A Stressful Religious Life

A Stressful Religious Life

Christian life should be filled mostly with happiness with God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometime trials and sorrows, but not all the time. A life that is filled with love, caring and affection to each and everyone, even to members and non-members. Because love is the utmost teaching that should be maintained once a person becomes a member of a certain Church. A complete and fulfilled life. Well who doesn’t want to be at this state? Everybody loves to have a complete and fulfilled life with Jesus no matter what…

How about when its not? When your expectations go wrong and the things that you hope for is the reverse. The sermon you will hear is about internal problems of the Church. The financial management of your leaders and resources is at scarce. A mismanagement of funds from your voluntary contribution.

This is what’s going on with the religious group Members Church of God International, popularly known as Ang Dating Daan in the Philippines. They put members into a very stressful life instead of having fulfilled and complete spiritual lives. The expectation of receiving and hearing words of encouragement, words that could lead to a wonderful living is not given but instead hatred to other religion. To a particular religion spreading dread and fear not to go near or draw themselves to the members of the Church of Christ which does not do any harm with them.

How sad that members are taught to be hateful to their fellowmen even to the people sitting in government positions. Encouraging being rebellious which is against the law of men most fully to the law of God that is written in the Bible to abide and respect officials of the land. Their leaders and trustees are forcing members to contribute every week, not only every week but almost everyday. Assigning selected members which has properties to sell their homes and land. And the proceeds should be given to the alleged Church’s project.

But the thing is… It is not going to the Church but to the personal account of the leader and his deputy. Spending extravagantly for their personal welfare and for their beloved children. How sad what’s going on with the Church of God International in the Philippines. The leader have abscond to evade with a lot of legal problems; civil and criminal. Leaving the flock with unsure direction. A stressful religious life.

The Truth about Ang Dating Daan – ADD

(TOP – The Old Path) and Bro. Eli Soriano

There is frontline information being spread by the group Ang Dating Daan about their self. Regarding their humble beginning, doctrines and general information on what’s inside their congregation. They boastfully broadcast with all their collective effort thru local television, radio and online information that they are the true Church, which teaches the everlasting and untarnished Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. They also claim that their leader is the ‘real’ messenger of God that could answer most of the questions about the Bible and the key to Salvation. And 100% obeys the Doctrines of the New Testament that will lead to Eternal Life. One thing more, their church is the church that will be saved by Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment.

Were all of these claims for real? Let us find out what is the truth and lies behind these pronouncements. We will study this one by one.

First, let us know its history and background. Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path) is the facade of a religion, which is formerly known Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan which was registered way back 1977 by Fermin Calma, a close friend of Mr. Eliseo Soriano, in which Bro. Eli himself is the leader of the new break away group.

This happened after the death of Mr. Nicolas Perez from the religious group Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan.

The religious name that contain ‘Saligan’ was sued by the original religious group where it came from the ‘Suhay’, under the leadership of Ms. Levita Gugulan, its Presiding Minister. The case was closed, and under the command of the Securities and Exchange Commission the newly formed group of Mr. Soriano was ordered to change its name.

Unknowingly, when the case is still ongoing, Mr. Soriano registered another religious name similar to what was registered before, but it is more longer that is first registry – Ang Mga Kaanib sa Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan sa bansang Pilipinas - 1980. Added information were ‘Ang mga kaanib’ and ‘sa bansang Pilipinas.’

Unfortunately, this religious name has loosened its legality; a case was filed against this, due to ‘similarity of name’ which is strictly prohibited by law.

Another name was registered – Iglesia ni YHWH, under the same leadership, it loosen its legality again, due to lack of interest of the party to submit all the necessary papers and annual requirements for finances. The same thing happened to the name ‘Bayan ng Katotohanan’ that they have used for a short period of time.

For now, the official name that they use is Members Church of God International, which has a similar name to other religious group that originated in the United States. Hopefully, it will be invalid for insufficient documents, and failure to submit financial records to the Securities and Exchange Commission in the near future. Soon their religion will have no name.

