing the same person in the next citations which Iglesia claims refers to Felix Manalo.

Chapter 41:10, further describes "God will uphold [him] with His right hand."Iglesia claims this refers to Felix Manalo.

Chapter 41:13 "For I am the lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand...." (emphasis ours) Iglesia claims this refers to Felix Manalo's "hand."

Chapter 41:15 "...you will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce hills to chaff." Again supposedly refers to Felix Manalo.

By reading the whole chapter and paying close attention to Isaiah 41:2,10,13,l5, there's an image of a fearsome "warrior" whom God called from the east. Iglesia claims this is Felix Manalo from the Philippines. There's one big problem with the Iglesia interpretation because in

Chapter 45:1-2 it clearly says, "This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains.... (emphasis ours)" These verses clearly identify the "warrior" in Chapter 41. It is so specific that the name of this prophesied individual was given--Cyrus. Chapter 45 states it is Cyrus who will subdue kings, whose right hand God will take hold of, and who will "level mountains"-- not Felix Manalo as Iglesia deludes its followers into thinking.

Moreover, according to the geographical map at the time of the scripture's writer, a far off land in the east pointed to the area of Persia which is where Cyrus came from. The writer of the time was apparently not referring to the "Far East" of today--contrary to what Iglesia claims.

As for Isaiah 46:11-13, Cyrus' symbol was an eagle--a bird of prey. This is what these passages refer to--not Felix Manalo as Iglesia claims.

The key to understanding Isaiah 41:9-10 is that this man whom God calls Israel and His servant Jacob (verse 8) is taken from the "ends of the earth." "Ends of the earth" is a time period corresponding to the "beginning of sorrows" BEFORE the END of this age.

Cyrus DIED before the "ends of the earth." Hence, he is NOT the one referred to in Isaiah 41:9-10.

Ed


 
 
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edpobre

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Originally posted by gunnysgt
Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo Cont'd

Four reasons why Iglesia's "exegesis" is a fraudulent scheme

First, they're equating the term "sealing" with that used in Eph. 1:13,14 although it is apparently used differently. On one hand, Eph. 1 uses the term in a figurative context. On the other hand, in Rev 7, it's used in a more literal sense--they will be "sealed on their foreheads." But regardless of whether or not it's figurative language, assuming "sealing" is actually achieved through "preaching", Iglesia still runs into more and even greater problems...

Why don't you tell us what these greater problems are. Unless you tell us what these greater problems are, you are the one DECEIVING people.

Second, based on what the bible states, John's vision describes the fifth angel--supposedly Felix Manalo--crying to the first four angels described in Rev. 7:1. This fifth angel cried to the first four angels Rev. 7:2-3

"hurt not...until we have sealed the servants...." (emphasis ours)
Based on what's written,--without any additions from Manalo-- the fifth angel summoned the first four "angels" to perform the "sealing." In that case, assuming "sealing" is indeed achieved through "preaching," Iglesia has a problem because they also assert the first four angels who "had the power to hold back the winds [of war]" were the Council of Four or "Big Four" (George, Wilson, Clemenceau, Orlando) at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of WWI. Did these four seal or "preach" the gospels as Manalo did? Apparently not.

Your interpretation of the phrase "...until WE have sealed the servants" is WRONG. The fifth angel's mission (sealing) is DIFFERENT from the four angels' mission which is to "harm the earth, the sea or the trees."

The fifth angel is NOT asking the four angels to help in the sealing of God's servants.

Third, Felix managed to further delude millions by claiming the fifth angel (Felix supposedly) stated (Revelations 7:3) "...until we have sealed the servants..." (emphasis ours) to include Felix's trained ministers--not the four angels (Rev 7:1) as John's vision specifically illustrates. Ask yourself, does John's vision say the fifth angel had 'ministers' or anybody else with him? As you can see, the answer is no--contrary to what Felix deceived hundreds of thousands into thinking. Once again, Felix is guilty of adding to what the bible actually states.

Since the mission of the four angels is to "harm the earth and the sea" (Rev. 7:2) and the fifth angel's mission is to seal, the "WE" in the phrase "...until WE have sealed..." refers to the fifth angel's COMPANIONS  in the "sealing" process which is NOT a one-time but a continuing activity. Hence, the "WE" refers to the ministers that the angel TAUGHT to continue the sealing function after he is gone.

Fourth, without adding nor subtracting from what the bible actually states , reading beyond Rev. 7:3 clearly specifies these five angels will seal 144, 000 from the 12 tribes of Israel. Did Felix and any of the Big Four do anything to this effect? Apparently not.

It's no surprise Iglesia stops reading after Rev. 7:3. The rest of the chapter contradicts Felix's deceitful claim!

As I  said, Rev. 7:2 states that the four angels' MISSION was to harm the earth and the sea - NOT to SEAL the servants of God.

Are the 144,000 the ONLY servants of God? They come from the 12 tribes of Israel BEFORE the birth of Jesus.

In Rev. 7:9, you will see a multitude of people standing before the throne. The elder tells John that these are the ones who come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb (Rev. 7:14-17).

These are the servants of God who were sealed by the apostles in the first century and by the fifth ANGEL and his COMPANIONS  in the "ends of the earth."

