ACIF Annual European conference details

Fri – Sun 3rd, 4th, and 5th of August

Leidschendam, Greenpark hotel

Date: 3,4 and 5 August 2012
Venue: hotel Greenpark, Leidschendam (near Den Haag)

Tentative program:

Friday 3th of august

Repentance and prayer program.
Speakers: Bishop Teklamariam, Bishop Degu

Saturday 4th of august

Preaching of the Word of God and edification.
Speakers: Bishop Amador, Bishop Smith, Bishop Teklemariam

Dutch outreach program (afternoon) with:
evangelist Paul Thomas and pastor Oberink

Sunday 5th of August

Worship service.
Speakers: Bishop Kleinhans, Bishop Degu, Evangelist Paul (Sunday school)

Directions:
Hampshire Hotel Greenpark
Weigelia 22
2262 AB Leidschendam
Tel: International +31 70- 320 92 80
Tel: Local 070- 320 92 80

More Details on the Program are announced  in http://www.apostolischekerk.info/conferentie.html

Understanding Holiness: Holiness and Dress
What is holiness and does it impact upon what we choose to wear? What were some of the factors that led to a deterioration in modesty and a concomitant “sexualisation” in dress standards, particularly in relation to women’s dress in the late 20th century? These and other questions are explored in this book from within a Biblical framework.

Bro Paul Thomas

Rev 14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

The best compliment that can be applied to Christians is, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.” Revelation 14:4 is a futuristic vision revealed to the apostle John. He saw a congregation assembled before the throne of Jesus, which no doubt comprised individuals from different nations, tongues and cultures. But one testimony simultaneously united them and separated them from everyone else, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

When Adam and Eve saw the misery and chaos that followed in the wake of their sin, they named one of their sons, “Abel” which means “vanity” or “waste”. None of us can imagine the crushing weight of guilt and remorse they felt on account of what they had unleashed into the world. Abel must have heard on several occasions the sighs, cries and groaning of his parents agonising over their sin. But how did Abel respond? He was a follower of the Lamb. He believed the Lamb of God had the power to take away the sins of the world and bring restoration. He offered a lamb to God and was martyred because he believed in the doctrine of the blood of the Lamb. Thankfully, no one can silence the voice and the testimony of those who follow the Lamb and believe in the doctrine of the shedding of the blood of the Lamb.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

What shall we say about Abraham, the father of faith? It is, obviously, very impressive that he believed God’s promise to make him the father of many nations. After all, he and his wife, Sarah, were way past the age of bearing children. Sarah, you will recall, laughed in derision at the thought that she would soon nurse a little baby in her wrinkled and feeble arms. How much greater, though, is the fact that Abraham believed the great test on Mount Moriah was actually a shadow of God one day providing us with His own flesh and blood to take away the sins of the world? Abraham’s famous words demonstrate that he was a follower of the Lamb like Abel.

Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

I believe this tremendous declaration qualified Abraham to be called the father of faith. He knew that just as God miraculously provided him a ram caught in the thicket on Mount Moriah, similarly, the momentous day would come when God would come in His own flesh and blood to die for the sins of humanity. Abraham, we must recall, received bread and wine from the mysterious Melchizedek – the King of Righteousness. The bread and wine could only represent the flesh and blood of Christ which alone atones for our sins. Abraham was truly blessed to be given a foretaste of the Lord’s Supper because he was among them who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Let us pass over from Abraham to the nation of Israel. It is quite remarkable that a whole nation was commanded to take a lamb, kill it and apply the blood to the doorposts of their houses. From that day forward, Israel became a nation which offered a lamb every morning and every evening to God. Israel was the only nation of which one could say, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

As the time approached for the true Lamb of God to reveal Himself to the world, as always, God began to speak to His servants, the prophets. For over 700 years the children of Israel had been offering the blood of animals in the Temple. They were a nation which was well-acquainted with blood and sacrifice. Now, the prophet, Isaiah, began to declare that this lamb all along pointed to a certain man who would soon be revealed to Israel and then the world. Thus the prophets, too, were among those of whom it could be said, “These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

Isa 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.

Interestingly, this was the same Scripture the Ethiopian eunuch was reading when Philip approached his chariot. He, too, was a follower of the Lamb.

Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

The great honour of finally declaring the Lamb to the world fell upon a man called John the Baptist. John was a follower of the Lamb. All His life, he was being prepared for this most blessed moment when he would introduce Jesus to the world. Let me draw your attention to something very important at this juncture. The message of the Lamb is always linked with the message of water baptism. John had one task in this world – to reveal the Lamb to the world. How did he do this? By baptising people in preparation for the Lamb. In fact, he was so associated with baptising that the people nicknamed him, John the Baptist. He even stood in the river Jordan when he called out to people to behold the Lamb. First water and then Lamb is the correct order.

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.
John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
John 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

Those who follow the Lamb, will soon be led to water for baptism in Jesus name. The children of Israel ate the lamb and were led to the Red Sea; the Ethiopian eunuch wanted to know who the Lamb that Isaiah spoke about was and Philip led him to the water to be baptised. When we seek the Lamb, He also leads us to water. I wonder if the Lord caused the water to appear miraculously in the desert. The blood must go together with water and the Spirit. The water destroys the corrupt adamic body and nature. Only then can we partake of the divine life of the Lamb of God.

1 John 5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

Saints of the Lord Jesus Christ, today we as His people who follow Him, also recognize this month and this season as the time to remember and partake of the life of the Lamb of God. Let us behold the Lamb together. We have been following the Lamb who has assembled us here today to remember and show forth His death until His return. Let us zealously follow the Lamb for one of these days we will be led to join Him around the throne of Mount Zion in heaven.

Bro. Paul Thomas

Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.

Rahab was a harlot, a prostitute. Decent society holds such people in contempt because they are perceived as a threat to the very stability of society by compromising the family unit. Their very existence sends the signal that those men who, for whatever reason, do not wish to commit themselves to a stable and mutually rewarding relationship, could always satisfy their lust with such fallen women who made merchandise of their bodies. Psychologists and therapists say that prostitutes and women who are promiscuous often have been sexually abused as small children. This leads them to value themselves only as sexual beings. In addition, they are emotionally unable to develop loving and enduring relationships with men. They become emotionally detached because their traumatized pasts do not allow them to trust men as loving and caring partners.

In light of the above information, we can genuinely wonder about the faith of Rahab. As one who was despised by her community, and as such, one who had no reason to care about her own destiny let alone that of her city, it is astounding that she was more discerning and God-fearing than her whole city. Being emotionally damaged, she should not have had any reason to trust the promise of the Israeli men whom she hid in her house. Let us read the record of the biblical scribe:

Joshua 2:9 And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.
Joshua 2:10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.
Joshua 2:11 And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he [is] God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Here in a nutshell we understand why Rahab decided to commit treason and collaborate with the enemy. She believed all that she had heard about the powerful acts of God in Egypt and all the way to Canaan land. More importantly, her faith extended to the future also. Based on God’s mighty acts, thus far, she deduced that her city would soon suffer the same fate. After all, if Egypt was destroyed, how can tiny Jericho survive? This is worthy of some meditation. This contrasts starkly with the poor faith among many of the Israelites themselves. Every Israelite who left Egypt perished in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb because they doubted the word of God and murmured constantly against Him. Unlike those who perished, Rahab had never witnessed one single act of God with her own eyes. All she had to ground her faith in was what she heard. No wonder God allowed her to stay in the land of Canaan. There are some comforting truths for us in the story of Rahab thus far. If God has destroyed the Pharaohs and Egypts of our lives, will He not bring the walls of Jericho down also? What is Jericho in the sight of the Lord? Only let the Lord take control of your life.

Joshua 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Joshua 5:15 And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

In the above verses, the Angel, who represented the Lord said that he is on no one’s side but basically came to take over. You see, Joshua was expecting the Angel to issue orders with reference to military tactics and manoeuvres. But the Lord told him to remove his shoes and surrender. Joshua had to surrender first to the Lord before he became a conqueror of Jericho. Those who conqueror in Jesus name must first be conquered by Jesus. If only we can surrender to the Lord, the Egypts and Jerichos of our lives will come tumbling down. Let me return to Rahab. It is not a coincidence that a scarlet thread became the mechanism through which she and her whole family were saved. Let us look at this more closely:

Joshua 2:15 Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house [was] upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
Joshua 2:17 And the men said unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
Joshua 2:18 Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.
Joshua 2:19 And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.

The scarlet thread represented the blood of Jesus. Faith is not faith in something abstract or undefined. It is faith in the saving power of the blood of Jesus. It is faith in the power of repentance, baptism in Jesus name and receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). To those who believe, it works. To those who don’t it only seals their destruction. Earlier, the children of Israel were delivered from the angel of death by applying the blood on the doorposts of their houses. Those who remained indoors were protected by the blood. Now, the same protective and delivering power was extended to Rahab. Though a prostitute, we know there is power in the blood to wash away the stigma and shame of her old occupation. When Rahab requested deliverance for her family, she was told to bring them in the same house with the scarlet thread hanging outside the window. For this to happen her family had to believe her words and they did. We can only testify to our families but whether they come under the saving and delivering blood of Jesus is a choice they have to make.

