Emmanuel Virata

ABTh-CM
Cults and Occults
How would you refute the false teachings of Mormonism about Last things?
Mormons view of judgment is quite different. They believe that there will be 3 different
destinations for the people after the judgment: the Celestial kingdom for those who are merely
righteous, they obey the command and were baptized, the Terrestrial kingdom for those who are
righteous in sense and yet did not follow the command and not even baptized, and the Celestial
kingdom for those who are wicked and committed sins without repenting.
On my own point of view, man has only two destinations after the judgment and these are the
Heaven or the Hell (Heb. 9:27; Luke 16:19-31, Rev. 20:11-15). The Bible itself reveals what will
happen on the last days. Christ will come soon and only those who have faith in Him will be
saved and that is not clear with the Mormons. Everybody must be ready if that time comes. And
that is what everyone must be realized.
How would you correct Filipinos who believe in astrology, superstitious beliefs and fortunetelling?
Most Filipinos do believe in astrology, superstitious beliefs and fortune tellers. Their belief is
somewhat quite difficult to correct especially for those who are extremely traditional. However, I
always look at the positive view that there is a way for them to be corrected and it is only
through the enlightenment from the word of God. Though there is a possibility that they might
ignore it I still believe in the power of Gods word.
Given a situation or scenario of what would be the results or benefits of believing in superstitious
beliefs and fortune tellers, we could say that they bring more doubts, hardships and blindness
from the truth. In short they bring negative results in our lives. In the contrary, if we would look
to what God has promised us in Jeremiah 29:11, we would be assured that if we will put all of
our trust to God, and entrusted to Him our lives, we can be more secured and would have the
assurance that our future would be better because it is in the hands of God.
If we would going to compare fortune tellers and superstitious beliefs form Gods promises, we
would realize that it is better to entrust to God our future because He knows that best for us
rather than depending on those beliefs that we knew would bring disaster in life.

How would you correct Filipinos who believe in magic?

Magic is the power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces.
For an entertainment, magicians use mysterious tricks. Magic from entertainment is not that
believable because people would realize the tricks behind it.
There are magicians who practice magic without using tricks but instead they are using
supernatural force or power. One possible reason why they are able to do this is because behind
its magic is the power that comes from evil and definitely demonic. This might deceive people
and might be blinded by the devil.
Daniel 2:27-28 says no wise mean. Enchanter, magician, or diviner can explain to the king the
mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries It is clear
that God is the only one who can reveal and make mysteries things. He is the only one who can
do such supernatural things because He is the one who possesses supernatural powers.
How would you correct Filipinos who believe in hypnotism and psychic surgery?
Hypnotism often times used by psychiatrist to cure mental and emotional disturbances. Most
probably the causes of emotional and mental disturbances are hatred, anger, unforgiveness, etc
Jesus is the only one who can sure us from these. The Bible says we must be filled with the Holy
Spirit. Hypnotism might cure disturbances. But a Holy Spirit filled life is a life totally free and
totally at peace.
Psychic surgeries are not true. They fool people by using their hands in surgery. Many Filipinos
were amazed in this surgery because of no show of scar after surgery. It has a trick that they used
the blood of animals just to show that they can really cut the human flesh through their hands.
But in fact, they it is not their blood but the blood of animals. They used it only for money
purposes. It is clear that it is not from God, it comes from the devil. Deceiving people is not from
God but from the evil.
How would you correct Filipinos who believe in Ouija board, necromancy and faith
healers?
The Ouija Board is not a simple game. It is a mechanical device used by those who believe they
can contact the dead, and draw out information from them. In necromancy, they seek to summon
"operative spirits" of the dead and attempting to contact them. Calling the dead is a practice that
violates the Bible. (Leviticus19:3; 20:6) (Isaiah 8:19). No dead person's soul can be called, and
that the only called spirits are demons who are trying to harm humans.
Filipinos believe in faith healers too. They bring sick people and mostly demon possessed to the
faith healers because they believed they would be healed. The danger of this is that they dont
even realize that those practices are all demonic in nature. These could be devils opportunity to
deceive many people to turn their faith to him instead of putting their faith to God.