In conclusion, Mr. Manalo's "last messenger" prophecy is based on his deceitful self-serving scheme. He plainly could not be a follower of God. His doctrines were made by lifting up passages and ignoring the surrounding verses--thus altering the meanings in an attempt to fit his doctrine.

As anyone can see, this accusation is WITHOUT any FACTUAL basis. I leave it to the reader to use the intellect that God gave them to discern who is telling the truth.

Ed


 
 
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edpobre

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Originally posted by gunnysgt

2.2 Try to show when the "true church" will "re-emerge"

Iglesia's doctrine that the "last messenger" (Felix Manalo) will re-establish the "true church" during WWI is founded on another deceitful scheme as you'll see in this section.

Why Iglesia's doctrine of the 'messenger' emerging during WW1 is a deception

First of all, again, these interpretations of the imminence of Judgement Day in Matthew 24 and Rev. 6 are not God-given "revelations" to Felix Manalo--contrary to what Iglesia leads others to think. Prior to his "re-establishing" the church in 1914, Manalo "adopted" them after a stint with the Seventh Day Adventists. (Isang Pagbubunyag Sa Iglesia ni Cristo, 1964).

Who would have made Bro. Manalo "adopt" or interpret these verses this way but God? Where is the deception here? 

Second, we'll focus on the supposed 'war' during which Iglesia claims the 'messenger' will start his mission--WW1. Iglesia claims Rev. 6:12, 13, 15's mention of 'wars', 'rumors of wars', and people hiding in 'mountain caves' signified WW1--the period within which Manalo registered the church. Let's review these passages more closely.

Wars? There had been wars of all types throughout recorded history--both before and AFTER 1914. Who said it had to be WWI? Iglesia would argue that WWI was the Great War which involved numerous countries, but did the scriptures state it had to be a "great war?" Apparently not--contrary to what Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking. Besides, WWI lost its "greatness" after WWII.

Rumors of wars? WW1 was NOT the first time rumors of war was spread! Before 1914, rumors of wars were ALREADY spread by mouth, letter, or printed press. It could refer to other methods of modern telecommunications we have today such as tv, radio, and the internet! Who said the rumor had to be spread far and wide and by telegraph? Not the bible, though Iglesia will try to delude you into thinking otherwise.

Please tell us what WAR was made known world-wide by any means BEFORE World War I?

Ed



 
 
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edpobre

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Originally posted by gunnysgt
Berean Ministries: Iglesia ni Cristo cont'd

MAJOR POINT OF DECEPTION

Note: This is probably one of the most blatant deception we've found in this sect. It is also a dead giveaway of Felix Manalo's authenticity as "God's messenger." Just by reading on beyond Rev. 6:15...(you've probably noticed already if you've been reading along with your bible)

Rev. 6:15-17, "...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand? "(emphasis ours)

So, whoever they were, they were apparently hiding from the day of the the Lamb's wrath--NOT from a war as Manalo deluded so many into thinking. At this point, Felix Manalo's doctrine once more falls in shambles. This is an undeniable deception. For a man this deceitful to dare claim to be "God's messenger" is outright blasphemy!



Your interpretation of these verses is FALSE. 

First of all, NO ONE knows the day and hour of Christ's second coming. (Mark 13:32). 

Second of all, the Lord will come like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with  great noise, and the elements will MELT with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be BURNED up (2 Peter 3:10).

Will people have the time to hide?  And will they be able to hide? The answer to both questions is NO!

Clearly, this prophecy pertains to an event  that is as dreaded as the coming of the Lord, like World War I where underground bomb shelters were first used.

Ed
 
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OldShepherd

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Originally posted by edpobre
Clearly, this prophecy pertains to an event  that is as dreaded as the coming of the Lord, like World War I where underground bomb shelters were first used.
False! Undrground bomb shelters were used during the American civil war to protect against artillery and mortar fire. Tell me this is "mistranslated."

Civil War Field Fortifications Website

http://civilwarfortifications.com/acworks/glossary/xgb-012.html

Bomb-Proof. Any structure constructed with a roof designed to resist or absorb the impact and explosion of shells was said to be bomb-proof. Bomb-proofing in field fortifications generally required a heavy post and beam framework sunken below the natural level of the ground with a roof covering consisting of one or more courses of large diameter timbers covered by 4 to 6 feet of tamped soil. Powder magazines were generally made bomb-proof; fortifications exposed to enemy shell fire often included bomb-proof dug-outs and shelters where troops occupying a work could retire when under enemy bombardment. Bomb-proofing in permanent fortifications was considered to require masonry vaulted enclosures with arches at least three feet thick that were covered by a layer of tamped soil 3 to 6 feet deep. Free standing magazines, casemates, caponnieres, and other defensive structures within permanent fortifications were generally constructed as bomb-proof structures.
 
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Originally posted by gunnysgt
These are some of the INC teachings:

Lesson No. 3

The True Religion
Theme:
Not all churches are religions of God.
Objectives
Rebuke the erroneous belief that all churches are of God..
Convince the candidate for baptism to the knowledge that the Church established by Christ is only one -- the Iglesia ni Cristo.
Summary:

The commonly accepted belief that all churches belong to God is false. Christ founded only one true Church -- the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo). Therefore we should value the Church because herein are we able to do the kind of service acceptable to God and through which we shall be saved.


 
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