What we observe thus far is that there is a pattern of continuity in the Bible. A thread of blood runs throughout the pages of the Bible beginning with Abel who bought a sacrifice of blood to God all the way to the book of Revelation where Jesus clothes Himself with a garment of dripping with His own blood.

Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Everyone who responds positively to the Word of God must take a hold of the scarlet thread. We are all connected by the blood of Jesus. What you and I believe is not inconsequential but has eternal implications. Faith in the blood changed Rahab completely. It saved her family too. In fact, she became an ancestor of King David himself. What a radical change this is! It is astonishing to think that God took her from being a harlot to a mother of kings. God chose to plant His Word Seed into a descendant from this line of Rahab.

Mathew 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

A Look into the Heart of David

Bro. Paul Thomas

Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isa 55:4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
1Sam 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.

The individuals whom God chooses as His leaders are often not easily discernible as leaders to the people of God. One such person was David. Not only did Samuel completely disregard the possibility that David may have been God’s candidate, but even the brothers of David ridiculed and scolded him for suggesting he could defeat Goliath. As a leader, chosen by God, an unseen power leads you to believe things which others may not understand or even support. A leader must keep his eyes and ears fixed and tuned in to the Spirit of the Lord. Remember that the Lord always leads His people from the front. He does this through His leaders. The children of Israel were paralysed with fear on account of the daily threats of Goliath but the Lord waited for David to arrive at the scene before He lead them to victory. There was no guile in the heart of David, no desire for revenge or any malice. David would have been just as happy serving the Lord with his harp out in the hills of Bethlehem. He didn’t seek recognition or honour for himself. No wonder God refers to him as a man after my own heart.
Another important leadership quality which was evident in the life of David was his respect for the order of God and submission to the prophet Samuel and, even to the rebellious King Saul.

1Sam 24:6 And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
1Sam 24:7 So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
1Sam 24:8 David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.

In the above verses, we are given some insight into David’s understanding of the ministry. The servants of David referred to Samuel as the “enemy” but David called Saul “my master” and the Lord’s “anointed”. He stooped down and bowed himself. Remember that Saul was actually at the mercy of David at that moment. David understood the whole scenario to be a temptation to test what is in his heart. The fact that he cut of a tiny piece of Saul’s garment brought much godly sorrow to his God-fearing heart. A study of the scriptures reveals that David loved his own enemies including Abner and his own son Absalom – who had caused so much misery to him and Israel – from the depths of his heart.

2Sa 3:31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David [himself] followed the bier.
2Sa 3:32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.
2Sa 3:36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them: as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.
2Sa 3:37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.
2Sa 18:33 And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son
Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

In addition to respecting the anointing of God, the Lord chose him with the foreknowledge that David would perform the will of the Lord.

Act 13:22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

David always inquired of the Lord even for the smallest matters. He destroyed the Philistines and united Israel as the Lord had commanded. I don’t read anywhere that David refused to carry out any commandment of the Lord. He was diligent and conscientious in executing the will of the Lord.

An indispensable quality for effective leadership is to know how to build holy alliances in building the ministry. David was a master in this area. He knew that he alone would be too weak to fulfil the command of God to unite Israel and so he worked tirelessly to endear himself to men like Jonathan, Joab, Abner and all his mighty men.

1Sam 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
2Sam 23:8 These [be] the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same [was] Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.
2Sam 23:9 And after him [was] Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, [one] of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines [that] were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away:
2Sam 23:10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.
2Sam 23:11 And after him [was] Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

Another notable quality that David displayed was genuine repentance when he sinned against the Lord. He did not seek to justify himself or persecute his accusers. When Nathan revealed his sin to him, David fell down prostrate before the Lord and repented with sackcloth and ashes. He knew that his sin against Uriah, the Hittite, was the cause of much suffering in his own family as Nathan had prophesied and he bore the consequences patiently. The Bible also records that when Shimei cursed David and threw stones at him, David accepted this as a punishment from the Lord and hoped the Lord would now have mercy on him.

