APR
9
"NAKAUSAP KO ANG DIYOS"
Easter Stories
Aristeo’s Story : Nakausap ko ang Diyos
(I talked to God)
By Simeon G. Silverio, Jr.
San Diego, California
April 10, 2004
First in a series of Easter Stories
When I was growing up in the Philippines, there was a movie entitled "Nakausap ko ang Diyos!” (I Talked to God). I do not remember much about the movie, its story and the movie stars who appeared in it. But the title remained in my memory to this day.
It came to mind again when I got in touched with a elementary and high school classmate of mine, Aristeo Fernando who now lives in Australia. Aristeo, I found out, has become deeply devoted to God. He told me that he had received messages from God, prompting him to launch a one-man ministry which he explained in his website
http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/.
If I did not know him from childhood, I would have brushed aside Aristeo’s claim. But then, I know him as a very intelligent person with a high moral character. There would be no reason at all for me not to believe him. With this in mind, I asked him exactly how he came to be communicating with God. With the advent of the Holy Week, I thought it would be appropriate to share with our readers Aristeo’s story. The story on how he came to claim, "Nakausap ko ang Diyos (I talked to God).”
Here are the letters Aristeo and I sent to each other and the article that led to his devotion.
Dear Sim:
My experience with God all started when I learned about a person named "Ka Apaz” from an article published in the Philippine Panorama on March 30, 1980. The title of the article is "A Woman Who Sees the Wisdom of the Lord".
Aside from describing the strange phenomena that happen to Ka Apaz, the author, Marcial Aguila, a former journalist of the National Media Production Center, listed also 19 prophecies that the Voice enumerated on October 19, 1979. The Voice is none other than that of Ama, a holy spirit who appropriates the body of Ka Apaz to communicate with people directly.
Would you believe that I found this magazine article two years after it was published? It was in 1982 during my first home leave from work in Saudi Arabia that I found it. At home, we usually sell the newspapers but keep the magazines. Being thirsty for news of what happened during my absence for one year, I sifted through the available newspapers andcollected magazines. This particular issue of the Philippines Panoramaattracted my attention because the cover was Jesus the Nazarene carrying the cross. It was the issue for Lent in 1980. So I opened the magazine and browsed through the articles in the issue. When I read about the prophecies, I said that
I would test if they would happen. I like to test the predictions of people who give these out. This way, I will know if they are true or fraud.
I was not able to photocopy the article while in the Philippines. I actually took the magazine with me when I went back to Saudi Arabia in 1982. Luckily, it was not confiscated at the Saudi custom. I did not have the time anymore to go to the Grace Park, Caloocan City address mentioned in the article. I planned that when I go back home in 1983, I would go to the address to observe and investigate. Sure enough, on June 5, 1983, I went to the address during the day with my daughter who was only 13 years old then. I learned a few information about Ka Apaz from listeners of Ama (Father). We were told that Ama would come that night to give a mass and that we could come back and even bring a tape recorder to record the session. At about 8 or 9 pm, my son and I came back with a tape recorder. Ama came early morning (past midnight) because there was the crowing of roosters that was recorded.
Although Ka Apaz is from Baliwag, she came down to Manila to cater to the listeners from the city (less than 50 people). It was better that she was the one who went to Manila than those in Manila to go to Baliwag to attend the sessions.
Would you believe that the sermon of Ama in that Mass was applicable to my particular situation during that time? I do not know whether it was applicable to other listeners' situation. I know how applicable the sermon was to me. He seemed to know me very well.
Ka Apaz is a faith healer. During the 70s, I used to go to these faith healers that I read in magazines or sometimes saw on TV to observe and investigate and check if they are genuine or fake. I also like to test prophecies. Usually, about December as the year is to end, newspapers would publish what various psychics predict that would happen the following year.
I collect these and check at the end of the year how accurate their predictions were. I found the prophecies of Ama highly accurate. His prophecies cannot just be concocted. Ama, for example, said that a baby will be born with complete set of adult teeth and long hair. No one in his right mind can specifically give such prediction. A psychic, on the other hand, may say that Alma Moreno (a movie actress in the Philippines) would give birth to a baby girl next year but it may be unlikely that he would say that a baby (boy or girl) would be born with complete set of adult teeth and with long hair. A psychic do not have control of things. He cannot make things happen.
By the way, the author of the article, Mang Marcial, was healed by Ama in about 1973 of his terminal lung illness who doctors predicted that he would not live long. Mang Marcial lived till about 1990. He became an ardent believer of Ama from being a skeptic. He used his writing talent to write his experiences with Ama, which were published in several magazines in the Philippines. I am one who read what he wrote and now is sharing the information I learned from Ama to the world via the Internet.
