MANILA, Philippines — Followers of Jesus must only please God and not anyone and anything else, declared Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide (JILCW) ministry leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva.
“The Lord put in my heart that we should only please the living God who created heaven and earth and who sacrificed His only begotten Son to save you and me and to be redeemed from the curse of physical death and the second death which is eternal separation from God,” he proclaimed during the 46th anniversary of the Christian church at Quirino Grandstand in Manila yesterday.
A man should not be pleased by praises from his fellowmen but only from God, as relying on human praises “would deviate our purpose in life,” he added.
Villanueva also said people who constantly change religions but do not declare that Jesus is Lord “will fall into hell.”
“Religious fanaticism is not the way. The important thing is we have the right relations with God that we can achieve through His only Son that is the Way, the Truth and the Life,” he said.
He admitted to the JIL members present at the thanksgiving celebration that he planned to cancel the annual event.
“God told me: every month, every year, there are so many religious rites and activities in the Philippines that most of them are acts of ignorance and rebellion against the holy living God. Now you are tempted to cancel this once-a-year thanksgiving celebration?” he said.
Saying that “the money you are using is My (God’s) money and not from anyone of you,” Villanueva thanked the organizers of JILCW’s anniversary for their hard work.
An estimated 15,000 people attended the JILCW’s anniversary celebration, according to the Manila Police District.
On the other hand, drone videos shown during the event showed the crowd spilling beyond the lawn of the Quirino Grandstand and even filled a portion of Roxas Boulevard and reached the front of the monument of Jose Rizal.
Heavy rains drenched the crowd, who opened their umbrellas when the event started past 3 p.m.
Villanueva then led the prayer to “ask God who created the heavens and the earth to stop the weather and restore the glorious celebration of the 46 years of (JILCW).”
The church leader’s son Sen. Joel Villanueva also spoke at the event, wherein he made fun of the Senate hearings involving dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo, insinuating her responses to accusations of her being a spy and a fake Filipino.
Senate President Francis Escudero, guest of honor at the event, handed out Senate Resolution 1885 congratulating JILCW on its 46th anniversary, while a copy of House Resolution 2023 was also read out.
The JILCW welcomed its 46th anniversary with the theme “Christ is the answer.”