The Best Advertising

One of the first and original disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He was instrumental in witnessing and bringing his own brother to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:35-42 KJV).

In my time, in the 50’s, the best fountain pen (there were no ball pens yet to my knowledge then) known to professionals, businessmen, high government officials and students was the “Parker 51”. I believe the pen was invented in 1951. It was a very nice pen as it writes smoothly. It was the most expensive pen then, so only the high caliber professionals, especially lawyers who usually write numerous pleadings, memoranda and letters, and sign numerous copies of the same, high public officials, business executives and the rich scramble to acquire a Parker 51. It was a status symbol pen!

My consuming desire then when I was in law school was to acquire a Parker 51 pen. At seventeen, I got my first employment as stenographer-typist in the law office of Atty. Leopoldo M. Abellera (a classmate of President Marcos), a respected and well-known lawyer in Davao in his generation who later became a Justice in the Court of Appeals and concurrently a BOT Chairman (now the LTFRB) during the Marcos Administration. It took me several years to save from my meager salary, starting at nothing for two months, then received P30.00 a month, which was raised to P50.00 per month after six months, and after a year, P80.00. Thereafter, I received additional P40.00 per month as Stenography instructor at the Rizal Memorial Colleges (RMC).

I had enough money to buy a Parker pen only when I was already in my third year in law, but by that time, there was already a new edition of the pen, the improved Parker 61, the snorkel type. The snorkel type is one which draws ink from the bottle of ink by osmosis, and it was then more costly than the Parker 51. I enjoyed writing with it and I wanted to always write, write and write, especially because all our professors always reminded us to “improve” our handwriting, as aside from making a correct answer to the difficult bar questions, our handwriting should be nice and attractive to read and readable, especially because the bar examiners and correctors are usually old reputable lawyers with thick lenses in their eyeglasses. Brilliant men, but matanda na. My joy to own a Parker 61 pen defies description in words. I then saw to it that I used my treasured Parker 61 when I took the bar exam. By God’s grace, I passed the bar on my first try, and for more than three decades, I preserved my treasured Parker 61. I somewhat “idolized”, for lack of a better term, my pen that I felt incomplete without it in my shirt pocket, until one day, after so many years of constant use, it naturally wore out of use. To my knowledge, there are no more Parker 51 or 61 in the market.

By God’s providence, and I praise God for it, my youngest brother whom I sent to school from high school to college and who is now working in the bank of Saudi Arabia, the equivalent of our Central Bank in the Philippines, upon my asking, cheerfully gave me a gift of Mont Blanc men’s ballpen worth US$500.00, and much later, perhaps realizing that the gift he gave me was not enough to pay his debt of gratitude, he gave me a Mont Blanc fountain pen for my use in signing important pleadings and documents. Indeed, it is true that when we “ask, it shall be given back to us in good measure, pressed down and shaken together shall men give into our bosom” (Luke 11:9 and Luke 6:38). This is especially so if we have previously given something or rendered worthwhile service to that person we ask from. It is this Mont Blanc ballpen I am using to write the draft of my numerous articles published in this bulletin. Yes, I love very much to write and write with my new treasured Mont Blanc ballpen. This is now my newfound ministry. Unspeakable is my joy and I feel spiritually rewarded in writing articles for our Saturday bulletin despite my busy schedule, and am inspired beyond measure when sometimes our President or the assigned Emcee reads a line or a paragraph in my article during our Saturday fellowship, which signifies their agreement to what I wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

How come, the Parker 51 or later 61 pen became very famous and sought for by men I have mentioned above despite its prohibitive cost? Because of advertisement by word-of-mouth by those who have used it and were very much satisfied. This is the best advertisement – by word-of-mouth!

Some years ago, a car manufacturer used a by-word that stressed the importance of word-of-mouth advertising. It simply said, “Ask the man who owns one.” There’s nothing quite like a personal testimony from a satisfied customer or client.

Today, this is the norm of advertisement by all businesses engaged in the sale of various non-prescribed medicines and vitamins and various beauty products. The system is called “product endorsement”. Usually, popular and “idolized” personalities are used to advertise by word of mouth. They claim to be satisfied by the product, by word of mouth! And this is most effective.

How does a businessman, a restaurant, or a professional, especially doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, etc. acquire a good number of customers or clientele? Through advertisement by word of mouth of their satisfied customers, patients and clientele, or to the engineers and architects, by the works of their hands.

This advertisement business is the principal source of prosperity of our fellowship member Cris Arrieta. Of course, by the providence and grace of God. Undoubtedly, he is one of our active and generous members. The wise King Solomon said, “It is possible to give freely and become more wealthy, but those who are stingy will lose everything. The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (Prov. 11:24-25 NLT). Cris now owns a Jaguar (one of only two in Davao) and a number of other branded cars, and he lives in an exclusive subdivision in our city. He is almost able to finish a U-shaped 5-storey building along Quimpo Boulevard where the tallest condo being constructed along J.P. Laurel Avenue (Abreeza) this city is advertised, and the advertising of Coca-cola, the largest selling softdrink in the world is installed, and he is the first to have a LED Advertising in Mindanao. His building, to my perception, is very impressive and beautiful in design, just like he has an attractive and beautiful wife like a movie actress.

The Lord Jesus Christ was a master advertiser by word of mouth. He told his disciples: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20 KJV). In one short sentence: “By word-of-mouth”. Imagine GOD, Jesus Christ in person, is the one backing up our word of mouth advertisement! And we have the best and ultimate “product”, so to speak, to advertise. If we advertise Jesus Christ according to the Word of God, “totoo talaga at hindi tayo mapapahiya”.

In the gospel of John, we read about Andrew, who went first to his brother Peter and exclaimed, “We have found the Messiah.” He then “brought him to Jesus” (John 1:41-42). Andrew’s personal encounter with Christ and the realization that He was the Messiah prompted him to introduce his closest relative to the Savior. This is what we do in our FGBMFI Chapter. So, praise God, since our fellowship was established way back in 1973, we have the most number of members, and are the most active chapter in the Philippines!

When we witness to unsaved people and tell them what God says about their lost condition and need of a Savior, we are personally recommending or advertising by word of mouth the LORD Jesus Christ to them. Thus, we are taking the opportunity to tell them what He has done for us and how He has satisfied our deepest spiritual, as well as our material and physical needs, to the glory of God, not of ourselves. This is the best advertising of all. When witnessing, if people ask, “How do you know it’s true? Of course, they can see what Christ has done for us. We are Christ’s “Letters of Recommendation” or advertisers or endorsers to a lost world.

Our fellowship Founder Demos Shakarian, perhaps had the aforequoted verses of truth and human insights in his mind when GOD inspired him to make the personal testimonies of Full Gospel members as a means and method to advertise the Lord Jesus Christ by word of mouth. Through their personal testimonies which are visible in their lives, people who will hear will be persuaded to receive by faith the LORD Jesus Christ as their Jehovah Jireh (provider), and most important of all, their only way to salvation of their souls. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6 KJV). He also said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25 KJV). This, of course, means though we physically die, yet our soul and spirit lives eternally, if we have received by faith our LORD Jesus Christ into our hearts (Rev. 3:20) and confessed to GOD and repented of all our sins. In short, “a born again” person like Nicodemus (John 3:3-5). So, my friends, come join us in fellowship at FGBMFI, Davao City Chapter at Grand Men Seng Hotel every Saturday at 7:00 A.M. (FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin Jan 21)