Since, Sim, you have relatives who live at Plaridel, Bulacan (next town to Baliwag I guess), you may ask them to go to 94 Fernando Vergel de Dios Street, Barangay Concepcion, Baliwag, Bulacan (one kilometer fromPoblacion) to investigate this matter and report to you their findings. There is no collection here. Not even a single cent. You are not obligated to pay or donate anything. It is up to you if you wish to give any.
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to raise them. I will answer them if I could.
Best regards,
Aris
***
Dear Aris:
Thanks a lot for your response. That was very informative. Now that we know where you are coming from, I am sure your postings would be much more appreciated and understood. Do you mind if I reprint your letter in our newspaper? I would like to share your experience with our readers. Also, can you post the article on Ka
Apaz? Or other articles that might be relevant? They have been
published many years ago, and I am sure our readers may have not read them and would appreciate reading them.
Sim
***
Dear Sim,
Thanks a lot for your patience. Natapos ko rin i-retype yaong article mula sa Panorama ( I finished retyping the article from Panorama) after beingbusy during the past week. Naka-attached dito yaong article in MS Word format. This article started my
experiences with Ama, which I accidentally found in 1982, two years after it was published.
Thank you also for your plan of running a series of articles in your Asian Journal about these experiences. I know that many people are interested in this subject.
The author, Marcial Aguila, did not say that the Voice is that of Jesus or that Ama is Jesus Himself. It took me about ten years before I accepted that the Voice that we hear and that spirit who we call Ama is none other than Jesus Himself. I had my doubts then. Sabi nga, "Magduda ka muna bago maniwala (You have to doubt first before you believe)." I even asked Ama point blank, "How do we know that You are the true Ama and not the Ama who appropriates the body of a woman in Los Banos or that of a woman in thebarrio where we lived?" Ang sagot Niya sa akin ay suriin ko ang Kanyang sinasabi at ako na ang siyang mag-decide kung sino Siya (His answer to me is to analyze what he was saying before I decide who he is). He knows that I tape the sessions and I transcribe them. So I can really scrutinize who He is and what He says. But my doubts about Him continued to linger in my mind until about 1993 when the Aristean calendar was conceived and wemoved from Fairfield to Campbelltown, some 30 km further south. This is when I discovered the relation of my mother's (1993) and my maternal grandmother's (1994) names to the calendar, of post office box 888 (1994), our coming to Australia in August of 1988 (8th month of 1988), the number of Jesus (1994), the bold letters "A-M-A" at the start of the paragraphs in an article published in the community newspaper (1994), and several more which I will reveal later when what He said becomes fulfilled. And last year, ang registration plate ng aming kotse dito sa state ofQueensland ay 240 ICD (And last year, the registration of our car plate here in Queensland is 240 ICD). I found out that ICD stands for the Latin words "Iesus Christus Deus" or in English, "Jesus Christ God". Are all these mere coincidences? (Editor’s note: For details about these refer to Aristeo’s website
http://www.geocities.com/peacecrusader888/ )
Binigyan ako ng assignment ni Ama at ito ay ginagawa ko ngayon (God gave me an assignment and I am doing it now). Kaya lang hindi pa rin kasinsipag na kailangan (The only problem is I am not as industrious as I should be). Hopefully, with your help, malaki ang maitutulong mo para maisulong ang Kanyang ibinigay na assignment sa akin (Hopefully, your plan would help a lot in carrying out this assignment he gave me).
Please do not hesitate to raise your questions. I will try to answer them to the best of my ability and knowledge.
Best regards,
Aris
***
Dear Sim,
Sorry at ngayon lang ako magre-reply sa iyong post (Sorry I just replied to you now). I do not mind you reprinting my letter in one of your future columns. Please edit it to make more presentable for publication.
The title of the article is "A Woman Who Sees the Wisdom of the Lord".
Ang correct title pala ay "A Blind Woman Sees the Wisdom of the Lord." The article is found in the Philippine Panorama's issue on March 30, 1980 on pp. 36-37.
I will retype tonight the article and send it to you as soon as I finish it.
Thank you for disseminating to our fellowmen this strange phenomenon. I leave the decision to believe or not to the readers. I do not force anyone to believe in what I believe. I just would like to share my experiences.
