The Pasugo Magazine

Effectively communicating God’s words

SINCE ITS MAIDEN ISSUE came out in February 1939, the Pasugo: God’s Message has remained true to the vision of God’s Last Messenger, Brother Felix Y. Manalo—that of founding a magazine heralding the “message from God” written in the Bible, an effective medium of news and information about the multifarious activities of the Church, and an instrument to expose the erroneous doctrines embraced by various religions all over the world. That same vision, triumphantly carried out by its first editor-in-chief, no less than the late Brother Felix Manalo himself, rings even more true today that its readership has become international and global in scope.

Numerous individuals and even families trace their conversion to the faith through the biblical truths they have read in issues of the magazine shared with them by well-meaning brethren, who succeeded in conveying through the Pasugo magazine the teachings of the Bible that they believe in. The deep, conscious desire of the members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) that their friends and relatives be bound with them in true worship and service to the Almighty God, especially those overseas, has been effectively communicated through the Pasugo.

For decades—through various progressive improvements in font, format, paging, and language medium—the magazine has helped the Church Administration in its efforts to enrich the spiritual life of the brethren and has served as an effective missionary tool. Vivid testimonies of converts from a mosaic of nationalities were published throughout the years as well as inspiring stories of brethren who remain religiously zealous to the faith amid the various storms of life they have endured.

From its inception in 1939 until 1953, Filipino was the sole language used. But with English being the lingua franca of the civilized world, a whole section initially was purposely devoted to English beginning in May 1953. Currently, about two-thirds of its pages are devoted to the English-speaking populace.

It must be noted that there was a gap of close to 10 years—from February 1941 to December 1950 during the “war years” and henceforth—that the Pasugo did not go to print. This was due to the severe restrictions on freedom of the press that made it virtually impossible for any religious organization to publish anything. With the advent of peace and semblance of stability after the war, the magazine was reactivated beginning in 1951, with the editorship passed on to Brother Benjamin J. Santiago Sr. the following year.

Throughout the magazine’s existence from February 1939 to the present, there has been only a handful of Editors-in-Chief whose cumulative work and breadth of experiences run the gamut of Church responsibilities primarily as ministers of the gospel.

Indeed, inasmuch as God willed that “everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us” (Rom. 15:4 Today’s English Version), the Pasugo magazine remains true to the goal of disseminating the biblical truths about God’s love and compassion to people of all races and ethnicity, especially those not reached by the “oral word”, and how they should harmoniously be gathered in the unified body of believers or in the true Church Of Christ (Eph. 1:9-10; Rom. 12:4-5; Col. 1:18; Acts 20:28 Lamsa Translation).

Apostle Paul authoritatively declared that “this is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth” (I Tim. 2:3-4 TEV), hence, the Church Administration willfully uses all available effective media of propagation, such as, radio, television, cable, the Internet, ministers being sent to various far-flung places in the world, and, of course, through print including the Pasugo so that God’s desire to “save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 1:23 TEV) be effectuated.

Today, the Iglesia Ni Cristo membership has become cosmopolitan, a palpable evidence that God’s love for man transcends the color of skin and ethnic boundaries. Now, more than ever, it is high time for every member to up the ante in so far as their participation in the propagation of their faith is concerned, using tools prepared by the Church Administration, such as the Pasugo magazine, on this purpose. No doubt, the Lord’s mission of salvation shall rapidly march on for as long as there would be a soul that God calls to be His servant until the final Day, when He will send His Son Jesus Christ to ultimately take us with Him in the heavenly abode.

The Pasugo Magazine

Effectively communicating God’s words

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