MCGI Presiding Minister Gives Biblical Outlook on Natural Disasters

By Cecile Vizcaya

In light of the recent disasters and on-going relief missions in earthquake-struck Japan, Members Church of God International Presiding Minister Bro. Eli Soriano shares enlightening thoughts and biblically-inspired perspectives to what is now seen as a tragic global newsmaker.

While expressing his sympathy and condolences to the Japanese people who were affected by the 8.9 tremor on March 11, Bro. Eli Soriano, Presiding Minister to Members Church of God International also looked at the catastrophe in a different light – one that is biblical in context.

“Natural calamities are sent as God’s reminder, a manifestation of His power and wrath towards those who worship other gods,” he explained during the March-15 Bible Exposition in the Philippines.

Although this seems to have a hostile tone especially for the victims experiencing post-disaster trauma, the Presiding Minister preferred to be frank and biblical in looking at matters concerning natural calamities.

“There really is a reason for God to get angry,’ said Bro. Eli, and added that Japan’s disaster and other disasters before and after it were caused by God’s anger, as stated in Job 9:5-6.

He said, “If we are to examine the religious profiles of the countries which were beaten by these strong earthquakes, like Indonesia in 2004, Haiti in 2010, New Zealand and Japan this year – it all comes to a conclusion: great natural disasters fall upon those who do not acknowledge the God of Israel.” Bro. Soriano connected the religious beliefs and practices of the countries he mentioned to the disasters which came upon them.

As reported by www.guardian.co.uk in December 2004, a destructive 9.0 megathrust earthquake hit the Indonesian coast, triggering tsunamis that crashed onto the coastal regions of Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand. The calamity claimed hundred thousands of lives and destroyed properties, coastal villages, and businesses.

Global news reports, statistics, and video uploads over the Web reveal a high level of religious intolerance and conflicts in Indonesia. Ruthless killings and violence are day-to-day affairs, especially in the Poso District where scythes, guns, and other forms of ammunition are commonplace.

Also, religious diversity and odd forms of worship are a usual sight in the four countries that were tsunami-hit. “They embrace mostly Buddhism and Hinduism. In India, cow and elephant worship are tolerated. The Bible clearly states that idol worship is an abomination unto God,” Bro. Eli emphasized.

“Why should you worship animals, idols, and graven images? asked Bro. Eli to his audience from different parts of the globe connected via the Internet. He explained that idol worship is the reason why God gets as He expressed to His people, the Israelites, thousands of years ago in Deuteronomy 5:8.

“By worshipping Buddha and revering animals, Buddhists and Hinduists are earning for themselves God’s curse,” he added, stressing also that “what is written in Acts 17:29 and Romans 1:25 are being fulfilled in them.”

Like Indonesia, impoverished Haiti was devastated by a magnitude 7 temblor in January 2010, one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the nation in the last two centuries, according to geologists. Many people died because buildings collapsed on them. Investigations by engineers further revealed the crumbled edifices to be defective, used substandard building materials, and did not follow customary building codes.

Haitians practice idol worship, Baha’i Faith, and 50% of the current population practice Vodou (variation voodoo), an old but complex form of heathenism which believes in the existence of primordial spirits and deities, and in some of its offshoots, perform the dark magic arts. Again here, Bro. Eli stressed that idol worship is a big no in the Bible.

In previous Bible Expositions, Bro. Eli explained that those who perform magic arts and consult the dead are abominable to God. This teaching is in the Book of Deuteronomy 18:10-12.

Finally, the latest disasters to have quaked New Zealand and Japan suggest a similar connection between religious convictions and natural disasters. New Zealand, aside from it rests on an active seismic plate, hosts a medley of religions. In a national periodical released in 2008, a study indicated that from 1996-2006 there was a steep rise in the number of people who are either practicing their ethnic religions, such as the Maori sect and its offshoots, or do not practice religion at all.

On February 22, a 7.0 tremor shocked the country, putting New Zealand on the map for humanitarian action. To this, Bro. Daniel Razon, Vice Presiding Minister to MCGI, commented that “He shakes the earth because of his anger, a way of saying we need to remember, ignore not His might, His power and counsel.”


