Beloved Brothers, Sisters and Children in Christ
The Word of God is always true! Over 1,000 years before this great birth, God spoke through the wisest man on earth at that time, King Solomon, in Solomon’s Song, chapter 4:6-7 “Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and the hill of frankincense. Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.” Solomon had no idea how this could be. A great King! A mountain of Myrrh! And a hill of Frankincense! To be pure from Sin! To his mind it would have seemed impossible. To day as we celebrate this great Christmas festival, we can give thanks that it is possible to be drawn to Christ and these blessings in the same way as the wise men from the east were drawn to the baby Jesus. Those wise men were chosen by God to present gifts to the Christ Child, so he would be the caretaker of them until he was able to pass them onto all in the world, who would also become wise in faith. We should be so thankful at all times in our lives, that today we can still be recipients of those gifts to make us pure from sin and be prepared for the coming Kingdom of God. They gave him gold. Gold is the symbol of a King, and this was left for us in the sacrament of Baptism, which frees us from the inherited sin and writes us into a new book, giving us the opportunity to become citizens in a new and coming Kingdom. They gave him frankincense. This represents a link between man and Christ, that cannot be seen but is acceptable to God, and was left for us in the sacrament of Sealing, where we receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, to forgive our sins and help guide us to the coming Kingdom. They gave him myrrh. This was used to embalm bodies so they would not deteriorate. This represents and was left for us in the sacrament of Holy Communion, where our sins are taken away and replaced with Christ’s Righteousness. When our Lord returns to begin the Kingdom, all our bodies, whether we live or have passed on, will be made whole through the mountain of Myrrh. We in faith, can now see how Solomon’s words are being fulfilled and that is why we come together at this time, to give thanks to God for that greatest gift to mankind “His only begotten Son”. As the wise men sought guidance from God, sought diligently the new born King, left no stone unturned to fulfil their mission, let us all resolve to fulfil our mission and seek at all times those gifts left for us as a preparation for the coming Kingdom.
Wishing all a blessed and uplifting Christmas festival.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor, with special greetings from Sis. Heather & family.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Once again by the Grace of Christ, the Church has completed another ecclesiastic (Church) year and continues the journey into a new period. At a time like this, we should meditate on where the Church is being led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and what our hope should be. Our Lord told us of the great Advent for the Church at His trial, before He was sentenced to die for our sins. Matthew 26:63-64 “But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him. Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven.” This must always remain the objective and hope of our faith. The first advent, the birth of Jesus, was an important part of God’s plan for fallen man, but was only witnessed by the small number of chosen people. This coming great advent will be the greatest happening all mankind has ever witnessed. Revelation 1:7-8 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” The time of this coming is not known by anyone, save God the Father, who as the Father of the bridegroom, is the only one who has the power to send forth the bridegroom to meet His chosen, prepared Bride. If the Bride is not ready and prepared the Bridegroom has the right to choose His own bride. Matthew 24:36 “But of that day, and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Down through the period of the Church, history shows that many times this day was forecasted, but to no avail. We must be careful to never be misled by these false predictions, but at the same time, we must heed the warnings. Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” We see we must watch at all times. Our Lord spoke, after teaching His disciples of the events, they would see in the World – in Matthew 24, the following parable verse 32 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree: when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: so likewise when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you. This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” When we follow the world events of the last year, we can certainly see those things coming to pass, as the Lord told us to watch for. We also read of obligations required to be fulfilled through the Church by the power of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” 1 Corinthians 1:7 “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” 1 John 2:28 “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” This great day will not only be for the living that stand in the world at that time, but for all those that have followed Christ and prepared themselves during their lives before passing on to Paradise. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” This event will bring to fulfilment, the teaching of Christ to Nicodemus – John 3:5 “Jesus answered , Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” On that day all the called and prepared, will be reborn to be as our Lord, spirit first, flesh second. This was confirmed by Apostle John – 1 John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” The purpose of our Lord’s return was made very clear in a graphic teaching in Matthew 25:31 “When the son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.” Those seen as sheep were the ones who fed the hungry, gave water to the thirsty, clothed the naked, visited the sick, saw to those in prison etc. This refers both naturally and spiritually and our Lord said – verse 40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” The purpose of this advent is then made very clear by our Lord in Matthew 25:34 “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” The coming peaceful Kingdom of God for 1,000 years, as a free gift to the bride and groom after the marriage in Heaven, has been the hope of the inheritance for the Church from the beginning. Ephesians 1:10 “That in dispensation for the fullness of times he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him. In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” Let us all be sincere in praying daily, the words in the Lord’s prayer “Thy Kingdom Come”. The means of peace between God and man was won by our Lord, which began with the first advent, at His birth, and the means of permanent peace will come with the second advent. As Apostles, our wish for all is the same as Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly: and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be prepared blameless unto this coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Closing with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ, Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
It is good for us all as we come out of the glitz and glamour of this pre-Christmas period in the world, to be able to stand before the Almighty God during these days, in wonder at His great love given to mankind, in a way that exceeded and continues to exceed the greatest thoughts and minds of this world. Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” In this Holy silence let us all give sincere thanksgiving for the greatest gift that a loving Father could give to mankind. John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved”. This thanksgiving must also extend to our Lord Jesus Christ, who was prepared to leave the Glory of His Father’s home and come to a sinful world as a man, to overcome the enemies of God; those of sin, hell and death, and set in place a new way of preparation so that God could be victorious over Satan and have His will done in granting His glory to mankind. John 17:4-5 “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” We know that all mankind inherits the original sin of Adam, the first created man, so God had to use His wisdom and almighty power to create a man who would not be born into inherited sin. The prophets foretold how this would be, but man laughed and scorned at these prophecies. Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign, behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”How would it be possible for a virgin to conceive? Approximately 750 years later, God sent the angel Gabriel to the city of Nazareth to speak to a chosen virgin, Mary, who was of the lineage of King David, to tell her that this promise would be fulfilled through her. We can read Mary’s response in Luke 1:34-35 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” We read in the bible that the Trinity God all took a part in the creation of the first man, Adam. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” We see also the second created man Christ, contained the workings of the Trinity God also. We read how both Mary and her fiancé Joseph accepted the words of God through the angel and committed themselves to God’s plan. We know that when the time for delivery was due, they had to journey to Bethlehem to be taxed. It also brought about the fulfilment of prophecy made in regard to this great birth. Micah 5:2-3 “But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel: whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.” This promise fulfilled it’s self in all humbleness in a stable, His first resting place being a manger, to fulfil God’s word through the angel to the shepherds in the field that great night. Luke 2:11-14 “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord”. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” Now God’s majesty, wisdom and power were fulfilled. A manchild was born into the world who did not inherit the original sin. The heavenly hosts gave Him His mission to complete, to restore glory to God, to bring peace between God and all men and to pave the way for God to be able to give His goodwill to all in the coming Kingdom of God. It is no wonder Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:22-23 “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order; Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”We read how the wise man were shown a great star in the east which led them to Jerusalem where they asked Matthew 2:2 “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are come to worship him.” These words prompted King Herod, the scribes and chief priests to allow their hearts to be taken over by Satan and we can read how they planned to find the child and destroy him. The first Anti-Christ also had its birth at that time. The wise men were shown in a dream of this proposed evil and some days later were led to Mary and the Child. Matthew 2:11 “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented him with gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” God had now given to Christ the symbols of the future sacraments that would be used to prepare for the coming kingdom. The Apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:7-8 “ For there are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, The Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one”. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood and these three agree in one.” We read how Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem up to two years of age, and we can only imagine the sadness at that time, but God had already warned Joseph to leave for Egypt where they would be safe. Christmas is often said to be a time for children and tradition over the years has made it this way. As we give thanks and gifts, let us make sure that we all give to the children, that greatest gift of time, to explain to them the true meaning of this festival and especially the hope it gives us as Apostle James writes chapter 2:5 “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him.” There are many Anti- Christs in the world trying to destroy the children, and we must keep a watchful eye over them at all times. Wishing all a very blessed and peaceful Christmas festival, with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ, Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brother and Sisters in Christ,
The year of grace 2006 has passed and we welcome a new year of grace 2007. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” He then listed all the events of time we no doubt have seen happen in the world and our lives. Verse 2-8 “A time to be born, and a time to die: a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing: a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” As we reflect on this, surely we see the only stable thing available to us, is contained in the Apostle Blessing. “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God the Father, and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all.” Because of this the morning salute chosen for this year is “O LORD, SHOW ME THY WAYS, TEACH ME THY PATHS AND USE ME ACCORDING TO THY WILL TO SERVE IN YOUR GREAT SALVATION PLAN.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the church on these matters, by the same spirit, so many years ago. Ephesians 5:14-17 “Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” To walk circumspectly means accurately, no false steps, to walk with our eyes open, losing nothing that is brought our way, be ready to seize every occasion that offers, for serving the Lord. The Apostle Paul was urging the members to make full use of the time of full blessings in the church. The word from living Apostles, Prophets and ministry, by the Holy Spirit, teaching of the coming Kingdom of God, the gifts of the Holy Spirit were evident, the blessings of the sacraments, the unity and fellowship of the saints was still strong. He was saying that all should prize and value the opportunity while it is there, because evil days were coming which would over shadow those blessings. He was justified to write this as he was already in prison and could see what was coming into the world. The English Apostles also wrote to the church is their day. “Seize the opportunity while you have it; value and use your hour of sunshine; know the day of your mercy; let it not have shone upon you in vain; buy it up as a good bargain.” As new year is traditionally a time of resolutions, as we give thanks and praise to God for His blessings and petition Him for the new year, let us resolve to commit our lives to Him in the year ahead. No matter what happens in this world, we can always cling to the word of God and His promises to the Church. Isaiah 62:1-3 “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” As we look back over the events of the year, we can certainly see the foretold happenings taking shape. We see great concern and theory and teaching in relation to “climate change” and how mankind can do those things to fix it. Of course we are obliged to be caretakers. Genesis 2:15 “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” The Apostle Paul warned of a more sinister side that will emerge from these events. Romans 1:25 “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed for ever Amen.” We see the great risk of future generations worshipping the creation and not the creator. It is difficult for believers to contemplate this, but in Revelation 14, we read of the final message to be taken into the world in verse 7 “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountain of waters.” We recently read of a report issued to governments to suggest that to make the water, the food and resources sustainable into the future, the world must move to a sustainable population. If this is accepted, we can easily see how abortion, euthanasia and restrictions to medical cures, could become the norm instead of following God’s ways and promises as told by Christ. Matthew 6:31-33 “Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto you.” As we look back a few years, when we began a new millennium, and reflect on the speeches made at that time by the world leaders, that the world was now moving into a peaceful time in our history and measure the number of conflicts around the world since, we soon see what the psalmist meant in Psalm 118:8-9 “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” The trouble in the world will continue and we should remember the Lord’s teaching and promises at all times. John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” In the year before us, no doubt all of us, whether children, youth, family or aged, will set our hearts on challenges, targets, dreams, fulfilling commitments, plans that we have been working to, education advancements etc. We as Apostles, do pray that under the Lord’s blessings, many of these goals may be achieved without moving away from our primary objective to live a Godly life. Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:6 “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” We do hope that all can achieve contentment in their lives during 2007, always remembering the great plea in Psalm 107:8 “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.”