2Sa 16:5 And when king David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera: he came forth, and cursed still as he came.
2Sa 16:6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.
2Sa 16:9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.
2Sa 16:10 And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?
2Sa 16:11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now [may this] Benjamite [do it]? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.
2Sa 16:12 It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

What we notice is that David was continually God-conscious. Every act he interpreted in the light of God. To his mind, circumstances have much to do with the hand of God and our duty is to turn over each incident into the mercy of the Lord. He was king and as such very powerful. It was nothing to issue the order to decapitate Shimei but David perceived this might have something to so with God Himself. Shimei may be insignificant, but God is all-powerful.
Furthermore, David made sure to hear the opinions of the leaders of God under him. He did not take them for granted.

1Ch 13:1 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, [and] with every leader.

In conclusion, we have seen that for a leader to please the Lord, there are certain qualities he has to display.

• He is happy to serve God away from the limelight and not only in front of the crowds.
• He receives instructions and inspiration from the Lord which he must act upon courageously. Sometimes his own people will not understand him or support him.
• He understands that God’s anointing is God’s seal of approval which he must submit to. In addition, he strives to his utmost to carry out God’s commandments.
• It is inevitable as a leader that some individuals will not like you and seek to malign your reputation, even hurt you but David did not seek revenge. Actually, he loved his own enemies and cried bitterly for them at their funeral.
• A man of God who sins repents and accepts God’s punishment.
• He builds alliances in the knowledge that he is not called to build the ministry alone.
• He goes beyond the call of duty because of his great love for the Lord.

The common denominator in the above summary is clear: the condition of the heart is crucial. A genuine leader’s heart reflects the heart of our Lord and God Jesus Himself. David, like Jesus, came from an obscure background (both were born in Bethlehem); none of their family members believed they would amount to much; like our Lord, who was persecuted by king Herod, he too was persecuted by king Saul; the Lord loved His enemies and forgave them – David loved Saul, Abner and others who sought to hurt him; When a great leader of God passed away, not only did the people of God mourn, but even the Lord seemed to mourn deeply. Unfortunately, such is the fickleness of man that God knows it can be hard to find a man after His own heart. Let this message challenge you and me to the men after God’s own heart.

Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Bro Paul Thomas

Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

God gave an international vision to Abraham, the father of faith. Contrary to what many Jews believe today, Abraham was the first truly international representative of the Gospel of salvation which was to be revealed through the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. A look at his own background and life demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of his calling. He was born a Chaldean or Mesopotamian (modern-day Iraq) but was commanded by God to leave his country and his kinsmen and sojourn as a stranger in the land of Canaan which was promised to him. He travelled to Egypt where he found Hagar and had a child with her later at the behest of Sara, his wife. His most trusted servant Eliezer, who would have inherited his wealth and name had Isaac never been born, was from Damascus.

Thus we see that Abraham, renounced ties with his own fatherland, surrounded himself with people from different nations and even had a son, Ishmael, who was half-Egyptian. Hence Abraham appears to be a worthy candidate to, not only be called “The father of many nations” from a spiritual perspective, but even a natural one. The fact that he even asked God to allow Eliezer to inherit his wealth and name reveals an open and tolerant spirit free of nationalistic pride and bias. To be called to bless the world, one must also be willing to subdue the natural love for one’s own country, people and culture. Abraham was given an international vision before Israel became a nation and before the law was given. The people who worked on the Tower of Babel failed because they refused to obey God’s command to fill the earth and replenish it. Rather, they were determined to build a city and name for themselves, consolidate their power and isolate themselves from the world. Abraham, by contrast, was blessed because he was willing to sacrifice earthly attachments and loyalties in order to bless the whole world. At Babel they wanted to make a name for themselves but they were scattered; Abraham, on the contrary, was given the name “father of many nations” and is even today revered by almost half of the world’s population (Muslims, Jews and Christians sometimes referred to as the Abrahamic faiths).

The question we have to ask ourselves is “How can we be a part of fulfilling this vision given
by promise to Abraham?” Well, to begin with, we must become children of Abraham through
the act of baptism in Jesus name as the apostle Paul makes clear in Galatians 3:29. This is the
same Paul whom God used to reach the people of Europe. Constrained by love, the apostle
Paul epitomized the Abrahamic vision when he constricted his Jewish identity to accommodate
others for the Gospel.

1Cr 9:19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.
1Cr 9:20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them
that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Cr 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to
God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
1Cr 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all
things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Cr 9:23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.

