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,
As we gather before the Lord, let us all reflect on what this festival means to us. It should be a special time of thanksgiving as we celebrate the birth of the founder of our faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We see the importance of not shifting our faith from Christ. 630 years before this event, the prophet Habakkuk lamented at the vanity and iniquity in the land and told God he was standing reading to receive his word. The Lord showed him a vision – verse 3-4 “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.” We see prophesied that one would come into the world who was entitled to be lifted up above all others, but would not allow that to happen, but would be born in humbleness and remain that way all of His life. He would display a great faith, which we know was in His Father, and trust in His Father’s word and by this, all that made their faith in Him, would also have access to the Father. As He taught – John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” We see that we also have to live our life justly. Christ explained what this means in Matthew 22:37 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” and verse 39 “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.” When we follow the event all foretold, preceding this incarnate birth of the Son of God as a man into the world, we should all stand in awe and thanksgiving at the wonderful love of God to mankind. Psalm 2:7-8 “I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me. Thou art my Son: this day have I begotten thee: ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter most parts of the earth for thy possession.” We read the angel Gabriel visited a virgin, Mary, and gave her the message. Luke 1:30-33 “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” As a virgin, Mary questioned how this could be and the angel told 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 see that God had to use His shadow and the Holy Ghost to bring about the creation of the second man created by God. God could not have visited Mary and completed the act Himself, as we find written in Exodus 33:20 “And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” We see that this second created man of God was different than Adam the first, who was made flesh first and spirit second, where as the second man Jesus, was conceived by the spirit first and flesh came second. He was to be given a mission on earth to allow all of those who put their faith in Him and follow Him, to also be reborn to be as Him. This mission is recorded at His birth, by the angel who spoke to the shepherds and the heavenly hosts. Luke 2:10-14 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for; behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 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, and good will toward men.” We read how the shepherds visited the manger in the stable and witnessed abroad of the humble birth of Jesus the Saviour. Our Lord, during His mission, always gave glory to God in the highest and has left His teaching for us to also do this. He made peace between God and man when He took the sins of the world upon Himself, and left His peace through Grace, to allow us to reconcile ourselves to God. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be trouble, neither let it be afraid.” The goodwill to men, is to provide the means that His Father can give all of His goodwill to mankind. This is now received in part, but will be fulfilled 100% during the Kingdom of God period after the return of Christ. This will be the final mission instruction completed. Philippians 3:20-21 “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working where by he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” We see how important it is to keep Jesus Christ as our faith, for He and He alone, is the finisher of our faith. We read also in Matthew 2, how after the birth of Jesus, wise men from the east were shown a star that guided them to the child Jesus – verse 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 unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” This began to fulfil the prophecy – Isaiah 60:3 “And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” We know that Christ is the light of the world and in faith to Him, we should also be drawn to His light. As we come before Him, offering our time and praise, we should be reminded of a prophecy that came during a recent service “I see before me the fruits of the labour of your hands, seek to walk in the light of My Son. Then shall ye bring forth fruits of the spirit and ye shall reap of a double blessing.” We wish all a very blessed, joyful and peaceful Christmas festival, full of blessings. Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ, Apostle Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brother and Sisters in Christ,
The year of Grace 2009 is with us and surely our hearts and minds have moved us to contemplate the year gone by and more importantly, to consider what might stand before us, our plans in life and Church. The children of Israel also came to the temple to begin a new year and had to recite from the Prophet Habakkuk 2:18-20 “What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it: the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” This should also make us realise as we come before the Lord in silence, that we need the presence of the Lord at all times in His Holy living temple, the Church. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” To help us during the year to keep God’s spirit with us each day, the following shall be our morning salute. “LORD, BY THY GRACE, ALLOW ME TO FOLLOW THY TEACHING TO ONLY DO AND SAY UNTO OTHERS AS I WOULD LIKE DONE UNTO ME”. We all recognize this as the Golden Rule. Gold is always the symbol of a Kingdom, that is why we see our Lord’s teaching of this in Matthew 7:12 “For this is the law and the prophets”. If it could have been fulfilled by the people, the Kingdom of God would have commenced. Our Lord Jesus did fulfil this rule while He was on earth and He added for us the commandments that embodies the fullness of the Golden Rule. Mark 12:30-31 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. There is none other commandment greater than these.” If only all mankind could live by this, what a wonderful world we would have. We know that this will only happen when our Lord returns and establishes the Kingdom for all who have prepared themselves in this life. Revelation 20:4 “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them and judgement was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” In the confession of our weakness, we have been given the opportunity to be part of this kingdom through a great gift from God. Ephesians 2:4-7 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved); and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.” Because of this Grace, we refer to this year as the Year of Grace 2009. We look to the meaning of grace in the dictionary and find “Grace is what God may be free to do, and indeed what he does, accordingly for the lost after Christ has died on behalf of them. Grace is to be distinguished from God’s mercy and love.” We see the great importance of Grace in our daily life and should seek the means of this Grace at all times, in all things that we plan for this year. The impact of God’s grace was shown for the first time in the world, in the days of Noah when God declared He would destroy man from the face of the world. Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Because of this grace, Noah and his family survived one of the greatest impacts to the world and it can do the same for us in our lives. For us grace came to the world with the birth and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ – John 1:17 “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” We look back to that and look down through the world events and changes and see very clearly, the only constant during this time has been the grace, love and mercy of God to mankind. Who have been those who availed themselves of this? Proverbs 3:34 gives us the answer “Surely he scorneth the scorners, but he giveth grace unto the lowly.” Not much is written in the Bible of the childhood of Jesus except what is recorded in Luke 2, when His parents journeyed to Jerusalem for the Passover, and when they left they thought He was with them but He had stayed back in the temple and was found debating the law and the prophets amongst the most learned of Jews. We read of the concern of His parents as they sought and found Him. This is the first recorded teaching of Jesus. Luke 2:49 “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business.” This shows all parents that they must be concerned at all times, for the welfare of children and also that they must be allowed to be taught of the Loving Father’s business. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” We all have plans in our lives for the years ahead, no matter what age or stage of life we are at. We must always remember that sometimes our ways are not God’s ways. We must always pray in sincerity to the Lord on these matters and ask for His blessings. Our Lord showed this at all times during His journey through life, and we have the graphic example as He came to the end of His mission, knowing what stood before Him. Luke 22:41-42 “And he was drawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” As we make New Year resolutions, let one of them be that we turn to prayer in our busy lives and not neglect this blessing as spoken of by our Lord. Luke 18:1 “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.”
We, the Apostles, do hope and pray that all will have a blessed, fruitful and joyful year in all your endeavours.
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself,
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
We are again at that Christian time when we remember the great victory of our Lord, over all the temptations of Satan for that 40 day period. From the first temptations yielded to by Adam and Eve, no person was ever able to win a victory over the temptations of Satan. According to the bible, temptation can come in three ways, the temptation of the world, temptation brought about by the lusts of the flesh and temptations from Satan. Mankind, by being sincere and strong, could use their will to mount a resistance against the temptation of the world and lusts of the flesh, but because Satan is an Angel and man is made lower than Angels, it was impossible for man to resist the cleverness of Satan. Jesus was born into this world in the flesh of man and as man, would have to face the temptations experienced by all. Hebrews 2: 18 "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." God in His love was now to put in place the means of fulfilling His word given, when Satan won against the first man and woman. 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." We must remember that the fullness of the Trinity was involved with the creation of man. Genesis 1:26 "And God said, let us make man in our image", and so now this fullness had to be put in place for this bruising of Satan's head. For the first 30 years of our Lord's life, He overcame all the temptations of the world and flesh, but now was to come the greatest battle, that if lost, all mankind would be lost forever. Jesus had to be anointed to become the Christ, to receive the fullness of the God head for this battle. This happened as foretold by the Prophets when Jesus came to John the Baptist. Matthew 3:15-17 "And Jesus answering said unto them, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Thus he suffered him. And Jesus when he was baptized, 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." Jesus now became the anointed of God, the Christ for mankind, and we can read in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13, how the Lord, because of this Holy Spirit within Him, was able to resist every temptation of Satan and defeat him. Luke 4:13 "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season." The Church, as the new creation out of Christ, must also take up the battle against all the temptations of the world, the flesh and Satan at all times, but especially at this time of reflection. Through the Grace of Christ, we have been given the opportunity to equip ourselves with the wisdom and weapons to mount this battle. Hebrews 4:15-16 "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. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and fmd grace to help in time of need." To resist a temptation prevents us from falling into that sin. Once we have sinned it is too late and we then have to rely on the Grace of Christ dispensed after sincere repentance, as explained 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." The act if repentance is described by our Lord as a victory - Luke 15:7 "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." During this period we should enter into self examination of our lives. Judge ourselves and not those around us. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans on the seriousness of this practice. Romans 2:1-2 "Therefore thou art inexcusable, o man, whosoever thou that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.” It can also be a trap to compare our lives with those that we associate with the most, as we can fool ourselves. 2 Corinthians 10: 12-13 "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise. But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you." God has given us His word. Christ came as the living word and the power of the Holy Ghost should reveal unto us the correct measure to compare our life, that of Christ and the word of God. If we do this we soon are alerted to our shortcomings in both forms of sin, those of commission (direct ungodliness ways) and those of omission (not doing unto others as we would want done to us). We are taught by Christ, that each victory over temptation becomes a great treasure for our soul and is never lost. Matthew 6: 19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves 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." This righteousness will never be lost and will be stored by God, as oil for our lamps when we are called to go forth and meet the Bridegroom, when He is sent by His Father into the world again. The Church was given warnings which was for all ages and also promises by Christ to Apostle John in Revelation chapters 2 &3 for those that will take up the battle and overcome. One of the greatest promises for this period of time. Revelation 3:5 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment: and I will not block out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his Angels." We the Apostles, wish all a victorious battle during this period, always remembering the words in Psalm 44:5-6 "Through thee will we push down our enemies through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me."
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself, Your brother and Apostle for Christ, Apostle Cliff Flor
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers and Sisters in
Christ.
It is only when we read the Lord’s words in Matthew 5:17-18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled”, that we begin to realise the importance to us, of this thanksgiving and remembrance day. During our Lord’s life on earth, He was able to fulfil the law of God and of Moses. Many of His words and actions as He visited the temple, were in fact fulfilling parts of the law. When a matter is fulfilled it no longer has relevance for the future. We find examples everywhere in the bible. John 7:37-38 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” This fulfilled the necessity of the Priests during the festival of a ritual of pouring water through a funnel on the altar and having it flow out into the temple to represent the blessings of God. Also in John 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” This came at the end of a festival where the priests had to keep the large lamps in the temple, filled with oil to burn night and day, for a week, to highlight the way to see God’s presence. Slowly but surely, our Lord fulfilled the law and the prophets, to lead up to the final mission. During the days leading up to our Lord’s final sacrifice, we can read in scripture of the many events that fulfilled various parts of the law and prophets, to bring them to an end and replace them with something better for all mankind. In Matthew 21, we read of Jesus’ triumphal entry to the temple – verse 2-4 “Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” We read how our Lord had the final Passover festival and replaced it with the means of a new covenant – Matthew 26:26-27 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. For this is the blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” We read how He went into the garden to pray – Luke 22:42-44 “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony be prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was at it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This showed He was to become the scape’goat for the sins of the people as prescribed by the law. We read of the taking of our Lord and the most terrible happenings inflicted upon Him, beyond the endurance of any man. This was necessary to bring to an end, the curse and penalties attached to the law. Every act from being thrown in prison, spat upon, struck on the face, beaten by sticks and whips, purged, crown of thorns, false witness, trials from authority and being sent from the city to be crucified, were all different penalties prescribed by the law. This was foretold in Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely be hath born our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we were healed.” We must understand that Christ was without sin and because of this, it allowed God’s justice to intervene and bring to end, the penalties. Galations 3:13-14 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Our Lord taught of John the Baptist. Luke 7:28 “For I say unto you, among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he.” The prophecy of John that we give thanks for today and each and every day, that fulfilled itself, we find in John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Now there was a perfect sacrifice who was prepared to take the sins of the world upon himself. 1 Peter 1:18-19 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” In spirit, we again picture our Lord on the cross, exercising His right as God, saying to His Father “Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.” All mankind would now have the opportunity to share in this won victory. Many other promises and blessings were given to us from the cross on that day, which we continue in today. One of the greatest was from the resurrected Lord himself, to Apostle John in Revelation 1:17-18 “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 of death.”
