Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Once again by the Grace of Christ, we end another Christian Church year and move into a year where we will relive the life and mission of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to strengthen our faith and trust in what that mission means for us. Hebrews 13:9 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever.” Advent means arrival and is celebrated four weeks before Christmas, a period of contemplation and preparation, to celebrate the greatest gift from God for mankind, His Son! This creation of the second man by God, had to be different from any other birth if man was to be given the chance to be redeemed from the downfall that is being inherited by all mankind. Genesis 3:19 “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground: for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” God promised a hope down through the ages, but the mind of man was not ready for God’s wisdom on how He could place a man on the earth, without inheriting the original sin. Luke 1, tells how an angel visited a virgin, Mary, to explain how this would happen. Verse 35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” We read in the bible of the many preparations that those involved had to make as they waited this great Advent. As with anything that requires faith to believe, there are always those that doubt and we find that in the preparation how an angel visited a righteous priest of old age and told him. Verse 13 “But the angel said unto him, Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John” and verse 17 “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Because of his and his wife’s age, Zacharias doubted this and the angel told him – verse 20 “And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.” This fulfilled itself and John the Baptist was born and brought to the temple to be circumcised and those present were ready to name him after his father. “Zacharias wrote, His name is John. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke and praised God.” We must never have any doubts about the fulfilment of the Word of God, even if given by an angel on God’s behalf. This leads us to consider the next great Advent that stands before us, declared by the Prophets, confirmed by our Lord, the early Apostles and also announced by Angels. Job 19:25-26 “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Isaiah 62:11 “Behold, the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” Matthew 26:64 “Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Here after shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Acts 1:11 Two angels proclaimed “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you to heaven, shall so come in a like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many: and unto them that look for him shall be appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” The bible teaches there are three that bear record in heaven, The Father, the Word (Christ) and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. We see this agreement by all as the declaration of the return of Christ, together with the angel’s confirmation. As Adventists we must never let any doubt come in our mind. As those called to be part of the first advent, had to make preparations, we, who also look for this second Advent, have to make preparations to meet the bridegroom. Mathew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” The father of the bridegroom under the law, was the only one who would decide when to send the bridegroom forth to meet his bride. If she was not ready and prepared, the bridegroom then had the right to choose another. Our Lord gave us a warning parable on this in Matthew 25:1-13 of the ten Virgins chosen to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise and were prepared with oil in their lamps. Five had not prepared and had no oil. Verse 12 “But he answered and said, verily I say unto you, I know you not. The oil in our lamps (our soul) represents righteousness and we must work at all times to be in a position to receive the righteousness from Christ. Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled.” It is not sufficient for us to say we believe in the word of God, but we must be prepared to try and live our lives fulfilling that word in total. We often commit sins of omission. James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Our Lord’s birth and mission left a new way for believers to follow that gives us hope. Romans 6:22 “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” We have an obligation – James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” The first advent allowed the Grace of Christ to be the means in our lives to prepare us for the second Advent. Ephesians 1:10 “That in the dispensation of 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.” Let us at all times pray for each other that we will never doubt this promise.
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself.
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR CHRISTMAS, Mackay, QLD
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
As we gather in thankfulness during this special festival, we see all around us and in the world, Christmas lights. Let us always remember, understand and pass the meaning on to the children, as the greatest gift we can give and receive. Psalm 112:4 “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.” This light came into the world with the birth of Jesus, who become the Christ, through the love of the Father and the willingness of His only begotten Son, to finish the old and offer the means of a new way of promise and salvation for fallen man. John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” We begin to see why our Lord had this great desire to leave His Father for a period and come into the world in the flesh of man to restore His Father’s Words at the creation of which He was part. Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” And when the creation was complete – Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good and the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” When Satan, because of jealousy, tempted man, who fell from God, these words of being very good were now at risk and the Word of God had to be again restored. As man by his actions, had broken these words, now a man had to restore them to the world. It did not seem possible as all future people born into the world inherited that original sin. How despondent our Lord must have been as foretold, but also the hope given – Isaiah 59:16 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him: and his righteousness, it sustained him.” We see the wisdom of God in continuing with His creation, by the creation of the second man, Jesus – 1 Corinthians 15:47 “The first man is of the earth, earthly: the second man is the Lord from heaven.” To achieve the birth of a man who did not inherit the original sin, required a conception not previously thought possible. The Prophet Isaiah foretold of the event 750 years before. Chp. 