As children of Abraham, we inherit the blessings and promises of Abraham – we lose our
local identities of Jew or Greek. Like Abraham, we embrace a global vision to be a blessing
to all people everywhere in the world. Allow me to share a few thoughts the Lord has laid on
my heart in order to implement Abraham’s vision on a local level here in London. Others
reading or hearing this message from other countries will have to adapt this message to the
country they belong to or hope to make their own.

In order to reach out to Londoners with this saving apostolic truth, it is essential to
attract their attention using English. Although this city has people from every corner
of the world residing here, only English can serve as the legitimate common
currency that can unite them in one church. If faith comes by hearing and hearing by
the word of God, then it is our duty to ensure they hear in a language they can
understand.

A vision is an act of God breathing powerfully into our imagination and showing
images, thoughts and concepts which cannot be perceived naturally. I believe that if
we begin meetings in English in this cosmopolitan city, we can reach some people
from distant countries who will feel a burden to become missionaries to their own countries. Many of the saints in Antioch had an international background and later it became a powerful missionary church.

Your own children in the UK are slowly adapting to and embracing the language and culture of the countries where they reside. In other words, the next generation of Apostolics in the UK will automatically be speaking in English. The question for us is, “Are we taking the right measures to train them appropriately to continue in this truth?” One way we can assist them to become better witnesses to the British people is to teach them the Bible in English. It is the Word of God alone that saves, but how can one quote the Bible without being familiar with it in English? I urge the church to consider starting Sunday school services for the children with dedicated teachers.

Coming back to Abraham, the father of faith, we see his greatness in the fact that he was willing to sacrifice local attachments to a geographical territory in order to effectuate an infinitely greater vision to bless the whole world. There can be no doubt that Abraham missed the familiar surroundings of his city Ur, the language and customs of his people not to mention the respect and honour which he enjoyed as a man of good standing among his own people. Had he chosen to remain in Ur, I believe he would not have been cursed by God as he was a believer in the One God. However, he would have remained Abram – an unknown man in the incessant stream of time. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ is calling us out to travel with this Abrahamic vision in this day and age when we can be a blessing to so many people from so many countries in this one city of London. We will have to make a decision like Abraham to sacrifice that which is familiar to us and embark on a potentially difficult journey like Abraham. Like Abraham, we may never see the blessing in our time, but the foundation will be laid. The fact that we have said yes to the vision and come out of our comfort zones is the beginning of the blessing.

Rom 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
Rom 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Rom 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Paul Thomas

Matthew 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Matthew 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

This conference in Hannover, Germany, is a spiritual high mountain to which Jesus has graciously brought us apart, in order that we may see Jesus only. Notice that Jesus did not talk during this transfiguration episode – He wanted them to witness and experience His glory. I thank Jesus for this conference; it is God’s mercy to bring you and me apart to this spiritual high mountain so that we will be shielded for a few days from the stress and distractions of daily living in the world and behold the glory of Jesus. Let us pray for the Lord to show us His glory.

• The purpose of the experience

• To shield from distractions

It is our common human experience that we are easily distracted from focusing on the most important objectives of our lives. The Bible abounds with examples of men and women of God who lost out on blessings because of various distractions. Martha was gently rebuked by Jesus for prioritizing domestic chores above His presence and His life-giving words (Luke 10:41). The apostles also scattered and feared to be associated with Jesus during the crucifixion. We are all influenced by the pressure exerted by society. It was for this reason that Jesus, who knows our human weaknesses all too well, decided to take Peter, James and John apart to a high mountain.
As a fellow Brother, sharing your experiences in Europe, allow me to elaborate briefly on the spiritual challenges we ought to beware of in this continent. The great economic success in Europe has come at a great price. There has never been a time when the citizens of Europe have, ironically, been so rich, yet so stressed. We are worried about the consequences of the collapse of the Euro. Furthermore, there is concern about right-wing fascist terrorism after the Norway attacks, in addition to the brand which struck the USA in 9/11. There is a break-down in moral order like never before, and the list goes on and on. It is for all these reasons that we in Europe, more than ever before, must go aside and apart into the high mountain to be with Jesus alone.