But the name Ang Dating Daan which is a religion and a multiple broadcast program stays the same. This is one of the hidden truths about the historical official name of the group Ang Dating Daan.

This is just the beginning of a history which was hidden long time ago. Confusing? Right!!! Only few members knew about this essential information.

There’s more information to be revealed…

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Is Ang Dating Daan the True Church?

One of the claims of the leader of Ang Dating Daan, now called the Members of the Church of God International, is that their group is the true Church and all other congregations were false and not of God. Plus Mr. Soriano is the sent one or the true messenger of the Almighty.

In this world, people were divided in to two groups -- people of God and people of Evil, based on the writing of John 8:47, 44 from International Standard Version.

“The one who belongs to God listens to the words of God. The reason you do not listen is because you do not belong to God."

“You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”

It is one of the stunning declarations of Mr. Soriano that their Church is the 'True Church' and it is the only group that will be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ when he come back and He is the true messenger from God that carries the everlasting Gospel that would lead to the Kingdom of God.

How true is this claim? How about, if his claim is not true and Mr. Eli Soriano is a false prophet…? We will study this very carefully – his authenticity as a true messenger of God and his teachings.

Biblically speaking, there are many verses that Mr. Soriano is using to identify that he is the one being referred to by that particular verse. In example, he started claiming that he is the ‘one’ (wise man) being prophesied in the book of Ecclesiastes 9:14-15,

“There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.”

In Filipino translation,

“Nagkaroon ng maliit na bayan, at iilan ang tao sa loob niyaon; at may dumating na dakilang hari laban doon, at kumubkob, at nagtayo ng mga malaking tanggulan laban doon: May nasumpungan nga roong isang dukhang pantas na lalake, at iniligtas niya ng kaniyang karunungan ang bayan; gayon ma'y walang umalaala sa dukhang lalaking yaon.”

Mr. Soriano took the Filipino translation, thinking that this is suitable for him that he is the poor wise man. And the ‘little city’ is the congregation the he is holding. Knowing that he is the one that will save or deliver the small city by his wisdom. He strongly believes that this verse is a prophecy and not a part of a story being told in the book of Ecclesiastes.

Sad to say, in reality, the verse is not a prophecy that will happen in the future; this is a story that had happened during the time of King Solomon. The ‘city’ being referred to was the city being led by the son of David – he is the poor man and the wise man as well, and not Mr. Soriano.

That is very erroneous information to claim what is not his.

Claiming that he is the ‘wise man’, while he is really not. Besides it is not the fulfillment of something foretold to the establishment of their church.

When the Bible spoke of something in the future it is really sure to happen, it is not a prophecy that is like the thinking of ordinary man that it might or it might not be looking for chances. It will be fulfilled just like what God have said in Isaiah 45:21b,

…” I have spoken, and I will bring it about. I have planned it, and I will do it.”

Surely what God have spoken and He will do it.

In a scrutiny of their statement, there is no clear cut prophecy that was fulfilled in their group. The real fulfillment of a prophecy in the Bible has many elements.

1. The prophecy to the person and to the Church
2. The time that it would take place
3. The place that it would occur
4. The promised thing

These elements are not applicable to Ecclesiastes 9:14-15, either Mr. Soriano is wise and poor.

In a very careful study, he is not the first to claim that he is wise. It was first claimed by Mr. Nicolas Perez, the leader of the first religion he joined to. The Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan, that after the demise of the old Perez, Mr. Soriano made his own group with multiple names. Several elements of prophecy would not apply; the prophecy to the person – is it Mr. Perez or Mr. Soriano was the person being told in the verse? Is it the congregation of Mr. Perez or the congregation of Mr. Soriano? Who was the king that suppressed them? These are the questions that should be answered.

Mr. Soriano taught that it is Kingdom, not a king, the kingdom of Catholicism which he is trying deconstruct. Automatically it is wrong.

Conclusively, how can he strongly claim that what he is leading is the true church that all people should join to and he is the true messenger, when somebody is claiming the same title? That is a very big disrespect to his beloved mentor Mr. Perez. Ponder on these things and you will find out.

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