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The bible records that after 400 silent years, God put in place, the fulfilment of so many promises. Luke 1:26 “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth. To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” We can only imagine the impact on Mary and especially the message – verse 31 “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus.” The angel told her of the greatness of this son who shall be called in time, the Son of the Highest.” More confused than ever, Mary asked – verse 34 “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” The mystery of the second created man was now revealed. We read of the confirmation of God’s Word, that a light would now be in the world, at the birth of Jesus. Luke 2:8 “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.” The angel told them of this great birth and the promises and blessings that would come as a result. And how they would find in a manger, this child born in great humbleness. It is revealed this was reconfirmed from heaven, with a message to the whole world – verse 13 “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” The purpose of this birth was also confirmed by the wise men from the western gentile countries, who followed the star, as was foretold almost 1,500 years before. Numbers 24:17 “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” The wise men were seeking this King and were led to him by the star. Matthew 2:10-11 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 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, frankincense, and myrrh.” These events brought about the fulfilment of God’s promise to Jacob – Genesis 28:14 “And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south, and in thee and thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Many around the world, give thanks for this birth and mission of Jesus Christ, in restoring God’s Word as truth, and offering us a way of hope for the future Kingdom of God, with Christ, as the King of Kings. In giving thanks for the birth of the Word, let us always strive to live by His Word. Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew – chpts. 5,6,&7, makes good reading with an open heart over this festival season, as it brings home to us how thankful we must be for the birth of Grace in the world.
We the Apostles, also wish all families, a blessed Christmas period of Joy and Peace, and thank all for the many Christmas Wishes.
Please accept greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself, Your Apostle for Christ,
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
By the Grace of Christ, we welcome in a new calendar year 2017. We look back on the year of grace 2016 and although there have been times of test, worry, sickness, sadness etc., we can all witness in some way, the fulfilment of our Lord’s promise – John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Many blessings have been received by all, through God’s love and grace to us. Psalm 139:17/18 “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in numbers than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” For this reason, we should begin the New Year in sincere thankfulness. This thanksgiving opens a special door of blessing for the year ahead – 2 Corinthians 4:15/16 “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant Grace might, through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” Many in the world celebrate a new year with fire-works where all look in awe into the heaven. Each day we should look up to our maker with respect – Psalm 89:6 “For who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord.” For this reason, as we commence each day, the Morning Salute shall be as recommended in Hebrews 2 “LORD BY THY GRACE GUIDE ME TO GIVE MORE EARNEST HEED TO THY WORDS, LEST AT ANY TIME I SHOULD LET THEM SLIP.” We should at all times, be so thankful that we have been called by the Lord to be part of the spiritual, living temple, being prepared for the coming Kingdom. Our Lord described this calling in Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” This first love to us must never be forgotten and we must pass this love to all we come in contact with, so that they too, can share in the blessings promised. The Apostle Paul explained to Timothy that this cannot be bought or won in anyway – 2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” The Apostle Peter urged – 1 Peter 1:10/11 “Wherefore the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Each day we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we should be sincere in the words “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.” As we witness the state of the current world of instability, unrest, nothing certain, worship for the creation and not the creator, rights being demanded etc., we see how valid the Word of God is, revealed through the prophet Daniel over 600 years before Christ was born. He described the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 2, and explained that the various sections of the body represented the great kingdoms to come in the world. These have all happened. The last was shown as the feet and toes of clay and iron which would not bind, showing that in this period laws and perceived rights would not mix. We see that today. A great hope was also shown that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, which we know is Christ, and this stone shall rule over all kingdoms. Daniel 2:44 “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” We must never doubt the promises of our Lord, but avail ourselves of His grace to work for Him until He returns. Matthew 24:45/46 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” Despite that state of the world, we do see that the Lord of the Harvest is working through faithful servants to help the underprivileged in the world, to have the gospel of the kingdom printed in many languages and preached as foretold by the Lord – 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.” We see this work being blessed as many new believers in foreign lands, are also called to have a hope in life. We must always keep our hope strong. Hebrews 6:19 “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” In any new year we all have plans and expectations and we read in Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Prayer is a wonderful free gift that should be used at all times, not only when we come to Church Service. Prayer is first recorded in Genesis 4:26 “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son, and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord.” When Jesus was on the earth, He also continued this teaching as an open invitation to all. John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” It is extremely important that we teach the Children the importance of prayer in their lives. In summing up the whole armour of God needed to fight a good fight, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and word of God, the Apostle wrote – Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Let us continue to always pray for each other.
