The Lord, Saviour of the world

As I looked out of the train window this morning on my usual journey to work I spotted a large green and white metal sign just to the left of a larger lettered display promoting the local brewery. The sign stood clearly above the railway boundary wall like a beacon in the mist for all to see (well for train passengers at least) on which was written – Jesus Christus Retter der Welt (Jesus Christus, Saviour of the world) – and once again I acknowledged this truth in the comfort of my own soul and was jolted back in time to last Sunday, 1st March, 2009 at our church in Horb where our District Elder Werner Schick held the Service for the Departed under the Word – John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

I understand and acknowledge this as meaning the Lord’s way and the things he taught us both in the early church and today are still valid and, therefore, true. I not only believe in God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit but also in the teachings of the Apostles as commissioned by the Lord in the early church. This I believe to be mandatory in order to be able to reach the Father. Simple eh?

As a new apostolic christian I believe that faith comes from the Word and the Word is heard at the altar and proclaimed by the Holy Spirit through the weak flesh of living apostles and other brothers in the faith. I and my fellow believers believe these teachings were, are and always will be part of God’s plan of Salvation until the Lord’s return.

He made us a promise to return and collect his Bride – will we be waiting for him when he does?  Hope is there for everyone and the offer is not limited. We (all nations) are able to become part of this wondrous event.

Often the Spirit teaches us that – to hear doesn’t mean we have understood – to understand doesn’t mean we agree – and to agree is by all intents and purposes not as yet put into practice.  Are we ready to bow and be obedient out of love to our Saviour when he comes for us? Can we forgive others, and be reconciled beyond all pain and doubt? How much more difficult is this when we leave this life and cross over into the afterlife do you think?

Oh I see, so you don’t believe in life after death?

At this point you will have to come to terms with my belief that the soul is immortal and lives on.  Death is not the end, it is the only the result of the original sin and the removal of our earthly entity. Our immortal souls, however, are then released and ‘live’ on.

Right now everyone is talking about the failing economic system and the problems of getting old or the dangers of climatic changes in the future but what do we still believe in these days or in fact even hold dear?

I thought about the departed souls when I saw the “sign” and was reminded that Salvation is not only meant for the living but also for the dead.  It is up to the living to be a good example to those who cannot yet see. Dead or alive. My belief is that the Spirit is truth and only the Spirit can reveal God’s will. Once the Lord was asked “what is truth” and he replied  “I came into the world to bear witness unto the truth”, which to to me confirms that he is evidence of the truth.  During his lifetime the Lord continued to give evidence and proclaim the truth to those he helped and taught. The bible is evidence of those encounters.

Through the Holy Spirit, God makes his intention known to us, as he did in the early Church and indeed as he still does today through the apostle ministry.  Services for the Departed are the bridges into eternity, where the souls can cross over to receive forgiveness of sins and the baptism of water and of fire through the hands of a living Apostle, enabling them to step freely over into the divine fellowship and the promise of the eternal community with God.  I believe there is no greater goal.

The Lord has prepared the way for everyone. All we have to do is follow and he will lead us away from the darkness and through the mist, into the light. The truth is out there…  Just follow the signs to salvation….. easy eh? See you there….hopefully (if I manage to get there and if you follow)!

God Bless

WHO CARES?

Revelation 20:6

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

I had a nagging feeling all the way through the service on Sunday last. The service was about the first resurrection. Difficult to imagine really with our limited range but it does sound wonderful to the receptive soul.  In the bible it tells us that, after the Lord comes to collect his Bride (those being the worthy souls on the other side and those still living) they will experience the miracle of transformation and receive a glorified body, enabling them to return with the Lord for the marriage feast of the lamb in heaven.

All the while, I kept thinking about the misery and affliction that would be left in the wake of this sudden event and how long will this period last before the Lord returns with his bride to intervene, bind Satan and mark the beginning of the thousand years of peace. Not soon enough, I’d say….for even one godforsaken hour would be too much to bear.

You might say…
So what if I don’t take part in the first resurrection, who cares?
So what if I’m heading towards the second death, whatever that is, who cares?
So what if I don’t want to be a priest of God and of Christ with his armies on horseback. Can you imagine me being one anyway, I can’t even ride a horse!
A thousand years of peace, hah…you’ve got to be kidding….that’ll be the day.

Well the prophecies have been right so far and there’s really no reason to believe they won’t be in the future.  I don’t honestly think I can imagine or even want to imagine what life will be like after all the goodness has been sifted out of the world as we know it in an instant!  In Matthew 24; 21:22, it states…”For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time. no, nor ever shall be.” “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved… 

It doesn’t sound pretty does it? Scaremongering you might say, not really. It’s only because I care that I feel I need to warn you. What keeps us on an even keel (in Europe at least)? Is it the goodness derived from respectability and decency, which in turn comes from a good old fashioned social and moral upbringing? For the time being most of us are able to enjoy the privilege of social freedom, order and protection and for now God has patience with us, just long enough until the great work of salvation is complete. The conclusion of God’s plan is a new creation and I think it would be really great if both you and I care about what’s coming and act sooner rather than later.

What do you think?

A belated Happy Easter…

Sorry it’s a bit late to wish you all a Happy Easter but well the Chief Apostle’s Easter message on  23^rd March this year, via transmission from Mannheim, wasn’t only meant for the moment or the once a year occasion… Continue reading »