JIL celebrates 45th anniversary

MANILA, Philippines — Reviving one’s passion for God is what every faithful needs to make him more compassionate as well as deepen his love for the country, Jesus Is Lord (JIL) founder Bro. Eddie Villanueva said last night during the celebration of the movement’s 45th anniversary.

“It’s important that we revive our passionate love for God so that we may have a compassionate heart for men and a passionate love for our country,” Villanueva told thousands of followers gathered in Rizal Park for the anniversary of the Born Again Christian group.

In his preaching based on the theme “Revival: An Urgent Call to Action,” he called on his followers and other Christians to “heat up” their Christian life, following the path of righteousness and justice and fighting evil.

“We should be more intense in loving and serving God, even if it means more hardships,” he said.

Villanueva, a congressman representing CIBAC party-list, also cited the need for “revival in one’s life, in family’s life, in community and especially in the life of our beloved nation.”

He emphasized the “lordship” of Jesus, saying, “It is easy to have Jesus as our Savior, Healer or Provider. But it is difficult to truly have Him as Lord because having Him as ‘Lord’ means we no longer follow our own will, it means we no longer live for our selfish ambitions, but we live for Him, to the exclusions of other gods.”

“Revival is preceded by contrition, repentance and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. And one cannot surrender to His Lordship without first believing in Him as the only Way to the Father, the only One who can save,” he said.

Citing verses from the Bible, he said the “second coming” as prophesied by Jesus may not be far away, judging from many catastrophes and sufferings being felt by many in the world such as earthquakes, disasters, wars, appearance of “false teachers and prophets,” as well as pestilences, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Villanueva’s wife Adoracion or “Sister Dory” died, while his daughter, former Bocaue, Bulacan mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna, succumbed to cardiac arrest while undergoing dialysis in May.

While recalling the death of his