• To be a witness of His glory

It is significant that it was Jesus, and not the disciples, who took the initiative. His objective was to leave them with such a powerful, undeniable and blessed experience of His glory and majesty that the confusion and distractions of the world would never overwhelm them again. Jesus knew that the tremendous impact of the transfiguration would leave an indelible imprint on their minds and souls forever. The greater the distractions and stress in the world, the greater the mountain-top experience we ought to have with Jesus only. Europe needs us to have this life-transforming experience on the mountain-top. The apostle Paul had the “Road to Damascus” experience before he went to Europe and baptized the first European convert – Lydia. This Jesus only experience was so overwhelming that Peter wrote about it many years later

2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2 Peter 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory; this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2 Peter 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

We can have such a powerful Jesus only experience here in Hannover, Germany, that the effects of it will be felt for years to come. Moses came down from Mt. Sinai shining with the glory of God but with the Law which brought death. We will come down from this mountain shining with the power of Jesus and the words of eternal life. I plead with you to receive something from this conference to take back to your communities. You can go back as a confident, spirit-filled Christian and tell them, “I have been on the mountain-top with Jesus and experienced His grace, power and majesty. Jesus saves and delivers even today in the 21st century”.

Allow me to explore briefly from a doctrinal viewpoint the sequence of events on the mountain. I am aware that some people refer to us as the “Jesus only” people by which they mean we deny the Father and the Holy Spirit.

• Sequence of events on the mountain

• It was all about Jesus alone

Matthew 17: 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

The Greek word for transfigured is metamorphoō which means to change form or appearance. Such was this transformation that his face shone like the sun. Compare this with the shining of Moses: when he covered his face with a veil, the light no longer radiated to blind the children of Israel. In the case of Jesus, however, the earthly garments he wore had no power whatsoever to restrict the majestic light which shone from the essence within Him which is the One True God. Indeed, as John himself later testified, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5).

At that moment, everything and everyone else was irrelevant. Distractions, stress and other human concerns evaporated in that present moment of supreme glory. No one and nothing could compare with Jesus. The apostle Paul, who also had seen Jesus shining with this brilliant light on the road to Damascus, said, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). The Greek word for “Godhead” is theotēs which basically means “everything that is God”. In other words, we do not need to seek any other God – everything that is God is found in Jesus alone. If one were to somehow come near the sun and behold its awesome light, energy, heat and power, why would you look for another sun? One God, whose name is Jesus, is sufficient for us.

Revelation 1:8 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.

• Distractions on the mountain-top

Matthew 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
Matthew 17: 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

The Lord Jesus Christ was the centre of attention in heaven and earth. He now had three witnesses from earth and two from heaven to testify of His glory and majesty. Moreover, He alone, as God Almighty, both of the living and the dead, could communicate with the inhabitants of heaven and earth. No wonder Jesus challenged the Sadducees who did not believe in a resurrection:

Matthew 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Despite the above, Peter was distracted when he saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. He forgot to keep his eyes and heart on Jesus. He proposed to build a tabernacle for each one of them. A tabernacle is a dwelling place for the shekinah glory of God. Peter had good intentions – he wanted to hear what they all had to say. However, his mind was embedded in the Law and Prophets represented by Moses and Elijah. He was in danger of giving equal attention and honour to these Old Testament Prophets along with Jesus. Perhaps, if three tabernacles were built, some zealous fanatics would have come to that mountain later and worshipped the three tabernacles. The Devil has always worked hard to establish a Trinity. At that very instant, a cloud appeared and a voice which thundered as if in protest:

Matthew 17: 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

• The Father is in me

Many Trinitarians base their belief in the Trinity upon Matthew 17:5, among others. They reason that since the voice was uttered from above, from the cloud, surely the Father is distinct from Jesus. What they fail to understand is that, had Jesus spoken these words from His own mouth, this would not be a testimony in accordance with the principles of the Law. Jesus could have spoken from His own mouth as the Father was in Him and spoke through Him, “John 14: 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works”.

There was another occasion where Jesus actually did speak as the Father about the fate of His own body, “John 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”. He was the one who spoke from the cloud. This has to be the case otherwise it would be very odd for the Father to be quiet and defer to the Son, who, according to Trinitarian philosophy is supposed to be co-equal with the Father. Jesus allowed His own voice to sound from the cloud and heaven etc because of the unbelief of the Jews.

John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
John 12:29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
John 12:30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

Which name did the Father glorify? It was the name of Jesus for it is written, “Philippians 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth”. We are privileged to be invited by Jesus to this spiritual high mountain. Let us ignore every distraction that seeks to rob the attention from Jesus. We come to this mountain-top as One God believers who acknowledge that Father, Son and Holy Spirit are titles referring to the same One God whose name is Jesus. Let us hear Him during this conference. May you lift up your eyes during and after this conference and see Jesus only!

Bro. Paul Thomas

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.

