His Legacy will Remain in our Hearts

Just this morning while I was waiting in my turn for my second job interview, I received a text from a friend saying that Ka Erdy had already passed away.. “pinagpahinga na ang Ka Erdy…” At first, I can’t believe it, I had asked it to several brethren in text. My mama replied saying “Aimee, oo.” My eyes suddenly got blurred, warning to drop a tear. But I manage to keep it from falling to become presentable in the interview. And I shall have positive thoughts. It’s God’s will. Just like mama said in text, “..magpakatatag ka, lahat ay dapat mangyari, malapit na talaga!” Malapit na ang wakas.

While I’m walking in the long way of Ortigas, in my mind the thought still insist in here. I shall continue the fight, the fight that Ka Felix, Ka Erdy, the INC admins and INC members is been fighting for: To spread His truth, to do His will, to bring His people to His Holy Land.

Isang malaking pagsubok sa Iglesia ang pagdadalamhati na ito. Dito muling masusubok ang katatagan ng bawat kapatid.

“Kahit Tagapamahala man ay pumanaw,

Sa piling natin Siya’y buhay,

pagkat ang Kaniyang kahalalan

Ay di mamamatay.

Hangad ng sugo at pamamahala ng Ama

Tayo’y muling magkita

Makasama sa bayan Niya

Walang maiiwan..”

When I reached home, I watched the live coverage in channel 7. I hate the way Mel Tiangco and Mike Enriquez address Ka Erdy as “Eranio”, “Manalo”. The reporters are more polite than them addressing Ka Erdy as “Ka Erdy” or “Bro. Eranio”, unlike the two impolite newscasters. What a shame! They never even send their condolence to the INC. Never! I’m not angry but I got irate. I feel pity for them. It wouldn’t do good for them.

After attending our panata this evening, and it’s the prayer in Ka Erdy’s death, for God to continually guide His administration and His people more today that the world is coming to it’s very near ending.

He had finished his race and he’s now in his long peaceful sleep, waiting for the day of our salvation. We will altogether see each other again when that day comes.

He’s now gone physically but still, like the song above, his legacy will forever be living in the heart of every Iglesia Ni Cristo members.

We shall strive harder and fight for God’s truth. As Bro. Erdy said in his texto that is also viewed in 95^th Anniversary Special,

"Imisyon ninyo ang Iglesia, ke tanggapin nila, ke hindi,sabihin ninyo kung ano ang tunay na kaligtasan, sabihin ninyo kung ano talaga ang kaparaanan sa kaligtasan. Ang tunay na Iglesia Ni Cristo. Tanggapin nila't hindi, nakapagpatotoo kayo. Darating na si Cristo. "

These words strengthen my will to fight for God’s truth. I’ll tell my friends even they don’t believe. More important is I had told them the truth. The calling is from God. So I shall pray for them.

I’ll be finishing my race until the end.

This world Isn't my Home

"Earth hour may basbas". This was the title of a column written by Dona Pazzibugan in an Inquirer newspaper Libre, issued Tuesday, March 10, 2009. The news said that Manila Archibishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales is asking all the Roman Catholic in the Philippines to cooperate to the "Earth Hour", a wordlwide campaign to stop global warming, by turning off all the lights in the night of March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30. In the last sentence of the article, we could read:

"Our only home is this planet," anang cardinal.

There are only two kinds of reaction for this sentence.

There are two kinds of people who will react.

One will say: "Yes, he's right. This is our only home so we should take good care of it."

And another person who knows the truth of Father in heaven will say: "Definitely not for me. This world isn't my home. I'm only in a journey. My true home is up there in heaven."

And that person is the highly-intellectual being in the eyes of the Lord. And the former will be the moron. Innocence will not fit it.

This is the truth that only those people who believes in Father's promises that are written in the Bible knows that this earth is not their home. This is what we Iglesia Ni Cristo holds on and the reason why we are standing still. We're not a citizen of this world. We're like foreigners. We're only in a journey. Our real home is God's Kingdom. To be there, we should obey His words and commands. To those who can finish his race, the Holy City and Eternal Life will be given to him.

Hindi ito ang aking bayan
Ako'y naglalakbay lamang
Sa bayan kong paroroonan
May bagong langit at lupa

I love this hymn. This is one of our congregation hymn that will fit this topic.

Back to the cardinal's quote, noticed that he says not only "home" but "only home". It seems that they really believe (and it's true, good they know.. haha) that for them this earth is their only home.

So how do you differentiate God's real people from the other people?
I hope you now knew it.