The world is quite familiar with the earthquake-prone location of Japan, as it lies, like New Zealand, on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes are frequent visitors, but most tremors are ignored until the one which thumped Japan on March 11. Linking its religious systems, research data tells of Japan as the second in 20 states in the world having the largest number of atheists and agnostics. Figures account for 2/3 of the population or roughly 82 million Japanese who do not believe or doubt the existence of God. Bro. Eli Soriano furthermore observed that the “Japanese are more inclined to material gain; they do not have interest for spiritual matters. Those who profess they worship God do not worship Him at all. They believe in Shinto and worship graven images as well.”

The disaster on March 11 which caused a string of other blows such as the tsunami and the damage inflicted on the four nuclear reactors in Fukushima prefecture is an evidence of God’s anger, he said.

During a related Bible Exposition, Bro. Eli Soriano answered an inquiry about disasters, citing the verses Job 9:5-6 and Psalms 104:32, describing God as the “earth shaker and mountain mover.” The tsunami is recorded in Amos 9:6, although differently worded. On the other hand, similar disasters such as typhoons, tropical storms, and cyclones are described in Jeremiah 25:32.

Just as he was about to end his sermon in MCGI’s weekly Thanksgiving service on March 19, Bro. Eli received news from the coordinating center in Tokyo that an earthquake had just occurred, and that the brethren inside the worship house had to step out for a while for safety.

The Presiding Minister also cautioned all to prepare for and remember that natural disasters are acts of God and are an evidence of His wrath. He said, “In all these disasters occurring, I rest my trust and faith in the Almighty Who will save and spare His servants.”

Getting Resurrected in the Philippines is not Ideal

By Robert Clarita

Iligan City, Philippines (12.13.07) – Getting resurrected is not ideal at this point in time, especially in the Philippines. This striking assessment comes from the outspoken International Evangelist Eliseo Soriano, in his religious program Itanong Mo Kay Soriano (Ask Bro. Eli). Through satellite broadcast from the United States, Bro. Eli, the name he is most known for, answered all the queries of the audience that came in thousands to bask in his wide biblical knowledge through his interactive program.

One of the intriguing questions asked was about resurrection and its possibility of coming about presently. The evangelist answered that the resurrection of the dead will take place at a time that God destined it to be. However, if ever resurrection would come about in the country, it is not quite ideal at this point in time.

Soriano explained that a dead person raised from the dead in this country may actually be remorseful of having to live all over again. The resurrected one might even get angry about his supposed luck as he has to deal all over again with the impoverished conditions of the country which has gone from bad to worse.

Resurrection has a specific time destined by God, he said. For some who claim they are able to raise people from the dead, this is outright presumptuousness of God’s will, at the same time cruelty towards the dead who happen to be in their privileged rest, Soriano said. For resurrection to happen at this point in time in the country is indeed not something to wish for.

Currently, the Philippine economy is not showing any promise of favoring the citizens’ welfare, but rather graft and corruption abound in high places. According to the International Herald Tribune (03.13.07), the Philippines topped the list of 13 most corrupt countries from a survey conducted by Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), based in Hong Kong. In online Asian magazine called In Asia (03.28.07), Ky D. Johnson wrote that The Asia Foundation for the Philippines and Pacific Island Nations affirmed the results of the survey done in Hong Kong by PERC.

Meanwhile, Dieter Frisch of Euforic (08.15.96), a ten-year internetworking cooperation and development European site, defined corruption as “the abuse of public power for personal ends”. In it, Frisch suggested that most of those being corrupted are finances, properties, and income privileges, which actually are critical in order for people to live in a society conveniently.

Discrepancies in social and economic development obviously come from inequality brought about by corruption. According to Rosario Bella Guzman of IBON surveys (05.19.07), in 2006 there were some 9.8 million poor households whose impoverished conditions are growing worse because of income inequalities. This news, along with organized crimes and news of famine in some parts of the country hog the headlines of any news media today, attesting to the overwhelming corruption in the Philippines today.

Soriano said that if the news of the sorry state of affairs in the country would be heard by the resurrected ones, they would understand that it will mean a life burdensome for them. He said that the privileged rest in their tomb where they were formerly placed would be a sweeter option than for them to live once again with fear of threat from destitution and the cruelty of others.