Best regards,
Aris
***
Dear Sim,
As requested, herewith is that article from Philippine Panorama about Ka Apaz and Ama. It is a little over three pages long, single space.
Best regards,
Aris
==================
A BLIND WOMAN SEES THE WISDOM OF THE LORD*
Marcial I. Aguila
In the town of Baliwag, Bulacan, God speaks out loud and clear, or so people who have gone to a little hut there fervently believe. God’s voice is heard through a woman who has been totally blind since she was twoyears old. She is now over 40, a widow and mother of 10 children. The woman is Mrs. Liwayway Paz Vergel de Dios, "Ka Apaz” to everyone who knows her.
Those who have witnessed this very strange happening including this writer (and they are legion, coming from many parts of the country) say that Ka Apaz cannot possibly make up the stately and profound parables bespeaking Godly wisdom which issue from her mouth during her "spells.”
On such occasions, her voice changes from the typical female voice to a low, masculine (almost baritone) voice, the words inflected distinctly with a noticeably authoritative ring. During her "transformation” Ka Apaz lies covered on the floor with a blanket, and it is said that her spirit leaves her body to give way to the Holy Spirit. There is a hissing sound heard as her spirit supposedly leaves, while her body trembles as if in violent convulsion.
After a while the bodily agitation subsides. Then it happens all over again as the Holy Spirit is said to enter her body, after which she calms down once more and shortly begins to speak. Then her voice changes to a masculine pitch and timbre with a compelling
quality.
Along with many others, I have been attending the periodic "sessions” of the Voice through Ka Apaz since 1973. The sessions are held at No. 27 Bernadette Street, Grace Park, Caloocan City where Ka Apaz has temporarily transferred residence from Baliwag. The Voice speaks of evangelic truths, reiterates the spiritual obligations of mankind and God’s great love for "His children.” One moment the Voice is soft and kind, almost imploring; the next it booms out inveighing against mankind’s vanities and self-centeredness, man’s deviations from the righteous path and God’s gospel. Then it is soft and mellow again, reiterating God’s great love for His creatures and His infinite obsession to preserve them.
Often, the Voice would touch on the many ills of the world, reciting events taking place at just the precise time the Voice is speaking of them. The Voice has spoken of the "Asian unrest” and of the "Middle East imbroglio” long before these events became known. One is afterward amazed at the stark truths of the occurrences cited by the Voice (later verified and substantiated by press and radio reports). The Voice has also spoken of the intrigues among men and nations, then telling those of us gathered around, to "love your fellow beings as you would yourself.”
There are other voices or saintly spirits speaking through Ka Apaz while she is in a trance. The voices, as could be detected from what they say, would indicate they are those of the apostles of Christ, from St. Peter on down the line. The "voices” in different tone and timbre, all invoke God’s gospel an*d exhort those of us gathered around towards "clean and righteous living as a way of grace in God’s eyes.”
Then there is the voice of the Blessed Virgin, which holds the gathering spellbound with the music, and gentleness of Her voice. One is at once moved by her recitation of godliness and spirituality, her passionate motherly counsel, and her tender plea to mankind to adhere unfailingly to godly stricture "for the sake of my Son and God, Jesus, who saved andcontinues to save and cleanse the souls of men …”
Every year since 1973, during the last days of December, the Voice would tell of significant "things to come” the coming year. And the events had taken place as previously announced by the Voice.
For one, the Voice told of the Guatemala catastrophe two months before it happened. The announcement was made on Christmas eve, Dec. 24, 1975. The Voice announced then: "In the second month of the new year (1976) mankind will witness an event that will be cause for great sorrow …” Evidently and undoubtedly, the Voice was referring to the Guatemala catastrophe that was to take place in February, 1976.
On Aug. 3, 1976 at 3 o’clock in the morning, the ringing of the telephone awakened this writer. When I picked up the receiver, I was surprised to hear the Voice at the end of the line.
The Voice told me that all of us (who use to attend the "sessions”) were
also called up and told to assemble immediately at the Bernadette house. When we, about 10 or 15 of us, were gathered at the "session” place, I asked every one what time the Voice called them up. They had identicalanswers: the Voice called them up at 3:00 AM – which means that the Voice talked to each and every one of us over our respective telephones in ourrespective residences at the same time. One of us asked the Voice about this rather miraculous happening, and the Voice said: "If man could dowonderful things …” The Voice did not continue. In that emergency session, the Voice told us "a great catastrophe would befall the Philippines between now (Aug. 3) and Aug. 17, 1976.” As is publicly known, a strong earthquake with simultaneous tidal waves did hit Mindanao (southern Philippines) on Aug. 17, 1976, during which hundreds of persons died and thousands were rendered homeless.