We the Apostles, do pray that all will have a blessed, contented and faith strengthening 2017.
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself,
Your brother and Apostle For Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
We come to the period where we remember a most important part of our Lord’s mission. To win a new way for mankind and for us to make an extra effort to be victorious against the many ungodly temptations in our daily life. If there is no battle, there cannot be a victory. The bible prophesies from the beginning, what our Lord Jesus Christ’s mission as a man, would have to achieve to allow God’s promise of the Kingdom and Eternal life to be restored. He would have to fulfil the law of God and Moses 100%, so the penalties could end and be replaced with grace and righteousness. Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfil.” And further – Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” The world was captive to God’s enemies, Sin, Hell and Death, and our Lord had to provide a way out of this captivity. The Psalmist prophesied of the hope of this victory – Psalm 68:18-19 “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.” We celebrate the victories of our Lord which allowed sin to become captive to a greater power for all believers, Righteousness. Proverbs 10:2 “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.” Mankind had no hope of bringing in righteousness – Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” A hope was given to the world through the prophet Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy Holy City, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” This fulfilled itself when Jesus, who had fulfilled the law to that time, had resisted all the temptations of the world and flesh, now came to John the Baptist, to be anointed to become the Christ, and face the greatest battle known to mankind, the direct temptations of Satan, for forty days and nights. Matthew 3:15-17 “But John forbad him, And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was 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.” Now Jesus as a man, had been anointed with a higher power than that of Satan, The Holy Ghost. The Bible records the forty day and night temptation of all known sins, and summarises the defences that we should still use today. We should live by every word of God; we should not tempt the Lord our God; we shall only worship and serve the Lord our God. Jesus Christ was victorious as righteousness prevailed. We, as the current day recipients of this blessing – Psalm 103:17 “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” We should also call on the Holy Ghost by which we also are anointed, to make an extra effort to overcome temptations in our lives, to answer the call of Christ. John 19:28 “I thirst.” We must be aware that sins can be sins of commission (indirect conflict with God’s ways) or sins of omission (when we bypass the opportunity to do a good deed). In taking up the battle to be fruitful, we must always remember our Lord’s teaching – John 15:4 “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.” He taught of the destiny and obligation of any victory we may obtain – verse 2 “And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” This purging is done each Sunday, during the Offering Prayer, by the sacrifice of Christ, we take something earthly and have it made acceptable to God for His use only, in the fulfillment of His salvation plan. We then need to bring forth more fruit to be purged. We must always remember that we will never be able to obtain the glory of God by our own efforts. Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” During this time, let us use the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which we receive by partaking sincerely, of the Body and Blood of Christ, to review our lives and overcome the temptation of ungodly things, whether in thoughts, words or acts, and replace them with good deeds. Ephesians 5:9-10 “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth: proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Our Lord’s promises to the seven churches in Revelation- chapters 2 & 3, all contain a special promise to those that can overcome in this life. As we approach Good Friday and Easter, when our Lord fulfilled His mission to take into captivity the other enemies of God, Hell and Death, let us remember His entry into the city and temple, where He cleansed the temple. We should also allow Him into the Spiritual temple to make us clean for these festivals.
We the Apostles, wish all much strength in faith and victory during this Lenten Season.