Closing with sincere greetings to all from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother & Apostle for Christ, Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
We again reach that period of time in our Church life when we remember one of the most important parts of our Lord’s mission on this earth, and the blessings won for us by this victorious mission. As always, we see that it is a time of great thanksgiving but also a time of reflection and commitment to make an extra effort to do our part, in some small way, to help in God’s great salvation plan to restore man and woman to the relationship with Him, that existed prior to Adam and Eve yielding to temptation of sin. Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” At that time two temptations stood before Adam and Eve and these still exist today. They were “The temptations of the world and the lusts of the flesh.” God’s law was very simple in that He expected mankind to look to God’s blessings and respect Him as the creator at all times. Only one condition was placed by God. Genesis 2:16-17 “And the Lord God took the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” We follow the scriptures and see that Adam and Eve were able, by their close relationship with God, to resist temptations of the world and lusts of the flesh, for we see no recorded complaint of wanting more of the world and Genesis 2:25, shows that the lusts of the flesh did not concern them – “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” We read of the jealousy of Satan, an angel, and we see coming into the world, the third temptation to man, which is still with us. The temptation of Satan. When we measure man against an angel and read Psalm 8:4-5 “What is man, that thou are mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visited him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” We see by yielding to this temptation of Satan brought about the downfall of mankind. God in His love, always held up a hope for fallen man, which He declared to Satan at that time. Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” This heralded a great future battle which would have the power to reverse the victory of Satan. We know this began when God created the second man, our Lord, conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin. By that time, the Law of God had been added to, by the Law of Moses. Our Lord’s mission was now to live by God’s law and bring to an end, the penalties of the Mosaic Law. For the first 30 years of His life, He was able to resist All the temptations of the world and the lusts of the flesh, because of His close relationship with His Father. Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Now was to begin the greatest battle for mankind since Adam and Eve. The prophet Daniel foretold the time and outcome – chapter 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” We read in Matthew 3 & 4 how our Lord came to John the Baptist, to be baptised and John forbad Him saying,”I have need to be baptised of thee”. Our Lord’s reply and events are recorded in Matthew 3:15-17 “And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo, a voice from heaven saying. This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” We see the great love of God in giving to our Lord, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, so that He would be equipped with a power, if used in the right way, would be higher than an angel. God then announced to Satan that this was His beloved Son. We read that Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for 40 days. We know the Lord did use the power of that anointing and was victorious over Satan. Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.” We see Satan bruised by this victory. As the spiritual woman being created out of Christ, we must also enter this period desiring to bruise the head of Satan. We can do this when we overcome the temptation of sin, of the world, of the flesh and of Satan, always remembering that these temptations can lead to sin of thought, of word and of deed. We who have been called out of the world, received the anointing of the Holy Spirit, must now continue the battle won by Christ. We are a blessed people, which we can through faith, receive the Grace of Christ in our lives. Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We are warned not to trample this grace underfoot in Romans 6:1-2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin live any longer therein?” We see the need to daily, renew our lives and habits. We can commit sins of omission as well as positive sins. There are things that we should do to others, and often are given the opportunity, but we side step and leave it to others. The Apostle Paul wrote of this in Romans 15:1-3 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.” Of course if we are tempted to breach a commandment of God this is positive. Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive and ye shall be forgiven.” Each time we can overcome a temptation it becomes a treasure in God’s sight. Our Lord taught in Matthew 6:19 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” We do wish all a victorious time in gathering treasures during this Lenten Season, always remembering the great promise by Apostle James 1:12 “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
Sincere greetings from Apostle Dargusch & myself,
Your brother & Apostle for Christ
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers and Sisters in
Christ.
As we gather together in prayer, as the
spiritual house of God, our minds should reflect on the basis of how this
spiritual building could rise and survive down through the generations. King
Solomon was granted the gift from God to be the wisest man in the world, until
our Lord took over that role as he declared in Matthew 12:42 “The queen of the
south shall rise up in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for
she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.” What did Solomon foretell why this
future spiritual building would hold together? We find the answer in Proverbs
24:3-5 “Through wisdom is an house builded: and by understanding it is
established. And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and
pleasant riches. A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth
strength.” The Apostle Paul, after his conversion, soon understood what the
wisdom spoken of, represented and he wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 “But we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks
foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the
power of God, and the wisdom of God.” As we remember the great sacrifice of
Christ on this day, we must also meditate on the wisdom and power of God that
has been given the Church because of this day. Our Lord’s mission was to come to
save the household of
Please accept greetings from Apostle
Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ, Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ.