Wishing all a blessed and enlightened festival in understanding why it is called Good Friday.
Please accept greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
During Christ’s trial before His crucifixion, Apostle Peter denied our Lord three times, as foretold by the Lord. The bible records when the Lord looked upon him in Luke 22:62 “And Peter went out, and wept bitterly”. When the Apostle was given the wisdom to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, he turned this deep remorse into words of great joy and hope, which should be also ours at this blessed time – 1 Peter 1-3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. During this festival we, who also deny Christ at times in our lives, should also receive within our hearts, that lively hope brought about by Christ’s bodily resurrection, by confirming our absolute faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?” This great event of God’s dealings with mankind, brought a new way into the world and fulfilled the prophecy so many years before – found in Psalm 18:2-7 “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrow of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled ;the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.” As we celebrate the overcoming of sin, hell and death by the Lord, we read in Matthew 27:50-53 “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom: and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent: and the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” We know that the chief priests and Pharisees counselled Pilate after the Lord’s death, to seal the sepulchre that held his body so it would not be taken out, but we read how the prophecy was fulfilled again – Matthew 28:1-2 “In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earth quake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it.” The women were the first to receive that wonderful message which was for all future generations – Luke 24:5-7 “And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth,” it was said unto them, “ why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen; remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, saying, The son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” The battle had been fought and won by Christ, for all mankind who now wished to again be reconciled to God through that link now provided; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He became and remains our only door of access to all the blessings of a loving Father. He taught this very clearly in John 10:1-4 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice.” As part of this called flock, we must always commit our ways to follow the only good shepherd, trust in His promises, always avail ourselves of the Grace He freely dispenses to all as He leads us, by the power of the Holy Ghost, which He sent unto us, to the coming Kingdom of God. This journey, because of Christ’s victory, can be made without any spiritual concerns or fear of those former enemies of mankind, Sin, Hell and Death. Of Sin the Apostle John teaches – 1 John 2:1-2 “My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Our Lord confirmed this wonderful blessing as He appeared unto His Apostles and those gathered with them after His resurrection. Luke 24:47-48 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” Today we still are witnesses to this wonderful blessing dispensed ‘Peace be unto you’. Of Hell, our Lord promised His Apostles that the future church which would make the confession of Christ “Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God” then the gates of hell shall not prevail. He, by His great victory, has brought about the means that all who continue in this confession and follow His teaching, no longer need to fear this place of waiting for judgment. On the cross He promised a new and better place for the church, when He told the repenting male-factor, who did confess Him as the Christ. Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” According to Revelation chapter 2, in Paradise is the tree of life. What a wonderful blessing. Of Death, death of this body no longer heralds the end. By our Lord’s resurrection He has proved that there will be life again for all believers. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. For 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; and afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
We the Apostles, do hope that all once again, experience the inward joy that comes from the risen Saviour. Psalm 107:1 “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch & myself
Your brother & Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The bodily ascension of our Lord to His Father’s throne was necessary for the next part of God’s plan to be implemented, and that was and still is, for all nations to be taught and prepared to be as a bride for Christ and prepared for the conversion, to be part of the coming Kingdom of God. Our Lord told of this in John 6:62 “What and if ye shall see the son of man ascend up where he was before?” We see the great importance of God’s word in the preparation of this mystical body of Christ and a great question and warning was given in Proverbs 30:4-6 “Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the winds in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” The Apostle Paul answered these questions very clearly for us in Ephesians 1:19-22 “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church”. During this period of time, we give special thanks for this great gift to the church and should make the commitment once again, to give ourselves in all humbleness and meekness unto God’s spirit, sent to us from the head of the church, to prepare us to be as He is and to await the ascension of the church at the time appointed by the Heavenly Father, to be presented unto the Father as the prepared bride and to return and be given the gift of a cleansed earth for the Kingdom of God period. Ephesians 5:25-26 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” After the Father’s blessing Apostle John was shown the great reward for the church in Revelation 21:2-4 “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” To be sanctified and cleansed requires a preparation in our life. Christ is now at the right hand of God, but before His ascension, He set in place, the order by which He can fulfil His anointed role as our prophet. This role was foretold by Moses so many years before. Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken.” Our Lord as that Prophet while on earth, chose a ministry that would be entrusted to give His word to the whole world and instructed His Apostles at His ascension. Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Those Apostles, and all following, understood their role to be ambassadors for Christ. Apostle Paul declared 1 Corinthians 4:1 “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” And further in Ephesians 6:19 “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, and I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.” The Apostle John was shown clearly, how the words we hear should be judged. Revelation 19:10 “And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Sadly we look back over the Christian history and we see that sometimes this was turned around to mean “The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.” We all need this true word of God to cleanse and prepare us for the Kingdom of God. John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” To have the sanctification completed in our lives, requires the blessings from a High Priest. Christ’s ascension to the throne of God has allowed Him to become this High Priest forever for the world. Hebrews 2:17-18 “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, and he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” A High Priest can only extend his sanctification after forgiveness for our sins is granted. Our Lord said on earth, it was expedient He go away so He could send the Holy Ghost. He proclaimed to His disciples after His resurrection, to receive the Holy Ghost who would have the power to forgive our repented sins. The Apostle Paul explained how this blessing is dispensed in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” We know that our Lord has been ordained to be the King of Kings and He has proved this by now sitting in the throne of God. At His trial He told Pilate – John 18:36 “My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my Kingdom not from hence.” We see it is a coming Kingdom and that is why our Lord taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come”. We should all understand the blessings as foretold in Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
Wishing all a blessed festival with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ. Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
By the Grace of Christ, we are again blessed to assemble to give thanks to the loving Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ as the head of the Church, for sending the third part of the Trinity God, The Holy Ghost, to the world to remain and labour in Christ’s stead, to prepare the Church for that great day when our Lord will return to claim His own. The Apostle Paul wrote, 2 Timothy 4:8 “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” The Church, as the new creation of God out of Christ, had to be given the spirit of God to allow it to live, function in Christ’s stead, spread to all nations, be guided in truth, to be redeemed and strengthened in faith in Christ and trust in God’s words. No earthly power or wisdom could achieve this. God had shown through the prophet Ezekiel 36:26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.” We who accept this great blessing and striven to keep our hearts clean through the blessings and sacraments offered freely to us, allow ourselves to be a dwelling place for the Holy Ghost to link us to Christ and as a result then can be part of that great promise. John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This blessing was lost to the world when Adam and Eve fell into temptation of sin and was only restored through Christ’s mission on the earth. This restoration was promised by God through the prophet Hosea 1:9-10 “Then said God, call his name Lo am me: 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 can not 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.” We read in that same street and place over 800 years later, when the Apostles were gathered in prayer on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2:2-4 “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 all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.” The scripture records that this news spread and devout Jews from every nation who had travelled to the festival, gathered and heard in their own language, the wonderful news that the prophecy had been fulfilled through the mission and sacrifice of Christ and that the Holy Ghost was now sent to complete this restoration throughout the whole world. The Apostle Peter’s sermon is recorded where he spoke of the fulfilment of prophecy, God’s foreordained plan that the Messiah would be crucified, of what David had foretold that Christ would be resurrected after breaking down the gates of hell and ascended to heaven to complete the work still required. Acts 2: 33-35 “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath make that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” And so by the power of the Holy Ghost given, began the work of the Apostles to fulfil their master’s instructions. Mark 24:47 “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.” 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, baptising 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 work was done not by man, but men chosen to allow the Holy Spirit to work through them the same as it must be today in this latter day reign period of the Holy Ghost. The Apostle Paul taught – 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God: that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” History shows us clearly how the Church can be led away from truth if the mind of man takes over. We see our great obligation as those called, to keep ourselves an acceptable dwelling place for the Holy Ghost. 