The Devil had just deceived Adam and Eve into committing a dreadful sin. In fact, he succeeded in tempting them to copy his own sin – to be like God. We can only imagine how pleased he was to see Adam and Eve naked, frightened and hiding before the anger of God. His mission was accomplished and he eagerly awaited God’s condemnation of the first human family. I can only guess that he thought God would condemn them to the same fate as he had suffered – eternal hell. However, to the utter horror of the Devil, what followed turned out to be the first sermon of the entire Bible. The preacher was God Himself. The hearers included angels, demons and humans. In fact, the word sermon, according to Webster’s dictionary is derived from the Latin word serere which means to link together. Let us study how God linked together these different agents in His sermon.

First of all, God declares, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman”. I can imagine the disappointment of the Devil. He perhaps thought that the man and the woman would join forces with him in rebellion against God. We understand, from the pages of the Bible that the Devil was clearly working hard behind the scenes to foment a cosmic rebellion against God by co-opting heavenly and earthly beings to isolate God. Perhaps, in his delusion, he thought he could ultimately successfully overthrow God. Now, however, to his utter shock, God declares that He will personally ensure this will not happen. God would sow enmity against between the woman and the serpent. Let us thank Jesus that we who love Him will never be Satan’s friend; we will always oppose his plans by fighting his lies and delusions to bring souls out of his kingdom. It is a badge of honour to be known by Satan as his enemies.

Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?

In the verse above, the Devil was basically saying, “I hate Paul”. “I know” means “You don’t need to remind me who Jesus and Paul are because I can’t stand them. They remind me of my failure to conquer the world.” The Devil’s frustration led him to beat the seven sons of Sceva mercilessly. Why could he beat the seven sons of Sceva? Simply because they were not his enemies. They were his friends. He beat them because, being his friends, they were supposed to be working together with him – not against him. At the minimum, if they cannot work with him, how dare they try to oppose him? To be known of Satan is to place your faith in the saving work of Christ; in the apostolic declaration of Peter – repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). To be the enemy of Satan means to be like Job.

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

The second part of God’s first sermon contains these words, “and between thy seed and her seed”. How blessed is the human family in that God immediately took our side although we had sinned against Him. This was the first prophecy in the Bible. The seed of the serpent is the Devil himself and sin while the seed of the woman is Jesus Christ Himself. The apostle Paul received the revelation that the seed of the woman refers to one single seed/person and His name is Jesus.

Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Ever since the dawn of Biblical history every God-fearing woman prayed and expected the Messiah to be conceived in her womb. Every pious woman who knew of this first sermon understood the tremendous importance of praying for the seed of the woman to enter the world. Jewish women have been known for centuries to pray and plead for the Messiah to come forth from their womb. It would not be far-fetched to assume the Devil attempted to, among other attacks, shut up the womb of God-fearing women. In addition we see that he tried his level best to mingle the godly seed of Israel with pagan, idol-worshipping nations around them to prevent the seed of the woman from entering the world. Blessed be the name of Jesus, however, for God always blessed His people.

Deuteronomy 7:13 And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

The Lord loves to terrorize the Devil. While Satan was trying to corrupt the people of God by seducing them into marrying pagan people to stop the Messiah from coming, the Lord brought women from pagan nations into Israel and chose them to be in the lineage of the Messiah. One such example is Ruth from Moab.

Mat 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;

The Lord’s promises never fail. Though the enemy is still fighting women (just think of rapes, abortions, inequality in pay conditions for equal work etc), I want to encourage our sisters to be strong. The Messiah is on your side. In fact, Paul states that child-bearing would save the woman (and also the man). Here is a paradox: a woman engineered the first sin but a woman would also be the vehicle for our deliverance.

1Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Let me look at the last part of the first sermon: “it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Jesus Christ has bruised the head of Satan on the Cross of Calvary. Yes, Satan hurt and bruised the heel of our Lord on the Cross but the Devil’s head has been broken by Christ. Think about a snake for a moment. His poison is not in his tail or the mid-portion of his body but in his head. You can bruise his tail but he is still deadly as long as his head is intact. A snake digs his fangs into human flesh and injects lethal venom which paralyzes and kills within seconds. The viper’s venom can leave human flesh looking like rotten meat although the victim survives (Tissue necrosis, see image below). This is how sin works too. Thank Jesus for breaking the serpent’s head. Actually, the Hebrew word for bruise is shuf which means to “break”. So Satan may still go around troubling us and threatening but his head is broken by Jesus.
In conclusion, the first sermon is our assurance that God is on the side of humanity. In addition, God-fearing humans will always be the enemies of Satan and his poison of sin. This includes the whole spectrum of sins like hatred, envy, adultery, blasphemy and denial of the name of Jesus. Finally, God Himself fulfilled His own first sermon by taking on heavenly flesh (which Satan could not inject poison into anyhow) and crushing the Devil’s head on the Cross. I conclude with the words of the apostle Paul.

