Words Of Life 2006 17-24

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WORD OF LIFE No. 25 - 2009.

TEXT – John 10:10.
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

These wonderful words of our Lord are so often overlooked by all of mankind. To be assured that someone was prepared to leave a high, glorious place of beauty, where respect and honour was in abundance, to come as a man into a troubled world to make this free offer to us all, that we might have life, and this will grow in blessings more abundantly to reach that pinnacle "Eternal Life", and witness that life forever that Christ gave away for that period so that we too, may now obtain to it through Him and by Him. It is a free invitation, but it does require a special effort by us all, if we are to accept the invitation and blessings. That effort is to firstly acknowledge that we need help from someone else in life. To realize that if we try to go it alone, we will stumble and fall. To acknowledge this is the first step to humbleness. The Apostle Peter wrote 1 Peter 5: 5 "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble". If we are to avail ourselves of this blessing we must take the first step. Recently I was having a discussion with an older gentle brother in the faith. The virtue of humbleness and contentment was obviously with him as all who came in contact with him immediately felt it. It was obvious he had at sometime in his life accepted the invitation in our text and his life was made full over the years by our Lord. I inquired of him when this happened, and if he was born that way. He smiled and assured me that was not always the case, but he remembers when it all had its simple beginning. As a child growing up, he remembers how his Mother helped him with everything he did, even to helping him get dressed. As with all children, he began to feel independant and felt there was nothing he could not achieve on his own. He displayed this to his Mother, who of course let him have his own way, but watched him from a distance as most caring parents do. One Sunday morning, full of independance, he began to get ready to go to Church, and as he rushed to put his trousers on, and of course he got both legs caught in the one trouser leg, and no matter how he struggled he landed flat on his face. All that he could do was to call franticly to his Mother, who came and gently helped him out of the predicament with only kind words. He said he remembered the Priest on that day preached the words "Pride comes before the fall". That was the beginning, all through life it was a day by day series of lessons and experiences and he told me that each time he had to call for help and life from the Lord, made him more contented, for never once could he recall the Lord rebuking him. We in our lives have all experienced similar events, as our brother, but to learn from them is a great blessing as it opens the door to allow the Lord to come and give us real life.

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 26 – 2009.

TEXT – Luke 12: 31-34.
"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it, is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Godliness is life in and with God and is beneficial for all things; it bears promises for eternity and also has blessed consequences for this life on earth. According to our text, Jesus Himself said this: "Seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things (material provisions) shall be added unto you." This does not mean that we need not bother about earthly things or that they are of no importance. No, but it is only when one has found the kingdom of God that earthly life has its true content. Indifference and lethargy in earthly things is not compatible with diligent seeking after the kingdom of God, but keen workers for the kingdom of God look to eternity above all else.
"I know thy works, that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead." That is a hard judgment that is passed on the church in Sardis (Rev.3:1) that thou hast a name, that thou livest means: you only seem to be this; you bear my name (Christ), you claim to believe and to know me, but your works are different, they do not come from the true foundation of the teaching, your life is not filled with mine. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (3:13) counselled: "Exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day ..... This is a great responsibility and a constant duty. We should not only look to ourselves, but also care for others. The holy love of God wants to redeem, sanctify, and keep us all. So if we love Christ and if we belong to Him, then we love each other and do not just have the name as if we lived. Then, earthly things also will be sanctified in and through Christ. In the highest and most worthwhile striving to attain salvation of the soul it cannot be a matter of indifference to us how our neighbour is faring.
It is not always easy to exhort one another. This demands wisdom, gentleness, earnestness, and tact. It is also necessary to overcome the fear of men in order to be able to point out, in a loving way, bad behaviour. True love is not silent when speech is necessary. He who has imposed this task upon us, can give us the courage and the ability to carry it out.
Those who honestly seek the kingdom of God, must also take to heart the words of Jesus: "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." (Matt. 6:19-20) Striving for undue financial wealth or earthly goods simply leads too quickly to a state of affairs whereby the kingdom of God is neglected, in that one ceases to increase spiritual gifts also and to develop a life of virtue. Material possessions may satisfy for a short period on earth, but they can never bring lasting joy, unless we take them to a discount house ..... Investment in non-material possessions (knowledge, ability) also becomes a fountain of discontent and disappointment, if the striving for the kingdom of God does not continue at the same time. It would then be only empty and hollow activity, a race for prestige, for power, rank and position in the world. Such seek the heathens.
The discount house where we should invest our possessions is like this: "Sell that ye have, and give alms: provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:33-34) We should invest our earthly, our material, and spiritual possessions, talents and ability in the service and for the salvation of our neighbour. The heart is the bag in which we carry the spiritual gold of our joy in living, our joie de vivre, our mercy, love, and peace. So long as we give of this to our fellow-men and to the members of the body of Christ, we are a part of the kingdom of God. And so long as we do this we also receive new possessions from the never-failing fount of the Father's heart, with which every man who unselfishly loves and spiritually lives is invisibly bound up through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Let us see to it that our "heart" does not grow old, which is what would happen if we were insufficiently active in the sense of the above paragraph. It should beat without ceasing - for God, and for our neighbours. This is the secret of gaining eternal life.