On the side, some cults in the country claim they can resurrect the dead from the grave, but this is only a claim just so they can gain followers, Soriano said. Their claim is as good as their other claims like the laying on of hands to heal the sick, giving sight to the blind, and the promise of immediate wealth. If even just one of these acts were factual, it would have been a newsworthy item worldwide, Soriano said. Through time immemorial, however, there was no data to support their claim, he said.

The sensible preacher and host of the The Old Path program can be heard and seen preaching in an international channel with the same name, covering some states in America and a number in Europe. His propagations could also be trailed internationally through his weblog www.esoriano.wordpress.com.

Judgment Day and the Society
An inquirer wondered about the absence of an exact date of the judgment day destined by God in the last days. He said he doesn’t find it in the Bible. Evangelist Soriano replied that if the exact date were written in the Holy Scriptures or could be discerned easily by people, societal status will be more risky and perilous than it is presently.

Soriano explained that most probably people will take advantage of the remaining time to do more grievous activities, knowing that the judgment day is very far yet. People might get more abusive, he said, and when the declared date is approaching, that might be the only time that people will do good, such goodness not being an honest intention at all, but a scheming and deceitful one.

The evangelist however said that there are signs before judgment day will come and that is the time that the world is clad with exceeding evil – the perilous times. He cited the book of Matthew, followed by Revelation that say the resurrection of the dead will come first so that all humanity, except the holy ones of Christ, will face the judgment day.

Scriptural Niceties
In the course of replying to an inquirer, Soriano told of some additional important details regarding the Scriptures. He said Moses had an assistant writer during his period of leading the Israel, who happened to be the one writing after Moses.

He explained that even though Moses was put to rest, the historical records of the people of God in their journey were trailed because of Joshua, the assistant writer and the appointed leader after Moses. This mode also applied to other writers of the Holy Scriptures, particularly in the New Testament.

St. Paul, known for his numerous letters addressed to churches in different parts, was also aided with assistant writers. The evangelist said that the assistant writers were even acknowledged in the corresponding letters where they had been a help to Paul while writing those, as evidences of this knowledge he shared.

Tertius was Paul’s assistant during the time he was writing letters to the Romans, Sosthenes in his letters to the Corinthians, Timothy in his letters to the Thessalonians and Colossians, and Sylvanus with the ones for the Thessalonians as well.

Bro. Eli Abroad
To the query of an aged man why the evangelist left the country, Soriano found an opportunity to explain his sudden need to go abroad. He said that he had already served 40 years in the Philippines, and it covered just a very little percentage of the world population. He said it’s about time for the international brethren and wider audiences to be attended to by him regarding their spiritual needs.

The inquirer thus wished to see Soriano in person. The evangelist said that he also misses a lot his native country and fellow countrymen but he needs to sacrifice his personal preferences for the wider and higher level of propagations, which is that of the worldwide scale.

He also pointed out that in order for him to go home it will take a million dollars for fare. On the side, he said that his possible homecoming in the future shouldn’t be a hindrance for the already established international labors and propagation of the Church of God International to continue.

He said, if ever he comes home, he should also bring along his massive television production and IT staff, so he could resume broadcasting everywhere. Yet he said that the situation is impractical to realize for now, as the possible fare if ever produced could be spent for a more worthy cause - the salvation of many souls through multiple broadcasts via international channels, the internet, and weblog.

Spirits and Insanity
“What happens to the spirit of people who get insane?” asked an inquirer. Bro. Eli explained that in the spiritual perspective, the reason for the insanity of a person is that his own spirit gets influenced by evil spirits from the spirit world. He explained that it also depends upon the form of insanity that a person has, or upon how the malady was acquired.

When a person is not using his mind anymore to think rationally in his decisions, it is evident that he is being driven by evil spirits, Soriano said. He cited the example of a drug-dependent person who knows that abusing himself with drugs is hazardous, personally and socially, yet he persists with his habit. The spirit of this person, according to the preacher, is under the influence of an evil spirit which is the cause of his insanity.