IMAGE date of access Aug 31,2011

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

We are surrounded by power on a daily basis. The car, train, bus or tram that brought you here was fuelled by a power source – petrol, electricity or some other alternative energy source. When you get home, your house is powered by electricity, gas or even, for the more environmental friendly, solar energy panels on their roofs. But this is trivial compared to the mind-boggling power contained in the universe. Supernovas are exploding stars that spew out so much gas and energy that their brightness can rival that of an entire galaxy for a few days, according to scientist Paul Davies. This herculean display of power beggars belief for us humans on our tiny planet in a remote little location of the universe.
Astrophysics is now trying to understand another baffling power in the universe called dark matter. Normally, due to the power of gravity that bodies exert on each other, galaxies should be pulling closer towards each other, but it appears that they are hurtling away from each other much faster than previously thought. So, for example, our galaxy, the Milky Way, is moving away from the nearest galaxy, Andromeda, with some haste. This, apparently, is due to dark matter which comprises much of the universe. I could go on and talk about Black Holes etc but I don‟t need to labour the point. We can all agree that the universe is teeming with a dizzying array of powerful processes many not yet discovered. The same eminent physicist and cosmologist, Paul Davies, who doesn‟t believe in God, nevertheless writes:

Even atheistic scientists will wax lyrical about the scale, the majesty, the harmony, the elegance, the sheer ingenuity of the universe of which they form so small and fragile a part. As the great cosmic drama unfolds before us, it begins to look as though there is a „script‟ – a scheme of things – which its evolution is following. We are then bound to ask, who or what wrote the script? Or did the script somehow miraculously write itself? (Davies, 2006:17). (Source: Davies, P. (2007) The Goldilocks Enigma. London: Penguin).

I only embarked upon this space odyssey in order to help us appreciate the authoritative statement of Jesus “All power, on heaven and earth is given to me”. Such is the astounding power of God that all He needed to do in order to create this marvellous universe I briefly spoke about, was to speak it into existence. In fact, the word, universe, comes from Latin and means “one word”.

Gen 1:1 ¶ In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 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.
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Job 38:4 ¶ Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Now we can marvel together with the Psalmist and modern scientists at the power inherent in the universe but what use is all this power if it cannot bring back the dead? As I touched on earlier, death is the enemy of God and man. Humans have been successful, to some extent, in devising medicines and methods to heal some diseases and prolong life, but the human race is till powerless and at a loss when it comes face to face with its age-old nemesis, death. What power or energy in the entire universe can resuscitate a dead corpse? Every known power we have harnessed successfully to benefit mankind could not be extended to death. Death still looked at us arrogantly and mocked our impotence. The best scientists can do, and this is what I have read, is to locate the cells responsible for ageing in the human body and somehow slow down the process of ageing. I wouldn‟t be surprised if they manage to find a panacea for ageing but that is not the same as eliminating death. Whatever that power is that manages to destroy the monopoly of death must be undoubtedly declared to be “the ultimate power of the universe”. Now Jesus alone claimed to possess this ultimate power. Hosea and Isaiah actually even prophesied that Christ would eliminate death.

Hsa 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Isa 26:19 Thy dead [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Jesus showed from the beginning of His earthly ministry that this ultimate power was at His command. With His word He resurrected Lazarus from the dead although He had been dead for two days. Actually Jesus deliberately waited that long in order to make clear that other forces or explanations could not be at play.

Jhn 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Where did Jesus acquire this ultimate power from? We get a clue in His own words found in

Jhn 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

The apostle Paul further sheds light on the reason for this awesome manifestation of power in the Christ.

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

In fact the apostles were given a glimpse of this ultimate power in secret atop a high mountain in Israel.

Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Jesus could have shown more brightly than a supernova if He wanted to. Thank God He didn‟t or the earth would have become a smouldering ruin. The question you and me have to ask is: how can this power work in my life and ascertain that I will have eternal life. It is nothing for Jesus to raise you from the dead and give you eternal life. After having died for thousands of years, the saints of the Old Testament came back from the dead in an instant.

Mat 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
Mat 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

After hearing all of this, is it too much for God to ask us to ask Peter did to obey Acts 2:38?

Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Why wait? Isn‟t it better to believe and act on His words now?