LATE APOSTLE J.F. KRONER
HOLLAND.

WORD OF LIFE No. 27- 2009.

TEXT – John 4: 23-24. "But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth".

To understand what our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was teaching on that day, we firstly must understand the language of that day and the meaning of the word, worship. Worship meant to kneel down or bow down. The common form of worship in those days was that all would kneel and bow their heads to the earth and touch the earth with their foreheads, and they would do this in assembly. There are still those in the world today, who still practice this form of worship. Now Christ was saying to this woman that the time was now coming and the time now is, when there will be a change from God in the manner that we worship, for we will have to worship in spirit and in truth, for God is a spirit. If we follow worship from the beginning, we will see how God was setting up this period of time where we should worship in spirit and in truth. The first mention of prayer was with the grandson of Adam, Enos, and it is recorded that men everywhere began to call on the name of the Lord and to offer Him prayer and worship. As in the beginning, so it must be in the end. All worship must be done in the name of the Lord. All prayers must be offered in the name of the Lord to be in conformity with what God introduced at the beginning. We do that in spirit. Every prayer we utter we call on the name of the Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, and we commit that prayer to Him, and because we are in this period of time where that link is in place, that we have access to the heavenly Throne, we ask that, that prayer be offered through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the only intercessor between God and man. We can read through the Holy Bible how the men of God then created a different form of worship which was acceptable to God. Wherever they encamped they made an altar, and they knelt before those altars and they worshipped God, and offered unto Him sacrifices. We can read of some of the many thanksgiving offerings given unto God in the form of sacrifices, when there was a special thanksgiving. Solomon, when he dedicated the temple to God and wished to thank God for His blessings, how he brought forward sacrifices of 22,000 bullocks, and 120,000 sheep to sacrifice to the Almighty God so that his prayer of thanksgiving could be rendered. We too, must bring forth sacrifices as we offer thanksgiving to the Almighty God. The sacrifices required by us, are a broken heart and a repenting spirit. If we come before the Almighty God in that state of mind, then that is a sacrifice that is acceptable unto God, and that sacrifice can then transmit to thanksgiving as we offer worship unto the Almighty God. As the Jewish nation formed, God then set in place a form of worship through which things had to be done with earthly symbols. Firstly, there had to be built a temple, and this temple had to be built according to God's plan. We too, need a temple to worship in, but it is not an earthly building. The temple that has been placed in the world today, is a living temple made up of living souls, a spiritual temple spoken of in the Scriptures, and that is why Christ said that we must come to the time of worshipping God in spirit and in truth. This spiritual temple is the living temple of God which takes the place of the body of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on earth today, and this temple also must be built according to the plans of God. The Apostle Paul writes that it is a temple built on the foundations of the Prophets and the Apostles, with Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. We in faith, must believe all the teachings of the Prophets of God. We in faith, must believe that there was a new foundation placed in this temple and that was the office of Apostle, that would teach through the power of the Holy Spirit in all truth, and lead and guide us and give us those words that allow for the preparation for this living temple on earth. Within the Jewish temple there were altars, and there were rules and regulations, and sacrifices, and the law and the order placed therein. We can see in the world today where there is a liberalisation coming into many of those who wish to be part of this spiritual temple of God. God's words are being replaced by men's words. But when God set up the temple and the sanctuary wherein the people should worship, He gave commandments. 'Remember the Sabbath. Reverence My sanctuary. Keep My commandments for I am the Lord'. We see now that reverence was introduced into worship, and this reverence must be maintained in the spiritual temple of God. Today we do not need an outward appearance, but our worship and prayers must come from within, for within us is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that allows us to use the name of Christ. This spiritual way of communing with God is a great blessing if done according to God's order.