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
The enormity of the blessings won and left for us during these last days of our Lord’s mission can never be fully told, even 2,000 years on. John 21:25 “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.” As we stand in awe and thanksgiving before the cross, let us reflect on Psalm 89:6 “For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord?” Our Lord’s mission in the flesh of man, was to prove God’s words that His creation was very good, and to offer to God’s people, Israel, the means of escape from the captivity of sin and judgment. He was to be the Messiah to lead them out of this situation. He proved Himself, He was sinless, He fulfilled all the law, He performed miracles as foretold, but He also knew what was foretold –Daniel 9:26 “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself.” Our Lord experienced this rejection and we read as He was about to enter the city He wept – Luke 19:42 “Saying, if thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.” Our Lord had already put into place a ministry that would be given the mission to tell the world, of a new way for mankind, after He was victorious Luke 6:13 “And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named Apostles.” These men witnessed our Lord being anointed as the Christ, heard God’s words “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him” heard that the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church by the testimony – Matthew 16:16 “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” and many other things they did not understand. This new way was dependant on our Lord gaining the fullness of righteousness to wipe out the sins of the world. This righteousness was to become the ongoing means for the remission of sins right up to the coming Kingdom of God. Our Lord instituted the means as He celebrated the final Passover with His Apostles. Matthew 26:27 “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” He told His Apostles of what stood before Him, even telling Peter that he would deny Him three times. He prayed in the garden sincerely – Matthew 26:39 “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will.” Our Lord knew that as He took the sins of the world upon himself, His Father would have to turn away from Him, and this is the cup He spoke of. Isaiah 54:7 “For a small moment have I forsaken thee: but with great mercies will I gather thee.” The darkness of sin accumulated between heaven and earth while our Lord hung on the cross. Matthew 27:45-46 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli, Eli, lama sabach thani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Our Lord had to suffer the penalties prescribed by the law, as an innocent person, so that God could withdraw the penalties so a new way of Grace could begin. Isaiah 53:5 “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 are healed.” The bible tells of the betrayal, taken by force, false witnesses, accused of blasphemy, spat upon, buffeted, smote, bound, put in prison, stripped, crown of thorns, beaten and whipped and the most painful act of scourging. Through all of this our Lord did not retaliate as He knew that He had to show righteousness so that the fullness would be available to take away the sins of the world. Isaiah 53:7 “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” An innocent man had suffered the penalties of the law, our Lord was able to declare on the cross “It is finished” signalling the end of those things and as proof, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. Our Lord knew He would have to become the perfect sacrificial lamb and spill His blood to allow mankind to be given a covering in that new period, God was forced to spill blood to provide a covering for the first man – Genesis 3:21 “Unto Adam also and his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” Our Lord had to bear His cross out of the city for His sacrifice to fulfil the law – Hebrews 13:12 “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” Because repentance and remission of sins was to begin in the world, Hell as a waiting place of judgment would no longer be relevant. Our Lord on the cross heralded in the new place of waiting for believers – Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” The Jewish Nation took the blood of Christ on themselves and future generations when Pilate found Him innocent, Christ could now choose His own bride elect. Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” Our Lord asked this on the cross – Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do.” His final offering– Isaiah 53:10 “When he shall make his soul an offering for sin.” If He had not gained the fullness of righteousness, He was prepared to offer His eternal soul. Luke 23:46 “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” We know He was 100% victorious for which we give sincere thanksgiving. 2 Corinthians 5:15 “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” Wishing all a blessed festival, with greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself,
Your brother & Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR EASTER - Mackay QLD.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Revelation 21:4 “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.” With this festival we celebrate the beginning of a new way for mankind. By our Lord’s mission, in overcoming the enemies of God, those of sin, hell and death, He has provided the means that we too, in faith can inherit His promise to be with Him in His kingdom. What a profound impact on the world was the message given by the angels, to the women who came to the sepulchre and found the stone rolled away. Luke 24:4-7 “And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed there about, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they 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.” Our Lord, as man, had fulfilled all that was required under the law, as an innocent man had all the penalties inflicted upon him, and as a perfect sacrifice, had given His blood to take away the sins of the world, and declared “It is Finished!”, heralding that a new way was to begin. He took hell captive, as confirmed to Apostle John – Revelation 1:18 “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.” With our Lord’s resurrection, His role as Son of Man came to an end and His labour as Son of God began. Romans 1:3-6 “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name. Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ.” Adam was created as the Son of God with all to be born from that lineage, to inherit that title also. Because of his downfall, that was lost to the world, but now with the resurrection of Christ, it has been restored. The Apostle John wrote – 1 John 3:1-3 “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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.” As the Son of God, our Lord was now given from His Father, all power and authority to create the second Eve in the form of the Church, of which He must be the head. Colossians 1:17-18 “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead: that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.” We can read in Genesis 2, of what was taken from Adam for the creation of Eve. It was his flesh and blood. As it was in the beginning, so it must be at the end. Our Lord taught – John 6:53-56 “Then Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.” His followers did not understand and even His Apostles when He instituted the Holy Communion on the night of His betrayal, at that time, could not understand why He took the bread and wine and blessed it to be His Body and Blood. When He entered into their midst on this day – John 20:21-23 “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this he breathed on them, and saith unto them. Receive ye the Holy Ghost: whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” With the gift of the Holy Ghost they were now ready to be taught of this new way for forty days. Now they could see that the Holy Ghost could bring about the forgiveness of repented sins. They saw the meaning of the instituted Holy Communion. They had witnessed His body being broken, and His blood spilled, but now He was alive again! When Eve was presented to Adam, He declared – Genesis 2:23 “This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” When our Lord returns, He will also know those that have His flesh and blood. When Jesus first appeared to His disciples, He showed them the wounds in His hands and side. John 20:20 “Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.” These wounds had been foretold – Zechariah 13:6 “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” This one was Thomas, who declared he would not believe unless he could put his finger in the wound. When he did this, he then declared his belief and our Lord answered – John 20:29 “Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” We should be so thankful at this time, that we have been called, as foretold – 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 uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” We the Apostles, wish all the peace and contentment found only in the risen Saviour.