God is not pleased with such practices. In fact, He might put His wrath against people who are
doing these and punish them. We must not listen to them, and immerse with their beliefs because
they were used demonic rituals in order to heal. These are detestable to God (Deut. 18:11-12)
God heals us, and not them! Prayer is powerful and also consulting a doctor can truly heal us.

How would you correct Filipinos who believe in witchcraft?

We, Filipinos should not believe in witchcraft for it used supernatural or magical powers and
sometimes these powers are used to inflict harm upon members of a community or their property.
Even though, if truly they harm people through their powers, we Christians must believed that
since Christ by His death and resurrection, He had won the victory over all forces of evil,
witchcraft and sorcery, they cannot harm us.
In Deuteronomy 18:11-12, the Bible condemns anyone who "Casts spells, or who is a medium
or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and
because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you".
Therefore witchcraft is a sin against God and God hates people who do this.

Emmanuel Virata
ABTh-CM
Theology 2

What should be the proofs that people are truly converted in the Lord Jesus Christ?
We cannot truly pinpoint who are the people that are saved and not, but there may be some
proofs that people are truly converted in the Lord Jesus Christ. When people are truly converted
there are changes in their spiritual condition; the desire to read the word of God, pray and talk to
God and have passion to serve God. But before these happen, we can say that a person truly
converted when God illuminates this person that leads to repentance and faith to God. After the
conversion, the proof of the regeneration being a new creation of God desires to serve Him and
follow Him.
There are also changes in the individual standing or status before God. From being separated
with God because of Sin, we are now united with Christ because of our conversion with Christ.
We are Justified, Forgiven and adopted in the kingdom of God.
Moreover, the changes of our own being, our spiritual condition and our individual standing
before God are the proofs that we are truly converted in the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is meant by the word Justification?

Justification is God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. It is an act in
which God declares an unrighteous individual to be righteous because of the work of Jesus.
Justification is given to all who have faith in Christ.
Jesus used the idea of ransom, or redemption when referring to his work on earth. Christ's death
and resurrection is a triumph over Satan and death. It provides justification for believers before
God. His righteousness becomes ours, and his death becomes an offering to God in their place, to
pay for all of our sins. And so, justification is by faith alone - not through good deeds - and is a
gift from God through Christ.
We are justified by faith through Christ and now became righteous. But this does not mean that
we are no longer sinning. We may be sinned against God in our everyday life but because of the
salvation of God offers through His son we are now justified.

How should Christians live in the world today?

We, Christians should live in this world to grow spiritually, morally and intellectually. In our
spiritual life, we should aim to be like Christ (Rom.8:29) and let the Holy Spirit work within us
(Gal. 5). We must abide in Christ (Jn.15) obey His law (Jn.14:15) and separate from this world (1
Cor. 6:17). This does not mean that we will separate from the sinners in this world but to separate
from the sins in this world because our aim is to share the good news of salvation of Jesus Christ
to the sinners.
Christian should live morally, being a good example to other people in our words and actions.
We must also grow intellectually, to grow in the knowledge of Gods word (2Pet. 3:8) by reading
His word, meditating it and applying in our everyday life.

Why do others stop or failed in their Christian faith?

There are many reasons why other people do stop their Christian faith. One of the major reasons
is temptation in the outside world; the sin that attracts people to draw out their faith away from
God. They cannot resist the sin that are tempting them to stop their Christian faith and when the
time that they want to come back, the problems will occur. Struggles and trials in life may also
the reason why they stop their faith; those people who are having low faith are those people who
are failing in their Christian faith.
In Church, some people also stop their faith because of the people in thddddddddddde Church.
They failed because of the unnecessary things happen inside the church. Sadly but this happens.
Deuteronomy 31:6 stated Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of
them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

What is the ultimate hope of every Christian?

The ultimate hope of the Christians is the salvation of Christ offers. Because of this, we have
been saved from our sins and result the hope that someday we will be with the Lord. Romans
8:1-2 stated Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
We are assured that the love of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit always with us. The
Hope that God will not leave us nor forsake us in our everyday life.