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 28 – 2009.

TEXT - Revelations 3:20
"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 sup with him, and he with me."

In September 1984 when 3 of our Indian Brothers were visiting England we took them to see Sir Christopher Wren's greatest masterpiece, St.Paul's Cathedral, which presides in its majestic grandeur over the City of London and wherein resides yet another masterpiece, the most well known picture of Jesus Christ
in the whole world, the glorious vision of artist Holman Hunt who created this most beautiful of religious paintings in 1851 in a Surrey orchard close to where we live in Egham.

Like untold millions before us we stood in hushed awe and reverence admiring the lifelikeness which this picture conveys. Jesus Christ stood there before us larger than life in the semi-darkness, a lighted lantern in His left hand and His right hand raised and knocking on a door. Underneath the picture are inscribed the words 'The Light of the World.'

Because of its rapturous reception in England its owner, Charles Booth, a rich shipping magnate, decided to tour the world with it and share its joy with others. Seven million people of every denomination saw. 'The Light of the World' on its tour and everywhere it went the common reaction was of reverential awe. Men removed their hats. Voices were reduced to a whisper. The Presence was depicted.

What can we learn from this work of art? Practically every square inch of this nearly eight foot high canvas is richly inlaid with symbolism. The closed door is the mind obstinately shut to Jesus' Teachings; the creeping tendrils of ivy show that it has not been opened for a long time; the orchard is the garden of delectable fruits of faith, ready to feast the soul; the different perforations in the lantern show that truth is revealed in various ways.

The question was once asked "Why is there no handle on the door?" Hunt replied that none was needed "It is the door of the human heart, and that can only be opened from the inside."

Just as shown in the painting, Jesus continues to knock on the doors of our hearts today and we in turn, on behalf of our Lord, continue to knock on the doors of the hearts of others. Sometimes we may get discouraged at the lack of response, and when this happens let us take courage from the look of infinite patience and love shown on the countenance of our Lord in that painting. The light which He gives continues to light up this dark world and His words "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," still have full validity for us today. Let us never forget Jesus also exhorted us to be the light of the world and not to hide our light. (Matt.5:14-16)

APOSTLE BILL ERRY (since retired)
UNITED KINGDOM.

WORD OF LIFE No. 29 – 2009.

TEXT- Hebrews 1: 7-14
And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: A sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

