Metro Manila Youth Camping 2009

The Kalookan City congregation that meets at 74 Asuncion Street, Morning Breeze Subdivision, Kalookan City will play host to the Metro Manila Youth Camping 2009 during the so-called Holy Week. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday will be April 9 and April 10 respectively. This annual affair will be conducted at the Falcon Crest Resort at Norzagaray, Bulacan.

Zamboanga Bible School Reunion 2008

Zamboanga Bible School alumni and those who have stayed in the dormitories hold a reunion on December 22. It is a whole day affair. This will be held at #6 T. Castillo Street, Baliwasan Moret, Zamboanga City.

National Evangelism Workshop & Seminar

The annual evangelism seminar hosted by the Metro Manila and Cavite congregations will be held at the facilities of the MetroManila Church of Christ which is located at 31 Samar Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City on December 22-24.

VIRGIN MARY IS A DAUGHTER OF KING DAVID

by Eusebio A. Tanicala, Ph.D.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in Genesis 3, the coming of the Messiah was promised immediately. The Messiah was going to be a seed of the woman (3:15).

Old Testament prophecies additionally declare that the Messiah would come from the house of King David. Please see 2 Sam. 7:11-16; Micah 5:2 as explained in Luke 2:4-7. David is from Bethlehem of Judah says 1 Samuel 16.

Also King David served as the type and the Messiah the antitype in many prophecies which show their kinship. Read Psalm 2:7; 22:1, 7-8 & 17-18; 35:11 and 45:6-7.

Even the Pharisees confessed (Matt. 22:41-46) that the Christ is the Son of King David
based on Psalm 110:1.

However, we sometimes wonder how Jesus Christ in the flesh could be traced back to King David when the gospel genealogy reckons the lineage of Joseph (Matt. 1:16, 20; Luke 1:27 and 2:4). Yet Joseph did not touch Mary before Jesus was born (Matt. 1:24-25). But the conclusion and prophecy is that the Messiah must descend from the seed of King David. So we have to trace the blood lineage thro Mary. Joseph should be excluded as a “seed” link. Joseph’s name being in the genealogy of the Messiah is a Jewish practice that the family head represents the family including the wife.

By inference we could establish the “seed” connection of the Messiah to King David through the Virgin Mary.
First, it could be inferred that the Virgin Mary, like Joseph her betrothed husband, or their ascendants, originally were from Bethlehem of Judea, but in the year recorded by Matthew 1 and Luke 1-2, the couple were settled down in Nazareth of Galilee. This Galilee location of the Messiah’s parent and himself was prophesied in Isaiah 9:1.

Second, from Luke 1:26-33, we are told that Joseph didn’t touch Mary, but v. 32 says the Angel Gabriel announced that her son will inherit “the throne of His father David.” King David’s link to the Messiah must be Mary. The Angel Gabriel could not be wrong. He could not lie.

Third, Mary knows the area of Judah because she went to stay there at the start of her conception of Jesus (Luke 1:39). Mary stayed with Elizabeth, wife of Zachariah the priest. The Holy Spirit thro Zachariah, prophesied that his son John (the Baptist) will prepare the way of the Lord (1:76) and this Lord springs from the house of David (1:69). Therefore, the link between David and the Messiah is through Mary who was present in Zachariah’s house and not Joseph.

Fourth, Genesis 3:15 pronounced that the seed of the woman will crush the serpent’s head; Isaiah 7:14 prophesied that the Messiah would be conceived by a virgin and Galatians 4:4 confirmed that Jesus was born of a woman. These three passages exclude Joseph as a link between David and the Messiah. Jesus is the seed of Eve and Mary is the woman virgin who provides the link between King David and the Messiah. Not Joseph.

Fifth to consider is the Roman government’s specific instruction that the census registration be done in the subjects’ very “own city” (Luke 2:3). So from Nazareth of Galilee Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem of Judea for the enrolment (Luke 2:4). Since Joseph and Mary both registered in Bethlehem, such act proves that Mary herself or her family originally came from Bethlehem, the town of King David. This census registration proves that Mary is a descendant of King David.

Sixth, this census trip of Mary to Bethlehem is the time of the Messiah’s birth. So the Messiah was born of a Virgin daughter of King David and born in the town of King David.

The above inferences are sufficient grounds to conclude that Mary is related to the house of King David and these inferences are sufficient to link the Messiah’s humanity to King David.

Angeles City Preacher’s Training School

Philippine International Bible Institute in Angeles City, Pampanga has eight students in the classroom program this second semester aside from those having their internship in the field. No new students were accepted in the second semester which started this November, according to brother Higato Tulan.

PBC Update

BAGUIO CITY- Brother Tommy Mapalo reports that in the November semester there are 20 full-time students while 18 attend classes on a part-time basis.

Baguio- Benguet Ladies Fellowship

November 29th, the Baguio-Benguet Ladies Fellowship gathered at the chapel in la Trinidad, Benguet. Eighty eight ladies from seven congregations registered and participated in the activities. Speakers were Jovy Nonog and Joy Tanangco.

Indwelling/Presence of the Holy Spirit

By Eusebio Tanicala

Some Bible students believe that the Holy Spirit in person dwells or is present in the Christian. Others think that the Holy Spirit dwells or influences the Christian through the word (Bible) only.

The one who believes that the Holy Spirit dwells or influences the Christian through the word only presents this syllogism to the other party:
1. If you believe that the Holy Spirit dwells in you, that indwelling would make you God;
2. Since you haven’t become God, therefore, the Holy Spirit doesn’t dwell in you.

A fellow preacher asked me to comment on the above line of reasoning. My impression on the above line of reasoning follows.

Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that when the Holy Spirit dwells or is present in a person or in a place that the person or place becomes God. If that were true, then the heavens where God dwells should have become God long time ago.

To further test the veracity of the line of reasoning of those who think that Holy Spirit indwelling would make an indwelt person deity let’s pose some questions:

1. God dwells in heaven, has heaven become God? Answer: No.
2. God sits on the throne in heaven, has God’s throne become God? Answer: No.
3. The “thro the word” advocate we may call Mr. Woods, dwells in his house, has his house become Mr. Woods? Answer: No.
4. Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan (Gen. 13:12), has the land of Canaan become Abram?
5. God dwells between the cherubim (2 Kings 19:15), does the space between the cherubim turn into God? Answer: No.
6. God dwells in Zion (Psalm 9:11), has Zion become God? Answer: No.
7. God dwells in Mt. Zion (Isa. 8:18), has Mt. Zion become God? Answer: No.
8. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Othniel (Judges 3:9-10), did Othniel become God?
9. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Saul (1 Sam. 10:6, 10) after he was anointed, did Saul become God? Answer: No.
10. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary (Luke 1:35 and context), did Mary become God?
11. The Holy Spirit descended upon Christ on the day of His baptism (Matt. 3:16; John 1:33), did this descent of the HS upon Christ turned Him into God? Answer: No.

Since our answers to the above questions are all “No” the premises and conclusion of the “word only” advocates should therefore be false.

Ilocandia Churches Fellowship

Congregations in Northern Luzon will hold the annual fellowship in Baguio City during the so-called holy week which will fall about the last week of March 2009.

2009 National Ladies’ Retreat

Bacolod City will be the venue of the April 2009 National Ladies Retreat. The Bacolod City congregation is the host of this affair.

National Evangelism Workshop

December 22-24 is the date of the National Evangelism Workshop & Seminar which will be held at the church facilities at 31 Samar Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City. Congregations in the National Capital Region and Cavite cooperate in hosting this annual affair. Brother Jun Patricio is the program coordinator.