Emmanuel Virata
ABTh-CM
Philippine History
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)
Sanguniang Pambansa ng mga Simbahan sa Pilipinas)
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines is a fellowship of ten mainline Protestant
and non-Roman Catholic Churches and ten service oriented organizations in the Philippines
established in 1963.
The Council was founded during the First General Convention on November 7-9, 1963 at the
Cathedral of St. Mary and St. John in Quezon City when seven churches bonded after decades of
working together.
The founding member churches of the NCCP are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

The Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches

The Iglesia Evangelica Metodista En Las Islas Filipina,
The Iglesia Unida Ekyumenikal,
The Iglesia Filipina Independiente,
The Philippine Episcopal Church,
The United Methodist Church, and
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines.
There were observers from the Lutheran Church in the Philippines, the Salvation
Army and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The first two churches later
became members of the NCCP.

After a few years, it also accepted ecumenical organizations which adhere to the objectives of the
Council.
The NCCP traces its roots to the forerunner organizations which evolved over the years
1.
2.
3.
4.

The Evangelical Union (1901-29),

The National Christian Council (1929-38),
The Philippine Federation of Evangelical Churches (1938-49), and
The Philippine Federation of Christian Churches (1949-63).

During the Japanese occupation in 1942 to 1944, churches were merged to form the Evangelical
Church of the Philippines under the auspices of the Religious Sector of the Japanese Imperial
Army. This formation was dissolved after the Second World War as the Churches reconstituted
the pre-war Federation.

It is now organized in ten regional ecumenical councils:

Cordillera,

Western Visayas,

Cagayan Valley,

Eastern Visayas,

Pangasinan-Ilocos-La UnionAbra,

Cotabato,

Misamis Oriental-Camiguin-Butuan-Lanao,

Basilan-Zamboanga-Misamis Occidental Regional

Ecumenical Council.

Romblon-Mindoro,
Palawan,

The NCCP is located at 879 Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, West Triangle, Quezon City, 1104
Philippines, under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Rex Reyes of the Episcopal Church in the
Philippines as Secretary-General.
Vision and mission
Vision
Life in all its Fullness is what Jesus Christ lived and died for. NCCP envisions this life in a just,
egalitarian, self-reliant, and sustainable society.
Mission
Our faith and vision move us to be an ecumenical fellowship of churches, be a channel for united
witness and common action, by being in solidarity with the people in the struggle for justice,
peace and the integrity of creation.
List of associate members

Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU)

Consortium of Christian Organizations in Rurban Development (CONCORD)

Ecumenical Church Loan Fund, Inc. (ECLOP)

Kaisahang Buhay Foundation (KBF)

Manila Community Services, Inc. (MCSI)

Lingap Pangkabataan, Inc. (LPI)

Philippine Bible Society (PBS)

Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP)

Union Church of Manila (UCM)

Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC)

The Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) was established in 1964 by a

group of Christian leaders seeking to form an organization that would express their
oneness in Jesus Christ and to formalize into a distinct council the growing force and
influence of evangelism in the country.

From a small umbrella organization, PCEC has grown into the largest network of
denominations, churches, mission groups and para-church organizations nationwide.

It seeks to become the main catalyst in hastening the discipling of the Philippines for the Lord
Jesus Christ by promoting unity and cooperative ministries, presenting a distinctly evangelical
voice and presence to our government and other publics, and engaging in ministries that help the
poor and needy to become economically self-reliant and rightly related with God and Jesus
Christ.
Vision
A transformed nation* through the discipling of every Filipino for the Lord Jesus Christ.
*a nation where peace, justice and righteousness reign; where everyone has a decent standard of
living; and where Jesus Christ is recognized as Lord of all
Mission
To glorify God by catalyzing the multiplication of evangelical churches that will transform their
communities to become Christ-centered.

As of now, Dr. Andrew Liuson is the Chairman of the Board and also in chairman
FEBIAS College of Bible.
Efraim Tendero is the National Director.

Philippine For Jesus Movement (PJM)

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_of_Churches_in_the_Philippines
http://www.nccphilippines.org/index_files/Page759.htm
http://www.pceconline.org/about/beginnings.htm