As we again celebrate the anniversary of the bodily resurrection of our Lord from the tomb, we are all at a loss to express the feelings, fully from our hearts, on where this event should lead us. We have to turn to God’s word, as found in Psalm 98:1-3 “O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth hath seen the salvation of our God”. A new song or way for mankind was now beginning. Christ had now overcome the former enemies of God, those of sin, Satan, hell and death. He had indeed bruised Satan’s head by fulfilling the Law of God and the Law of Moses. He had brought to an end, the penalties of the Law by His great sufferings of taking those penalties on himself, although innocent. He had brought the fullness of righteousness to the earth by His taking the sins of the world upon Himself, and allowing Himself to be sacrificed as the perfect offering to His Heavenly Father. As He gave up His life, He had to display the greatest virtue of His labour. He now had to put everything into Trust. He had to trust, without any doubts, God’s word. Hosea 13:14 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” With this trust, our Lord had to continue His mission, firstly to overcome Hell and then the death of the body. We read our resurrected Lord’s words in Revelation 1:17-18 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.” Now we see clearly, the new song and way that began for all mankind, not only God’s chosen people, but to all who answer the call to be part of the coming Kingdom and are prepared to be led in this preparation as a Bride, by the Holy Ghost, to be ready when the Bridegroom returns. This new way was declared by our Lord, as His first recorded words spoken after His resurrection. He chose to speak them to Mary, the sinner, who represents all of us. These words should always be treasured by all, as they give us a great hope. John 20:17 “Jesus said unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God and your God”. Through these great victories of our Lord, mankind has the opportunity to again become sons and daughters of God, lost by Adam so many years before. Luke 3:38 “Which was the son of Enos , which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” What a great blessing we should give thanks for over these festival days. A new creation was to begin, that of the Church, and as with the original creation of man, life was to begin with the breath of God. Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We read in John 20, how the disciples, in fear, were behind shut doors when our Lord appeared unto them and showed unto them His hands and side, and began this new creation. Verses 21-23 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” We see by this act our Lord became the founder of the Church. Isaiah 15:32 “What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” Now that the enemies of God had been overcome by our Lord Jesus Christ, as the founder of this new creation, Christ has put into place, those things necessary to also allow us in faith and trust, to be prepared for the final rebirth that will allow us to enter the Kingdom of God at His return. John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God”. In faith we believe as our Lord arose bodily from the grave, so too, will the prepared Church. 1 Corinthians 15:20-26 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” Our Lord has provided the Church with the means of Grace, the ministries, the three sacraments, the forgiveness of repented sins, the Holy Ghost as a comforter and guide and gift giver, and faith, hope and trust in all of God’s promises, to allow for the preparation of the great day that stands before us. Those that answer the invitation and call of the Lord, because of this resurrection day, should have no fear of the death of our body. If we avail ourselves of this Grace, we understand that death, hell and final judgment, are of no concern. Our Lord began a new place of waiting for the faithful departed, which he announced to the malefactor as he hung on the cross. Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” This place was promised down through the ages and in Psalm 31:20 “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” On special festival days, a temporary pavilion was erected, attached to the Jewish Temple, to put on display the treasures of the temple. Paradise is such a pavilion, still part of the living temple, but temporary, in which is the great treasure . Revelation 2:7 “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Let us all relive the joy of the women who came to the tomb and heard the word of the angels. Luke 24 “Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen.”
We pray that all can renew their trust in God’s words, as we celebrate this great resurrection day once again.
Please accept Easter greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Having lived through that great festival of celebrating the bodily resurrection of our Lord from the grave, to begin a new creation on this earth, that of the Church, as the mystical body of Christ, the second created woman to be as a bride for Christ, we today, should have joy in our hearts as we celebrate the anniversary of the day when our Lord now ascended bodily to heaven, leaving behind the humiliation and injustice shown to Him on His mission on earth and to receive the glory due to Him as the God-man and mediator King in Heaven. Now not only those on earth but in all the realms of God’s creation, can see how God rewards those that are victorious to their calling. Apostle Paul wrote of this in Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Our Lord is now in a position where He can provide all the blessings and strengths that the Church needs to prepare itself to also share in the glory given to Christ on this day. As the glorified Christ, He was seen by Apostle John and recorded in Revelation 3:20-22, is that great commission to us all with the greatest of promises “Behold I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the Churches.” This new creation of God was long foretold and we read in Psalm 102:18-20 “This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner: to loose those that are appointed to death.” The beginning of this work of the Church was during the 40 days prior to this ascension, where we read He appeared to His disciples. John 20:21-22 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you; as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you, and when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, “ Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” For the next 40 days they had new life to understand the coming kingdom of God as recorded in Acts 1:2 “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them 40 