We see very clearly there that angels are eliminated from the possibility of becoming this King of Kings. We see by process of elimination Christ has eliminated any man, God has eliminated the angels, and it only leaves one way for us to follow, and that is to whom God said, 'Sit thou at my right hand.' The proof of that, the King of Kings is in place. We do not need to search any more or seek out any other way. This King has a sceptre of righteousness, and in this righteousness He distributes it to us through the Sacraments, so that we also can become suitable subjects of this coming kingdom. Christ when He was on the earth told us many things that we would have to do if we wanted to be part of this kingdom. Some of those we can read in the Scriptures and we find that He says that we have to live our lives in humility. "Blessed are the poor in spirit,' He said, 'For theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.' We must look at our lives and see if we are truly living our lives in humility. Meekness - 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.' This is where the Kingdom of God will be, in a changed and cleansed earth. If we wish to inherit this we must be meek. Now meek is not humble. Remember Christ said - Learn of me and you will find that I am humble and meek and lowly. Separate things. Meekness means that we acknowledge that there is a greater power that must lead us in our life, and more importantly we give ourselves to that power. Christ taught that we must offer charitable service within our lives at all times. Remember the parable of the sheep and the goats, where He brought the people before Him and He separated them, and unto those who were to be regarded as sheep He said, 'I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was in prison and you visited me. I was sick and you came unto me. I was naked and you clothed me.' They said - When did we do this? He said, 'When you do it to the least of these little ones, you do it unto me. Go now and receive the kingdom that has been prepared from the beginning of time.' We see we have to live our life in charity and look and see in our fellow mankind our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, see God in everyone, otherwise we are not suitable for this kingdom, because in the Kingdom of God we will need to see God in everyone for it will be a peaceful kingdom, and if we do not see God then we cannot be at peace one with another. It must be fraught with perseverance he said. He told His disciples that once you are called and you put your hand to the plough, and you look backwards, and you take your hand off the plough again, then you are not fit for the Kingdom of God. We see we must be sincere and make the commitment daily to plough the fields of the Lord and within our lives. He says we have to go through a new birth. He says that unless we are born of water and spirit we cannot see the Kingdom of God, and verily, verily, I say, unless you are born of water and spirit you cannot enter the Kingdom of God. We see we must acknowledge that as human beings, as men and women we can never enter the Kingdom of God without a rebirth, and that rebirth must be to make ourselves as Christ, spirit first and body second, and that will finally happen when our Lord returns and the graves will open, and those will come out and their souls will come back, and those who are living will be converted in the twinkling of an eye. We see that if we try to assume that as living souls, as living people we can gain this Kingdom of God then we are doomed to miss it from the very beginning. We are dependant on the grace of Christ and the love of God to send His Son to make us suitable beings for this kingdom. We see we have to review our lives. He said that it will only be gained through endurance. He said in tribulation we earn the right to the Kingdom of God. If we have tribulation in our life, then we are being prepared, then it stands to reason that in tribulation we look for something better, and we can visual and we can appreciate, and we can then mean when we pray 'Thy kingdom come.' Also he said that in faith and love will the Kingdom of God be obtained. It will only be those who are strong in faith and love God above all else and their neighbour as themselves that will receive this invitation to be part of this Kingdom of God. We can see that it is a wonderful blessing. We can also see that we have an obligation and we should take joy in being part of those who are called into this, because we must be called. He said, ' Many are called, but few are chosen,' which means we have to be called, and then we have to choose to follow and answer that calling. If we answer that calling then we must fulfil those things required of us, because we take an important part in this preparation. This kingdom can only be peaceful if Satan is bound up. He will be bound in a chain, the Scripture says, during this period of time. The prophet said to the church to make a chain. Christ made the chain, the chain of righteousness. The church must bring forth righteousness which is stored in our heavenly storehouse and used by God to make this chain where neither rust nor moth, nor anything will corrupt. This chain, when our Lord returns the Scripture says, an angel will bring this chain from heaven and will bind Satan so that the kingdom period can begin. We see that we can in our life take pleasure in working for the Lord and playing our part in so many different ways. The choice is ours. We can choose man, we can choose an angel, or we can choose the Son of God. There is really only one choice, answer the call of Christ and fulfil His ways.

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 30 – 2009.