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself, your Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
Psalm 68:17-19 gives an insight into why we celebrate this day in thankfulness. ”The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.” The captivity that held mankind after the downfall of Adam & Eve; Sin, Hell and Death had now also been taken captive through the great victories of Christ. They all still exist but by taking them captive, our Lord needed to be in a position of authority to provide the alternate means for believers and to be the God for our salvation through Grace. Psalm 110:1 “The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my righthand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” Jesus confirmed this when He ascended – Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” The alternate way to be captive to sin, would now be available through Christ’s sacrifice. His instructions to His apostles as He ascended – Luke 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.” These blessings require an Intercessor and High Priest. Almighty God in His love, has anointed Jesus to fulfil this role and dispense His Grace. Hebrews 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” And Psalm 110:4 “The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.” Because of this, Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in time of need.” For the captivity of Hell to be taken captive, required the entry into it of one that was sinless, for it was a place of waiting for sinners to be judged. Jesus had no sin and because of this, His Father was able to give to Him and Him alone, a special gift and power. Revelation 1:18 “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.” We see clearly, that Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God is the only one who holds those keys. He has provided a better place of waiting for all that follow His ways as He promised on the cross to the repenting malefactor. Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Our Lord Jesus Christ now had to take death captive so that mankind could be released from the captivity of it. We know He did that in fulfilment of that foretold – Isaiah 25:7-8 “And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces: and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.” Jesus resurrected in bodily form from the grave on the third day, to provide an alternative way for believers. Our Lord’s words to Apostle Thomas who doubted His bodily resurrection, apply to us also – John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” This enemy of death will have to be destroyed, but in faith we believe in the alternate way provided, the coming resurrection of the church. 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man is his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterwards they that are Christs at His coming.” Our Lord as the bridegroom, has to stay in the Father’s throne until He is sent forth to claim His bride that He is preparing through His ascension – Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” We see the need to be prepared for this great event. To provide for this and as our Lord has to stay in the Father’s throne, to fulfil the promise that the Lord God might dwell among them He promised His apostles that He would send them the power as the labouring deity on earth so that God could be with them. Luke 24:49 “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” We know this was fulfilled at Pentecost. By now we should be very clear that Jesus Christ is the Head of the church at the right hand of God, the Holy Ghost is the labouring deity on earth, but the work must be undertaken by earthen vessels. Apostle Paul described this as a gift from Christ after His ascension. Ephesians 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This is the preparation we need for the coming Kingdom of God and can only be achieved by Grace – Titus 3:7 “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Let us celebrate this day with the same joy and thanks that would have been witnessed as our Lord returned victorious to His Father. We the Apostles, wish all a blessed festival.
Greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself. Your brother and Apostle for Christ.