For significant things to take place in 1980, we heard the Voice at the home of Ka Apaz in Baliwag at 12:39 midnight or early hours of Oct. 19, 1979. The Voice enumerated quite a number of happenings to take place in 1980, to wit:
1) more violent manifestations of the weather will occur, causing devastation to both people and crops;
2) the world will witness a number of unnatural and unbelievable occurrences, which are nevertheless true.
For one, certain infants will be born with fully gown hair and a complete set of adult teeth. Scared by this phenomenon, mothers of these infants will be driven to getting rid of such offspring. This is one Providential notice of displeasure over mankind’s waning regard for the Kingdom of God;
3) peoples’ relationship with one another will take a bad turn and cause universal unrest;
4) there will be worldwide confusion of worship caused by a lot of religious distortions by pseudo preachers for self-gain;
5) Heaven will make certain significant revelations, which, however, will escape peoples’ notice due to their engrossment in self-centered activities;
6) breaking of families will come in many instances and places – brother against brother against sister against parents;
7) fires will continue to wreak destruction all over the world, and lightnings will demand quite a toll of human lives;
8) worldwide drought will plague mankind, with the obvious consequence of plant-and-crop shortage;
9) simultaneously, population will explode all over the globe, causing great turmoil;
10) unprecedented sorrow will rock the whole world in the second or third month of 1980;
11) people will become alienated from God due to the fact that Heaven will not heed their prayers and supplications, which are all self-serving;
12) people will be horribly concerned over the migration of wild animals to towns and urban places—a foreboding sign of an imminent famine in thePhilippines;
13) disease of the brain, or insanity, will prevail in 1980, 1981 until 1988, especially in the three super-power countries;
14) a disease known as GOTACURAL, will occur in epidemic proportions allover the land, and such disease will be incurable even by the known specialists of the medical profession;
15) the ambition and motivation for war will be perennial inducements among all races until such inducements are made manifest three years after 1979;
16) nameless diseases will spread, the cause of which will not be known, and such diseases will exact a heavy toll of human beings and work-animals;
17) worms of all kinds will plague crops and rice fields to destruction; all vegetation will be affected;
18) young, unmarried women lax on their chastity or virginity, will give rise to birth of illegitimate children, driving these women to commission of widespread infanticide;
19) the revolt of the elements will take a record high in the years following until the arrival or birth of the so-called ‘anti-Christ.’”
At the close of these declarations, the Voice gave its benediction to all of us gathered around: "… God’s peace reign in your hearts and spirits now and forever, God be with you …… Come with me from the Father, may your hearts feel the heat and the flame of the Holy Spirit. God be with you …… May you attain forgiveness of your sins by the Heavens …… May you find the path of life in God now and forever. God be with you…”
Also widely known in Baliwag as a faith healer, Ka Apaz nevertheless confesses, "Si Ama ang siyang nanggagamot” (It’s God, the Father, Who cures through me). Her faith healing, she adds, is only a means to draw people to her so she could spread God’s gospel, just like Jesus Christ Who, in biblical times, first drew people to Him through His faith healing. Ka Apaz charges no fees for her faith healing. If only she would, she could have, by now, amassed quite a fortune. Not a few of those she has healed are moneyed people. Asked why she does not charge fees, she said, "Ayaw ni Ama” (God forbids).
This writer is one of many whom Ka Apaz cured of a serious ailment. The treatment took almost three months. Informed of my recovery, the Voice related this parable: "… Time was when my disciples asked that I let them go out and heal the sick and the afflicted.
And they went out but came back shortly, saying: "Master, we healed the sick and the afflicted but they are not healed! And I told them: ‘O ye of little faith and those of the afflicted. Go ye out again and heal them …’ And my disciples went out, but came back with the lament that their healing was to no avail. I bade them go out once more and, after a time, they came back rejoicing. They finally had healed the sick and afflicted …”
At the end of this parable, the Voice added: "It should come to pass that the sick shall be healed, having faith in the healer who, likewise, shall have absolute faith in Him whence all powers emanate …”
No doubt, people would find it hard to accept the truth of this story. But Ka Apaz exists and, through meetings with her and sessions with the Voice and other spirits speaking through her, people will surely find it difficult not to believe. She is always available to anyone who wishes to talk to her. Those who stand witness to the awesome transformation of Ka Apaz, including myself, completely believe in her as a Chosen One. - AJ
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