days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” Our Lord with His ascension began His journey to become the intercessor between God and mankind, to put in place that link that had been lost because of the enemies of God, sin, death, hell and satan. The prophet Isaiah foretold this Isaiah 59:16-17 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him: and his righteousness, it sustained him. For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head: and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.” One of the most important blessings of our intercessor is in the ability to communicate with God through prayer. Our Lord foretold of this blessing in His teachings – John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” The bible teaches us in many places that if we are to benefit from our prayers they must be sincere, they must be done in contrition, as in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Prayer must be done in whole heartedness – Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Prayer must be done in faith. Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Prayers are linked to our obedience in our lives. 1 John 3:22 “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” Because of this wonderful ascension day we now have a continual access to a loving Father through Christ for prayer. If we look at the first created woman Eve, we see how she was able to resist the world and the flesh but could not withstand the cunning of Satan. This is understandable because man is made a little lower than angels, and Satan used that to beguile Eve. Now the Church, as the second created woman, must also prove itself. Because we are living stones, and all descended from Adam and Eve, we too would find ourselves in a hopeless battle were it not for the benefits that flowed from this ascension. Our Lord told of this in John 16:7-8 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement.” This ascension paved the way for us to receive the Holy Ghost within our lives to become that extra power that Eve did not have, so that we can allow that power to distribute the Grace of Christ and strength of Christ, to allow us to overcome the world, the lust of flesh and the temptations of Satan. Today we meditate on the many gifts the Church as the new creation of God has received and reflect on their purpose as found in Ephesians 4:13 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” We must always remember as the first woman came out of the first created man, so the second woman must come out of the second created man. Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” Our Lord spoke on this – John 15:5-9 “I am the vine, ye are the branches, He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.” The last words of our Lord to His Apostles before His ascension, should also be a great comfort to us all “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Wishing all a joyous day in this celebration of God’s love to us.
Please accept greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Once again we are called to remember the great love of God and the grace of Christ, in sending to earth the Holy Ghost to remain as our spiritual leader, preparing all who believe, to be ready for the return of Christ and the Kingdom period. Psalm 104:30 “Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.” In thanksgiving we look back on this great event, we meditate on the many blessings we continue to receive and we look forward to the great future role of the Holy Ghost. The circumstances, place and signs of this event and the consequences of it, were foretold by the Prophet Hosea 1:9-11 “Then said God, call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.” Over 800 years later, at the same street in Jerusalem, we read in Acts 2, that devout Jews of every tribe and nation were assembled for the Jewish Pentecost festival and witnessed an event on the Apostles, as described in verse 2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance.” Because the devout Jewish men could all understand in their own language, they gathered as a large multitude to hear, even though they had rejected the Messiah, condemned Him by their councils, had Him crucified and slain, that God showed His mighty power by the Holy Ghost. Verses 24-25 “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.” These men all listened intently to the testimony of Jesus Christ and what they were now hearing of the better way offered to them from being the people of God, to now be offered the right to be sons of God. They were sorrowful for what as a nation, had been done, but the Apostle told them , verse 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” They repented and on the advice of the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostles, added to their baptism (circumcision) to the Father, the baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and they also received the gift of the Holy Ghost and continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. As foretold they now appointed themselves one head over them, Jesus Christ. We know from scripture, that it was later that the Lord showed Apostle Peter, who at first resisted the call, that this promise had to be extended to all people of the world and he was called to an Italian gentile, Cornelius and his household, to preach of Christ’s victory that had won the way for remission of sin. Acts 10:44-48 “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter. Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. “ Now it was clear to all, that this gift of the Holy Ghost and the promise of the Kingdom, was now available to all that the Lord will call. It is boundless. We are of those called and should be so thankful, for without that gift we would be lost. 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” What a tragedy if we could not call on our Lord in our lives! We know the bible teaches us of the many benefits, the church received from the Holy Ghost. Some recordings show He is the immediate source of life. Isaiah 32:15 “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted as a forest.” He is the revealer of all divine truth. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself: but what so ever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” He moves upon the hearts and consciences of all. 1 Corinthians 2:5 “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” He guides the ministry on where the work should be undertaken. Acts 16:9 “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” He will teach us to be strong in prayer. Ephesians 3:16 “That he should grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man.” He exercises His authority in forgiveness of sins, sanctifies, baptising and being sealed to the day of redemption. 