TEXT- John 6: 26-27
“Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Jesus Christ was comparing the food human needs in this present world and the food we should eat that is given by Him who was sent by His Father. The earthly food we are having now, since Adam and Eve, the bread given by God and eaten by the Israelites in the desert did not last long because all have died. The Spiritual food from Christ lasts eternally.
The problem, of the disciples in searching for Jesus when they boarded the ship going to Capernaum, He, Jesus, did not go with them. They tried to seek Him travelling to, as it were, to another barangay, instead He went His own way, walking over the sea. They were afraid, but He said unto them, “It is I; be not afraid” and they willingly received Him into the ship.
Verse 25. The people said Teacher, how did you come here? We were looking for you because you did not board the boat. Jesus rebuked them because they looked to the natural food given and thought that if Jesus was not with them, where would they get the bread to feed them? They did not look to the miracles. The first thing we should always see when we seek Jesus in this teaching is:-
The power given by His Father.
The miracles done through Him. When Jesus called all the sick, with any kind of infirmity – they were cured and healed.
The five loaves and fishes, were more than enough, with 12 baskets extra.
Jesus did not need His disciples to take Him to the next barangay. He has the power to go where He will.
Jesus said, labour for the food that will not perish, but that which endureth unto everlasting life. Yes, God has created us human, to that we enjoy and use all things that we need from His creation, but there is one thing God wants from us in return. Whether we remember to praise and thank Him.

All nations and countries have their Government. They have their National anthem to sing when they come together and in their schools.
The same applies to Christian duties and responsibilities. Sunday is set aside every week, a day for God; giving Him our time; a day to worship Him by seeking Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches – give to Caesar and give to God, what is for God? Thanksgiving and offering but we can’t give anything if we do not works. This is the same thing in our Spiritual life. The Bible teaches us to do something good for some body every day, and we are required by Jesus to go and do His work. Not only the Apostles, but all who believe and have faith in Him. Mark 3:35. “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister and mother.” The will of God is for us to move, put into action Christs teachings and commandments, all what we read and are taught He did, His character displayed, that we are to reflect as servants, believers, to others. Christ is that bread of life, He is the way and the truth, and our labour must be for His glory and His Kingdom. This becomes our green card to become citizens of Heaven. This Word of Life is from

ELDER DAGSI DALUNAG
LAMAO, PHILIPPINES.

WORD OF LIFE No. 31 – 2009.

TEXT- James 1: 1-4.
“James, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be prefect and entire, wanting nothing.”
We see through tribulation we are given a gift of patience. Sometimes we do not exercise that gift. When something happens in our life and it is not what we want, it is not what we planned, if we become impatient - does it change the situation? No! We must as we receive tribulations in our life, we must then pause and in patience work our way through those temptations and those problems. The Apostle James goes as far as to say that if we can allow this patience to become the ruling factor in our lives when we have temptations and troubles, that it and it alone will bring us to full salvation, because in this patience we will return unto God, we will think of Christ's sufferings, and all of a sudden we realise that what we are having imposed upon us is nothing. The Son of God who came from heaven, this was His creation, and look what it did to Him. Did He ever rebel? In patience He waited for the promise of His Father. We must learn patience within our lives, within our natural life and within our spiritual life. In our spiritual life down through history many times mistakes were made because of impatience. Many times it was foretold that the Lord would return within a certain time, not because of what the person wanted but this great desire, this impatience to receive the fulfilment of the promises of God, and those souls were not possessed. In patience we possess our souls the Scripture says, so we must all learn this patience. Many times we hear that we have a loving Father, and many times within our life when something goes wrong we then doubt that He is a loving Father. Many times our thoughts and sometimes even our words will say – “If there is a loving Father why did He allow this to happen to me?” That is not the patience that we require. We must remember that He is a loving Father. He will look after us. He is there for a purpose. We are His creation. He loves us. He has sent His only begotten Son so that we can be redeemed. We must liken it unto a natural father in our lives when we are little children. If we are walking along with our natural father, and we stumble and fall and hurt ourselves, what child rises and blames his father for that accident. That is not what he looks for. He will look up to his father to see a loving father who is reaching down to help him up and set him on his way again, and that is in patience. We must learn to be as little children, and we must learn to trust our Heavenly Father, and at all times give thanks for His blessings. The apostle wrote to the Corinthians, that it is only when we give united thanksgiving unto the Almighty God that His blessings can flow freely upon us, according to His will. We are coming towards the period of Thanksgiving within the church. Will it be individual thanksgiving or will it indeed be as the apostle urged, that we unite in sincere thanksgiving daily unto the Almighty God that He has called us into this great hope and promise of that which stands before us, and that we can give unto Him something that is from our hearts. We can approach this period of time by changing our attitude perhaps to many things within our life. We must learn patience, and in that we will receive the full salvation and the full blessings from the Almighty God.
I read of what a young man wrote to his parents from his hospital bed. His life had been one set back after another. Operation after operation. Many would say a miserable existence but he wrote. “ God never promised that life would be fair, the promise was that when you inevitably have to confront the unfairness of life, He will be with you.”