Loaves and Fishes
A doubting young man asked Soriano, “How did the loaves and fishes happen to be sufficient as told in John 6:1-22 and how were they able to feed the masses?” The evangelist replied, “You will have to understand that in this world there are normal things as well as supra- or sub-normal incidences that cannot be explained by science or any study, but by spiritual positions. Jesus performed a miracle in that event, he said. Miracles are matters that science cannot explain. This may be impossible to you and to other people, but to God it is not, Soriano said. It is a matter of faith. Jesus is God who can do these things, and whether you are a believer or not, he did all those unexplainable things as written and recorded in the Bible,” the sensible preacher and host of The Old Path program added.

The Matters that People Need to Hear

By The Double-Edged Sword Staff
Ask Bro. Eli, 9/10/2007 Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines from U.S. via Satellite

The Old Path Trailed
In this Bible Exposition, a vital issue was raised regarding the origin of Ang Dating Daan (the Old Path) where an inquirer mistakenly assumed that it is also the name of the congregation that Eliseo Soriano is leading. Soriano took the opportunity to clarify matters. Ang Dating Daan, he said, is the name of the program he is hosting that bears the interactive program Itanong mo kay Soriano (Ask Bro. Eli). However, the public commonly refers to the congregation as Ang Dating Daan.

As explained by Soriano, the words, “the old path” comes from the biblical verse, Jeremiah 6: 16, where a commandment says something about seeking the former way which is the Lord’s. As is known to all, at present, people are walking in their own lifestyle. These are new paths that are mostly invented in accordance with people’s own preference – which are not the Lord’s. The program’s name, therefore, is an initiative suggesting compliance with the verse cited.

Identifying Each Power
In Soriano’s broadcast programs, he is often asked the delicate topic about the trinity concept being of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In this event an inquirer asked about the distinction of the three entities.

Complicated and deep this issue seemed to be, Soriano answered this in a very simple manner yet biblically-based. The Father is the Creator, he said. He is the greatest among them. The Son is the appointed preacher of Christianity. He is the savior of the believers. The Holy Spirit is the comforter. As the spiritual comforter of the Christians during persecutions, it is the help to Christian’s personal infirmities in order to obey fully the doctrines.

Who Created you?
A very bold atheist identified himself, marched to the front and before the audience asked Soriano this question, “Who created you?” Bro. Eli answered patiently that it is God who created every living creature. Logically he is included in the creation.

The atheist followed up with another question. He challenged Soriano to prove that it is God who created him. He asked, “Have you seen Him while creating you?” Soriano shot back at the atheist, “How can you tell yourself that an open wire has current? Do you need to get electrocuted first in order to believe?”

“How about your mind? Do you believe you have a mind in your head? If you do believe you have, are you literally seeing it?”

The atheist did not utter a word in response to those questions. Instead, he argued that if there is a God why are there flaws or handicaps among His creation, like the blind, the deaf and mentally-challenged people?

Soriano replied that flaws are with people because God wills it to be. It is His way of showing that human beings are powerless over Him. In this manner of teaching humans to be humble, people may learn to give way to reality despite their own preferences.

News that People Need
The host of the program, Itanong mo kay Soriano (Ask Bro. Eli), said that people wouldn’t get anything productive in what people in the country are talking about: showbiz, politics, money-making operations, fake government contracts, and who’s who are involved in rampant corruption, as these are the content in the news today.

He said these talks that people are hearing about never please God, but actually are repugnant to him. He said that what would please God are the talks that matter to Him, as these also benefit people. The importance of talking about God is that it leads us not to be victimized by false beliefs and practices, he said.

Soriano pointed out that major television channels in the Philippines are preventing the more pressing and more significant news from being known by public viewers. There are news from abroad that should be exploited but were never given emphasis by responsible networks. The important of this kind of information is that they are food for social inquiry, and more importantly, for the salvation of souls.

News like Catholic Pope Benedict’s saying that there is no limbo after hundreds of years in this belief is indeed news. The Catholics had imposed this belief to their members, Soriano noted. Accordingly, limbo is a concept arising from the Catholic Church accounting for those dead who cannot clearly be assigned to heaven or hell. Just imagine, how long people with this belief were being fooled, and many continuously are being fooled, he said.

Soriano's programs on television may go down in history as the most suspended by a censor's board, particularly the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) upon the influence of some groups who do not want to listen to him.