1 Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the fore knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.” He joins us all together and unto Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” He gives gifts unto the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:4 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit.” Many other blessings granted us day by day, by the Holy Spirit, are recorded in scripture. We look to the great future role of the Holy Ghost and see what Apostle Paul meant in Ephesians 1:13-14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth; the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, into the praise of his glory.” We believe in the inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God, when we will receive final redemption and we see that the Holy Ghost must also be present and active. If we pass from this life, we must be resurrected. We cannot do this, but we see the power that can. Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you.” We see that even though we may go into the grave, if we prepare ourselves in this life, the spirit does not leave us. This was shown in a graphic way in 2 Kings 13:21 “And it came to pass as they were burying a man, that behold they spied a band of men, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man touched the bones of Elisha, the man revived and stood up on his feet.” We pray that at all times we make our bodies a worthy dwelling place for the Holy Ghost. Wishing all a spiritually contented festival, with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ. Cliff Flor.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR THANKSGIVING & MISSION FESTIVAL Mackay QLD.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Once again we are blessed to reach this time in our church life, where we can come before the Lord in thought, word, and deed. Remembering the many blessings, both spiritual and natural, which we have all received from the Lord, over the many years in this land, and then to offer sincere thanksgiving for the past and renew our commitment to the future, to play our part to ensure these blessings can continue and be spread to others also seeking them. We read in the scriptures that the Jewish nation, as God’s people, were bound under the law to bring thanksgiving sacrificial offerings to open the door of prayer to the Almighty God. Through the grace won for us by our Lord Jesus Christ, as sons and daughters of God, we now have the automatic access through prayer to offer our thanksgiving as described by Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” This shows us clearly that we need to reflect deeply on the manner our prayers of thanksgiving take at this time. Our Lord taught on this in Luke 18:9-14 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalted himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. “ Over so many years we have received the blessings of Christ’s Grace granted the Church by the working of the Holy Spirit, sent by Christ, through the Apostle ministry, re-established in the world in this latter period. The Apostle John was shown in Revelation 4, how the former and latter ministry of Apostles and Ministry, must function within the church and we read in verses 8/11 “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” All Honour to God, has been a foundation teaching for the church in this land, from the first Apostle who laboured for the Lord, through to all following up to this present day, and we must give thanks for this as it has opened the door for many spiritual blessings through the teaching and sacraments. Colossians 1:25-28 “Wherefore I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God: even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” Through the blessings granted to the Church, many souls have had their faith in Christ strengthened and the hope and trust in His promise, to return to gather His elect from the living and dead, to be united with Him to inherit the Kingdom of God. They have passed that faith and hope on to other generations. That too, is our obligation as an ongoing personal mission labour in our families. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As we remember that we have been the recipients of the fulfilment of a great promise to mankind almost 3,800 years ago, let us also look to the obligation made at that time and we find in Genesis 28, the promise given to Jacob verse 14 “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee and in thy seed shall all families of the earth be blessed.” We know that the seed was Jesus Christ and we indeed have been blessed to be called into this Holy Spiritual temple, the Church. Jacob was given the blessing to see how this blessing would work in the form of a dream, where he saw a ladder connecting the earth with the throne of God which we know happened when Christ became our link forever between God and Man. Jacob recognized he had been privileged to witness as he said, “this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” He took a stone, anointed it with oil, and called it Bethel, which means, House of God, and verses 20/22 records his vow “And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.” We see the need to give back to the Lord a portion of our time and blessings received, which can be done in many ways but at this time we think of the Mission labour yet to be completed in a darkening world. Isaiah 9:2 “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” As an Apostolic Church we have been entrusted to keep the Lord’s instruction to take the light into the world in which we live and further afield. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 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 alway, even unto the end of the world.” This shows us that this labour is the Lord’s and the result always belongs to Him, but we must be prepared to do our obligation. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 “So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth: but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” The Lord showed clearly while on earth, that no work can be done without a contribution, no matter how small from us, when He took the small loaves and fish, gave thanks to God, blessed them and they were then sufficient to feed many thousands with baskets left over. Had the young boy on that day, not made that small sacrifice in offering, that miracle could not have been fulfilled. Mission labour that is successful is a current day miracle of Christ’s also and requires that sacrifice to bring it to pass. Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Wishing all a blessed festival, with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.