APOSTLE CLIFF FLOR
NORTH QUEENSLAND

WORD OF LIFE No. 32 – 2009.

TEXT- Romans 3: 10-12

“As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, There is none that seeketh after God.”
First of all Apostle Paul stated clearly that neither Jews nor Gentiles would stand justified before GOD'S judgement: "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after GOD. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:12, Psalm 14:1-3). So we are all sinners and are therefore guilty of the death of CHRIST on the cross.
"Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”(Romans 3:20). Before GOD we are all guilty, this applies especially to the Jew who is obliged to the law because the law does not demand real obedience and thus justification but only effectuates the perception and documentation of sin.
So the justification is solely achieved by faith, the faith in our saviour JESUS CHRIST! Otherwise it would have been possible to be justified by the deeds of the law, then this way would have been enough, then CHRIST would not have needed to demean Himself all the way to His death on the cross. But He came and suffered so that all people who believe in Him and His redemption will be redeemed and made righteous.
"Even the righteousness of GOD which is by faith of JESUS CHRIST, unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of GOD; Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS." (Romans 3:22-24). Apostle Paul is very specific here: salvation through faith in JESUS CHRIST is GOD'S act of grace. On the other hand it is also quite clear that faith without deeds is dead. Now is this a contradiction that we cannot be made righteous by the deeds of the law and that faith without deeds is dead?
No, it is not a contradiction. Faith in the saviour JESUS CHRIST must not only be lip service but it must guide us to follow our Master according to the Sermon on the Mount. This makes our faith factual and tangible. Now they are not only deeds by the force of the law but deeds of faith, out of love for GOD and love for thy neighbour. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12). This gives us the best kind of life and the most beautiful fulfilment of life.
So faith and deeds are the solution that lead to salvation. Faith and deeds are the prerequisite for grace and blessings of the LORD to become effective in glorious abundance. Try this faith and join us to follow JESUS CHRIST, so a wonderful development will take place which will lead you away from death to everlasting life!
"Is He the GOD of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one GOD, which shall justify the circumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? GOD forbid: yea, we establish the law. " (Romans 3:29-31).
We can also ask: Or is GOD our GOD alone? Is He not the GOD of all mankind? Therefore we have no right to exclude other people and churches/communities from this grace; just as other people and churches/communities are not entitled to exclude us. But all have to believe in the grace through faith as revealed by JESUS CHRIST'S deeds of salvation. The results will surely manifest themselves abundantly.
Every church or community has their own law and order which are mostly based on sacraments and teachings. We in the Apostolic Church celebrate the all-embracing salvation of GOD in baptism, sealing and holy communion. Placing such importance on the sealing should not be interpreted as having the exclusive right to call ourselves to be the only true church.
But it is not possible in the overwhelming pluralism of Christianity -where many want to gain salvation according to their own thinking and know-it-all attitude - to make a judgement and keep track of what, where, when and for what reason every- thing happened. We are convinced that GOD can interact directly with mankind but He also provides vessels in the form of helpful people doing His service. What GOD wants to do for mankind we will leave up to His sovereign will. Because".. and will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.." (Exodus 33:19).
The church as well as each individual member must know that in the context of salvation, rebirth, redemption and justification nothing will happen without the Holy Spirit. The petition for the Holy Spirit must be our constant concern. This Spirit turns lost people into saved children of GOD. (Gal. 4:6-7).

Apostle WALTER BALTISBERGER
Switzerland.