Cliff Flor.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
With our Lord’s ascension to His Father’s throne, to become the Head of the Church, the new creation, necessitated the need to have a labouring deity on earth, as our Lord cannot leave the throne until His Father again, sends Him. Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels in heaven, but my Father only.” Our Lord promised His apostles that deity – John 16:7-14 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement. Of sin, because they believe not on me, of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgement, because the prince of this world is judged, I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself: but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” When we meditate on these words and read of the role of the Holy Ghost in the first creation – Genesis 1:23 “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light: and there was light.” This light was our Lord Jesus Christ. This was confirmed – John 1:3-4 “All things were made by him: and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men.” If the new creation is to have light, then the Spirit must also move over the face of the earth and lead the members to that only source of light, the Grace and Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the only way to the coming Kingdom of God, which is the promised reward for this new creation – 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.” The Apostle Paul highlighted the role of the Holy Ghost – 1 Corinthians 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.” We should be so thankful during this time, for the sending of the Holy Ghost and having it anointed within us, so that we can be kept in the light of Christ and not swept away by the darkness of the world. The prophet Isaiah saw the darkness of the world but also saw the promises of God and the result – Isaiah 32:15 “Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field. And the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgement shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.” We read how this and many other prophecies – Ezekiel 1:4 “And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.” Were fulfilled as recorded in Acts 2:1-5 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven.” All of those present heard in their own language, the testimony that Jesus Christ had brought an end to the old way, had taken captive sin, hell and death and was now offering a new way for mankind. This fulfilled the prophecy of all known nations and languages at that time, hearing and accepting the wonderful news. Zechariah 8:23 “Thus saith the Lord of hosts: in those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, we will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” Now the Apostles understood the Lord’s words – 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.” We see another role of the Holy Ghost, which began on the day that Christ had taught. Luke 1:2 “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest is truly great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” We read that about 3,000 souls accepted the call of the Lord through the Apostles. Acts 2:38-39 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” And so began this new creation. The prophets referred to this early period, as fed by the former rain that was sent to make the creation grow. History shows how man’s mind again subdued the Holy Ghost, but God had foreseen this and had shown through Joel that the Spirit would cause a protest, which would restore the means of Grace to the Church and bring into being, not only the former rain but also the latter rain of the Holy Spirit to make the Church fruitful. Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and daughters shall prophecy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” We know we cannot see the Holy Ghost, as it is like the wind, but we must at all times acknowledge in meekness, that we are dependant on this power to inherit the Kingdom. Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
We the Apostles, wish all a Blessed Festival as we all revive our faith again, with the confirmation members and give thanks for our calling by the Lord.
Please accept greetings from Apostle Dargusch and myself,
Your brother and Apostle for Christ,
Cliff Flor.
PASTORAL LETTER FOR THANKSGIVING & MISSION FESTIVAL Mackay QLD.
Beloved Brethren in Office, Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Once again, we are given the opportunity, through the Grace of Christ to pause in our lives to reflect on our many blessings both natural and especially spiritual and respond to these reflections by offering thanksgiving to the source of these blessings in words and deed. Especially for what our Lord referred to in Revelation Chapter 2 as our first love, our calling. Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. For whom he did fore know, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified them he also glorified.” We must come to the knowledge that this calling has only come about by the mission labour granted us. At this time, we give thanks that the many prayers over time have been answered by the Lord of the harvest, the Holy Ghost. Luke 10:2 “Therefore said he unto them, the harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” We must acknowledge this as an ongoing obligation of the church and always bring our prayers and assistance to help in this world-wide labour. Isaiah 60:1-3 “Arise, Shine for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising”. We give thanks that through the prayers of those in Europe, a lay Evangelist H.F. Niemeyer of the general Christian Apostolic Mission migrated to this land in 1883 and completed his mission in laying the foundation work to allow the latter rain Apostle office, that begun in 1830, to be established and continue in this Land. We must never under estimate the blessings that have and can come from this office, as Apostle Paul wrote 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”. All Apostles and ministry have always sought to be guided by the Holy Ghost to fulfil 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. “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 masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth there on. But let every man take head how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” We also give special thanks that the Lord of the harvest has spread this work to other nations. Thanksgiving to God in all forms has always been a voluntary act by man down through the ages and was never demanded by God. It can be for visible blessings experienced and can also be for promises made by God, yet to happen. One of the early recordings of thanks offerings for visible blessings is recorded Genesis 8:20 “And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord: and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” We see the thanksgiving and faith of Noah and family by taking one out of every seven surviving animals, their future existence, and offering it back to God. The Bible records how this touched the heart of God. Today God blesses us with seven days of life each week and if we are prepared to offer one back to him as the Lords Day in thanksgiving, praise and reconciliation, we too will experience the blessings that flow from a Loving Father through Christ. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.” And Psalm 20:11 “The Lord will give strength unto his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace.” To be at peace with the Lord and mankind is a great blessing in life. Our Lord promised a special gift in 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 troubled, neither let it be afraid”. Under the Jewish law a voluntary thanksgiving offering could only be made after a peace-offering. Christ fulfilled the law, has given us His peace and this now enables us to offer thanksgiving at all times. Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Apostle Paul tells us what combined thanksgiving can achieve. 2 Corinthians 4:15 “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the Glory of God”. As we are all dependant on this Grace, let us be sincere in our thanksgiving. We can all play our part in the future mission work, by our life Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”, or by offerings no matter how small. We have the example when Jesus was in the world, how a young lad was prepared to offer to Jesus five barley leaves and two small fish to help feed the multitude John 6:10-12 “And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 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”. All were fed on that day with some left over, because of the small offering of that boy. We the Apostles wish all a blessed festival. Psalm 100:4 “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
Cliff Flor.