1 Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priest hood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” It is so important for our future, if we want to be part of the kingdom period, that we keep this Holy Spirit active in our lives and within the Church. If we pass from this life we do not loose the blessings and power of the Holy Ghost in ensuring we can be part of the first resurrection – as recorded in 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.” When we consider the work of the Holy Ghost within our lives and the Church, we soon see why it is called a comforter. We should be so thankful to Christ for His intersession promised to His Apostles. John 14:15-18 “If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Let us all renew our sincere prayer through Christ that He will renew that promise again for us in the times ahead. The evidence that the spirit is with us should be seen in the fruits of the Holy Spirit coming through the Church as listed in many parts of the bible; Good works, righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, knowledge of God, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance, truth, mercy and so forth. We the Apostles, join with all in this prayer. Greetings from Apostle Dargusch & myself,
Your brother & 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 given the opportunity to reflect over the past year and offer unto the Lord, in praise, prayer, word and deed, an offering of thanksgiving and to look to the future mission work for ourselves and the Church. Thanksgiving should be for all blessings in our lives, in the natural – Deut. 8:10 “When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee”, and more importantly, for the means given us for our spiritual goal. Colossians 1:12-13 “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us unto the kingdom of his dear Son.” In life we all sometimes take our blessings for granted or sometimes even think we are entitled to them because of our perceived contribution to them. Our Lord experienced this, as recorded in Luke 17, when He was approached by ten lepers – verse 13 “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests and it came to pass, that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger”. We give thanks on these days for the many blessings granted to the Church, from the establishment of the Apostle ministry, as an ongoing Office to dispense, by the power of the Holy Ghost, blessings to prepare us for the return of Christ. Psalm 107:20-22 “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing.” In the days that stand before us it would be well if we all took time to read and meditate on Psalm 107. We give thanks that we have been called by the Lord to share in the blessings foretold by the prophet Joel 2:23-26 “Be glad then ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years that the locusts hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.” It is not sufficient to accept the privileges to be part of the restoration work through the re-established Apostle ministry, without acknowledging the responsibility of the mission work associated with it. We give thanks for the mission labour from the 1830’s through to the labour in this land, to the present day. We are reminded to whom we must dedicate this work, by Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 3:6-11 “I have planted, Apollos watered: but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, 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. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there on. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” At this time we dedicate to the Almighty God, all the mission labour that has been undertaken in the past year, whether it is prayers for this work, offerings, personal labour in our families, schools, communities or supporting in any way, the mission work also in the three countries where work is ongoing. We also include the contribution to the mission work by the Officers and Members in those overseas countries, who although poor in natural assets, being rich in faith, have worked with a zeal to bring more souls to the Grace of Christ, to be prepared for His return. According to the bible, mission labour must always be done with zeal and faith, and be guided by the Holy Ghost. The Lord confirmed this. Joel 3:9-10 “Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles: Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near: let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say. I am strong.” As we dedicate the special mission offerings to the Lord, let us remember the unselfish small offering made to the Lord that enabled 5,000 men to be fed, as recorded in John 6, by the young man of five barley loaves and two small fishes.Verse 11 “And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks he distributed to the disciples and the disciples to them that were set down, and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets from the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” If we are sincere and allow our Lord Jesus to provide the bread of life to his disciples, as a result of our offerings, many thousands can be fed with some left over to feed others. We must put our Lord Jesus Christ at the centre on any labour we undertake in our life. This was taught by our Lord in John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me.” Further in verse 10/12 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.”We do hope all have a joyous and blest festival. With greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself. Your brother & Apostle for Christ.
We do hope all have a joyous and blest festival. With greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.